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After several hours of trying to fall asleep, Harry accepted that he would have a long night. What was supposed to be the perfect night to rest, but nothing about the day had gone the way he wanted.
He had felt particularly strange about the departure of his “family.” The Dursleys had gone to lunch at his uncle’s boss’s house. They would spend the rest of the day and night celebrating his uncle’s promotion.
At first, he had been happy because it meant he would be alone all day, and no one would bother him. He thought maybe he could send a letter, but he had nothing to say. He preferred reading one to writing it. Besides, strangely, his letters hadn’t been getting any replies. It seemed like everyone had decided to ignore him that summer. His rational mind knew there must be a good reason. But after everything that had happened, how could they do that to him? His anxiety grew with each passing day, and with no background noise from the Dursleys that night, nothing masked the noise of his thoughts.
Harry paced around the house, turned on the TV but got bored, had a decent meal for the first time in weeks, but didn’t enjoy it.
He checked and used Dudley’s things just because he could. As he did and looked around the room, he saw each object and remembered every celebration when they had been given to him, or their creation. Each one, and like all the others, he lost hope of ever receiving a gift one day. At least he got something from other people, a stupid victory.
To distract himself, he took a chocolate bar from the drawer of a thousand sweets, ate it while glancing at his cousin’s pile of tests, hoping to laugh at the bad grades he saw. It didn’t work. Nothing entertained him; the day didn’t go as he had expected. He missed his friends.
He slept all afternoon, an impressive amount he wasn’t used to. And just now that his uncle, aunt, and cousin weren’t home, he was awake. He had nothing to do, no one to talk to.
The holidays had just begun, but he didn’t think it would be this horrible. Almost worse than his first year at Hogwarts. When after having discovered the magical world, he had to return to that dreadful house.
The sound of his door opening startled him, and in less than a second, he already had his wand in hand and was out of bed. It was always under his pillow just in case. Many people wanted him dead. He slept better knowing he had it within reach.
“Put that down!” his cousin shouted, startled.
“Dudley?”
“Who else is it going to be, idiot?”
“How would I know?”
“You’re crazy, oh my god,” Dudley said without shouting again, but still sounding hysterical.
“What are you doing here?”
“The guest bed they gave me was terrible,” he made a grimace at the memory. “But don’t distract me, I’ll ask the questions here. What are you doing awake?”
“What?” It had to be a joke.
“I asked you a question. Are you deaf?”
“Why do you care, Dudley? Go back to your room.”
“You don’t have any power in this house to give orders, you know that very well,” Not that he needed a reminder. He didn’t mention it.
“What do you want?”
“You’re lucky I didn’t tell my parents what you did.”
What? How did he realize so quickly that a chocolate was missing? Did he count them? Did he come home and the first thing he did was check? Seriously? A million questions popped into Harry’s head, but he didn’t find answers to any of them.
Dudley crossed his arms and impatiently started tapping his foot on the floor. “Your little friend made it clear what you want. But don’t think I care! This doesn’t change anything.” He leaned forward, adopting a posture that made him look ridiculous.
“I’m a wizard, not a fortune-teller.”
“You don’t need to be a fortune-teller to know what I’m talking about!” Harry thought about it; the only one who might have tried to calm his cousin down with the good intention that his life would improve would be Ron.
“Well?” He didn’t have a good answer for that.
“Was he by any chance redheaded?”
“Do you have more than one friend?” His cousin was comically surprised, mouth open, and eyes wide. Harry didn’t bother getting offended. “Because I assure you he wasn’t redheaded, or he would’ve looked like a clown with that pale skin. I wish I had thought of that joke back then! He was so awful with me…” He wasn’t in the mood for that idiot’s tantrum, but his curiosity got the better of him, so he decided to insist.
“Any other notable features?”
“He was very proud, which doesn’t make sense. I wouldn’t go through life acting like that if I looked like I could be mistaken for a ghost.” He exaggeratedly opened his eyes for the second time that night, and slapped his face with both hands. “Now I come up with the good insults?!”
Oh no.
Couldn’t it be him?
“By any chance, did he say anything about his father?” It wouldn’t be Malfoy if he hadn’t threatened him with that.
“Not that I remember.” Harry breathed again, sat back on the bed, and tried to relax, but couldn’t. “Wait, you’re right! He yelled at me that if he wanted, he could ask his father to make sure none of my friends would remember me.” His cousin squinted. “Can you believe it? He thinks I’m an idiot, but I didn’t believe him for a second.”
