Changed (Drarry)

Chapter 32

Harry was disappointed when he didn't see Draco at dinner, not that he was really ready to see him yet. He didn't want to think that him leaving was the reason Draco didn't care of he ate, or worse the reason Draco didn't eat. 

Why did relationships have to be so complicated? 

But then Draco entered, looking almost as well put together as usual, in fact, Harry was sure that most other people wouldn't even notice. But Harry did. 

Draco didn't look at Harry, a fact that promptly caused the swill of excitement in Harry's stomach from Draco's entrance to quell. It was funny; Harry had been ignored  more times than he could count. Every time he ever managed to get a friend they would eventually leave him. Yes, it happened much sooner with those people, a day to a week at most rather than the years with Draco, but it was still the same situation. Harry shouldn't be this upset about an inevitability. 

"Harry," Akiva brought Harry's mind back down to earth, realizing his phoenix inheritance was on show and working to hide it again. "You should at least eat some pudding, you just played with your main course." 

Akiva put a piece of French silk pie on Harry's plate. It was close to the treacle tart; Harry's favourite, but the pie wasn't something Harry liked all that much. 

Harry thought that he didn't really deserve any of the puddings on offer - he had probably just ruined not only his longest standing friendship, but also his one and only relationship. That being noted, he knew that not eating anything would make people worry about him, which would make him used to being cared for, which would make it hurt more when they eventually grew tired of the work. 

Harry nodded, eating the slice in small bites, trying not to let the excessive richness and sweetness overtake him. Akiva looked glad that Harry was eating, even if it wasn't a lot. 

----- 

Over at the Slytherin table Draco was finding the usually enticing selections of food unappetizing. It wasn't just the traditionally roasted meats of the kind muggles no longer made, but the foods from any of the cultures all looked the same. Just looking at them made him feel like his mouth was full of dry, claggy, overcooked porridge. 

Was this how Harry felt when he couldn't eat? 

It had been maybe an hour since the argument Draco hoped didn't mean their relationship was over, but it already felt like days. Draco just wanted to rush over to Harry, who he noticed was playing with the food Akiva had placed in front of him rather than eating, but Melissa told him to give Harry space. 

Draco thought he ate, at the very least he wasn't getting the food on his face or clothes, but he honestly wasn't sure. He definitely didn't taste anything. 

Harry looked upset, of course he did, but he looked lower than Draco had ever seen him before. 

The guilt wracked Draco and made the food in front of him seem worse than imaginable. 

He just wanted to go over to Harry now, to apologise and hug and go back to normal. To go to sleep on the same bed, tangled so close in embrace that, in spite of the difference in skin and hair colour, it's impossible to tell where one of them starts and the other ends. 

But Melissa said that things wouldn't be the same again. 

Draco didn't know what would change, but the only thing he wanted to change was the constant worry about the danger that seemed to follow Harry around... 

Draco guessed that's also where Harry's anger came from. When they had met Harry was a complete newbie in the wizarding world, and in many ways he still was, but they were both 3rd years and could do most of the same magic. Draco had gotten so comfortable with the role of protector, it was probably not surprising though that Harry, with his past, quickly outgrew the role of being protected. 

If they were going to resolve this then it would probably be best if they had a solution to this, and as it's primarily Draco's problem, and Draco was the one who caused the whole fight, it was him who should come up with the solution. 

He thought. 

"Draco, it's great that you're looking better, but please eat something that isn't beige." Melissa rolled her eyes, affectionately, at Draco. 

"It's one meal," Draco shrugged, making Ven laugh. "I'll be fine." 

"Sure," Ven's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Just make sure this actually is just one meal. Don't want you choking." 

"By the way, how do you three make your relationship work?" Draco wasn't sure if it was polite to ask, but if a relationship with just 2 people was this difficult to handle, then surely a relationship with more people would be even harder. 

"With the magical skill of ✨communication✨." Melissa's magic making the word seem to hang, sparkling, in the air as she practically sang it. 

"But seriously though, Rose and I were good friends already, though I was a little jealous. We have time together as a group, and we have time in pairs or on our own. There are still times I feel jealous, and I'm sure there are times Rose feels jealous, but I know that Melissa doesn't love me less for being the second to join the relationship, nor am I loved more." Ven grinned at Rose, who was sitting in a small group of her Hufflepuff friends. 

"You know, there are times I feel jealous too. It's natural, it's allowed, you just need to deal with it in a healthy way." Melissa pecked Ven on the cheek, her cheeks warming a little. 

"In general; once you notice a problem talk about it before you get to the point of exploding, or otherwise find a way of dealing with it. We don't always say when we feel jealous because we're not glued together at the hip and sometimes it's irrational. Those times it's our own responsibility to deal with it." Melissa shoved a strawberry in her mouth. 

Draco nodded. 

This was definitely a time where Draco should come up with a solution. After all, Harry was just focusing on improving himself.