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third year, november, after class
The first time Draco stumbled across the mess of untamed orange fur that was Hermione Granger’s cat, he was sitting under one of the trees near the practice pitch. The essay Professor Snape assigned earlier that day was sitting on his lap, and he was already halfway completed with the second roll of parchment. Even though the assignment wasn’t due until Monday morning, he was set on completing it that day, as he had plans with friends over the weekend and refused to worry about school while he was supposed to be enjoying himself.
However, just as he was about to start on the second to last paragraph, he heard a raspy meow come from the branches above his head, followed by an indignant hiss. The blonde third-year had always had a soft spot for cats—though he made sure no one but his trusted group of friends knew about it— so he couldn’t stop himself from squinting up into the orange and red foliage of the tall oak tree he leaned against.
Draco felt a smile twitching at the corners of his lips once he caught sight of scraggly ginger fur. The cat’s face looked to be set in a permanent scowl, even more so now that it was stuck somewhere it definitely didn’t want to be. Bright yellow eyes peered down at the blonde, another, almost desperate-sounding, meow coming from the animal.
Unable to help himself now, Draco chuckled and began to close his books, rolling the parchments his essay was written on back up and stacking them neatly on top. He quickly brushed the grass and dirt off his robes after he stood, turning his attention back to the orange kitty once he was done.
Now, how to get you down…
He could try and convince the cat to jump down to him, as Draco wasn’t tall enough to simply reach up and grab the animal from the branch it was stuck on. There was also the idea of using a Levitation Charm to float the cat down, but he didn’t know if that would scare the poor thing or not.
He quickly came to the decision that he would simply try and coax the cat into jumping into his arms. If that didn’t work, he would try the Levitation Charm.
“C’mere, kitty kitty,” Draco said sweetly, praying that no one was around to hear the kind, high-pitched tone his voice took on as he spoke to the cat. That would not be good for his reputation.
The ginger cat hesitated, claws digging into the bark of the branch it stood on. Draco saw the way it leaned forward, though, front paws shifting to keep it from toppling out of the tree.
Almost there…
“Why don’t we get you inside, hm? I’m sure you must be hungry.”
Using food as an incentive turned out to be a good choice, as Draco soon found himself with claws digging into his shoulders and orange ears tickling his nose. The blonde laughed as he stared into bright yellow eyes, maneuvering the cat so he held it with only one arm. With his now free hand, Draco stuffed his books and parchment into his bag, quickly slinging it over his shoulder once everything was securely inside.
Smiling down at his new companion, he quickly began the walk back up to Hogwarts. Even with the distinct lack of a collar, he was positive the little thing had an owner, as there hadn’t been any strays on the grounds before. If he didn’t see anyone searching for the cat at dinner then he would just bring it to one of the professors— maybe McGonagall, as she’d professed her love for the animals many times before.
Nonetheless, he would be sure to enjoy his time with the animal while he could. He’d always had a soft spot for animals, especially cats, though his father had always detested this trait, claiming that he shouldn’t waste his time on something as silly as an animal companion. The only animal he had any sort of bond with was his owl—though the feathery thing wasn’t very cuddly, preferring to nip at Draco’s fingers and snatch food off his plate—and as a child, he used to try and bond with the peacocks around the manor between his lessons, though his father was quick to put an end to his son’s… unbecoming behavior once he found out. But now that he was safe from the prying eyes of servants and Lucius Malfoy himself, Draco would enjoy the cat’s company.
With that in mind, the blonde Slytherin made his way into the Great Hall and over to the section of the table he and his friends claimed as theirs. Before he even sat down, he noticed the empty spot where Pansy usually sat.
“Where’s Pans?” Draco asked after settling in across from Theo, Blaise scooting over to make space for the blonde.
“She stayed back to talk to Professor Flitwick about one of her test scores, probably trying to convince the poor guy to let her retake it,” Theo rolled his eyes, though everyone could tell the annoyance was fake.
“Say, Draco, what’s that in your robes? Steal something from the first-years again?” Blaise piped up from beside him, eyeing the lump protruding from Draco’s chest.
Draco rolled his eyes, were they ever going to let that go?
“I’ve told you many times before, Blaise, that sodding first-year stole something from me , not the other way around. I was simply taking it back.” As he spoke he pulled the ginger cat away from his chest and out from under the protection of his robes, “Besides, I didn’t steal this cat, I found him. I plan on returning him to his rightful owner after dinner.”
