1000 Days of Harry Potter

Day 475

Harry and Oliver last another month before they break up, too.

"What happened?" Draco asks.

Harry tips his head back against the sofa and sighs. "He was weird about the fame thing."

Called it, Draco thinks uncharitably, taking a sip of his wine. "How so?"

"At first he would get annoyed by my fame, as if I have any control over it in the first place, and then he seemed to accept that, but then he started wanting me to, I dunno, 'capitalize on it,' as he liked to call it. Use it to our advantage." Harry wrinkles his nose in distaste.

"You've never liked that," Draco realizes as he says it, "you don't like being famous, and you really don't like your fame being used. It makes you feel used. Like you're just a name, not a person."

Harry looks over at him like Draco has just understood something very important about him and he gives him a fleeting smile before continuing. "The first time he used my name to get a table at the Black Sphinx I let it slide, but I asked him not to do anything like that again..."

"Let me guess, he did it again."

Harry closes his eyes. "Not just once, several times. Just goes to show you can't ever really know someone, even if you think you do."

"That's a pretty bleak outlook, Potter."

"I would call it pragmatic," Harry answers bitterly, opening his eyes to look over at him. "Relationships don't tend to go well for me."

"I'm sorry," Draco answers softly. "Do you...er...just come here." He awkwardly holds out the arm not holding his drink in offering, and Harry accepts, leaning against his shoulder and letting Draco wrap his arm around him and squeeze.

This is a perfectly friendly thing to do, Draco tells himself, as Harry relaxes against him.

"Thanks, Draco," He murmurs. His eyes are closed again, the lines of pain in his face slowly softening into a more peaceful expression. After a few minutes his breathing slows, and Draco realizes he's fallen asleep.

Friends. They're friends. Comforting your friend after a breakup is a good thing to do, right? This is fine, everything is fine.

So why does Draco's heart feel like it's shattering into a million pieces?