Ten Reasons Not to Date Draco Malfoy   von Rabenfeder
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               Kapitel 2: Chapter two: He does not like company
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Chapter two: He does not like company

"If I tell you, he swings the other way round, he does, even though me might not
have realized it himself!”, Draco explained to Harry very excitedly. They were
once again meeting at “their” bar, coffeeshop or however you would like to
call it. Harry himself wasn’t sure about that either. The products sold there
ranged from drinks to food and even shirts so a definite decision about the
actual purpose of the store was hard to make. However, there was one thing he
was sure about: It was a trendy place! 

All the other customers he had seen while waiting for Draco (whom had explained
to him that being on time was so not Malfoy style) were around his age and
dressed way more fashionable than he would ever be able to. He himself stood out
with his comfortable clothes which fulfilled no other purpose than to cover his
body, as well as the blond man, who always seemed to wear formal clothing, be it
a button down and dress pants or even a whole suit. Harry guessed that this was
because they always met directly after work. He could not imagine that even
Malfoy would find this type of fashion comfortable in his leisure time.

Which brought him back to wondering why it always was the same time slot. They
were meeting each other for casual drinks for over two months now. The days
tended to differ; the time of the days however always stayed the same. Before
leaving first, the former Slytherin always suggested a date for their next
meeting “at the usual time”.  So far, Harry did not have the guts to ask the
other man if there was a reason for that. He could already imagine plenty such
as Malfoy not wanting to be seen with him or the blond aristocrat attending
fancy balls and other high society gatherings in the evenings. Maybe it was as
simple as Malfoy not wanting him to feel like they were dating. Which they were
not! Harry could never imagine actually dating a man, particularly not Draco
Malfoy! In fact, he could hardly imagine himself ever dating someone.

He was brought back into reality by the other man who closed his almost rant on
how people would not see how obviously gay Tanner van Burm was in his opinion.
“Of course, being out there in the open changes a lot for you…”, he closed
his monologue which gave Harry the perfect opportunity to change the subject
onto a matter he had wanted to discuss for quite a while now.

“But for you, not much has changed. I mean, you do not act different now than
to how you did before!”, he brought himself back into the conversation. The
man sitting opposite oh him carefully raised a single eyebrow and seemed to be
having a hard time finding an accurate answer. Instead he asked a question:

“So, you do not think I have changed at all?”

While speaking, he looked Harry dead into the eyes, his voice sounding something
between mildly offended and amused at the same time. Our beloved golden boy had
to swallow hard before answering. Still, he was scared of insulting the other
man and therefore giving him a reason not to meet up and talk anymore. Harry
quite enjoyed these small encounters quite much.

“No, no, this wasn’t what I meant. Of course, you have changed, I mean, you
are not a total git anymore. Since everyone knows…you…you did not turn
totally…gay” He whispered the last word, not sure if it was okay to say it
out loud which lead to Malfoy responding with a crooked smile and taking another
sip from his drink.

“Well, everyone decides how they want to be seen in public, do they not?”,
he answers cryptically. This is the one thing that had been frustrating Harry
for weeks now. Whenever he tried to address how his outing had actually affected
Malfoy, the other man always managed to either be cryptic or change subjects
completely. But this time he would not give up so easily.

“But I mean, you did not become another person, you still look the same,” he
managed to say while noticing that the blond was staring at the door behind him,
a horrified expression on his face.

“Shit, how late is it Potter?”, Malfoy asked him quickly, his eyes still
focused on something behind them that seemed to be coming closer. Irritated,
Harry looked at the wall behind them which told him it was already fifteen
minutes after the usual time Malfoy left. The latter one seemed to be rather
nervous when Harry finally noticed the woman heading towards them.

Dressed in a dark green leather shirt combined with a light grey button down and
very extravagant tights that featured intricate flower designs as well as some
gem stones, she very well fitted into the environment. Her longish dark brown
hair was half up done in a messy bun, that suited her well. While looking into
her green eyes, Harry was not sure if he had seen a piercing in her nose. When
he took a second glimpse, it for sure was gone.