Both his friend’s eyes widened, all their attention now focused on the mess of fur currently purring on Draco’s lap.
“Merlin, Draco! Now you’re stealing animals from first-years? I didn’t expect you to go that far!”
The blonde Slytherin simply rolled his eyes, the mischief in his friend’s voice painfully obvious.
“Anyways, have either of you heard anyone talk about a missing cat? I figured I could try and find this guy’s rightful owner myself first, but if I can’t find them then I’ll just hand him over to one of the professors.”
“I haven’t heard anything, but ask Pans. She eavesdrops on so many conversations that she’s surely heard something that could be of use.” Theo said, watching with amusement as Blaise tried to pet the ginger cat, only to immediately pull his hand back to avoid being scratched.
“Bloody hell Draco, how do you touch that thing without getting mauled? I can’t even lay a damn finger on it!”
Draco could barely contain his eye roll, “He must just not like you, Blaise. I can’t blame him, really.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Blaise uttered, resisting the urge to add a snide remark to avoid the stinging hex that was sure to come his way should he open his mouth.
Draco ignored his friend’s mumbling, instead focusing on feeding the animal— who quickly resumed his purring after successfully warding off Blaise’s unwanted touches— some chicken that he tore off one of the drumsticks on his plate.
“Say, Draco,” Theo began, now glancing between his blonde friend and the cat on his lap, “That cat looks an awful lot like you, don’t ‘cha think? It has the scowl, the bite— ouch!” The brown-haired boy yelped, nursing his now stinging hand close to his chest.
Blaise snickered, only to jump out of the way as Theo sent a stinging hex his way.
-
Contrary to what Draco had hoped, Pansy didn’t have any information on who owned the ginger cat. The only thing she even heard about a cat was from some sixth-years, who were talking about adopting one over the summer holiday.
Slightly disappointed, Draco had let Pansy hold the cat while he ate, though it was clear his short-term companion wasn’t too happy with that arrangement from the number of scratches the girl had afterward.
That led him to where he was now, standing in front of the door to the Transfiguration classroom where he hoped to find Professor McGonagall. He’d never really cared for the woman too much, and he could tell the feeling was somewhat reciprocated. Nonetheless, if anyone were to make sure that this cat got back to his rightful owner as soon as possible, he figured it would be her.
Knocking on the door, he waited until he heard Professor McGonagall’s voice telling him to enter before stepping inside.
Minerva McGonagall was sat at her desk in the front of the classroom, grading the day’s assignments if the stack of parchment beside her was anything to go by.
“Ah, Mr. Malfoy,” McGonagall said, staring at him over the top of her thin-framed glasses.
“I suspect you didn’t come here for assistance with tonight’s homework?” The woman questioned, though it was clear she already knew the answer— the glances she sent toward the bundle of fur in Draco’s arms weren’t very subtle.
The Slytherin cleared his throat, “No, Professor. I found this guy outside near the practice pitch, he was stuck in a tree. I couldn’t find any clues as to who his owner might be, so I decided to bring him here.”
McGonagall nodded, stepping out from behind her desk to stand in front of the blonde, “Very well, I will be sure to return him to his owner and tell them that you found him. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy.”
Draco nodded, handing the cat over before turning and leaving, heading down toward the dungeons where he knew his friends were.
✩
fourth year, february, after the
second triwizard tournament task
Draco grumbled as he kicked another rock, diligently ignoring the snickers from his friends.
“Gee, Drake, you really are upset, huh?” Pansy chuckled from where she sat on the grass behind the blonde. They were sitting by the shore of the Great Lake, where the second task of the Triwizard Tournament was just held.
Harry bloody Potter was announced as the winner of second place, even though everyone saw that he came out of the water dead last. The judges just had to reward the boy for having ‘moral fiber’. If anything, Draco thought the Gryffindor was stupid. It was said that Harry had arrived at the hostages first, but then that hero complex of his made him feel the need to save someone that wasn’t his responsibility.
Don’t get him wrong, he doesn’t care what the other fourth-year does— even though Pansy adamantly claims he does— he just can’t stand people who always try to be the hero of the story, who lack so much self-preservation that they would put their own life on the line just to save someone else, someone who they barely even knew, in Potter’s case.
