"Make sure you get some rest," Pomfrey said as she dimmed the lights, "Tomorrow will be very busy."

Harry looked up at the ceiling and then across the room at the bed where Draco was sleeping. Draco had been given about five different potions when they reached the hospital wing, ate enough for three people and then immediately went to sleep. Harry had been given one potion and then had to go over everything that happened in agonising detail with an auror writing a report and again when McGonagall came to visit after dinner.

Harry sighed and rolled back onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't relax much less sleep. His body felt tired, but his mind was whirling in circles from everything that happened.

There was a faint creak across the room, and as Harry looked over, he saw Draco get up and pad over to Harry's bed.

"You're-" Harry started as Draco pulled his blankets up and crowded himself onto the bed, "Are you mad? These beds are even narrower than yours," he said under his breath.

"Shall I leave?" Draco asked quietly with a tone that Harry was sure was Draco meant to be entirely guileless, which is why he didn't trust it in the least. He also wasn't going to say no.

"I managed it just fine before," Draco said.

Harry wrapped an arm around Draco as he settled more or less on top of Harry in the narrow bed. "I thought you fell asleep right after dinner."

"And get harassed by people for hours? No, thank you," Draco said.

"You bastard," Harry said.

"It's not my fault you didn't think of it first," Draco said.

Harry grinned ruefully into the darkness.

He could feel Draco's heart beating just below his. Harry combed his fingers through Draco's hair. It felt as silky as it looked and he had a sudden pang of jealousy remembering all the times he saw Parkinson combing Draco's hair, she had always seemed so pleased with herself, so smug-

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Draco asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Harry said.

"All those potions make me feel as if I've had five cups of coffee," Draco said.

That had been hours ago, and Harry was pretty sure potions didn't linger like that unless they were meant to. He had an idea of what the real reason was since Harry was feeling it too, the lingering anxiety and a mind that wouldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened in the forest. He wished he could see Draco's expression, but maybe it was easier to talk about these sorts of things in the dark. "Was that the first time...um.... You- that someone died?"

Draco shuddered against him, his heartbeat picking up.

"We don't have to talk about it, but I sort of know how you feel," Harry said.

After a long pause, Draco said, "...acting like some sort of expert, you only accidentally killed one madman."

"I... I also invoked a life-debt that ended up killing Peter Pettigrew. And..." Harry grimaced, "I got my god-father killed. Everyone says it wasn't my fault, but that doesn't change how it felt, it felt the same."

"I..." Draco hesitated, "I had to crucio people... they didn't always get up, I- I don't know if they were- I don't know. I don't think I want to know."

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "For me, it feels kinda like a lead weight inside, like there's a pit in my stomach that never quite goes away."

"...do you think it will? just....someday."

Harry said, "It feels like it sort of shrinks over time. Until there are weeks and even months when I forget what happened but then it'll suddenly hit me, and it feels just as heavy as before..."

Draco clutched at Harry's thin infirmary pyjamas.

"Hermione says I should see a mind healer," Harry said.

"She's probably right," Draco said, "Granger tends to be. It's infuriating."

"I wonder if we could go together?"

"As in, we see the same mind healer at the same time?" Draco asked incredulously.

"They do it in marriage counselling," Harry said.

"I didn't know our marriage was in trouble," Draco said sarcastically.

Harry grinned, "So you're saying they don't have joint war trauma sessions?"

"No," Draco said, "...they do group counselling though, that's not that different."

"A group of two," Harry said.

"It's not the worst idea," Draco said.

Harry thought it was worth trying, the idea of mind healing didn't seem as intimidating if Draco was there with him.

"I'm going to remember you said I had a good idea," Harry said.

"I didn't say it was good, I said it wasn't the worst," Draco said, "that's not the same thing."

"But...," Harry said, "the opposite of worst is good-"

There was the sound of a door opening, the light flipping on a second later from Pomfrey's rooms attached to the hospital wing.

Harry gripped Draco tightly, flipping them both onto their sides, hiding Draco from sight. He snatched up the empty glass from the nightstand.

"Harry? Are you making all that noise?" Pomfrey asked.

"Sorry, Pomfrey," Harry said, holding up the glass, "I was thirsty."

Pomfrey huffed at him and cast a few charms that took the cup from him, filling it from a floating pitcher and putting them all back onto the table without a drop spilt. "You ought to be more considerate of the other patients. Do you need a dreamless sleep?"

"No. Sorry," Harry said. He picked up the water taking a sip for show until Pomfrey was gone.

