Salchows and Serendipity (Harry Potter/Winter Olympics Xover)

11. Blast from the Past

It turned out that Johnny was feeling better, but not on top form, so he needed to rearrange the interview he was supposed to be doing and just get some rest. Not really surprising after the morning's activities, so Harry dragged Draco with him after being made to promise that he'd reappear when Johnny called. It seemed that Johnny was afraid of facing Lysacek alone and he had begged Harry to be there for moral support.

Of course, Harry had said yes, even though he had his own things to sort out. It did mean, however, that he had time to talk with Draco alone. He took the Slytherin back to where he was staying.

"You're tidier than you used to be at least," Draco observed as he walked into the small room Harry had been allocated.

"When you're pretending to be eleven and don't want any adults around, you get into the habit of keeping things neat and tidy yourself," Harry replied and threw himself onto the bed, letting Draco have the only chair; "I never grew out of it."

Draco sat himself down with all the grace Harry remembered him having on a broom.

"I've only ever heard of one person trying what you did," the Slytherin said, tone almost admiring, "and they managed to turn themselves into a hideous giant baby. How did you do it?"

It wasn't really an unexpected question, but Harry didn't have a very clear answer.

"The woman who sold me the spell and potion told me it was all about focus and want," he replied with a shrug. "I wanted it very badly."

"Quite Slytherin of you to vanish so completely," Draco pointed out.

That made Harry smile; it was a compliment indeed.

"No one was looking for an eleven-year-old," he replied, thinking back and remembering his flight from the Wizarding world; "it wasn't that difficult. I made all the financial arrangements before regressing myself and then I just stepped from one life into another. A few cosmetic changes, hiding the scar and I was all set."

He noticed that Draco was looking at him rather closely then.

"You do look very different," Draco finally said; "how did you tame the mop?"

Harry grinned and ran his hand through his hair; it was now straight and manageable, a long way from the untameable nest it had once been.

"The Muggles have some very inventive hair products," he replied and wondered what Draco thought of the two-tone he had it dyed at the moment.

It was deep red on top and black underneath in an asymmetrical style which had matched his costume.

"When I first disappeared, I just used to dye it brown," he added, remembering the mess he had made of it the first time, "but when I started skating that just wouldn't do. Straight after getting my first pair of skates I was pointed at a decent hairdresser."

That had been a very eye-opening experience; he remembered it well.

"Now that is a miracle," Draco replied with a smirk.

"So," Harry decided he'd answered enough questions for now, "what have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing overly exciting," Draco replied with a shrug, "got married, had a son, got divorced, committed my father; the usual pureblood thing."

Surprisingly Draco sounded just a little tired. Harry had to wonder if maybe the Wizarding world wasn't hard on purebloods as well.

"Sorry it didn't work out," Harry said, feeling the need to say something supportive, even though he really didn't know Draco anymore.