Hermione and Ron were holding hands. They looked around the flat and spied Draco. At first, he could tell they didn't believe what they were seeing and then the next moment they dropped hands and both grabbed their wands, aiming them at him. He stopped dead and just stood against the door, awaiting his fate. Please make it an Avada Kedavra, he thought.

"Malfoy! What the hell are you doing here! Where's Harry?"

"I don't know what I'm doing here, Weasley. And Harry stepped out."

"I don't believe you. Hermione. Check the bedroom."

She trotted through and looked hurriedly around, peering into the loo. "He's not here, Ron."

"What did you do to him?" Ron demanded, jabbing his wand toward Draco.

"I didn't do anything to him! He stepped out. Said he'd be back in an hour. I don't know where he went."

"That doesn't explain what you are doing here."

"He-" Draco couldn't really explain it either. He slumped against the door and ran his fingers up through his hair. "He put me up for the night. I lost my flat and my job in the same day." He glanced to the sofa, and both Hermione and Ron looked that way, spying the pillow and folded blanket.

"Good," said Ron unapologetically. Apparently, some of the old gang were not as willing to let bygones be bygones.

"Thanks, Weasley. I knew I could depend on you for sympathy."

"You'll never get any sympathy out of us," said Hermione sharply. "Harry will be back in an hour, will he? Well you had just better hope he has no other stops to make. We'll just sit here and wait for him and if he isn't back as you say, you're going to find yourself in Azkaban after all-where you belong."

They waved him over to a chair and he reluctantly complied. They sat on the sofa, never lowering their wands.

They stared at him unblinkingly so long he turned away and ended up examining his hands lying in his lap. "Look, why wait? Why don't you just end it? Zap me with an Unforgivable and be done with it. I really won't mind."

"Shut up," said Ron.

They all sat in silence for a while. Draco raised his head and looked at the two. Hermione's hair was just as wild as he remembered it and Weasley's was as red as ever. The only difference in them at all was that both of them wore wedding bands.

"Tied the knot, did you?" he said.

"What?" asked Ron, keeping a snide tone to his voice.

"You're married, right? To each other?"

They squirmed. This was too personal a topic to discuss with one's enemy. It made Draco feel a bit more comfortable.

"Yes. What's it to you?"

"Just making conversation."

"Well just shut it."

"In case you haven't noticed, this is a bit boring just sitting here. And I have job interviews to go to."

"I said, SHUT IT!"

"All right, all right. Steady on, there."

Draco sighed. He watched the room brighten with sun and the shadows crawl across the carpet. It really was a pleasant room. So strange that Potter wouldn't take advantage of his status to get something better, but wasn't that just like him? Never living fully to his potential. Except Draco had seen him slay Voldemort. You couldn't get anymore fully realized as a wizard than that, Draco supposed. It had been downright terrifying.

Finally, the door opened and Harry rushed in, both hands heavy with grocer's bags. He stopped dead when he saw his friends just rising from their place on the sofa. He looked from them to Draco. "Oh," was all he said. He moved to the kitchen and put down the bags on the counter. "Er…it's okay, Ron, Hermione. Draco's my guest."

Slowly the two lowered their wands but neither of them put them away. "Harry," said Ron, "you should have left a note or something."

"Didn't Draco tell you?"

They both cocked their heads and Harry shrugged. "Oh."

"Yes, well," said Draco. "This has all been very lovely-nice little reunion-but I must be on my way."

"No, Draco, wait," said Harry.

"No. You look, Potter. You've been far nicer than you need to be. But we don't have anything more to say. Thanks for everything but now I have to go."

"You don't have to-"

"Yes!" He stepped back out of Harry's reach and grabbed the doorknob. "Yes. I do have to go. Good-bye!" He raised his head to Ron and Hermione. "Weasleys. I can't say it's been a pleasure." He yanked opened the door and stepped quickly over the threshold. He threw the door closed behind him and trotted down the stairs wondering at the strange feeling of loss when he escaped into the shadows of the stairwell and emerged again into the sunshine of the street.

