𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓 2008

The More You Ignore Me

Author: nahimana (emerald_dragon8)
Title: The More You Ignore Me
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, some brief Harry/Ginny
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Hogwarts has gone through some changes, and now Harry is faced with scheming housemates, flying rose bushes and a Malfoy obsessed with Muggle music.
Warnings: Slash, brief het, some English music of the 90s
Total word count: ~ 6,800

part 1 (the more you ignore me)

“Slightly morbid celebration, with all those dead bodies hanging around,” a voice spoke from behind him, and Harry jumped, glancing over his shoulder to see the tall, thin silhouette of Draco Malfoy, leaning against the balcony entrance. Harry rolled his eyes, but made no verbal reply. Malfoy righted himself and strode over so he was leaning over the balcony, like Harry. He was still shorter than Harry, but taller than when they had last met.

“Why aren’t you in there, with the rest of them? Seems like you’d be the one they’d want to make the toasts with.” He was right, of course. The Weasleys would be looking for him, soon enough. Only Luna seemed to have grasped his need to be alone, to remember. His parents, Remus, Tonks, Sirius... they had all been there. And Harry had had the chance to go to them, to see them again. To be at peace, instead of surrounded by dead bodies, toasting the fallen and celebrating the fall of Voldemort. But no one, especially not Malfoy, had the right to know this. Instead, he answered with a question that had been niggling at the far back corners of his mind since he had watched the Malfoys bid a tearful (at least, on Narcissa’s part) goodbye to Draco earlier in the evening.

“Why aren’t you gone, Malfoy? With your parents?”

“I’ll go later. There are still things I’d like to do, at Hogwarts.” Almost as if he knew what Harry was thinking, he added, “It was my home too, Potter. It was a lot of people’s homes. And considering the damage...well, how long at we going to have to wait for repairs? Who knows when I’ll be back?” Harry had nothing to say to this, so remained silent once again.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Potter. Why aren’t you in there with your little girlfriend wrapped around you, people yelling their praise at you from every direction? I don’t think anyone would begrudge you a moment in the spotlight.”

Harry glanced at him sharply at this, and Malfoy shrugged.

“Well, I would, I suppose. But you haven’t given a flying fuck about my opinion in the past. Why would you start now?”

Harry shrugged. Malfoy had a point. “Why did you suddenly go from Voldemort’s Number One fan to double crosser, Malfoy?”

“Oh, for—” at this, Draco looked frustrated. His fingers tapped irritably against the cool stone of the balcony. “Stop answering questions with questions, Potter.” Harry looked at him calmly for several moments, until he made a frustrated little noise and turned so that his whole body was facing Harry. “I was never Voldemort’s number one fan. My father joined him, it was expected of me to follow in his footsteps. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, Potter. The power, the control. The Dark Lord is—was—a very persuasive man.”

Harry nodded understanding at this, remembering how Voldemort had managed to even charm a Hogwarts ghost, when he had been so inclined.

“I never really changed,” Draco continued, pressing his lips together and tucking his hands away in his torn robe pockets. “I just didn’t support either side.”