She stopped at their table, her arms crossed in front of her chest and starred
at Malfoy expectantly, completely ignoring Harry. He still wondered if he had
seen her before. Something seemed to be familiar about her.

“So, this is where Mr. Too-Good-to-Be-on-Time-to-Meet-his-Best-Friend prefers
to spent his afternoons, shagging cute boys he didn’t tell her about.”, she
snarls at him. It was obvious that she was having a hard time not breaking out
into laughter while talking, therefore her face looked quite tense, attempting
to stay serious. While Malfoy only let out an annoyed sigh she turned towards
Harry and for a moment lost all her cool attitude when she recognised him.

“Oh, Harry Potter! It has been ages since I last saw you!”, she exclaimed
enthusiastically while grabbing an empty chair behind her. Sitting down, she
held out her right hand in order to introduce herself to him.

“Astoria, Astoria Greengrass, in case you can’t remember,” she added with
a witty wink. Harry shook her hand, still a bit confused if he was obligated to
introduce himself now even though she obviously already knew who he was. She did
not seem to mind him being quiet at all, as she simply continued talking.

“Oh, has Draco been annoying you with his work stories, Harry?”, she asked,
now ignoring Malfoy completely herself. “He can be such an attention seeker
from time to time, completely unlike his roommate.”, she jokingly explained to
our favourite Gryffindor. The way she kept talking and how easy it was for her
to force Malfoy into complete silence impressed Harry and he instantly decided,
that he could become friends with this loud girl.  

Turning towards the blond, she finally acknowledged his presence once again. 

“Draco, why didn’t you tell me, you were socializing with Harry? I would
have loved to join the two of you. Maybe we should all go out some time,” she
grinned at him. From the tone of her voice Harry could already hear that she was
trying to provoke Malfoy by being overly open and friendly. He chuckled a bit as
he noticed the other man’s face turning the slightest shade of red when he was
addressed by who obviously had to be a very close friend who discovered a
secret.

“’Toria, what do you want from me? May I assume that there is any other
reason you do not even let me spend a few single, wholesome hours a day without
your constant babbling than to drive me crazy?”

“Well,” she started, touching his hair with a confused expression, “I was
having some difficulties renewing my Glamour, so I was wondering if you would be
so kind as to do me the favour of helping me, Prince Draco.” Harry wondered if
it was normal to be able to hear eyes rolling instead of even seeing them,
because he clearly just now had. Also, the girl had mentioned Glamours, what was
that supposed to mean? 

“And this is something you could not simply have texted me? Instead you
decided to stalk on me while I was having a lovely time over some drinks with a
– friend?” It was only at the very last part of the sentence that Malfoy
looked at him once again, an unasked question between them. While Harry was
still wondering if he really considered himself and his former school rival
actual friends now, Astoria Greengrass (whom he now finally remembered as the
rather timid Slytherin girl two years below them) asked the exact same
question:

“So, Harry, you and Draco are friends now?”

Malfoy quickly looked at him, silently asking for help and an answer himself and
Harry remembered that they were bound by a contract not to reveal the actual
topic of their meetings. Even though it had started rather rough until Harry
managed to ease up in Malfoy’s company there was no logical reason to not
assume, they were friends now.

“Yes, we started talking recently and, well Malf – I mean Draco – and I
somehow became somethings like friends you could say,” he managed to answer
after having taken one or two seconds to long. While talking about friendship he
had stumbled about calling the other guy by his last name. If they actually
wanted to become friends, they should use their first names, shouldn’t they?
The name Malfoy reminded him of the git back in school who made their lives
miserable. It was only logical to call him Draco now, wasn’t it? It sounded
like a new start.

He could see the relief in the other man’s face and Harry wondered if this
matter might be of higher importance to Mal- Draco as he himself would have
thought. He still remembered the terrible eleven-year-old boy that wanted to be
his friend in order to show him how the world spun. Harry smiled to himself.
Somehow the situation was not that different. This time however it had been him
who came to Draco for help. To Draco. Draco. Draco.

