Harry Potter: Reunion with the Enemy

Draco knew that he couldn't rush from Malfoy Manor to the Hogwarts Great Hall and replace the wrong gift from Harry's hand. The poor hardcover book was probably still on the table waiting to be given away.

Harry's voice was still coming to Draco's ears intermittently, and Draco was so uncomfortable that he didn't realize that his fingers had sunk into the leather of the armchair. Draco stared straight at the fire in the fireplace, letting the voice in his ears fill his mind.

"It's still pretty cute. It might be a gift from a girl." Ron Weasley muttered. "But the biggest surprise today is the exam results and the offer from the Department of Magical Sports and Physical Education. To be honest, I thought they wouldn't be interested in me - even though I'm just a low-level assistant, responsible for miscellaneous tasks related to various events."

"You're a prefect and the keeper for the Quidditch team," Harry replied. "You'll definitely be able to do the job."

Hermione's voice joined in: "This is the dream job for most Quidditch fans. You can get in touch with many stars in the process of work. The work in other departments of the Ministry of Magic is relatively less interesting. I originally considered applying for the Ministry of Magic's recruitment, but I still want to continue my in-depth research in the academic field first - I still have a lot of interesting works that I haven't read yet."

"Harry, when will you officially start working as an Auror?" Ron rubbed his hands eagerly, "Then we can meet more often at the Ministry of Magic."

"Maybe this week?" Harry replied briefly, his voice fading away.

The doll's box seemed to be put aside, and Draco calmed down and thought about a solution.

Sneak into the Gryffindor dormitory tomorrow and steal the doll out? Or just stop Harry and get the doll back. Draco twisted his fingers nervously, and was surprised to find that he was actually a little relieved - if it weren't for Dumbledore's suggestion, he would never be able to put his gift into Harry's hand in his life - the box he secretly put in Harry's gift pile before should never have been actually accepted by Harry, such a popular savior never opened all the gifts from fans.

"Father and Mother, I'm going back to my room to rest first." Draco said to Narcissa and Lucius pretending to be calm.

"It's so early, you look tired." Narcissa hugged Draco. Lucius nodded beside him.

Draco didn't know what he was expecting. The last time he and Harry had a real close contact was during the Fiendish Fire in the Room of Requirement, when Harry saved him and Goyle on a broomstick.

In the sea of ​​fire that could devour everything, he watched the savior swooping towards him. In those few minutes when he brushed shoulders with death, Draco finally had the first chance to hug Harry who was right in front of him.

"Not being good enough or not being bad enough will both lead to your own death." A Death Eater once mocked Draco, "You are not a complete bad person. A cowardly companion will become our enemy. I don't understand why the Dark Lord values ​​your family so much."

Draco buried his face in his pillow, wondering why he was thinking this on a night so full of good news. Friends new and old at the dinner had promised to help the Malfoys in the upcoming Ministry trial, as sure as the Malfoy family had remained strong through the long centuries.

There must be something that trapped him in the same place... What did he gain from the seven years at Hogwarts? As a bad guy who was not bad enough, with a love that he never expressed... Harry would only regard him as an annoying enemy in his school days now or in the future... Seven years... Just ended like this?

Draco tossed and turned, and felt a soft touch. He was sure that the doll was thrown into the Gryffindor four-poster bed by Harry. Fortunately, Harry did not vigilantly check the strange gift for dark magic.

A faint sound of voices—a very slight tremor—

It was already late at night, and Draco stared wide-eyed in the gentle darkness. Harry seemed to have fallen asleep before him, and his even breathing surrounded him like a faint wave. Draco felt that his arms, back, and shoulders were all covered by the waves - this was the first time he was so close to the person he secretly loved. His heart began to shrink uncontrollably, and he could not choose to fall asleep in such a long and good night.

After the war, Harry seemed to be separated from everyone by a vague distance - he always looked at everyone around him with a detached and generous attitude, as if he could watch some pain mercifully.

Maybe it was just a few seconds, or a few minutes, or a few hours. Draco was still in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness. Graduation was just a few days away, which was undoubtedly a terrible thing. It meant that the last thread connecting him and Harry would be broken, and there would be no savior Auror at those stupid and necessary dinners.

Thinking of this, he almost forgot to breathe.

Draco felt himself rolling violently a few times. The sky outside the curtains was already half bright. Harry seemed to wake up.