* * *

They all stared at the closed door. Ron spoke first. "What the hell was that? Harry? What the hell are you doing harboring that criminal?"

"He needed a place. We just ran into each other. I sort of got him sacked and I felt a little guilty."

"Sacked? I say 'well done' to his former employer."

"Ron," he said wearily and sat on the green chair. "Haven't you ever heard of forgive and forget?"

"Yeah. I've heard of it. I just don't necessarily believe in it."

Hermione was tucking her wand into her robes and looked worriedly up at Harry. "You mean you just ran into him? Accidentally?"

"Yeah. He was working in a Muggle tea shop, of all places."

Ron burst into laughter. "A Muggle tea shop! Oh, that's rich! Wish I'd seen it."

Harry frowned. "Well it was really more of an unpleasant surprise."

"I'll bet. What made you bring him home?"

"Like I said. He looked a little pathetic. And it was raining."

"Harry," said Hermione, examining him tightly. "You don't still have feelings for him, do you?"

He shot her a warning look but it was too late.

Ron's head flicked from one to the other. "Feelings? For Malfoy? You've got to be kidding!"

"Thanks, Hermione," said Harry under his breath.

"Oh grow up, you two. Ron knows you're gay-"

"Yes, but it isn't anything we discuss, 'Mione," said Ron squeamishly. "And besides. No one ever said anything about feelings for Malfoy."

"It started in fourth year, okay!" Harry jumped to his feet. He almost set to pacing but decided to do something about his abandoned groceries instead. He pulled out the perishables and jammed them hurriedly into the small fridge. "I never acted on it. He was always hanging on Pansy. I reckoned he was straight. And he was also Malfoy."

Ron looked at the leather sofa they were sitting on. "So…he just spent the night…on the sofa?"

"As if it were any of your business, Mr. Weasley, yes. He did. And that was all."

"Oh. Sorry, mate. It was just a shock." He looked at Hermione. "Two, actually."

Harry put the tea tin in the cupboard and folded down the bags. "What did you two want?"

They looked at one another. "Well," said Hermione, "we were on our way to Diagon Alley and wondered if you wanted to come with us."

He shook his head. "Went yesterday. I have a lot to do today at Hogwarts. Gotta floo over there in a bit."

"You can floo to Hogwarts now?"

"Just for the summer. I've got loads to do."

Hermione perked up. "I'm so glad you'll be teaching there, Harry. It seems made to order for you."

He smiled the first time that morning. "Yeah. I'm really looking forward to it. Wonder if I should start growing my wizard's beard. When do you suppose Dumbledore started growing his?"

Hermione walked over to him and grabbed his chin, turning his head this way and that. She wrinkled up her face. "I can't see you with a beard. I like you just the way you are." And she kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

The title was new enough that Hermione blushed.

"Well, then," said Ron. "We should be off. Take care, mate." He extended his hand to shake. Harry took it. "And don't take in any more strays, okay? My heart can't take it."

"Bit of a shock, I bet."

"A bit. See you, Harry." Hand in hand, he and Hermione entered the fireplace, tossed down their floo powder, and shouted in unison, "Diagon Alley!" Green flames erupted from the fireplace and they vanished in a roar and a curl of smoke.

He sighed. Everyone seemed to be pairing up these days. Ron and Hermione, Neville and Luna, even the twins each had girlfriends. And then there was Harry, the most eligible bachelor in the Wizarding world, marriage proposals coming in almost daily, and he just couldn't connect. What was he waiting for? He met plenty of men at clubs and even a prospect or two at the Ministry itself. But it never worked out.

He stared at the sofa and at the pillow with the folded blanket sitting beneath it. He was sorry Malfoy left. He'd talked to Dumbledore who gave enthusiastic support for Harry's idea. But now Draco was gone. Harry felt a little empty inside. Would he ever see Draco again?


On to Chapter Four
"Trials and Tribulations"

Back to Chapter Two
"Death Eaters Die Hard"

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