Knots In Our Heartstrings [Dramione]

Wonder Boy

He was sure of it, more sure of this one fact than he'd ever been sure of anything before. The gold band that sat on Harry's hand, the one glistening slightly in the morning sun, was the same gold band that had never before been removed from his treasured blue velvet box. And yet there it sat, pressed up against a flimsy cardboard coffee cup with coffee stains dripping down the side of it. He was sure that it was the ring from the box. It had to be. And yet, he could not even begin to fathom why. Why was it out of the box? Why was Harry wearing it? Why had he not mentioned it?

"I got a couple of muffins, didn't know what your mum would eat?" Harry shrugged, before holding the brown paper bag up higher, waving it about slightly as if parading it. More coffee dribbled slowly down the sides of the cardboard cup. "Will she even eat muffins?"

No, she would most likely not eat the muffins. Not because of them simply being muffins, nor because they were from a muggle bakery. The unsightly display of paranoia displayed by his mother this very morning, and her sharp aim on the house elf she'd been sharing biscuits with mere moments before told Draco all he needed to know about his mother and muffins. Though her recent years at the manor had been quiet and she'd adjusted to living a life of simple pleasantries with the last remaining creatures she had regular contact with, Narcissa was far from ready to receive gifts from unexpected visitors, let alone Harry Potter.

"Yeah," Draco all but whispered. The word caught tight on his breath as he choked out the measly response. "She'll try them, I think."

Harry relaxed some, as if whether or not Narcissa Malfoy would eat some muffins was the true issue at hand.

"What a relief, how embarrassing it'd be if I'd brought something she hates. Really not the impression I'm trying to make here. It's been what like – "

"Harry, why are you here?"

He just looked at him, standing there, staring through the iron bars, with the audacity to look even the slightest bit confused.

Headstrong Harry was someone Draco had found so much comfort in for so long. For any query or qualm he always had an answer, not always the right one, even Harry could admit that, but he was always confident in his decisions. Confident in moving to London. Confident in bringing Draco with him. Confident in pitching the perfect escape into the busy city to his few friends that would listen. Adamant in leaving the rubbled remains of the Ministry of Magic and Wizarding Britain behind. He always had an answer. An answer that always seemed good enough.

"I didn't want you to leave me. Not like that."

Not like that.

Headstrong Harry. Always an answer. Rarely one Draco could anticipate.

Draco waited. Quiet. Patient. Harry owed him more of an explanation than that, and he would not be the one to pry it out of him.

Chasing him to Wiltshire may have been a sufficient enough performance to remedy a simpler upset, but just showing up was not going to cut it. Not this time, at least.

With a gentle exhale, Harry placed his parcels down on the gravelled ground beneath him. His hands were empty. Digging in his pockets, dragging down his face, grasping the iron bars before him. And then, as if the wonder boy himself had only just realised what latest treasure sat on his hand, he gazed down at the gold band. He just stood there. Staring at the gentle yellow gold. It looked almost warm pressed up against the old cold iron. Glistening alongside the rust.

That little gold band was right where it was supposed to be for the first time, and yet, for the first time, it looked out of place.

Harry held his gaze on the ring for a heartbeat too long, his abrupt change in posture when he finally looked up again sent Draco stumbling a quick step back.