Just Evans

Chapter 19

The month of October seemed to have came and went, and the changing of the seasons brought many changes. Draco had decided to move back in with his parents, and Harry had a hard time becoming used to the silence once more. He seemed to always be in a state of turmoil and contemplation, and Draco was too focused on the end of the fall footie season to notice.

Instead of quitting the restaurant job completely, Harry was down to working just one day a week. He attended the bare minimum amount of practices, thankful that Mr. Malfoy coordinated the recording of them all. When he missed practices, he could just watch the recordings and take notes from there.

Harry felt quite empty lately, the detached feeling worse than in previous years. He saw Draco of course, but this was different.

On Halloween, Harry couldn't take it anymore. He slept in late, deciding to skip school entirely. So caught up in his own head, he ended up leaving his phone home while he went out running errands. Coming back to his apartment a few hours later, he was surprised to find a very frantic Draco.

"You skipped school for a date?!," he demanded, face contorting in anger.

"What?," Harry asked in confusion.

Draco gestured to Harry's outfit and the flowers in his hand with an angry flourish.

"I can't believe you! I texted and I called and you never responded but you're just going out! Absolutely unbelievable-"

"Not a date-," Harry interrupted, the irritation clear in his voice.

"How am I supposed to know what you're doing when you didn't answer my messages!," Draco accused.

"I don't know why you care suddenly, but I left my phone here. I'm just stopping in to grab it before I get my bus ticket. I didn't want to travel so far without it."

"Well, if it's not a date then I'll drive you," Draco challenged, grabbing his keys from the table and standing up.

"You don't-"

"How dare you imply that I don't care! If I didn't care I wouldn't be here- You-"

"Will you just go right back to fucking off so I can visit my dead parents please?!," Harry yelled angrily, grabbing his phone from the table, and slamming the flat door behind him.

Draco caught up to Harry outside of the building.

"Harry, I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "Let me drive you, please?"

"You have practice. Go."

"I canceled it when you didn't show up. You never disappear on me like that, I was worried."

"My apologies for not being at your beck and call," Harry replied sarcastically, continuing his walk to the bus stop.

"I get it, I've been an awful friend because I've been too preoccupied with the match. I know that you find it hard to advocate for yourself, and I should have checked in with you more. I thought that as long as I was seeing you, we were okay."

"All we talked about was either the match or the project. I know that's what's important to you, I'm not trying to compete. I just need this one day."

"You deserve more days. Let me drive you, please?"

"Fine. Only because you're an annoying prat and I have other things to do today."

Harry huffed as Draco opened the door with him, and he sat in the passenger seat with his crossed over his chest.

"Harry?"

"What?"

"I can't read your mind, I need the address," Draco gently teased.

Huffing, Harry typed it into the GPS before turning to look out the window. His face softened just slightly, when Draco put on his favorite album. He allowed Draco to gently pull his hand away from his chest and hold it while he drove. Harry couldn't tell if he was more mad at Draco for being so sweet, or himself for allowing it to happen.

They spent the ride in relative silence, with Harry falling asleep at some point. He woke up sometime later to Draco gently brushing the hair off of his forehead.

"We're here darling. Where would you like me to wait for you?"

"There's a bench you can wait on. Or you can stay in here."

"I'll wait for you on the bench."

As Draco waited, Harry sat down at the edge of the grave, placed the flowers down with a hello to his parents, and then unloaded all of his feelings and emotions. Wiping his eyes some time later, he walked back to Draco, he held him tightly.

"I'm sorry I got angry and assumed you were on a date."

"If I wasn't mad about everything else I would've laughed. A date of all things? Really Draco?," Harry asked, pulling away to look up at him. "I don't know why that would have even upset you."

"We need to get better at communicating, the both of us. I always tell you that you should be loud and take up space. Your thoughts and feelings matter and you shouldn't be afraid to show them. You-"

Stepping forward, Harry closed the gap between himself and Draco. With their lips pressed together gently, Harry raised his hand to gently cup the side of Draco's face. After a few moments, he stepped backwards once again.

"Did I show them okay?"

"You can take up more space," Draco replied, closing the distance between them once again. "Let's go home my darling."