"Come on, Megan. Why don't you try on this one?" Draco held up the vividly colored blouse he'd plucked off the rack.

They were in one of Draco's favourite shops on Main Street. It had been there for less than a year, but even in that time the store had gained a rapid popularity, carrying an eclectic mix of clothing, furniture and various bric-a-brac.

It was doing a pretty brisk business today and Draco had been about at his wit's end thinking of something to entertain Megan.

They'd already practiced some simple magical spells, brewed a first year potion and then driven into town to walk around and do some shopping. This was probably more than Brody would have approved of, but driving over to the mall in the next town would have undoubtedly sent him over the edge and the shopping center on the other side of Little Whinging held little appeal to Draco.

So browsing down Main Street had been the proposal Draco had made to the girl. Megan had agreed, almost as if she'd believed she had no choice. Probably because everything that had happened in her young life lately had definitely not been her choice. The girl was so excruciatingly sad is was heartbreaking.

"What do you think?" Draco waggled the padded hanger and the purple and blue tie-dyed fabric seemed to shimmer a little. "It'd look great with your coloring."

Megan's lashes barely lifted long enough for her to look at the blouse. She'd hardly spoken five sentences all morning. Not that she was rude, inordinately polite, if anything. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but I don't have money," the young girl all but whispered.

Draco tossed the blouse over his arm and crouched down in front of Megan. "Well, I do," he countered gently. "And I love to shop. This is a gift from me so all you have to decide is if you like the colors." The blond wizard looked at the clothing rack, which was actually an old fashioned phone booth with pipes sticking out of it at all sorts of odd angles. "Or do you prefer something else?"

Megan's fingers lightly touched the fabric, as if she couldn't quite resist. She finally leaned forward a little and kept her voice lowered. "Mr. Brody doesn't take me out shopping," she said almost inaudibly.

"I'm not Mr. Brody," the Slytherin whispered back. He squeezed Megan's thin shoulder. If Draco accomplished anything today, he was going to get a smile out of this girl. It also kept his mind off the fact that when Harry had left his house that morning, the Gryffindor had said nothing whatsoever about calling or seeing him again. He, of course, hadn't wanted to make an issue about it in front of Brody, so the blond had cowardly said absolutely nothing. He'd just watched Harry walk out the door. It had been a dismaying moment of déjà vu.

"Well? Want to try it on?" Draco questioned the girl to keep his mind off these confusing and discouraging thoughts. "There's a dressing room behind the counter there. I'll wait right outside the door," he promised.

The girl nibbled her lip again, then shyly nodded.

Triumphant, Draco straightened. He took Megan's hand and they walked to the back of the shop. He handed over the top to Megan and opened the door that afforded privacy for the single changing room. "You have to show me when you have it on," he told the child. "No switching back to your sweater before I get to see."

Megan ducked her chin, but nodded and closed the door.

Draco hummed under his breath along with the Christmas carols that were playing on the shop's sound system. Maybe he'd take Megan out to the riding stables. The girl might like a horse ride as much as Eli had. In fact, maybe Eli would like another lesson and Draco could hex two birds with one wand.

The expression made him mentally wince given how Megan's parents had died. Was it any wonder the child was skittish? She was an exceptionally smart girl. She knew the sort of danger she'd been in before they'd brought her out of the wizarding world.

Sighing a little, Draco toyed with the pens that were stored in a milk glass vase next to the vintage cash register and whirled back around when he heard Megan whisper his name. "Oh, Megan, look at you! That is so pretty. Do you like it?" the blond questioned enthusiastically.

Megan looked at herself in the tall mirror that lined one side of the dressing room. She nodded before casting a worried look at Draco. "Can I try on some others?"

"Honey, you can try on everything here, right down to lampshades on your head if you like."

Megan's lips lifted just a hair. She walked back to the rack of clothes and studied them carefully.

Tara Browning, the shop owner, walked behind the cash register and smiled at Draco. "Getting a start on Christmas shopping?"

"I suppose I should be," he admitted. Would Harry still be in Little Whinging by then? Christmas was four weeks away.

Turning off the thought proved difficult, so Draco walked off to the men's fashions just across from where Megan was looking. Every garment that he pulled out and held up to his own body had him wondering how Harry would like it.

