Avebury Magic (H/D, PG)
Author: sesheta_66
Betas: dysonrules, rickey_a, and marguerite_26 ♥
Title: Avebury Magic
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: PG
Summary: Could the wizarding pumpkin fest really be as good as Malfoy says? With a little help from Luna, Harry will find out that and more. Based on the art, At the Pumpkin Festival by dirty_darella.
Word Count: ~4,700
Disclaimer: Based on this fabulous art by dirty_darella. All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Avebury Magic
Harry edged his way towards the entrance to the maze, suppressing visions of Cedric Diggory's lifeless body. Breathe. He hadn't imagined ever entering one again.
"Come on, Harry," Luna said, pulling him by the arm, her eyes sparkling with childlike excitement. "It'll be fun!"
The twisting knots in Harry's stomach disagreed, but Luna looked happy. After everything she'd been through, he couldn't bring himself to say no to her. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to be dragged along. It was, after all, just a Muggle maze, one that didn't threaten to close in on him, flip him upside down, or transport him to his doom in a graveyard miles away. Get a grip.
"Here." Luna thrust a paper and pencil into his hand. "We need to record all the markers we get to, so we can solve the puzzle."
He frowned, looking at her paper. "Don't we need just the one?"
She laughed. "Of course not, silly. We'll each do one."
"But --" The only reason he'd agreed was to accompany Luna.
"We're being marked on this," she admonished, sounding eerily like Hermione. "The more activities we participate in, the better our mark." As if Harry cared what kind of mark he got on a Muggle Studies field trip. "You do want a good mark, don't you?"
He sighed. "I suppose so."
They turned the first corner of the maze. "Here we are!" Luna said, pointing ahead. A post stood before them with a letter "S" on it. "That's our first letter." Below that was a block of wood with a rabbit carved into it. "And our first clue!"
Harry failed to see the fun in this, but Luna practically bounced out of her trainers. Days like this reminded Harry that, for all her strange notions and visible quirks, Luna was a Ravenclaw at heart, never so happy as when she encountered some sort of mystery. Today, it seemed, the Muggle maze was her mystery of choice.
"Which way?" she asked as they approached a fork.
Harry shrugged. "Left?"
"Brilliant. I'll go right and I'll meet you at the end."
"But --" Harry tried not to look nervous. It was just a bloody maze. He'd defeated Voldemort, for Merlin's sake. He groaned, imagining his head visibly swelling. I did not just think that. "I thought we'd do this together."
"Oh, but Harry. It's so much more fun to compete." She grinned, then tilted her head to the side, looking curiously at a space just behind Harry. He resisted the urge to turn around. "You don't feel strange, do you? I don't see any sign of Wrackspurts."
He smiled and tried to look at ease. "I'm fine, Luna. But if I'm not out by sunset, you'll send someone in after me, yeah?"
"You're very strange sometimes," she said, shaking her head. "You do know that, right?" She wandered off to the right, half giggling, half humming as she went.
Harry stood for a moment, breathing in the scent that thankfully did not remind him of that maze, perplexed that he'd just been called strange by Loony Lovegood.
"This is boring," a familiar drawl reached Harry through the wall of the maze. "I can't believe this is supposed to be a challenge. Are all Muggles so simple?"
"Do stop complaining, Draco," Parkinson's voice replied. Her tone suggested that Malfoy had been whinging for some time. "You know we have to pass Muggle Studies class, and this field trip provides us the easiest way to get marks. Even if it is ridiculous."
"I doubt he's really monitoring the maze for magic," Malfoy said. Harry had wondered the same thing, though their professor had warned them he would.
"But are you willing to take that chance?" she said. "You aren't what I'd call excelling in this class."
"Stupid class." Harry pictured Malfoy's eyes narrowed, brows scrunched together, and his fists clenched. Harry struggled not to laugh out loud. Truth be told, Harry agreed with Malfoy. Why Muggle Studies was required - for the eighth years, no less - escaped him.
"Be that as it may, we're stuck with it. And with this Pumpkin Fest."
"The Avebury Annual Festival is so much better than this sad excuse."
"So you've said for years." She sounded bored. "So why is it you've never invited me to tag along with you and your mum?"
"It's always been our thing to do, ever since Father stopped accompanying us back when --" He coughed. "Well, you know. We all used to go, but then it became something for just the two of us. One of the few things Mother and I still did together."
Harry tried to reconcile what he was hearing with the Malfoy he knew. He'd seen Narcissa dote on her son, and Malfoy lap it up often enough. And there was no doubt Narcissa loved her son very much. Why Harry found this latest revelation - that Malfoy had enjoyed time with his mother - to be such a surprise he didn't know.
"Did? Aren't you going this year?"
"No. Mother ... well, she's taken Father's death rather hard, and she's not yet ready to venture out."
That explained his annoyance surrounding this particular trip. Not that Harry knew anything about the other festival, but he certainly knew how exciting every new magical experience was for him.
"Well then," Parkinson said, "it's high time you show me what you've been going on about for years."
"You don't have to --"
"No, but you do. You can't tell me something is wonderful and not expect to accompany me. Shall we say next Saturday?"
"Well, if I must," Malfoy said. Harry detected a hint of relief in Malfoy's voice, and perhaps even a smile.
Approaching footsteps hustled Harry into action.
***
"Have you heard of the Avebury Annual Festival?" Harry asked as he and Luna made their way towards the hay rides later in the afternoon.
"Oh, yes!" Luna's eyes lit up as the wagon approached. "Dad and I only went the one time, but it was wonderful," she said. She motioned to the horse then leaned in to whisper in his ear. "They have thestral-drawn pumpkin carriages, all sorts of fancy pies and cauldron cakes and breads made with pumpkin, and pumpkins the size of houses. And on the last night, they light a huge fire and everyone celebrates Samhain."
Harry helped her up onto the wagon before climbing aboard. They sat on a large bail of hay and pulled a blanket up over their legs. "Pumpkin carriages?" he asked. "Like in Cinderella?"
Luna considered the question. "Cinder what?"
"Muggle fairytale," he explained.
