Heaven Through a Window • Drarry •

Chapter Thirteen: Remedial Potions

Draco's birthday was not a private affair. Scorpius made coffee ice cream terrine and invited all of Draco's friends, and conveniently, some of his own friends too. Weasleys and Potters ate tiny pastries on one side of the parlour, whilst anyone sorted in Slytherin sat around a card table. Scorpius and Albus disappeared and came back with a low-flying toy unicorn for Hugo Weasley, but then Daphne's and Pansy's offspring squabbled over it.

Potter's birthday was two months later. The cook brought up a birthday cake in the shape of a fire engine, Gilderoy wrote invitations for the other permanent residents, and Mother hung streamers from the ceiling. A few Weasleys, birthday presents and Butterbeers later, and they were both thirty-two.

"Everyone's gone mad for the Olympics," Potter said, nodding in the direction of a cheering pub down the street. "Wish I could go."

"Piss off," he said with a smile.

"Could I borrow your wand?"

Draco looked at him askance. "Why?"

Potter hung his head and scuffed his trainers against the railing. "... Just miss being a wizard, that's all."

"It probably wouldn't work properly."

"Oh, I think it will."

Draco withdrew his wand. He thumbed the hawthorn and a gold spark shot out the end, announcing his mood. Draco passed it to Potter, handle first. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Promise."

Their fingers brushed. Another gold spark shot out the end.

"Does it normally do that?" Potter asked, his voice hushed.

"No."

Draco sat down, hand tingling, his eyes not leaving Potter. The man grinned as he switched pebbles into ice cubes, and shot a butterfly out the tip of his wand.

"Did you mean to do that?" Draco asked.

Potter frowned at the wand. "Sort of. Narcissa taught me the Latin for 'butterfly' but I didn't think it would be a real spell!"

"Give it back. I don't want you experimenting, you'll blow us up or something."

"You think I'm that powerful?"

"I wasn't trying to compliment you. Besides," Draco continued, "I want to light a cigarette and don't trust you."

They sat and had a smoke.

"I've had an idea," Draco said slowly.

Potter's eyes were restless, like a caged bird tasting release. "Oh yeah? For sorting out my head?"

"As you may be aware, I'm not one to sit around, waiting for results..."

It would be labour intensive, possibly futile, and almost certainly would end in tears. However, Draco had to try. Anything.

"Have you heard of Occlumency and Legilimency?" Draco asked.

Potter grinned and blew cigarette smoke in his face. "Remedial Potions, some would call it."

Draco's jaw dropped. "I knew you were up to something!"

"No, you didn't! You were delighted I was bottom of the class!" And now Potter was delighted in proving him wrong.

"No comment."

"Anyway. It should've been called Remedial Occlumency. I was awful at it. Me and Snape didn't, er, work very well together. So... I suppose I'll be practising Legilimency on you?"