Draco stopped looking and sat down experimentally on the wide, nubby couch that, according to the hand lettered signs, could be ordered in three dozen other fabrics. He was watching the glass door that opened out onto Main Street, and smiled when he saw Eli come into view, followed closely by an elderly woman, whom the blond assumed was the babysitter. The woman's name was Mrs.

Scalise if he wasn't mistaken, a widowed woman who cared for a lot of the children in the town. Draco rose and crossed the shop. "I was just thinking about you," he greeted the boy.

Genma Scalise pulled her long knitted scarf off her head and unbuttoned her coat. "Seems to be going around," she replied, recognizing Draco immediately as she made it her business to know everyone in her town. "Eli's talked non-stop about you and the day you all went riding. I can't tell you how much he enjoyed it."

"I'm glad he had fun," Draco assured. From the corner of his eye he watched Megan go into the changing room again. "So, is the Christmas shopping season calling to you, too?"

The elderly woman nodded. "I have a few gifts to pick up. I don't know what to get my son, he's got it in his head that he should only get me gifts, doesn't want to take any in return." She finished working out of her coat, and Draco took it from her, laying it over the back of a bar stool that was doing double duty as a plant stand.

"I've also been hearing nothing but talk around town today about Axel and Sarah's wedding. You know them don't you? Have they left for a honeymoon?"

"Last night," Draco informed the woman. "Five day's in balmy Mexico."

Genma's eyes twinkled. "Sounds lovely. Eli told me that Mr. Potter and his late wife went to Mexico after they were married."

Draco waited for the pang, but when it came, it was not as sharp as it once would have been. "It's a popular place," the blond agreed congenially. "I'd better check on Megan's progress. Oh," Draco turned back to the old woman. "If Eli's interested, I thought he might like to go riding again later today if it's okay with his dad. I'm going to take Megan, too. They might enjoy meeting each other and I know they'll both enjoy the horses. I'm thinking maybe around two or three. Could you mention it to Har...Mr. Potter?"

"I can't seem to place her," Genma stated, looking beyond Draco to the girl. The old woman was sure she knew every child in Little Whinging, but she had only seen this girl a time or two.

"She and her dad are staying just on the outskirts of town. They haven't been her too long."

"Oh, of course, I heard he was a writer." Seeming satisfied she'd placed them, she looked at Draco again. "I'm sure Eli would love to go with you, particularly since Mr. Potter is out of town for a few days. I could certainly give him permission to go."

Draco tucked his tongue between his teeth for a moment, feeling slightly surprised. He hadn't known that Harry had left town.

Genma was already crossing the shop, heading for a display of delicate Christmas ornaments. "I don't know what case he's working on, but he's sure putting in some ridiculous hours." The elderly muggle woman picked up a translucent green bulb. "Pretty isn't it?"

"Yes," Draco nodded, but he wasn't really looking at the ornament. He was too busy telling himself that Harry's abrupt disappearance was nothing to worry about. He'd hear from the Gryffindor. He would.

______________

The self assurance was definitely wearing thin by midweek. By the end of the week, it was bare threads. Only the fact that Eli was still coming to class every day, and primarily behaving himself, assured the blond that Harry hadn't just gone from Little Whinging for good.

So, when he suddenly appeared the morning of Dee's holiday boutique being held in the auditorium at the school, acting as if nothing was amiss, Draco told himself his irritation was justified.

"Where do you want the rolls, Draco?" Justine Taggart drew back the blond's attention from Harry's unexpected entrance. She was carrying an enormous, flat bakery box that smelled delicious. She had three more boxes stacked on a rolling cart behind her.

'Ignore Harry,' Draco told himself as he gestured to the tables to one side of the auditorium. "All the food will be over there. Need some help?"

Justine waved off the offer and deftly manoeuvred the cart, even with her full hands which left Draco's gaze starting to stray toward the doorway and Harry once again.

More irritated with himself than anyone, including the Auror, Draco snatched up one of the fresh wreaths that he hadn't finished hanging around the room and headed for the ladder where he'd left it, directly opposite the doorway. The blond looped the wreath over his arm and started up the rungs. The soothing fragrance of the fresh balsam pine surrounded him.

"Looks like somebody shook up a bottle of fizzy Christmas soda and let it explode in here," Harry said below the Slytherin.

Draco kept his eye on the light fixture from which he was hanging the wreath. "Hello to you, too," he greeted as he twisted the floral wire on the back of the wreath together and looped it over the light. 'This would be a lot easier with magic,' he thought ruefully, remembering the wonderful decorations at Hogwarts during the Christmas season. The wreath settled neatly against the wall and Draco adjusted the bright red bow at the bottom of it.

