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Part 8) shopping

Hey loves, just a small warning. This chapter includes

swearing, shouting, abuse, self-loathing thoughts.

It's also a bit longer than usual. Please be careful, I don't want to be the cause of any stress. ♥️

When Sunday arrived, students shivered. There were numerous constant heating charms in the common rooms; there were huddles of students by the fire and under large fluffy blankets.

Harry shivered at he pulled on a knit jumper. It was a lovely shade of green and unlike molly's jumpers, it was knit tightly and carefully. There were no frays or loose threads to be seen.

He began walk round the room. Picking up various items and stuffing them in his bag.

He tapped his foot impatiently and made his way to he great hall.

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Draco was having a... lovely? Time with Orpheus. He was drinking tea and the Ravenclaw common rooms with some friends. Well. They weren't his real friends but why should that stop him?

He and Orpheus were sat close together. Orpheus's hand would trail along his shoulder and Draco would drink tea and listen. He had tried to add to many conversations but had been interrupted too many times. He gave up. There were the three girls from Halloween and Draco did appreciate them trying to include him but they weren't around much and they were also interrupted too much for Draco's liking.

Their names were Ainsley, Mylar and Tallis and they had taken a liking to Draco not long before Halloween. They mostly kept to themselves but they had given Draco a lot of advice.

They told him about Orpheus, mostly, and about what he should talk about to be noticed more. Ainsley seemed sad whenever she talked about him and Draco was sure they used to have something by the way she talked about him but he didn't pry. He was already quite scared of the three of them.

There were things he didn't tell them. There were things he didn't tell his own friends. There were things they just... wouldn't understand. Like how when Orpheus gets drunk he seems to grow another personality. Like how when they're alone Orpheus has no respect for boundaries. Like how when Draco makes a mistake Orpheus always has to comment. Or all the times when Orpheus gets too drunk and Draco doesn't feel safe anymore.

He was just paranoid though. Orpheus loved him. He had said so. And he was sure he loved Orpheus back. It was his own fault Orpheus had to ridicule him. If he didn't mess up, Orpheus would have nothing to say. If he wasn't so damaged he would have no reason to feel unsafe with Orpheus's drunken state. If he wasn't such a prude, boundaries wouldn't matter. It was his own fault.

Wasn't it?

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Draco folded a messily written letter in half.

"Orpheus, Im going to Hogsmede. Need anything?

Orpheus looked away from his conversation. "Why?"

Draco quickly concluded it would be better to lie. "I'm going early Christmas shopping with pansy."

Now Orpheus had his full attention.

"It's the fucking second of November. You have two months."

Draco gulped. "She wants to get it out of the way, Orph. We never get anything on the first try anyway. It takes at least five trips to get everything."

"Fine. Be back by five."

"We might get din-"

"Five."