A Whole Lot Of Capitals - AKA The Potter Problem Project - Drarry

In Which Your Humble Author Tries to Explain Sports

Harry woke up at just past 7. He had decided not to tell Malfoy about the conversation with Finnley Shaw yet, or about the picture of a young Mr. Shaw waving right next to a stonefaced Lucius Malfoy and a grinning Protheus Longbottom that must have been taken before Harry and Malfoy were even first years.

He dragged Teddy downstairs to meet Malfoy for breakfast at 9. He rolled his eyes when he saw Harry.

"What are you wearing?"

"Er.. jeans and a t-shirt?" It was comfortable. So what if the t-shirt had a hole in the armpit and the jeans were caked in mud?

Teddy and Malfoy shared an exaggerated look and Malfoy threw an arm around Teddy's shoulders. "So tell me, where are we eating breakfast in this fine city of carts?"

They ended up getting bagels, danishes, and all kinds of other pastries at a corner shop a street away. He and Malfoy both ordered coffee which tasted strange and Teddy let Harry take a picture of him with Times Square in the background when they were done. When Harry told Malfoy he had something in his teeth before he got a shot of the two of them, he only rolled his eyes and got rid of it instead of breaking down in tears. It was, all in all, a very fun morning.

They walked around Central Park for a bit before stopping for ice cream.

"There is no way anyone needs all these Flavours," Malfoy said.

"They're all different, though."

Malfoy scoffed and looked at Teddy for support but he just shrugged. Harry wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Now come on, there aren't any two flavours on this list you wouldn't be able to tell apart."

"Really?" Malfoy challenged.

That was how they ended up getting samples of every ice cream flavour and letting Teddy test them with his eyes closed. Malfoy ended up admitting that the flavours were all different even if they were unnecessary and got a chocolate. Teddy settled on Banana and Harry spent a full minute debating between caramel drip and chocolate before Malfoy said, "if you're that torn up about it, get the caramel and then you can have some of mine."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"What? Scared of germs? How are you ever going to kiss anyone if you can't share their ice cream?"

Harry's brain basically short-circuited at that and he got the caramel. Kiss anyone, share their ice cream. It wasn't referring to someone specific, but was it somehow referencing the person he was sharing ice cream with right now, walking through New York City?

Later that night as it approached dinner time and after they'd stopped to watch countless street shows, Malfoy dragged them into a pizza parlour that claimed to be "New York's Finest." Harry'd have to take back the thing he said about the restaurant he and Malfoy tried on their first night hanging out, but he didn't mind.

When they made it back to the hotel and Teddy went inside to take a shower, Malfoy asked him how he thought everything was.

"Best day of my adult life."

Malfoy smirked at him and walked down the hall to his own door.

"Let your teenager sleep in tomorrow, Potter. We'll do brunch around 11, okay?"

Harry grinned.

•  •  •

After brunch, they took the Subway, as per Teddy's request, to meet up with a Potioneer who was famous in the States for inventing Hangover Eradicator which was as brutal and effective as it sounded. Malfoy was interested in talking with her because, as he finally admitted, he really had been trying to find an apprenticeship somewhere in the UK without any luck.

Both Harry and Teddy agreed that tagging along was the best way to spend their time and it turned out that Malfoy wasn't very hard to convince in the face of his favourite cousin.

Cynthia Price was surprisingly happy to meet with them and she only mentioned Harry's fame in passing. It was refreshing.

"You know, you deserve to be Potioneering. I might have taken a peek at your former professor. Severus was well regarded across the entire field."

Malfoy took a shaky breath and Harry grabbed his hand to steady him. He squeezed back and Harry felt his heart jump out of his chest. Teddy gave him the side eye and Harry kicked him under the table in response. So what if he was holding Malfoy's hand? It didn't mean anything.

"Yes he was.. very dear to me."

"I tell you, we'd be happy to see you over here. We don't need your OWL scores either, you'd have to take the English American Grading Levels Exam in order to qualify, but I'm sure you'd pass with flying colours."

Malfoy laughed. "Right, me in New York."

"Why not? In fact, you could meet Professor Burnes right now if you want to. He's the head of our fellows program at Ilvermorny."

"Did you study there?" Harry asked.

"I did. Proud Pukwudgie."

When they got back to Price's apothecary, Malfoy told him he'd better prepare to be impressed. They'd let go of each other's hands a long time ago but he could still feel the tingling and Teddy was still staring at them both skeptically.

Professor Burnes stepped out of his office and shook hands with them all, including Teddy.

"Well now, Mr. Potter, I remember you. Minerva has been writing me for years telling me how hard she's tried to get you on her staff."

"Oh I don't think-"

"And Mr. Malfoy, a future fellow perhaps?"

"Ah. Perhaps."

They talked for a while longer and Harry could see Malfoy wanting to be excited about it all. He went to bed that night wondering how Malfoy could be so good at understanding Potions and so bad at understanding himself.

They next day they were seated in the first row for a Quodpot match that Professor Burnes had helped them score entry to. Teddy seemed to particularly enjoy every time the Quod exploded, though Malfoy was more interested in what the solution that stopped that from happening contained.

They all stood up to cheer as the final goal went in and Thunderbird won. It was crazy how big the universe was, that here Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy could just be two people, friends, enjoying a game.

On the walk home in this small section of the universe, Draco Malfoy took Harry Potter's hand in his and Harry felt himself stop breathing. He held it all the way to the hotel, and Teddy didn't say a thing.