Archive of Our Own ^beta

For the attention of:
Mr Harry James Potter
London

Dear Mr Potter,

I am writing to inform you that Mr Snow Oleander of Vine Lane, Braedwardith has named you as the sole beneficiary of his estate.

Mr Oleander leaves to you the following:

1 (one) four bedroomed detached house and associated land which consists of a walled garden and two and a half acres of land.

Your presence is required at the below address at twelve thirty on Monday 12th December 2011, during which time, you will receive the keys to the property and all associated paperwork.

If you are unable to attend the meeting on this date, please inform us by owl at your earliest convenience.

Yours Faithfully,
Gale Talpin
On Behalf of the Ministry of Magic - Estates Management

Monday the twelfth of December arrived and Harry was preparing to leave for Braedwardith with Ron. He had the letter safely in his pocket, along with his glasses as they’d decided to use the Floo to travel to a wizarding pub in the village. Hermione had checked it out for them and said that it was the safest way to get there in her opinion.

“Ready?” Harry asked, as Ron arrived.

Ron nodded. “I’m not sure what to expect though, are you?”

Harry shook his head in response. “I’m a bit nervous, to tell the truth. What if the place is a dump? Or full of… I don’t know, hags or something?”

Ron laughed. “I’m pretty sure it won’t be full of hags, Harry. I’m sure it’ll all be fine. And at least it’s a wizarding village rather than a Muggle one.”

“Well, that’s true,” Harry said. “Although, a Muggle village would make things a bit easier in terms of being bothered by the Ministry.”

“Maybe. Right, we’d better go,” Ron replied, looking at his watch. “It’s nearly ten past twelve and we want to be there before half past.”

Harry nodded, picking up the small pot of Floo powder he kept on the kitchen mantelpiece. “Here goes nothing.”

He threw the powder into the fire, calling out the name of the pub. He and Ron stepped into the flames.

Within a few seconds, they stepped out again, into a welcoming looking bar area with plush booths and sofas. Harry put his glasses back on and looked around. “This is different,” he commented.

“Yeah… those sofas look amazing,” Ron said, eyeing them. “This is nothing like The Three Broomsticks.”

“No,” Harry agreed. “It must be nice having this as your local.”

Ron nodded. “This could end up being your local,” he pointed out. “I definitely wouldn’t mind meeting you here for a pint or two!”

Harry laughed and headed for the door. He caught the pub landlord’s eye and gave him a smile and a nod. “We’ll be back,” he said.

He and Ron left the pub and pulled out the small map that Hermione had given them, which marked out the village in detail. “Right, so we’re here…” Harry mused, pointing at the pub on the map. “The house is… there… so we go down this street and we’ll be there.”

“Good,” Ron said. “Then when we’re done at the house, maybe we can get something to eat in the pub. I’m starving.”

Harry rolled his eyes and folded the map up again. “Yeah, maybe,” he said. “Depending on how long this takes.”

They set off down the street in the direction the map had shown them. As they reached the end of the street, the house came into view and Harry gasped. The house was huge - a Victorian manor house - and the wall surrounding the garden even huger. “Wow…” he breathed. “I…”

“This is the place?” Ron asked, his eyes wide. “Harry…”

“I know,” Harry said, his voice so low it could barely be heard. “It looks amazing…”

“Ah, you must be Mr Potter?”

A voice to the right of where Harry and Ron stood startled them and they turned in unison to see a smiling wizard, holding a clipboard. “I’m Gale Talpin, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Harry stepped forward, his hand held out to shake Gale’s hand politely. “Yes, hi, sorry, I didn’t expect…”

“No-one ever does,” Gale sighed. “Though I have to say, this is a most unusual request from Mr Oleander. Normally people leave their properties to relatives.”

“Why did Mr Oleander pick me?” Harry asked, frowning.

Gale shrugged. “Mr Potter, you are a legend in our world. People are incredibly grateful to you for saving us from You-Know-Who not only once, but twice! Mr Oleander had no children of his own and he was the last surviving member of his family. He made sure all of his affairs were in order, then insisted that his property was left to you.”

Harry blinked.

“You are under no obligation to take the property on,” Gale continued. “But it will all be transferred into your possession first and then, if you decide you want to sell it on, we can arrange all of the legalities. All of Mr Oleander’s personal belongings and furnishings have been removed as was his wish. The only things that he left were some books regarding the grounds. Therefore, if you decide to live in the house, you can do so immediately. I do, however, have to show you around first. Shall we?”

Harry nodded, dumbly. He stepped forward as Gale turned to lead the way.

“I’m Ron, by the way,” Ron said loudly, hurrying after Harry with a shake of his head. It had been a long time since he had been properly ignored by anyone.

“Oh,” Gale said, turning abruptly. “Sorry. It’s very nice to see you again, Mr Weasley.”

Ron’s mouth dropped open and he stopped walking. “How did you know my name?”

“I know your father,” Gale replied, giving Ron an odd look. “And you dealt with a case of bewitched doorbells for me last year.”

“Oh,” Ron blushed. “Sorry. I’m rubbish with faces.”

Harry grinned and gestured to Gale to continue.

Gale set off again, pushing open the wrought iron gate that led them up the garden path.

Harry looked around as he walked. He was surrounded by a lot of shrubs that were brown and bare in the winter chill, but every now and again, there was an interjection of something that was evergreen. The front garden certainly wasn’t that impressive, he thought.

Gale reached the front door - a heavy looking oak door coated in dark varnish with stained glass panels - and unlocked it, leading Harry and Ron into the entrance hall. “This is the entrance hall, as you can see. Quite a size compared to some I’ve visited. Through here is the kitchen.”

Harry and Ron gazed around the entrance hall, taking in the high ceilings complete with moulded patterns and an ornate ceiling rose. Harry noted that the floor was covered by a bold geometric pattern in what looked like original tiles. They exchanged impressed glances before they followed Gale into the kitchen. It was a bigger room than The Burrow, but not as large as Grimmauld Place. It was tidy, with plenty of space, Harry noted and it looked as it had been renovated quite recently with the original stone flooring left in place. “Has this been modernised?” he asked.

Gale turned, nodding. “Oh, yes. Mr Oleander liked things to be kept up to date. The floor is original, but all of the units and appliances have been updated as necessary. The cooker is an original range cooker, but it has been refurbished to work more efficiently.”

Harry nodded thoughtfully. “I can see that,” he said. “I was a bit worried about the state the place might be in,” he admitted.

“I can understand that,” Gale said. “As you’ll see though, I don’t think there was any need to worry. It would be suitable to move into immediately, as far as I can see.”

Harry nodded again. “Yes,” he said. “It’s… giving me something to think about.”

Ron nudged him, still looking impressed.

Gale continued through a doorway at the back of the kitchen. “This is what would have been known as the scullery originally. I believe Mr Oleander was using it as a store room, but of course you can use it for anything you like. It would lend itself to being converted quite easily.”

Harry caught Ron’s eye and couldn’t help but grin. His trepidation over the state of the property was disappearing with every passing moment - the place seemed perfect.

“Now, back this way, we have the lounge area,” Gale continued, leading Harry and Ron back on themselves through the kitchen and across the entrance hall. Pushing the door to the lounge open, Gale stepped back to let Harry and Ron in first.

“Wow…” Harry breathed as he looked around. This room, too, had a high ceiling that was just as ornate as the one in the entrance hall. In the centre of the opposite wall stood a large, marble fireplace that was surrounded by a dark wood mantel. The room itself was bright and airy, thanks to the two large bay windows that were to the left of the doorway. “This is a nice room. The fireplace is hooked up to the Floo network?”

Gale nodded. “Yes. It’s locked at the moment, for obvious reasons, but if you decide to move in it can be unlocked quite easily.”

Harry nodded again. “That’s understandable, yes.”

“Now, upstairs are the four bedrooms,” Gale said. “There’s a master bedroom, two fairly sized rooms and a box room.”

“No more rooms downstairs?” Harry asked.

“No,” Gale said. “Mr Oleander doubled the size of the lounge room which means there are only three rooms downstairs along with the under stairs cupboard. Follow me.”

Gale led the way up the large staircase. “This is the master bedroom at the end of the landing. There is an en-suite contained in this room, which has both a shower and a toilet.”

Harry stepped inside the bedroom and looked around. He recognised again the high ceiling that was consistent throughout the house, and noted that there was another fireplace in the centre of one wall. “This is nice,” he commented. “I take it that this fireplace is just a fireplace?”

Gale nodded.

“Mate, this is is bigger than mine and Hermione’s room,” Ron whispered. “And Rose’s room put together.”

“I know,” Harry said, gazing around him. “It’s bigger than my room at home too.”

“It’s nice,” Ron said.

Harry nodded, moving through the bedroom to look at the en-suite. “This is nice too,” he said, motioning for Ron to have a look. “Handy. Though much more modern than the rest of the house - is this an addition?”

Gale nodded again. “Yes, Mr Oleander had it put in quite recently.”

“The times I’ve wished we had an en-suite,” Ron said wistfully.

Harry chuckled. “That’s because you’re lazy,” he said.

Ron shrugged. “You know me, mate. Anything for an easy life.”

Harry laughed, before turning back to Gale. “Can we see the other bedrooms?”

“Of course,” Gale replied. “Follow me.”

Harry and Ron followed Gale from the room and into the next one.

“This is the second bedroom,” Gale said, consulting the paperwork. “As you can see, it’s not as large as the master, but it’s still a decent size.”

Harry nodded, looking around and seeing a smaller version of the master bedroom, with yet another fireplace. “This would be a nice guest room,” he mused, before catching himself.

Ron raised an eyebrow as he looked at Harry.

“I know,” Harry said softly. “It’s looking nicer and nicer, the more we see.”

Ron nodded, patting Harry on the shoulder.

“The next room is roughly the same size as this one,” Gale continued, leading them from the room again. “Very slightly smaller, but again, still a decent size.”

Harry stepped into the next room and nodded again. “It doesn’t look much smaller at all, does it?”

Ron shook his head. “No. You could have this as a children’s guest room…”

Harry gave Ron a look, but nodded at the same time.

Gale smiled, motioning for them to follow again. “Now, the final bedroom is the box room. Much, much smaller.”

Harry poked his head through the doorframe of the box room and immediately saw what Gale meant. “Oh, yeah, this one is tiny compared to the others, isn’t it?”

Gale nodded. “Yes, but again, it could be repurposed quite effectively should you want, say, a separate dressing room or perhaps a playroom.”

Ron nudged Harry, grinning.

Harry shook his head and slapped Ron’s hand away. “Yes, I can see that,” he said to Gale. “Is there a full size bathroom?”

“Oh, yes,” Gale said. “This way.”

They turned and followed the landing to the last room, watching as Gale pushed the door open to reveal a newly tiled room containing a modern, white bathroom suite, including a shower. It had the same high ceiling as the other rooms, though there was no moulding or ceiling rose here. There was a large frosted window to their right.

“Nice…” Harry said softly, looking around the bathroom. “This has just been redecorated too, hasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Gale replied. “Mr Oleander had everything updated, just as he did with the kitchen. Everything is in full working order.”

Harry nodded again. “Very nice. The letter said that there’s also a walled garden and two acres of land?”

Gale nodded, turning to head back down the stairs. “Yes, we’ll go out there now.”

Harry and Ron glanced at each other, but followed after Gale. Harry was curious as to what the walled garden might look like. He hoped it was in a better state than the small front garden they’d passed through.

“Now,” Gale began as they reached the kitchen. “I should warn you that although the house has been modernised and updated, the garden is a little… overgrown. Mr Oleander has left full instructions on how to care for the plants within the walled garden, but beyond that, it is unknown exactly what is growing on the land.”

Harry caught Ron’s eye and frowned slightly. “All right,” he said slowly. “Perhaps we should go out there…”

Gale nodded and opened the door that led to the garden from the kitchen.

Stepping into the garden, Harry opened his eyes wide as he took in the tangled mess of bushes and grasses. Although the garden was walled, there were also low hedges separating flower beds from the rest of the garden - or what should be low hedges - they were very untamed with new growth sprouting wildly, rather than being the neat hedges his Aunt Petunia had taken so much pride in. The walls were covered by a sprawling ivy plant that seemed to be trying to take over and Harry couldn’t work out whether it was magical or not. He could just make out a large lawned area at the bottom of the garden, though it was in danger of being invaded by the weeds that were at the edge of the flowerbeds. “When you said a little overgrown, this… isn’t exactly what I imagined,” he said faintly.