She peered around to be sure no one was looking. "I don't know about the fairytale, but the carriages are made of pumpkins - some of the smaller ones that aren't on display."
They'd both seen Hagrid's pumpkins before and even they seemed unlikely candidates to carve carriages from. "Smaller?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm." She looked out over the fields as the wagon began to move. "The bigger ones would be too hard for the thestrals to pull."
Harry grinned. He really did love magic.
"Did you want to go?" Luna asked.
"I --" Harry thought about riding in a pumpkin carriage, and really there was no point denying it. "Sure!"
"When?"
"How about Saturday?"
***
"Wow!" Harry said for the hundredth time, as a thestral-drawn carriage carved from a pumpkin and carrying a family of four drove past, several barking crups following behind. The air was crisp and fresh and full of children's laughter and gasps of amazement. Not to mention Harry's.
Luna giggled. "You're like a little kid," she teased.
It was true, but he didn't care. Like the first time he went to Diagon Alley or Hogwarts, he found himself completely enthralled. He grinned as a puppet show of sorts, with animated pumpkins as the players, entertained a group of children under one tent. He hadn't stopped to consider all the possibilities available when magic was involved. Turning back to the carriage, he said, "Well, did you see the size of those pumpkins?"
Luna nodded. "I told you they were as big as houses."
True, but he'd thought she was exaggerating. He should have known better. "How do they make them so big?" he wondered.
She shook her head. "Magic, Harry," she said patiently. "You remember you're a wizard, yes?"
"Well ... yes. But then why aren't Hagrid's pumpkins this big?"
"I imagine it's the level of power your magic holds. Like anything, there are levels of skill, and - pardon me for saying - Hagrid doesn't seem very powerful, magically speaking."
He nodded. "That makes sense." Perhaps Hagrid's fear of getting caught using magic had something to do with it too.
"Besides, these people spend the entire year cultivating their crops. You have to expect the results to be grand."
And grand they were.
***
Harry caught his first glimpse of platinum hair about an hour after they'd arrived. Malfoy had a bit of a lost look about him that tugged at Harry. He shook the feeling off, wondering why he was feeling sorry for Malfoy of all people.
Oh, who was he trying to kid? Harry had been feeling badly for him ever since that first glimpse into Voldemort's mind last year, when he'd watched a horrified Draco Malfoy torture others to avoid the same fate - or worse - himself. Harry remembered it as though it were yesterday: the look of terror and disgust barely disguising his fear. As stupid as it was, that was the first time Harry had ever thought about Malfoy in terms of having human emotions. He'd long ago accepted that Malfoy had been caught up in the wrong side of the war, and that he'd had very few choices. But how did he feel about Malfoy now?
"He's a good person," Luna said, interrupting Harry's thoughts. She motioned towards Malfoy.
"Um ..." She'd obviously caught Harry staring.
"He made things ... well, not so much nice as acceptable," she said. "Mr Ollivander and I always hoped that Draco would be the one to open the door."
Harry gawped at her. He wasn't sure why she was bringing this up now. "You did?"
"Oh, yes." She looked at Malfoy and smiled in that way she had, the same way she looked at flowers or friends or an interesting puzzle. Like everything in life contributed to her happiness in some small way. Even Malfoy. "He was always pleasant to us, and we could tell he was frightened too."
"He was nice to you?" Harry asked incredulously, wondering how much more surreal conversations with Luna could get.
"Oh, no," she said. "He couldn't be nice to us, but he wasn't unpleasant, which, considering the circumstances, was very nice indeed."
Harry shook his head to try to make sense of her words. "And Mr Ollivander agreed?"
She nodded. "Mm-hmm. He said it was a shame he'd had to have Lucius as a father, that he'd have turned out just fine with a different lot in life."
Luna drifted away to look at some of the mammoth pumpkins on display in the tent marked Gargantuan Gourds. Harry watched as she ran her hands over the obviously magically-enhanced monstrosities, her eyes sparkling and a smile tugging at her lips.
Luna's words hung in the air as Harry turned his attention back to Malfoy. He'd seen how scared Malfoy had been, and knew that he hadn't wanted to torture anyone. He hadn't derived pleasure from the act like so many had, including Crabbe and Goyle. But this revelation from Luna was something Harry hadn't considered. He'd just presumed Malfoy would be his usual self.
A thought came to Harry, unbidden. Maybe he had been himself with Luna and Mr Ollivander. After all, Malfoy hadn't had any reason to pretend otherwise when Voldemort and the Death Eaters were otherwise occupied.
At school, everyone pretended to be something or someone they were not. It was natural. Everyone wanted to fit in. So they pretended to be braver, smarter, and more confident than they were. Only in their own homes or around their true friends could they let down their guard.
Harry remembered how Crabbe had treated Malfoy at the end, and how Goyle had followed Crabbe's lead. He wasn't sure why, but it saddened Harry to think that Malfoy couldn't ever let down his guard around those he considered friends. In Slytherin, he'd have had to keep up appearances, maintain that cool aloofness he did, and never give away anything that someone could use against him later. True, Harry hadn't been allowed to be himself at Privet Drive, but then, once he knew who he really was, he'd always thought of Hogwarts as his true home. Harry ran a hand through his hair and tried to imagine life at school without Ron and Hermione. Even worse, he tried to imagine being surrounded by the people that looked up to The Boy Who Lived, the people who didn't know him at all. Was that how things had been for Malfoy all through school? Perhaps still were?
Harry thought of his fifth year, when he'd felt alienated from everyone, completely alone. He'd been a joy to be around that year. Sure, Umbridge was a power-hungry witch that revelled in tormenting him, but Harry had been pretty miserable with everyone at some point or another. Could Malfoy have had a similar reason for being such an arse in school? Recalling a cruel and manipulative Lucius Malfoy, Harry thought Draco may very well have.
"And he likes you too," Luna, once again breaking into his reverie, said as casually as she might have said, Pleasant weather we're having. Then she walked away.
Harry scrambled to catch up. "What do you mean, he likes me too?"
Luna picked through a few gourds, holding some smaller ones up to her ears. Conjuring a mirror, she looked at herself at various angles, perhaps considering replacing her radish earrings for the season. "What do you think?" she asked Harry.