In his mind he repeated the first name over and over again. It sounded strange,
unusual. He would need some time to get used to it. But the look on the other
man’s face showed him, this was a step into the right direction. A Harry
Potter who might be gay might also be friends with Draco Malfoy, he thought to
himself and grinned a bit. His life seemed to finally be changing again after
ages, finally the world seemed to be spinning again.

“Harry and I were just about to say goodbye before you interrupted us with
matters that clearly could have waited,” Draco told Astoria in a voice that
should sound annoyed but actually carried an amused tone. His eyes were focused
on our favourite Gryffindor and Harry had to admit that the spark of mischief
that lit them actually suited the blond man very well. It made his grey eyes
just a notch warmer and felt like they were sharing a secret, not even Draco’s
best friends knew about. 

Astoria seemed to be aware of the unspoken pieces of information between them of
which she would not become a part of. Shaking her head, she returned her
attention towards Draco and brushed her hand through his hair, careful not to
bring any strand out of place. 

“Actually, we do not have that much time left Draco. My Glamour has already
started fading and I am not so sure about yours either.”, she explained to
him, brushing through his hair with a concentrated look, as if she was searching
for something on his scalp. Again, that Glamour thing. Harry started wondering
what this was supposed to mean. Malfoy – Draco! – looked like always, what
reasons could he possibly have to enchant his appearance?

With an excusing smile Draco got up from his chair and said his goodbye to
Harry, explaining that he actually had to leave, which – and while he was
telling the next part he was viciously staring at Astoria – had nothing to do
with the interruption caused by his annoying roommate. It was Harry’s time to
pay so he did not feel in a hurry to get up at all. He could as well stay a
moment longer and finish whatever this shake Draco had insisted, he had to try,
was.

Astoria got up as well, grinning at the dark-haired man. She leaned a bit
towards him and while fluttering her eyelashes asked something Harry would not
have expected from a pureblood witch, but who was he to still make assumptions
about people based on their past.

“Harry Dear, can you give me your phone number in case Draco misses another
rendezvous? You know, just in case we have to start a nationwide search once
again,” she explained while attempting to keep a straight face. Without even
waiting for his answer, she stuffed her phone into his hands and let him no
other choice than add his number to her contacts. The phone lay heavy in his
hands. It was one of the brand-new ones, no less than 2 months old Harry would
assume. Had he only been given the phone and the task to spot the owner of it in
the room without any further piece of information, he would have still known it
belonged to Astoria, he thought. The case was pitch black and featured all kinds
of cute but creepy animals on them. It was on the very verge of still being
stylish and not considered corny, but somehow it fit her.

While typing in his own number (oh what a lucky coincidence Hermione had forced
him to learn it by heart just in case only this week!) he wondered whether Draco
actually owned a smart phone as well and if he should dare to ask the blond man
for his number – now that they considered each other friends this was not a
weird request, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, we will never find out if the Saviour
of our beloved Wizard World would have had the guts to do so as Astoria was
forced to leave by a very pushy Draco, who now seemed self-aware of his hair as
well as he nervously checked it in the bar mirrors. They left behind a smiling
Harry who wondered if he had ever assumed Draco was sharing a flat with someone
like that girl.

~

The next Saturday afternoon he spent as he often did, watching over his godson
Teddy while Andromeda was busy finishing all the left-over stuff she did not
manage to do with a quirky and very much attention seeking six-year-old around.
Him playing with the boy had become a regular thing as soon as Teddy turned a
year. It had always been something he felt confident doing by himself, something
where he did not need Ginny or anyone else. He was good with kids. It was only
after the break up that his monthly visits had turned into weekly ones and as
much as Andromeda seemed to be thankful for his help, Harry could always see her
hidden concern if he was alright.

Actually, he was, he noticed while he once more pushed Teddy who was sitting on
his swing, his favourite thing to do outside right now. Harry’s action
resulted in a very happy squeak coming from the little boy with the purple hair.
It would be foolish to assume Teddy always wore his hair in that colour but as
he insisted on attending a muggle school before going to Hogwarts, Andromeda had
taught him a spell to glamour his hair into a specific colour. This enchantment
made sure Teddy’s hair stayed the same during the day. As his grandmother
strongly believed in the power of free will and making own choices, Teddy was
allowed to decide which colour his glamoured hair should have. He went with
purple (after all, he IS Tonks’s son, so what else did you expect?).