Or maybe he just hated the Gryffindor, with his stupidly sparkly emerald eyes and unruly dark hair, not to mention his blinding smile—
His train of thought was (thankfully) cut off as Pansy squealed from behind him, nearly making him jump out of his skin.
“Merlin Pans, what the bloody hell has gotten into you—” Theo started, eyes wide as he stared at the black-haired girl who quickly cut him off.
“Draco, your kitty’s back!”
Draco chose to ignore her wording, instead turning around to look for the scraggly ginger fur and scowling face. The cat wasn’t hard to spot, his fur color standing out against the green grass as he approached the quartet of fourth years. He seemed to be making a beeline for Draco, as his striking yellow eyes were focused on the blonde.
Unable to stop a smile from creeping across his features, Draco crouched down and called for the cat, promising to himself that he would hex whoever laughed as his usually monotonous voice came out mellow and soft. No one did however, they merely watched with affection in their eyes as he picked the animal up, holding it close to his chest. He hadn’t realized how much he liked the comforting weight of the cat against his chest, but now that he felt it again Draco never wanted to put the thing down.
“How’d you get out here, hm? You know you’re not supposed to wander.” The Slytherin muttered, gently rubbing the cat’s head as he spoke.
“He probably snuck out to see you, Drake. I mean, the thing’s practically in love with you,” Blaise grunted, obviously still upset about his first encounter with the cat.
“I have to agree with Blaise on this one, Drakey,” Pansy proclaimed.
Draco scoffed, they were children, the whole lot of them.
“He’s not in love with me, he just doesn’t like you guys. He clearly has taste,” He narrowly avoided a stinging hex after that last comment, but it was worth it to see the eye rolls his friends sent his way.
“Anyways, I should bring him back inside. I’ll see you all in the Great Hall for dinner?”
The other three nodded in response, and Pansy even managed to sneak in a few goodbye pets before the ginger cat had enough and nipped her fingers.
-
Draco sighed as he stepped into the Transfiguration classroom, Professor McGonagall once again behind her desk grading assignments. She immediately spotted the cat in his arms, and for a second he thought he saw the corners of her lips quirk up in amusement.
“Again, Mr. Malfoy?”
The blonde merely shrugged, “He just came up to me while I was outside, this time near the Great Lake.”
McGonagall sighed, already getting up, “It seems he snuck away from Ms. Granger again, just like he did last year.”
Wait—
“Granger? As in Hermione Granger?”
“Well, yes. There’s only one Granger in Hogwarts as far as I’m aware,” the woman replied, before fixing him with a calculating stare, “That’s not a problem, is it? I know you and Mr. Potter, along with Mr. Potter’s friends, have a bit of a… strained relationship.”
Draco quickly shook his head, “No, Professor. That’s not a problem at all.”
McGonagall’s eyes softened a bit before she took the cat from Draco’s arms, sending him a grateful smile, “Well, I will be sure to return Crookshanks to his rightful owner before the day is over. It’s almost dinner time, so you should head for the Great Hall once you leave, Mr. Malfoy.”
Crookshanks.
An odd name for an odd cat.
“Thanks again, Professor,” Draco said, before leaving the classroom and heading to the Great Hall.
-
It wasn’t until a few days later that Draco spoke to Hermione, and even then it was only after the witch had cornered him while they were leaving Charms class.
Yes, he was avoiding her, so what? He had seen the way she glanced at him like she was just about to march up to him and strike up a conversation. He would much rather not be caught with a mudblood like her, he had a reputation to uphold, after all.
(He quickly pushed down the thought of how his father would react if he found out Draco had been seen conversing with someone like Hermione Granger, not wanting to think about the punishment that would ensue.)
However, it was clear his luck had run out, as he currently found himself face to face with an out-of-breath Gryffindor. She was cornering him against the wall just outside of his next class, Potions.
Bloody fucking hell , Draco thought, does she ever give up?
“Sorry Malfoy, I’ll make this quick, promise,” Granger began, still panting from running after him, “I just wanted to thank you for returning Crookshanks to me twice now, I appreciate it.”
Draco simply rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, Granger. Don’t force yourself.”
“I really do mean it!” The curly-haired girl insisted, annoyance lacing her tone.
“Well keep a closer eye on the damn thing. I have better things to do than return someone’s lost cat.”