"Brilliant," he said. "Now what did you mean?"
She waved away the mirror, apparently satisfied, and moved ahead to the pastry display. "Was I not clear?" she asked, her airy voice unnerving. "Draco likes you. And you like him."
"I ... what?"
"He watches you all the time, just like you watch him. I'd wager he knows more about you than Ron does." She picked up, then put back, several pastries before deciding on a scrumptious-looking pie, which Harry had to admit smelled delicious. She looked at Harry and frowned. "Perhaps that's not the best comparison. After all, Ron isn't the most observant, is he?"
"No," Harry agreed, feeling completely unhinged by the surreal conversation.
"Perhaps Neville," she said. "Yes. I would say that Draco knows you better than Neville does."
"That's impossible. Dra-- Malfoy doesn't know me at all."
She gave him a curious look. "He's watched you nearly as closely as you've watched him over the years." She looked back to where Malfoy and Parkinson stood. "He must not know you're here yet."
Unable to stop himself, Harry looked at Malfoy. "Why do you say that?"
"Because he looks too relaxed." She reached for another pie. "And he's not watching you."
Harry watched him for a few minutes. Luna was right. He did look relaxed. Happy even. "What--" He stopped as he realised Luna had wandered off. When he turned back in Malfoy's direction, he nearly jumped. Malfoy knew he was there now. He was marching, angry and tense, straight towards Harry.
"Potter, what are you doing here?" Malfoy looked around nervously, as if expecting an ambush of some kind.
Harry thought about lying, but didn't really have an excuse for suddenly showing up here. "Er ..." he said, suddenly not sure why he felt compelled to explain himself. It was a public place after all. "I overheard you talking to Parkinson when we were at the Pumpkin Fest last week."
Malfoy's face reddened and he glared at Harry. "So you decided to follow me?" His voice resonated with incredulity. "Checking up on me? Making sure I'm not up to something?"
"No!" Harry said, raising his hand in surrender. "It's not like that at all."
"Right." Malfoy's fists clenched so tightly at his sides his knuckles whitened. Harry watched Malfoy's right hand twitch, as though itching to grab his wand and hex Harry.
Harry stepped back and looked into Malfoy's face, taken aback by a vaguely familiar look. The same look he'd held on the train that first day of school, when Harry had refused his hand. A mixture of anger, resentment, and what looked like hurt hit Harry like a Bludger to the gut.
Harry hadn't thought about that day since, about what it might have meant to him. "Malfoy," he said. Grey eyes pinned him to the spot. "Draco." Malfoy's eyes widened. "I'm not following you." Harry bit his lip again. "At least not intentionally."
"And yet here we are." Malfoy's arm motioned around them. "I thought we'd got past all that," he said, sounding more defeated than angry now.
"We have." Harry dropped his gaze. "I know what it looks like, but I swear I wasn't checking up on you."
"Then why are you here? Why do you continue to stalk me? The war is over, you know. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not doing anything wrong."
"I've noticed."
Malfoy's expression made Harry wish he hadn't been so quick to respond. He'd basically confirmed what Malfoy had accused him of. "Look, Malfoy, I'm not stalking you, I swear. It's just ..." Luna's words danced around in his head. He looked at Malfoy and wondered how much truth they held. What did he have to lose by being honest? "I suppose I'm just so used to watching you that it's second nature to me by now. I don't think I can be in the same place as you and not notice you." And how telling was that?
Malfoy's jaw dropped and Harry had to laugh. "That does sound rather pathetic, doesn't it?" he said.
Malfoy shook his head, but said, "Yes." The corners of his lips twitched.
"I meant it, though. I'm not stalking you."
"Then why did you follow me here?"
"I didn't." He looked up hopefully, but met Malfoy's cold stare. "It just ... the way you described it sounded nice."
Malfoy snorted. "A lot of things sound nice, but don't involve following me around."
"I know," Harry said. "I just thought ... never mind."
Confusion clear on his face, Malfoy seemed poised to pursue the conversation, then abruptly looked away. "If you'll excuse me, I have to find Pansy."
Harry nodded and stepped back. The familiar scent - just a hint - of Malfoy's shampoo wafted back to Harry in his wake. He scowled, wondering just when he'd first noticed the smell of Malfoy's hair?
"Well," Luna said as she approached, a bag full of gourds in her hand, "that didn't go very well at all."
Harry sighed. "He thinks I followed him here, that I'm checking up on him."
Luna frowned. "It does look that way, doesn't it?"
"I --" Harry clamped his mouth shut and tried to answer without digging himself deeper. "Okay, I wanted to come here after overhearing Malfoy talking to Parkinson, but it has nothing to do with checking up on him."
"If you say so."
"It's true!" he said, trying not to sound defensive, but failing miserably. "What makes you think I'm following him?"
She leaned her head to the side, as though considering a crazy person. "You may not have followed him here, but I'll wager that you can't keep your eyes from finding him now that you've seen him." She glanced over Harry's shoulder and grinned. "And I suspect Draco will do the same with you."
Harry turned and found Malfoy looking in his direction - not with his customary sneer, but looking rather puzzled. Luna waved and Malfoy's eyes widened. Parkinson laughed and elbowed Malfoy. Malfoy turned his back and stormed off.
Several times over the course of the afternoon, Harry found himself drawn to familiar blond hair or a no-longer-irritating drawl. He seemed to react instinctively. And each time, by the time he realised what he was doing and tried to backtrack, Luna was already chuckling beside him.
"I don't know why the two of you bother denying it," she said after catching him watching a particular pumpkin carriage drive past.
"What?"
"It isn't because he's a boy, is it?" she asked. "Because that would just be silly."
"I -- No, of course not." Harry hadn't shared his preferences with anyone, choosing to keep those thoughts to himself, but he wasn't about to deny them or lie about it. Before his brain had a chance to catch up with his mouth, he added, "Do you think he's gay?" Merlin, kill him now!
Luna giggled and wandered off, making Harry feel even more the idiot. He took several long strides to catch up. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. Who knew what idiocy might spill forth this time? As it was, he felt decidedly off-balance.