“I’m sorry, Mr Potter,” Gale said apologetically. “I am not an expert in plants, but it appears that whatever is growing here is magical and grows quickly. I can assure you that it wasn’t quite this overgrown a couple of days ago.”

Harry glanced at Ron, realising that their expressions matched. “So… the additional land is… where?”

“Right this way,” Gale said, setting off down the paved path that wound its way through the garden.

Harry continued looking around as they walked, before coming to a stop behind Gale as they reached a wooden gate that was set into the wall.

“Obviously this is the edge of the walled garden,” Gale said, unnecessarily. “The land beyond here is fenced rather than walled, but it also is rather inaccessible from outside.”

Harry nodded. “All right, let’s see it then,” he said, bracing himself for another tangled mess.

Gale pushed the gate open and stepped aside to let Harry and Ron walk through first.

Harry stepped through and stopped in his tracks, making Ron bump into him.

“Oof! Harry, what-” Ron trailed off as he realised why Harry had stopped. In contrast to the two gardens, where everything was brown and not looking its best, the plants growing on this land were green and luscious, with brightly coloured flowers scattered throughout. The atmosphere was altogether different too, in fact, it was warm and humid as they stepped through the gate.

Harry turned to Gale. “Did you know it looked like this?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” Gale replied, gazing around. “Although the plants in the walled garden are magical, they are obviously not the same as these ones. Mr Oleander did say that this land is charmed to have its own ecosystem, including climate.”

“So these are… more tropical plants?” Harry asked, looking back at the plant life that was clearly thriving in the humidity.

Gale nodded. “I believe so, yes.”

“I see…” Harry said, looking around once more.

Ron stepped up beside Harry, also looking around. “This is amazing,” he said softly.

Harry nodded distractedly. He was wondering how he could find out which plants exactly were growing on this land. He could see that some of the vines looked particularly delicate, but that they were clearly very strong plants. There were walls of deep green, punctuated by occasional bright flowers as far as his eye could see and he was sure that this particular land had some purpose.

“So, Mr Potter, have you made a decision?” Gale asked, drawing Harry’s attention once more.

“Not completely,” Harry said. “But I think that I’m almost there.”

“That’s fine,” Gale said. “This is my card. I understand that this is a big decision, and as I said earlier, the house and land will all be transferred into your name regardless of the decision you come to. Once you’ve decided, please get in touch and we can go from there if you want to sell the property on.”

“Thank you,” Harry said, pocketing the card. “I’ll be in touch later to let you know what I decide.”

“I’ll look forward to hearing from you, Mr Potter,” Gale said with a smile. “I just need your signature on this form to give the Ministry permission to transfer the property into your name. Should we go back inside so we can complete this bit?”

Harry nodded, turning to leave the garden with Ron following.

“So, what are you thinking?” Ron asked, lifting his pint glass to his mouth as they headed for a table at the back of the pub.

“I honestly don’t know,” Harry said, following with his own glass. “I really thought that I’d see the house and… not be bothered. But the place is amazing.”

Ron nodded, sitting down. “I’ll say,” he said. “Those gardens could do with a bit of work though, would you want to be bothered with that?”

“I don’t know,” Harry said, sliding into the booth opposite Ron. “I know I got an E in my Herbology O.W.L, but I’m not as good at that stuff as Neville was. I think if I took this place, I’d need to speak to someone about the gardens.”

Ron nodded again, taking another sip of his drink. “Makes sense,” he said. “The house itself is fantastic, though, mate.”

“I know,” Harry said. “What I don’t know is whether I could persuade Kreacher to leave Grimmauld Place. I mean, he’s lived there his whole life, I think.”

“Yeah, but he’s getting old,” Ron reasoned. “Maybe he’d be glad of a house that doesn’t need as much work doing?”

“Maybe,” Harry said doubtfully. “I don’t want to leave him at Grimmauld though. I don’t even know if I want to sell Grimmauld, I don’t fancy anyone else living there.”

“You could rent it out?” Ron suggested. “There must be someone who’d want a house in the centre of London.”

“Do you think George would consider it?” Harry asked thoughtfully. “He and Angelina are thinking of starting a family, aren’t they? The flat wouldn’t be big enough.”

“Maybe,” Ron said, nodding. “You could definitely ask him. At least he’d know what he was getting himself into by taking it on.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Harry said. “I’d be much happier leaving there if I knew it was George moving in. Kreacher could go between the two, that way.”

“Good thinking,” Ron replied. “He’d probably be happier then, too. Even if he does still call us blood traitors sometimes.”

“Well, yeah,” Harry chuckled. “He is getting better though. He’s not so bad now.”

“I know,” Ron said. “I don’t think George would care either way, to be honest.”

Harry grinned and picked up a menu.

“It’ll be weird though,” Ron continued. “You not being in London. But this might be just what you need.”

“I know,” Harry said. “I really like the vibe around here, Ron. Everything is just so… peaceful and unhurried. I think I could really relax here.”

“I’ve already told you what I think, Harry,” Ron said seriously. “If you really need a break, then this might be the best chance you’ve got.”

“I’m starting to think you might be right,” Harry sighed, lifting his glass again. “This place is… I felt relaxed as soon as we got here, didn’t you?”

Ron nodded. “Yeah, I did, actually,” he said. “I like the vibe around my house and everything but it’s still not the same as here. This is just… something else.”

“I think… I think I’m going to move into the house,” Harry said softly, letting out a sigh. “Definitely for a little while, at least. You know, see how it goes?”

Ron nodded again. “I think you’re doing the right thing,” he said. “I really do. And I think Hermione would agree.”

“When we’ve eaten, I’ll go and send an owl to Gale,” Harry said. “Then… I’d like you to bring Hermione back here to see the house, if she’s done with Rose’s play date.”

Ron grinned and nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Right, pass me one of those menus.”

Harry laughed and passed a menu to Ron before opening his own.

“That’s the last of it,” Harry called, lugging the final box of his belongings into the house at Braedwardith a week later.

“Good! I’m knackered!” Ron called back, collapsing onto the floor in the kitchen, propped up by the cupboard behind.

“Harry, this is not what I had in mind when you asked for our help,” Hermione said, panting slightly as she, too, sat down.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Harry said, coming into the kitchen too. “You are an angel for agreeing to help, and I am forever in your debt,” he finished, kissing her on the cheek.

Hermione tried to give Harry a stern look, but ended up giving him an amused smile. “Hmm, I shall keep that in mind,” she said. “You know I’m only kidding.”

“I’m still grateful for the two of you agreeing to help me,” Harry said. “Let me find the tea and coffee and we can have a well deserved drink.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Hermione smiled. She looked around the kitchen. “This really is a very nice house, Harry.”

“I know,” Harry said, digging through a box he’d marked ‘kitchen essentials’. “I wasn’t sure if it would be livable when I first got the letter, so this is like a dream. Aha!” He pulled a tin full of tea bags out of the box.

Hermione chuckled, before nudging Ron with her foot. “Get up, you’re making the place look untidy,” she said. “Are you bringing Kreacher over then?”

“I will be,” Harry said. “But I thought I’d leave him with George for a week or so first.”

“Is George pleased about that?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No idea,” Harry said with a grin. “But I think I need to ease him into coming here, so I need to go about it carefully.”

“I think that’s sensible,” Hermione nodded. “It might be a big shock to his system. If George is happy enough to keep him at Grimmauld Place then it’ll be easier for him I suppose.”

“That’s how I was looking at it,” Harry nodded.

“George will be fine about it,” Ron said, getting to his feet. “I think his words were ‘excellent, I can stop cooking!’.”

Hermione tutted. “Kreacher isn’t a slave,” she muttered.

“He knows that,” Ron said. “He was joking. I think.”

Harry shook his head. “Kreacher will be happy to cook for them, Hermione,” he said. “You know that.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I agree with it,” Hermione sighed. “As long as he treats Kreacher fairly.”

“He will,” Ron said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.

“Tea?” Harry asked loudly, as the kettle finished boiling.

“Yes, please,” Hermione said, deciding not to continue arguing with Ron.

“Please,” Ron echoed, nodding.

Harry smiled and began to make three cups of tea. “Sorry it’s not leaves, but these are so much easier.”

“I don’t mind tea bags,” Hermione said. “I was used to them when I was at home with Mum and Dad.”

“Good,” Harry said, handing a cup to Hermione. “There should be some biscuits somewhere.”

“Yes, but where?” Ron asked, looking around at the boxes that occupied much of the kitchen floor.

Harry shrugged. “Somewhere in one of these. Probably the same one I got the tea bags from actually.”

Ron studied the boxes. “How upset would you be if I just used a summoning spell?”

“Have at it,” Harry shrugged. “I don’t think there’s likely to be anything in the same box as the biscuits that is likely to break.”

“Accio biscuits!” Ron exclaimed, waving his wand over the boxes. Within seconds, a half eaten packet of Digestives flew out of the box nearest Hermione, and towards Ron, who managed to catch them without spilling his tea. “Here we are,” he grinned.

Hermione rolled her eyes but held out her hand for a biscuit. “Digestives, Harry?”

“I like Digestives,” Harry said, defensively. “I got them from that little Tesco near the Ministry entrance.”

“Mate, they don’t have chocolate on them,” Ron said with disappointment. “You could have at least got the chocolate ones!”

“Shut up,” Harry said, looking around for a towel to fling at Ron, before realising he hadn’t unpacked anything yet. “You don’t have to eat them if you don’t want to, all the more for me!”

“I never said that!” Ron protested, quickly shoving a biscuit into his mouth whole.

Hermione looked at him in disgust. “I have never been more attracted to you,” she said flatly.

Ron shrugged and began to chew the biscuit.

Harry snorted. “Right, well, after we’ve had this, I’d better get everything unpacked. Are you staying or do you need to get back?”

“We’ve got another hour or so before we need to be back to pick Rose up,” Hermione said, checking her watch. “We should be able to help you get most of your stuff sorted if we use magic.”

Harry nodded. “That would be a big help,” he said. “I mostly need the big stuff sorting I suppose. I can do the rest on my own.”

Hermione nodded, taking another drink from her cup. “No problem,” she replied. “Then we’ll leave you to get settled in.”

Harry nodded again. “Sounds good,” he said. “As weird as it’s going to be, I’m quite looking forward to my first night here.”

“At least the fireplace is unlocked now,” Ron said, finally swallowing the last of his biscuit. “You know where we are if you need us.”

“I know,” Harry said, giving Ron a smile. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me so far, you deserve a night of peace.”

“Ha!” Hermione muttered. “We haven’t had peace since Rose was born.”

“Ah but you don’t mind that,” Harry said. “I know you don’t.”

“No, we don’t,” Hermione smiled. She drained her cup. “Right, are you ready to start getting stuff unshrunk and put in place?”

Harry drained his cup too and put it in the sink. “Yep,” he said. “Ron?”

“Gib be a bimut,” Ron mumbled through a mouthful of biscuit, having put another one in whole.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Come on, Harry,” she said. “We’ll get started.”

Harry chuckled and pushed away from the counter, heading into the lounge room. “First things first, the sofa and chairs,” he said.

Hermione joined him and together they worked quickly to unshrink all the big furniture items and place them where Harry thought they’d work best. Ron also joined them after a few minutes and the three of them made short work of it.

Stepping back to survey their work, Harry put his hands on his hips. “That didn’t take as long as I thought it would,” he said. “Thanks for helping.”

“You know it’s no trouble, Harry,” Hermione said, moving to put her arm around Harry and give him a squeeze. “We’re just pleased you’ve made a decision one way or the other.”

“I know,” Harry said softly. “It’s been long enough. I needed to do something.”

“This might be just what you need,” Hermione said. “Don’t rush into anything, just give yourself time to relax.”

Harry nodded again. “I will,” he said. “I’m going to properly explore the land and the gardens, figure out what I’ve got growing.”

“That sounds like an excellent use of your time, Harry,” Hermione smiled. “It’ll be relaxing too, spending so much time outdoors.”

“I hope so,” Harry said. “I’m going to dig out my old copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and see if that’ll help me identify any of these plants.”

“It’s a good starting point,” Hermione nodded. “It’s a very useful book.”

“I’ll let you know how I get on,” Harry said, grinning. “You and Ron might as well get yourselves off home now. I’ll manage the rest.”

Hermione kissed his cheek and gave him a hug. “Floo us if you need anything.”

“I will,” Harry promised. “Thanks Hermione. Thanks Ron,” he added, calling through to the kitchen where Ron was eating yet another biscuit.

