but it’s not any of his bess
it doeshg to do with hi
nothg at all
he goes about his every day, studyis, avoidg photographs, and ughg with frieely pretendg that it doesn’t hurt
“harry,” gny pleads, a day after all the halloweeies it is te iernoon, and the sky is a grey an hour, it will be dii they’re sittiher ihe stohe lok tower ourtyard, where gny had ornered hi a st dith effort “the raveg we need you”
harry grs at her sheepishly they’ve had this oion before, is the burrow, ahks gny’s still tryg jt for the sake of it “i’ sny i jt do i jt want to fish the shool year peae”
gedly, rossg her ars like a petunt hild “don’t you iss flyg?”
“i do,” harry says, ughiion “jt ion, i guess? besides, y well i wath all your athes and you have a”
gihe praise then, shehi “is it…beae of…you know…”
harry’s eyes widens, wavg his hands, the deely on his lips “oh, no! no, no, no it’s fe, g, i’ not avoidg you, if that’s what you’re thkg that’s not it at all”
gny siles, sh “okay good” then, she looks arouyard, sees no oheo whisper “well, is it beae of…?”
“of…?”
“well, uh” she siles, alost apologetially “alfoy?”
harry’s gobsaked expression jt akes her ugh “i’ sorry roelli i a a worried”
harry feels his fae burng it’s oo know that his friends know, aher to talk about it with the he’s gotte beg this opehe big elephahat nobody is allowed to talk about “i know he is and no it’s not about hi i thk i’ jt really tired, i guess? i jt wao s…i don’t kg like i’, err, harry potter”
gny ughs, as she did before, bef happened, as if she holy fds hi endearg her fae is as bright as ever, her bright red hair flyihrows her head bak and ughs openly harry thks he ould fall ih her agairied he thks they ould ake it work
“okay, i’ll y off” she griklg “but ould you aybe sit iies? beat so skills to ood, but he jt doeshe sa sehe snith like you did”
harry grs bak at her “why dohe seeker? ravenw won’t stand a hane”
and then, as always, he is the first to spot that blond hair
giarg over her shoulder, turns around, and blks “oh alfoy”
at the eyard, drao is deseeps fro the lok tower his pallor is paler than ual, like he’s still sik, but his feet doesn’t slow dow the ig, passi losierribly sorry for the disturbane ”
harry is up o i “alfoy”
≈ know why it feels like he has jt been aught doihi supposed to do he jt feels that drao’s gotten it all wrong sohow why that atters, he doesher, beae drao and astoria are probably gog out, so he doesn’t khe o exp hiself
drao doesn’t s, of ourse he ehat leads to the sto one lookg bak
gny takes hold of his sleeve harry looks at her, surprised, and she owards drao’s diretion
to his surprise, she doesn’t look a drao’s rudeness like he had expeted her to be fat, she looks worried, and he is relieved and grateful all at the sa ti
≈hks he ould fall ih her aga
but he knows that’s not what she deserves
and not what he wants
“alfoy! wait!”
≈he bridge, and the old noveber d sps at their robes aheir heeks drao doesn’t s, but harry hadn’t really expeted hi to, and so he leaps frabs drao’s wrist
drao turns t, but he still looks pale and tired a a git drao’s beg, harry a be worried
“what do you otter?”
“wait, alfoy, i jt want to talk”
“well, i don’t, now go away go bak tirlfriend i’ sure she’s waitg for you”
harry blks onfion “gi y girlfriend”
“well, i don’t really are who you hoose to fuk you do you”