Revelations of Love - Moment by Moment Book #3 (Harry Potter, Drarry)

Determination

It was turning out to be a really good day. They may not have succeeded in removing his collar, but the new information the attempt had produced had sent Harry's comrades dashing off to arrange meetings and discuss its ramifications. He had let them go with a vague sadness that he couldn't go with them, but such success was not a time for dwelling on what had to be for now. Instead, his own limited area of responsibility was given a boost by Albus' rather hurried permission to begin more intense practice sessions with Draco before the old man, too, had disappeared on his own errands. So it was that Harry headed back towards the medibay, his piles of notes under one arm and an unexpected excitement to his progress. However, when he popped his head around Poppy's door to announce his plans, he was told, "Draco currently has another visitor."

"Who?" the young man asked, surprised by the news.

"Ginny Weasley," Poppy informed him, which made Harry's eyebrows hit his hairline; the girl may have expressed an interest in Draco's recovery, but Harry had not expected her to take such a personal interest.

"May I go along too?" he asked while musing his friend's chosen course of action.

"Certainly, Mr Potter, Ginny may be an appropriate chaperone," the healer teased, her face serious, but her eyes twinkling.

Harry grinned, glad that his comrade was relaxed enough to jibe at him rather than worry. With a wave, he disappeared across the medibay almost certain that she and Neville had been plotting. When he got to Draco's room, he was greeted with a scene through the window that surprised him even further. Draco and Ginny were both lounging on respective ends of the bed, chatting like a pair of very old friends. He was almost reluctant to knock on the door and disturb the freedom in their faces, but a tinge of jealousy got the better of him, and he answered the urge to join in.

"Harry," Draco greeted as his lover closed the door, "Ginny and I were just talking about you."

"Oh good," the young man returned dryly, "neither of you needed any more ammunition."

"It wasn't bad," Ginny reassured, but then he saw Draco's bad influence as she grinned and added, "well not all of it. I was telling Draco about the time you and Ron bravely stood up to Fred and George to defend my honour after they turned my hair white with that joke shampoo."

"Yes, and I'm still waiting to find out what happened," Draco pouted, and then patted the bed beside him and ordered, "so sit down and I'll ask you what you have under your arm when Ginny has finished her story."

Harry rolled his eyes, wondering if he really wanted Draco to know, but sunk down next to his lover anyway and accepted an arm over his shoulders. Ginny grinned at both of them, and then launched again, "Well, they were doing rather well, George and Fred were backed up against the big tree in the garden by the brandishing of a dragon-headed walking stick breathing real fire, and some well laid punches, but then we realised that that was where they were stashing the rest of the barrel of shampoo, and they dumped the lot straight over poor Ron and Harry. All three of us had white hair for three days till it wore off, we thought we might have to go back to school like it."

"But we got the twins back two days later with their own hair-growing chewing gum," Harry laughed, remembering the holiday antics with fondness; even successful teenage businessmen could play like children again when in the safety of their family home. It had been a welcome diversion from all the talks of war that had been brewing at the time.

"You must have been of age by then," Draco joined in, "why didn't you just hex them?" 

"That wouldn't have been half as much fun!" Harry leant back into his partner with a laugh.