“They can actually do it,” Harry confessed indifferently, not understanding the situation, much less why Malfoy was involved. He didn’t even pay attention to his cousin’s scream when he heard it and started demanding that Harry swear this wouldn’t happen. He didn’t answer, he had nothing to say.
“You can still tell him not to do it!” Harry raised an eyebrow, confused. “I bet he hasn’t left yet!” Harry didn’t think twice, he ran down the hallway to the door, still with his wand in his pocket. He was ready for this to be a big joke, another twisted way to humiliate him.
He froze in front of the door, unsure. He would look like an idiot if he opened it and there was no one waiting for him. As if Dudley and Malfoy had conspired against him, trying to trick him into exposing his vulnerability or something like that.
Harry had the right to be paranoid with those two.
His hands shook, but he managed to grab the handle and turn it. He stepped back to open the door, but didn’t see anything unusual in front of him. He stepped out to check both sides of the street, but it was all dark. Maybe it was time to give up and go back inside the house. It’s not like he would’ve known what to do if he had found Malfoy waiting at his door.
He ruffled his hair distractedly, turned around to go back to sleep once and for all. When suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Harry turned around so quickly that he was surprised he didn’t elbow the man in front of him.
“Such hostility, Potty, I hope you don’t act like that every time you get guests.” Guest? More like an intruder.
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing, I started to think you weren’t coming. I’m almost happy to see you.” Harry opened his mouth to reply, but didn’t get a chance.
“Why did you take so long? You made me waste time, Potter. I had to entertain myself with your strange neighbor.” Malfoy rolled his eyes. And once again, didn’t expect a response.
“I’m freezing, if you’re not going to speak, you might as well let me in already.” Harry obediently stepped back and let the blonde in. He wasn’t sure how he was even able to move; he didn’t feel aware of his own body. Hardly his mind.
“I don’t understand anything.”
“I noticed. Don’t worry. I’ll explain soon.” Getting comfortable, Draco sat on the couch, letting out a satisfied sound. “I’ve been in better places, but a desperate man accepts any place that’s halfway comfortable.” Harry slowly approached him, serious, and tired of Malfoy’s ramblings that led nowhere. He wanted answers.
He leaned on one of the armrests next to the blonde, using the proximity to his advantage. “Tell me what’s going on now, or you’re leaving.”
“I already told your idiot cousin.”
“Repeat everything, he’s an idiot and didn’t understand anything.”
“I heard that, and my parents will too!” Harry glanced at the stairs where the sound was coming from. He guessed his cousin was too scared to come down but too offended to eavesdrop.
“So, this is living with a muggle of your age, doesn’t seem much different from hanging out with Vincent and Gregory.”
“Did I ask you that? Be serious.” Malfoy seemed hurt by his tone, but quickly returned to a sarcastic expression.
“What was he doing before?”
“Malfoy, I warn you…”
“Fine. Get comfortable, it’s going to be long and embarrassing.” His face was slightly flushed, and he wasn’t looking directly at Harry. That amused him.
“After the disaster that was fourth year, they started telling me the truth, about the return of the Dark Lord, and my parents’ involvement in all of it.” Harry noticed Draco’s body tremble slightly, and he knew it wasn’t because of the cold. “When I realized that soon it would be my turn to participate in it, I lost it.” He looked up, meeting the apprehensive expression that Harry knew he must have had.
“I…”
Malfoy interrupted him. “I’m not done. My father realized my weakness, and gave me an option. If I really couldn’t do what was necessary, he would disinherit me, because if I just let it slide, the Dark Lord would take it out on my family.”
“What are you goning to do?”
“I don’t know, Potter. I thought you’d have an idea, you’re the ones who keep saying there’s always another option. You’re going to have to tell me what it is, because if not, I don’t know what will happen to me.” Suddenly, Harry remembered something.
“What did you talk about with the neighbor? Why were you with her in the first place?”
“I arrived a few hours ago, but I couldn’t gather the courage to let you know, so I sat for a while on the sidewalk. She invited me in for tea and I accepted.”
“She’s a sort of spy for Dumbledore, she confessed it to me a while ago.” Malfoy stared at him, astonished.
“I don’t know when she’ll inform him, but she should have realized you’re a wizard.” Seeing that the blonde’s face didn’t change, he tried to calm him. “Don’t you realize this is a good thing? He’ll protect you.”
“I’m not one of his, I don’t know if he will. Potter, if I’m so worried, it’s because I don’t know if you are the good ones, if you’re just as prejudiced as the rest, and you’ll turn your back on me.”
