Just like Brothers

Chapter 47

"Draco! Come down, dinner," Severus Snape called up the staircase, "Harry, pour the drinks please."

"Ok," Harry nodded, "I didn't think you were going to be back for a few more hours?"

"I thought I'd leave early," Snape set plates down on the table, "there was no reason to stay at school longer."

"Hey," Draco walked into the dining room, "what's for dinner?"

"I got takeout," Snape gestured to a brown bag on the table, "sit."

"Mhm, Thai, my favorite," Draco smiled, sitting in his typically chair.

"Count it as your birthday dinner," Snape hung his cloak on the back of his seat.

Harry came into the room carrying three glasses, "ooh, Thai," he set a drink infront both Snape and Draco before taking his own seat.

"Did you hear the news, Harry?" Snape asked, shoveling Pad Thai onto his plate.

"Yes," Harry smiled, "it was on the muggle news, they're really dropping all charges?"

"They are," Snape nodded, "there was enough evidence that proved Black innocent."

"Congrats, Harry!" Draco clapped the boy on the shoulder, "we did it!"

"Did what exactly?" Snape put down his fork and looked at his wards.

"Uhm..." Draco looked at his plate awkwardly.

"You don't want to know," Harry said with a guilty expression.

"I can't keep up with you two," Snape shook his head and groaned.

Harry stifled a laugh.

"Alright you two, I want you in bed by ten," Snape said once they'd finish eating, "whose turn is it to do the dishes?"
    
Harry and Draco looked at each other with defiant eyes.
    
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Harry suggested.
     
Draco scrunched his nose, "what's rock, paper, scissors? And how will that decide who does the dishes?"
     
"It's a muggle game," Harry laughed, "the loser has to do the dishes."
     
"Ok then," Draco looked curious, "how do you play?"

"Rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper and paper beat rock," Harry said, showing the blond the hand motions as he spoke, "you say 'rock, paper, scissors shoot,' and on shoot you choose one of the three. Whoever looses does the dishes."

"Ok," Draco nodded, "I think I've got it."

"Let's do it then," Harry smirked, "rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

Draco made his hand flat while Harry crumpled his hand into a fist.

"I win!" Draco shouted triumphantly, "get to scrubbing, mate!"

"I can't believe I lost," Harry's eyes were wide with shock.

"Well believe it," Draco smirked, going up the stairs.

"Stupid game," Harry mumbled, collecting the dishes from the table.

>•<

"Did he go to sleep yet?" Harry whispered, pressing his ear against the door.

"Probably, why?" Draco gave him a weird look from his place infront of the television.

"I have something downstairs," Harry said, "I'm going to go get it."

"Alright," Draco said absentmindedly, he was too enticed with the program to pay attention to Harry's troublemaking.

Harry cringed as the door creaked, he tiptoed down the hall and very slowly made his way down the whining steps.

Once downstairs, he grabbed the item he went to retrieve and sprung back up the stairs.

With one final glance in the direction of Severus's room, making sure the lights were still off, he reentered his bedroom and shut the door.

"What'd you get?" Draco asked, turning his neck to get a glimpse of what Harry was holding.

"What I went to the store for earlier," Harry smirked, "happy late birthday." He went to sit besides Draco on the floor and placed a chocolate cake in between them.

"How're we supposed to eat it?" Draco asked, quizzically.

"I brought forks," Harry said, handing one over to the blond.

"But we don't have plates," Draco took the fork.

"We don't need them," Harry shrugged, lifting the plastic cover off the dessert.

"We're not animals!" Draco said appalled, "we're going to get crumbs everywhere."

"Not if you eat carefully," Harry rolled his eyes, "come on prissy, eat it."

"I thought I told you not to use muggle words, I don't know what they mean," Draco huffed, taking a bite of the cake.

"Happy Birthday, Draco," Harry said sincerely.

"Thanks, mate" Draco smiled, taking another forkful of chocolate cake.

"Let's watch a movie?" Harry suggested, moving his legs behind him as he laid on his stomach.

"Are you mad?" Draco snatches the remote out of reach of the dark-haired boy, "I haven't been able to watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air since Christmas!"

"Unbelievable," Harry murmured, turning back to the cake.

The boys watched television until their stomachs were full and their eyelids were heavy with sleep.

"I'm going to bed," Harry yawned, digging pajamas out of his trunk.

"Yeah, me too," Draco turned off the T.V.

The two of them got ready for bed quickly and quietly, their trunks were still waiting to be unpacked at the feet of their beds.
    
Harry climbed under the covers and let out a content sigh. Every time he came home from Hogwarts, he was reminded how much he loved his bed.
    
"Goodnight," Draco said, turning off the lamp before climbing into his own bed.
    
"Night," Harry responded, curling further into the soft blankets. He smiled against his pillow as he closed his eyes. The room was quiet, Harry loved the quiet, something he rarely got at Hogwarts with Ron snoring in the bed over. Harry Potter was glad to be home.
     
He woke with a start the next morning, he had an odd dream about playing Quidditch, he had fallen off his broom just before he had woken up. He looked up at the clock and saw that it was only 5 o'clock in the morning.

Glancing over, Draco was tossing over in his bed, still completely asleep. Harry collapsed into his pillow and stifled a groan.

He knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep but it would be a few more hours before Draco woke up.
     
As quietly as he could, Harry leaned over the end of his bed and began digging through his trunk.
    
"Aha," he whispered as he pulled up a diary with a intricate design laced across the cover. He grabbed a pen from his nightstand and began writing.

Ginny,
We never got a chance to talk before school ended. How was your exams? I'm sure you did great, after all you were doing amazing when we were studying. I'm not sure if you heard, Sirius Black was proven innocent! He's my godfather by the way. Everything is good here, Draco's still asleep, I suppose you are as well. Write back when you get this.
-Harry

With a sigh, Harry put the book on his nightstand, he knew the chances of Ginny being up at this hour were very slim. After all, she was always sleeping in and missing breakfast at Hogwarts. Why would home be any different?

He and Ginny had become much closer over the previous year. It was very easy talking to her, especially when she was the only one who knew about him living with Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape. She always listened to Harry, offered her advice and never once judged him. Harry's face broke into a smile thinking of the redhead, he looked over at the book but the cover wasn't glowing gold, meaning she hadn't written back.

"Oh well," Harry mumbled to himself, he stared at the ceiling as the hours went by, lost in his own thoughts.