I Hate That I Love You (Harco/Drarry)

Chapter 2

The trip to Diagon Alley wasn't fun. But the street was much more enjoyable to walk down. After the war most of the stores that had been closed reopened. Mr. Ollivander had come back, so you could see new first years buying their wands. He had been nursed back to health by the healers at St. Mungo's Hospital. Harry's favorite part of the trip was to see Mr. Ollivander waving at him through his store window and to see all the younger students finally able to buy their wands.

Harry remembered when he had bought his wand. How Mr. Ollivander had declared it curious that Harry's wand was brothers with Voldemort's wand. How he found it curious that Harry was the one to have fit with this wand so well.

Some of the other shops were still closed however. Florean Fortescue's, the ice cream parlor, was still closed. No one had found Florean after the war. Harry assumed that he was one of the many people that had died at Voldemort's feet during his reign of power.

Walking by the twins' abandoned joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was the worst part of going to Diagon Alley. George hadn't gone back there since the war. Harry stared at the dusty shelves through the dimmed windows as they walked by. He was glad that George had not come to Diagon Alley with them. Maybe, Harry thought, this was the reason that George had insisted on staying home. He was planning to sell the store. George didn't want to run it without his brother by his side.

They continued walking down the busy street. Somehow Ginny fell into step beside Harry as they darted around shoppers. "Are you alright?" She asked softly.

Harry glanced over at her. Ginny was watching him silently. Her red hair was falling over her brown eyes as they darted around examining his face.

"I should be asking you that question," Harry said. Ginny merely looked at him, not saying a word.

Once she realized that Harry wasn't going to say anything more she sighed and simply said, "I'm fine. I mean... I miss him but..." Her voice trailed off and she looked up staring at the shops around her. Ginny looked at them as though they were the most interesting things she had seen all day.

Harry put his hand on her shoulder and Ginny looked back at him. Her eyes were shining brightly but she blinked and then looked away again. Harry took his hand off Ginny's shoulder and shoved them in his sweater pockets. They continued trudging up the street in silence. It was quite awkward to walk up the street with Ginny by his side, her arm occasionally bumping against his.

Harry knew that their relationship was over. They had agreed to not continue dating after the war. Harry didn't even know if he liked Ginny anymore. Harry started fiddling with the string from his sweatshirt just to find something to do with his hands. It was a relief when Mrs. Weasley called them to pick out the books they would need from Flourish and Blotts.

After Harry and the others had left the bookstore they continued down the street to buy their new robes. It took a long time to get them all measured and for Madame Malcom to find robes that fit them. Harry left the store weighed down with bags of books and robes. Once Harry had gotten outside he spotted something very surprising across the street. It was Draco Malfoy. Harry had not expected to see him in Diagon Alley.

Harry watched Malfoy talking with his mother. He had not seen Malfoy since the war. Was he going back to Hogwarts? He didn't think so somehow. Then Malfoy turned around to look at Harry. He looked at Harry in a way that Harry had never seen. Malfoy had a look in his eyes that was sad; even apologetic. Harry jumped as Malfoy turned and hurried to catch up with the others. He could feel Malfoy's eyes on the back of his head as he hurried away. But Harry didn't turn around as he walked back down the street.
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Once the Weasley's, Harry, and Hermione had gotten back to the Burrow Mrs. Weasley sent them all upstairs to pack away their new school things. Harry and Ron entered Ron's room and pulled out their trunks. Instead of packing though, Ron lay down upon his bed and stretched out his arms and legs. He lay sprawled there as Harry tossed his belongings into his trunk.

Harry packed up all of his books and robes before sitting down on the foot of Ron's bed. Ron's eyes had been closed but he opened them as Harry sat down. He sat up and the two of them sat in silence until Hermione and Ginny came bursting into the room.

"Oi! Don't you two knock?" Ron yelled as he rubbed the back of his head. He had smacked it on the wall only a second ago.

"Well, I'm sorry," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "But your door was partially open. If you don't want anyone to come in I suggest you close the door."

As Ron and Hermione bickered, Harry caught Ginny's eye. They both tried not to smile. It was like how it was before the war. Before everything had changed. For once over the summer Harry felt truly happy.