“No worries!” Ron called back. “We’ll see you later.”

Hermione rolled her eyes again. “I’ll send Ron over with another packet of biscuits tomorrow.”

Harry laughed. “Honestly, don’t worry about it,” he said. “Maybe I’ll become a master baker.”

“Now that I’d like to see,” Hermione smiled. “See you later, Harry.”

With that, Hermione went into the kitchen to collect Ron, before they both disappeared into the fireplace, heading for home and Harry was left alone.

Harry moved through the house slowly, extracting the rest of his belongings from the boxes in each room. Before long, everything was in place and Harry went back to the lounge. He hadn’t yet thought of what he wanted to do with the scullery, though he was sure he could find something to do with it.

Vanishing the packing boxes, Harry went into the lounge and took his old Herbology textbook from the bookcase to look through. He’d considered asking Neville to come and have a look, but decided he’d rather try and work it out himself first. Now that he was in Braedwardith, he found himself wanting to keep as much of his privacy as he could, which meant not telling everyone where he was living.

He didn’t think it warranted a Fidelius Charm, providing the people who already knew didn’t go telling everyone, which he was sure they wouldn’t. Pointing his wand at the fireplace, he lit a fire and settled himself into his favourite armchair, the book open on his lap. He pored over the pages, marking the plants he recognised from the garden with little stickers that Hermione had given him.

Glancing at the clock, and then out of the window, he decided to go out beyond the gate and look at the plants properly. There had been a lot he’d recognised from Herbology and Potions at school, but he knew there were more that he didn’t recognise and those were the ones he was interested in learning about.

He picked the book up and headed for the garden, making sure he had some parchment and a self-inking quill with him so that he could take notes. Walking through the kitchen, he made a promise to himself to learn some of Molly Weasley’s domestic spells so that he could keep on top of things. He went out into the garden and through the gate that led to the tropical paradise beyond the walls.

As the gate swung closed behind him, Harry paused, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The scent that reached him was an intoxicating mixture that he couldn’t pinpoint right now, but hoped he would in the future. He gazed around him at the luscious green foliage that lined the edges of the land, as far as he could see.

He began to slowly walk through rows of shrubs and trees, noting down what he thought they were. Reaching the end of a row, he turned to walk back down the neighbouring one, but stopped in his tracks. His gaze was drawn by a large expanse of what looked like vines with purplish pink flowers that seemed to emit a glow.

“What in Merlin’s name…” Harry muttered, walking towards the vines, his textbook hanging limply at his side. These plants were breathtaking. Pausing in front of the vines, Harry continued to gaze at them. Without taking his eyes off the vines, he lifted the textbook and flipped through it until he reached the section that covered tropical plants.

Continuing to flip through the pages, Harry kept glancing between the book and the vines, trying to match the plant in front of him to one in the book. Reaching the end of the section without a match, Harry frowned. If they’re not in there, where could they be? He turned the page to the next section, titled ‘Rare Tropical Plants, Shrubs and Trees’.

Wrinkling his nose slightly, Harry continued to turn the pages and then, there they were. A picture of the exact plant that was in front of him. “Shadow Laceflower,” Harry said softly, reading from the book. “‘A rare species of fae vine, found only in the tropical realms of South America…’ ha. Not anymore. ‘The Shadow Laceflower vine, while not strictly a herb, produces flowers which are very valuable in the art of potion making, which makes the plant much sought after. It is a protected species and the harvesting of vines is strictly regulated.’”

Harry looked back up at the vines, blinking. “Wow. Mr Oleander mustn’t have known about these plants,” he mused. He went back to studying the book, taking in all the information it gave about the plants, including the ideal climate. The more he read, Harry realised that Mr Oleander probably did know about the plants as everything that was mentioned in the book had been put into place on the land where they were growing.

Shaking his head, Harry closed his textbook and headed back into the house. He needed to do more research on the Shadow Laceflower.

Weeks passed, Christmas came and went and Harry settled into life in Braedwardith. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of village life, occasionally venturing out to the pub to meet Ron and Hermione for drinks. He spent the rest of his time out in the gardens of his house, tending to the plants and watching them thrive.

He carefully harvested the flowers of the Shadow Laceflower vines, placing them into net bags and hanging them in the airing cupboard to dry. He hadn’t yet done anything with the supply of dried flowers, but he was looking into making contacts with apothecaries and potioneers.

As the new year got underway, despite being woken several times in the night by a nightmare, Harry was pleased with the realisation that he hadn’t been bothered by anyone asking him when he was going to join the Aurors in the whole time he’d been in Braedwardith. Humming to himself as he waved his wand at the dishes in the sink, Harry headed out into the garden for his daily check on the plants in his tropical paradise.

Unlocking the gate, he stepped through and made his way to the section containing the Shadow Laceflower vines. He checked on the rest of the plants that he passed, noting that everything was as it should be. As he approached the Shadow Laceflower, he sensed a change in the magic that surrounded the plants.

Frowning, he realised that the flowers didn’t seem to be glowing as brightly as they had been the day before. “Well this can’t be good,” he muttered, stepping closer to the vines to examine the leaves and stalks.

“Oh, no…” Harry moaned as he took in the sight of black spots on the leaves where they were clearly not developing properly. The stalks of the vines weren’t as sturdy as they had been either. He grabbed his quill and parchment, scribbling down what he was looking at and then headed back into the house.

Taking the small tin of Floo powder off the mantelpiece, Harry threw a pinch into the fire and called out “Professor Longbottom!”

A few moments later, Neville answered the call from his office at Hogwarts. “Hi, Harry! What can I do for you?”

“Neville, I need your advice,” Harry said, looking at his old school friend. “Do you know anything about fae vines? Particularly Shadow Laceflower?”

Neville frowned and then shook his head. “No, sorry, I don’t,” he said. “They’re incredibly rare. Why do you ask?”

Harry sighed. “I’ve got some growing on the land that came with my new house,” he said. “But you can’t tell anyone, I know they’re really rare. I’ve been harvesting the flowers and am trying to make contact with some potioneers or apothecaries. But I’ve got a problem with them. They’ve been growing really well, but when I checked today, the leaves and stalks have all these black spots on them and the flowers aren’t glowing like they were yesterday.”

Neville’s eyes widened at the news that Harry had fae vines growing in his garden and then he frowned. “That doesn’t sound good, Harry,” he said. “I’ve never had any experience with them, so I don’t think I can really help, but I’ll tell you who can. Although I don’t think you’ll like it.”

“Who?” Harry asked immediately. “I’m desperate to keep these plants alive, Neville. Mr Oleander did such a good job before me, I don’t want to let him down.”

“Who’s Mr Oleander?” Neville asked, a look of confusion passing across his features.

“The man who left me the house,” Harry replied impatiently. “Who should I contact to help me?”

“Draco Malfoy,” Neville replied, watching for Harry’s reaction. “He’s a Medi-Herbologist now, and a bloody good one. I’ve had him treat the venomous tentacula here a couple of times.”

“Malfoy?!” Harry asked in disbelief. “No way! Why would he become a Medi-Herbologist when he was more interested in Potions at school?”

“I don’t know, Harry,” Neville said, shrugging. “All I know is that he’s not the person he was at school and he’s very good at his job. Seriously. You should contact him.”

Harry grumbled slightly. “Is he the best in the business?”

“In my opinion?” Neville asked. “Yes. He is.”

“And you’re sure you can’t help me?” Harry asked.

“I’m sure,” Neville said. “I could probably get there in the end, but I don’t think I’d be able to do it in time to save your plants.”

Harry sighed. “Alright,” he said. “Thanks anyway, Neville. I’ll get in touch with Malfoy, then.”

“Good luck,” Neville said. “Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I come and see the vines sometime?”

Harry chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, of course,” he said. “But only when they’re back to full health.”

“That’s fine! Let me know when you get sorted,” Neville said with a wide smile.

“I will do,” Harry replied. “See you later, Neville.”

“Bye, Harry,” Neville said, before he disappeared.

Harry sat back from his fireplace and sighed. “How do I get in touch with Draco Malfoy?” he mused aloud. He hadn’t seen Malfoy since the trials, and although he’d spoken in his defence, he hadn’t bothered to keep up with what Malfoy had been doing since then. He had tried, at first, but the man had seemingly vanished from the public eye.

Standing up, he thought for a moment. He couldn’t just Floo into Malfoy Manor, that was sure to get him hexed. Not that he knew for sure that Malfoy still lived in his childhood home. But he supposed he could Apparate to the Manor and start his search there. So that was what he decided to do. Concentrating very hard on Malfoy Manor, Harry Disapparated.

Seconds later, he appeared outside of the gates of Malfoy Manor. Holding onto the wrought iron gate, Harry waited a few seconds for his stomach to settle down again. He still didn’t like Apparating.

Looking up at the gates, he wondered if it would be foolish to attempt to open them without being invited. He couldn’t see another way in, so he drew his wand and conjured his Patronus. “Go and request a meeting with Draco Malfoy,” he requested, watching as the stag turned and galloped down the long drive.

Harry waited for a few minutes before the shape of a person appeared at the end of the drive. Narrowing his eyes, Harry made out the familiar white blond hair of Draco and stepped back in surprise. He hadn’t expected the man himself to come to the gate, and now that he could see him, he realised that Draco had filled out since leaving school. He certainly looked more toned than he had in school and although it had only been a couple of years, Harry thought Draco’s features had lost some of their sharpness which made him look much more approachable.

“It’s true then,” Draco spoke as he approached the gate. “The great Harry Potter has come for my help.”

“How do you know I want your help, Malfoy?” Harry asked, bristling immediately.

“Am I wrong?” Draco asked, stopping on the other side of the gate.

Harry thought about lying, but something stopped him and he shook his head. “No. I do need your help. May I come in?”

Draco considered the request for a moment, then waved his hand, watching as the gates swung open. “Follow me,” he said. “I prefer not to complete any business out here.”

Harry frowned slightly but followed Draco back up the drive and into the manor. Draco led him down the long hallways until he reached an office.

“Please, take a seat,” Draco said, gesturing to the chair closest to Harry. He walked around his desk and sat down in a plush leather chair.

Harry sat down as requested, looking around the office surreptitiously. It was a nice office, he thought. Lighter than he imagined it would be, though that clearly had to do with the large window behind Draco’s desk.

“So, what can I do for the great Harry Potter?” Draco asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Stop calling me the great Harry Potter, for a start,” Harry said, giving Draco a wary look.

“Duly noted,” Draco said, inclining his head towards Harry briefly. “Anything else?”

“I hear you’re a Medi-Herbologist now,” Harry said, trying not to convey his disbelief.

Draco nodded slowly. “You hear correctly.”

Harry took a deep breath. “Then I’m hoping that you’ll be able to help me.”

“I’m a Medi-Herbologist, Potter,” Draco said. “Not a mindreader. What, exactly, are you asking me to help with?”

“I have some plants - rare plants - that were fine yesterday but today don’t look great,” Harry said.

“And by ‘don’t look great’, what do you mean?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, there are black spots all over the leaves and stalks and the flowers aren’t glowing properly,” Harry replied.

“Glowing?” Draco asked, sitting up. “Exactly what kind of plants are we talking about, Potter?”

“Shadow Laceflower,” Harry said. “A variety of-”

“Fae vine,” Draco finished. “Potter… how do you have fae vines? They’re extremely rare, not to mention protected.”

“I know,” Harry said. “To cut a long story short, someone left me a house complete with land, and the vines are growing on the land. It’s all been charmed to have the correct ecosystem. I’ve not been living there long, and up until today, the vines have been thriving.”

“Has anything changed within your land over the last twenty-four hours?” Draco asked, gazing at Harry intently.

“Not that I know of,” Harry replied.

“Hm. May I see the vines?” Draco said.

“So you’re willing to help me?” Harry asked.

“Merlin, yes,” Draco replied in exasperation.

“Just checking,” Harry said, defensively. “I don’t want everyone knowing about these vines, you know.”

“Rest assured, I will not breathe a word,” Draco replied. “Now… may I see the vines?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded. “Can we use your Floo? I really don’t like Apparating.”

Draco rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Yes. It’s in the kitchen.”

Standing up, Draco motioned for Harry to follow him once more, before he left the room and headed to the kitchen. “Here we are.”

Harry stepped up to the fireplace and looked at Draco. “Floo powder?”

“Here,” Draco replied, taking a tin off the mantelpiece and opening it for Harry to take a handful.