"You ought to be more considerate," Draco whispered, prodding a finger into Harry's chest, "Potter's always so selfish. Look at him, fighting dark lords and werewolves."

"Oh, shut up," Harry murmured.

"When he really ought to thinking about waking up the ex-deatheater and the kid in a magical fucking coma."

"She's probably annoyed I- we woke her up," Harry hissed, trying to sound stern, "so shut up."

Draco snickered, "She called you selfish-"

Harry moved down the bed, cupping the back of Draco's neck and kissing him. It was very effective in shutting him up. Though it ended up being quite a bit more than a single kiss.

-

-

"Hey, didn't think you'd up yet," Ron said with a yawn as he came into the hospital wing, hands slouched deep into his pockets.

"Hi," Harry said, setting his mostly finished breakfast tray on the edge of the bed.

Ron looked around the room, mildly puzzled, "Wasn't that your bed, over there?" he pointed across the room.

"Didn't want to wake up Draco, so I moved," Harry said.

Ron's eyes went wide, "Cool-okay, don't need any more information."

"I wasn't going to say anything else," Harry said.

"Right, like I said-"

"What did you think I was going to say?" Harry asked and then prodded a bit further, "Were you thinking it was pervy?"

"No," Ron said quickly, his face starting to go red.

"And what if we just talked and slept?" Harry said.

Ron grimaced while trying very hard not to, "That's- great-stop, please."

Harry frowned, faintly amused, "Is that... worse?"

"It's just, look," Ron said, "I've got this whole image of Malfoy in my head, and it's mostly sneering and saying rude shit, and I'm working on changing that out with the Malfoy now, like the new and improved Malfoy that you fancy, but sometimes the old Malfoy picture in my head gets mixed in with now and it's-" he sighed and kind of gave up, "weird.  I'm- I'm working on it."

"Thanks," Harry said with a crooked smile.

Ron sat on the end of the bed, nicking a piece of toast Harry hadn't finished.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Nah, she's sleeping in," Ron said, "She was up all night with McGonagall working on some new transfiguration spell."

"What for?" Harry asked, yesterday Pomfrey had said they'd have to take a potion to inoculate them against any potential rabies infections so it wouldn't be that.

"You know how she's been kind of obsessed with how transformation can heal like even fatal stuff?"

Harry frowned, "Some of it. I've been worrying about other stuff."

"Malfoy stuff," Ron said.

"Yeah, and werewolf stuff, and... maybe me stuff too," Harry said.

Ron nodded in agreement, picking up the other piece of toast, tapping it absently on the edge of the plate.

"So, what's Hermione up to with the healing power of transformation?" Harry asked.

Ron smiled, "Well she says with the way werewolf infections spread so slow, she thinks maybe a really, and I mean really, talented transfigurationist could like, transfigure the kid into himself but without the werewolf bits stuck in his... in his dna, whatever that is."

"So she got McGonagall to help," Harry said.

Ron nodded and finally took a bite of toast, "Best at transfiguration anywhere."

"... If it worked, couldn't that heal a lot of things?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded, looking unabashedly proud, "It's dead clever. She'll earn a medal for it, no doubt. It'll be written in the history books."

"She hasn't even started healer training yet," Harry said.

"It's not like its the only thing she's gonna figure out. I bet she'll make three more discoveries at least," Ron said.

"Sounds about right," Harry said.

Ron looked around, spotting Malfoy's breakfast tray beside the bed, "Think Malfoy would miss if I had some of his toast?"

"Yes," Harry said without hesitation.

"But that's- that's a lot of food," Ron said.

"He'll eat it all," Harry said, "He's got the metabolism of a hummingbird."

"I heard that..." came the muttered reply from Draco's pile of blankets.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Draco lifted the edge of a blanket to glare at Ron, the effect ruined somewhat by the glare being more of a squint and a creased line from his pillow across one cheek.

Ron held up both hands, "Won't touch it. Forget I said anything."

Draco added another mutter, too obscured by the covers he pulled around himself to understand.

"Didn't you eat before coming here?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged, "Nah, I was thinking. Been thinking a lot. ... I didn't sleep much."

"You alright?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded, "Yeah, yeah. It's, uh, I couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday." 

"What about?"

Ron's shoulders hunched as he tucked his chin against his chest, "Like, if I'd been able to cast a protego maxia, then you coulda just snuck off."

"It's a difficult spell," Harry said.

