1000 Days of Harry Potter

Day 871

Harry passes the entrance exams for St. Mungo's Healer Program. They celebrate at the Burrow, the only place big enough for the entirety of the Weasley family to gather, and the place where all the best parties happen, Draco has learned. His heart isn't really in it this time though, and, despite the smile plastered on his face as Draco watches him from a distance, Harry's doesn't seem to be, either.

Eventually, Draco drifts outside to the porch to sip his Butterbeer alone, grateful for the quiet. He watches a gnome digging around in the garden for a bit, until the back door opens behind him.

"Hi," Ginny sits down beside him and nudges his arm. "How are you?"

"Fine," Draco can't look over at her, and he knows she can see through the lie.

"He did end things with Derek, you know," Ginny says softly. "After you left that night. And before, apparently, but somehow that turned into break up sex," she rolls her eyes, "don't ask me how."

Draco shrugs and takes a sip of his butterbeer. "I know."

She reaches out to set a hand on his shoulder. "Then why are you...or aren't you...?"

"I'm starting to think it's just not...it's not meant to be," Draco says softly. "Maybe he doesn't feel the same way anymore. It's been a long time."

"Or maybe he does," she says in a forceful whisper. "And you being in a relationship is keeping him from doing anything about it."

"I haven't been in a relationship every second of the past two years," Draco says defensively. "It's not like there haven't been opportunities, moments, when he could have...if he wanted to say something, if he wanted me..."

"Hmm." She sighs and leans back on her hands, thoughtfully examining the sky. "Maybe he's scared, too."

"Or maybe he's not interested."

"Oh, Draco," Ginny sighs.

"It doesn't matter," Draco shakes his head. "I um, I've been seeing someone else. Well, we've only been writing for the past few weeks, but I want to see where it goes, and I'm going to really try this time. I can't....it's time for me to...to move on, I think. To try, at least."

"I can understand that," she says softly, and Draco knows that she does. Ginny lays her head on his shoulder, wrapping an arm around him.

Draco thinks about all the disparaging thoughts he'd had about her in his youth; this sweet woman who has actively gone out of her way to comfort him, who knows exactly how he's feeling and empathizes so beautifully, and takes them all back. He'd take back every rude thought, and especially the rude comments he'd spoken aloud, about her entire family, if he could. Merlin, he'd been such an insufferable idiot. Arrogant, cruel, bigoted, blind—

A different kind of ache fills his chest as he contemplates the miracle that is the Weasley Family, who have adopted him as one of their own in the past few years, (he even has two wonderfully cozy Christmas sweaters to prove it). It feels a bit like gratitude—the kind of warm, grounding feeling that comes from family and belonging—and he's filled with the sense that maybe, just maybe, no matter what happens with Harry, everything will be okay.

"Thanks, Ginny," he says.