Draco spent Sunday working on the house – because he wanted to do something useful, and because for once he wasn't tired. Harry showed him the room he had put aside for brewing, and so Draco got to work on that as a priority – adding various charms around the room to strengthen and secure it.
Harry stood in the doorway watching, a sleepy smile on his face. "What are you doing?"
"Potter, I endured six years of Potions with you. You might not be taking Potions as a NEWT, but you may need to use this space. I've seen you manage to cause explosions on quite simple potions. Given that I live in this house and will likely be in the room with you at the time, I'd rather you didn't bring the entire place down on you." The words slipped out before Draco could stop them, but Harry was smiling, and Draco's chest felt strangely warm.
"I knew you cared."
"About getting through my NEWTs without being crushed alive, yes." Draco answered, hiding a smile that he hadn't meant to allow. "There are all kinds of methods to protect spaces that will be used for preparation, and if we're working at the NEWT level some of the ingredients can be quite dangerous if handled incorrectly. So I'm ensuring an adequate air supply, reinforcing the walls, and putting up certain barriers."
"How do you know all this stuff?" Harry asked, and Draco felt his smile falter.
"Professor Snape used to talk a lot about this work, and when I was... Fifth year. When I was a prefect, he taught me because he knew I..." Draco shrugged a little. "I was interested in making some potions for myself, just... to test them, really. Not to sell them, I wasn't planning anything as gauche as having a job. I just thought... it'd be good to learn."
"If you wanted to brew potions, I'm sure George…" Potter started, and fell silent when Draco looked at him and shook his head.
"No one would trust something brewed by a Death Eater, Potter." Draco's wand hand shook a little. He supposed he was tired from casting the protective spells. He checked them against his mental list, and nodded. "I was also going to set up a proximity spell in the corridor outside – some of the potions we're handling don't take well to sudden interruptions." He lowered his wand though, because he didn't want Potter to spot the way he was shaking.
"Do you need tea or anything?"
"I'm fine, Potter. Do you have any regular commitments that I need to plan your timetable around?" Draco tried to focus, to ignore how he felt.
"I try to see Teddy on Fridays and Wednesday mornings. But uh, Andromeda wouldn't mind if I need to move that. The rest is just..." Potter shook his head and shrugged. "Whenever the Ministry comes calling."
"You don't owe them anything," Draco told him. He carefully laid out the equipment on two tables, and then ran through the ingredients layout to check that nothing had been stored beside something likely to cause problems. "You already saved everyone once. That's enough."
"I wish," Potter groaned in frustration, sitting on one of the tables and swinging his legs. "I'm pretty sure all it did was prove to them that they could rely on me to do stuff for them again. Some of them are still frustrated I took the year to... to do my NEWTs, but..." Potter ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up. Draco pondered for a moment the fact his own hair stayed smooth when Potter stroked it while this seemed to be worsening the problem.
"I think you're doing the right thing." Draco told him, looking at him. "You've given enough, Potter. If you let people keep taking, they'll tear you to shreds."
Potter looked at him for a moment. Draco wasn't sure he liked that look - it wasn't hungry, but it felt like Potter was seeing far more than he should have.
"Mondays are normally pretty quiet. And Friday evenings are often events..." He hesitated, and gave Draco a curious look. "You're not planning to work?"
The question felt like a punch. Draco could feel his throat going tight, and he took a breath. He needed to answer rather than panic.
"My family are wealthy enough that I can be provided for. I don't... I don't currently have access, but I'm sure if you ask my mother she'll gladly give you whatever you wish." Draco knew that was true -- if it came to it, Mother would sell the manor to ensure Potter had the money he wanted. And Potter had said he didn't expect Draco to pay for the books.
Worse than that though was the fact Draco knew he couldn't get a job. People like him, people who were disgraced... they didn't work. Not when people knew he was scum. Lovegood didn't, of course. Lovegood didn't know anything. But most people, decent people... they despised him. They all knew he should be in Azkaban, rotting alongside his father as he waited for one of the other prisoners to end his life.
The room seemed to be spinning, and then strong arms were around him. He could smell Harry, could feel Harry's hand rubbing his back, and there was such strength there but none of it was directed against Draco. He didn't understand.
"It's okay, Draco..." Potter was saying, and it wasn't okay, but Draco wanted it to be. "You don't need to work, it wasn't... I just thought you'd get bored in here all day."
"I'm not... not quite sure what part of 'Death Eater scum' you're struggling with." Draco whispered, his voice uneven. He hadn't expected Potter's arms to tighten then, but they did. Potter led him from the brewing room up to the kitchen, sat him down, and gazed at him in concern.
