Custody (REDRAFTED- NEW ONE IS POSTED)

Chapter Nineteen

Harry woke up to a solid, warm weight against his chest. At first he was confused as he looked down and felt blond hairs tickling the underside of his chin. As the memories of what had happened last night sunk in, so did an awful feeling of guilt. He slowly and carefully distangled himself from Draco, grabbing his glasses and wand from the night table and hurried to get changed. He had to get away from the house. After he was changed, he wrote a quick note and left it on the table, taking a second to look at the sleeping blond.

Draco had curled more into the sheets for warmth, his pale hair and skin looking gorgeous against the dark red of his bed covers. His tail poked out from under the covers, his ears swiveling, even in his sleep, to pick up noise. Harry sighed and left the room, shoving his wand into his back pocket as he always did.

The sun was just starting to rise. Dew soaked his sneakers as he walked across the lawn. The birds were singing their praise to the newly risen sun as he passed through the trees. Once he was out of reach of the wards, he apparated.

The graveyard was calm and silent, covered in a thin layer of dew making the whole place sparkle. Harry walked past the other graves, knowing where he was going. Pulling out his wand, he silently transfigured a pebble into a lily. Sitting down in the dew in front of the grave, he gently set down the lily.

“Hey Ginny. A lot has happened since the last time we talked. I know it's been a few months.”

There wasn’t a response. There never was.

“I don’t know what to do. I… I know I shouldn’t feel guilty. You would want me to move on. To be happy. I know that. But… I can’t help it.” He curled his knees to his chest, staring at the gravestone.

‘Ginevra “Ginny” Weasley. 1981-1998. Sister, friend, and lover.’ He had read these words over and over billions of times.

“Should I actually do this? I know I feel something for him. I know I’ve felt something for him before. But am I ready to move on?”

He knew he probably looked insane, sitting in the wet grass and talking to a gravestone.

There was a small trill of a bird call, making him look up. A bright red cardinal was perched on the gravestone. It trilled again, fluttering slightly and hopping along the top of the stone. Harry grinned and looked up at the sky. A few drops of rain hit his glasses, blurring his vision. “I take that’s a yes.”

The bird flew off, leaving him to his thoughts.