With that he slipped past her, making a beeline for the Potions classroom.
He didn’t really think that way, of course. The cat was rather enjoyable to spend time with, even if it was only for the few minutes it took to take it up to McGonagall. Though it wasn’t like he could tell anyone that, especially not now that he knew the cat belonged to a filthy mudblood of all people. His father had taught him that mudbloods tainted everything they touched, and he certainly didn’t want to get Hermione Granger’s cooties on him.
✩
fifth year, june, a few days
after the battle in the
department of mysteries
Draco thought life would be better after the Dark Lord returned, as that’s what his father had preached ever since he was young. He never understood the man, but his father always said he would once he met the Dark Lord in person and was eventually marked as a Death Eater.
But now his father was locked away in Azkaban and he had just gotten a letter from his mother that warned Draco about the state of the manor, and the man that was currently taking shelter inside it.
The man whose strength was comparable to that of Dumbledore’s, the man who wanted to erase at least half of the wizards and witches alive off the planet.
Draco wanted to be happy, after all, it was an honor to even live at the same time as someone as powerful as Voldemort (at least, that’s what his father said), but any semblance of happiness was very quickly put out after he read the letter his mother wrote.
To my dearest Draco,
I hope this letter finds you well, though it pains me to say that what you are about to read will most likely be unpleasant.
After your father was sent to Azkaban, the Dark Lord showed up on the manor’s doorstep. He stated that Lucius’ actions were embarrassing and unseemly and that he didn’t want to associate himself with the Malfoys any longer.
However, he said he would forgive Lucius’ wrongdoings if we allowed him to live inside our home for the foreseeable future.
I allowed him, of course, and Death Eater meetings will now be held inside the manor as well. The house-elves have been told to obey the Dark Lord’s orders, and that he is now a resident of the manor just as we are.
Things are already changing Draco, for better or for worse I do not know. Please be on your best behavior now, I do not want to give the Dark Lord any reason to be upset. I’m worried for your safety, my safety, and your father’s safety.
I do hope this is enough to appease the Dark Lord, as I’m not sure what else we are able to offer.
I will see you at the train station, my dear. I do hope this wasn’t too upsetting to read, and that you aren’t mad at the decision I made. It was all I could do to protect our family and its name.
Love you forever and always,
Your mother
N.M
The Dark Lord was spending their money, eating their food, and ordering around their house-elves as punishment . He was living in their house as punishment.
Draco was sure his father would have a field day once he found out, but if there was anything the blonde knew it was that he was not his father, and this was solidified by the cold dread that made its way through his body, rooting him to the spot. It was terrifying knowing one wrong move could get him killed, could get his mother killed.
Draco needed to get out of this stuffy dorm room before he drove himself mad.
So, after quickly stuffing the letter into the bottom of his trunk— he’d write her back later after he cleared his head— Draco did just that.
-
His feet led him to the Whomping Willow, and he took a seat under one of the trees at the edge of the forest surrounding it. He knew he was alone, as no one ever really came near the ancient tree, the many horror stories surrounding it doing a good job of warding off any potential visitors.
The warm summer air quelled the cold chill in his bones, but his limbs were still stiff with dread. He didn’t blame his mother for letting the Dark Lord take up residence in their home, he couldn’t, didn’t , want to imagine the consequences that would follow her refusal. The only thing they could do now was keep their heads down and stay quiet and respectful, only then did Draco and his mother have any chance of getting out of this as unscathed as possible.
The blonde’s quickly spiraling thoughts were interrupted by a familiar raspy meow, this time coming from behind him.
Draco rolled his eyes fondly before turning around, “Are you stalking me or something? Did Potter and his little posse bribe you into becoming their spy?”
Crookshanks merely stared at the Slytherin, yellow eyes bright and unblinking. Once the cat was close enough, Draco scooped him up and set him on his lap. As Crookshanks made himself comfortable, the blonde turned back to stare across the grounds, the imposing form of the castle still visible from where they sat.
“That stupid mudblood really is good for nothing, huh? She can’t even keep track of her own bloody pet.”
Suddenly, Crookshanks’ head jerked up and he stared at something in the grass a little ways away from them. Before Draco could even try and see what the cat was looking at, he took off— heading right for the Whomping Willow .
Now Draco wasn’t entirely sure how the tree reacted to animals, but the few unlucky crows he’d come across told him enough.
