Christmas 2016 Fic: Reset (H/D, rated R) - Part 5
Title: Reset - 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, prompt #2: icicles, 21: mixing alcohol with other houses, and #29: gingerbread house competition and slythindor100's 25 Days of Draco and Harry, prompt #7: gated garden and #8: Christmas cookies.
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 | Part 4 |
Reset - Part 5
"Ugh! It's Christmas all around, apparently," Ron grumbled.
Harry saw a crowd gathered at the notice board just outside the Great Hall and angled his head towards them. "What's up?"
Hermione grinned. "It seems that some people, unlike Ron, are in the Christmas spirit." At Harry's confused look, she continued. "The inter-house social committee has decided we should have a gingerbread house making competition."
Ron groaned. "Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous?"
Harry sniggered. It did sound childish, but when he looked at the crowd he realised it was they who were the issue. He shrugged. "I dunno. It might be fun, especially for the younger kids."
"Exactly." Hermione shot Ron a defiant look. "Just because you're an old man doesn't mean the rest of the school can't have fun."
Harry laughed before tuning Ron out - this promised to be a long argument and Harry had other things to think about.
Like how he was supposed to keep Draco safe for the rest of the year. And how he would get Ron on board with Harry's idea to reset their lives and start fresh. The more he thought about it, the more unlikely success became.
"So how did it go?" Ron asked once he and Hermione seemed to have exhausted themselves. "Was it horrible? Did you visit the dungeons again?"
Hermione smacked him. "Ron!"
Harry let out a weary breath. "I had a nice time. A really nice time."
"I'm glad." Hermione smiled.
"You're joking, right?" Ron added.
Harry shook his head. "Not joking. It was actually quite nice. Good food." He thought it best not to mention that it rivalled Molly's cooking. "And the Manor - you know, when it hasn't been taken over by Death Eaters - is really nice, especially with snow covering the gardens." He remembered Narcissa's wistful look as she peered out, remembering Draco as a boy, and decided to keep that to himself too.
Ron huffed out something unintelligible and contrary. Harry sighed. "Narcissa was surprisingly nice, too. She wanted to thank me, but mainly I think just worried about how Draco's getting on this year." He decided not to elaborate, nor to tell Ron about Draco's ridiculous ideas. Still, he couldn't keep the grin from springing onto his face. "You should have seen Draco's face when she invited me for Christmas dinner!"
Hermione giggled. Ron sputtered. "You're not -? Tell me you're not -"
"Of course not," he assured Ron, who visibly relaxed at his words. "I'll be coming to the Burrow, as is tradition."
Ron nodded. "I should say so. My mother would have something to say if you didn't."
Harry smiled. "I wouldn't dare try."
"I'm glad you had a good time," Hermione said.
"Me too." And he was. In fact, he was looking forward to going back. As Ron seemed in as good a mood on the subject as he was likely ever to be, Harry pressed on. "In fact, I found myself agreeing to return during the holidays." When Ron didn't respond, he added, "Draco's mom is a bit like yours, Ron. She doesn't like to take no for an answer."
Hermione chuckled. "I think that's just a mom thing."
In for a penny, Harry thought. "On our way back, I thought seriously about the message that McGonagall has been pressing this year - the same one Dumbledore tried to push as well."
"Don't tell me? Work together. Stronger united." Ron's tone dripped with disdain.
"As a matter of fact, yes." Growing weary of Ron's attitude, his tone came out as more of a challenge than anything else. "So, in that spirit, Draco and I have decided to start fresh." Before Ron could argue, he explained further. "We won't ever forget the past, nor should we, but we'll try to learn from it, not dwell on it. The war is over and we need to figure out how to go on now that the threat is gone."
"Well, isn't that lovely?" Ron grumbled.
"It is," Hermione insisted, pointedly ignoring Ron's glare and smiling widely at Harry. "We need to move forward. Look ahead instead of back."
Harry couldn't agree more.
***
The next day, all irritation forgotten - Harry decided it was best not to ask Hermione exactly what she'd said or done to Ron to accomplish that - Ron was rather up-beat.
As they crossed into the gated garden just beyond the greenhouses, he was speaking animatedly. "Yeah, Seamus told me about this great plan the eighth years came up with for unity."
"Yeah?" Harry asked, breathing in the cool, crisp morning air. A light dusting of snow coated the grounds and the sunlight reflected off the icicles on the trees. There was nothing quite like Hogwarts in the winter. "What's that?"
"A party for the older students."
