On The Wings of A Dragon

4. Anxiety

Harry and Narcissa had arranged that he should go to the Manor on a Saturday, so he rose early, had his morning jog and a hot shower, enjoyed a cup of hot steaming coffee with his breakfast, and made his way to an apparition point.  He had a large amount of anxiety if he were being honest with himself, but he also felt a bit op hope.  Hope at the feeling that perhaps they could start over and become friends.  Narcissa had replied to his note by telling him that he must please not look shocked when he saw Draco again.  The war had changed him.

Harry knew this.  The war had changed everyone, and who was he to judge?  He was apprehensive at seeing the blond man again, because he knew what she was referring to.  During the trial, Draco had looked lost, emaciated, and almost dead.  A body without a soul, and the light that had always shone in his eyes was gone.  He didn't look like Draco without that light.

He had to let him know that none of this was their fault.  They had been caught up in an adult's war, while the adults had all stepped aside and watched the children do what they themselves should have done, or at least tried to prevent.

He was going to pound that information in his head until it sunk in.  And he was a patient man, and he only hoped that Draco would be willing to let him in.  Narcissa had asked him for a second favor in that she didn't want Draco to know that she had asked Harry for his help.  He was reluctant to agree, but in the end, if it meant he could help him, he finally said he would keep it a secret.  Not exactly the best way to start a friendship, hence his anxiety.

If push came to shove, he would tell Draco, but he would also insert a white lie, telling him that it wasn't his mother who had asked, but he who had offered.  She smiled at Harry when he said that, and said a soft thank you.  He had arrived at the Manor, and taking a deep breath, knocked on the huge black doors, wondering what Draco's response would be at seeing him.

The door opened and a house elf stood in front of him.  He smiled and said, "Hello.  I'm Harry, I'm here to visit Draco".

The house elf blinked several times, trying to grasp what he had just heard.  No one ever came by to see his Master Draco, much less, Harry Potter, but realized that he was being rude with his staring, and so answered, "Master Harry, it is wonderful to see you.  I is not knowing Master Draco is having company today", and he held the door open for Harry to enter.

"Actually it's a surprise", replied Harry and walked inside.  "He doesn't know I'm coming.  Could you tell him that I am here?", he asked.  

The house elf, who introduced himself as Tinkle nodded his head and said he would be right back.  He left with a bounce in his step, for perhaps things were going to be different around here.  His Master was always sad, and maybe Master Harry could change that.  He knocked on Draco's bedroom door, and waited for a reply.

"Enter", came the crisp voice of Draco.  The house elf entered, and told him that he had a visitor.  Draco felt two things at once after hearing this.  The first feeling was anxiety, as he hadn't seen anyone except his mother for a few months now, and the second one was confusion.  Who the hell would want to see him?  He wasn't even sure he looked good enough to receive guests, and so told Tinkle that he had no desire to see anyone, no matter who it was.  Tell them to leave.

"Sorry Master Draco, Tinkle cannot do this", said the elf with a shaky voice.  

Draco glared at him and said in a very dry voice, "I beg your pardon!  You will do as I say elf".

"Tinkle has come to tell Master Draco that Master Harry Potter is here to see you Sir", he repeated, and with that he left the room before the books that Draco was throwing at him, hit him on the back of his head.  

With the door closed, he breathed a sigh of relief, and went downstairs to tell Harry that his Master would be down shortly.  Harry nodded his thanks, and went to wait in one of the many lounge areas.

After one hour, Harry started growing restless, and wondered if Draco had fallen asleep, or if he was just being rude.  He had the sudden urge to run upstairs, pound on the door himself and tell him, that he was here because they needed to talk about things.  Any of the things that had happened during their tenure at Hogwarts.  He decided to wait a little while longer, and accepted the offer of tea when it came.

Draco on the other hand, was going insane.  What the fuck was Potter doing in his house, and why did he want to see him?  Was he sorry he spoke out at the trial.  Was he here to take him to Azkaban, because the whole wizarding world knew that he was going to become an Auror.  What exactly did he want.  And where the hell was his mother.  

He made his way through secret tunnels and passage ways, and opened a door just a crack to see what was going on.

He saw Potter sitting in the lounge, drinking a mug of tea.  Stupid idiot, he thought.  Who drinks tea out of a mug.  Tea was the nectar of the gods and it should be had in a pure porcelain cup, with a saucer thank you!  Gods, he hated the man.  

But then he looked further than what was in Potter's hands.  He actually looked at his hands.  He saw old scars, some writing perhaps, and a silver ring on the middle finger of his right hand.  He looked at the forearms, and the biceps, which were to his astonishment covered in ink.  

He looked at the earring in his one ear, at how long his hair was, and there were no glasses on his face, and most of all, he looked at how calm Potter appeared to be.  He must have the patience of a saint, he thought.  Why wasn't he getting angry, or better yet, why wasn't he leaving.  Tinkle had been in his room about two hours ago, surely he didn't think that Draco was going to see him now after all this time.  Idiot, he thought again.

Harry placed his mug on the tray, and ran his hands over his face, as if he were tired.  Where was Draco, and why was he making him wait.  He couldn't ask for his mother, she was gone for the day, and he didn't know if he was allowed to call for the house elf.  And so he sat, alone with his anxiety, waiting for Draco to emerge.  But at the same time, almost knowing that he wouldn't.

When Tinkle walked past Harry to retrieve the tea tray, another hour and a half had passed.  He saw that Master Harry was still in the same chair, and asked politely, "Master Harry is finished with Master Draco, yes?".

Harry looked at him with sad eyes, and replied, "No Tinkle.  I haven't seen Draco all day.  I have been waiting here for him all this time.  Are you sure he didn't maybe fall asleep or something?".

Tinkle knew his place and stated, "Perhaps he did.  I am sorry Master Harry, I should haves gone to check.  You have been waiting all this time...", but before the elf could punish himself, Harry rose up and spoke to him in a soft voice.

"That's quite all right Tinkle, thank you.  I'm sure if you had known, you would have told me.  Will you please tell Draco that I will be back tomorrow?", he asked kindly.  

The house elf nodded and saw Harry out of the Manor.

Draco had heard the interaction between the two, and sighed, wondering what was so important to Potter that he would be back again the next day.