“Crookshanks! You stupid cat—”
Thanking Merlin that he’d thought to bring his wand with him, Draco quickly pulled it out and cast a Levitation Charm on the cat. Sprinting over, he plucked the animal out of the air, going pale as he heard the telltale sign of creaking wood. Making sure he held Crookshanks tightly, Draco quickly ran out of the way, just in time for one of the Whomping Willow’s huge branches to slam right where they once stood.
“See?! That’s why we don’t go running around outside unattended! You have just about as much self-preservation as those bunch of idiots you live with!” Draco exclaimed, face red from anger, “Nearly getting killed because of a stupid mouse— have you lost your bloody mind?”
The cat at least had enough decency to look ashamed, ducking his head into Draco’s robes as the blonde continued to scold him.
“Granger might as well hand you over to me because it seems like I’m the only bloody person in this school who knows how to properly take care of pets—”
“Crookshanks! Crookshanks, there you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
Speak of the devil.
Hermione Granger ran up to him, face flushed from presumably running around the grounds in search of her cat.
“Malfoy, oh Merlin I can’t thank you enough— one second he was there, and then the next he was gone—”
“ Malfoy ?” Weasly piped up from behind her, “How the bloody hell did Malfoy find Crookshanks? You didn’t hurt him, did you? Didn’t use him as target practice?”
Draco rolled his eyes, handing the animal over to Granger, “Honestly, Weasel, if I wanted to use something as target practice I would’ve rather used you instead of some disheveled cat. Not that you two look much different anyway.”
Weasly’s face flushed red in either embarrassment or anger, but Draco cut him off before he could open his mouth.
“Granger, your cat was nearly just crushed like a bloody bug by the Whomping Willow. Honestly, do you even know how to look after the thing? This is the third time I’ve had to return your pet. I’m worried he won’t even make it over the summer because of how negligent you are,” The blonde scolded, watching how the Gryffindor’s face dropped before she started fervently checking the cat for injuries, “Seriously, it’s like you don’t even want the poor thing anymore. I wouldn’t even be surprised if people started thinking he was my cat with how much I’ve been seen carrying him around.”
Granger cleared her throat, “Well— thank you for returning him, Malfoy. I really do appreciate it.”
Draco rolled his eyes, she obviously just disregarded everything he just said.
“Don’t make me do it again.”
✩
sixth year, march, after draco sends
the apple to borgin and burkes
using the vanishing cabinet
Draco stared down at the crisp green apple in his hand, thumb running over the edge of the bite taken out of it. He’d spent months trying to repair the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement, and now he was so close to completing it.
Though if he was being honest, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to complete it anymore.
The Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters were counting on him to finish this, and he refused to let himself think about what would happen should he fail to follow Lord Voldemort’s orders.
The tortured screams of the Death Eaters in the basement rang throughout the cold halls of the manor. Draco knew by now that nothing could ever block out their cries, so he stopped trying.
However, now that the threatening shadow of his father wasn’t constantly looming over his shoulder and whispering into his ears, Draco found it harder and harder to see eye to eye with the thing that had taken residence in his home.
Maybe it wasn’t caused by the lack of his father’s presence, maybe it was the dull eyes and shaky hands of his mother after she’d been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse for over an hour despite Draco’s pleads to stop hurting her—
If he didn’t want to be subjected to the same torture that she had— or even worse, subject her to that torture for a second time— then he needed to fix the Vanishing Cabinet and kill Albus Dumbledore.
How the hell he’d do that last bit Draco had no clue— his many attempts at both cursing and poisoning the headmaster had all failed—
Draco froze as he heard soft footsteps approach. He’d expected to run into at least one person— Merlin knows no one cares about the curfew unless they’re a scared first-year— as the Astronomy Tower wasn’t a very private place. He was paranoid now though, his dark train of thought causing him to become rather high-strung.
Reaching into the pocket of his robes for his wand, Draco stood from his spot on the platform at the far end of the room, moving towards the stairs.
“Who’s there?”
He received no answer, which unnerved him further. Just as he was about to send a nasty stinging hex down the stairs and hope it hit something, scraggly orange fur appeared on the top step.
“Crookshanks? What the bloody hell are you doing up here?” The blonde nearly hissed, trying to calm his racing heart.
