Orb of Destiny - Moment by Moment Book #6 (Harry Potter, Drarry)

Love in Adversity

After tea had been served, Harry tried to hold an easy conversation, and Draco had a little better success with what appeared to Harry to be drilled in manners, but both young men were feeling the pressure of what they were geared up to do, and so the Weasleys did most of the talking. They didn't seem to mind; they waxed lyrical on trivia about the joke shop business and filled Harry in on Leona and Trudy's family. Herr Grunweld was a big name in Germany, and in conjunction with the twins, was now spreading his wings in the rest of Europe. For a business struggling against war, thanks to these connections, Fred and George were actually very prosperous, and they had employed Bill to keep track of their money. Consequently, that meant that Harry, although not named as an investor, was, due to the twins' honesty and gratitude, entitled to quite a large amount of money if he ever asked for it. Harry didn't think he ever would ask, and money was one of the last things he cared about, but the gratitude made him feel warm inside.

Trivia could not last forever, and as it began to grow dim in the room and lights were lit, Draco and Harry looked at each other, and Harry realised it was time to leave. They stood up, followed quickly by their hosts, and faces, that had been laughing about Aithne's habit of bossing around her sister, were suddenly serious once more.

"Good luck," George offered, holding out his hand to Harry in a much more formal way than the greeting that had been made on arrival.

"And don't get yourselves killed," Fred agreed, surprising Harry, and from his face, Draco when he stuck out his hand towards an ex-enemy.

The formality made sense when Harry realised that the twins were trying to be equally friendly to both of them.

"We shall endeavour not to," Draco returned, with a nod and a shake of the given hand.

Trudy and Leona did not come with the same inbuilt baggage and were not as reticent as their husbands, and, after over an hour of getting to know their guests, they decided that hugs and kisses were much better protection than any wishes of luck. Worried looks then passed between twins and sisters, but nothing more was said as Harry and Draco were escorted back down stairs.

The street was now much emptier as the Autumn evening drew in, and the temperature had dropped from cold to icy. Harry wrapped himself further in his cloak for more than just disguise and followed Draco back to The Leaky Cauldron. This time there was no spell to hide them from unwitting eyes, and several gazes followed the well-wrapped strangers to the bar, and they noted the wisp of white blond hair that slipped round the edge of Draco's hood. Harry stood behind and slightly to the left of his partner, his head bowed a little, but glancing around the room, reinstating the madness pretence of the last few days. Draco was in charge here, and he flicked his hand at Tom, who was at the other end of the bar, flicked it in such a way that people could see the rough cloth wrapped around his wrist and make their own assumptions as to why it was there. Tom eyed the newcomers for a moment, and then made his way up the bar, wiping a glass absently as he did so.

"What can I get you, Gents?" he asked, leaning over the bar and smiling a toothless grin.

"A room," Draco answered him, his tone haughty and strained.

"For the two of you?" Tom laboured, laying a heavy and suspicious gaze over both of them.

"Yes," Draco snapped back.

"And that will be for how long?" the barman sighed to himself as he put down the glass, cloth still in it, turned and picked up a book from behind a stack of bottles.

"Just the night."

Harry stopped listening to the conversation and took note of the dirty cloth that was sat up in the glass. On the road to London, he and Draco had discussed how to gain attention in the pub, and they had decided that a little demonstration to link the shadowy strangers to the rumours would be a good idea. When Harry stepped away from his companion, he was not in fact ignored, as Draco's interest signing the register would have suggested, he was given a magical donation. Harry put his hands on the counter and stared at the glass. He took hold of the magic and pushed. The tip of the brownish rag blackened first, and then flames sprung from the singe mark. Harry bit down on the twinge of fear that came with the small fire, reminding himself that he had control of it, and he made it grow. The fire starter pushed just enough so that his flames spread out across the top of the cloth, and he tipped his head to one side, an exaggeration of the fascination he felt for his nemesis.