Hermione groaned. Harry could relate. If Seamus had anything to do with it, there wouldn't be a safe drink in the place.
Ron nudged her. "Aw, c'mon, it'll be fun."
"Oh, loads of fun. Let's all drink and let our guards down with people we've only just started getting on with," she said. "What could possibly go wrong there?"
Ron laughed. "Besides that tosser, Smith, and the Slytherins, there's no one to worry about."
Harry thought about that, not quite sure that Ron wouldn't be the biggest arse in the room if he started shooting off his mouth. He kept those thoughts to himself. He seemed to be doing a lot of that today.
"You know what?" Harry said. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing, letting down our guards a bit. Maybe people would stop seeing house loyalties and just see fellow students instead."
Hermione looked dubious, but said nothing.
***
As it turned out, Hermione's concern was for naught. Everyone who turned up did so with a positive attitude - and, no doubt, a desire to get hammered on a Saturday night. Harry had worried that the prat who'd cornered Draco that day might show up, but neither he nor his minions made an appearance.
The war, through some unspoken agreement, was never brought up, nor were house loyalties or any other touchy subject. For the first time in all his years at Hogwarts, Harry felt more like a Hogwarts student than a Gryffindor. It was oddly liberating.
As was the alcohol, the copious amount of it that had somehow made its way into every liquid in the room. Even the water cooler, as he'd found out when he poured himself a cup and swigged it back. Then promptly choked. Seamus was a menace.
Even Draco seemed to be enjoying himself. He'd fought Harry when he'd suggested that Draco attend, but in the end Harry had won out.
"What do you have to lose?" he'd asked after class earlier that week. Harry had taken to shadowing Draco between classes and, after a rather futile attempt at getting him to back off, Draco had relented, and they'd spent quite a bit of time together.
Walking ahead of Harry and not looking back, he said, "Everything."
Harry quickened his pace to keep up. "That's ridiculous. What could anyone say or do to you at a party - that they wouldn't any other time - that would have any real impact on your life? Do you even consider anyone that will be there to be your friend?" When Draco slowed down and scowled, he added, "Besides me."
Draco's reaction had nearly knocked him over. He'd stopped in his tracks, his head shot up and he stared at Harry with big, open eyes. Harry had never seen him look so vulnerable. "You consider me to be your friend?"
"Of course I do." Wasn't that what they were now? They certainly weren't enemies, and they were no longer rivals. If not friends, then what? When the disbelief on his face didn't fade, Harry said, "What else would you call me? Your future stepfather?"
He'd asked for the shot in his arm Draco gave him for that one.
Chuckling, he'd pushed on as they continued walking. "Here's the thing: I want to go. If it turns out to be rubbish, we can leave."
"Then go," Draco said, exasperated. "You don't need me. All your friends will be there. Why do you care if I go?"
Harry tugged on Draco's robes to stop his progress and turned him round to face him. "Not all my friends will be there."
And that was all it took. Now Draco was there, well on his way to being drunk if Harry wasn't mistaken, and no one had given him a hard time. Not even Ron. In fact, once Harry had dragged him into conversation for the fifth time, he seemed to give up on his attempt at remaining solitary.
As the night progressed, the only casualties were the two gingerbread houses and several plates of multi-coloured Christmas cookies that had decorated the table that Seamus unceremoniously toppled into just after midnight. After that, the drinking slowed and things started to wind down.
Now, for the first time all night, house teams were brought up, but all in fun - a heated discussion about Quidditch.
"Wish they'd let us all have time on the pitch," Dean grumbled. "I haven't been on my broom for a couple of weeks now."
Seamus shuddered. "Nah, it's freezing out there anyway. Who wants to fly in that?"
A collective gasp issued from all the Quidditch players in attendance. Seamus lifted his hands in surrender. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Luna patted him on the arm. "I don't understand it either, particularly when all the Nargles hide out on the pitch during the cold weather."
Ron snorted into his drink. Hermione scowled at him.
"We have a clearing at the Manor that's perfect for Quidditch," Draco said. "Generations ago, one of my ancestors wove extra spells around the perimeter, and if you set just the right warming or cooling charms, it's like you're flying on a cool day in autumn, even on the coldest or hottest days of the year." He looked miles away now, no doubt atop a broom soaring high above a clearing back home in Wiltshire.
"That sounds amazing," Dean said wistfully. "Too bad they don't do that here." Even Ron looked intrigued.
Then, quite unexpectedly, Draco blurted out, "You should come. Try it out sometime."
