Christmas 2016 Fic: Reset (H/D, rated R) - Part 4
Title: Reset - Part 4
Author: sesheta_66
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: R overall
Word Count: ~20K overall
Summary: Forgetting the past isn't always possible or practical. Dwelling on it isn't constructive. Moving beyond it, into what lies ahead, can be just the thing to help us heal. And friends? Well, they make it all - past, present and future - worth living.
Author's Notes: Written for dracoharry100's Christmas Challenge, prompts #26: Lucius as Santa and #27: inviting someone unexpected for Christmas dinner, and slythindor100's 25 Days of Draco and Harry, prompts #5: clock tower and #6: bookstore.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Previous: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |
Reset - Part 4
Lunch was a surprisingly pleasant experience. Narcissa - no doubt to ensure her son's safety at school - was attentive and sweet and somewhat over-the-top, but Harry didn't mind. He imagined any mother would do whatever was necessary to ensure her child was safe.
The food rivalled that of Hogwarts and Molly Weasley, and Harry found himself enjoying everything.
"We thought we'd take lunch here in the solarium so we could enjoy the view of the gardens," she offered as they started the meal. "Draco used to play out there in the snow every Christmas morning, and his father and I used to watch him from here." She smiled, her mind lost in a memory somewhere in the past.
Harry tried to imagine Draco's parents when he was a boy. He knew that Narcissa loved her son unconditionally, but Lucius? Harry was suddenly assaulted with a vision of Lucius Malfoy dressed as Santa Claus, complete with boots, hat, red cloak and a big bag of presents, and he quickly gulped some tea before he lost his composure.
Draco said nothing. In fact, Draco did little but grunt and glare the whole time, though only when his mother wasn't looking. When she was, he plastered on a smile, but anyone that knew him - and obviously his mother would be at the top of that list - would know that he was anything but happy.
Which, oddly enough, or perhaps not, amused Harry to no end. Truth be told, it made the experience all the more enjoyable.
"You know, Harry, you really must join us for Christmas dinner."
Draco choked on his food. Harry raised an amused brow as Draco fought to regain his composure, then turned to Narcissa. "Thank you so much for your gracious invitation," he said, stifling a laugh, "but I do have plans with the Weasleys."
"Oh," she said, a look of genuine disappointment on her face. Draco seethed and pressed his lips together so hard, Harry wondered if he'd draw blood. "I understand, of course." She fussed with her napkin before adding, "We'll just have to have you visit another time during the holidays."
Draco's breathing began to sound more like a bull getting ready to charge. Just for shits and giggles, Harry said, "I would like that very much, Mrs Malfoy."
She touched Harry's arm. "Call me Narcissa."
Harry nearly fell off his seat as Draco's eyes bulged and he looked ready to launch himself at Harry's throat.
When the meal was over, Narcissa insisted that Harry must indeed visit over the holidays, and told him she'd send him an owl soon.
He thanked her and made to leave.
"Oh, Draco, surely you'd like to return to school with Harry?"
Draco's sigh was loud enough to be heard at Hogwarts. "Actually, Mother, I thought I'd stay here for dinner."
"Nonsense," she said, shuffling him towards the door. "I know you've got better things to do than fuss over your mother."
"No, really -"
She was having none of it. Before Harry knew it, she had the house-elf bring them their cloaks and accessories and they were both marching towards the rot-iron gate at the end of the drive.
Draco said nothing, but stomped ahead of Harry so quickly he had to jog a bit to keep up.
No sooner did they clear the gate and close it than Draco grabbed his arm and apparated them to the square in Hogsmeade. The clock tower was chiming five o'clock. Had Harry really spent four hours at Malfoy Manor? It hadn't felt that long. As he regained his bearings, Harry saw no one else around, and noted that the shops were closing for the day.
"What the fuck, Potter?"
"Wha-?"
"She's a married woman!"
"Er …" Harry's brain took a minute to process what Draco was saying.
"And she's more than twice your age!"
Harry's shoulders began to shake.
"She's old enough to be your Mother!"
Harry snorted, still shaking. "Well … obviously."
"This isn't funny, Potter."
"Actually, Draco, it is."
"And stop calling me Draco!"
Harry let go then and really started to laugh. Between snickers, he managed to choke out, "Well I couldn't very well call you Malfoy at home."
"It's not your home! And we're not there anymore!" He stomped forward and poked his finger into Harry's chest. "And stop fucking laughing!"
"Listen, Draco …"
"No, Potter, you listen. I will not have my mother join the legions of your sycophants. She is a grown woman with a husband and son and responsibilities …"
Harry brought his hand down on Draco's shoulder, fighting for control. "You have this all mixed up."
"Oh, I don't think so. You don't have enough people trailing after you, adoring you, now you set your sights on -? Wait a minute! Is this payback for what my father did? Is this -?"
Harry coughed and managed to gain some control for a moment. "Dra-Malfoy, stop!"
He looked at Harry with huge eyes, his hand twitching, no doubt itching to pull out his wand.
"Do I need to hex you so that you'll listen to me?"