Harry had obviously woken up from some nightmare, and his breathing became panicked and rapid. Draco heard the sound in his ear, and this time he really held his breath, as if he was afraid that the doll would transmit his every move to it.

Then there was a very soft sob.

Draco felt Harry grab the doll's arm, then felt the touch of his face on his chest. Then warm tears.

Harry seemed to be trying his best to suppress his crying, and even Draco could only feel his crying through occasional twitches and almost inaudible sobs suppressed in his throat.

The daytime is used for tutoring, working hard for the upcoming Auror career, celebrating report cards and good news from friends, and the night is used to reminisce about the old times after nightmares come.

"Don't cry..." Draco whispered a soothing voice that no one could hear. He touched his heart through his pajamas. The fabric there was very dry, and his heart was beating tirelessly. But he felt the big tears that Harry shed at the same time. The pain that came with the tears was so turbulent, just like the heavy rain outside the Hogwarts Castle when he and Harry passed by each other the day before.

The prom was scheduled on an ordinary summer evening.

Almost at the same moment when the opening music started, Draco walked towards Harry. He didn't even know what he was going to say, and he didn't even think about inviting Harry to dance. But Draco had only one thought in his mind: such a popular savior - if he was a few minutes later, he would be drowned in the vast sea of ​​people, drowned in countless other invitations, and disappear from his world forever.

Draco successfully came to Harry's side in full view of everyone, and countless pairs of eyes around him seemed to predict that they would exchange harsh words or duel again. Harry still looked calm and silent, as if he had already separated himself from this world.

Draco could now see every eyelash of the Savior - Harry must have used some magic on him, because he had been crying every night for the past few days, but his eyes were not swollen.

The green eyes finally focused on Draco, and Harry raised his eyebrows, as if asking what was going on. Draco knew that he must look terrible now, he hadn't slept for a few days, and the dark circles under his eyes were probably very thick - but he was very awake now. The melodious and cheerful music seemed to be urging everyone to get on the dance floor quickly. Draco and Harry looked at each other in silence, as if waiting for the other to speak first.

"What is it?" Harry asked in a very normal tone, as if he could just laugh off any stupid thing Draco said.

Draco grabbed Harry's wrist and walked out the door. He wanted to say something, but his ability to speak seemed to have been taken away by Harry's tears, which had only been exposed to his ears these days. Harry obediently let Draco drag him outside the castle, walking along a long staircase and a covered bridge, then the lawn, all the way to the lake. Draco did not move forward because there was no way forward.

Draco turned to Harry without any retreat. Harry's expression was a little confused, but more of it was indifferent. Perhaps the pain of ruminating every night had drained his emotions.

Draco knew that if he had to say anything, it would be now. But all words still abandoned him at this moment, and he saw Harry's eyes linger on his wrist, in a very kind way - that was where the Dark Mark was printed.

His vision began to blur, and Draco realized that he was crying. First there were a few quiet tears, and then there were violent sobs, and the self-doubt, self-loathing and other complex emotions that had entangled him for many years rolled down with the tears. Draco subconsciously hugged Harry, in an extremely uncontrollable and collapsed manner.

Harry didn't push Draco away, he just murmured something fragmentary. "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay."

"I'm-I'm sorry." Draco controlled his breathing through his sobs. "Thank you."

"It's okay." Harry looked over Draco's shoulder at the calm lake. Draco finally let go of his hand.

"We won't meet again?" Draco felt new tears blurring his eyes. "In fact, I have always admired you very much before..."

Harry lowered his eyes for a few seconds and changed his tone to coax a child. "You know, Aurors may catch dark wizards or go on missions. It's really hard to get used to seeing you no longer arrogant."

"You like seeing me - strutting around?" Draco forced a tearful smile.

"It makes me sad to see you so sad. I've been sad for a while." Harry looked at the lake again. "I don't know if you've changed too - we can't go back - but there's nothing we can do."

Draco quickly wiped away his tears. The sound of soft party music drifted to the lakeside on the wind.

"Are you feeling better?" Harry asked cautiously.

"I mean, if we could meet again on the project in the future - would you be willing to meet -" Draco asked.

"Why are we meeting in the project? Are you coming as an Auror as well? But it's dangerous."

Harry quickly changed his question into a coaxing tone, "See you."

"really?"

Harry looked up and saw that Draco's eyes and the back of his hands were rubbed red, and he replied seriously: "See you. If that's the case, why not."