Harryalmostughs.Herememberedwhentheythrewthatwordaroundlikeitmeantnothing,liketheyknewthefeelingthatshouldhavegoneintoit,buttheyhadn’t.Beingabletohatemeansbeingabletowanttohurt,bylookingatsomeoneandonlythinkingthattheywerevileanddisgustingandworthless,ofwantingthemtobornandbeingtheonetolightthemath.
“Iwon’t.”Heisstillonthefloor,stillholdingDrao’sarms,stilltraingtheedgesofthemark,likeifhediditenoughitwouldjustwashaway,slippingfromtheskinlikewater.“Never.”
“Promise?’
PromisethatIwon’thateyou?ThatIfiveyouandIloveyouandthatthere’snevergoingtobeamomentwhereI’llturnawayfromyou?That’sadonedeal,Drao.ImadethatdeisionlongbeforeIaughtsightofwhatwashidingonyourarm.
“Promise.”
Chapter28
Drao
They’vereahedatrue,heandtheWeasleyfamily.
Drao’snotgoingtokidhimself.MostofitisbeauseofHarryandallhehadgonethrough,Harryandhowmuhtheylovehim.Theydonotwanttoseehimhurting,andforwhateverreason,Drao’spreseneinhislifehasseemedtosoothetheahethatwasalwayswaitingrightunderhHarry’sskin,shaveawayhisbrokenedgesuntiltheyweresoftagain.EvenRonhasadmittedhowitwasgoodforhim,howeverrelutantlyandhowevergruffhisvoiewaswhenhesaidit.Therewassimplynodenyingit—Harrywaseatingagain(firstbeausehefeltbadwhenthefoodDraoookedwentuntouhedandnowbeausehehasrememberedwhatitmeanstobehungry),wassleeping,ouldevenleaveawindowopenaraktoletinfreshairwithoutonstantlyhavingtowathforintruders.
Butsomeofit—asmallpartofit,aparthedoesn’twanttoexaminetooloselybeauseheishalfafraidthatitmightdisappear,likethewayapotneverboilswhenyouwathit—isbeauseofhim.BeausefriendshipwithHermionehasturnedintoatruewithRon,beauseanightspentdrinkinginthesteroomofGee’sshopturnedintoarealsortoffriendship,wheretheyansitthroughQuiddithgamestogetherandbedrinkingbuddies,beauseBillhasswallowedhisreseandGinnyhastakentheknowledgeofhisfriendshipwithHarrylikeshehassomanyotherthingsthatshefoundhardtoswallow,withabzingheartandstraightenedshouldersandtheknowledgethatshouldsomethinggowrong,shewouldjusthexhimintooblivion.
It’s,evenwhenitisn’t.