≈he hoe lears, it is only hi and drao, alone
they’re leanihen, throg away bottles aiover food harry a drao is follog behd hi ahe spots he issed, even though it really didn’t ake a differe was still the lea hoe to have ever existed
“you really thk this will keep gog?” drao asks his voie was so quiet that harry barely heard hi, but he felt it, too, the alk about iportant thgs hhed voies, like it ight ake the less real “htg?”
“i thiry” harry said, and it was ridiulo that they were talkg about battle pns while he was holdg a wash rag his ha jt give ”
“you ould” drao didalk loud, now, beae he was lose enough that harry was rei alost kiss front of herio, drao had said, tearg hiself away, and then harry was left stariy air “you ould let soone else ha, five the a turn to be a hero”
harry wao he had wa it was like to live a noral life, where thevisiti a be wishg that all his friends would o ho safely fro a issio the on “i an’t jt walk away” drao’s hands had found his way to the pokets of harry’s hoodie, and harry didn’t know what to do with that he h hi away, like drao had phed hi away “that’s not who i a”
drao siled, theiful and wistful expression on his fae “i know” his hao sooth down harry’s hair, tryihe wild ta always fors, a fell aearg “i’ goihis ti”
harry didn’t want that he wanted drao safe, at ho, where harry dido worry but there waski, when drao was sistg that they were nothiates “okay” he grabbed onto his hand, but drao jt shook his head no, he had said and t have a
chapter 18
drao
ter is slidg t, a quarter of his probatioene done, and drao had fouely and hopelessly ih harry
he probably had bee ied hi f ti, bak before the war, but then it t out of reah, so fantasy to visit te at hey got along and harry had urned down his ha first year, where drao had friends and harry liked hi ahg was gog to turn out okay it washg, nothg that would ever be possible, but that’s why he thought it was okay to like hi as long as it ould never be real, drao would be safe
≈ now, it ould be real now he ooks hi breakfast ihey eat it together, hey fall asleep oogether andurled arouher, now drao is around to hear hifro aand talk to his oihe phohes hi hek on gee and on sea, sees hiherione and gny and na a hug with the protetiveness of a brother he’s up and lose and personal hough the fwed parts of hi ight be enough to ake others turn away, it jt akes drao want hi ore
≈he raks are ohe good thgs to shihrough, testants to all he had done and will still to do to protet the people he loves, to preserve what is right)
“what?” harry was leahen table, read out front of hi he was arkg off h a grease penil and rubbg the an of attak to show to kiheday it sees that eveo walk away fro the fight, the fight jt would hi go “why are you lookihat?”
drao had been starg at hi f he hado, but harry wasn’t lookg, and wathg hi was uh than penilg ratioers that he o so be when he was eleven
“i dohis helps” he shoved the journal away, where he had srawled aails he had piked up fro oy or ahey had an affair with, where their sur vaation hos were, whih istry offiial they had reportedly bribed, what they had sold to b a was tedio work, but it sees that ed to thk about it, he had gathered ore tidbits of gossip tha “what’s it atter who so guy heats oh?”
harry siled at hi, shakg his head so his hair falls out of his fae he’s always havg a onstah his hair n to keep it out of his way but also wantg it loo over his sar fashioiole “if y tired, you a a break” he was adrao hadhe was ore o to take all the responsibility ohe parel out jobs to a doeso be do”
“only if you do” he ay and leavg harry io puzzle out the probles alone herioold hi not to, that it would go faster if harry had sooo boune ideas off of, even if that soone was about as helpful as brik wall (it doesn’t atter if you know what he’s talkg about, a take anyoiohey’re good) “you an’t possibly still be thkg straight”
“that doeso be do, but this dhtens up, and his bak pops when he does, proof to how long he had been sitti “i o keep w”
“no” drao rossed the roo and pulled his work away fro hi, and harry ade a half heartg grabbg otio