Get a fucking grip on yourself, Malfoy. It’s just a sodding cat.
A meow was all he got in response, the cat now rubbing himself against Draco’s legs. Surprisingly, he found himself relaxing as he stared down at the animal, but he brushed it off as his body simply recognizing that there was no threat like he had originally thought.
Leaning down, the Slytherin scooped the cat into his arms, cradling him against his chest and relishing in the familiar feeling.
“Let’s get you back to Granger. She really is a stupid one, isn’t she? Letting you wander around even after I scolded her…”
-
Draco stopped in front of the portrait that led to the Gryffindor common room, rolling his eyes as the lady inside let out a loud snore. Praying that someone inside was awake, Draco knocked.
The portrait swung open rather quickly, curled hair immediately filling his vision.
“Ron I told you I’m not going to keep letting you in after your midnight escapades with Lavender— oh.”
Hm. Curious. He wondered if Pansy heard about that yet, he would’ve remembered it if she mentioned Ronald Weasly was in a relationship. It might be a new development—
“Crookshanks! How the hell do you keep getting out?!”
Draco’s thoughts were interrupted by a shrill voice and Crookshanks being practically ripped out of his arms by a very irritated Granger. The blonde huffed. It appeared that the Gryffindor was still as shitty at taking care of her pet as she was last year.
“You mean to tell me you don’t even know how he’s getting out? Just how daft are you?”
The curly-haired girl blushed, her face so red she nearly blended in with the plethora of red decor in the common room behind her.
“I’m not daft . I do my best to make sure Crookshanks is safe inside the dorms every day before I leave for class,” A thoughtful expression took over her face before it was replaced by an angry flush, “Ron must be letting him out! He’s had it out for Crookshanks ever since I got him, all because of that stupid rat—”
She quickly cut herself off after that, snapping her mouth shut like she had said something she shouldn’t have.
“‘Mione? What’s taking so long? I thought you were just letting Ron in—”
Bloody fucking hell.
“I have no idea where Ronald is, Harry. All I know is that he’s the one that’s been letting Crookshanks out! He can enjoy sleeping outside for all I care because I refuse to let him in!” Granger exclaimed, turning and running up the steps to her room.
Harry grimaced, an almost guilty expression crossing his features.
That idiot’s probably in on it.
“Well, thanks for bringing Crookshanks back, ‘Mione really appreciates it.”
Draco rolled his eyes, “Tell her to stop losing the bloody thing and maybe I wouldn’t have to.”
The somewhat guilty expression came back, “Yeah, well you’d better head back to your dormitory. Wouldn’t want Filch or Mrs. Norris to catch you,” With that, Harry shut the door with an awkward smile.
Weirdo.
✩
eighth year, october, during dinner
Draco waved goodbye to Pansy and Blaise as they parted ways, the two of them heading into the Great Hall while Draco left for the stairs that lead down to the dungeons. He still found comfort in the familiar hallway even though he didn’t live down there anymore, as the eighth years all lived in a separate dormitory.
Draco often found himself spending his meals relaxing in the silence of one of the abandoned classrooms down there, knowing no one ever lingered in the dark halls.
Though even if people did, it wasn’t likely they would talk to him. The fact that he was an ex-Death Eater was usually enough to scare anyone off.
Anyone except Harry Potter, that is.
Draco had been avoiding the Gryffindor like the plague ever since he gave the testimony that saved him and his mother from being sent to Azkaban. Honestly, he figured Potter would want nothing to do with him after all the shit the blonde did to him, but over the last couple of months, it seemed like all Potter wanted to do was talk to him.
So now Draco spent his days trying to hide from both the scornful gazes of his peers and Harry bloody Potter.
However, it seemed that even the tables filled with every food imaginable weren’t enough to convince Potter to stop following him, as Draco now found himself face-to-face with the boy.
“What do you want?” Draco sneered, hoping his disdainful temperament would be enough to ward the other boy off.
It seemed to work pretty well on anyone else who tried to talk to him.
Harry panted, trying to catch his breath after running through the halls.
“I just wanted to talk to you, last time we spoke it was after the trial, and even then that wasn’t much of a conversation—”
Draco flinched at the memory, remembering just how… hostile he had been to the dark-haired boy even after he’d practically just saved Draco’s life. His mother hadn’t even scolded him for his attitude then, too busy repeatedly thanking Harry for his kindness.