“Thanks,” Harry said, waiting for Draco to replace the tin and join him in the fireplace. “Ready?”

Draco nodded.

Harry threw the powder down and called out his address.

A few seconds later, they emerged in Harry’s kitchen, brushing soot from their clothes as they stepped out of the fireplace.

Draco looked around. “Very nice, Potter,” he said. “Who did you say left you this place?”

“I didn’t,” Harry said. “The truth is, I don’t know who he was. I just got an owl one day telling me he’d left me a house and accompanying land.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Highly unusual.”

“I know,” Harry said. “I got Hermione to check the authenticity of it before I came to visit.”

“Where exactly are we?”

“Braedwardith,” Harry answered, grinning at the blank expression on Draco’s face.

“Where?”

“Exactly,” Harry replied. “I needed to get out of London. This place is the perfect escape.”

“It certainly seems peaceful,” Draco commented.

Harry nodded. “It is. Right, the vines. Come with me.”

Opening the back door, he headed out into the garden. He led the way through the garden to the wooden gate on the far side.

“This seems like a bit of a hassle to get out here,” Draco said as he followed Harry, looking around.

“You’d think so,” Harry said. “But it really isn’t. I feel much calmer here than I ever did in my London house, even though it does get drafty sometimes.”

“I can see why you’d feel like that,” Draco nodded. “There is certainly a calm atmosphere here. And I imagine the fires keep it cosy?”

Harry nodded as he unlocked the gate. Hearing Malfoy speak so pleasantly was an odd experience, he thought. It seems that Neville may be right about him having changed since school. He stepped through and held the gate for Draco, closing it as soon as he’d stepped through and locking it again. “This way,” he said, setting off down the path, aiming for the fae vines.

Draco gazed around in amazement as he followed Harry. He’d felt a change in the climate as soon as he’d stepped through the gate. Looking up, he realised that there were no birds flying above this land. In fact, there were no airborne insects either, he noted. Then, his gaze was drawn by the faint glow ahead of him.

“Here they are,” Harry said, gesturing unnecessarily to the vines. “Have you seen them before?”

Draco nodded absently, stepping forward to look closely at the vines. “Yes,” he said. “I did a placement in South America to study these rarer types of plants. There aren’t many in England - certainly none of these anyway.”

“I think these may be the only ones,” Harry nodded. “But if I can’t stop this… disease, or whatever it is, then there may be none left in England.”

Draco leaned close to Harry, so close that Harry could feel Draco’s breath on his cheek. “We’ll stop the disease,” he said softly. “As soon as I can figure out exactly what it is.”

Harry swallowed as he inhaled the clean, fresh scent of Draco’s aftershave. He wasn’t normally uncomfortable with close contact, but there was something about Draco Malfoy being in his home that had transported Harry straight back to his school days. He remembered the preoccupation with the Slytherin that had bordered on obsession. He remembered Ron and Hermione rolling their eyes whenever Malfoy’s name had come up, and, though he knew they thought he hadn’t noticed, he remembered the knowing glances they’d exchanged every time he and Malfoy had argued.

Hermione had confessed to him while they were on the run that she and Ron had thought that he had a crush on Malfoy and that it may just be reciprocated. He had protested vehemently at the time, but as he’d been left to ponder the thought, he had come to realise that they were, perhaps, quite correct in their thinking. The day they’d been captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, he had been shocked by Draco’s appearance and demeanour. He’d never seen his schoolboy rival so downtrodden and a part of him had wanted to drag Draco with them when they made their escape. But, of course, he hadn’t been able to do that and any chance of them becoming friends had been lost.

Or, so he thought. This was a second chance, he recognised, to put things right between them. He’d always regretted not being able to do it.

As he gazed at Draco’s profile, Harry became aware that the man was talking to him. “Er, sorry, what?”

Draco turned to look at Harry, irritation written on his face. “Were you not listening to anything I’ve said?”

“Er, no… sorry, I got… distracted,” Harry said, flushing. “What were you saying?”

Draco heaved a sigh. “I was saying that I’ve never seen anything quite like this before,” he said. “The climate seems to be just right for these plants to flourish, and as you are unaware of any changes, it seems suspicious that this disease could suddenly be affecting the plants.”

“So, what could that mean?” Harry asked, frowning.

“I don’t know,” Draco replied, honestly. “I’ll need to run some diagnostics. And… I may need to stay for a while. To observe the plants.”

“Oh,” Harry said, surprised. He knew he’d turned red. “Well… there are two spare rooms. Three, really, but one is far too small. You’d be more than welcome to stay… if you want to.”

“That would be helpful,” Draco nodded. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

“No, not at all,” Harry said, fully aware that his cheeks were still bright red. “There’s more than enough room here.”

Draco nodded again. “Very well,” he said. “Then, if it’s alright with you, I’ll nip back to the manor now to get some things and then come back here?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Harry said, nodding. “I’ll go and make up a room for you.”

“Thank you,” Draco replied. “I won’t be long.”

Harry nodded, leading Draco back through the gardens and to the kitchen. He watched as Draco stepped back into the fireplace and disappeared. Then, he ran up the stairs and to the second bedroom to make sure it was fit for a guest.

He pointed his wand at the bed, muttering an airing charm to freshen the sheets. It would not do for Draco Malfoy to be sleeping in a bed with musty sheets, he thought. Then, he pushed the bedroom window open to let some fresh air into the room.

Looking around, he felt satisfied that the room would be to Malfoy’s taste and then headed back downstairs. He wondered briefly if it would be too much to cook for Malfoy, then immediately changed his mind. He thought that would probably be going a step too far for now. He wasn’t sure what Malfoy thought about the whole situation, but he was sure that a conversation to clear the air was inevitable.

As he was pondering this, the Floo chimed and the flames roared into life as Draco reappeared. Harry eyed the large bag that Draco had brought with him. “How, er… how long do you think you’ll need to stay?”

Draco stepped out of the fireplace and put his bag down, brushing soot from his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I realise that you probably don’t want me around for long, so I’ll try and get this sorted quickly.”

“It’s not that,” Harry said quickly. “I was just curious… I’ve been keeping to myself mostly since being here. It’s been helpful, not being surrounded by people constantly. The grounds are like a sanctuary.”

“Would you rather I found lodgings elsewhere?” Draco asked, giving Harry a sympathetic look.

Harry considered this for a moment before shaking his head. “No,” he said. “Don’t be silly. It makes sense for you to stay here. I just… you’ll have to accept my apologies for my quietness. I’m not used to living with someone else, well, other than my old House Elf.”

“You have a House Elf?” Draco asked in surprise.

“Yes, no, well…” Harry stumbled over his words. “I do, but he’s not here. I left him at my London house. He’s rather old and set in his ways. He does come here occasionally though.”

Draco nodded thoughtfully. “So… you do your own cooking?”

Harry nodded too. “Yes. I’m not too bad at whipping up a quick meal,” he said. “Sometimes I find it easier to eat at the pub though.”

“There’s a pub?” Draco asked, his expression brightening somewhat.

Harry nodded again. “Yes,” he said. “It’s about five minutes away. Do you want me to show you to your room?”

“Oh,” Draco replied, suddenly remembering that he was there for a reason. “Yes, please. Then, I’d like to go back out and have another look at those vines.”

“Of course,” Harry said, motioning for Draco to follow him. “Your room is this way.”

Harry led Draco out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He thought he should probably be more nervous about being followed by his former rival than he was.

“This is a very nice house, Potter,” Draco said as he looked around him. “Victorian?”

Harry shrugged. “I think so?” he replied. “With some modernisation.”

Draco nodded as they reached the second floor. “I thought so,” he said. “Victorian houses don’t normally have such modern looking kitchens.”

“The bathroom is the same,” Harry said, glancing over his shoulder. “Mr Oleander - the man who left me the house - had all the plumbing updated shortly before he died, apparently.”

“A very wise idea,” Draco nodded. “No need to keep it how it was in the Victorian times, I suppose. I do like the ceilings, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, flushing at the compliment. “This is your room.”

He pushed open the door to the second bedroom, stepping back so that Draco could walk in first.

“If this room is anything like mine, you’ll need to light the fire on a night,” Harry said, leaning against the doorframe as Draco explored the room. “It gets quite cold up here. I opened the window to let some air in - no-one has used this room since I’ve been here - but obviously you can close it if it gets a bit chilly.”

Draco nodded, putting his bag down. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m sure I will be quite comfortable here. I’ll just unpack my things and then I’ll come back down to the kitchen.”

Harry nodded and pushed himself away from the doorframe, taking the hint. “Give me a shout if you need anything.”

He pulled the door closed behind him and headed back down the stairs again. He wondered if he should have put some sort of monitoring spell on the room, to make sure Malfoy wasn’t up to anything. Then he shook his head. No, Neville was right, Malfoy has changed and I need to trust him, he thought.

Sighing, Harry walked into the kitchen. Looking around himself, he realised that he was feeling oddly nervous about having another person in the house. After living alone for so long, this was strange for him, knowing that there was someone upstairs. Frowning, he pulled the back door open and stepped into the garden. He let out a long breath, instantly feeling calmer. He wondered how he had coped in London for as long as he did. Now, he couldn’t imagine going back to London for more than a visit.

He walked among the flowerbeds that lined the walls, pulling any dead flower heads off and vanishing them. Looking at the lawn, he made a note to get something to brighten the colour up a bit once the weather picked up. As he reached the wall at the end of the garden, he turned to go back to the kitchen, thinking that Malfoy wouldn’t be much longer. However, as he turned, he spotted Malfoy in the doorway.

“Sorry,” Harry said, hurrying back towards the house. “I… well, I needed to come outside. I didn’t think I’d been that long.”

“Don’t apologise,” Draco replied, shaking his head and moving to meet Harry halfway down the path. “You looked… at home. Calm.”

Harry nodded. “I do find that being out here and taking care of the plants relaxes me,” he admitted. “I don’t have to rush, or rely on other people. There’s only me and the plants.”

“And now me,” Draco said ruefully. “I really could find lodgings elsewhere if you’d rather, you know? I don’t want to disrupt your routine… since leaving school, I find that I appreciate a routine much more than I used to.”

Harry shook his head again. “Honestly, it’s fine,” he said. “You’re not disrupting me. If anything, it’ll probably do me good to have you here.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “That is something I would never have expected to come out of your mouth,” he said. “There was a time in our lives when you would have done anything to avoid me.”

“Yeah, well… times change,” Harry said. “Life is too short to hold grudges, and I figured that if Neville was singing your praises, well… something had to have changed.”

Draco nodded. “I like to think I’ve changed for the better,” he said. “Longbottom isn’t so bad, and honestly? There were times at school when I felt bad for making fun of him. He just needed direction.”

Harry stopped in surprise, looking at Draco. “And that is something I would never have expected to come out of your mouth.”

Draco shrugged. “Like I said, I like to think I’ve changed for the better,” he said. “I had much to make up for, and I wanted to do that as far away from the Dark Arts as I could.”

Harry nodded, falling into step with Draco again. “I can understand that. That’s why I’ve not joined the Aurors,” he said. “They want me. Keep asking. I want no part of it.”

“So what exactly is it that you’re doing with yourself?” Draco asked as they stepped through the wooden gate and onto the tropical part of the land.

“Not a lot,” Harry admitted. “I haven’t felt ready to do anything for a long time. Until I moved here, anyway. Now I keep myself busy by tending to the gardens. I can’t do too much right now, with it being winter, but the tropical plants always need something.”

Draco nodded slowly. “Which makes it even odder that the fae vines have somehow contracted a disease,” he said. “Have you ever noticed that there are no airborne insects in this part of your garden?”

Harry frowned as he thought, then shook his head. “No, I can’t say I have,” he said. “Isn’t that a bad thing?”

“Well, yes and no,” Draco said as they reached the fae vines. “It’s good in one sense, because it means they can’t transfer diseases. But it also means that they are, potentially, not being pollinated in the most beneficial way.”

“Is there anything we can do about that?” Harry asked, gazing into the sky to try and catch sight of anything flying.

“I’ll need to see if there have been any additional charms put on the land,” Draco said. “I presume that the previous owner - Mr Olander? - put the protection charms on?”

“Oleander,” Harry corrected him automatically. “Yes, everything was charmed when I got here. I haven’t added or taken anything from them.”

“Hmm,” Draco mused. “Perhaps the charms just need updating to make sure they’re still effective, though that shouldn’t really be necessary.”

“I have a file in the house that has all the details of the charms that have been used,” Harry said. “And if that’s not the problem?”

