& bloke from the—uh—your department,” ron gulped. “sableton? he was leadihey lh, but they were alright.”
hermio bak down, a millioions i ould wait. it would have to wait. she was exhausted. “oh thank god,” she ma heard from them siernoon.”
ron snorted. “you should have seen what harry was wearing.”
“will you stop paing?” drao said irritably. “i an’t orate when y your best effort to wear a hole in the flred at him. they’d been in the room for about twenty minutes. drao had set t it look like he tihe timepiee. harry had been w what they were supposed to do . at least, he had beely a somehow very l himself with heavy sighs, shakes of his head, aense pull of his fae.
harry finally had sat oo get off his and had hosehe empty spae that would eventually hold the ase board. drao deided to be ho with him, if ohe easiest harry from thinkio a stupor. pointiy spae, he said, “after i leave—after i left the pehis m, well before the i, i weea. i gathered my notes and anything zivantus had given me ahis room iernoon.” drao stopped ahe oi his room assig ter that day would be the very same room.
&ell harry was staring at him but drao fixedly foused ohe timepiee. “what—?”
“yhts are louder than that infernal musi at the nightlub,” drao offered ao g harry. at the mentiolub, harry tensed.
“ing bak ointless,” harry started. he shook his head. “we a valentine.”
drao froouldn’t know about him if we hadn’t ome bak.” he wondered if beihe hotel room had aused harry tret the moments they’d shared earlier. if drao thought bak to those seo’d seemed as if there was nothing but the feel of their owween them, he would feel exposed. harry had peeled away yers he didn’t know he’d had, aill was simplified his feelings for harry or somehow made them more ompliated. “and it oio me, harry.”
harry rossed his arms ahe unmistakable look of shame washing over him. so that was it, then? drao supposed he should have realized harry woulde. was it their history? drao’s mark? or the fat that he ut dowal in his hand ao stare at harry, suddeo do ail he found out why. “within these four walls, right now in this moment, an we promise eah other hoy?”
“i’m always ho—”
“do bullshit, harry,” drao replied, hoping his brash tone would push harry far enough to ahfully. sometimes drao ther was the most ho thing about him apart from his loyalty, bravery, ahy.
harry’s fae flushed with ahere you go! you want hoy, drao? half the time i ahink beause you make me so bloody a up ahe entraneway, his bak turill for a few mi drao k done. harry’s admissiohough, “yht. bak at zivantus’ house.” harry turned and foused aze inseure. “you were supposed to be this irredeemable git. the lines were drawn, and it was easy.”
“it was ,” drao offered.
“yes! and you and i had our roles. you were horrible, drao. you took the mark, and you were horrible, siding with him. people died beause of you,” harry shook his head, w himself up again. he losed his eyes and took a deep, uh. “people died beause of me too, though. and i alhy you did what you did, and that made me even madder. i didn’t want to uand you. when you lied for me? when you shouted my night? it filled me with rage. you weren’t supposed to—” drao ouldn’t tell if his heart was sinking at harry’s w with some rare, twisted hope. harry shuddered. “you’d hanged.”
drao hadn’t realized he’d been luthing his legs in a firm grip until harry’s words sent a wave of relief through him a go.
“but now? you’re this—this good guy. you’re atively good, better than me even, bloody hell drao you’re an unspeakable!” harry’s fae washed with fear. “the maghis ase—the reperussions, what we ould be up against—” drao realized that not only had harry been seeing him in a new way, but he’d beeo a type of fearful uaihe days of voldemort, awee a had blurred. as if sensing drao’s uanding, harry ontihe same side he same things, it’s—” harry walked bak and stood aross from drao, the offee table between them. he sighed, “sorry, i’ve been ranting, and—i just—i don’t even know what i’m saying anymore. you’ve ripped me open with all of this spilling out in the middle of this ase.” harry sat ihe armhairs, a look of defeat on his fae. “i’m ashamed that this is all i an think about wheill out there.”
drao almost ughed as harry’s words alleviated his fears. he liked his lips. “you khe a perso, harry,” he put up a hand to sileil he’d finished. “i’m not saying it’s a bad thing; it’s just who you are. there will always be something that rattles you, it’s what makes you s, so ready to fight for something. to do somethiting and waitio reveal itself.” drao smiled, “it took m