“That’s why you came here.” That understanding helped clear his mind.
Malfoy blushed again. “I don’t know if that’s the embarrassing part, or the fact that I confessed to you that I’m weak.”
“I think you’re starting to stop being that way.” They both smiled; Harry didn’t think that was possible, but that night he was surprising him.
“That’s far from being a compliment, Potter.”
“I don’t see you offended.”
Malfoy made a grimace, and his expression turned serious, as if he had remembered something important.
“There are many things you don’t see. You have no idea.”
As much as Harry wanted to know what he meant, he knew he shouldn’t press Malfoy. He couldn’t imagine how hard everything he had lived through recently must have been.
“It’s late, we can keep talking tomorrow.” Malfoy nodded, looking quite tired; maybe that’s why he accepted so easily.
“Where will I sleep?” Harry motioned for Draco to follow him. They went upstairs, and then headed to his room. Harry asked him to wait a moment while he grabbed some extra blankets and pillows. As he searched, he decided it would be best to sleep on the floor and give up his bed, at least for that night.
He was startled when he saw a shadow near the door, and instinctively pulled out his wand.
“Stop doing that!” Dudley demanded, crouching down and covering his head, waiting for Harry to put away the weapon that terrified him. Harry had no idea how he was still holding back laughter in these situations.
“What do you want?”
“This is my house! You can’t just invite your wizard friends for a sleepover.”
“Actually, I can, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You no longer have any power over me.” Those words meant something that Harry could never put into words. He could never explain to anyone the feeling that surged through his chest, healing something deep inside him that, while not a complete cure, helped him.
It helped knowing he was protected from the people he shared blood and a roof with. And that soon, only one of them would still be able to keep them together, in a way that really didn’t matter.
Dudley was clearly “Dramatic, I’m just saying you’d better respect the basic rules of this house. And that includes not stealing my chocolates!” Everyone had their own concerns. Harry wouldn’t judge.
He returned to his room with the extra bedding, feeling a strange hit of reality inside. Just the simple idea of having to coexist with Malfoy, not knowing how long they would be together. There was also the fact that maybe the blonde was lying to him, and although it didn’t seem very likely, it wasn’t the time to discard anything. He couldn’t trust blindly.
“You took your time, again.” Harry shrugged, not bothering with it.
“I was bored, so I looked through your stuff. I should’ve known your room would be as boring as you.”
“I didn’t expect you to be a fan of Muggle things.”
“Of course not,” he mocked. “That’s in the Weasley blood. Maybe poverty makes them feel like they don’t belong in the magical world, as it’s probably easier to get Muggle junk.” Harry wouldn’t intervene; his words wouldn’t have any effect on that idiot. He knew there were better punishments.
“Think what you want.” He threw the bedding straight at Malfoy’s face, and Malfoy groaned. “There’s no extra mattress, so you’ll have to improvise with the blankets.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am. Turn off the light when you’re done.” He answered curtly, not bothering to look at that insufferable person again.
“I don’t understand how this blanket could be a mattress.” It seemed like Malfoy was solving a very complicated equation. He was holding two ends of the blanket and shaking it. Maybe he thought it was a magical trick, that by shaking it a certain number of times, it would transform into what he wanted. Harry bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.
“That’s not my problem.”
“You’re supposed to help others, Potty,” he sighed, dropping the blanket. It must be exhausting being useless. Harry remembered that Malfoy had lived his whole life with house-elves, never having to lift a finger. With or without a wand, he always had magic on his side.
“Shut up.”
“Are you angry?”
“Go to sleep, idiot.” Malfoy threw a pillow at him.
“Seriously?”
“Don’t look at me like that, you did exactly the same thing.” Malfoy raised both arms in surrender.
“I understand you were mad about the Weasley thing. I won’t make jokes about your friends again. But you should know it’ll be very difficult!” Harry didn’t know what to think, he just wanted to sleep. But it would be impossible if Malfoy couldn’t improvise a bed. He got up and made it himself; it wouldn’t be very comfortable, but it would work.
Malfoy waited patiently, watching every movement Harry made. His face, more tired than anything, looked puzzled.
“I thought it would turn into a mattress,” Malfoy admitted in a whisper.
“I figured it out.” Harry couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore; it was too ridiculous to take that situation seriously.
“Don’t laugh!” Surprisingly, Malfoy joined him, and Harry didn’t know when they both fell asleep. He only remembered the laughter and the strange complicity they shared that night, in that horrible house.
