001 Beginnings - Hand of Friendship
Title: Hand of Friendship
Characters/Pairing: Harry/Draco
Prompt: 001 Beginnings
Word Count: 661
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Disregards HBP
Author's Notes: Links to all parts can be found here at my slashfic40 prompt table index.
It was only a few weeks until the beginning of the summer holidays. Only a few more weeks until Harry and the rest of his year group left Hogwarts, facing the world for the first time as adults and fully qualified witches and wizards.
There were not many people about as Harry slipped out of the Gryffindor common room and made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It wasn’t surprising, really. After all, eight o’clock on a Saturday morning was definitely not a time when most of the student population wanted to be roaming around the corridors of the castle. In fact, Harry had been the only seventh year Gryffindor awake when he left the tower.
The Great Hall was bright and cheerful as he stepped in. ‘Full of hope,’ Harry thought to himself and hoped that his own hope wouldn’t be quashed soon. There was something that he wanted - needed - to do, and he knew that he would probably only get one shot at this. Taking a deep breath, Harry walked past the Gryffindor and towards that belonging to Slytherin. He focussed on the lone seventh year sitting there, munching his toast and reading the copy of the Daily Prophet that sat on the table.
“Malfoy.” The other man looked up when Harry addressed him. It was funny, part of Harry’s subconscious mused, how the blond had transformed from a boy to a man during the course of the war. He had made many sacrifices and risked his life to help Harry’s side fight against Voldemort and in doing so he had matured almost beyond recognition.
“Potter,” he returned.
“Can I talk to you?” Harry asked. “There’s a few things that I want to say.”
“Go ahead,” Draco gestured to the bench opposite.
Harry sat carefully. Now that he was finally here, all his words seemed to have dried up. But Malfoy was watching him with that icy gaze of his, and Harry knew that he had to speak up. “Look,” he said eventually, tugging at the sleeve of his jumper. “There’s been a lot of bad blood between us over the years.”
Malfoy snorted and made as if to speak, but Harry’s said, “Please, hear me out?” When the blond shifted his head in assent, Harry continued, “I’m not interested in placing the blame or anything. We both did some things that we were childish and cruel, and I know that I’ve acted stupidly in the past…” He swallowed. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want to make amends. Will you forgive me for everything I’ve done in the past? I’d like to get to know you better, maybe even be friends with you.”
Draco studied Harry for a while. Whilst Harry no longer looked as innocent as he did in youth, he still had an air of eagerness and hope about him. He pondered. What was there to lose, really? As Harry had said, they’d both done some pretty bad things to each other over time. But they had been children then. He really didn’t hold any of it against the other man; it was all water under the bridge now.
After a moment, he gave Harry a small smile, taking the brunet by surprise. Harry had thought that Draco was playing him, that he was pretending to think about if before telling him in no uncertain terms that he should get lost and never come back. But the blond was actually being pleasant and agreeable. “Alright then,” Draco told him.
Tentatively, Harry smiled back at him. Draco poured a glass of orange juice for Harry and passed it to him, picking up his own glass. Raising it, he said, “To new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings,” Harry repeated, clinking his glass against Malfoy’s.
“One thing,” Malfoy said. “Call me Draco.”
“Okay, Draco,” Harry said. “I’m Harry.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
They sipped their orange juice. It was a lovely day, indeed.
Next part
This is my response to the first slashfic40 prompt. I plan to write approx. 500-1000 words for each prompt, and they will all follow on from one another. Please let me know what you think!
Characters/Pairing: Harry/Draco
Prompt: 001 Beginnings
Word Count: 661
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Disregards HBP
Author's Notes: Links to all parts can be found here at my slashfic40 prompt table index.
It was only a few weeks until the beginning of the summer holidays. Only a few more weeks until Harry and the rest of his year group left Hogwarts, facing the world for the first time as adults and fully qualified witches and wizards.
There were not many people about as Harry slipped out of the Gryffindor common room and made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It wasn’t surprising, really. After all, eight o’clock on a Saturday morning was definitely not a time when most of the student population wanted to be roaming around the corridors of the castle. In fact, Harry had been the only seventh year Gryffindor awake when he left the tower.
The Great Hall was bright and cheerful as he stepped in. ‘Full of hope,’ Harry thought to himself and hoped that his own hope wouldn’t be quashed soon. There was something that he wanted - needed - to do, and he knew that he would probably only get one shot at this. Taking a deep breath, Harry walked past the Gryffindor and towards that belonging to Slytherin. He focussed on the lone seventh year sitting there, munching his toast and reading the copy of the Daily Prophet that sat on the table.
“Malfoy.” The other man looked up when Harry addressed him. It was funny, part of Harry’s subconscious mused, how the blond had transformed from a boy to a man during the course of the war. He had made many sacrifices and risked his life to help Harry’s side fight against Voldemort and in doing so he had matured almost beyond recognition.
“Potter,” he returned.
“Can I talk to you?” Harry asked. “There’s a few things that I want to say.”
“Go ahead,” Draco gestured to the bench opposite.
Harry sat carefully. Now that he was finally here, all his words seemed to have dried up. But Malfoy was watching him with that icy gaze of his, and Harry knew that he had to speak up. “Look,” he said eventually, tugging at the sleeve of his jumper. “There’s been a lot of bad blood between us over the years.”
Malfoy snorted and made as if to speak, but Harry’s said, “Please, hear me out?” When the blond shifted his head in assent, Harry continued, “I’m not interested in placing the blame or anything. We both did some things that we were childish and cruel, and I know that I’ve acted stupidly in the past…” He swallowed. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want to make amends. Will you forgive me for everything I’ve done in the past? I’d like to get to know you better, maybe even be friends with you.”
Draco studied Harry for a while. Whilst Harry no longer looked as innocent as he did in youth, he still had an air of eagerness and hope about him. He pondered. What was there to lose, really? As Harry had said, they’d both done some pretty bad things to each other over time. But they had been children then. He really didn’t hold any of it against the other man; it was all water under the bridge now.
After a moment, he gave Harry a small smile, taking the brunet by surprise. Harry had thought that Draco was playing him, that he was pretending to think about if before telling him in no uncertain terms that he should get lost and never come back. But the blond was actually being pleasant and agreeable. “Alright then,” Draco told him.
Tentatively, Harry smiled back at him. Draco poured a glass of orange juice for Harry and passed it to him, picking up his own glass. Raising it, he said, “To new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings,” Harry repeated, clinking his glass against Malfoy’s.
“One thing,” Malfoy said. “Call me Draco.”
“Okay, Draco,” Harry said. “I’m Harry.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
They sipped their orange juice. It was a lovely day, indeed.
Next part
This is my response to the first slashfic40 prompt. I plan to write approx. 500-1000 words for each prompt, and they will all follow on from one another. Please let me know what you think!