“Yeah, well you can’t expect me to go and start groveling at your feet just because you helped me and my mother. That doesn’t change anything between us.”
Harry smiled softly, “I know it doesn’t, I’m not expecting you to change the way you see me just because of what I did. I just wanted to check on you. Have you been well? How’s Narcissa? I know she told me she was going to work on restoring the manor, has she started yet?”
Draco faltered. He was fully prepared to keep shutting the other down with snide remarks and glares, but after seeing the kindness in Potter’s eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to be his usual rude self.
“She- she’s started working on the garden already. Something about how the color would do a good job at brightening the place up, she never could stand how cold and dark it looked without it. She’s even thinking about getting some more peacocks—,” Draco couldn’t stop himself from wincing at the memory of seeing his front lawn scattered with the dead bodies of the same beautiful birds he’d grown up admiring, ”—or maybe getting an indoor pet so she won’t be lonely while I’m finishing my schooling.”
Harry listened attentively, nodding along as the blonde spoke, “If she needs any help I could always come over during the holidays, or even during the summer. I’m sure Ron and Hermione would love to come as well.”
Draco gnawed on his lip, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
Help? Harry wanted to help the same family that supported the man who came back from the dead just to kill him?
Before he could question the Gryffindor, Draco’s lip was pulled out from between his teeth.
The blonde’s face flushed, surely almost reaching the color of Harry’s Gryffindor robes, before he smacked the dark-haired boy’s hand away and backed up.
“Shit— I’m so sorry Draco I should’ve asked before I did something like that—”
“Wh- why the hell did you do that?” Draco gasped, resolutely refusing to acknowledge the flush that crept up his neck at hearing Potter call him by his first name.
“I- um- it just kind of happened? I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking—”
“You can’t just do that kind of thing without thinking , Potter—”
“I like you, ok?!” Harry shouted, hands reaching up to hide his flaming cheeks.
“You- huh?”
“I like you.” The Gryffindor repeated, quieter this time but Draco felt like he’d shouted.
Harry Potter liked him?
Harry Potter liked the Draco Malfoy?
Like— ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy? Harry Potter’s bully since first year Draco Malfoy?
Expecting this to be some sick prank, Draco stood in shocked silence before realizing that this was very, very real.
“You what ? You like m – how ? Wait - when ?”
Harry took a deep breath, deciding he should just rip the bandaid off, “I don’t know, I’d always looked up to you because of your flying skills, even if you did use them to steal from Neville and harass me during Quidditch matches—”
Draco scoffed, “ Harass you? Do you know how the bloody game works, Potter?.”
Harry simply rolled his eyes, “Anyways, I decided to do something to get you to talk to me, so in third year I started letting Crookshanks out in the hope you would find him—”
“Wait, you were the one letting that bloody cat out?” Draco gaped, amazed at how utterly stupid Harry was.
“I was, until sixth year at least. That time it really was Ron. I wanted you to bring it back to the Gryffindor common rooms, where I would be waiting, but I guess I kind of forgot you didn’t exactly know who the cat belonged to…” The dark-haired boy trailed off, face red in embarrassment.
“You really are daft, Harry Potter.”
“I know! I just- I was desperate, ok? As far as I knew, you hated me.”
Draco winced, not liking how that sentence sounded, though he knew it wasn’t exactly a lie. He used to detest the other, that he could admit, but he wasn’t entirely sure if that was true now. It wasn’t like he had a crush on Harry, that he could say for sure, but he wasn’t as repulsed by the idea as he thought he would be. He almost… liked the idea, as it caused something warm to blossom in his chest when he thought about doing typical couple activities with Harry— holding hands, kissing, going on dates to Hogsmeade on the weekends.
Actually, maybe he did have a slight crush.
He would never admit that out loud, though.
But maybe, just maybe, he could try and act on it.
“I mean, if you wanted to, we could do something this weekend? Just to, like, get out of the castle.”
“Really? You’d be willing to go on a date with me?” Harry questioned, eyes bright with hope.
“I wouldn’t call it a date — but, yeah, I guess.”
Harry’s smile was so blinding that Draco’s knees almost buckled. It was astonishing that the Gryffindor even wanted to be in the same room as Draco, but go on a- a date with him?
All he could say was that he really hoped this would work out.