Christmas Story 2018 - In the Spirit, part 7 (H/D)

Title: In the Spirit – Part 7
Author: sesheta_66
Prompts used: slythindor100’s early bird prompt 19: Big Ben in winter (picture under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompts 14: seasonal tradition and 28: puppies!
Word Count: 1.2K
Rating: PG, for now
Warning: none
Summary: Harry had a rough Christmas last year, to say the least. But things are looking up this year, and he plans to embrace the season, even if he is still single.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Written for the slythindor100 Early Bird 25 Days of Draco and Harry and the dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge.

On LJ: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

OR on AO3



In the Spirit – Part 7



Harry looked out over the Thames from his spot on Westminster Bridge while he waited for Luna for their traditional seasonal breakfast in Muggle London. Luna always chose the place and every year it was both different and a surprise, so Harry had no idea where they were headed, except that it was somewhere near Big Ben. He glanced over at the big clock to see that Luna was ten minutes late. Waiting for the sun to properly rise, the street lights hadn’t yet turned off and were emphasizing the mist in the air.

It was another crisp day, one that lets you know you’re alive, and Harry would prefer to get someplace warm. He’d cast a warming charm, but it was wearing off and he hadn’t mastered the art of casting a good spell without being obvious about it. The morning crowds were already descending on the city, so he was playing it safe.

"Hi, Harry," Luna called from behind. He turned round and was immediately enveloped in a huge hug that Luna was famous for. "Sorry I’m late. I got distracted by the most adorable puppies in a pet shop window on my way over here. They had little Christmas sweaters on and everything. No excuse really, except time got away from me and they really were adorable. Shall we head over now?"

Harry smiled at his friend, appreciating as always her love for life and, even after everything she’d gone through, her innocence. He nodded and followed her into a bustling shop that smelled of coffee and pastries and bacon. Just what he needed.

They settled in with their breakfast at, as luck would have it on a busy morning, a window seat as the sun cast its rays through the remaining mist before it vanished altogether, leaving a clear, if not crisp, view of the riverbanks.

Without preamble, Luna blurted out, "Draco tells me he saw you twice this past week."

Harry, confused, frowned at his friend. Since when did she converse with Draco Malfoy, of all people, and why on earth would they have been talking about Harry?

Before he managed to cobble together words to express his confusion, Luna continued. "He called me yesterday to ask if I thought you really planned to visit him at the manor."

Thankfully, Harry had put down his fork at Luna’s first utterance, so he was saved from choking on his sausage. "He what?"

She nodded as she sipped her coffee. "Yes, he seemed nearly as perplexed as you right now. He said something about Teddy asking if you could come with him to the manor. He was rather surprised you didn’t argue, but I told him that it didn’t surprise me. After all--" She took a maddeningly slow bite of her toast followed by another sip of her coffee. "It was only a matter of time before the two of you became friends."

Harry reached for his cup of tea and had to swallow a good portion of it before he could properly wrap his head around her words. Sure, he was used to Luna blurting out strange things, but when it had to do with people she knew, she was generally spitting out truths that most everyone knew but had the subtlety not to say. But this?

He wiped his mouth as he watched Luna, quite unaware of Harry’s bewilderment, continue to munch away at her food. "Luna," he began, not entirely sure what he wanted to ask, or if he wanted to hear the answer. "Why on earth would you think that Draco Malfoy and I would become friends? I mean, we hated each other in school."

She laughed. "No, you didn’t."

"Oh, I’m pretty sure we did." He was pretty sure everyone knew that, particularly anyone in their year. Perhaps Luna missed it, being a year behind them and in Ravenclaw? "And how is it you found yourself talking to Malfoy about me anyway?"

Once more, she took her time with another couple of bites of food and a sip of coffee before responding. "Oh, we’ve kept in touch over the years."

He wasn’t expecting that. "You have?"

"Oh, yes. A few months after the war, I saw him in Diagon Alley and approached him to say hello. Before I had the chance, he apologised for everything that happened at his home during the war."

That surprised Harry. Not so much that Malfoy had apologised eventually, but that he’d not run as soon as he’d seen Luna. That was, in fact, what he’d done when he’d seen Harry the first few times after the war. "I’m glad to hear it. A bit surprised, but glad."

"Oh, yes, he was ever so upset at what had happened to me. And Mr. Ollivander too. And the rest of you." She stared at Harry for a few moments before continuing. "I think he was as much a prisoner there as we were. It just wasn’t quite so literal, I suppose."

"I know."

She looked at him questioningly. "You do?"

Harry nodded. "I had some insight – a connection of sorts – into Voldemort’s thoughts. I saw what he’d made Malfoy do, and I knew that he only did it out of fear for his family. His mother most of all, I think." He hadn’t thought about that scared boy he’d seen torture a Death Eater on Voldemort’s orders for a long time. He didn’t like to think about that time. "I don’t think he felt he had much of a choice in anything really. Not with Lucius as his father." Harry didn’t bother to hide his contempt for the man.

Luna grinned broadly. "See? I knew you didn’t hate him." Harry made to argue, but she cut him off. "And Draco never hated you either. He was just jealous, I think. That and he was programmed to hate you by his father – a man he desperately wanted to live up to – so he emulated Lucius." She let that sink in while she finished her coffee. Harry found himself unable to form a coherent retort. "And the two of you always had the whole I-hate-you-but-I-really-don’t thing happening that I figured it was only a matter of time before you realised how stupid you were both being and became friends."

Harry snorted. "That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?"

"Oh, no. In fact, I always suspected there was something more there than even that, what with you both obsessing over each other. But I figure one step at a time." She waved towards Harry’s unfinished breakfast. "Hurry up or you’ll be late for work."

"But—" Luna was right about the time, but he couldn’t just leave the conversation like this. He shovelled the remains of his meal into his mouth in three goes before swigging back the dregs of his tea. "What do you mean, more than that?"

She stood up and put on her coat before turning her dreamy smile on him. "Oh, I always thought you’d make a handsome couple."

And with that, she walked out of the restaurant, leaving a speechless and utterly flummoxed Harry to follow in her wake.

Part 8