Dad Says (Harry X Draco)

Chapter 3

When Harry got back to Grimmauld Place, he was disturbed to find that there were enormous, yet tasteful, crystal vases of flowers in every room. The curtains had changed, too. They were now uniformly silk-thick, rich silk, in different colours. A golden yellow in the sitting room, shot- green silk in the library, deep red in the dining room. strolled through his house by candlelight, admiring it.

The next day, he got a letter from Malfoy. It was delivered by Hogarth, rather than by floo, as their letters had been so far. Harry felt a little apprehensive as he opened it, sure that it would berate him for what had happened in the kitchen, but it made no mention of that.

Potter,
Thank you for coming last night, you made Scorpius' week. Again.
Your house ought to have a wine cellar if you ask it nicely. See if it will give you a bottle of Chateau Perrault for Eve's party, she'd love it. Details for Friday overleaf. Don't feel you have to come if you don't want to.
With gratitude,
D. Malfoy

His house did indeed have a wine cellar, and Harry chose a bottle of Chateau Perrault as Malfoy had suggested.

He was distinctly nervous before Eve's wine and cheese party, even though he knew Malfoy's friends weren't posh. But he'd gone to the movie night for Scorpius, hadn't he? This was just him hanging out with Malfoy and his friends. Willingly.

Yet, it didn't even cross his mind not to go. Partly this was because he was genuinely intimidated by Eve, but mainly it was that he hadn't spoken to anyone since the movie night. He had floated around Diagon Alley in his cloak, feeling a bit useless, and moped around in his increasingly beautiful house, and flown a bit in the afternoon. Usually that was enough to tire him out, but on Friday, he found he was really looking forward to talking to people.

It helped, of course, that Malfoy's friends didn't think of him as the Chosen One.

Eve's flat was much bigger than Malfoy's and it was packed with people. She let him in with a squeal and went into raptures over the wine he'd brought. It transpired that she collected bottlesnwith unusual labels, and the Chateau Perrault, with its intricate fairytale pattern, most certainly qualified.

Eve plopped him next to Nick, and went to butterfly around her party.

"Where's Flora?" asked Harry.

"She's at home with the kids. Scorpius, too," said Nick.

"Right."

"We're really going to miss Scorpius. Not long till he goes, now, is it?"

"No," said Harry. August was hurtling to an end, and Scorpius would soon be boarding the Hogwarts Express,

"We're all so worried about him."

"He'll make friends," said Harry, reassuringly.

"Not Scorpius. Draco."

He jutted his chin towards a corner of the room, where Malfoy was smiling politely at an animated young man in a jean jacket. The young man seemed utterly enchanted by Malfoy, who looked exquisitely handsome in a white shirt with the cuffs rolled up, his hair loose around his face. The bruise on his cheekbone somehow only added to his good looks.

"Oh," said Harry.

Nick was a big guy, but he had gentle eyes, which he turned now towards Harry..

"Listen... you knew him before..."

"It sounds as if he's already told you everything there is to know," said Harry, firmly. He wasn't going to the same mistake twice. "If you want to know about the stuff he got up to, you'll have to ask him."