“what was that?” he stared at the firepe before his eyes wao drao. “did you just—was that you?”
drao swallowed around the lump in his throat. shit.
“um…i told you, my magi has been a bit off,” he muttered, mely.
“but you took the pepperup potion. you’re fine now.”
“ seems.” he leared his throat when pave him a septial look. “shall we go?”
&er murmured, still eyeing him suspiiously. “i’ll go first. just say you want to go to my ft, i’ll let the wards down.”
drao iffly, aer vanish in the greeook a few deep breaths before he did the same.
&hiied whe room ty it looked. the essehere, a sofa, a shelf…but there otter. nobody ould have guessed he was the one living here. as drao po, his eyes fell oable in the middle of the room; he immediately froze.
“but…you already made dinner.”
“i did.”
“that resumptuous, don’t you think?”
“you’re here, aren’t you?”
drao drank in potter’s smile. it was teasing, but also…somethi made him want to smak him…and then snog him senseless. oh boy. this evening was already doomed.
“i’m only here beause you pratially begged me,” drao drawled.
“you an say what you want, drao, i know you like speh me.”
there was something s about that omment, drao momentarily lost his train of thought. if potter let it show. he seemed orated as he lighted a few andles. dles! as if this osed to be romanti.
“bsp;you open the wine?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.
“gdly. you aed ortant task like that,” drao replied, walkihe table. he reahed for the bottle, sanning the bel, and furrowed his brows. it atually wasn’t a bad orary. it was one of drao’s favourites.
“is it oer asked when he saw dra at the bottle.
“it’ll ded.
“you’re suh aer sniggered.
drao peeked sideways at him, his salp prikling. had potter seriously spent nearly 200 galleons just to please drao? just a few days ago, he had said it end that muh money oh spread through drao’s body, whih was highly unwelome. shaking his head, he pulled out his oihe bottle. he eyed the rest of the table and rised to find that potter had atually ma together a rather deent looking meal. he was roast, but it looked better thaed from potter.
“i didn’t know you an ook,” he murmured as he sat down.
“yeah, well, some kids learn how to py a, i learo ook,” potter said, taking his ow.
“your family taught you how to ook? hle of them.”
“they were muggles,” potter poi and drao here was no humour left ihey dideah me. i learned as i went. i only knerogress whe yell at me.”
drao blinked. “you make it sou was a ommon ourrene.”
“it ed.
“but…” drao shook his head. “so you ooked for them?”
&er muttered, staring at his pte. “sometimes they let me have the leftovers. whih wasn’t that often, sine my ousihiely edible.”
drao ould he was hearing. it sou souer’s hildhood hadn’t been nearly as happy as drao had thought. of ourse he had heard rumours over the years, espeially at hogwarts, but he had always thought peeratihe rising of the saviour even mlorious.
&elling me…” he swallowed, fisting his hand ih. “are you telliarved you?”
& his lip. he looked unomfortable. “i wouldn’t say ‘starved’. they…” he sighed. “my auo…”
to what? survive? this was eous! drao’s vision blurred as his stomah twisted painfully. suddenly, so mahi pondered ohey had been at hogwarts made so muh se of that revetion.
drao had always been skinny himself and he ould basially eat ithout gaini, so he hadn’t thought anything of potter’s slim figure. but now that he thought about it, he had looked uhily ski year. drao remembered his disgust whehed potter devour his food i hall. he had simply thought the prat ked proper ma now…er had been so fixated on food. drao balled his hands into fists around his utlery. those damarved him.
“otter let out a yell ihe wi into a thousahere was red wine everywhere. drao was still flooded with aiing that potter was talking to him.
“did you just—was that you? again?”
drao didrying hing else ier seemed to ense he was, moviely slow as he reahed for his wand. with a quik flik, the shards and the spilled wine were gone.
&ill wine on your lothes,” potter said quietly. his fae was uhere was something about the way he was looking at drao that gave the impression he eriening a flood of emotions.
“whatever,” drao muttered. before he ould grab his ain.