Empty Spaces

Chapter 41

Waking up at Harry's side had considerable effects on Draco's overall morale. After everything, he was still somehow able to make it back home– back to school, back to work, back to Harry...

"Mm..." Harry rolled over, pulling Draco closer, "So happy you're back..."

Draco silently agreed.

"We should skip school today," Harry mumbled into his lover's hair.

"Sorry, darling," Draco replied softly, realizing he still had no idea what day it was, "I've missed enough already. Today's a school day...?"

"Shouldn't have said anything... it's Monday..." Harry nuzzled into his boyfriend's neck while Draco groaned. There was nothing he wanted more than to spend the day in bed with his lover... But there was no denying that he'd already missed a whole week, and the sooner he went back to the castle, the better.

"Fine, fine," Harry surrendered as he gave Draco an affectionate kiss on the cheek, "But the second we get out of class, we're coming back here..."

"Fair enough," Draco agreed, rolling out of bed and beginning to wonder what he was going to tell his teachers. The truth, he supposed, although they probably already knew from reading the Prophet... He pulled on his robe and headed out to start work on coffee– somehow, things tended to look brighter with some hot espresso in hand. Granger was already in the kitchen, sipping her tea, an owl at her side.

"It's addressed to you," she said, looking up as the owl held out its leg with an expectant sort of stare in its large eyes.

Draco recognized the Ministry envelope and seal; hoping it was simply some sort of bureaucratic nonsense, he tentatively opened and began to read:

8th February

Dear Mister Malfoy,

Due to your recent excessive absences from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we regret to inform you that you are hereby expelled, as this is a violation of the terms and conditions in which you were allowed to return to school this year.

Yours,

Marin Silverberry, Department of Education

"What is it, what's wrong?" Granger asked, opening the window and letting the Ministry owl sweep off into the cold morning air. "It can't be about the trial, that's officially closed, they can't go back–"

Draco held out the letter for her, unable to say the words. Harry had been right– school was important to Draco. It was a place where things made sense, where everything fit into orderly categories with no ambiguity about what was right and what was wrong. He cursed himself for even considering dropping out earlier as Lucius' voice rang through his head once more: Be careful what you wish for, my son, for one reaps that which what one sows...

"No... They can't do this," Granger said, sounding appalled, "They can't! It's not your fault that you were kept for a week while that trainwreck of a trial took place! We–"

"What's going on, everything okay?" Harry emerged sleepily from the bedroom, pulling on a robe, "Bit early for a shouting match, don't you think...?" Hermione strode across the room and shoved the Ministry letter into Harry's hand while Draco watched as his lover's face transformed from confusion to outrage.

"What the hell!?" Harry spat out, "They can't be serious... It's their own fucking fault that you weren't in school. Morons... Sorry, Hermione, say what you want about outside influence and all that, but this is insane. We at least have to go to McGonagall..."

Figuring it was better than nothing, Draco agreed and they hurried up to the castle, hoping to catch McGonagall before classes started.

"There, she's on her way to the Great Hall, probably heading down to breakfast," Harry pointed to his map, "We can catch up with her here, in this corridor..."