Healing

'Well, that's gay!'

Draco was somewhat relieved that he didn't need to spend yet another night in the infirmary and that his healing process had been so painless and surprisingly quick. They had been to the dorms and changed. Draco had pulled on his black jeans and Weasley jumper, enjoying the snug warmth, while Harry, always like an infernally hot furnace, just wore a white t-shirt with his jeans. They had meandered down to the kitchens with Herbert snuggled into Draco's neck while everyone was in the great hall for their evening meal and, now, they were sitting quietly together, taking their time over food. Draco was, once again, worried at how little Harry ate and how he picked at his food, he was absolutely aware of how Harry's jeans hung loosely on his hips so they bunched around the heels of his Converse trainers.

'What about some more treacle tart?' Draco asked, trying to coax the man to eat a little more.

Harry suddenly smiled at him.

'What?' Draco asked.

'When you were drunk and pinning me against the wall, you told me that I smelt of Quidditch and Honeydukes and vanilla, but you seemed rather disappointed that I didn't smell of treacle tarts, you suggested I should from the amount of them that I eat.' He laughed softly, highly amused at Draco's discomfort.

'I don't remember,' Draco said a little defensively.

'I'm sure you don't. Have you remembered anything from that evening?'

'Enough to be embarrassed about. I think I envy your sobriety.'

'I tried drinking, you know. Drowning my sorrows after the funerals, I tried to drink to forget. It didn't go very well. I lost control of my magic and blew up the half of Grimmauld Place in my stupor, I was trying to remove the portrait of Old Mrs Black and thought it was a good idea to do when I was drunk. I brought several floors of the house down on me. I woke up the next morning, asleep on the hall floor, with a shield over me that I didn't even know I'd cast and able to see daylight through the roof. Luckily, I was alone in the house and it did, at least, force me into renovating the house. But it was all rather foolish and scared me enough to not drink uncontrollably anymore.'

'Did you get rid of the portrait though?'

Harry snorted, 'yes! Of course!'

The conversation dwindled into a comfortable silence and both men watched Herbert helping himself to a piece of cheese from Draco's discarded plate despite the sunflower seeds that Petal had provided for him.

Their brief silence was interrupted when Ron and Hermione appeared.

'Hello, Harry. Hi, Ferret. We just wanted to check you were both okay,' Ron said, cheerfully. 'You know, not doing anything illicit which might alarm the house elves.'

'Ronald!'

Draco noticed that Ron and Hermione were holding hands.

'Are you joining us?' Harry said.

Ron looked torn, looking between Harry and Draco and Hermione. 'We said we'd join Pansy and Blaise, they wanted to plan a trip to Hogsmeade or something. And I've promised to try and teach Nev chess, though that might be a lost cause.'

'Why don't you have Butterbeer with us and then go up?' Draco suggested.

Ron looked at Hermione and she nodded. Petal appeared with two Butterbeers and the armchairs were expanded into two-seaters. Harry moved to sit with Draco so Ron and Hermione could sit together.

'Are you back together then?' Harry asked.

Ron's face broke into a big smile when Hermione nodded and he affirmed, 'we're just taking it easy, you know. But 'Mione is the best, forgiving me for being an absolute Erumpent over the summer.'