Spending time with children had always been something Harry loved doing. It was
easier to interact with them than with adults. Children tended to say what they
actually meant and did not conceal their feelings in order to protect you. As
far as it concerned Harry, it had never been a good idea to do something to
protect him. Usually this resulted in people getting into big danger or even
dying. He hated being protected. He was not broken. Not special.

Maybe that was the reason he liked spending time with Draco. The other man knew
about his past – their past. How it had really been. Malfoy never thought
about him as being special, Harry remembered smirking, actually it had been
quite the opposite. He wondered, if some parts of the arrogant brat were still
inside the blond man. Well, of course there had to be. Draco was still very
self-confident as well as his responses never lacked what Harry would best
describe as wit. Was it possible that the former Slytherin had somehow grown
into his character?

Harry was brought back into reality by Teddy who explained to him that his pants
were ringing. Surprised, Harry rose an eyebrow. Of course, he was carrying his
mobile phone with him just in case of an emergency. There were some areas like
here on a muggle playground where a message delivered by an owl would definitely
cause suspicion so three years ago he had given in to Hermione who had bought
him a smart phone. Needless to say, Harry still used the same exact model and it
was in perfect condition for its age. He always took care of the things he
owned, treating them as if they were irreplaceable. Also, he scarcely used his
phone. 

Not even Ginny had used to text him. They all knew, he rarely responded. This
was why he was in a hurry to check who had messaged him; it could have been an
emergency. In her defence, if you later asked Astoria Greengrass, she would have
considered her situation as an emergency that required immediate action.
Harry’s brows rose higher and higher while reading through the texts.

12:31: Hey Harry, how are you? D. forced me to write to you. He said I had to
apologise for being ‘an annoying brat’. Can you imagine that? How rude! I
thought the three of us got along perfectly well. But D. I always weird when his
friends get to know his other friends, you know. Not that this happens very
often. Well, I hope I will see you again soon, maybe without the git! ;D

12:32: Oh, by the way, I am soooooo bored today and nobody is replying to my
texts.

12:34: And you are also not! ☹

12:34: Btw, this is Astoria writing :D You for sure remember me, the dark-haired
vixen, bane of Draco’s existence 😉

Well Astoria was for sure one of a kind, he thought to himself. A bit pushy but
some how quite charming. And it had never happened, that someone he just met
texted him simply because they were bored and attempted to engage in small talk.
Not that he was good at that. In fact, our Golden boy was quite the opposite of
a conversation maker. But why not try something new. If befriending Draco Malfoy
did not turn out to be a bad idea, why should getting to know his friends then
be?

12:40: Hi Astoria. I didn’t think you were totally annoying. Did Draco really
force you to write me?

This was harder than he imagined. He had been searching for words for a good
five minutes before finally being pleased with his message. Former drafts had
included quite a few phrases that could easily be interpreted as being rude such
as “you were only annoying at the beginning which freaked me out a bit. But I
like that you always make fun of Draco” or “I thought that you were quite
impolite at the beginning so Draco was right” or “Isn’t it terribly
thoughtless to call your best friend a git?” So, you see, the message he
settled with was the tamest he could come up with.

12:40: I take “not totally” as a compliment, just to let you know!

12:40: Well, he did not actually force me. His wording was more like “do not
dare to peeve Potter ever again or you will need to search for a new roof over
your stunning head sooner than you would like to!”

12:43: Did he really call you stunning?

12:43: Well that part is up to interpretation! Might not be the same exact words
but the thought counts.
 
12:46: Well, why did you write me then?

12:47: I already told you that, silly! I was bored and you seemed to be fun to
chat with. Should I stop? :’( 

12:50: No, it’s fine, I guess.

12:51: Phew! Lucky me! So, what are you up to right now?

12:58: Not much. Taking care of Teddy. 

12:59: Teddy Lupin? Oh, I see, this is why it takes you ages to respond!