"Oh!" Luna said as she took in what must have been a bewildered expression on Harry's face. "You weren't joking?"
He pursed his lips. "No, I wasn't."
"I thought it was rather obvious," she said, suddenly serious. "I can't believe anyone would think Draco was anything but gay."
"Really?" Please don't let that have sounded as hopeful as he thought it had. From the triumphant grin and wink he received from Luna, Harry realised he wasn't that lucky. Why didn't the ground just open up and swallow him whole already? Thankfully, Harry was saved the mortification of a biting remark, since Luna didn't do snarky.
***
"Oooh! A maze!" Luna tugged at Harry's sleeve, dragging him to the entrance.
Harry cringed. "Luna, I don't --" His stomach lurched and, as the breeze carrying the familiar smell of pine trees reached him, Harry stopped mid-stride. "Let's do something else."
Malfoy chose that moment to appear, and their eyes met before Harry had a chance to compose himself. Much to Harry's surprise, Malfoy did not mock him. Without taking his eyes from Harry, he addressed Parkinson. "There's nothing to see here." Malfoy acknowledged Harry's surprise with a nearly indistinguishable nod before turning to Parkinson. "It's just a standard wizarding maze; nothing spectacular. Wouldn't you rather sample the cider - it's truly spectacular - or go on another carriage ride?"
"Harry, we haven't done a pumpkin carriage ride yet!" Luna exclaimed, muffling whatever Parkinson's response had been. Harry cast a grateful and somewhat confused look towards Malfoy and allowed himself to be dragged towards the carriages.
Near closing time, Harry found himself holding a pumpkin, waiting by the makeshift check-out counter while Luna searched for more treats to bring back to school. The aroma of cinnamon and cloves swirled around Harry, warming him and causing his stomach to grumble. He had enjoyed the day, but looked forward to dinner.
"Honestly, Pansy, haven't you bought enough?" Malfoy's voice crept up on Harry from behind.
"Just wait over by the till," Parkinson replied. "I won't be more than ten minutes."
"Sure you won't."
Amused that he wasn't alone in his plight, Harry turned round to face Malfoy.
"Oh, for the love of --" Malfoy glared at Harry. "Is there no escape from you?"
Harry chuckled. "Apparently not." Another glare had him raise his free arm in surrender. "You can't accuse me of following you this time," he said. "I was just standing here, minding my own business."
Malfoy huffed. "Why are you here again?"
"The truth?"
"No, Potter, I want you to lie to me." He rolled his eyes.
Bracing himself for mocking, Harry explained. "I grew up with Muggles."
"Yes, yes, we all know. Poor Harry Potter."
"I don't want your sympathy, Malfoy," Harry cut in. "You asked me why I'm here, so I'm telling you. Are you going to let me?"
"Fine."
"I grew up not knowing magic, so the whole world was new to me. Even after seven years, I find myself discovering new and wonderful things all the time." Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest, looking bored. "Everything you take for granted, everything you grew up with, is still special to me. Probably always will be."
Malfoy narrowed his eyes, as if some unseen battle was being fought inside him. "Go on."
"My whole life I was told there was no such thing as magic." Malfoy's eyes widened. "My family knew there was, but they thought they could make me normal if only they denied the truth."
"That you are a wizard?"
"Yeah." Harry ran his fingers through his hair nervously. Why was he telling Malfoy all this? "Any time something strange happened around me, they punished me, figuring they could ... well, never mind." He needed to stay on track, or he'd sound like the attention-grabbing git Malfoy always accused him of being. "It didn't work out the way they wanted, obviously, but they'd done a pretty good job on me by the time Hagrid came to deliver my Hogwarts letter."
"You mean to tell me the stories in the papers were right?"
"Occasionally they get some facts straight." Harry shrugged. "Anyway, that means that for more than half my life I believed that magic didn't exist." He glanced over at the monstrous pumpkins and back to Malfoy. "So when I hear someone like you--" Malfoy scowled, and opened his mouth as if to argue. Harry was quick to add, "Someone who grew up around magic." Malfoy's shoulders relaxed. "When I hear someone like you talk about something exciting, I just ... well, I figure it must be spectacular. And I guess I just have to see for myself."
Malfoy stared at Harry, as though trying to decide whether to believe him or not. Harry held his gaze. "You really weren't following me?"
"I really wasn't."
"Oh." Did Malfoy sound disappointed? "Then what did you mean earlier when you said you couldn't not notice me?" he asked.
Harry looked into hopeful grey eyes and thought about what Luna had said. Thought about the day and how many times he'd caught Malfoy looking his way. Thought about school and how every time he walked into the Great Hall or a classroom or the greenhouse or anywhere else for that matter, he searched the room for Malfoy. He couldn't remember a time when that wasn't the case. And he couldn't deny his feelings any longer.
Hoping that Luna was right - and, besides her odd obsession with non-existent creatures, she was very nearly always right - and not daring to think things through, lest he lose all his Gryffindor daring and run away, he thrust the pumpkin into Malfoy's hand. "Here. Hold this."
Before Malfoy had a chance to say anything, Harry reached for his tie, pulled him closer, and pressed their lips together. For a moment Harry wasn't sure what to think. Malfoy didn't respond at all - not to push him away, draw him nearer, or kiss him back. But just as Harry was about to retreat, Malfoy parted his lips and stepped forward.
Yes!
It was awkward, Malfoy holding Luna's pumpkin in his arm and Harry trying to wrap his arm around Malfoy, but wonderful all the same. Harry's tongue trailed along Malfoy's lips before gently pressing forward. Malfoy's tongue joined his own, the pumpkin fell to the ground, and Malfoy's arms wrapped around Harry, pulling their bodies as close together as they could get with clothes on.
That thought morphed into a vision of Malfoy's naked body beneath Harry's, and he moaned into Malfoy's mouth. Malfoy responded by nipping Harry's lower lip.
"Well, I see this time worked out much better," Luna announced.
Reluctantly, they broke apart and turned to face an utterly unfazed Luna and a far too amused Pansy watching them.
"It's about bloody time," Pansy announced.
Harry grinned. He couldn't agree more.