"Then the blasting spell," Ron shook his head, "That was rubbish. If I had said we should cast a binding charm instead we could've wrapped that werewolf up neat as a present."

"The blasting charm was a pretty good idea in the moment," Harry said.

"No, it wasn't," Ron said his voice rough, "It was rubbish. What if me an' Hermione had cast at the same time, we might have thrown the wolf right at you. Then what would have happened?"

"I don't know, because it didn't happen," Harry said, "Everything worked out alright in the end."

"But it could have been- you almost-" Ron stopped and swallowed hard. "If it wasn't for Malfoy, you might have gotten really hurt, or worse."

"If anyone's to blame, then it's my fault we were there in the first place," Harry said.

"But I'm supposed to be good at strategy- I was supposed to-!"

"Supposed to nothing," Harry interrupted, "We aren't supposed to be anything. You did your best, we all did, and it was fine. We're fine." He pushed his breakfast tray out of the way, and sat next to Ron, hugging him as best he could.

Ron hugged him back so tight Harry could feel his bone creak, "I dunno, I just wanted to say I'm sorry, I guess. I felt like I needed to."

"I don't think you have anything to be sorry for, but I'll say it's alright anyway, if that helps."

"Sort of," Ron said, letting go and sitting back. He took a deep breath, "I didn't want to bog you down with all that but Hermione's always saying it's not healthy to keep it to yourself. After school, I'll get a proper mind healer who has to listen to all the stupid things I worry about."

"Yeah... I might do that too," Harry said, "It's probably a good thing?"

Ron nodded, "A very good thing."

"Right," Harry said.

Ron stood up and put his hands back in his pocket, "I'm gonna get something to eat, that always cheers me up."

"I could tag along if you want?" Harry offered, thinking he could probably sneak out of the hospital wing without too much trouble.

"Nah, I'll be right back," Ron said, giving Harry a wave as he headed towards the doors.

With nothing better to do, Harry eventually laid back down and dozed off in the warm, softly lit room. He woke to the feeling of Draco carefully combing through his hair, the warm line of his thigh pressed along Harry's back.

"Hi," Harry said, not really bothering to move or even open his eyes, feeling exceptionally, perfectly comfortable.

"I would say good morning, but it might be afternoon by now. I'm not entirely sure," Draco said, drawing his fingers through Harry's hair from scalp to tip and making him shiver.

"Did Ron come back?" Harry asked.

"Briefly," Draco said, "Weasley saw me tidying this mess you call hair and decided to try later."

Harry grinned.

"He had quite the expression on his face," Draco said.

"Oh yeah?" Harry said.

"Mhmm," Draco said, "I enjoyed it greatly."

"I can imagine," Harry laughed.

"Hello?" Hermione called, her voice fading as she came into the hospital wing, "Sorry, I'm late...?"

"Was there an appointment for something I was unaware of?" Draco asked.

"No, I guess not," Hermione said, "I just assumed that everyone would want to get this sorted out as soon as possible."

Harry reluctantly opened his eyes and sat up, "Ron told me about the spell you were working on, do you think it will work?"

Hermione sat on the bed opposite, "Theoretically, yes, there's no reason it shouldn't. The problem is that... well, magic is very specific, but not specific enough."

"What?" Harry asked. He could feel Draco move closer, leaning against his shoulder.

Hermione's face scrunched up in thought, "...For example, you could turn a teacup into a mouse without too much trouble, but turning a teacup into an Australian hopping mouse would be extremely difficult. Which isn't to say you couldn't transfigure the mouse to look quite like an Australian hopping mouse, but I don't think it would really be an Australian hopping mouse, genetically speaking."

"But then what would it be? A teacup?" Harry asked.

Hermione sighed, "I'm not sure. Unsurprisingly, there isn't much overlap between wizards and geneticists. It's all an educated guess at this point."

"What if it doesn't work?" Harry asked.

"Nothing will happen, and he just stays the way he is," Hermione said, "I wanted to try the spell before Thomas woke up, so as not to get his hopes up, but Professor McGonagall said we had to get permission from his parents first. She owled them so... hopefully, we hear back soon."

"Owled..." Malfoy said, "Won't his parents be coming to see him, especially if he's waking up?"

Hermione winced looking down at her hands, "They visited when he was first attacked before he was put in an enchanted sleep... they weren't happy that he might be a werewolf. There's still so much prejudice..."

Draco went very still behind him.

"Will he be safe with them, you think? Could he spend the summer with one of his friends if he needs to?" Harry asked.