He knew it was the first time he had laughed there, and it wouldn’t be the last.
………
At first it was difficult, as expected.
The Dursleys disagreed with Malfoy’s stay. None of the people involved were happy. His aunt and uncle had to tolerate another wizard, Malfoy had to resist using magic, and Harry had to endure all of them together. Who knows for how long, only a few days had passed.
But those were details, everyday nonsense. Taking turns with the bed, going for walks to get some fresh air, they would prefer to keep each other company rather than stay with their cousin. However, Harry realized that Malfoy was enjoying this, even when there was nothing fun or comfortable about it.
It could have been the fact that Malfoy met his “family” and they were scared of him, probably a dream come true. He asked many questions about it.
He probed again while they were out walking. Since the Dursleys were still scared, they gave them money to stay out longer. Harry wasn’t used to that “generosity,” so he took full advantage of it, and they started shopping; neither of them had much muggle clothing.
“I still don’t get it,” Malfoy said as he grabbed a shirt, frowning, probably because of the price. He was still figuring out muggle fashion. Harry wasn’t surprised that he liked branded things so much.
“What?” Distracted, Harry was looking at some sweatshirts that looked pretty comfortable. He no longer picked the red ones first, ever since Malfoy told him how predictable he was.
“Your family, they’re unpleasant with you.”
“And?” The topic had come up so many times that he was no longer bothered. Malfoy had no problem asking him anything he wanted, even if he acted like an annoying bastard.
“I didn’t expect that, I thought your life was perfect.”
“Congrats, now you know that it’s not.”
“Why don’t you leave them? I’m sure there are many people who would want to host you, even adopt you.” Malfoy placed the shirt back, a longing look in his eyes.
“Dumbledore says it’s for my safety.”
“I’m pretty sure you’d be safer living with wizards. Even with my father.” Harry gave him a light punch on the shoulder, and Malfoy smiled.
“I don’t understand either, but he must have his reasons.”
“I trust him completely. Besides, I know I’m not Hermione, I can’t find explanations for things easily.” He thought of his friend with affection; if they lived closer, they could have tried to hang out.
“An explanation, sure,” Malfoy laughed bitterly. “There must be an explanation for why he hasn’t come to see me. Right?” Harry didn’t respond, no one had a reason other than the fact that their headmaster was busy.
In the end, they bought a shirt very similar to the one Malfoy had seen, and he ended up getting some pants after Malfoy insisted. He argued that it didn’t make sense to have so many sweatshirts and only one pair of pants.
They continued their routine calmly, learning more about each other in days than they could have in years at Hogwarts. They got used to each other’s habits, and some of them even mimicked them.
Malfoy noticed that Harry was a bit scared of the dark, and despite teasing him a lot, he never made him turn off the lights at night, and sometimes he even offered to go with him to the kitchen to get a snack (The Dursleys would get angry if they turned on the lights so late).
On the other hand, Harry discovered that Malfoy depended on magic for many day-to-day things, like food and order. But Harry found it most amusing when Malfoy would lose his things, and without being able to use his wand, he had trouble finding them. This happened often. It was funny because he would always suspect Dudley whenever it happened, accusing him of stealing until he found whatever was lost. Dudley did the same, but the difference was that his cousin was always at a disadvantage, as his fear of magic would make him give up.
Malfoy’s distrust of his things made Harry realize that he was like that with everything muggle. He seemed to suffer a mixture of being impressed by how complicated things were, by the ignorance of magic, and amazed by the advances in other things, like technology.
When Malfoy discovered muggle medicine, it was the first case where the magical world lost. Harry explained that if you get a deep wound or injury, there’s no quick healing process. And that if Malfoy were to get hurt right now, it wouldn’t heal easily.
“You’re lying!” He gasped alarmed.
“I could hurt you right now, we’d go to a hospital, and you’d see for yourself,” Harry laughed imagining it, Malfoy on a stretcher demanding medical attention, then escaping, frightened by the sight of the tools. “I don’t mind the sacrifice, I swear.”
Malfoy took several steps back, adopting a ridiculous defensive posture that fooled no one. “I do! Don’t you dare do anything to me!”
“Boring. Then let’s watch it on TV.” Harry shrugged, still amused.
“I’m not an idiot, Potter. I’m not going to believe anything that comes out of a box that imitates reality!”
