分卷阅读2（2 / 2）

Dracothinksitwouldbeeasiertodealwith,iftheycouldfallbackintotheirpatternofmutualdislike.Thatwouldhavebeensolidground,afamiliarpatterntofallbackintoanddrawstrengthfrom.HedoesnotknowhowtodealwiththisHarry,theHarrywhoshowshimhowtoworktheshowerfaucet(becausethey’retrickyinnewplaces,trustme,Iknow)andasksiftherewasaparticularbrandoforangejuicehewouldprefer,whoofferstoclearoutaspaceonthebookshelfforanythingthatDracomightwanttoreadbecauseherememberedfromschoolthatDracolikedbooksandmostofthemareonesthatHermionebroughtovertoclearspaceinherflat,anyways.

He’shearingalotoftidbitsaboutHarry’sschoolfriends,abouttheWeaselandWeaselette(whoHarryisnotdating,butLunafromthebasementcertainlyis),aboutDeanandSeamusandNeville,aboutGeorgeandOliverWood’sperformanceinthelastQuidditchgame.Dracowishesthathecouldreturnthefavor,buthedoesn’ttalktoanyofhisoldschoolfriendsanymore.

HedoubtsHarrywouldwanttohearaboutitanyways.

Thesilenceinthishouseisstifling,Dracothinks,muchlikehedoeseverymorning,wherehefinallygivesuponhisscrapsofshatteredsleepandgetstohisfeet.Thehouseistoodarkandsullentoreallybeahome,eventhoughHarryhastried.Thereareafhganswithcrookedstitchesthrownoverthearmsofthecouch(Granger’swork)andcustomizedmugspilinguponthecounter,chippedchinastackedinthecupboardsandphotosstuckhaphazardlytothewalls.Harryisn’tmuchforthedomesticsortofthings,havingitjustbehiminhere,soonthenightswhereDracogivesuponsleepentirely,heoftenfindshimselfputteringaroundthekitchenandputtingthingsinorder.

Kreacherhadtriedtoshoohimoutthefirsttime,buthe’snotascapableasheoncewas,andafterthethirdtimeDracoignoredhim,theoldhouseelflefthiminpeace.Nowhespendsthetimebetweenlateatnightandearlymorningwithhisarmssoakinginsudsashewashesdishesthemuggleway,moppingthefloor,dustingthepictureframes.Thescentofpineandlemonconstantlystaininghishands,butthesharpscentdoesn’tbotherhim,justseemstobringhimmoreintohimself.Andwhenthesunfinallystartstopeakinthroughthewindow,hestartstocookbreakfast,whateverhethinkswillworkdependingonhismood—scrambledeggsandtoast,cinnamonrolls,bacon,omelets,freshbakedbananabread.It’swaitingforHarrywheneverhecomesdownthesteps,readytofaceadayfullofwhateverhedoes(aurortraining,Dracoremindshimself),likeasmallpieceofrepaymentforeverythinghehasdoneforhim.

“Youdon’thavetodothiseveryday,youknow.”Harry’svoicestartleshimintodroppingthepotofteadownintothesink.Itcracksdownthesideandtheliquidspreadsoverthecounter.Dracostaresdownatit,dismayed,anditneveroccurstohimtousehiswandtocleanitup,notevenwhentheheatofitsoaksthroughthetowelhewasusingandburnshishand.It’sonlywhenHarrycrossestheroomtohelphim,mendingthemessbacktogetherinseconds,thatDracocalms.

“MaybeIwantedsomequalitycooking.Merlinknowsitwasn’tcomingfromyou.”Iftheywereyounger,stupider,andhadnotbeenforcedtogrowupsofast,thiscouldhavequicklyturnedtoblows.Ithadalwayshappenedlikethatbackinschool,whereinthebeginningHarrywouldtakeoffenseatsomethingthatDracohadonlymeantasajoke,andhewouldnotbeabletofindhiswaybackfromthislatestfumble.Now,though,Harryonlysmilesovertherimofhiscupoftea,lookingacrossbetweenpleasedandconfused.

“Ionlymeantthatifyoudidn’twantto,youdidn’thaveto.I’mnotexpectingyoutodothisstuff.”Thisdidn’tkeephimfromscrapingabunchofeggsontohisplate,thoughhedidlookconcernedaboutit.“ButIcan’thidethatI’mgladyoufoundawaytomakeSirius’motherleavethatwall.Tiredofbeingscreechedatinmyownhome.”

Isthisahome,Harry?Dracothought.Oristhisjustanotherpieceofthewarthatyou’retooscaredtoletgoof?

“How’dyoudoit,anyways?”Atthispointintheconversation,Harrywasnormallyalreadypuffingoutathankyouandheadingoutthedoor.Hewasalwaysinarush,Harrywas.

“Apotion.”Ittookhimthreetries,buthehadfinallyfoundonethatcounteractedthestickingsolution.Hehadscrubbedallnightandscrapedhisknucklesraw,thenrepainteditthenextnightwithKreacher’shelp,buthegotitdone.

“Potions.Alwaysweregoodatthose.”HarrystaresatDraco,andDracostaresback,unsureofwhattodoorwheretolook.He’snotsureaboutanything,anymore.“I’llseeyoulater,yeah?”

“Yeah.”Dracoanswers,butitonlyechoesbacktohimthroughtheemptyhouse.“Later.”

Harry

“Sohowisit,livingwithhim?”Ronwastalkingtohimthroughamouthfuloffood,poringoverthepapersontheirdesks.Aurortrainingwashard,butthehomeworkwasharder.Harrywouldhavethoughtthatthiswouldhavecomenaturallytohim,aftereverything,thoughhewaseagertolearn.“Imagineit’sadownrightnightmare.”

TheWeasleyshadbeeninanuproarwhentheyheardwhatHarryhaddone.ApparentlyGinnyhadduckedintosomeone’sofficeandmadeafiremessageassoonasshecould,andbythetimehegothome,therewereeightowlswaitinginhisbedroom.

Theydidhavevalidpoints,aboutdeatheatersandHogwartsrivalries,aboutalltheabuseDracoandhisfriendshadputtheGryffindorsthrough.ButHarrycouldn’tmakehimselfregretit,notwhenhewasstillhavingflashbacksofhowDracolookedwhenhewasbeingforcedtouseanunforgivablecurse,orhowsmallheseemedsittinginthatchair.

“He’snotbad.”Itwasn’tbadatall,really.Sometimes,thereweremomentswhereDracowouldmakeajokeandHarrywouldlaughwithoutwonderingwhetheritwasaninsult,orHarrywouldcollapseontothesofaandDracowouldbringhimabutterbeerwithoutaskingifhewantedit,andHarrywouldbeshockedathoweasyitwasbetweenthem.HehadcomedowninthemiddleofthenightsometimestofindDracoalreadyup,scrubbingatthefloorsorthedishesorthetables,thewholehousewashedinthescentoflemonsandlavender,andinsteadoffeelingtheanxietythatcomesfromhavingastrangerinyourhome,allHarryfeltwasastrangesenseofcomfort,thefeelingthathewasnotalone.“Ibarelyevennoticehimmostofthetime.”