"It's too soon to say how his parents will treat him. It might be fine," Hermione smiled faintly, a little sadly, "Yasmin and Imogen visit him every day. I'm sure they'll look after him."

"Yeah, but there's only so much you can do as a kid," Harry said.

Hermione hesitated and shrugged, "I don't know, Harry."

Pomfrey opened the door to her office, leaning out, "Hermione? Is that you? Could you come help me with these potions."

"Yes!" Hermione jumped to her feet and hurried back to the office.

"That's another thing you'll have to tell me about," Draco said right by Harry's ear.

Harry twitched away, covering his ear, "What?"

"That strange conversation, you have to explain what you meant. And I haven't forgotten your promise to tell me about the forest," Draco said.

"Seems like there's a lot I'm supposed to tell you. When are you going to tell me your secrets?" Harry asked.

"When you ask," Draco said, "I would think you know by now that I love talking about myself."

"Oh," Harry said, blinking, "Well...What was it like growing up in such a huge house?"

Draco rolled his eyes with a scoff, "It was- normal," he shrugged, "I got lost sometimes when I was small. But I was never scared because I could always call a house elf."

"Never scared? At all?"

Draco frowned and gave Harry a warning look before answering, "Up in the attic, I only went into it once. It was full of horrible things."

It had seemed like to Harry that most of the Malfoy manor was slightly horrible and terrifying, he couldn't imagine something worse than what he had seen, "Yeah? What sort of horrible things? You can't just leave it at that."

"I could," Draco said.

"So could I," Harry said, bumping Draco with his shoulder, "Come on, fair play."

"Slytherins don't play fair," Draco said before answering anyway, "The lighting charms were nearly burned out, so they barely gave off any light. At first, I couldn't make out anything, as I came up the stairs, then I saw it, monsters."

"Monsters," Harry repeated with a laugh.

Draco spread out his hands, "I was surrounded by them, with their horrible glass eyes, covered in dust and cobwebs over matted, moth-eaten fur," he shuddered dramatically. "One of my ancestors must have been a big game hunter, and those were all his old horrible trophies... It gave me nightmares for months."

"How old were you?" Harry asked, amused.

"Five," Draco said, and added in case Harry had missed it, "The precious tender age of only five."

"How scary," Harry said.

"It was," Draco said.

Harry laughed and was only saved from being smacked by a pillow by Hermione returning. She had a tray with two mugs made of metal as big as pint glasses on it.

"This is the potion to cure you of rabies," Hermione said.

"I wasn't bitten," Harry said, but he'd said that yesterday as well and been told it was better to safe than sorry. Apparently, the spell to detect if someone had rabies only worked once the infection was too far along to save them from permanent nerve damage, so anyone suspected of have been infected had to take the potion. Hermione said it was the same with muggles only they had to have a series of shots.

As Hermione set the tray on the side table, and Harry could see the potion held within, the muggle shots weren't sounding nearly as bad.

Draco slid to the edge of the bed to sit next to Harry and took the metal pint without complaint. Harry made the most pained expression he could summon in the face of the liquid. It bore a striking resemblance to tar.

"I don't suppose this tastes better than it looks?" Harry said, staring morosely at the potion as a large bubble rose to the top and very slowly popped with a slurply blurp.

"Does any potion taste better than it looks?" Hermione said.

Considering how many potions were candy coloured but almost always tasted strange and off-putting at best, it did not bode well.

Harry sighed.

Hermione glanced over at Draco, her eyes widening in surprise.

Harry looked over just in time to see him pouring the last of the potion into his transformed beak. He sat the empty looked from Hermione to Harry and then made a little huffed, hiss of a laugh.

Hermione grinned.

"What?"

"Well," Hermione said, "I believe birds have a less developed sense of taste."

Draco nodded, looking pleased with himself.

"That's cheating!" Harry said, turning to Hermione, "Isn't it? Won't that ruin the potion?"

"It's not a spell, it's just his body. As far as I know, it won't affect it," Hermione said.

"Change me then?" Harry asked hopefully.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, "Using my magic on you could effect the potency of the potion."

"Ugh," Draco said after changing back, "Doesn't get rid of the aftertaste though."

"Could you...vanish my tongue?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head, "Using my magic instead of your native magic-"

"-Could effect the potion," Harry finished lamely. "...Could I do it?"

"Yes. But getting rid of things is easy. Do you want to try regrowing your tongue like you had to regrow the bones in your arm?" Hermione asked.