Harry did not have it in his heart to tell he, he was typing as fast as he could
right now while Teddy was sitting on his lap and helping him to sound
‘cooler’. He in fact had to admit that the boy was better in that small talk
thing than himself. Still, Harry was not willing to ask Astoria what her
favourite dinosaur was or what was her favourite toy. Especially the last one
could sound wrong. Very wrong. Not that Teddy cared.

13:00: Is babysitting on Saturdays kind of your thing? And say hello to Teddy
from me!

This message resulted in Teddy squeaking happily when Harry read it to him. It
also reminded the two boys that it was time to go back home. Before Teddy went
to school, he had no friends outside the wizarding world but this had changed a
lot until now. Andromeda would be home in about ten minutes to escort the boy to
a playdate he had arranged himself. So, this meant that Harry’s time with him
would be over pretty soon. When Teddy still had been a toddler, he would always
cry when Harry left. Now it was Harry feeling a bit empty when he dropped of his
godson and realized that he had a long day of doing nothing ahead of him. With a
shrug of his shoulders he took out his phone again and replied to Astoria.

13:14: Actually, Teddy is too busy to hang out anymore.

13:14: That means you are free? 

13:17: Seems so.

13:17: Great. That’s the address.

And as simply as that she sent him a picture with the actual address of her or
let’s be honest Draco’s apartment. To Harry’s surprise, the street was not
anywhere near muggle London but in the very heart of the city centre. Maybe this
was the reason Malf – Draco was so secretive about his address. When Harry
thought about it, nobody seemed to know where the blond man actually lived as
all written conversation took place via owls which were discretely sent to an
owling station. Obviously, Draco did not like surprise visits so Harry
definitely would not simply go there without the other man’s permission.

~

Never underestimate the stubbornness of a Slytherin! Most of them are gifted
with a silver tongue and not afraid to extensively use it to get what they want.
In this case it was Harry’s company. He still wondered how she had gotten him
to come over while he was waiting in front of the apartment door, already in the
building. It had taken her several more messages (if you count five as a lot,
for Harry who never received texts this number obviously was) to convince him it
would be a great idea to swing by. She had also ensured him Draco was absolutely
fine with it. 

Taking another deep breath, Harry carefully knocked at the door, still feeling
like he was about to do something very intimate. ‘Don’t be silly’, he told
himself, ‘people visit each other all the time! Also, I was definitely
invited!’ The door opened and Astoria’s smiling face greeted him, she was
obviously glad to see him. For a brief moment Harry thought that she looked
different to when he last met her. He could have sworn, there was something
glittering in her face once again.

“Harry, good to see you. Come on in. Leave your jacket, shoes and glamours at
the door!” With that words she gestured him to come inside and closed the door
behind herself. Without waiting for him to take of his shoes she already went
back inside the apartment which gave Harry the chance to take a look around. The
hall was bright and the only thing in there were five cloak hooks, for of them
currently empty. It did not seem as if Draco actually was at home. Harry did not
like that thought at all. Still, he put his shoes on the shelf below the hooks
and hung his old jacket next to Astoria’s which seemed to be a rather formal
blazer with glittering pinstripes. He carefully made his way further into the
apartment. After only a few steps he felt the tingling sensation of magic.

It was as if the flat was trying to slide any enchantment off of him. Was this
what Astoria had meant by leaving glamours outside? He began to wonder if she
was wearing any. Stepping around the corner he found himself in a very large
room with bright white walls. It featured an elegant and modern dining table
with four chairs as well as a couch and to his big surprise a telly. To be
specific a brand-new flat screen which had been placed on a small sideboard.
While the room itself was very bright, featuring huge window fronts to two
sides, the furniture was held in dark earthy tones. Here and there a tiny bit of
decoration was added such as a small plant on the coffee table or a few
photographs on the wall behind the telly.

Before Harry had the chance to inspect said picture any closer Astoria returned
from the open kitchen which was connected to the room, carrying two cups of
steaming hot tea. She smiled at Harry, obviously feeling content with herself.
He noticed that something had changed about her face. Now he could definitely
see the small silver metal ring piercing through her nose. She was wearing her
hair up in a bun once again but this time he noticed she had shaved the right
side of her head so only short stubbles of hair covered her scalp. The arm she
held out the teacup towards Harry featured at least three tattoos. One
automatically drew in all his attention. It was the one thing he had been afraid
to see on Draco. The constant reminder of their past. The Dark Mark.