Part 6
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, prompt #2: icicles, 21: mixing alcohol with other houses, and #29: gingerbread house competition and slythindor100's 25 Days of Draco and Harry, prompt #7: gated garden and #8: Christmas cookies.
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 | Part 4 |
Reset - Part 5
"Ugh! It's Christmas all around, apparently," Ron grumbled.
Harry saw a crowd gathered at the notice board just outside the Great Hall and angled his head towards them. "What's up?"
Hermione grinned. "It seems that some people, unlike Ron, are in the Christmas spirit." At Harry's confused look, she continued. "The inter-house social committee has decided we should have a gingerbread house making competition."
Ron groaned. "Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous?"
Harry sniggered. It did sound childish, but when he looked at the crowd he realised it was they who were the issue. He shrugged. "I dunno. It might be fun, especially for the younger kids."
"Exactly." Hermione shot Ron a defiant look. "Just because you're an old man doesn't mean the rest of the school can't have fun."
Harry laughed before tuning Ron out - this promised to be a long argument and Harry had other things to think about.
Like how he was supposed to keep Draco safe for the rest of the year. And how he would get Ron on board with Harry's idea to reset their lives and start fresh. The more he thought about it, the more unlikely success became.
"So how did it go?" Ron asked once he and Hermione seemed to have exhausted themselves. "Was it horrible? Did you visit the dungeons again?"
Hermione smacked him. "Ron!"
Harry let out a weary breath. "I had a nice time. A really nice time."
"I'm glad." Hermione smiled.
"You're joking, right?" Ron added.
Harry shook his head. "Not joking. It was actually quite nice. Good food." He thought it best not to mention that it rivalled Molly's cooking. "And the Manor - you know, when it hasn't been taken over by Death Eaters - is really nice, especially with snow covering the gardens." He remembered Narcissa's wistful look as she peered out, remembering Draco as a boy, and decided to keep that to himself too.
Ron huffed out something unintelligible and contrary. Harry sighed. "Narcissa was surprisingly nice, too. She wanted to thank me, but mainly I think just worried about how Draco's getting on this year." He decided not to elaborate, nor to tell Ron about Draco's ridiculous ideas. Still, he couldn't keep the grin from springing onto his face. "You should have seen Draco's face when she invited me for Christmas dinner!"
Hermione giggled. Ron sputtered. "You're not -? Tell me you're not -"
"Of course not," he assured Ron, who visibly relaxed at his words. "I'll be coming to the Burrow, as is tradition."
Ron nodded. "I should say so. My mother would have something to say if you didn't."
Harry smiled. "I wouldn't dare try."
"I'm glad you had a good time," Hermione said.
"Me too." And he was. In fact, he was looking forward to going back. As Ron seemed in as good a mood on the subject as he was likely ever to be, Harry pressed on. "In fact, I found myself agreeing to return during the holidays." When Ron didn't respond, he added, "Draco's mom is a bit like yours, Ron. She doesn't like to take no for an answer."
Hermione chuckled. "I think that's just a mom thing."
In for a penny, Harry thought. "On our way back, I thought seriously about the message that McGonagall has been pressing this year - the same one Dumbledore tried to push as well."
"Don't tell me? Work together. Stronger united." Ron's tone dripped with disdain.
"As a matter of fact, yes." Growing weary of Ron's attitude, his tone came out as more of a challenge than anything else. "So, in that spirit, Draco and I have decided to start fresh." Before Ron could argue, he explained further. "We won't ever forget the past, nor should we, but we'll try to learn from it, not dwell on it. The war is over and we need to figure out how to go on now that the threat is gone."
"Well, isn't that lovely?" Ron grumbled.
"It is," Hermione insisted, pointedly ignoring Ron's glare and smiling widely at Harry. "We need to move forward. Look ahead instead of back."
Harry couldn't agree more.
***
The next day, all irritation forgotten - Harry decided it was best not to ask Hermione exactly what she'd said or done to Ron to accomplish that - Ron was rather up-beat.
As they crossed into the gated garden just beyond the greenhouses, he was speaking animatedly. "Yeah, Seamus told me about this great plan the eighth years came up with for unity."
"Yeah?" Harry asked, breathing in the cool, crisp morning air. A light dusting of snow coated the grounds and the sunlight reflected off the icicles on the trees. There was nothing quite like Hogwarts in the winter. "What's that?"
"A party for the older students."