"You aren't scum, Draco. You made mistakes. You were a kid."
"You didn't make mistakes." Draco pointed out, trying to breathe slowly. "You didn't let... you weren't marked."
Harry snorted, pushing his fringe out of his eyes, baring the scar. Draco wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry, because that was different. That was so different.
Harry handed him some water, and Draco took a sip, trying to focus. He had to stay calm, for his scorpion. Pointing out his past mistakes wasn't going to endear him to Potter, and he did need Potter to like him.
"You okay?" Potter asked after a few moments. Draco nodded, thoroughly ashamed of himself. Potter went to cook, and Draco summoned some parchment with a wave of his hand to prepare study timetables for them both. He could do that at least.
Potter handed over a plate of food just as Draco was checking the syllabus for Transfiguration. "I know we're studying this week, but I thought we could see Ron and Hermione at some point, if they're free. She's doing Ancient Runes, and it'd be good to... good to see her."
"We?"
"Well, you're taking Ancient Runes as well, and I don't know anyone else who is. It's not exactly an enthralling subject."
"I'd disagree..." Draco mumbled, taking a bite of his food. "But yeah. If you... I mean, don't you want to see your friends alone?"
"You're my friend." Potter answered, with a smile that looked a little hesitant. Draco nodded, pushing some more of the food onto his fork. He didn't understand how he had ended up as Harry's friend, but he knew he could use it to survive. He would survive. He might not have been a Malfoy in name, not any longer, but he was still one in spirit. He remembered the motto.
Sanctimonia Vincent Semper.
The first two days of study went well. Draco had a full timetable -- he was attempting to teach himself six subjects, five of which to examination level. But it was good to be doing something with purpose again. After all the pain of the past fourteen months, being able to study made Draco feel real again. He'd sent brief letters to Pansy and Blaise, telling them to watch over Lovegood, promising he was being treated well, and asking how their studies were going. Nothing that was incriminating.
Wednesday morning, Harry smiled at him across their cooked breakfast. "Just got a message from Andromeda, she's gone to visit your mum this morning with Teddy so I thought maybe we could see if Ron and Hermione are available?"
Draco nodded mutely, trying to be glad his mother would at least have company. He was coming to detest the image of her alone in the manor, walking down the hallways that were stained with memories without him there to help her clear those thoughts away.
He wondered how he would get on with Weasley and Granger - Ron and Hermione, now, he supposed. Granger had always been tolerable, aside from her academic abilities that so infuriated his father. Weasley though had frequently made it clear he despised Draco.
It crossed Draco's mind that he really needed to get his hands on a book that would cross-reference various charms and potions with pregnancy to ensure he didn't hurt his scorpion by making a mistake. Hopefully any hexes Weasley felt like throwing wouldn't be too dangerous. He was beginning to get tired again. After sleeping with Potter in his bed, he'd thought that maybe he could sleep alone. But it wasn't working. Still, the glamour to hide his exhaustion was holding so far.
Potter went to yell into the fireplace, and returned after a few moments with a broad smile and smudged soot on his face. Draco raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Barrier charms, Potter."
"I haven't seen them-"
"Well they're in the textbook, and you were meant to be working on Charms on Tuesday afternoon." Draco sighed. "I'll teach you later."
"Not now?"
"Maybe I want to try and show you the importance of reading your books," Draco teased, feeling a slight warmth on his face he didn't dare question too much.
"Hermione and Ron say we can come straight over." He grinned. "Uh, they're staying near the Weasleys for now, but they've got their own place in the village."
Draco felt a sudden wave of relief crash through him -- he wasn't sure he was going to be able to face the entirety of the Weasley clan in his rather delicate condition. "Lead the way."
He took a pinch of Floo powder and followed, bracing himself for being held at wand point, for being hurt. He had a better chance here than Azkaban. He tried to cling to that thought as he stumbled from the flames.
It was Granger - Hermione - that greeted him with a gentle smile, far kinder than he deserved. "Hey, Draco."
"Hello, both of you."
"Malfoy," Weasley nodded his head in acknowledgement, and Draco didn't bother to correct him. If Potter didn't want to be associated with him, he could hardly blame him for that.
"Sit down, Ron can you make us all some tea?" Hermione asked, and she was smiling brightly. "Harry was telling me you're taking Ancient Runes, and you're the only one in our year other than me who is. So I wondered if you could show me how you're approaching the first assignment."
Relieved he'd scheduled Ancient Runes for the first half of the week, Draco began to explain. He set out what he'd been looking at so far and what was of interest to him. "Honestly, my main concern is how runes have been used for healing magics -- especially as symbols of things that wouldn't be spoken aloud, as hidden shorthand hiding in plain sight down the generations."