Although still being clearly visible, it had been altered. The hollow eyes of
the skull had been filled with colourful flowers Harry did not know and the body
of the snake seemed to be crackling, brittle stone. Below it the tattoo
continued with a banner featuring the words “Ego faciem meam metus”. Harry
could not help himself but stare at it. In a strange way it was almost
beautiful. Not knowing what to say or how to react he took the tea from her and
looked into her face. She carefully observed him with a cautious smile. Astoria
had not even attempted to cover it up. Like a giant scar it was omnipresent. He
knew the feeling. Also, he realized that if they really wanted to become
friends, him her and … Draco they one day had to talk about this. But not
today. Other matters seemed to be more important right now.

“So, this is how you look without Glamours,” he began, not knowing how to go
on. Luckily, she seemed to have regained her confidence, nipping at her tea
before grinning at him.

“Yeah, I mean, I would prefer to not wear them at all but could you imagine
the gossip? ‘Astoria Greengrass turning into a muggle hipster’ What is
happening to the traditional wizarding families’. Oh dear, it would break my
mother’s heart if once again the wizarding world would viciously gossip about
me.”

Suddenly Harry remembered the rumours that had come up right after he left
Hogwarts. There had been a time when the wizarding world was absolutely sure
Draco Malfoy would marry this girl. And then he disappeared for almost a year,
returning with the news he wanted to start his own business. 

“Bad enough, that I am living with a man who is definitely not going to marry
me!”, she sighted dramatically while getting comfortable on the small dark
brown couch. Harry decided to keep her company as it really started to feel
weird standing in the middle of a room, holding a cup of tea. She put her legs
on the cushions as well and Harry noticed she was actually wearing comfortable
sweat pants. Somehow, he did not expect her to even own such a piece of
clothing. At the same moment when he scolded himself for this silly thought he
wondered if that could mean Draco also wore comfortable clothes at home. He
could definitely not imagine that at all!

After a few initial difficulties to get their conversation going (which Astoria
was not the reason for, just to let you know) they were engaged in a vivid chat
about how annoying ball season at the Minister was and how much they hated the
gross food people there considered fancy. So, no wonder, they did not hear the
key turning in the lock nor notice the noises made by someone getting rid of
their shoes and coat. Only when a familiar voice from the hall shouted, they
stopped talking.

“Astoria, if I enter the living room to find you snogging another random bloke
on my favourite couch without warning me first, I am going to kill you with a
plastic spoon!”, Draco explained calmly while coming around the corner. 

Harry had tried his best to prepare himself mentally to see Draco without his
Glamour. The blond man obviously wore one as well, our Golden Boy had
successfully concluded. He had tried to imagine what his former rival was hiding
under the enchantment. He had considered a tiny but tasteful tattoo, maybe even
an earring but by Merlin was he not prepared for what he was actually seeing
right now.

Holding two bags of takeaways food in his left hand, Draco Malfoy had just
entered the room and noticed it was Harry sitting on the couch. The former
Slytherin seemed to momentarily be frozen into place, the sleeveless white shirt
hanging loosely from his body while his right hand was carelessly brushing
through his hair. Which was not neatly combed back but messy. And in a bun. And
bright pink. The colour automatically reminded Harry of fluffy stuffed animals
and cotton candy. If that alone had not been confusing enough, Draco’s arms
were full on covered in black and white tattoos. His bottom lip was pierced on
the left side, a tiny silver ring curved around it.

‘Well, at least I wasn’t wrong about the earring’, Harry thought to
himself. Although, the “earring” indeed was not a single, tiny piece of
jewellery but at least four on the left and three on the right side. Also, there
was some sort of larger earpiece at the very front of Draco’s left ear. 

After needing several moments to find the right words, Draco attempted a crooked
smile and managed to say: “Well, maybe I have changed a bit more than you had
expected?”

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