"Eli told me he put my name on a list last week to help out."

Draco had passed out the sign up sheet on Monday. "Don't worry, Potter," he informed him in a superior tone as he descended the ladder, his gaze skimming over the Gryffindor. Harry wore jeans and a leather bomber jacket and aside from smelling dismayingly good, Draco thought the Auror looked tired. "Plenty of other parents are coming to help."

Harry slanted a look at the blond. "Meaning what?"

Draco reached the floor. "Meaning you don't have to feel obligated." The ladder folded together with a loud snap and the blond tilted it against his shoulder to drag it over to the last light fixture.

Harry grabbed the ladder, and would have lifted it right out of Draco's hands if he hadn't held on. "Who says anything about obligation? Maybe I want to be here," the Gryffindor returned.

"Right," Draco drawled lazily, letting go of the ladder as he recognized that fighting over it would be silly and undignified.

"Where's this coming from?" Harry questioned, slightly confused by Draco's attitude.

"You're clearly a busy man," Draco replied in a dulcet tone.

"Yes, I am," Harry tried to defend himself. "Yet I have the distinct feeling that those words aren't a satisfactory excuse. You're angry."

Draco picked up the last wreath. "Put the ladder there, if you're so determined to help."

Harry set the ladder in place, spreading the legs of it. "Draco..."

The blond could feel his eyes burning and felt as if he was all of sixteen years old again and had been jilted at the Hogwarts ball. Either he was an adult or he wasn't. Draco set the wreath over a ladder rung and looked at the Gryffindor. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving town?"

"It was work stuff," Harry answered.

Draco's lips twisted in his famous smirk. "Yes, I believe I heard that. It would have been nice to hear it from you. But, you know, it was a necessary reminder for me."

Harry's lips were tight. "About what?"

"Not to get used to you being around."

The Gryffindor stifled an oath. "I'm not going anywhere."

Draco lifted his eyebrows. "Is that so? That's not what Eli thinks. He specifically shared with me how you've told him you're only here until your work is done. He told me and I still..." The blond broke off, realizing his voice was rising. He picked up the wreath again. "I still slept with you," he whispered for Harry's ears only. "My mistake."

Harry grabbed the sides of the ladder as Draco started up it. "This is not seven years ago, Draco. Nothing is the same as it was then."

The blond rapidly stuck the wreath in place and quickly descended the ladder once more. The Gryffindor was right about that. The feelings Draco had for him now seemed frighteningly new. "The only thing that has changed is geography," he lied.

"That and the propensity you've acquired for keeping secrets," Harry shot back.

"Secrets?" Draco hissed. He darted a look around them, hoping they weren't drawing more attention. He still had to live in Little Whinging once Harry went on his merry way. "Compared to you, my life is an open book!"

"Really." Harry jerked his chin, his gaze moving past the blond. "Then what the hell are you doing with him?"

Draco turned to see what Harry was looking at and wanted to groan out loud at the sight of Brody Paine; of all the times for him to take Draco up his regular invitations to include Megan in at least one of the school functions. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Potter," he told Harry stiffly, before crossing the room to greet Megan.

The girl was wearing the colourful tie-dyed blouse and looked even happier than she had the afternoon that Draco had taken her and Eli riding. "I like the shirt, Megan," Draco complimented the child with a smile.

The young girl's cheeks colored, seeming pleased. "Thank you." She tugged on Brody's arm. "Can I go see Eli...Dad?" She managed to tack that on last

Brody nodded. His eyes tracked the child's progress as she crossed the room to where Eli was hanging over a chair, watching Dee Crowder set up the Pin the Beard on the Santa game.

"So, Brody, what spurred this nice surprise?" Draco questioned.

Brody pushed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. If Draco weren't so entirely consumed with a certain black haired Auror, he might be more inclined to appreciate the view that this man presented.

Brody Paine was a good looking man, and judging by the arch looks Dee was sending towards him, that fact was definitely being noticed.

"They're pulling me from this gig," the agent murmured. "In about one more week."

Dismay filled the blond. "Already? But...but what happens with Megan?"

Brody lifted his shoulder. "You know the drill. Everyone moves on, no more contact."