“Whatever you say.” He tilted his head, smiling with nostalgia. He regretted that Ron couldn’t witness Malfoy’s muggle discoveries, though he probably would have had very similar reactions now that he thought about it. As much as his father was obsessed with the muggle world, he doubted his friend would pay attention.
“Do you know where we could go?”
“I don’t know if I want to hear that, your talk about hospitals discouraged me quite a bit.”
“We could take the Knight Bus.”
“Don’t even dream about it.”
“Why not? We’re bored, and we don’t know anything about Dumbledore or the wizarding world.” Every day, the resentment grew inside him. His best friends hadn’t tried to contact him, and Dumbledore still hadn’t shown any signs of life. The only one he could justify was Sirius, but even that wasn’t certain.
“You told me they asked you not to leave.” Malfoy crossed his arms, lifting his chin, daring him to invite someone.
“Let them come tell me that in person, I’m not hiding anymore.”
“Don’t you think it’ll be weird if they see us together?”
“You’re not famous, Malfoy.”
“My last name is very well known!”
“I doubt your face is too.”
“Everyone knows the platinum blonde of my family!”
“You could be a Lovegood.”
“Now tell me who could confuse you with a Weasley, nothing hurts anymore.”
“If you don’t want to go, just say so.”
“Of course I want to go! But I’m worried.”
“I guess you could also be a Granger.”
“Thanks, Potty.”
“Look, I’m not even sure he’ll show up. Let’s just try it.”
“Fine.” Malfoy sighed. “It’s better than your idea about hospitals.”
For precaution, they carried most of their things in a backpack that they took from Dudley. It was Malfoy’s task to fold and organize their stuff to fit in the small space. It took Malfoy quite a long time to finish, it was an interesting battle to watch.
“My mother knows a spell to make the surface infinite, I would have finished organizing everything as soon as I put the things inside.”
“Stop complaining, if this goes well, you’ll be back in your world easily.”
“As it should be.”
They left the house quite hopeful, but the minutes passed, and nothing happened. So Harry suggested it must be because they weren’t desperate enough and started running. Malfoy had no choice but to follow, not that he didn’t complain. He used his energy to shout at him to stop, and to remind him how heavy the backpack was on his back.
Harry felt a bit guilty, he hadn’t thought about that before starting to run like a madman. Impulsively, he turned around and grabbed the hand of a very flushed blonde. Strangely, that increased his confidence, but not enough.
As the illusion began to fade along with the adrenaline, Harry gave up and stopped running. Malfoy almost collided with his back, which resulted in a long stream of insults directed at Harry. The consequences were mostly negative, with no sign of the bus.
Both were nervous, Harry didn’t know the area well enough since he didn’t usually leave the house. Going shopping with Malfoy had been a novelty in his life, and in what were supposed to be his holidays.
He hadn’t let go of Malfoy’s hand once, it was uncomfortable, and they both were sweating, but it was surprisingly reassuring. He hoped he wasn’t the only one feeling that way, though it didn’t matter at the moment.
“I’m going to panic.”
“Like when I told you the neighbor’s dog could smell your fear?” A pathetic attempt to lighten the mood.
“No, Potty, and don’t remind me of that. I mean the kind of panic I felt when I accepted the deal where I wouldn’t see my family again.”
“A bit of a dramatic comparison.” If he was insensitive about the topic, Malfoy didn’t punish him for it.
“Your word doesn’t mean much right now.”
Like a miracle falling from the sky, the Knight Bus appeared. The sudden appearance of the vehicle startled both of them. Malfoy let go of his hand, threw himself over his shoulders in a playful hug, laughing and congratulating Harry for his idea. It didn’t matter that they were sweaty, or that they’d just started getting along. The only thing that mattered was the fleeting joy they shared.
After all, running had helped. Harry wondered how wizards managed when they needed that mode of transportation.
“Are you going to get in or what?” Stan asked, hands on his hips, in a clear gesture of boredom.
Before boarding the bus, Harry offered to carry Malfoy’s backpack; he still felt guilty for making him run with it. Malfoy didn’t hesitate for a second, took it from him, and pressed it against Harry’s chest with a smile that was more victorious than grateful.
He put it on, and they both entered eagerly. Stan asked where they were headed, and Harry waited for the blonde to respond. After all, he knew many more places than Harry did.
He asked to be taken to a place Harry didn’t know, and that he didn’t manage to catch the name of. He nudged Malfoy’s arm to get an explanation.
“You can get my attention without hitting me.”
“You do the same.”
