I'm Coming For You, Draco Malfoy!

A Visitor at the Manor

In fact, the next time I saw Harry it was only a few days after I'd visited Pansy and Blaise, and there was absolutely no kidnapping involved. He simply appeared at the Manor's gates. Isla had gone down to let him in but I saw him too and went to meet him. He wore a similarly expensive and well-tailored dress-coat to the one he'd worn at our trial. This one was longer, nearly to the floor. Like the other one, it had emerald-green piping and cuffs but the lining was silver. There were slits up the side seams to above his knees which meant flashes of silver showed as the robe swished around his heavy boots. I raised an eyebrow, once more Potter wore his robe open, this time over a faded black AC/DC t-shirt. The tightness of the t-shirt more than suggested Potter trained in some way. His jeans appeared to be more ripped, so much so that a white pocket lining showed near his groin.

'Have you been in court again, Potter?' I drawled but there was no malice, especially as Harry was watching me with an easy glint in his green eyes and absolutely no embarrassment at all over our exchange in the courtyard or after the court case.

I itched to reach forward and tuck a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

'How ever did you guess? Do the pretentious robes give it away?' he smiled, his green eyes twinkling in amusement. 'As promised, I've brought you this back. Sorry I didn't get here sooner with it.' He held up a long narrow wooden box. It was beautifully carved with a Chinese dragon and magnolia flowers.

I took it cautiously, nerves tingling with the anticipation. 'You could have sent it by owl.'

'Maybe. But I didn't think that was safe enough, plus I no longer have an owl. I'm afraid the restrictions also extend to this. I did a bit a quiet digging. It appears the restrictions are placed on you, rather than the wand, to stop this sort of situation. Minerva is currently battling it out with the Minister, she thinks it's ridiculous and potentially dangerous and may impede your learning next year. So we'll see. My money's on her rather than Kingsley. Anyway, I also wanted to thank you in person. It was yet another thing which changed the course of the war, you know.'

I did. I'd spent many an hour in Azkaban contemplating how Harry had ended up as Master of the Elder Wand. I didn't like to think of the implications involved in the chain of events that had led to that point. I had an awful feeling that Albus Dumbledore wasn't as barmy as I initially thought and had planned and predicted every moment with unerring intuition. I hated him for it. I hated him for letting me live through the hell of my sixth year in the knowledge that I would ultimately prove too coward to do what the Dark Lord wanted and too coward to defect earlier.

I had to keep reminding myself of Harry's words in the courtyard: at least I wasn't a murderer and no one could take that away from me.

I pushed the doubts away and said, 'they all just sound like excuses so you could come and taunt your dashing arch-nemesis.'

Harry frowned, 'I thought you'd declared that we were past the arch-nemesis thing. Anyway, I think you were pipped to the post for the title of arch-nemesis by that ugly bald guy with the strange red eyes and a distinct lack of nose.' He quirked his head to one side, 'by which comparison, you're certainly far more dashing.'

I raised a discerning eyebrow; I wasn't sure if Harry was flirting with me; there were brief moments when his green eyes looked haunted.

'Are you coming in?' I asked, opening the gate with a swish of my returned hawthorn wand and relishing feeling the old and familiar connection of it in my hands.

Harry wrinkled his nose, 'not sure I can really face the Manor. Some things... you know...'

I did but I shrugged. It was, I felt, strangely awkward between us. It was new territory being nice to each other, being honest too, plus I just kept thinking about me kissing him. But I was keen not let the opportunity slip. 'We can just walk in the grounds, I'll show you around, if you want? There is a better side to my family home than the bit you've witnessed.'