Click here to view dirty_darella's art.
Betas: dysonrules, rickey_a, and marguerite_26 ♥
Title: Avebury Magic
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: PG
Summary: Could the wizarding pumpkin fest really be as good as Malfoy says? With a little help from Luna, Harry will find out that and more. Based on the art, At the Pumpkin Festival by dirty_darella.
Word Count: ~4,700
Disclaimer: Based on this fabulous art by dirty_darella. All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Avebury Magic
Harry edged his way towards the entrance to the maze, suppressing visions of Cedric Diggory's lifeless body. Breathe. He hadn't imagined ever entering one again.
"Come on, Harry," Luna said, pulling him by the arm, her eyes sparkling with childlike excitement. "It'll be fun!"
The twisting knots in Harry's stomach disagreed, but Luna looked happy. After everything she'd been through, he couldn't bring himself to say no to her. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to be dragged along. It was, after all, just a Muggle maze, one that didn't threaten to close in on him, flip him upside down, or transport him to his doom in a graveyard miles away. Get a grip.
"Here." Luna thrust a paper and pencil into his hand. "We need to record all the markers we get to, so we can solve the puzzle."
He frowned, looking at her paper. "Don't we need just the one?"
She laughed. "Of course not, silly. We'll each do one."
"But --" The only reason he'd agreed was to accompany Luna.
"We're being marked on this," she admonished, sounding eerily like Hermione. "The more activities we participate in, the better our mark." As if Harry cared what kind of mark he got on a Muggle Studies field trip. "You do want a good mark, don't you?"
He sighed. "I suppose so."
They turned the first corner of the maze. "Here we are!" Luna said, pointing ahead. A post stood before them with a letter "S" on it. "That's our first letter." Below that was a block of wood with a rabbit carved into it. "And our first clue!"
Harry failed to see the fun in this, but Luna practically bounced out of her trainers. Days like this reminded Harry that, for all her strange notions and visible quirks, Luna was a Ravenclaw at heart, never so happy as when she encountered some sort of mystery. Today, it seemed, the Muggle maze was her mystery of choice.
"Which way?" she asked as they approached a fork.
Harry shrugged. "Left?"
"Brilliant. I'll go right and I'll meet you at the end."
"But --" Harry tried not to look nervous. It was just a bloody maze. He'd defeated Voldemort, for Merlin's sake. He groaned, imagining his head visibly swelling. I did not just think that. "I thought we'd do this together."
"Oh, but Harry. It's so much more fun to compete." She grinned, then tilted her head to the side, looking curiously at a space just behind Harry. He resisted the urge to turn around. "You don't feel strange, do you? I don't see any sign of Wrackspurts."
He smiled and tried to look at ease. "I'm fine, Luna. But if I'm not out by sunset, you'll send someone in after me, yeah?"
"You're very strange sometimes," she said, shaking her head. "You do know that, right?" She wandered off to the right, half giggling, half humming as she went.
Harry stood for a moment, breathing in the scent that thankfully did not remind him of that maze, perplexed that he'd just been called strange by Loony Lovegood.
"This is boring," a familiar drawl reached Harry through the wall of the maze. "I can't believe this is supposed to be a challenge. Are all Muggles so simple?"
"Do stop complaining, Draco," Parkinson's voice replied. Her tone suggested that Malfoy had been whinging for some time. "You know we have to pass Muggle Studies class, and this field trip provides us the easiest way to get marks. Even if it is ridiculous."
"I doubt he's really monitoring the maze for magic," Malfoy said. Harry had wondered the same thing, though their professor had warned them he would.
"But are you willing to take that chance?" she said. "You aren't what I'd call excelling in this class."
"Stupid class." Harry pictured Malfoy's eyes narrowed, brows scrunched together, and his fists clenched. Harry struggled not to laugh out loud. Truth be told, Harry agreed with Malfoy. Why Muggle Studies was required - for the eighth years, no less - escaped him.
"Be that as it may, we're stuck with it. And with this Pumpkin Fest."
"The Avebury Annual Festival is so much better than this sad excuse."
"So you've said for years." She sounded bored. "So why is it you've never invited me to tag along with you and your mum?"
"It's always been our thing to do, ever since Father stopped accompanying us back when --" He coughed. "Well, you know. We all used to go, but then it became something for just the two of us. One of the few things Mother and I still did together."
Harry tried to reconcile what he was hearing with the Malfoy he knew. He'd seen Narcissa dote on her son, and Malfoy lap it up often enough. And there was no doubt Narcissa loved her son very much. Why Harry found this latest revelation - that Malfoy had enjoyed time with his mother - to be such a surprise he didn't know.
"Did? Aren't you going this year?"
"No. Mother ... well, she's taken Father's death rather hard, and she's not yet ready to venture out."
That explained his annoyance surrounding this particular trip. Not that Harry knew anything about the other festival, but he certainly knew how exciting every new magical experience was for him.
"Well then," Parkinson said, "it's high time you show me what you've been going on about for years."
"You don't have to --"
"No, but you do. You can't tell me something is wonderful and not expect to accompany me. Shall we say next Saturday?"
"Well, if I must," Malfoy said. Harry detected a hint of relief in Malfoy's voice, and perhaps even a smile.
Approaching footsteps hustled Harry into action.
***
"Have you heard of the Avebury Annual Festival?" Harry asked as he and Luna made their way towards the hay rides later in the afternoon.
"Oh, yes!" Luna's eyes lit up as the wagon approached. "Dad and I only went the one time, but it was wonderful," she said. She motioned to the horse then leaned in to whisper in his ear. "They have thestral-drawn pumpkin carriages, all sorts of fancy pies and cauldron cakes and breads made with pumpkin, and pumpkins the size of houses. And on the last night, they light a huge fire and everyone celebrates Samhain."
Harry helped her up onto the wagon before climbing aboard. They sat on a large bail of hay and pulled a blanket up over their legs. "Pumpkin carriages?" he asked. "Like in Cinderella?"
Luna considered the question. "Cinder what?"
"Muggle fairytale," he explained.
She peered around to be sure no one was looking. "I don't know about the fairytale, but the carriages are made of pumpkins - some of the smaller ones that aren't on display."