Draco did know the drill. He just had never particularly liked it. Now, with Megan, he liked it even less. He wasn't ready to see the girl disappear from his life. "Can't you at least stay with her through the holidays?" the blond asked hopefully. "She deserves a little consistency."

"I don't call those shots, Draco." A hint of sympathy crossed Brody's face. "And you're not supposed to get so involved that you lose your objectivity, either."

The Slytherin huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. If he'd been objective, he never would have agreed to be part of the agency in the first place.

Across the room, Dee had now enlisted Megan and Eli. They were helping her pin up the big Santa posters and both the children seemed to be having a grand time from the looks of it. "I want to talk to Coleman Black," Draco stated abruptly.

Brody's expression changed. "So would a lot of people, doesn't mean it'll happen."

Draco gave the man a hard look.

"There's nothing I can do about it," Brody said simply. Then he lifted his arms as if to end that particular topic. "So, I'm here. Not gonna drag Megan away now. Even I'm not that callous. Where do you want me to work?" The agent looked around. "I assume you do want me to work."

"Someone needs to sell raffle tickets," Draco replied with a smirk.

Brody looked disgusted, but when the blond plunked an enormous roll of tickets in his hands, he didn't decline. Then Draco turned and faced Harry.

Just one more to deal with, the blond told himself. Only Harry wasn't just anyone, and no matter how many times he tried to tell himself that, he couldn't make himself buy it. The bespectacled wizard was leaning against the side of a long table, openly watching his exchange with Brody.

As the Slytherin headed toward him, he couldn't help noticing again how tired the Gryffindor looked. There were dark circles beneath his emerald eyes and the lines fanning out from the corners seemed deeper than usual. "He's volunteering," Draco told Harry evenly.

"I thought only school parents were doing that."

"Maybe he is a school parent. You don't know everything that's gone on this past week," Draco retaliated.

"Megan would be in Eli's class and Eli didn't say squat about her, other than to talk about how you took them both riding. As you told me once, you are the only primary three teacher here."

"You can do trash duty," Draco huffed, ignoring Harry's comments.

Unfortunately, the terse assignment only seemed to amuse the Gryffindor. His lips stretched into a saucy smile. "Yes, sir, I'm here to serve."

Draco's teeth clicked together in annoyance and he turned away, heading toward a cluster of parents who'd arrived and were waiting for direction.

Fortunately, the blond teacher didn't have much time to worry about Harry after that. Not when there was a line of people waiting at the door the moment they officially opened their auditorium sized boutique. Things didn't start to settle down until just before they were ready to close their doors at the end of the day, and Draco had a chance to sit down. It was the first break he'd had all day.

Within minutes, Harry was emptying a trash can behind the Slytherin's table, whistling tunelessly along with the Christmas carols being played on the school's sound system.

Brody came over and sat down beside the Slytherin, plopping a big paper bag on the floor between them. It was filled nearly to overflowing with the ticket halves from which the drawing would be taken at the end of the day. "Sold them all," the agent announced with self satisfaction, declining to inform the blond that he had used a tiny spell to charm the muggles into buying more than they had actually intended.

"Maybe you missed your calling," Draco murmured, amazed and totally unaware of Brody's little cheat.

Harry, too, had not been cognizant of the use of that small amount of untraceable and unnoticeable bit of wandless magic. Something that, like all Auror's, all agents were well versed in. "Speaking of callings," Harry drawled, his voice annoyingly smooth, "what is it that you write?"

Draco rested his elbows on the table and pressed his hands to his cheeks. He was tired enough to let the two wizards battle whatever pissing contest they had going on between them.

"Technical reports," Brody replied easily. "Nothing anybody ever remembers me for," the agent added smugly, wondering if the brunet would understand the jibe. "But it pays the bills."

Draco made himself smile when Tommy Sawyer ambled over to the table and started picking through the arrangement of homemade wrapping paper and gift tags, trying to not let anyone notice the adoring glances he was casting toward a certain curly haired teacher. "How are you doing, Tommy?" the blond asked with a knowing grin.

The deputy shrugged. "Fair enough." He picked up a plastic baggie filled with gold tags on which Draco himself had calligraphed the greetings in his neat, fancy script. "Harry, you want to trade shifts again tomorrow?" he asked. "I could use the extra time in the old paycheck this month." "Sorry, can't," Harry replied whipping a fresh bag inside the garbage barrel. "Try Dave."