“We’ll have to try some other methods to work out what the problem is,” Draco said. He was now standing millimetres away from the vines, a magnifying glass in his hand as he examined the black spots on the leaves. There was a piece of parchment hovering by his right ear, a quill poised to note anything down, should he ask it to.

“But you think you can figure it out?” Harry asked anxiously.

Draco nodded, turning to face him. “Oh, yes,” he said. “I’ve never failed, yet. I need to work out how quickly the disease is affecting the plants, though. I need to know how much time I have to work with before the disease has taken too strong a hold.”

“How bad is it looking right now?” Harry asked, holding his breath.

“Actually not too bad,” Draco said. “Yes, the black spots look awful, but the vines are actually quite healthy and strong at the moment.”

“That sounds like a good thing,” Harry said, feeling reassured.

Draco nodded and pulled out his wand. “I’m going to cast a stasis spell, which will hopefully slow down any further effects of the disease. Then I’ll run some diagnostic spells.”

Harry nodded. “Would you like a drink, or anything?” he asked, feeling helpless.

Draco shook his head. “I’m fine for now,” he said. “But a cup of coffee when I’m done would be most appreciated.”

Harry nodded again. “Alright,” he said. “Well, while you’re busy, I’m going to have a look around the rest of the land. I didn’t complete my full checks this morning, I was too worried about these vines.”

Draco gave him an understanding look. “I would have been too,” he said. “You go and do what you need to. I’ll be fine here for a little while.”

Harry gave him a small smile before turning to walk across the land to the plants he hadn’t managed to check on. Every now and again, he would cast Aguamenti to water the plants. He knew they didn’t really need it, as the atmosphere was charmed to mimic a real life weather system and there was often rain falling, but he decided that it wouldn’t hurt.

As he worked, Harry stole occasional glances at Malfoy. He could certainly admit that the man was nothing like he had been at school. He remembered their Herbology lessons, which had often been disrupted by Malfoy and his cronies trying to get one over on Harry, Ron and Hermione. Malfoy had never shown this much dedication to plants during those classes, and Harry had to admit, he was nothing short of impressed with how Malfoy had approached the request for help.

“Potter!”

Harry jumped at the shout that echoed through the garden, and turned to hurry back to Draco. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m… not sure,” Draco admitted, and Harry could see that he looked incredibly worried. “As I was conducting the diagnostic spells, these spots here began to look worse.”

Harry leant in to have a closer look. “Oh no,” he breathed. “How can that have happened when you’re right here?”

“I don’t know,” Draco replied. “I wasn’t doing anything that should have affected them so.”

“Neither was I… I don’t think,” Harry said, frowning. “I mean, I wasn’t anywhere near them.”

“No, I don’t think it could have been anything you were doing,” Draco said, shaking his head.

“Have you finished with the diagnostic spells now?” Harry asked, looking at Draco curiously.

Draco nodded. “Yes, I’d just finished them when you came back,” he said. “I’ll need time to analyse and process the results, but I can do that inside. I’ll strengthen the stasis spell and then we could have that coffee?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, of course,” he said. “I’ll go and put the kettle on while you finish up.”

“Thank you,” Draco replied, smiling. He turned back to the vines, his wand already drawn and began muttering the incantation to strengthen his stasis spell.

Harry watched him work for a moment, before he turned and headed back to the house. His initial trepidation at inviting Draco Malfoy into his home had disappeared the moment he’d seen Draco tend to the plants. He had a gentle touch, almost tender, and it reassured Harry that he’d done the right thing.

Stepping back into the kitchen, he immediately reached for the kettle and filled it before putting it on to boil. He hoped Malfoy wouldn’t mind instant coffee too much, and reached for the little tin of Azeera that he’d bought last time he’d gone to the supermarket. He heaped two spoonfuls into two mugs and then paused. He didn’t know how Malfoy took his coffee.

“That spell should keep the plants stable for twenty-four hours,” Draco announced as he came through the door, making Harry jump slightly. “Which should give me plenty of time to analyse the results from the diagnostics.”

“Oh, good,” Harry said, unsure what kind of response Malfoy had expected. “I wasn’t sure how you liked your coffee, so I’ve just made it the same as mine.”

“I like my coffee like I like my men,” Draco replied, washing his hands in the sink. “Strong and dark.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder at Draco. He could feel that his cheeks turned red again. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he murmured.

Draco nodded. “Please do,” he said, giving Harry a wink.

Harry gazed at Malfoy with wide eyes. “Er…”

“Sorry, just my little joke,” Draco said, backtracking quickly. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Harry shook his head. “You didn’t,” he said. “I just didn’t realise that we were… there yet.”

“Ah. I understand,” Draco said, nodding as he leant against the kitchen counter. “We haven’t exactly been on the best terms over the years, have we?”

“Well, no,” Harry said as the kettle came to a boil. He lifted it and began to pour two mugs of coffee. “We haven’t, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when Neville told me to contact you. I didn’t even know how to do that.”

“Well, your method was effective,” Draco replied. “I was most surprised when your stag came waltzing into my office to request a meeting.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, I just didn’t think you’d appreciate me trying to open your gates,” Harry explained, taking the milk out of the fridge.

“It’s not often that people try to open my gates,” Draco quipped. “Sometimes I wish they would.”

Harry fumbled with the milk bottle, catching it as it slipped slightly in his hand, glad that it was a plastic bottle rather than glass. “Are we still talking about the gates to the manor?”

Draco shrugged. “If you want to be,” he said. “For what it’s worth, I did appreciate your approach. Since the war, I have been a lot more… cautious than I used to be.”

Harry nodded. “Me too,” he said. “I think it’s only natural, given what we went through.”

Draco nodded in agreement.

“I have to admit, you surprised me,” Harry said. “Other than calling me ‘the great Harry Potter’, you’ve been… pleasant.”

“Well, thank you,” Draco said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “Like I said earlier, I’ve changed. I can admit that I was wrong about a lot in my youth, my prejudices were not of my own making.”

“Maybe not,” Harry said, handing one mug to Draco and indicating that he should follow him into the lounge. “But you didn’t need to keep furthering them. You could have made your own mind up. Stood up for yourself and told your father where to stick his beliefs.”

“Easy for you to say,” Draco replied, following Harry across the entrance hall. “It was shoved down my throat at every opportunity. I’d never had the opportunity to question it. Or challenge it. As for telling my father where to stick his beliefs… do you really think he’d have listened to me? He’d have made me do it anyway.”

“You could have… never mind. At least you admit you were wrong now, I suppose” Harry said, lowering himself into an armchair in front of the fire. He decided it wasn’t worth raking up the past animosity between himself and Draco, not when he wanted Draco’s help.

Draco nodded, looking around before choosing to sit in the armchair next to Harry’s. “I was,” he said. “I wanted to believe that my father’s word was gospel, but as we all found out, it was not.”

Harry shrugged. “I guess you could say that,” he said. “My uncle was just as bad sometimes. I suppose I was lucky that they preferred me out of their way when I was at home, or I might have grown up like my cousin.”

“I can’t imagine you any other way,” Draco said, taking another sip of coffee. “You’ve always known your own mind.”

“For the most part,” Harry nodded. “I questioned things all the time though, especially as I got older and I didn’t always like the answers.”

“I was the same,” Draco replied. “I did begin to question my father - by way of my mother - but my questions weren’t entertained when I got older. I was expected to follow in his footsteps regardless.”

“So what changed?” Harry asked, deciding to bite the bullet. “If Voldemort had finished me off, your family would have been right up there as part of his most trusted allies.”

Draco shook his head and took another sip. “You didn’t see what went on behind the doors of the manor when he was in residence,” he said. “My father, due to losing the prophecy, was viewed as incompetent and the Dark Lord made sure everyone knew it. We were treated barely any better than the prisoners we were keeping in the basement. It was only the fact that it was our home that we weren’t thrown in there with them. We were a laughingstock.”

Harry listened, his eyes wide. He’d never heard this side of things before.

“By the time you three ended up being brought in, I’d had enough,” Draco continued. “After the hellish year I’d had before, when I was given the impossible task, I’d come to realise that I didn’t want to live under his rule. But when I was sent back to Hogwarts, you weren’t there. I’d been hoping to talk to you, you see. I would have asked for your help - though I don’t imagine you would have given it - because I could see how hopeless things would be if he came to power.”

Harry bit his lip gently. “I…” he paused. “When we ended up at the manor, I could see how broken you were. I wanted to bring you with us, but… I couldn’t. It would have been too risky, and I didn’t know for sure that you would want that.”

Draco blinked before starting to laugh. “Oh, Merlin…”

“Have we been on the same side all along?” Harry asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I think we might have been,” Draco nodded, hiding his smile behind his coffee mug. “Maybe neither of us is as smart as we thought.”

“Maybe not,” Harry agreed, smiling as he glanced down. “I would never have believed you if you’d told me that at the time though.”

“I wouldn’t have either,” Draco replied. “I’d have denied it anyway, especially if my father was around.”

Harry shook his head. “Merlin, we’re idiots,” he said, feeling a blush creep over his cheeks. “So, I guess this is a new start for us both?”

Draco nodded. “I would like that,” he said. “It’s been a couple of years and I would very much like to put the past behind us.”

Harry smiled, somewhat shyly. “Me too,” he said.

“Good,” Draco replied. “That’s settled then. Now, I must go and analyse the results. I’ll do it in the kitchen, if that’s okay?”

“Absolutely fine,” Harry said. “I’ll stay out of your way, unless you need me. Then, you just need to give me a shout.”

Draco nodded and clapped his hand to his knee. “Okay then. I’ll get to it.” He stood up and headed through to the kitchen.

An hour later, Draco made his way back into the living room.

Harry looked up, and instantly put down the magazine he’d been reading. “What did you find out?”

Draco sighed and dropped back into the armchair he’d been sitting in. “Not a lot,” he admitted. “Everything regarding the environment was as it should be, the vines are being kept at the right temperature and humidity, and the food you’re giving them is doing them the world of good. There is no evidence that these plants should be doing anything other than thriving here.”

“That… is not comforting at all,” Harry sighed. “Is there anything else you can try?”

“I’ve got a couple of potions that I can try,” Draco replied. “But I don’t have any prepared. Funnily enough, I wasn’t expecting to run into problematic fae vines in the Welsh countryside.”

Harry chuckled softly. “Fair enough,” he said. “Can you brew them here, or do you need to go back to the manor?”

“If you’ve got a spare room, I could do them here,” Draco replied. “I just need space.”

“The scullery,” Harry said immediately. “I’m not using it for anything other than a bit of storage. There’s plenty of space in there, along with running water and a sturdy table.”

“Sounds perfect,” Draco said, rubbing his hands together. “I brought supplies with me on the off chance that this was needed.”

“Go and get them,” Harry said. “I’ll go and make sure there’s nothing to get in your way in there. Oh, there’s a window as well, should you need fresh air.”

“Great,” Draco replied, standing up. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Harry stood up and went into the scullery, where he shoved the pairs of shoes to one side. He cleared the table and put the things he’d removed into a cupboard. He was just closing the door when Draco appeared with a bag full of potions ingredients and brewing equipment.

“Do you carry that with you wherever you go?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Draco nodded. “I do, as it happens,” he said. “Doing what I do, I never know when I’m going to have to brew a specific potion.”

“Oh,” Harry said, shaking his head slightly. “Well, this is the scullery. Will it do?”

Draco looked around before nodding his head once more. “It’s perfect,” he said. “Reminds me a bit of the Potions lab at Hogwarts. Just brighter.”

“It couldn’t be any darker,” Harry muttered. “Do you need me to do anything or can you manage on your own?”

Draco quirked an eyebrow. “Remind me again, which of us got an O in our Potions O.W.L. and then again in the N.E.W.T?”

“All right, all right,” Harry said, flushing. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Draco smirked. “I’ll come and find you when I’m finished,” he said. “The potions will need to brew for a few hours, so perhaps we could visit that pub and get something to eat?”

“Oh… yeah, if you want,” Harry said, pausing in the doorway and turning back to Draco. “Or I could cook. It’s up to you.”

Draco considered the options. “Pub’s fine,” he said, giving Harry a cheeky grin.

Harry stuck his middle finger up at Draco and left the scullery. It was only as he was halfway through the kitchen that he stopped to wonder why he was so comfortable with Malfoy. It was as though they’d never been rivals, he thought.