They'd both seen Hagrid's pumpkins before and even they seemed unlikely candidates to carve carriages from. "Smaller?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm." She looked out over the fields as the wagon began to move. "The bigger ones would be too hard for the thestrals to pull."
Harry grinned. He really did love magic.
"Did you want to go?" Luna asked.
"I --" Harry thought about riding in a pumpkin carriage, and really there was no point denying it. "Sure!"
"When?"
"How about Saturday?"
***
"Wow!" Harry said for the hundredth time, as a thestral-drawn carriage carved from a pumpkin and carrying a family of four drove past, several barking crups following behind. The air was crisp and fresh and full of children's laughter and gasps of amazement. Not to mention Harry's.
Luna giggled. "You're like a little kid," she teased.
It was true, but he didn't care. Like the first time he went to Diagon Alley or Hogwarts, he found himself completely enthralled. He grinned as a puppet show of sorts, with animated pumpkins as the players, entertained a group of children under one tent. He hadn't stopped to consider all the possibilities available when magic was involved. Turning back to the carriage, he said, "Well, did you see the size of those pumpkins?"
Luna nodded. "I told you they were as big as houses."
True, but he'd thought she was exaggerating. He should have known better. "How do they make them so big?" he wondered.
She shook her head. "Magic, Harry," she said patiently. "You remember you're a wizard, yes?"
"Well ... yes. But then why aren't Hagrid's pumpkins this big?"
"I imagine it's the level of power your magic holds. Like anything, there are levels of skill, and - pardon me for saying - Hagrid doesn't seem very powerful, magically speaking."
He nodded. "That makes sense." Perhaps Hagrid's fear of getting caught using magic had something to do with it too.
"Besides, these people spend the entire year cultivating their crops. You have to expect the results to be grand."
And grand they were.
***
Harry caught his first glimpse of platinum hair about an hour after they'd arrived. Malfoy had a bit of a lost look about him that tugged at Harry. He shook the feeling off, wondering why he was feeling sorry for Malfoy of all people.
Oh, who was he trying to kid? Harry had been feeling badly for him ever since that first glimpse into Voldemort's mind last year, when he'd watched a horrified Draco Malfoy torture others to avoid the same fate - or worse - himself. Harry remembered it as though it were yesterday: the look of terror and disgust barely disguising his fear. As stupid as it was, that was the first time Harry had ever thought about Malfoy in terms of having human emotions. He'd long ago accepted that Malfoy had been caught up in the wrong side of the war, and that he'd had very few choices. But how did he feel about Malfoy now?
"He's a good person," Luna said, interrupting Harry's thoughts. She motioned towards Malfoy.
"Um ..." She'd obviously caught Harry staring.
"He made things ... well, not so much nice as acceptable," she said. "Mr Ollivander and I always hoped that Draco would be the one to open the door."
Harry gawped at her. He wasn't sure why she was bringing this up now. "You did?"
"Oh, yes." She looked at Malfoy and smiled in that way she had, the same way she looked at flowers or friends or an interesting puzzle. Like everything in life contributed to her happiness in some small way. Even Malfoy. "He was always pleasant to us, and we could tell he was frightened too."
"He was nice to you?" Harry asked incredulously, wondering how much more surreal conversations with Luna could get.
"Oh, no," she said. "He couldn't be nice to us, but he wasn't unpleasant, which, considering the circumstances, was very nice indeed."
Harry shook his head to try to make sense of her words. "And Mr Ollivander agreed?"
She nodded. "Mm-hmm. He said it was a shame he'd had to have Lucius as a father, that he'd have turned out just fine with a different lot in life."
Luna drifted away to look at some of the mammoth pumpkins on display in the tent marked Gargantuan Gourds. Harry watched as she ran her hands over the obviously magically-enhanced monstrosities, her eyes sparkling and a smile tugging at her lips.
Luna's words hung in the air as Harry turned his attention back to Malfoy. He'd seen how scared Malfoy had been, and knew that he hadn't wanted to torture anyone. He hadn't derived pleasure from the act like so many had, including Crabbe and Goyle. But this revelation from Luna was something Harry hadn't considered. He'd just presumed Malfoy would be his usual self.
A thought came to Harry, unbidden. Maybe he had been himself with Luna and Mr Ollivander. After all, Malfoy hadn't had any reason to pretend otherwise when Voldemort and the Death Eaters were otherwise occupied.
At school, everyone pretended to be something or someone they were not. It was natural. Everyone wanted to fit in. So they pretended to be braver, smarter, and more confident than they were. Only in their own homes or around their true friends could they let down their guard.
Harry remembered how Crabbe had treated Malfoy at the end, and how Goyle had followed Crabbe's lead. He wasn't sure why, but it saddened Harry to think that Malfoy couldn't ever let down his guard around those he considered friends. In Slytherin, he'd have had to keep up appearances, maintain that cool aloofness he did, and never give away anything that someone could use against him later. True, Harry hadn't been allowed to be himself at Privet Drive, but then, once he knew who he really was, he'd always thought of Hogwarts as his true home. Harry ran a hand through his hair and tried to imagine life at school without Ron and Hermione. Even worse, he tried to imagine being surrounded by the people that looked up to The Boy Who Lived, the people who didn't know him at all. Was that how things had been for Malfoy all through school? Perhaps still were?
Harry thought of his fifth year, when he'd felt alienated from everyone, completely alone. He'd been a joy to be around that year. Sure, Umbridge was a power-hungry witch that revelled in tormenting him, but Harry had been pretty miserable with everyone at some point or another. Could Malfoy have had a similar reason for being such an arse in school? Recalling a cruel and manipulative Lucius Malfoy, Harry thought Draco may very well have.
"And he likes you too," Luna, once again breaking into his reverie, said as casually as she might have said, Pleasant weather we're having. Then she walked away.
Harry scrambled to catch up. "What do you mean, he likes me too?"
Luna picked through a few gourds, holding some smaller ones up to her ears. Conjuring a mirror, she looked at herself at various angles, perhaps considering replacing her radish earrings for the season. "What do you think?" she asked Harry.