"That wasn't my fault," Harry said.

"This one could be," Hermione said. "Just take the potion. You could be done by now like Malfoy, if you hadn't sat here whinging."

"...fine," Harry grimaced and plugged his nose with one hand and lifted the mug to his lips.

It wasn't until after he choked the potion down that Harry realised he could have numbed his tongue and easily solved the problem.

-

-

When McGonagall arrived, everything that was still sprung back into motion, with Pomfrey and Granger at her side, and Weasley sitting out of the way, seemly happy enough not to be studying. Draco stayed with Potter on the bed they had commandeered as their own, a couple beds away. They sat side by side, leaning against one another and finding comfort in each other's closeness.

"The parents must have sent permission," Draco said.

Potter nodded, "I hope it works."

Draco was quiet.

Potter looked over curiously, "What is it?"

Draco frowned, "I don't- I feel conflicted. I know being a werewolf is difficult and dangerous."

"But?"

"I feel like... I'm losing someone, someone who would understand," Draco said carefully, "And I realise that our experiences would be vastly different and... because of my past, I doubt any half- any mixed magic folk would want anything to do with me... It's just, other than Hagrid I can't think of any others like me, like us."

"Maybe they just hide it," Potter said.

Draco sighed.

"...What about Fleur, she's a veela like you," Potter suggested.

"Last time we met she wanted to murder me," Draco said.

"Yeah, but she had Victoire with her, and you were just starting to changing, right? Maybe it would be different this time," Potter said, ever the optimist.

Draco frowned.

"You should try owling her, you never know. I'll put in a good word for you," Potter said.

Draco snorted, doubting it would lead anywhere, "I suppose."

They both went quiet as McGonagall lifted her wand, her eyes closed in concentration for a moment. The whole room held their breath as she opened her eyes, her wand moving in sharp, short movements accompanied by a string of unfamiliar latin. They breathed out as the spell cast, a silvery shimmer seemed to settle over Thomas, and he wavered for a second like a mirage.

"It cast," Granger said with palpable relief.

"You said he hadn't shown signs of lycanthropy yet?" McGonagall said.

"It usually doesn't show on the diagnostic spell until their first full moon," Pomfrey said.

McGonagall nodded, slipped her wand back into her robes, "We shall have to wait and see then, and hope it worked."

Pomfrey and Hermione crowded in close and the three of them started talking about technical medical things and about writing a report on the experiment.

"Ask me another question," Draco said.

"Another one?" Potter grimaced just a bit as he tried to think of another question, "Um... what are you going to do after we graduate?"

"I don't know," Draco said honestly. "I knew what I was going to do before, but now, everything is different."

"What were you going to do before then?" Potter asked.

"If you think that holds some sort of secret clue, you're very wrong," Draco said.

Potter leaned a little more weight against him, the bedsprings creaking faintly beneath them, "Just tell me."

"Fine, but you're going to be disappointed," Draco said. "After I graduated and my parole was officially finished in July, I had planned to take a portkey to my parent's villa in France. Then I would have done nothing, but after a few weeks, my mother would start dragging me along to lunch and garden parties. And those parties would gradually begin to have more and more eligible scions of whatever families have the most power or money or whatever." He grimaced, imagining it happening all too clearly, "At some point, my father would start pushing that I should get a job in government, and my mother would set up a few meetings and then I would end up a clerk or maybe someone's assistant."

Potter frowned.

"Then, after a few years, I would be pressured to marry, find a young woman willing to have a mostly platonic marriage and produce an heir. And in my job, I might eventually be promoted to have my own desk working in some department no one gives two figs about until I eventually die of despair or boredom, whichever comes first." Draco kicked his feet against the bottom of the bed, "I told you it was boring."

"I mean, none of that was something you wanted, though. It was all things your parents wanted," Potter said, "What do you want?"

"I already told you, I don't know," Draco said quietly. "I was never really raised with the expectation that I would have any choice in the matter. My life was decided when I was born with the last name Malfoy."

"You have one now," Potter said.

It still didn't feel like it. When Draco imagined his future, he had no idea where it might go, only that he wanted to stay by Potter's side for as long as he would have him.

Thomas' friends had arrived just as Pomfrey removed the sleeping spell. Thomas slept on, but a hug from one friend and a kiss on the cheek from the other was enough love to break the fragile enchantment, and they all hugged each other happily, shouting over one another in their excitement.

Draco found himself smiling faintly.

"Calm down. No more shouting or you'll have to leave," Pomfrey said sternly, "This is a place of healing, not a quidditch match."