Shaking his head, he carried on through the kitchen and into the lounge, where he sat himself back in the armchair. Glancing out of the window, he realised that night had fallen already. He could see the streetlamps popping on along the street that led to the pub, and the lights coming on in the houses that surrounded Harry’s house. He pictured people settling down with their families for the night, lighting fires and snuggling under blankets. He gave a wistful sigh. It was on nights like this that Harry felt most lonely. He had no-one to snuggle under a blanket with.

His thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched whistling and he sat bolt upright in his chair.

“What did you do?!” Draco ran into the lounge from the kitchen.

“Me? Nothing!” Harry protested. “I’ve been sitting here! All I was doing was looking out of the window! What in Merlin’s name is that noise?”

“That,” Draco said, fumbling for his wand. “Is an alarm I put on the fae vines in case they deteriorated any further. I need to go and check on them.”

“I’ll come too,” Harry said, following Draco through the kitchen and out to where the fae vines stood.

“Lumos,” Draco muttered, lighting the tip of his wand and holding it up to the fae vines. “Oh no,” he said. “Look, they’ve got worse.”

Harry leant in to look, his shoulder pressed against Draco’s. He frowned at the new black patches that were on the leaves. “But how can that have happened?”

“I don’t know,” Draco said. “But I’m determined to find out.”

Harry sighed and gazed at the plants again, feeling unsettled by how quickly the plants were being affected.

“Well, there’s nothing happening out here that appears to be the cause of this,” Draco said, waving his wand to check the stasis charm again. “They’re stable and so are the protective charms. There must be another reason for this damage. I’ll consult some of my books when we get back from dinner.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to find anything?”

“I don’t know,” Draco said. “But I’ll keep looking until I do. I’ll get to the bottom of this, Potter. I promise.”

Harry nodded as a warmth seemed to spread through his chest at Draco’s words.

Draco gasped, drawing Harry’s attention back to the fae vines. “What?!”

“The flowers,” Draco said. “They just… I swear, the glow just got brighter.”

Harry frowned and peered closely at the flowers. “Really?”

Draco nodded. “Yes, honestly. It was only brief, but they were definitely glowing brighter a second ago.”

“I don’t understand…” Harry said, turning to look at Draco again.

“Neither do I,” Draco admitted. “I can’t remember the finer points of these particular vines. There was so much going on during my placement.”

“Will we be all right going for dinner?” Harry asked worriedly.

Draco nodded. “I think so,” he said. “Like I said, they seem stable.”

“Are the potions sorted?”

“Yes,” Draco said. “Luckily I’d just finished the mixing when the alarm sounded. I was on my way to tell you. So if we go now, we should be alright.”

Harry nodded. “Come on then,” he said. “They’re pretty quick at serving food, to be fair.”

“Sounds good,” Draco replied, turning away from the vines slowly. “Is this a wizarding pub or a Muggle one?”

“Wizarding,” Harry said. “The whole village is wizarding, not much to do with Muggles here at all. I have to buy my coffee from the supermarket in the next town.”

Draco snorted softly. “Doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “I’ll go and get my cloak then.”

Harry nodded again, leading the way back to the house. He went to the understairs cupboard and took out his own cloak. He’d been wearing wizarding clothes a lot more since moving to the village, though he still had his trusty jeans on most days.

“Ready to go?” Draco asked, walking down the stairs, fastening his cloak as he went.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, swinging his own cloak around his shoulders. He groped in the cupboard for his scarf.

“You still have that?” Draco asked, eyeing the gold and maroon scarf that Harry was wrapping around his neck. “And is it really necessary for a five minute walk?”

“Clearly I do - it’s warm so why would I get rid of it?” Harry replied. “And yes, it is. Don’t forget the gardens are charmed. It’s not so obvious in the smaller garden, but I guarantee you it’ll be freezing when we step outside the front door.”

Draco looked at him doubtfully, but pulled the collar of his cloak up around his ears.

Harry snorted. “Do you not still have yours?”

Draco shook his head. “No,” he said. “I, er, got rid of all my school related clothes when I was sixteen. Don’t you remember?”

“Well, sort of,” Harry said, frowning as he opened the front door. “But you still had your uniform when we were in lessons.”

“That was all I had,” Draco replied, following Harry out of the door. “I don’t remember where my scarf went though. I could have done with keeping that.”

“Maybe your mum will know?” Harry asked, locking the door and heading down the path.

“Maybe,” Draco conceded. “I won’t be finding out though.”

Harry shrugged. “Well, if you ever need to borrow mine, you’re welcome to,” he said.

Draco looked at him as though he’d grown a second head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I would not suit Gryffindor colours.”

“You won’t know if you don’t try,” Harry replied lightly, leading Draco down the street towards the pub.

Draco simply shook his head and didn’t say anything. He shivered and pulled his cloak tighter as he quickened his steps to keep up with Harry.

Five minutes later, Harry pushed open the door to the pub. “Welcome to The Merry Pear,” he said, turning to Draco.

“How charming,” Draco said, removing his cloak. “This looks nice.”

“It is,” Harry replied, unwinding his scarf and hanging it on the coat rack. He placed his cloak on top. “Booth or table?”

Draco looked around. “Booth, I think,” he said.

Harry nodded. “Go and find one and I’ll get the drinks,” he said.

Draco quirked an eyebrow at him, but turned to find a booth, a small smile on his face.

A few minutes later, Harry approached the booth with two pint glasses in his hands. “I thought we’d just start with a Butterbeer,” he said. “Well, that and I didn’t know what you prefer to drink.”

“Butterbeer is fine with food,” Draco replied, taking one glass from Harry. “I either drink that or wine, usually.”

“Ah, I’m not much of a wine drinker,” Harry said, sliding into the booth opposite Draco. “I prefer Firewhisky if I’m having alcohol.”

“You can’t beat a nice, strong Firewhisky,” Draco nodded, sipping his Butterbeer. “Similar to coffee.”

“And men?” Harry asked, looking at Draco with his eyebrows raised as he took another sip.

Draco paused, his glass held to his mouth as he held Harry’s gaze. Then he nodded. “Definitely men.”

“Noted,” Harry said faintly. He still wasn’t sure what to do with this information.

Draco took one more sip before setting his glass down. “Do you not usually talk of men and their attractiveness?”

“Well, funnily enough, no I don’t,” Harry said, putting his own glass down. “The subject doesn’t come up when I’m alone in my house.”

“Fair enough,” Draco replied, nodding. “But what about with your friends?”

Harry shook his head. “No,” he said. “They’ve given up on me.”

“You can’t be that much of a hopeless case?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow as he reached for a menu.

“Well, I hope not,” Harry said, looking offended. “I just… haven’t been interested in anyone.”

“I would imagine the choice has been fairly limited if you’ve been hiding yourself away,” Draco replied, casting his gaze over the menu.

“Well yeah, there’s that too,” Harry said, his cheeks flushing. “I used to get regular letters from people. Some were proposals, some were offering to have my children and others… well, we won’t go there.”

“Oh?” Draco asked, raising one eyebrow and looking at Harry again, his menu forgotten. “And why not?”

“It would not be a conversation to have in public,” Harry said pointedly.

“Ah,” Draco said knowingly. “I see. Were you ever tempted to take any of these people up on their offer?”

Harry hesitated and then shook his head. “No, of course not.”

Draco smirked slightly as he lifted his menu. “Of course not,” he repeated.

Harry’s ears burned with embarrassment at being caught out. “Well what about you?” he countered. “Do you talk about the attractiveness of men often?”

“Not often,” Draco replied. “Only with the right people.”

“...and you’ve deemed me as one of the right people?” Harry asked, baffled.

“You could be,” Draco said. “If you wanted to be.”

Harry stared at the menu behind which Draco was hiding in disbelief. He couldn’t work out whether Draco was being serious or whether he was trying to wind him up.

“What do you recommend to eat?” Draco asked, lowering his menu enough that Harry could now see his eyes, which were twinkling with amusement.

“Er…” Harry fumbled for his own menu, not noticing that it was upside down. “The, er…”

Draco watched, waiting for Harry to realise his mistake.

“Oh for…” Harry flipped the menu over and closed his eyes briefly. He could feel his stomach doing somersaults as he was wrongfooted. “The steak is good. And the steak and ale pie.”

“Sounds good,” Draco said, smiling behind his menu. “I’ll have steak. What are you having?”

“I’m going to have steak too,” Harry said immediately. “Can’t go wrong with steak.”

“Indeed,” Draco replied, lowering his menu to the table. “Do we order at the bar?”

Harry nodded, moving to stand up.

Draco shook his head. “I’ll go. How do you like your steak?”

“Medium, please,” Harry replied, sitting back against the booth. He watched as Draco walked across to the bar, menu in hand. Try as he might to ignore it, he was certain that his (much denied) schoolboy crush on Malfoy had returned in full force.

Waking up the next morning, Harry found his boxer shorts to be uncomfortably tight and the dream he’d had came flooding back to him. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut as he slipped his right hand past his waistband to relieve himself of the tension.

It took an embarrassingly short time, and Harry grumbled to himself as he cast a wordless cleaning charm. As much as he wanted his plants saving, he wasn’t sure that having Malfoy in such close proximity was a good idea anymore. He was almost positive that Malfoy had been flirting with him last night, but his confidence had deserted him as they’d walked home from the pub. Malfoy had disappeared immediately to check on the fae vines while Harry had stoked the fire in the lounge. Then, they had spent the rest of the evening poring over Malfoys books to see if there was anything in them regarding the subject of fae vines and their potential diseases.

They had finally admitted defeat at midnight and had headed to bed. Malfoy had reassured Harry that tomorrow was another day and that he was sure he’d make progress. Harry hadn’t been so sure, but Malfoy’s confidence was catching and he went to bed hopeful that he would see a difference the next day.

Pushing himself out of bed, Harry made his way to his en-suite to have a shower. He couldn’t hear Malfoy up and about yet, so he thought he’d hurry in the bathroom so that he could make breakfast. He pushed the nagging thought that he was far too keen to cook for Malfoy to the back of his mind. He’d deal with that later.

Letting the scalding hot water cascade over his shoulders, Harry scrubbed at his hair with both hands. He’d never quite managed to tame it, but it always seemed easier to handle when it was freshly washed. He let the hot water take away any thoughts of what Malfoy might be doing right now.

Ten minutes later, Harry was in the kitchen, a frying pan full of bacon sizzling away on the hob. He made a small stack of toast, popping the slices into the rack. Once the bacon had cooked, he put it onto a plate and put it in the oven to keep warm while he fried two eggs. He paused, considering how Draco might like his yolk. It was while he was considering this that the back door swung open.

“That smells amazing,” Draco declared, inhaling deeply. “Have I got time to wash my hands?”

Harry, who had jumped violently when the door opened, glared at Draco. “What the bloody hell have you been doing?”

Draco raised his eyebrows. “I was checking on the fae vines,” he said slowly, as though the answer was obvious. “I got up early to see how they are in the earlier hours.”

“You could have left me a note or something, you prat,” Harry grumbled, turning back to the frying pan to take the eggs out before the yolks went solid. “I thought I was up first.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Draco said, moving to wash his hands in the sink. “I’m sure you’ll be up first next time.”

Harry dropped the spatula he was holding.

Draco gave Harry an innocent look as he dried his hands.

Harry shook his head and lifted the plate of bacon out of the oven. “Breakfast is ready,” he said unnecessarily, depositing the plate on the table before carrying the two plates that he’d put the eggs on across too.

“Can I make the coffee?” Draco asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Harry said, turning to face him. “I’ve already boiled the kettle.”

Draco nodded and began to make two cups of coffee. “The potions should be ready to apply after we’ve eaten,” he said as he carried the mugs to the table.

“Oh, good,” Harry said, putting a fork full of bacon into his mouth. “I didn’t realise they’d be ready so soon.”

“These two potions are fairly simple ones,” Draco replied. “I’m hoping that they’ll be enough to do the trick, but if not, there are other, more complicated, potions I can try.”

“Oh,” Harry replied, looking slightly disappointed.

“Don’t worry,” Draco said. “I will do everything I can to restore your vines to full health. I will leave no stone unturned.”

“I know,” Harry said, sighing. “Sorry, I just… can’t help thinking that they’re getting worse and I’m worried that we won’t get to the bottom of it before it’s too late.”

“That won’t happen,” Draco replied seriously, looking at Harry. “The stasis charm will keep them from getting worse too quickly. As we found out last night, it won’t stop them being affected by whatever it is that’s causing the problem, but it should slow it down.”