"Brilliant," he said. "Now what did you mean?"
She waved away the mirror, apparently satisfied, and moved ahead to the pastry display. "Was I not clear?" she asked, her airy voice unnerving. "Draco likes you. And you like him."
"I ... what?"
"He watches you all the time, just like you watch him. I'd wager he knows more about you than Ron does." She picked up, then put back, several pastries before deciding on a scrumptious-looking pie, which Harry had to admit smelled delicious. She looked at Harry and frowned. "Perhaps that's not the best comparison. After all, Ron isn't the most observant, is he?"
"No," Harry agreed, feeling completely unhinged by the surreal conversation.
"Perhaps Neville," she said. "Yes. I would say that Draco knows you better than Neville does."
"That's impossible. Dra-- Malfoy doesn't know me at all."
She gave him a curious look. "He's watched you nearly as closely as you've watched him over the years." She looked back to where Malfoy and Parkinson stood. "He must not know you're here yet."
Unable to stop himself, Harry looked at Malfoy. "Why do you say that?"
"Because he looks too relaxed." She reached for another pie. "And he's not watching you."
Harry watched him for a few minutes. Luna was right. He did look relaxed. Happy even. "What--" He stopped as he realised Luna had wandered off. When he turned back in Malfoy's direction, he nearly jumped. Malfoy knew he was there now. He was marching, angry and tense, straight towards Harry.
"Potter, what are you doing here?" Malfoy looked around nervously, as if expecting an ambush of some kind.
Harry thought about lying, but didn't really have an excuse for suddenly showing up here. "Er ..." he said, suddenly not sure why he felt compelled to explain himself. It was a public place after all. "I overheard you talking to Parkinson when we were at the Pumpkin Fest last week."
Malfoy's face reddened and he glared at Harry. "So you decided to follow me?" His voice resonated with incredulity. "Checking up on me? Making sure I'm not up to something?"
"No!" Harry said, raising his hand in surrender. "It's not like that at all."
"Right." Malfoy's fists clenched so tightly at his sides his knuckles whitened. Harry watched Malfoy's right hand twitch, as though itching to grab his wand and hex Harry.
Harry stepped back and looked into Malfoy's face, taken aback by a vaguely familiar look. The same look he'd held on the train that first day of school, when Harry had refused his hand. A mixture of anger, resentment, and what looked like hurt hit Harry like a Bludger to the gut.
Harry hadn't thought about that day since, about what it might have meant to him. "Malfoy," he said. Grey eyes pinned him to the spot. "Draco." Malfoy's eyes widened. "I'm not following you." Harry bit his lip again. "At least not intentionally."
"And yet here we are." Malfoy's arm motioned around them. "I thought we'd got past all that," he said, sounding more defeated than angry now.
"We have." Harry dropped his gaze. "I know what it looks like, but I swear I wasn't checking up on you."
"Then why are you here? Why do you continue to stalk me? The war is over, you know. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not doing anything wrong."
"I've noticed."
Malfoy's expression made Harry wish he hadn't been so quick to respond. He'd basically confirmed what Malfoy had accused him of. "Look, Malfoy, I'm not stalking you, I swear. It's just ..." Luna's words danced around in his head. He looked at Malfoy and wondered how much truth they held. What did he have to lose by being honest? "I suppose I'm just so used to watching you that it's second nature to me by now. I don't think I can be in the same place as you and not notice you." And how telling was that?
Malfoy's jaw dropped and Harry had to laugh. "That does sound rather pathetic, doesn't it?" he said.
Malfoy shook his head, but said, "Yes." The corners of his lips twitched.
"I meant it, though. I'm not stalking you."
"Then why did you follow me here?"
"I didn't." He looked up hopefully, but met Malfoy's cold stare. "It just ... the way you described it sounded nice."
Malfoy snorted. "A lot of things sound nice, but don't involve following me around."
"I know," Harry said. "I just thought ... never mind."
Confusion clear on his face, Malfoy seemed poised to pursue the conversation, then abruptly looked away. "If you'll excuse me, I have to find Pansy."
Harry nodded and stepped back. The familiar scent - just a hint - of Malfoy's shampoo wafted back to Harry in his wake. He scowled, wondering just when he'd first noticed the smell of Malfoy's hair?
"Well," Luna said as she approached, a bag full of gourds in her hand, "that didn't go very well at all."
Harry sighed. "He thinks I followed him here, that I'm checking up on him."
Luna frowned. "It does look that way, doesn't it?"
"I --" Harry clamped his mouth shut and tried to answer without digging himself deeper. "Okay, I wanted to come here after overhearing Malfoy talking to Parkinson, but it has nothing to do with checking up on him."
"If you say so."
"It's true!" he said, trying not to sound defensive, but failing miserably. "What makes you think I'm following him?"
She leaned her head to the side, as though considering a crazy person. "You may not have followed him here, but I'll wager that you can't keep your eyes from finding him now that you've seen him." She glanced over Harry's shoulder and grinned. "And I suspect Draco will do the same with you."
Harry turned and found Malfoy looking in his direction - not with his customary sneer, but looking rather puzzled. Luna waved and Malfoy's eyes widened. Parkinson laughed and elbowed Malfoy. Malfoy turned his back and stormed off.
Several times over the course of the afternoon, Harry found himself drawn to familiar blond hair or a no-longer-irritating drawl. He seemed to react instinctively. And each time, by the time he realised what he was doing and tried to backtrack, Luna was already chuckling beside him.
"I don't know why the two of you bother denying it," she said after catching him watching a particular pumpkin carriage drive past.
"What?"
"It isn't because he's a boy, is it?" she asked. "Because that would just be silly."
"I -- No, of course not." Harry hadn't shared his preferences with anyone, choosing to keep those thoughts to himself, but he wasn't about to deny them or lie about it. Before his brain had a chance to catch up with his mouth, he added, "Do you think he's gay?" Merlin, kill him now!
Luna giggled and wandered off, making Harry feel even more the idiot. He took several long strides to catch up. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. Who knew what idiocy might spill forth this time? As it was, he felt decidedly off-balance.
