An End And A Beginning

11: And With The Calm Midnight

'Harry!' whispered Draco through the Floo system, wondering if a) it was still open, and b) if Harry was still up. It was just after midnight but Harry had also not long left Malfoy Manor. 'Harry!'

The night had been long for it seemed that Etienne has a lot to say about his activities during the three Magical and Muggle wars and Harry had a lot to ask. Draco had begun to wonder, at one stage, how much was information gathering on Harry's part but it had been hard to distinguish between genuine interest or work. Harry remained unreadable and once more it frustrated Draco because that had never been the case previously.

And now he couldn't quite be sure if it was the right house but he assumed the Floo was still open because he'd already called through to The Mill House, Stitchcoombe. The room he had a view into was only semi-lit by a light out in a corridor that sent a shaft of brightness across what appeared to be a bedroom. His uncertainty was only alleviated when he saw Harry appear in nothing but a pair of pyjama bottoms.

'Are you alright?' Harry asked, concern radiating through the Floo system.

'Yes—No. Nothing fits... he groomed me. I had this militant upbringing that forced me down a very particular road. Why would he do that? Why? Especially if he was essentially a blood traitor and feeding information to his uncle.'

'Etienne is right though. You have to separate to the two areas. There's a world of difference between believing in the hierarchy of blood purity and euthanising huge sectors of society. It's a whole other Quidditch game to supporting every word Voldemort spouted—'

'He didn't have to be so militant with me.'

'Etienne explained he was being scrutinised by his father. But also—and I hate to say this—but did he actually propagate the whole destruction of Muggles-thing?'

'Yes?'

'Really?'

Draco paused, trying to remember. 'I'm sure it was him who taught me the Mudblood word... he certainly believed in a hierarchy with Muggles at the bottom...' Draco's voice faded.

'But?' said Harry because they could both hear the doubt in Draco's voice.

'Oh,' he said quietly through the flames.

'Step back, I'm coming through,' Harry said, standing up and summoning his long Auror coat.

Once through, Harry slumped down beside Draco on the floor so they were both leaning against Draco's bed side-by-side, inadvertently close. Draco found Harry's bare chest, even beneath his Auror coat, horribly distracting and stared straight ahead.

'I thought you said the Floo was only open for calls,' he said.

Harry shrugged, 'it is really. Just thought I'd test it. Seeing as my Auror coat gets me through the Wards when I Apparate here and then walk through the gates, I figured it would get me through the Wards blocking the Floo system.'

'Isn't that rather a risk?'

'Well, I could have ended up at another location but I can Apparate quickly enough these days.'

Draco shook his head in disbelief. 'You're fucking unthinkably unconcerned about stuff you know. You should care more. You could be putting yourself in danger and I've already lectured you on the value of your life.'

'Sorry,' Harry muttered. 'Though I had a strong feeling it would be fine.'

'Not good enough. Will it be closed properly again, after the funeral?' Draco asked with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

'Depends on whether I forget to revert the Wards or not... what with being the person in charge of your files and everything...'

Draco didn't want to ask whether that meant Harry planned to visit him again. They both sat in silence for a moment but he was sure Harry was emitting a certain smugness in his aura.