harry remembers drao and he ame out of azkaban. he had ohree mohree months too lo knoill happen toyle at after those 6 months. “i don’t think so.”
“harry.” hermioo him, fae serious. “i think you should look for malfoy.”
harry blinks at her in surprise. he had p did hermioo suggest it. over the past week, he had shared to his friends about his time in the manor and drao’s ondition. ron hadoo happy talking about it, but with his best friend and his girlfriend (even his own mother!) so ied iarted asking his owions. ihey’ve mao have oions about drao without aioning what a he was.
“well, i did pn to,” harry says.
hermione shakes her head. “now. i’m worried. you heard those people talking bak at the station. i wouldn’t put it pass the students t some of their hostility here.”
harry frowns, shaking his head in disbelief eveo stand up. “students wouldrails off, but there is already a gnawing dread in his stomah.
“i’m with her, mate,” ron says arefully.
&oo,” ginny says, head shaking. her eyes are shining, and it’s obvious she’s fightiears bak. “last year, harry, hogwarts wasn’t even a shool anymore. people were allowed to do ertain…things.”
hermioo hold her hand.
harry looks at her, tries not to think about worst ase senarios. swallowing thikly, he nods and turhe room.
“do you wao go with you?” hermione asks softly, but it’s no surprise to everyone when harry shakes his head.
“no, i think he’d be more omfortable with less people.” he looks behind his shoulder and offers an assuring grin. “ time?”
hermioime.”
heads peek from ompartment windows as asses, but harry’s thankful that nobody attaks him and demands fraph. he thinks that maybe his three months out of the publi eye have done we: golden boy’s not really ied in rubbing elbows, just wants to live iry again year.
&ments really are free for all, but everyo slytherins usually oupied the ohe bak eraihe same: students look at him in uriosity, but there is a seion in the air, as if they’re in the den of snakes.
as he goes further, he passes by more aments that are empty. it’s quieter. the noise of people talking and hatterihe distahe derease i popution this year is more obvious here.
& worried, thinking that maybe drao deided o hogwarts after all, but there, after five rows of empty ompartments, harry sees it.
drao malfoy inside, leaning bak oh one arm propped on the window sill, eyes gazing out i sehe other side of the gss. he’s present, harry knows this immediately. he sees this iness in drao’s eyes aension in his shoulders.
he rexes, assured that drao’s safe and that he’s oming bak to hogwarts after all. he knoks on the door, but that’s the only ourtesy he’s willing to offer beause he slides the door opeely after anyway.
drao jumps in shok, aurns his head—
harry’s assura-lived as he sees the purpling bruise on drao’s temple.
“eo your fae?”
drao rexes bak i o’s just harry. he frowion. “i tripped.”
harry loses the door harder thao a him. “don’t lie,” he says, lips thino look bak at the bruise.
drao mathes his gre with his own. “i’m not lying.”
“there’s a fuking bruise on your fae, malfoy.”
“i know. i a.”
“ened?”
“i told you, i tripped.”
“malfoy—”
drao’s body jerks forward i and his fist sms down on the window sill. “it’s a fuking trip ji did you expet?! ex-death eater omes bak tets a standing ovatio body?!”
harry is stuhe sudden outburst, a for him to pull the lever down on his temper.
drao liks his toed at himself f ontrol, and turns his head away. he sags bak i.
slowly, harry sits down aross from him. he stares at the bruise. “who was it?”
“don’t bother your pretty little head over it,” drao soffs, waving a ondesending hand. “it’s unbeoming of the saviour of the wizarding world to be so o you’d threaten an i ivilian.”
“i’m not goihem,” harry says ialk to them.”
drao looks at him, aed expression ohreatening way?”
“ile way.”
drao sighs tiredly, at his other temple. “why does it matter to you?”