"Oh!" Luna said as she took in what must have been a bewildered expression on Harry's face. "You weren't joking?"
He pursed his lips. "No, I wasn't."
"I thought it was rather obvious," she said, suddenly serious. "I can't believe anyone would think Draco was anything but gay."
"Really?" Please don't let that have sounded as hopeful as he thought it had. From the triumphant grin and wink he received from Luna, Harry realised he wasn't that lucky. Why didn't the ground just open up and swallow him whole already? Thankfully, Harry was saved the mortification of a biting remark, since Luna didn't do snarky.
***
"Oooh! A maze!" Luna tugged at Harry's sleeve, dragging him to the entrance.
Harry cringed. "Luna, I don't --" His stomach lurched and, as the breeze carrying the familiar smell of pine trees reached him, Harry stopped mid-stride. "Let's do something else."
Malfoy chose that moment to appear, and their eyes met before Harry had a chance to compose himself. Much to Harry's surprise, Malfoy did not mock him. Without taking his eyes from Harry, he addressed Parkinson. "There's nothing to see here." Malfoy acknowledged Harry's surprise with a nearly indistinguishable nod before turning to Parkinson. "It's just a standard wizarding maze; nothing spectacular. Wouldn't you rather sample the cider - it's truly spectacular - or go on another carriage ride?"
"Harry, we haven't done a pumpkin carriage ride yet!" Luna exclaimed, muffling whatever Parkinson's response had been. Harry cast a grateful and somewhat confused look towards Malfoy and allowed himself to be dragged towards the carriages.
Near closing time, Harry found himself holding a pumpkin, waiting by the makeshift check-out counter while Luna searched for more treats to bring back to school. The aroma of cinnamon and cloves swirled around Harry, warming him and causing his stomach to grumble. He had enjoyed the day, but looked forward to dinner.
"Honestly, Pansy, haven't you bought enough?" Malfoy's voice crept up on Harry from behind.
"Just wait over by the till," Parkinson replied. "I won't be more than ten minutes."
"Sure you won't."
Amused that he wasn't alone in his plight, Harry turned round to face Malfoy.
"Oh, for the love of --" Malfoy glared at Harry. "Is there no escape from you?"
Harry chuckled. "Apparently not." Another glare had him raise his free arm in surrender. "You can't accuse me of following you this time," he said. "I was just standing here, minding my own business."
Malfoy huffed. "Why are you here again?"
"The truth?"
"No, Potter, I want you to lie to me." He rolled his eyes.
Bracing himself for mocking, Harry explained. "I grew up with Muggles."
"Yes, yes, we all know. Poor Harry Potter."
"I don't want your sympathy, Malfoy," Harry cut in. "You asked me why I'm here, so I'm telling you. Are you going to let me?"
"Fine."
"I grew up not knowing magic, so the whole world was new to me. Even after seven years, I find myself discovering new and wonderful things all the time." Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest, looking bored. "Everything you take for granted, everything you grew up with, is still special to me. Probably always will be."
Malfoy narrowed his eyes, as if some unseen battle was being fought inside him. "Go on."
"My whole life I was told there was no such thing as magic." Malfoy's eyes widened. "My family knew there was, but they thought they could make me normal if only they denied the truth."
"That you are a wizard?"
"Yeah." Harry ran his fingers through his hair nervously. Why was he telling Malfoy all this? "Any time something strange happened around me, they punished me, figuring they could ... well, never mind." He needed to stay on track, or he'd sound like the attention-grabbing git Malfoy always accused him of being. "It didn't work out the way they wanted, obviously, but they'd done a pretty good job on me by the time Hagrid came to deliver my Hogwarts letter."
"You mean to tell me the stories in the papers were right?"
"Occasionally they get some facts straight." Harry shrugged. "Anyway, that means that for more than half my life I believed that magic didn't exist." He glanced over at the monstrous pumpkins and back to Malfoy. "So when I hear someone like you--" Malfoy scowled, and opened his mouth as if to argue. Harry was quick to add, "Someone who grew up around magic." Malfoy's shoulders relaxed. "When I hear someone like you talk about something exciting, I just ... well, I figure it must be spectacular. And I guess I just have to see for myself."
Malfoy stared at Harry, as though trying to decide whether to believe him or not. Harry held his gaze. "You really weren't following me?"
"I really wasn't."
"Oh." Did Malfoy sound disappointed? "Then what did you mean earlier when you said you couldn't not notice me?" he asked.
Harry looked into hopeful grey eyes and thought about what Luna had said. Thought about the day and how many times he'd caught Malfoy looking his way. Thought about school and how every time he walked into the Great Hall or a classroom or the greenhouse or anywhere else for that matter, he searched the room for Malfoy. He couldn't remember a time when that wasn't the case. And he couldn't deny his feelings any longer.
Hoping that Luna was right - and, besides her odd obsession with non-existent creatures, she was very nearly always right - and not daring to think things through, lest he lose all his Gryffindor daring and run away, he thrust the pumpkin into Malfoy's hand. "Here. Hold this."
Before Malfoy had a chance to say anything, Harry reached for his tie, pulled him closer, and pressed their lips together. For a moment Harry wasn't sure what to think. Malfoy didn't respond at all - not to push him away, draw him nearer, or kiss him back. But just as Harry was about to retreat, Malfoy parted his lips and stepped forward.
Yes!
It was awkward, Malfoy holding Luna's pumpkin in his arm and Harry trying to wrap his arm around Malfoy, but wonderful all the same. Harry's tongue trailed along Malfoy's lips before gently pressing forward. Malfoy's tongue joined his own, the pumpkin fell to the ground, and Malfoy's arms wrapped around Harry, pulling their bodies as close together as they could get with clothes on.
That thought morphed into a vision of Malfoy's naked body beneath Harry's, and he moaned into Malfoy's mouth. Malfoy responded by nipping Harry's lower lip.
"Well, I see this time worked out much better," Luna announced.
Reluctantly, they broke apart and turned to face an utterly unfazed Luna and a far too amused Pansy watching them.
"It's about bloody time," Pansy announced.
Harry grinned. He couldn't agree more.
Click here to view dirty_darella's art.