The House-Whisperer

Dates and Whisky

Hermione had at least managed to break the curse on the collar with ease and remove it but Draco didn't join them for lunch. That evening Harry decided that his best option was to go out rather than stay in the house alone with Draco. He made some hurried plans, showered and dressed before cooking up a quick supper for them both.

When Draco appeared in the kitchen he exclaimed, 'look at you, all spruced up and raring to go! You scrub up mightily fine, Potter. Where are we going?'

'I am going out, you are cat-sitting. I'll show you how to use the T.V. and where the DVD's are.' He put two bowls of risotto on the table.

'Can't I come with you?' Draco wheedled as he tucked in.

'Not unless you want to be a third wheel.'

'Oh!' Draco's face fell. 'This is good. Why do you always cook? Surely Krestur should be cooking for you.'

'I like cooking, plus he can't cook very well, plus I give him the weekends off to visit his granddaughter.'

'Ew, that thing had children!' Draco caught the look on Harry's face and shut up quickly. 'So, what time will you be back? Or we could go together and I'll find my own entertainment!'

'Do you not understand the seriousness of your situation? Your mother could be scouring the country looking for you. She doesn't strike me as the sort of woman who gives up easily. Draco, you were never reckless in the past, at least not like this. Don't start now. Stay home and stay safe until we are more aware of her plans. I have already started the process in tracking her moves. Just be patient.'

'So, it's okay for you to leave me here alone, a prisoner in your home, as you gallivant around in London without me at your side?'

'Draco, please do not expect me to share my nights out with you. It's bad enough sharing my living space with you.'

'You love me really!'

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'Do I? I can barely cope with being in the same room as you at the moment: you consistently refuse to take the seriousness of your own situation to heart; you repeatedly turn everything into a game. I don't understand you in the slightest. Yet, here I am trying to help you and letting you stay even though you obviously have no respect for me or my house and take everything handed to you for granted...'

'...No sense of responsibility and no accountability, isn't that what you said to Ron and Hermione.'

'You're just repeating words, what about the meaning behind them?' Harry got up from the kitchen table and went to leave but Draco was quicker than him, slamming the door shut and standing in front of it to prevent Harry from going anywhere.

'No, you are not walking out on me again, Potter. You hurl these accusations at me yet you have no idea what you are dealing with, what I am dealing with. You forever assume the worst about me, Potter. You always have, right from the very first day we met. You look down your perfect little Potter nose at me because I was cursed to be born with a silver spoon in mouth and never knew any different. Sometimes you're the biggest snob I know. I didn't choose my upbringing, you said it yourself at my trial, I didn't choose my parents' path into the Dark Arts, it was thrust upon me. And now? Now, I'm scared. I'm that little boy you described last night, totally lost, trying to figure out this adult world we live in. Everything has been turned upside, everything is so uncertain. What does that leave me? The old antagonism with you? That's not working is it? But I don't know what to do, I haven't known what to do for a long time, forever. I don't know...'

Draco slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor and hugged his knees. 'I don't know...' He looked up at Harry and he did, indeed, look like a little boy, a pale-faced lost boy.