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," Thomas said.

Yasmin murmured a quiet, "Sorry." but Imogen just pressed her hands over her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"What happened? Did you get it, that terrible wolf or is it still- still out there?" Thomas asked with wide eyes.

"Harry Potter saved you," Yasmin said.

"I helped," Imogen said proudly.

"I wish you hadn't, I nearly had a heart attack when you showed up," Potter said.

All three jumped, looking at Potter in a mixture of horror and awe that made Draco want to laugh.

"Sorry!" Imogen squeaked, all of her bravado gone.

"Thank you for saving me," Tomas said.

Potter nodded awkwardly. Draco had to roll his eyes.

"I don't remember much of it, but it was... scary," Thomas said, "Is it- Did you get it?"

"Of course, he did! He's a hero!" Imogen said.

"I think Miss Granger and Mr Weasley helped," Yasmin said.

Weasley nearly choked at the 'Mr Weasley' and quickly shook his head, "Nah, not us. I mean I'd say we helped, but Malfoy," he jerked a thumb in Draco's direction, "Malfoy was the one who ki- uh, stopped it."

"He saved my life too," Potter said, entirely and utterly earnest.

Granger laughed, "I'm afraid Draco Malfoy's the hero this time."

The three students stared at him with disbelief that was only matched by Draco's own.

"Oh...um, thank you, Mr Malfoy," Thomas said.

"You killed a whole werewolf? By yourself?!" Imogen blurted.

"Imogen!" Yasmin hissed.

"What?! It's amazing!" Imogen said just as loudly.

Draco felt his cheeks start to flush and ducked his head, rubbing his hand over a warm cheek.

Pomfrey cleared her throat and shot Imogen a warning look.

Imogen clapped her hands over her mouth but kept looking at Draco with bright eyes.

Potter elbowed Draco in the side with a grin.

Pomfrey brought over a tray with a large metal mug no doubt carrying the same horrible potion he and Potter had had to take. The students were soon distracted by the horror of it with a chorus of 'ewwws' and teasing back and forth as Thomas looked faintly ill at the prospect of drinking it all.

"...Do you think that auror meant it when he said I'd be welcome in the aurors?" Draco asked.

"What? You- You want to be an auror?" Potter said, staring at Draco with wide eyes.

"Maybe? It might be nice to help people," Draco said, "And... the training takes three years, doesn't it?"

Potter nodded, "But-"

"Then I have three years to see if it's something I'd like to do," Draco said, "Besides, I've spent the last two months only studying your NEWT's, I probably won't even get E's in the others at this rate."

"I doubt that," Potter said.

Draco shook his head, "You've never fallen behind in ancient runes before."

"Hermione will help you catch up," Potter said.

"Maybe," Draco said doubtfully.

"...Are you sure?"

"It's not a bad plan," Draco said.

Potter hesitated, "I just- I don't want you to do it just because I am, chickadee."

"Don't be so full of yourself, starling," Draco said and was pleased to see Potter looking embarrassed.

"...as long as you know you can always change your mind," Potter said.

"Because I have a choice now, yes I remember," Draco said, "I was there five minutes ago when we talked about it."

"Oh, shut up," Potter muttered.

Thomas was holding the potion in both hands staring down at it and looking a bit ill. Yasmin appeared to be encouraging Thomas while Imogen was shouted chug! chug! chug! and then collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Potter leaned close, "Will you say it again?"

"What?" Draco said blankly.

"Starling," Potter murmured.

"If I say it too often it will lose its appeal," Draco said.

"No, it won't. I'm absolutely certain it won't," Potter said.

"Do you know much about starlings?"

Potter frowned at him, "Draco."

"They look just like any sort of bird from first glance, kind of brownish-black with white spots," Draco went on heedless.

"Draco."

"But the thing is-"

"Chickadee."

Draco smiled, "The thing is, that their feathers are actually iridescent and make the most beautiful rainbow of colours when they catch the light."

Potter blinked and might have even looked a bit flushed.

"So even though a starling might look ordinary at first, I've found that they're actually quite extraordinary if you take a closer look," Draco said.

"You're not talking about birds, are you?" Potter said.

"I'm fairly certain I am, starling," Draco said, though that wasn't entirely true.

"You're not," Potter said, picking up a pillow and holding it in front of them so no one could see them kiss.

-

-

the end

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a/n: Thank you so much for reading!! I really appreciate all the comments, they keep me going♥