“I hope you’re right,” Harry said doubtfully. “I mean, I know that you know what you’re doing. Neville wouldn’t have recommended you otherwise.”

“Well thank you for that glowing assessment,” Draco replied dryly. “It has always been my ambition to have Longbottom’s approval.”

“Ah. Now you sound more like your old self,” Harry said, raising an eyebrow. “The Draco Malfoy I remember from school.”

Draco shook his head. “I’m nothing like I was back then,” he said. “I told you that.”

“All right, all right,” Harry said. “I didn’t mean it. I am very grateful for your help. Which, er, reminds me… how much will this cost me?”

Draco shook his head once more. “We don’t need to talk money just yet,” he said. “I prefer to wait until I’ve done my job before discussing that.”

“If you’re sure,” Harry said. “I mean, money is no object anyway, but I still kind of thought I should ask.”

Draco nodded. “Understandable,” he said. “I’m surprised it took you this long to ask, to be honest.”

Harry shrugged. “I’ve just been so worried about them,” he said. “I was so glad that you agreed to help me that I didn’t think to ask before.”

“Then you and I are on the same page,” Draco said. “I know it’s an unconventional occupation, but I really enjoy what I do. There’s something to be said for figuring out what is wrong with the plants and then the satisfaction I get when I fix the problem, well… it’s like catching the Snitch.”

Harry smiled at the analogy. “I remember that feeling,” he said. “I’m… glad that you found something you like to do. You’re doing better than I am, in that respect.”

“You like to garden,” Draco said. “You can make a career out of that you know. Especially if you’re growing things like fae vines. They’re valuable, at least, the flowers are. You could become a supplier to the top potioneers in the country. Maybe even internationally.”

“I…” Harry paused. The thought hadn’t really occurred to him, that he could make a career out of tending to his own gardens. “Well… I was in the process of looking into who I could sell the flowers I’ve already harvested to.”

“I can help you make contacts,” Draco said. “I, obviously, also need supplies for potions. Potter… you and I could have a unique working relationship.”

“I… I will definitely consider that,” Harry said slowly. His stomach had done another flip flop at the thought of being in any kind of relationship with Malfoy. The thought was far more attractive than he thought it would be.

“Please do,” Draco said, eating the last bit of his egg. “Do you want to come and help me administer the potions?”

Harry nodded, quickly shovelling the last of his bacon into his mouth. “Yes,” he mumbled through the food. “I’m finished now.”

Draco made a face. “That was truly disgusting,” he said. “I could have waited a few more moments, you know.”

“Sorry, I thought you wanted to go straight away,” Harry said, flushing slightly.

“I’ll go and get the potions,” Draco said, choosing not to respond to Harry as he stood up and made his way into the scullery.

Harry groaned to himself as he stood up to clear the table. He piled everything into the sink and then waved his wand at them, smiling with satisfaction as they began to wash themselves.

“Handy,” Draco commented as he emerged from the scullery again, a vial in each hand. “Come on, the sooner we get these potions administered, the better.”

Harry opened the door and headed out to the garden. “How did they look when you checked them earlier?”

“They were no worse than when we last checked them yesterday,” Draco replied. “Which I am taking as a good sign.”

Harry nodded. “Definitely,” he said. “Hopefully they won’t have got any worse since you came back in.”

“Fingers crossed,” Draco nodded, following Harry carefully.

“At least the glow seems to not have dimmed any,” Harry said as they approached the fae vines.

“A good sign,” Draco agreed. “Let me check the state of the leaves and stalks first.”

Harry nodded and stepped to one side, though he craned his neck to see how things were looking.

“Potter…” Draco said slowly, examining a leaf closely. “Have a look at this… do you think it looks better than yesterday?”

Harry leaned over Draco’s shoulder, holding his breath as he, too, examined the leaf. “I actually think it does,” he said, frowning in confusion.

“Well how could that have happened?” Draco mused, shifting slightly to peer at the stalk. His shoulder pressed firmly against Harry’s now, his breath ghosting over Harry’s cheek. “This bit looks better too… not as black.”

Harry felt his breath hitch as he smelled Draco’s aftershave. It was a pleasant scent, he thought. One he wouldn’t mind smelling more often.

“Potter! Look!” Draco exclaimed, letting go of the leaf he’d been holding onto as it shimmered slightly.

“What’s happening?” Harry asked worriedly. “What’s it doing?”

“It’s… it’s repairing itself, somehow,” Draco replied in a hushed voice. “What have we been doing since we got here?”

“Well, not much,” Harry replied, frowning. “We just… stopped in front of the vine. You touched that leaf and I looked over your shoulder.”

Draco frowned. “This is bizarre,” he said softly. “I’m not sure these potions are necessary after all.”

“But then, how will we find out what’s wrong with the vines?” Harry asked. “There must be something… it hasn’t repaired itself fully, look. It’s still a bit black.”

“I think I need a different book,” Draco replied. “I wonder if this is a different strain of Shadow Laceflower to the ones I studied. I don’t remember ever learning about self repair.”

“Have you got more books here?” Harry asked, turning to look at Draco.

“A couple,” Draco nodded. “They’re not ones I thought I’d need, but I’m glad I brought them now.”

“And you’re sure we don’t need to administer the potions?”

“Yes,” Draco replied. “These will keep. I don’t want to administer them now only to find out that it was the wrong thing to do after consulting my books.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded. “I can’t believe they’re healing themselves… do you think this is normal behaviour? Like… acne on teenagers?”

Draco turned his head to look at Harry before realising that they were still incredibly close. “I… I don’t think so,” he said, shaking his head after a moment. “I wouldn’t be needed if it were normal, it’d be mentioned in all the books.”

“Oh, good point,” Harry replied despondently. “I suppose it’s time for more research then?”

Draco nodded. “Yes. And then if I still can’t find anything, we can try the potions.”

“Okay, that sounds like a plan,” Harry said. “While you’re consulting your books, I’ll get on with the rest of the gardening.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything,” Draco promised.

“Thank you,” Harry said, giving Draco a smile.

Draco returned the smile and turned to leave the garden. “See you back inside.”

Harry gave Draco a small wave and headed in the opposite direction to check on the rest of the garden.

Two hours later, Harry completed his check on the rest of the garden and headed into the kitchen to wash his hands. He was cold and ached all over, as he’d moved into the walled garden after finishing in the tropical section.

Groaning in relief as the water helped to warm his hands back up. It was times like this that he wished he’d brought Kreacher with him to make lunch.

“Oh, you’re back,” Draco said, walking into the kitchen with a book spread open on one hand. “I thought I heard something in here.”

“Yeah, I’ll make lunch in a minute,” Harry replied, drying his hands quickly. “Have you found anything yet?”

“No, not yet,” Draco sighed. “I thought I was onto something just now, but the symptoms mentioned aren’t quite the same.”

“Oh,” Harry said, disappointed. “Well, on a positive note, I found new growth on several plants.”

“I will find something, don’t worry,” Draco said softly, looking up at Harry. “I don’t give up easily.”

Harry nodded. “I know. Are ham sandwiches okay for lunch?”

“Absolutely,” Draco replied. “I’m just going to get another book, excuse me for a moment.”

Harry watched as Draco turned and left the kitchen again. He wondered how long it was going to take to find a cure for his plants. He also wondered how it had taken him all of two days to completely forget that he used to despise Malfoy, though he had to admit, towards the end of the battle, he’d begun to change his mind.

“If there’s nothing in this one, I’m afraid I’m going to have to return to the manor,” Draco announced as he walked back into the kitchen, another book spread open on his palm.

“What? Why?” Harry asked, looking up again.

“To get more books,” Draco explained. “I do have more books that focus on rare plants, but I couldn’t bring them all. I brought the ones I thought would be most useful.”

“Oh,” Harry replied, flushing with embarrassment. “I thought you’d changed your mind about helping me.”

Draco shook his head. “I meant it when I said I don’t give up easily,” he said. “This is as intriguing to me as it is worrying to you. I want answers and, Merlin help me, I will find them.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry for doubting you,” he said. “I’ll make those sandwiches now.”

He went to the fridge and took out the ham and butter. With a flick of his wand, four slices of bread separated themselves from the home baked loaf he’d bought from the village bakery and laid themselves out on the counter. He hummed to himself as he began to butter the bread before loading the slices with ham.

“Do you want any extras? Tomato? Pickle?” Harry asked, looking over his shoulder at Draco. “I might have some pease pudding too.”

Draco shook his head. “No, thank you. Plain ham is fine.”

Harry nodded and placed the second slice of bread on top and cut the sandwiches into triangles. “Here you go.”

He grabbed two plates from the cupboard to put the sandwiches on and carried them over to the table, where Draco had sat himself.

“Thanks,” Draco replied, reaching absently for one half of his sandwich.

As he did so, his fingers brushed against Harry’s wrist, causing the skin to tingle pleasantly.

Harry glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eye, surprised to see a pink tinge to Draco’s usually pale cheeks. He smiled to himself as he sat down and began to eat his sandwich. Clearly he wasn’t the only one having odd thoughts.

They ate in silence, Harry reading the newspaper which had been delivered while they were outside, and Draco reading his book.

“Here’s something,” Draco said, sitting up a bit straighter. “’Some species of fae vines are affected by their environments, including the magic and emotions of any witches or wizards that are nearby. For more information, see chapter 13."

"Plants that can be affected by the emotions of people?” Harry asked, incredulously.

“It appears so, yes,” Draco nodded, turning the pages of the book. “I have never come across them before, and I’ll admit, they weren’t covered in my training.”

“So it’s really rare then,” Harry mused. “Do you think that is what’s happening here?”

“I don’t know,” Draco said. “Possibly. I need to read this chapter, I think.”

Harry nodded. “I want to cut the lawns in the garden, then I need to feed the plants in the front garden. They’re starting to look decent now, so I’ll leave you to it.”

Draco nodded distractedly, still turning pages. “I’ll let you know if I work this out,” he said.

“Okay,” Harry said. “See you later.”

Harry was halfway through mowing the largest lawn when he heard Draco shouting.

“Potter! Harry!”

Frowning, Harry stopped the lawnmower and walked back towards the house. “I’m here,” he called.

“Oh, good!” Draco exclaimed, slightly breathless. “Come with me! I want to try something.” With that, he grabbed Harry’s arm and dragged him towards the gate that led to the fae vines.

“Mal- Draco what is it?” Harry asked, trying to pull his arm out of Draco’s grip slightly.

“No time to explain,” Draco replied, pushing his way through the gate. “Easier to show you - if it works.”

Harry grumbled but stopped trying to pull away.

Within a few minutes, they were standing in front of the fae vines. Peering closely at them, Draco ran his fingers over one of the leaves. “This one looks better still,” he said.

“Alright, so why did you drag me here?” Harry asked, rubbing his arm slightly. “What have you found out?”

“Potter… Harry,” Draco began, turning to Harry, his eyes shining. “This isn’t Shadow Laceflower. It’s Purple Rogue’s Laceflower!”

“Wh-what?” Harry asked, frowning in confusion. “No, I looked it up. This exact plant was in my book…”

“’One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi’?” Draco asked.

Harry nodded.

“No,” Draco replied. “I thought the same when I first looked at the plant. It’s very, very similar. But the leaves are ever so slightly differently shaped - here, look.”

He pulled out the old textbook that Harry had left on the kitchen table two nights ago and opened it to the page that showed the Shadow Laceflower.

“See how these leaves are a bit more almond shaped?” Draco asked, pointing at the picture in the book. “The leaves on your plant are more rounded where the bottom of the leaf meets the stem, see?”

Harry leant over and peered at the picture, then turned his attention to the plant in front of him. “Merlin, you’re right…” he breathed. “How did I miss that?”

“It’s easily done,” Draco replied, his chin resting slightly on Harry’s shoulder. “I missed it too. They’re both species of fae vine, both equally as valuable, it’s literally only the shape of the leaves that’s different. No-one knows how it happened, but there must have been cross-pollination at some point in the past. The flowers of this plant are particularly powerful when used in potions to improve memory function.”

“Wow,” Harry said, feeling a warmth spreading from the weight of Draco’s chin on his shoulder. “So they’re pretty special then.”

Draco nodded. “Not only that, but - look!” he broke off and pointed as the leaves shimmered again, the black spots disappearing before their eyes.

“Please tell me you know why they’re doing that?” Harry asked, turning his head slightly to look at Draco.

“I think so,” Draco replied. “What are you feeling right now?”