Hermione groaned. Harry could relate. If Seamus had anything to do with it, there wouldn't be a safe drink in the place.
Ron nudged her. "Aw, c'mon, it'll be fun."
"Oh, loads of fun. Let's all drink and let our guards down with people we've only just started getting on with," she said. "What could possibly go wrong there?"
Ron laughed. "Besides that tosser, Smith, and the Slytherins, there's no one to worry about."
Harry thought about that, not quite sure that Ron wouldn't be the biggest arse in the room if he started shooting off his mouth. He kept those thoughts to himself. He seemed to be doing a lot of that today.
"You know what?" Harry said. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing, letting down our guards a bit. Maybe people would stop seeing house loyalties and just see fellow students instead."
Hermione looked dubious, but said nothing.
***
As it turned out, Hermione's concern was for naught. Everyone who turned up did so with a positive attitude - and, no doubt, a desire to get hammered on a Saturday night. Harry had worried that the prat who'd cornered Draco that day might show up, but neither he nor his minions made an appearance.
The war, through some unspoken agreement, was never brought up, nor were house loyalties or any other touchy subject. For the first time in all his years at Hogwarts, Harry felt more like a Hogwarts student than a Gryffindor. It was oddly liberating.
As was the alcohol, the copious amount of it that had somehow made its way into every liquid in the room. Even the water cooler, as he'd found out when he poured himself a cup and swigged it back. Then promptly choked. Seamus was a menace.
Even Draco seemed to be enjoying himself. He'd fought Harry when he'd suggested that Draco attend, but in the end Harry had won out.
"What do you have to lose?" he'd asked after class earlier that week. Harry had taken to shadowing Draco between classes and, after a rather futile attempt at getting him to back off, Draco had relented, and they'd spent quite a bit of time together.
Walking ahead of Harry and not looking back, he said, "Everything."
Harry quickened his pace to keep up. "That's ridiculous. What could anyone say or do to you at a party - that they wouldn't any other time - that would have any real impact on your life? Do you even consider anyone that will be there to be your friend?" When Draco slowed down and scowled, he added, "Besides me."
Draco's reaction had nearly knocked him over. He'd stopped in his tracks, his head shot up and he stared at Harry with big, open eyes. Harry had never seen him look so vulnerable. "You consider me to be your friend?"
"Of course I do." Wasn't that what they were now? They certainly weren't enemies, and they were no longer rivals. If not friends, then what? When the disbelief on his face didn't fade, Harry said, "What else would you call me? Your future stepfather?"
He'd asked for the shot in his arm Draco gave him for that one.
Chuckling, he'd pushed on as they continued walking. "Here's the thing: I want to go. If it turns out to be rubbish, we can leave."
"Then go," Draco said, exasperated. "You don't need me. All your friends will be there. Why do you care if I go?"
Harry tugged on Draco's robes to stop his progress and turned him round to face him. "Not all my friends will be there."
And that was all it took. Now Draco was there, well on his way to being drunk if Harry wasn't mistaken, and no one had given him a hard time. Not even Ron. In fact, once Harry had dragged him into conversation for the fifth time, he seemed to give up on his attempt at remaining solitary.
As the night progressed, the only casualties were the two gingerbread houses and several plates of multi-coloured Christmas cookies that had decorated the table that Seamus unceremoniously toppled into just after midnight. After that, the drinking slowed and things started to wind down.
Now, for the first time all night, house teams were brought up, but all in fun - a heated discussion about Quidditch.
"Wish they'd let us all have time on the pitch," Dean grumbled. "I haven't been on my broom for a couple of weeks now."
Seamus shuddered. "Nah, it's freezing out there anyway. Who wants to fly in that?"
A collective gasp issued from all the Quidditch players in attendance. Seamus lifted his hands in surrender. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Luna patted him on the arm. "I don't understand it either, particularly when all the Nargles hide out on the pitch during the cold weather."
Ron snorted into his drink. Hermione scowled at him.
"We have a clearing at the Manor that's perfect for Quidditch," Draco said. "Generations ago, one of my ancestors wove extra spells around the perimeter, and if you set just the right warming or cooling charms, it's like you're flying on a cool day in autumn, even on the coldest or hottest days of the year." He looked miles away now, no doubt atop a broom soaring high above a clearing back home in Wiltshire.
"That sounds amazing," Dean said wistfully. "Too bad they don't do that here." Even Ron looked intrigued.
Then, quite unexpectedly, Draco blurted out, "You should come. Try it out sometime."
Part 6