Draco narrowed his eyes but didn't answer. His hand remained ready to reach for his wand at any moment. Harry breathed deeply to prevent another outburst. "Your mother isn't interested in me."
Draco scowled and lifted his chin defiantly. "I should hope not."
"And I'm not trying to get her attention." Honestly.
"That's not how it looked."
Harry replayed the events of the day through his mind, but still didn't see it. "She appealed to me because she's worried about you."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really." The laughter no longer threatened, thank Merlin, and Harry continued. "She said you wrote to her about what happened this week." Draco nodded. "She doesn't believe that it was an isolated incident, nor does she believe that I would have jumped in unnecessarily." Harry let that hang in the air. When Draco didn't respond, he added, "And she's noticed your loss of weight and overall peaky complexion."
He folded his arms over his chest. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."
Harry scanned Draco's face, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, the colourless skin, the thin, angry lips, then slowly ran his gaze down his body and back up again. "She knows exactly what she's talking about."
Draco's face flushed from the scrutiny. It was the most colour Harry had seen in his face - save when he was raging over Harry's presence at the Manor - in weeks. "And she's not the only one who's noticed."
Flustered, Draco seemed to search for words. "What do you care?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I just do."
His gaze bore through Harry. "I don't believe you."
Exasperated, Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Look, could we maybe hit the reset button on all of this?"
Draco frowned. "The what?"
"Could we start over? Forget about the past and start fresh?"
"I don't think that's possible."
Harry sighed. "You're probably right. But could we try? At least see where that gets us?"
Draco bit his lower lip while considering Harry's words. "What did you have in mind?"
What did he have in mind? Harry had no idea. How could they wash away years of anger and resentment and all the rest of it? They couldn't. They'd never forget what had happened in the past. But they could look ahead. Accept that what had come before was over now, and they could move on. Leave as much of the baggage behind as they could.
He held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry."
Draco eyed his proffered hand warily. Harry imagined his mind going back to that day, so long ago, when Harry had refused Draco's offer of friendship. Standing his ground, Harry waited.
At length, Draco took hold of Harry's hand. "Draco. Pleased to meet you."
Harry smiled and shook the hand of his former rival, inexplicably pleased.
As they walked past the closing bookstore, Harry saw the perfect gift for Hermione. He made a mental note to return the following weekend. He might even pick up something for Narcissa since apparently he'd be returning to the Manor.
As they were about to enter the front doors of the castle, a wave of laughter overtook Harry.
"What?" Draco asked.
"I can't believe you thought your mother was hitting on me!"
Draco's mouth twitched. "Fuck you, Potter."
Part 5
Author: sesheta_66
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: R overall
Word Count: ~20K overall
Summary: Forgetting the past isn't always possible or practical. Dwelling on it isn't constructive. Moving beyond it, into what lies ahead, can be just the thing to help us heal. And friends? Well, they make it all - past, present and future - worth living.
Author's Notes: Written for dracoharry100's Christmas Challenge, prompts #26: Lucius as Santa and #27: inviting someone unexpected for Christmas dinner, and slythindor100's 25 Days of Draco and Harry, prompts #5: clock tower and #6: bookstore.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Previous: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |
Reset - Part 4
Lunch was a surprisingly pleasant experience. Narcissa - no doubt to ensure her son's safety at school - was attentive and sweet and somewhat over-the-top, but Harry didn't mind. He imagined any mother would do whatever was necessary to ensure her child was safe.
The food rivalled that of Hogwarts and Molly Weasley, and Harry found himself enjoying everything.
"We thought we'd take lunch here in the solarium so we could enjoy the view of the gardens," she offered as they started the meal. "Draco used to play out there in the snow every Christmas morning, and his father and I used to watch him from here." She smiled, her mind lost in a memory somewhere in the past.
Harry tried to imagine Draco's parents when he was a boy. He knew that Narcissa loved her son unconditionally, but Lucius? Harry was suddenly assaulted with a vision of Lucius Malfoy dressed as Santa Claus, complete with boots, hat, red cloak and a big bag of presents, and he quickly gulped some tea before he lost his composure.
Draco said nothing. In fact, Draco did little but grunt and glare the whole time, though only when his mother wasn't looking. When she was, he plastered on a smile, but anyone that knew him - and obviously his mother would be at the top of that list - would know that he was anything but happy.
Which, oddly enough, or perhaps not, amused Harry to no end. Truth be told, it made the experience all the more enjoyable.
"You know, Harry, you really must join us for Christmas dinner."
Draco choked on his food. Harry raised an amused brow as Draco fought to regain his composure, then turned to Narcissa. "Thank you so much for your gracious invitation," he said, stifling a laugh, "but I do have plans with the Weasleys."
"Oh," she said, a look of genuine disappointment on her face. Draco seethed and pressed his lips together so hard, Harry wondered if he'd draw blood. "I understand, of course." She fussed with her napkin before adding, "We'll just have to have you visit another time during the holidays."
Draco's breathing began to sound more like a bull getting ready to charge. Just for shits and giggles, Harry said, "I would like that very much, Mrs Malfoy."
