breathe

chapter twenty-three

Poppy looked at Lucas with a frown. "what is it?" Harry asked. "shouldn't you be at your own work?" she asked. "don't have to teach until noon." Harry replied. She nodded and gestured Harry to follow into her office. "what is it?" he asked. "what's his full name?" she asked. "Lucas Chen." Harry replied. She nodded and waved her wand. "he's from Korea?" she asked. "told me so." Harry replied. "how old is he?" she asked. "ten, I think he skipped a year in middle school." Harry replied. "makes sense." She said. "why?" Harry asked. "he's a wizard, a muggle born." She said. "oh and he didn't get his letter because he isn't eleven yet?" Harry asked. she nodded. "when is his birthday?" she asked. "I think in two weeks." Harry replied. "I'll talk to Minerva." She said and walked away. Harry sat on Lucas's bed. "can she get rid of the cloud?" he asked. "you just have to cheer up." Harry replied. "how can I?" he asked. "I don't know, what makes you happy?" Harry asked. he shrugged. "my friends, but hat if they see me like this? Draco will be disgusted by me!" Lucas said. "he won't, I'm a wizard too, he doesn't disgust me." Harry said. "yeah but that's different." He said. "what's different?" Harry asked. "you're his boyfriend." Harry shrugged. "I had to tell him too, I can go get him." Harry replied. "really?" Lucas asked. Harry nodded.

"so Cissy is the cutest baby I've ever seen." Draco smiled. "you're quite fond of her aren't you?" Pansy asked. Draco nodded. "they come home tonight." Draco said. Pansy chuckled and stopped running. "god I hate PE." She said. the door opened and Harry's face showed. "can I borrow Draco?" Harry asked. the teacher nodded and Draco walked towards Harry. "what's wrong?" Draco asked. "it's something with Lucas." Harry said. Draco nodded. "let me change." He said. "I'll come with you." Harry said and they walked towards the changing rooms. Draco closed the door and started changing. "what's up with him?" he asked. "he'll tell you himself." Harry said. "Is he dying?" Draco asked. "no." Harry said. Draco nodded and put his clothes away and swung his bag over his shoulder and Harry picked up his hand.

"wow." Draco looked at the cloud above Lucas's head. "did you have that too?" Draco asked and looked at Harry. "when I was a child." Harry nodded. Draco sat on the bed. "why is it there?" Draco asked. "because he's upset." Harry replied. "oh." Draco scootched closer to him. "do you want to talk about it?" Draco asked. Lucas looked up in his eyes. Harry walked back towards Poppy's office. "it's not as bad as you think it is." Draco said. "why do you say that?" Lucas asked. "I know how it is, I fell in love with my best friend too, I asked him out he rudely denied me." Draco said. "how did you get over it?" he asked. "I talked to my friends and I started dating someone else, but he broke up with me because he thought I was a girl. My dating life wasn't good at all. But now with Harry I feel safe and protected and happy. you'll have someone like that too. And my best advice is, go talk to Taylor if he really can't get over it, he doesn't deserve you." Draco said. Lucas looked up at him. "I know life can be hard at times and sometimes you have to abandon someone to get rid of that empty feeling. And I know it's hard when you have known that person for a while and that person was always there for you." Draco smiled at him and hugged him, his shirt and hair getting soaked too. "it's just for the best." Draco said. "have you ever lost someone?" he asked. "my parents, they killed each other." Draco said. he looked down. "and Harry lost his fiancé." Draco said. the droplets soon stopped falling.

Draco impatiently waited for Harry to arrive with his parents. Marlene was trying to calm him down. "hey sometimes I think you have adhd." She said. "rude." Draco said. "not leant to be rude." She replied. He rolled his eyes. "have you heard Taylor Swift's new album?" she asked. "of course I did." Draco glanced at her. The door opened and Harry held his little sister in his arms. Regulus and James followed soon after. Harry smiled at the sight of Draco and went over to kiss his lips. "how are you?" he asked. "I'm fine." He said. Harry nodded and put Cissy in her crib next to the couch. Harry sat next to Draco. "why aren't you studying?" he asked. "because I'm taking a little break." Draco said. Harry sat next to him. "I understand, but I really want you to pass these exams. I don't want to go to Hogwarts alone and without you." Harry said. "you won't I promise." Draco kissed his cheek. He stood up and walked towards the stairs. "ask me if you need help." Harry said. Draco smiled and went upstairs. "my parents are coming over in an hour." Regulus said. "oh god help me." Harry said. "no worries my parents are coming too, we're having a little family moment, without the others, just us and Marlene." James said. "I need to go somewhere anyways." Marlene said. "okay then it's just us and our parents." Regulus said. "too bad I'll miss your mom." Marlene said. "she is married and too old for you!" James said. "I'm 42, I'm old enough for her." Marlene said. James rolled his eyes. "bye Jamie. See you later Reggie. Love you Harry." Marlene said everyone goodbye and left.

