Scattered Pieces (Drarry Fanfic)

Chapter Three: The Git Who Disappeared

Harry smiled at the barista, Mike was his name—scrawled on the small name tag pinned haphazardly on the front of his white shirt. Taking the tray laden with two cups of steaming espresso, Harry kept his expression neutral, betraying none of his emotions. He was a trained Auror. He'd learned, over the years, how to keep a tight lid over his volatile temper. He no longer 'wore his heart on his sleeve', as Hermione was wont to say.

The man, Mike, had clearly lied about a certain blond Ex-Death Eater. Harry may need the aid of his eyeglasses, or his contact lenses, to see more than a foot in front of him but he was far from blind. He'd clearly seen and recognised, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Draco Lucius Malfoy, his Muggle-hating rival, looking positively... Muggle.

As barmy as that might sound, Harry had witnessed it. The thought almost cracked his carefully constructed veneer.

Taking a deep breath, he walked casually towards the table Hermione had chosen, thoroughly piqued by the fact that somewhere in this quaint Muggle cafe, Draco Malfoy was without a doubt hiding from him.

Harry couldn't help the ghost of a smirk that curled at the corner of his lips, recalling the flash of utter horror that had coloured Malfoy's face when Harry had noticed him.

He'd have to wait until later to sort out the mess that his mind had been reduced to when he'd once again laid eyes on Malfoy, the git, who'd suddenly disappeared five years ago. The prat, who'd lied to save Harry back at the Malfoy Manor for Merlin knows what reason. The tosser Harry had saved from Fiendfyre because he couldn't bear the thought of Malfoy dying to the insatiable flames.

He didn't know if Malfoy knew or not but Harry had testified on his and Narcissa Malfoy's behalf during their trials. Harry hadn't done it publicly before the Wizengamot. He had issued a sworn statement, hoping that it would save them from Azkaban. The thought of Malfoy and, of course, his mother languishing for the rest of their lives in that godforsaken place had made Harry's insides curdle. He'd figured it was due to guilt. After all, he owed them for saving his life even under the looming threat of Voldemort. That was all it was.

He'd been relieved when their sentences came out. It was the best scenario he'd hoped for—anything was better than rotting in Azkaban. Harry had quickly moved on from that ordeal. He had his own demons to tangle with and pieces of what remained of his life to pick up. But then the news of Draco Malfoy's disappearance had completely blindsided him. It left him stunned and... worried? That had thoroughly rankled Harry.

Out of sight, out of mind. That was how Harry dealt with his old school nemesis. Knowing Draco was at the Malfoy Manor living a quiet life with his mother had made things a bit easier for Harry. The mundanity of the whole situation had helped him in putting the pieces of his own life back into some semblance of order. Everything was as it should be. The people he knew, people he cared about, even the people he hated—they were all where they were meant to be. It had grounded Harry. It had helped him move on. It had kept him from floundering now that he'd fulfilled his so-called destiny.

But Draco sodding Malfoy, just had to ruin everything.

The bloody ferret vanished into thin air. It had unnerved Harry. His mind had whirled with discordant thoughts of Malfoy joining the Neo-Death Eaters and plotting a sinister revenge somewhere or of Malfoy getting himself kidnapped, tortured, and eventually killed by the NDE's, who were unhappy with the Malfoys for betraying them.

It hadn't helped that Narcissa Malfoy had been beside herself, constantly entreating the Auror Corps to find her lost son, even when the entire DMLE secretly thought that Malfoy had, without a doubt, joined the Neo-Death Eaters.