Chapter Text
Harry jolted awake when he heard banging on his door at the crack of dawn. Harry was so sure that it would wake up the whole neighborhood. He got up, the cold tiled floor giving a satisfying sensation against his feet. He grabbed one of his red-and-white checkered robes hanging from his desk chair; the Gryffindor never really left him after all these years. He waddled towards the door, making sure to grab his glasses from his desk, not bothering to fix his bed hair. Who bangs on the door at the crack of dawn these days? Harry thought.
Opening the door, he winced when he saw Hermione’s determined, tired, and most definitely, annoyed face. ‘Harry Potter! Oh, Merlin, you took so long to open the door. Have you forgotten about the cold, winter air that could instantly frostbite a witch?” Hermione pushed Harry out of the way as she invited herself into Harry’s dark corridor. “Honestly, Harry. Why even have a bedroom if you always fall asleep on your couch?” She shook her head, and with a flick of her wand, all of Harry’s mess was now flying towards his room, where he should be sleeping.
Harry, after recovering from his own shock, closed his door and walked towards his couch, where he had previously been sleeping. ‘Accio, tea.’ He whispered, then a tea, and soon appeared in front of Hermione. ‘Hermione, I am glad to see you, really. But you could have chosen a much more appropriate time for your visit.’
Hermione took a sip of the hot tea. ‘I would have visited in the morning, if only this were not as serious.’ Someone better be dead, or dying. Harry thought as he sat on the other end of the couch, waiting for Hermione to continue. ‘Malfoy, he sent me a letter.’ She said, looking at Harry’s reaction.
Maybe it was the slight twitch that gave away his overall reaction. ‘And, what does this have to do with me?’ Hermione sighed, reaching the inside of her brown, furry coat, retrieving a neatly folded envelope. ‘He asked for help- our help.’ She said, placing the neatly folded envelope on the space between them.
‘Oh! Now that’s new. The great, thinks highly of himself, Draco Malfoy, has come to ask for help. Harry answered with dramatic gestures, earning an eye roll from Hermione. ‘No, Hermione.’
'You haven’t even read the letter yet.’ She reasoned out. ‘And, he has changed Harry. You know he has.’
Of course he has. Was his answer, but it was better left unsaid. He looked at the neatly folded envelope, From: Draco Malfoy written on the top right and To: Hermione Granger written on the bottom left of the envelope, indicating that he really did write a letter to Hermione. ‘And he sent you this letter at the crack of dawn?’
‘No, probably at midnight.’ She answered, ‘Ron got annoyed by the owl pecking at the window, you know? It never stopped, not until I took the letter, that is.’
Harry sighed before standing up. ‘Look, Mione. Things are getting out of hand at the Ministry, alright? And Malfoy sending you a bloody letter is one of my least concerns. If he’s got something to say to you, I don’t think I should be involved.’ He looked at the neatly folded envelope, then back at Hermione. ‘See yourself out, yeah? If I have time, I’ll go over the letter and owl you, or something.’
‘Harry, he asked for desperate help.’ Hermione pleaded. Harry’s seen that look once or twice during their years at Hogwarts, and those were not the times he wanted to remember. He felt a shiver run down his spine. ‘So did we, Mione.’
Hermione shook her head, her shoulders visibly dropping. A move that says she’s giving up, and there was no changing his stubborn mind. ‘Never mind then, owl me when you have time. I’ll find a way to help Malfoy. Sorry for disturbing your rest, I’ll be on my way.’ She said as she turned her back on Harry and walked out his door. His living room had never felt this cold, yet the folded envelope on the couch was pulling him in, asking to be read.
‘I’ll read it in the morning.’ Harry said to himself before making his way towards his bedroom, and flopped himself on his bed. He closed his eyes, praying for sleep to come visit him again, but it never did. Soon the sun was out, the birds were loud, and so were the wizards and witches outside. Harry groaned. If only Hermione had decided to bang on his door at this moment, he would’ve appreciated the company.
He stood up, the red-and-white robe slipping past his shoulder as he shuffled his way towards his bathroom to take a much-needed shower. Molly would have his head if she knew Harry took a shower with little to no sleep yet again. He remembers how bad his fever got last time. After he showered, he threw on a quick, messy, yet comfortable outfit as he made his way out. He glanced at the letter still where Hermione had left it earlier and sighed before closing the doors behind him.
His neighbourhood was calm, most of his neighbours were, of course, wizards and witches. He stayed at a neighbouring village of the Godric's Hollow. Walking down the steep streets, he reached the market square connecting both villages. He sighed as he reached the floo network.
'Ministry of Magic' he said loudly and clearly. Arriving at the Ministry, he brushed off the excess floo powder on his leather coat, the cold, winter air embracing him. 'It really is winter. It's cold; too cold.'
'It would be concerning if it wasn't.' A voice behind him answered. Harry spun around so quickly he thought he might break his neck. 'Slow down there, Potter.'
'Malfoy.' Harry blinked. Draco Malfoy, standing in front of him in full glory. 'What are you doing here at the ministry?'
'Oh, I've got something for Granger. She owled me and said It's best to leave with her lover, Weasley.' He said as he pulled out a neatly wrapped envelope.
'Oh. Well,' Harry cleared his throat. 'Ron doesn't arrive until noon, he has always been like that.' He examined Draco, who was covered from head to to with all black clothing, still he looked pale—paler than he already was.
'Oh.'
There was an awkward silence that quickly filled the air. Harry shuffled, his winter boots digging deeper in the snow. 'If you don't have any other errands, you can stay at my office and wait for Ron. Oh, wait. You work at St. Mungo's, right? It's quite busy there as well.'
Draco shook his head, 'It's busy, but bearable. I've taken the day off—health purposes. Mother said I should take a day off and enjoy myself before it gets hectic.' he answered, as he put the envelope back on his coat, resting his hands inside. 'And, if the offer is still on the table, I'd like to stay and wait for Weasley.'
'Yeah, come on.' Harry nodded, leading the way. If you were to ask him why he invited Draco, he would answer I don't know. Because, he doesn't.
'Morning Harr- oh. Mister Malfoy, a pleasure to see you.' Kingsley smiled. What a fake one at that. Harry scoffed inwardly, yet Draco glanced at him with a knowing look. 'Tea, Mister Malfoy?'
'No, thank you.' He declined, 'And a pleasure to see you as well, Minister.'
'Right.' Harry cleared his throat, 'We will be in my office if you need anything, Kingsley. Ah, and Ron will come by at noon.'
Not bothering to stay and wait for an answer, he hurried down the hallway that leads to his office. 'Sorry about him, your family does not get along with Kingsley, am i right?'
'Partly. My mother is completely fine with him, father, however, was a complete different story.' Draco answered as he watched Harry open the door leading inside his office. Harry's office was much like any other office, but there was a touch of Gryffindor. 'Your office is warm.'
Harry took of leather coat, leaving only a red jumper on. 'Oh, I've got it designed to be like the common room. It was as warm as this when i stayed for Christmas.'
'That's nice. A warm common room, I mean. The dungeons were as cold as the winter.' Draco laughed at the bitter memory as Harry looked at him, 'We've gotten used to it though.'
'A cold common room is awful.'
'That's what they consider Slytherin's are after all, awful.'