Dave Ruiz was another muggle police officer Draco knew, though he spent more time in the office than out patrolling the streets. The blond pondered that for a moment, how he always seemed to be surrounded by some kind of law enforcement, whether it was magical or muggle.

"No problem, will do," Tommy grinned as he flipped open his wallet and handed over some bills to the blond. "Thanks, Draco. Nice turnout you're having here. Good job."

Draco gave him his change. "Thanks, but this is really Dee's baby. Stop and visit her on your way out, why don't you?"

The police officer seemed to flush a little and ducked his chin, mumbling something inaudible before ambling away again.

"Only time that guy mumbles is when it comes to a pretty woman," Harry joked. The longing looks his fellow upholder of the law had been casting towards Draco's friend had not been lost on him. "Can't shut the guy up when we're at the station house."

"He's shy," Draco excused.

"And I think we'll be outta here." Brody interrupted, leaning back in the metal folding chair to stretch. "I've gotta feed Megan something other than peanut brittle and Christmas cookies."

"Brody, bring her to the holiday pageant at least," Draco invited. "It's just next week. Thursday evening."

The agent's smile was sympathetic, but noncommittal. "We'll see."

Draco hadn't liked that phrase as a young boy and nothing had changed since, except now he couldn't badger the other man to get his way as he had done when those words had come from his father or mother.

The moment Brody vacated the seat beside him, Harry assumed it. The Gryffindor's arm brushed against Draco's as he folded his hands on top of the nearly empty table.

Draco shifted, putting a few more inches between them. Across the room, Brody had collected Megan and the girl turned, sending a wave in his direction.

Draco's heart squeezed and he lifted his hand.

"What's wrong?" Harry questioned curiously. "You look like you're never going to see her again."

The blond dropped his hand, putting his mask back in place. "Not at all. She's a nice girl and she's lost a lot in her life. You, of all people, know what it's like for a child to lose a parent."

There was something odd, almost accusatory in Draco's tone, but Harry decided to ignore it. "Well, she looks a damn sight more animated than she did last week," the Gryffindor affirmed. "I think Eli's got a crush on her or something the way he jabbers on about her." The brunet idly picked up the last of the baggies filled with tags. "He's really no writer, is he?"

"You're like a werewolf with a bone," Draco scoffed.

"I've been compared to worse things," Harry returned, thinking of Remus. "What do you want to bet me that you know what he is?"

Draco snatched up the bag of raffle tickets. "Time for the drawing," he stated irritably.

Harry stretched out one leg, settling deeper into the folding chair. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Yet," Draco spat. He didn't wait for the Gryffindor's reaction as he headed to the small stage and the microphone there. "All right, ladies and gentlemen, time for the big moment. I need someone up here for a little help, though."

A bunch of hands flew up in the air, mostly belonging to students of the school. Draco pointed out several whom he knew to be first years and they all raced up to him, jockeying for position. He held the bag where they could reach in. "Dig deep now, but only pull out just one ticket each," the blond instructed.

Fierce expressions of concentration crossed their young faces as one by one they drew and Draco read off the numbers for the prizes, everything from free meals and massages to a cord of chopped firewood to a weekend trip to Las Vegas. The last prize, considered by some to be the granddaddy of them all, was a year's worth of Sunday breakfasts at the Taggart's café.

Draco joggled the bag, smiling over the catcalls to mix the tickets even more and took the ticket that emerged courtesy of the last young ticket puller. He held it up and read off the numbers, watching the crowd and when Harry rose and began making his way forward, the blond managed to keep his smile in place. 'Of course it would be Potter, who else?' the Slytherin drawled out disdainfully in his mind with more than just a hint of sarcasm.

Harry worked through the back slapping congratulations and came up beside the blond on the stage where he held the envelope holding the certificate Justine had generously donated.

Draco flicked off the microphone. "I'm sure Justine wouldn't mind if you give the prize to someone else," he murmured as he handed over the envelope to Harry.

The Auror's fingers brushed the blond's. "Why would I do that?"

"A year's a long time." Draco picked up the bag and held it against his chest, turning to flip on the microphone and thank everyone for their support. When he was finished, Harry followed him off the little stage.

"A year's not so long, depending on who you spend it with," the Gryffindor responded.

Draco swallowed, his heart giving an odd lurch. "Eli does make time fly. Excuse me. I have to collect all the money now." The Slytherin turned and practically raced away from the dark haired wizard, but he knew he was really racing away from the longing to believe that Harry had actually meant him.