You Wish || Drarry Fanfiction

F I V E - Nerves

The light managing to peer through Harry's blinds at 5:00 in the morning created pinstripes of gold against his white walls. Harry watched them, feeling his eyes itching to shut and his body aching for sleep. Occasionally he would glance at a dusty box on the desk that had been sloppily shoved into a far corner and then look quickly away again.

Ages passed, and the next time Harry looked at the clock he saw that is was already 8:37. With a soft sigh, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and, after shooting a final apprehensive look at the dusty box, peacefully dressed and pulled his bedroom door open without bothering to close it after he had exited.

He carried on his morning as he had developed it since the first year of his residency here. Leaning on the counter, he blew steam from the top of his orange mug patterned with of the cast of the muggle cartoon series Winnie the Pooh.

Draco finally found his way downstairs and joined Harry in leaning on the counter in silence, but he was content to just glance out of the large ceiling to floor window onlooking the beginnings of the grand forest he had grown to become quite fond of.

When Draco got tired of gazing into the vast green, he turned his head to study the side of Harry's face; the scar wasn't visible from the angle he was viewing him from; his hair looked as untamable and pleasantly messy as ever; his green eyes shone dully behind his thin framed glasses and Draco knew he was dreading the coming day.

"It'll be fine, y'know." He said finally, shattering the quiet and causing Harry to start and choke on his coffee. "Sorry," He chuckled, wiping at a droplet of the hot beverage that landed on Harry's cheek, "But it will be, you'll see. You'll enjoy yourself. No one will stare at you."

"You don't know that." Harry said monotonously. "For all I know, after years of hiding from the public, some Rita Skeeter wannabe will have risen and made me look like some apish attention seeker. You heard McGonagall last week; the story of what really happened will inevitably get twisted!"

"Look, Harry, I get that you're nervous." Draco soothed and Harry shot him a look, "No, Potter, I do. What will they say when they see the son of Lucius Malfoy after hearing nothing from him for years? What will they say when they see the man who had to grow up with- with THIS on his arm?!" Draco lifted up his left sleeve to reveal the grotesque fading Dark Mark. "You think you're the only one here with a right to be scared. You're not. But that's okay, because we'll be going together and I won't leave your side if you won't leave mine."

Harry set his mug in the sink beside him and turned to glance at Draco. Without a word, he grabbed his hand, squeezed it, and smiled. Draco took that as the cue to disapparate, and with a loud pop! the two were hurtled through space and landed just outside the Leaky Cauldron.

With bated breath, the two let go of each other's hands and stepped into the ruddy but homely pub to the sound of a clinking doorbell. A hush fell over the customers sat in booths and at tables. Card games ceased and gossip halted; none of them could believe the sight of the pair: Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

"'ARRY!" A voice bellowed from the far back and a pink umbrella fell over. The buzzing noise of voices filled the pub once more and people went back to their business. The shadow of a giant man fell over Harry and Draco, and Harry felt at home when the man pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "Where the 'ell have you been?! I 'adn't heard nothin' from you in three years!"

The man stepped back and for the first time noticed that Draco was standing there as well, his eyes darting around the room with a smile spread across his face. "Been taking care of Harry, eh, Draco?"

"Yep." He answered Hagrid, but without the malice and disgust that used to fill his voice when addressing him. "Nice little house, tucked away."

"Well, I'm glad yeh two are okay and alive and... And well, I'm just glad to see yeh." A fat drop of liquid leaked from his eye and melted into his bushy beard. "Sit back here wit me." He offered, and blundered back to his booth. He scooped up the umbrella and propped it once more against the wall. "So," he began once Harry and Draco and slid in next to each other, "What persuaded you to visit Diagon Alley?"

"McGonagall came to visit us." Harry said quietly, staring off at the wall. "She seems well. Supposed to meet her in a bit at the joke shop, now that it's back and running again. Can't wait to see what the twins have-- I mean, George has created now." A shriek pierced through Harry's ears as he remembered Fred's dead body among the rubble of Hogwarts.

The three sat in uncomfortable silence. Harry counted the specks on the molding walls, counted the number of witches, wizards, hags, goblins, and the sort scattered across the room, and kept fidgeting with nerves at being back within the Wizarding World even if it was only to be for a few hours.

Draco noticed Harry's lack of conversation and pulled Harry closer with his arm and the two leaned their heads against the other's. "Still nervous?" He chuckled.

"You bet." Harry joked, feeling more at ease with Draco's slender but warm arm around his waist. "I haven't been here in forever. It's daunting to tell you the truth." Harry stopped when he caught sight of Hagrid's surprised expression and the fact that he had dripped whatever he was drinking down his front.

"Y-" He tried. "Are you two," he lowered his voice, "Together?"

He didn't sound disapproving, so Draco answered. "Nah. Just gotten quite close. He's gotten annoying over the years, but I put up with--"

"Should we get going to Diagon Alley, then?" Harry cut in, looking a bit hurt.

"Eager, now? And cool your nerves, Potter. I was only joking."

Harry rolled his eyes, Draco chuckled, and Hagrid offered to walk them to the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron that separated the Muggle streets from Diagon Alley.

Draco, feeling a sudden rush of excitement, threw an arm around Harry's neck, gave his head a big fat kiss, and heard Harry laugh, "Who are you, Ron's mum?" as the brick began to dissolve away and the bustling streets of Diagon Alley appeared within their view.