Empty Spaces

Chapter 42

Harry hadn't meant to keep anything from Draco– it just sort of turned out that way. At first, he was telling himself that he wouldn't say anything until he'd heard more from Holmberg, that there was no point in bringing it up if he didn't even make it past the first round of applicants. Then Draco's stupid ex-boyfriend showed up and just had to die extremely publically which set off a whole chain of events that had Harry pushing all post-Hogwarts plans to the far back of his mind.

Now with the trial finally over, Draco was once again forced to pick up the pieces of his broken world and continue moving forward. It amazed Harry just how resilient his boyfriend was– any other person would have succumbed to self-pity, but Draco took every blow with steadfast refinement.

"Every move on the chessboard has been to drive me into a corner," Draco explained, "But I'm not playing this game anymore. I have my own home, my own job, my own life. I'm staying here, and I'm passing those goddamn NEWTs."

Home. Here.

And Harry suddenly felt himself torn apart: Of course Hogsmeade had become Draco's home. Whether anyone was aware of it or not, Draco had been setting down roots here all year. His job at the inn wasn't just a job– Aberforth had become almost like a father (grandfather?) to him; Harry saw the way Aberforth reacted while Draco had been in custody, he saw the way Draco sought comfort and reassurance from those blue eyes... How could Harry ask his boyfriend to just up and leave??

"Draco... I'm so sorry about all of this," Hermione was saying, "But Harry and I will help you stay caught up. I've got to get to work this afternoon, but I'll be back this evening and then I can go over what we did in Arithmancy today. I could use the practice anyway... See you later, bye Harry!"

Hermione took off as a group of foreign wizards entered the inn, looking around and slowly making their way over to the reception desk.

"Sorry, Harry, looks like this is the party from Berlin," Draco said quietly, "I've got to take care of them, but I'll see you at home later, alright? I should be done here in a couple hours."

Harry made his way upstairs, feeling rather torn. For the more he thought about it, the more appealing the whole thing became– the chance to do something entirely new, in a new country, freed from everything it meant to "be Harry Potter" and just be himself. Nobody special, nobody important, just another average person folded into the fabric of day-to-day living. But it was becoming equally clear that whatever next year held in store for him, it had to include Draco. And Draco's life was in Hogsmeade, not Germany.

Not really knowing what else to do, Harry made his way upstairs to drop off his school things– maybe he would go to Honeydukes later and visit Hermione. Except that when he opened the door to their flat, there was an owl pecking away impatiently at the window.

Harry had half a mind to just ignore the owl and go downstairs. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right? But he knew both Hermione and Draco would be completely beside themselves if they missed any piece of mail, bad news or not, so Harry reluctantly flicked his wand at the window and checked the envelope.

It was made out to him.

'What the hell...?"

Despite having delivered its parcel, the owl just waited while Harry turned over the envelope, his insides freezing as he recognized the wax seal...

Mister Potter,

It appears that you and I have both managed to find ourselves in the precarious situation in which we may find the other to serve a mutually beneficial purpose.

For you see, my son has allowed himself to be led astray into the arms of those who have anything but his best interests in mind. A father will do what he must in order to protect his son, including reaching out to one that could arguably be called a former foe. And so, the mighty eagle descends down to the level of the common crow, swallowing one's pride in the hopes that his only son and heir may yet be able to be saved.