Draco came downstairs with an empty bowl in his hands, Harry presumed there was chocolate in it seeing his mouth. "you done studying?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head and entered the dining room where more chocolates were, instead he found Harry's grandparents. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting." Draco said. "not at all join us." Euphemia said. Orion and Walburga gave Draco a judgmental look. "sorry I'll pass, I have exams in two weeks." Draco said. "already?" Fleamont asked. Draco nodded. "that's sad that you can't join us, I like your presence a lot." Euphemia said. Draco smiled. "come sit." She said. "there are no chairs left." Orion said. "no worries." Harry said and he patted his lap. Draco smiled and sat onto his lap. "you ate the entire bowl?" Harry asked. "I like to eat when I study." Draco admitted. "maybe eat fruit or something next time." Harry said. Draco nodded and Harry cleaned his face. "are you planning on marrying anytime soon?" Fleamont asked. "not really." Draco said. "why not?" Euphemia said. "we're young and not for that long yet." Harry said. Draco smiled and fidgeted with the hem of his skirt. "do you want to have children in the future?" Fleamont asked. "we are planning on that yes, but we're both going to work at Hogwarts, so we'll wait a little bit." Harry said. "you're already 21." Fleamont said. "yeah I know." Harry said. "why won't you just try." Euphemia said. "because we're young." Draco said. "James gave me a grandson when he was twenty one." Euphemia said. "which was a huge mistake." James said. "rude." Harry said. "and he also gave you a granddaughter at 42." Draco said. "besides I was pregnant I had a miscarriage, so I don't really feel like doing it anytime soon again." Harry said. "what caused it?" Orion spoke up. Draco tensed up. "nothing, it just happened." Harry said. "there lust have been a cause." Walburga insisted. "there wasn't." Draco said. "there always is." Orion said. "dad!" Regulus said. "you know what it is? It is me. It's always been me. I'm not a fucking wizard. I am a fucking child and wasn't supposed to have a happy life." Draco stood up and walked away.

"see what you did?" Regulus asked. "oh he'll get over it." Orion waved it off. "no he doesn't." James said. Harry looked down. "Harry are you okay?" Fleamont asked. Harry nodded. "I am, it's just difficult for me right now. Okay?" he stood up and walked towards Cissy. "aren't you going towards him?" Euphemia asked. "he needs time." Harry said and tickled Cissy's sides. "well it's about time we go." Orion said. they stood up and left. "go talk to him." James said. Harry shook his head. "I felt it as soon as he walked in. he was sensitive I think something happened to him upstairs. I don't think I'm ready to hear what." Harry said. he looked at his parents. "why not?" Regulus asked. "someone did something to him, and he's my boyfriend. I can't hear about the fact that someone touched him in ways he didn't want and someone made him feel weak." Harry said. James nodded. "I understand." He said. Draco came downstairs around his shoulder he had the same bag as he had months ago when he came there. "I'm going home." Draco said. "what you are home." Harry said. "no I'm going home." Harry looked at him. "you can't." he said. "I can." Draco said. "you're not eighteen yet." Harry said. "if my calculations aren't wrong, and I start walking now, I arrive in exactly 1 hours and 20 minutes, which means that it'll be midnight. I turn eighteen tomorrow." Draco said. Harry shook his head. "you can't leave." He said. "I can." Draco said. "Draco listen to me, and talk to me." Harry grabbed his arm. "don't do this to me okay, I just want to curl up in my own bed." Draco said. "you can do that in mine too." Harry said. "I want to be alone." Draco said. "I'll leave you alone." Harry said. "I want to be alone, alone." Draco got himself out of Harry's grip. "what happened?" Harry asked. "you just said yourself you are not able to hear it. so I won't tell you." Draco said. Harry looked up at him. "don't care about me right now, tell me what's going on in your mind?" Harry asked. "I want to break up." Draco said. "you don't mean that." Harry said. "I need time." Draco said. "last time you did that it didn't help. Tell me what's going on!" Harry yelled. "stop yelling at me!" Draco yelled back.

"is this the moment where we help?" Regulus asked. "I don't think we should." James whispered. "you know Harry, there is this thing in my mind where I can feel his hand on my ass, my cheek my everywhere and I want that gone. But it won't. and it never will. I try to hide my pain behind another relationship. I can't live like this." Draco said. Harry tried to pick up Draco's hand. "I know what will help." Draco shook his head. "I have the money to get myself a fucking therapist." Draco replied. "not that." Harry said. "don't say something corny now or I'll hit your face." Draco said. "my best friend was raped too, she said she felt better after the trial, because she knew he wouldn't make any more victims." Harry said. Draco nodded. "thank you for the advice." Draco said. "Draco, I don't want you to go on the streets alone. Stay here until the morning, I'll bring you towards your house afterwards." Harry said. "look they're getting there." James whispered. Draco nodded.