Butnowitwasalldifferent.Now,theywerebothintransition,withDraobeingafreemanwhodoesn’tneedtoreporthiswhereaboutstotheministryandHarrylookingtoleaveeverythingaboutthewarbehind,newareerpnandnewboyfriendandnewhouse.It’snotabadthing,exeptforthefatthattwentyminutesbefore,Harrydidn’thavetothinkaboutaskingDraoifhewasomingwithhimtothenewhouse.Therewasneveranyneedfordisussion.
Nowtherewas.Now,DraowasfreetostayinthishouseorgobuyhimselfanewoneorgolivewithhismotherorGeeorLuna,orevenapparatetotheothersideoftheworldandnevertalktoanyofthem.Now,therewasnosafetyoftheroutine,noguaranteesthatDraowouldwanttogowithhimatall.
(Andofourse,thatmakesHarryonsiderthequestionofhowmuhofthiswasbyhoieandhowmuhwasbyobligation,like,yes,Harry,let’slookatahousetobuildourfutureinthatmeetsallthesespeifisandI’mnotprotesting,butI’mnotprotestingbeauseyou’retheonewhodeideswherewegoandsomelittlepieeofpaperthewizengamotjudgefilledoutmonthsagoinsiststhatIhavetofollow,likeitornot.Longdistanedatinggetsharderwhenyou’redoingitfromaellinAzkaban,afterall.)
“IjusttalkedtoHermione.ShesaidsheandRonanbeattheLeakyCauldronateight,whihgivesyouandIatleastanhourtoelebrate,timethatIanspendthankingyouproperlyforalltheworkthatyoudidtogetme—”DraopausesrightinthemiddleofhissenteneandthesmileslipsoffhisfaeatthesightofHarry.Hedoesn’tlookupset,justonfused,likeheannotimaginewhyHarrywouldnotbejumpingforjoyandmakinghisownroundofans,thoughwhoDraothoughthewouldbeallingwhenallwasavaiblewasthemugglephone,hewouldn’tknow.MaybeDudley,butHarryneverdidtellhimDraowastehniallyariminal.“Everythingalright?”
“Yeah.”There’savoieinhisheadtellinghimthathoyisthebestoption.Thatommuniationiskeyinhealthyretionships,andmaybetheyshouldsitdownsoHarryantalkabouthisfeelings.ItsoundsabitlikeHermione.Butthere’salsoavoiethatsoundsabitlikeSeamus,ofallpeople,ehoingasefromtheirsixthyear,sayingthatnowwasnotthetimetoworryaboutstupidthingslikethat.“Everything’sperfet.”
Chapter35
Drao
It’sastrangething,beomingokayagain.
Atthetime,Draohadn’tnotiedhowmuhtimeandenergygointonotbeingokay,whereheputsallhisenergyintoragingagainstmonstersthatonlyexistedinhisheadandpushingpastroadbloksthatwereonlyinhiswaybeausehehadbeentheonetopehimthere.Forthepasttwoyears,rightfromthemomenthisfatherwassenttojail,allhehadbeenthinkingaboutwasputtingthepieesofhislifebaktogether,thinkingonlyofwhathehadtodoinordertogethimselftothepointwhereheouldlookinthemirrorandfeellikethepersonstaringbakathimatuallyseemedliketheyhadturnedoutalright.
Asawhole,thepeoplewhowentthroughthewarhadspentalotoftimetogethertryingtoreahthepointwhereDraoisurrentlyat.Theonlythingwas,nooneeverthoughttotellhimhowharditwouldbe,walkingthroughlifelikeyouneedsomeone’spermissiontobehealthyandwholeagain,alwayswaitingforthemomentwherethegroundmightbepulledoutfromunderyourfeet.