Hermione beamed and started to talk through her own approach. She was more interested in the militaristic use of runes and how they were used carved in bone and stone to send messages and create lasting barriers.
Draco tried not to think of the snake at his elbow, of the word his aunt had cut into Granger's flesh. He focused instead on the opening sections of the textbook. "I..." He swallowed and looked down. "It's a shame you can't come to the Manor, we had all kinds of things with runes-"
"There was that box!" Harry said quickly. "You had all kinds of poisons and stuff, with runes on the lid." Harry seemed delighted to have something meaningful to contribute to the conversation, although judging by Hermione's expression she hadn't really understood what that box meant. Instead, she addressed Draco's invitation.
"I'd rather not step foot in there again."
"I can ask my mother to send a few of the books if you're interested, and there's... well, I'm not sure what hasn't been destroyed or... or taken. But I can ask Mother to let us know."
"Thanks, Draco." Hermione looked at him, and she wasn't angry. She seemed happy to pretend they were still students, still children playing at learning rather than anything else.
The conversation passed peacefully until lunch. The food was good, and Draco was careful to say thank you, to behave politely. But Weasley continued to stare at him with suspicion, and he had no answer to give.
"Malfoy, you better be looking after Harry." Weasley told him. "He's been having a lot on his plate."
"I'm doing all I can." Draco answered, because that was true. It felt like a wave of tiredness threatened to overwhelm him. Harry gave him a concerned look, but let the conversation carry on.
"I know Draco's got some Astronomy work to do, so maybe he can come out here and do that while we go out for a meal or something," Harry suggested, and everyone agreed. Draco nodded, suddenly exhausted and trying to hide it.
"So how is married life treating the two of you?" Ron asked with a broad grin. "I mean, you haven't killed each other yet, so Ginny owes me three knuts."
"You're gambling on when Potter and I will kill each other?" Draco asked.
"Well, you two always tried before." Weasley shrugged. Draco returned the gesture, seeing the logic to it. Yet Harry hadn't made a single move to harm him since he had arrived. Instead, he'd been almost generous. "Perhaps I can go home after lunch, and... and the three of you can continue to reminisce."
"Will you be alright?" Harry asked. Draco nodded, thanking them both and excusing himself once the meal was over. He returned to Grimmauld Place and didn't try to run because he knew it would be pointless. Anyway, he had a plan to put into action.
He needed to know if any of his schoolwork posed a threat to his scorpion. There were books out there for that. He had a small amount of money and could order from Flourish and Blott's. But he needed to ensure it wasn't traced back to him. He couldn't ask a friend.
That gave him an idea. What he could do was pretend it was for Pansy. Concentrating on how she used to write, he copied her handwriting. He ordered a book on pregnancy and magic and addressed the delivery to Grimmauld Place. If it was found, there would be an excuse -- Pansy had the book sent there for safe keeping. He was sure if it came to it, he could trust her to cover up his secret.
He sent the note off as soon as the ink was dry. Then he sent a missive to his mother, informing her that one of his classmates was interested in runes and that he wanted to know what had survived the destructive tendencies of Death Eaters and Aurors. He didn't mention which classmate, not wanting to upset her. He also added a few sentences saying he hoped she had enjoyed her time with Andromeda, and that he would like to see them soon.
Feeling strangely bereft without his signet ring, he was just writing the address when the fire glowed green. A moment later, Harry stumbled out.
"I was just writing to my mother…" Draco supplied, defensive, hoping Potter wouldn't demand to read his mail.
"Well done. Thanks for today, Hermione seemed delighted to have someone to actually talk with about this stuff. We try but she can be a bit... you know." Harry grinned. "But you're good for her. She said maybe you two could meet up on a study date."
"Maybe." Draco agreed. Granger at least was tolerable, part of him wished to see her again. Potter continued with that inane smile, but then looked a little less certain.
"You looked tired there."
"I've slept better," Draco admitted. "But I can manage…"
"I'm sure. Look, is there anything I can do to help?" Potter asked, because he was always offering to help, and he seemed to mean it. Draco decided to risk trusting him.
"If you want... it'd be good if you could stay with me again tonight." It was deeply embarrassing to ask for such a thing, but Draco could do it because he knew he needed to rest.
"Course, Draco. I could read the Charms book this afternoon, try and teach myself barrier charms, if you need to sleep." Potter offered it so easily, so thoughtlessly. "Got space for you on my lap."
Draco considered for a moment, but then he decided it was a good plan and settled down on Harry's thighs, his gaze directed past Harry's knees. As those gentle fingers brushed through his hair, he wasn't sure what to make of how safe he felt there.