Drarry One Shots

The Cabinet of Curiosities

Taster: At the top of the hill was the shop Harry was looking for. Outside, the window frames and door were painted glossy black. The black signage had gold writing across it which read The Cabinet of Curiosities. With a thumping heart, he cautiously pushed open the door...

A/N This was meant to be all fluff but it didn't end up that way... I've had a bit of help from Emily Brontë with this one because it was inspired by a family trip to 'Brontë Country'.

After the war, Harry couldn't stop thinking about Draco Malfoy.

He was always there in Harry's mind. It felt like he saw Draco in every cloud, in every tree, filling the air, and caught by glimpses in every object or passing reflection.

He realised his life felt empty without him, like he lived with his soul in the grave.

He tried not to think about Draco; he really did. He took up Kingsley's offer to become an Auror without his N.E.W.T.s. What else was he to do? He was, after all, outstanding at Defence Against the Dark Arts. And, in truth, despite the traumas of the last year, well, seven years, he did actually enjoy it. Plus, he really couldn't face the thought of going back to Hogwarts. There were too many memories, there had been too many deaths there.

Harry insisted that he went through the proper Auror training, despite his experience in hunting Horcruxes and vanquishing Dark Lords. He didn't enlist alone, Ron joined up with him, and so did Neville. But Hermione declined all offers Kingsley threw at her and decided to go back to school to finish her education. And then to complete her Apprenticeship under McGonagall at Hogwarts.

At first, the distractions nearly worked...

Ron, being at something of a loose end without Hermione by his side, had moved into Grimmauld Place with Harry. They spent every last minute of the day together, apart from when Ron went to Hogsmeade to see Hermione on a weekend. With his bestfriend by his side and immersed in training and then doing a job he loved there was little time for his thoughts to wander. He was learning a lot, mentally, practically, and physically; he was as fit as a fiddle; and he was happy with the freedom of being a young man without a care in the world.

Or so he kept telling himself.

Only, Harry was aware of that constant hollow ache in his life. He knew he felt terribly alone.

It was nearly two-and-half years after the war when it occurred to Harry that perhaps he ought to face the truth, rather than keep running away from it. He knew that the person who was missing from his life was Draco Malfoy. And he finally acknowledged that, since defending him at his trial, he'd been unconsciously thinking about Draco a surprising amount. Once he realised how much Draco filled his thoughts, Harry felt like he was surrounded by his image and yearned to see him properly again.

It was then that he sat down with Ron in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place over dinner and muttered quietly, 'I miss Malfoy.'

Ron nearly spat his food out. Then he swallowed his mouthful in a big gulp, paused, laid his fork down, and said, 'I suppose it makes sense, mate.'

'Oh,' said Harry, slightly taken aback by Ron's genial response to his revelation.

'Yeah, well, think about all that attention you two used to spend on each other. And in sixth year you were really obsessed with him. And...'

'Okay, okay,' interrupted Harry, running a hand through his hair anxiously.

'Have you ever thought...' Ron said slowly, 'that perhaps you're in love with him?'

'Oh gods,' said Harry because he hadn't thought about that in particular but the very suggestion made his heart skip a beat and his mouth went dry. He felt a little faint and gripped the edge of the kitchen table. 'Oh gods,' he said again.