Medical Magic (Drarry)

Chapter Sixteen: Game Night Food

            Draco opened his front door early the next morning to the oddest sight he'd ever seen. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were contorted on a tarp with colored spots, every appendage resting on a different colored circle. Hermione was even doing a backbend to get to all her colors.

"I'm missing something," Draco announced since no one had noticed him – they were all too busy giggling like school kids.

"Draco!" Harry cried, turning his head to look at the blond man. He had an arm under Ron to get to the green circle, and a leg stretched out under Hermione to get to a red circle. "You're back!" He burst into giggles.

"I'm still missing something, and you sound drunk."

"It's Twister," Hermione explained. "It's a muggle game. And some of us are drunker than others." She turned her head as best she could to stare at her two male friends, both of whom were snickering loudly.

"Play with us!" Harry yelled, dropping onto the tarp.

"You lost!" Ron cried, lifting up his arms in triumph.

"I just won, Ronald," Hermoine laughed, dropping down from her bridge onto her back.

"I think I'll pass," Draco said, throwing his bag by the door and heading to the kitchen.

"Noooooo," Harry pouted. "I want to play with Draco."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Harry, I just got off a twelve-hour shift. I'm tired and hungry in that order." At the downtrodden look on the black-haired man's face, Draco sighed. "I'll make breakfast for everyone, though. I'll even make your favorite – French toast."

"Yay!" Ron and Harry cheered before looking at each other and collapsing into peals of laughter.

Hermione picked herself up off the ground and joined Draco in the kitchen. "How'd you know French toast was Harry's favorite?"

Draco dropped the pan he was holding. He could feel himself turning red. "Um, well, that's all he ate at breakfast for seven years. I figured it was probably a favorite."

Hermione gave Draco a knowing glance.

"What, Granger?"

"Oh nothing, Draco."

Rolling his eyes, he turned back to prepping the meal.

"Do you want help?"

"Sure, Hermione. I would love some." He glanced up to catch her beaming at him.

They worked side by side, neither saying a word. Finally, Draco broke the silence. "Since I've been here, I've had so many imaginary conversations with the three of you, just to keep my sanity. I never thought I'd ever be in the same room as the Golden Trio again, let alone having that room be my apartment."

Hermione glanced up at Draco, pausing in her whisking of the eggs. "I never thought I'd be cooking breakfast with you, yet here we are." She went back to what she was doing before adding, "What did you talk to us about?"

Draco contemplated how he would answer so that it all made sense. "Everything. At first, I spent most of my time apologizing to you three for all the various wrongs I'd committed. And then it just progressed from there. To me, it seems like we've been friends for years because we have been in my head. I don't mean to sound crazy."

Hermione just smiled her soft smile, the one Ron had fallen in love with all those years ago. "You don't sound crazy. And if it's any consolation, we are friends now."

"How can you say that after all the things I said and did?"

Giving him a knowing glance, she said, "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of ours. And besides, I haven't seen him this calm or relaxed in years. Whatever you two have been up to has done him wonders."

Draco felt his cheeks light up. "We haven't been doing anything. I've just been doing my normal routine."

"Well, the routine is good for Harry. I can't thank you enough for looking out for him since he's been here. We were really worried about him."

"Harry can take care of himself."

"Yes, he can," Hermione agreed. "But when it comes to you, he tends to go overboard."

Draco put the first piece of bread on the skillet before saying, "You're talking about when he projected himself, aren't you?"

Hermione nodded.

"He scared the shit out of me," Draco admitted. "I was, uhhh, in the shower."

She chuckled. "I know. He told me. But yes, that's what I'm talking about. I know you understand how much power and work he had to put into the spell to make it work."

Draco nodded. He was aware. "I still don't understand why he did it."

Hermione looked down at her hands. "He said he needed to know you were still alive before he continued to search for you. His plan only extended to finding out whether you were still breathing or not."

Draco paused. "That's a lot to do for such little return."

Hermione chewed her bottom lip. "It wasn't a little return to him; it meant everything to him. He's been obsessed with finding you over the years. It's not the only reason, but it's one reason he stepped down to work in the Missing Persons Department."

Staring at her in surprise, Draco tried to process what she had said. "Really?"

She nodded.

"What other reasons were there? I've been curious..."

Shuffling her feet, Hermione looked behind her to make sure Ron and Harry were still occupied with each other. "I think he got tired of being the hero everyone wanted him to be. And no matter what he says, I know he felt drawn to the department. Mostly for you."

Draco digested this news as he piled the last slice of French toast on the plate. "Breakfast is served!"

Harry and Ron hurried to the table. After taking their first bites, both men turned to Draco with the same adoring expression. "I think I love you, Draco," Ron got out from around a mouthful of food.

"I know I do," Harry said, his face down as he shuffled food into it as quickly as possible.

Draco blushed, but only Hermione noticed. She smiled to herself. Things were about to get interesting.