She touched Harry's arm. "Call me Narcissa."
Harry nearly fell off his seat as Draco's eyes bulged and he looked ready to launch himself at Harry's throat.
When the meal was over, Narcissa insisted that Harry must indeed visit over the holidays, and told him she'd send him an owl soon.
He thanked her and made to leave.
"Oh, Draco, surely you'd like to return to school with Harry?"
Draco's sigh was loud enough to be heard at Hogwarts. "Actually, Mother, I thought I'd stay here for dinner."
"Nonsense," she said, shuffling him towards the door. "I know you've got better things to do than fuss over your mother."
"No, really -"
She was having none of it. Before Harry knew it, she had the house-elf bring them their cloaks and accessories and they were both marching towards the rot-iron gate at the end of the drive.
Draco said nothing, but stomped ahead of Harry so quickly he had to jog a bit to keep up.
No sooner did they clear the gate and close it than Draco grabbed his arm and apparated them to the square in Hogsmeade. The clock tower was chiming five o'clock. Had Harry really spent four hours at Malfoy Manor? It hadn't felt that long. As he regained his bearings, Harry saw no one else around, and noted that the shops were closing for the day.
"What the fuck, Potter?"
"Wha-?"
"She's a married woman!"
"Er …" Harry's brain took a minute to process what Draco was saying.
"And she's more than twice your age!"
Harry's shoulders began to shake.
"She's old enough to be your Mother!"
Harry snorted, still shaking. "Well … obviously."
"This isn't funny, Potter."
"Actually, Draco, it is."
"And stop calling me Draco!"
Harry let go then and really started to laugh. Between snickers, he managed to choke out, "Well I couldn't very well call you Malfoy at home."
"It's not your home! And we're not there anymore!" He stomped forward and poked his finger into Harry's chest. "And stop fucking laughing!"
"Listen, Draco …"
"No, Potter, you listen. I will not have my mother join the legions of your sycophants. She is a grown woman with a husband and son and responsibilities …"
Harry brought his hand down on Draco's shoulder, fighting for control. "You have this all mixed up."
"Oh, I don't think so. You don't have enough people trailing after you, adoring you, now you set your sights on -? Wait a minute! Is this payback for what my father did? Is this -?"
Harry coughed and managed to gain some control for a moment. "Dra-Malfoy, stop!"
He looked at Harry with huge eyes, his hand twitching, no doubt itching to pull out his wand.
"Do I need to hex you so that you'll listen to me?"
Draco narrowed his eyes but didn't answer. His hand remained ready to reach for his wand at any moment. Harry breathed deeply to prevent another outburst. "Your mother isn't interested in me."
Draco scowled and lifted his chin defiantly. "I should hope not."
"And I'm not trying to get her attention." Honestly.
"That's not how it looked."
Harry replayed the events of the day through his mind, but still didn't see it. "She appealed to me because she's worried about you."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really." The laughter no longer threatened, thank Merlin, and Harry continued. "She said you wrote to her about what happened this week." Draco nodded. "She doesn't believe that it was an isolated incident, nor does she believe that I would have jumped in unnecessarily." Harry let that hang in the air. When Draco didn't respond, he added, "And she's noticed your loss of weight and overall peaky complexion."
He folded his arms over his chest. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."
Harry scanned Draco's face, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, the colourless skin, the thin, angry lips, then slowly ran his gaze down his body and back up again. "She knows exactly what she's talking about."
Draco's face flushed from the scrutiny. It was the most colour Harry had seen in his face - save when he was raging over Harry's presence at the Manor - in weeks. "And she's not the only one who's noticed."
Flustered, Draco seemed to search for words. "What do you care?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I just do."
His gaze bore through Harry. "I don't believe you."
Exasperated, Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Look, could we maybe hit the reset button on all of this?"
Draco frowned. "The what?"
"Could we start over? Forget about the past and start fresh?"
"I don't think that's possible."
Harry sighed. "You're probably right. But could we try? At least see where that gets us?"
Draco bit his lower lip while considering Harry's words. "What did you have in mind?"
What did he have in mind? Harry had no idea. How could they wash away years of anger and resentment and all the rest of it? They couldn't. They'd never forget what had happened in the past. But they could look ahead. Accept that what had come before was over now, and they could move on. Leave as much of the baggage behind as they could.
He held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry."
Draco eyed his proffered hand warily. Harry imagined his mind going back to that day, so long ago, when Harry had refused Draco's offer of friendship. Standing his ground, Harry waited.
At length, Draco took hold of Harry's hand. "Draco. Pleased to meet you."
Harry smiled and shook the hand of his former rival, inexplicably pleased.
As they walked past the closing bookstore, Harry saw the perfect gift for Hermione. He made a mental note to return the following weekend. He might even pick up something for Narcissa since apparently he'd be returning to the Manor.
As they were about to enter the front doors of the castle, a wave of laughter overtook Harry.
"What?" Draco asked.
"I can't believe you thought your mother was hitting on me!"
Draco's mouth twitched. "Fuck you, Potter."
Part 5