Blackberry Jam (A Drarry FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty Nine

   Before, with the surrender of Italy, Harry had been fearful to think what would happen to him and Draco once they no longer had to live in the countryside together. But that had been almost two years ago, and now they were older and wiser, Harry trusted that he wouldn't lose Draco over a mere matter of location. Besides, he was beside himself with the idea of seeing his mother and father again after so many years apart, and knew that the end of the war would bring so much happiness to so many others who would be reunited too.

They had spent almost five years of their lives in Surrey under Mrs Figg's care, where they had arrived as boys, and now Harry felt they were finally becoming men. Not old enough to have served their country, but after his crushing disappointment at realising he would never be able to enlist in the RAF, Harry hadn't wanted to serve in any other division in any case.

He was starting to feel his heart lay in engineering, and he was eager to investigate over the summer if that really was the case. If he couldn't fly planes, perhaps he would one day be able to build them? That had seemed like a reasonable compromise to him once his anger and disillusionment had eased, so this summer he would try his luck on cars, to see if he had a knack for understanding the way machines worked.

Right now though, all he had to do was let the worry of his exam revision melt away under the bright blue sky, and follow Draco as they soared through the countryside, barely a car or another bicycle in sight. "Where are we going?" he called jovially across to Draco up ahead. Harry was an accomplished bike rider, and could go for miles, but with Draco's long legs the other boy would always be the faster of the two.

He shot a mischievous look over his shoulder. "You do understand the meaning of the word 'surprise', don't you?"

"Spoil sport!" Harry shot back, but he didn't really mind. He was just curious, having never taken this route before. But he trusted wherever Draco was taking them would be okay. He would never put Harry in any danger, or take them so far they couldn't be back before supper.

Not long after, they peeled off the main path and delved into dense woodland, dark shadows giving them cool relief from the spring sunshine beating down over their heads. There was still a good path to follow, which Draco kept them on for several more minutes, until he slowed, and turned them down a trail that look far less used than the others they had been on for the last half hour.

"It might be easiest to walk the last bit," Draco said, squeezing his breaks and hopping off. Harry followed suit, wincing slightly at his sore muscles aching from where they hadn't been used properly during the past several weeks.

"How on Earth did you find this place?" Harry asked as he followed his friend down the winding pathway, walking their bikes by their sides.

Draco wiped his damp forehead with his hand. "It's on the edge of Theo's family's land," he explained. "He brought me here once, but he didn't seem to think it was all that special." He turned and winked at Harry. "I knew you would see its brilliance though."

Harry tried not to beam too obviously with pride. He loved to think Draco knew him well enough like that, and if it was something Draco thought was rather good and that he would like too, when Theo didn't, that was even better.

"Are we trespassing though?" he couldn't help but ask.

Draco shook his head. "Theo's parents said I can come and play around here whenever, and you're with me, so that's fine." They pushed through some thick shrubbery, and Harry had to make sure the spokes of his bike didn't get tangled with any branches. "Besides, their land stretches so far the chances of anyone finding us here are extremely remote."

Harry supposed that was a good enough answer. "Alright then," he said confidently, with a nod.