“Because I can’t get your attention any other way.” Malfoy rubbed his arm, pretending it hurt. He cleared his throat. “The Malfoys don’t own many properties, since they’ve always been obsessed with the mansion. The Blacks, on the other hand, I don’t know what those lunatics were up to, but they had hideouts all over the country.”
“Are we going to a house?”
“Not exactly.”
“Malfoy, we came from a house full of ignorants. Why go to another one?”
“Don’t you care about dark magic artifacts? I heard you wanted to be an Auror, so you could familiarize yourself with all that.”
“It’s a long way before that happens. I don’t even know if I’ll make it out of this alive, you can’t have that much luck all the time.”
“Anything’s possible.” Malfoy tilted his head, resting it on his fist. “Plus, I won’t let anything happen to you. Life would be too boring.” Harry felt a pleasant pressure on his chest, along with his recent rapid heartbeat. “I just hope I’m still alive when you win.”
It was a very curious coincidence that the bus started just then. Both of them were thrown back. It didn’t matter that they were prepared for the strong jolt. Harry, at least, had experienced it before, unlike Malfoy. This fact became evident by the look of distress on the blonde’s face.
Harry hadn’t been able to answer him, and felt that by grabbing his hand again, to offer his support, it was enough. The strength of Malfoy’s grip was incredible, considering how he always lost when they struggled. A slight smile appeared on Harry’s face, almost indifferent to their current situation.
He knew it wasn’t the best time to talk, but he still moved closer to the blonde.
“I won’t let anything happen to you either, we’ll get out of this together.”
Malfoy bit his lip, clearly wanting to make a joke, but unsure if it would be well received.
“I’d like to hear you say that in front of Weasley.”
Harry exhaled, relieved that the malicious jokes had stopped. He hoped that when the time came, it would be mutual.
“If necessary, I’d do it.”
The bus braked suddenly, making them bounce on the seat. Malfoy cursed under his breath. Were they doing this on purpose?
“We’ve arrived!” Stan came up to them and offered a hand to each of them. They took it and stood up. Dazed but on their feet. The weight on Harry’s back took away his usual balance, but luckily it was momentary.
They said their goodbyes and got off the peculiar mode of transport. Harry caught his breath first and waited patiently for the blonde. When he calmed down and they looked each other in the eye, they both burst out laughing.
They stopped laughing when the property appeared before them. They shared a glance and walked to the entrance. They stopped in front of a large gray door; Harry guessed the whole place would be just as gloomy.
Upon entering, his theory was confirmed. There wasn’t much to see in the entrance hall, so in a few seconds, they headed for what must’ve been the main room. It wasn’t cozy, let alone warm. Still, they were both glad to be there and able to rest on the sofas, pretending they had no worries.
Malfoy leaned toward him. “This place was supposed to be my parents’ wedding gift. But my father didn’t want it and turned it down. My mother secretly accepted it, and revealed the secret to me when I turned fifteen.”
“And now you’re sharing it with me.” It felt like a competition to figure out who was more impulsive.
“Basically.”
A small worry settled in Harry’s mind.“You don’t owe me anything, I hope you’re not doing this because of that.”
“I’m doing it because we were bored, and I trust you.” He waved his hand dismissively, but Harry knew it wasn’t indifferent to him. They both knew.
“Had you been here before?” Malfoy shook his head, winking.
“We’ll have to discover together what junk is around here.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“Just that simple, Potty.” Malfoy gave him a full smile, one of the most genuine Harry had seen so far. “But first, let’s rest. Those drivers were crazy.”
They sat in comfortable silence until Harry couldn’t delay the key question anymore.
“How much time do you think we have?”
“From what you told me, your birthday is soon, you won’t be protected for long. Every second will count.” Malfoy wrinkled his nose, a gesture Harry knew he made when he was deeply irritated.
“It would be incredible if we managed to learn enough about the Dark Arts to put the information into practice.”
“Don’t speak in plural.” Malfoy muttered.
“You’ll be an Auror, just like me. We’ll survive this to work together.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. We need to survive Hogwarts first.”
“Don’t forget about the holidays.” Harry pointed out, a bit downhearted when he thought about how little time was left before they’d end.
“As if I could.”
That was the first day they stayed hidden, and the most important of all. Because it was that night that they both promised to survive for the future, to share every stage they still had to go through. They didn’t know what would happen when Harry’s birthday came, they both suspected they would be searched for. That’s why they promised to eachother that they would only leave when they were ready.
They were in this together, and there was no turning back.