“What?” Harry asked, blinking in surprise. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just tell me,” Draco replied. “What are you feeling?”

“Well… warm, for a start,” Harry said. “You’re pressed against me, so my back and shoulder are warm…”

“No, no, emotionally,” Draco said. As he spoke, he let his fingertips graze Harry’s hip.

Harry flushed as he felt the tingle again at Draco’s touch. “Er…” he began, before noticing that the leaves of the plant shimmered once more. “You… I…”

Draco pressed closer to Harry, his hair brushing against Harry’s earlobe.

Harry shivered slightly. He turned his head to face Draco again, realising that they were impossibly close now.

“These plants feed off your emotions,” Draco whispered. “They tune in to your magic and then your emotions. So when you’re happy, they’re happy. When you’re sad, they’re sad.”

“So they… they know how I’m feeling now?” Harry asked softly, swallowing.

“I think so,” Draco replied. “Before you came to the Manor, what were you thinking about?”

“I can’t…” Harry began, trying to remember. “I was pleased that the Aurors hadn’t been in contact, I remember that much… but other than that, I think I’d had a nightmare. I… still have them every now and again. They’re always the same - regretting the unnecessary deaths of the war. All the innocent people who lost their lives. And always ending with Voldemort obliterating us all…”

As he broke off, he realised that the leaves had gained a few new black spots in the moments it had taken him to explain.

“Merlin…” Harry breathed, watching the colour changing.

“That’s definitely it,” Draco replied softly. “Harry, I understand the nightmares. I have them myself. But You-Know-Who won’t be coming back. You defeated him, you saved the wizarding world.”

“I know,” Harry said. “The gardens have really helped with stopping the nightmares to be honest. I don’t have them as often as I did in my London house. Gardening is really… soothing. I feel much calmer here.”

“But are you happier?” Draco asked, still pressing close to Harry.

Swallowing again, Harry looked at Draco. “I am, but I’ve… Merlin this sounds weird, I’ve been happier since you’ve been here. I suppose I must be happy to have the company or something.”

“So if I were to do this…” Draco murmured, nuzzling his nose against Harry’s neck slightly. “You wouldn’t feel anything?”

Harry gasped softly at the unexpected contact and he closed his eyes. His stomach flip flopped once more and he fought the urge to give Draco more access to his neck.

“Look,” Draco breathed.

Harry opened his eyes to see the flowers of the vine glowing brilliantly, the leaves were shimmering and shivering with pleasure. “I think we need to talk,” he murmured.

“I think so too,” Draco replied, smiling. “But I believe we’ve found the secret to your plant’s disease.”

“Looks like it,” Harry nodded. He stepped away from Draco slightly. “Inside?”

Draco nodded in response. “Let’s go.”

Together they walked back through the gardens, Harry barely glancing at his abandoned lawnmower, and into the house.

“I think I need a cup of coffee,” Harry said as they stepped into the kitchen. “Do you want one?”

“Yes, please,” Draco replied. “I’ll help you make it, then we can take it into the lounge where it’s comfortable.”

Harry nodded. “Good idea,” he said. “I have a feeling I’ll need to sit down too.” He moved across the kitchen to fill the kettle. “The coffee is in that cupboard.”

Draco held up the tin. “Already got it,” he replied with a grin. “Use magic to boil that kettle, will you?”

“Oh,” Harry said, looking down at the kettle. “Sorry, I didn’t think.” He pointed his wand at the kettle, smiling when it boiled almost instantly.

Draco spooned coffee into two mugs and stepped back so that Harry could fill them with hot water.

Harry replaced the kettle and then pulled the milk out of the fridge, pouring some into each mug before handing one to Draco and putting the milk back. Picking up his own mug, he led the way into the lounge, where they settled themselves into the two armchairs.

“So…” Harry started, feeling embarrassed.

“So,” Draco nodded, taking a sip of coffee.

Harry groaned softly. “All right,” he muttered. “I may have a crush on you. A tiny one.”

“Oh really?” Draco replied, hiding his smirk behind his mug.

“Don’t make it sound worse than it is,” Harry sighed. “I know how pathetic it sounds.”

“Potter, has it escaped your attention that I have been flirting ever since I got here?” Draco said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, I… no, but…” Harry stuttered. “I wasn’t sure if it was just how you are! I haven’t seen you for two years, I don’t know how you conduct business.”

Draco groaned. “If I’d known it would be wasted on you, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

“So, wait, you were being serious?” Harry asked, confusion written on his face.

“Yes,” Draco replied. “I mean, I know it was slightly inappropriate as I should have been concentrating on the reason you brought me in, but I couldn’t help it. I… when we were younger I had feelings that I tried and tried to deny. I couldn’t allow myself to fall for you, because I’d always been told I… needed to stick to my own. I didn’t want that, but how could I tell my father that I’d fallen for the one person he was trying to bring down?”

“Ohhh,” Harry said, realising what Draco was saying. “We really were idiots back then.”

“You had feelings too?” Draco asked, surprised. “I never thought… I assumed yours was a recent thing.”

Harry shook his head. “No… well, I haven’t been pining for you all these years if that’s what you mean,” he said. “I did have a crush on you at school, though I wouldn’t admit to it. Hermione and Ron teased me mercilessly. But then when I saw you again… well, all the old feelings came flooding back.”

“Well,” Draco started. “This is a most unexpected result.”

Harry shook his head, smiling. “Maybe, before we get ahead of ourselves, we should go on an official date?”

“Why, Potter, I would be delighted,” Draco replied with a grin. “Where do you suggest?”

“I was just thinking that we could go for a meal at the pub,” Harry said. “Nowhere fancy. I’d still prefer to be out of the public eye, if that’s alright with you?”

Draco nodded. “Absolutely,” he said. “I, er, quite like having you to myself,” he finished, pink tinting his cheeks.

Harry blushed too, but smiled. “Tonight?”

“Tonight sounds perfect,” Draco replied. “Although, tonight officially starts in, like, an hour. Will you be ready?”

“Of course I will be,” Harry replied indignantly. “Will you?”

“I will be ready before you know it,” Draco replied.

“...Did you bring going out clothes with you?” Harry asked curiously.

“No,” Draco shook his head. “But I can Apparate to the manor and back in ten minutes.”

“Oh. Fair enough.” Harry said, chuckling slightly. “I didn’t think of that.”

Draco rolled his eyes, giving Harry a smile that was almost fond. “I’ll go now,” he said. “I’ve finished my coffee.”

Harry nodded. “I’ll get ready while you’re gone.”

Draco stood up and Disapparated where he stood, leaving Harry to race upstairs to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, they were sitting in a booth in The Merry Pear, menus open in front of them.

Harry had taken the quickest shower he’d ever taken while Draco was gone and had then dressed in one of his nicer sets of robes. He’d decided that formal dress robes would be going too far for a first date with someone he’d been living with for the last couple of days. He’d attempted to tame his hair, but had given up in the end as nothing he’d tried seemed to work.

Draco, when he’d returned, was wearing smart robes too and was wearing the aftershave that Harry liked so much. “Shall we have something a bit stronger than Butterbeer this time?” he asked.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Harry nodded. “Although nothing too strong. I want to make it home in one piece.”

“Mm, we’ll see about that,” Draco smirked. He picked up the wine menu. “How about some wine then? We can get a nice fruity one that’s not too strong, since I know you’re not much of a wine drinker.”

“All right,” Harry said. “I think I could manage that. I’ll let you choose, you know more about it than me.”

Draco nodded, running his eyes down the list. “Ah, that one,” he said, pointing at the menu. “I’ve had that before and it’s nice. Shall I go and get us a bottle or would you rather just have a glass first?”

“Just a glass first, I think,” Harry said. “To make sure I like it. Do you know what you want to eat yet? We can order everything at the same time.”

“I thought I’d just have the steak again,” Draco replied. “It was very good the other night.”

“I was thinking the same,” Harry nodded. “Some would say that’s boring, but I’d much rather stick to that and know I’m going to like it than ruin our evening by picking something that I don’t end up liking.”

Draco chuckled and shook his head slightly. “Shall I go and order everything then?”

“I can go, if you’d rather?” Harry asked, half standing.

“No, it’s alright, I’m halfway there,” Draco said, waving a hand at Harry. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“If you’re sure,” Harry said, sitting down reluctantly. He watched Draco at the bar, smiling at the fact that they were actually on a date. He was sure that Ron and Hermione would find the whole situation hilarious when he told them.

“Here you go,” Draco announced on his return to the table, setting a glass down in front of Harry. “It’s no Firewhisky, but it’s very pleasant.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Harry chuckled. “I hope you’re going to let me pay for this, as a thank you for helping with the fae vines. In addition to your actual fee, of course!”

“Can we please not discuss business while we’re meant to be enjoying ourselves?” Draco asked, groaning slightly. “It dampens the mood somewhat.”

“Sorry,” Harry said, immediately. “I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to get out of paying you for your time and-”

Draco cut Harry off by placing one finger against his lips. “We can talk about it in the morning,” he said softly. “Right now, I just want to enjoy your company… get to know you a bit more.”

“I tend to ramble when I’m nervous,” Harry murmured against Draco’s finger.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Draco replied, giving Harry a soft smile as he removed his finger. “This doesn’t seem real, you know?”

Harry nodded. “I do know. If anyone had told me that this would ever happen, I think I would have laughed in their face. It’s a bit… cheesy, don’t you think? Schoolboy rivals turned… well, I don’t know what yet.”

Draco laughed. “Yeah, a bit,” he agreed. “But if we didn’t take this chance while we’ve got it, I think we’d both regret it.”

“Definitely,” Harry said, holding Draco’s gaze. “It’s been… easy, being around you these last couple of days. Which is something I never would have thought before now.”

“Same,” Draco said, nodding. “When your Patronus showed up in my office, I was intrigued. I hardly dared to believe my eyes, but I remember that stag all too well from school. It was nice to see it up close and calm instead of charging me down…”

Harry laughed. “That was your own fault,” he said. “It taught you a lesson.”

“Yes, well,” Draco said, though he was smiling. “I daresay I deserved it, though I don’t want to see it in those circumstances again.”

“I’m sure you won’t,” Harry replied. “I was surprised at how readily you agreed to come and help me.”

“Oh, please, you mentioned fae vines,” Draco exclaimed. “Any Medi-Herbologist would give their right arm to be able to work with these kinds of plants!”

“Even so,” Harry said, shrugging. “It was still a surprise. I’ll be honest, if Neville hadn’t personally recommended you, I’m not sure I would have contacted you.”

“And I couldn’t blame you for that,” Draco replied. “Aside from the fact you weren’t aware of my job, I wasn’t exactly your favourite person for all those years. I’m glad that you’re prepared to give us a chance.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Harry said quietly. “It would be silly of me to not even consider it.”

Draco nodded. “It would be silly indeed,” he said. “You and I could be great together.”

Harry blushed slightly and took a sip of wine. “Nice,” he commented, looking approvingly at his glass. “It doesn’t even really taste like wine, does it?”

Draco shook his head. “No, it doesn’t,” he smiled. “Oh, food’s here.”

A waiter approached their table and set their plates down in front of them. The conversation lapsed as they began to eat, savouring the taste of the steak.

A couple of hours, and several glasses of wine later, they were on their way back to the house. Harry stumbled slightly as they crossed the road and found himself clutching at Draco’s arm.

In response, Draco looped one arm around Harry’s waist and pulled him close as they approached the house. “Let’s go and check on the vines,” he said.

Harry nodded. “All right,” he said, waving his wand at the door to unlock it.

They made their way, awkwardly, through the house and out to the gardens. As they stumbled between the rows of shrubs, they could see the faint glow of the Purple Rogue’s Laceflower.

“They look amazing,” Harry said softly, still holding onto Draco as he stepped forward to examine the plant. “No black spots at all.”

Draco smiled as he, too, leant forward to look. “I think we’ve definitely found the secret to keeping them happy,” he said.

Harry grinned. “I think you’re right.”

Draco turned to face Harry, grey eyes meeting green. “Let’s see how this works then,” he murmured, closing the gap between them to press his lips to Harry’s in a soft kiss that grew in intensity. Behind them, the flowers of the fae vines glowed brilliantly and the leaves shivered with pleasure.

“I think we need to try that again,” Harry said, slightly out of breath as they parted. “For scientific reasons, of course.”

Draco laughed. “Of course,” he murmured, kissing Harry again. Harry's heart soared as the enchanted flowers glowed brighter than fireworks, silhouetting them in their newfound light.