Blind - drarry

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Published: December 22, 2020

Updated: September 30, 2021

The article came out to an uproar. Several Ministry officials were being bombarded with owls and howlers for their inaction. The Wizengamot was due to convene when the holidays were over to debate the repeal of the Retribution Laws. Some thought it wasn't soon enough, but Harry surmised that they were waiting for the outrage to die down. Skeeter and Luna already had another newspaper series ready to be released on January 2nd, to stir the pot.

It was Christmas Eve, and Harry invited the Weasleys and a few of his friends over to the house. Harry was fixing up the place and tasked Draco with "looking beautiful", which Draco gave him a shove. They hadn't talked about the second kiss, nor the third or even the ninth over the last two weeks. Draco initiated all of them, usually at night in front of their tree. Harry never pressed the advantage nor elongated the kiss. Draco wasn't sure what he was waiting for. Him, he assumed.

Ron and Hermione were the first to arrive for the party. Hermione helped Harry figure out how to make a muggle "CD" box work off magic instead of electricity, with admonishments about how much they were breaking the law by enchanting it. Mr. Weasley, though the head of the department overseeing such violations, just laughed and fiddled with it all night.

Harry put out a buffet-type dinner and let everyone mingle. Draco stayed sitting in his old chair, so as to not bump into people. Occasionally, the brave Gryffindors would break ranks from their groups of friends and wish him a Merry Christmas and fail at small talk beyond that. They read the article and knew he was blind, so asking how he had been since school ended wasn't going to happen.

"Oy, Malfoy," the Irish one called, and Draco had to avoid frowning. "Sorry to hear about well... I mean... umm... wotcher doing here anyway?"

"Harry adopted me," he responded tonelessly.

"Oh right, wait...."

"Seamus, honey? Come on, dear, I'll explain to you later," another vaguely familiar voice said. "Nice to-umm... Merry Christmas, Malfoy."

"Merry Christmas," he replied. Maybe he should go back to his room, but someone else came over.

"Dean, this is Draco. My friend and Harry's," Luna said, touching his shoulder.

"Right... sorry, Draco. Man, that's weird to say. Well, glad you're here!" Dean said, and the two Gryffindors left.

"Thank you, Luna. It wasn't necessary, though."

"Give them a chance. They will accept you, Draco-you. They just need to understand why you are here. Harry didn't let the world know where you were at, nor announce it in his invites."

"I don't understand why I'm here sometimes," he admitted.

"Wrackspurts, usually. I do love your tree, by the way!"

He tilted his head up at her. He wasn't sure if she was joking, but knowing her, the lackadaisy decorating appealed to her unique personality.

"Come and mingle, Draco. Let Harry introduce you, and they will stop calling you by the name they know you as. They will take the hint, despite being overly aggressive Gryffindors."

"They are all war heroes, Luna. I shouldn't be here."

"So are you, Draco. You didn't fight at the battle. You didn't go back to Voldemort."

That didn't sound like a hero, but he let Luna pull him out of his seat and brought him to Harry as "Jingle Bells" played. The Gryffindors added their own verses.