分卷阅读44（1 / 2）

Butnowitwasalldifferent.Now,theywerebothintransition,withDracobeingafreemanwhodoesn’tneedtoreporthiswhereaboutstotheministryandHarrylookingtoleaveeverythingaboutthewarbehind,newcareerplanandnewboyfriendandnewhouse.It’snotabadthing,exceptforthefactthattwentyminutesbefore,Harrydidn’thavetothinkaboutaskingDracoifhewascomingwithhimtothenewhouse.Therewasneveranyneedfordiscussion.

Nowtherewas.Now,DracowasfreetostayinthishouseorgobuyhimselfanewoneorgolivewithhismotherorGeorgeorLuna,orevenapparatetotheothersideoftheworldandnevertalktoanyofthem.Now,therewasnosafetynetoftheroutine,noguaranteesthatDracowouldwanttogowithhimatall.

(Andofcourse,thatmakesHarryconsiderthequestionofhowmuchofthiswasbychoiceandhowmuchwasbyobligation,like,yes,Harry,let’slookatahousetobuildourfutureinthatmeetsallthesespecificsandI’mnotprotesting,butI’mnotprotestingbecauseyou’retheonewhodecideswherewegoandsomelittlepieceofpaperthewizengamotjudgefilledoutmonthsagoinsiststhatIhavetofollow,likeitornot.Longdistancedatinggetsharderwhenyou’redoingitfromacellinAzkaban,afterall.)

“IjusttalkedtoHermione.ShesaidsheandRoncanbeattheLeakyCauldronateight,whichgivesyouandIatleastanhourtocelebrate,timethatIcanspendthankingyouproperlyforalltheworkthatyoudidtogetme—”DracopausesrightinthemiddleofhissentenceandthesmileslipsoffhisfaceatthesightofHarry.Hedoesn’tlookupset,justconfused,likehecannotimaginewhyHarrywouldnotbejumpingforjoyandmakinghisownroundofannouncements,thoughwhoDracothoughthewouldbecallingwhenallwasavailablewasthemugglephone,hewouldn’tknow.MaybeDudley,butHarryneverdidtellhimDracowastechnicallyacriminal.“Everythingalright?”

“Yeah.”There’savoiceinhisheadtellinghimthathonestyisthebestoption.Thatcommunicationiskeyinhealthyrelationships,andmaybetheyshouldsitdownsoHarrycantalkabouthisfeelings.ItsoundsabitlikeHermione.Butthere’salsoavoicethatsoundsabitlikeSeamus,ofallpeople,echoingasentimentfromtheirsixthyear,sayingthatnowwasnotthetimetoworryaboutstupidthingslikethat.“Everything’sperfect.”

Chapter35

Draco

It’sastrangething,becomingokayagain.

Atthetime,Dracohadn’tnoticedhowmuchtimeandenergygointonotbeingokay,whereheputsallhisenergyintoragingagainstmonstersthatonlyexistedinhisheadandpushingpastroadblocksthatwereonlyinhiswaybecausehehadbeentheonetoplacehimthere.Forthepasttwoyears,rightfromthemomenthisfatherwassenttojail,allhehadbeenthinkingaboutwasputtingthepiecesofhislifebacktogether,thinkingonlyofwhathehadtodoinordertogethimselftothepointwherehecouldlookinthemirrorandfeellikethepersonstaringbackathimactuallyseemedliketheyhadturnedoutalright.

Asawhole,thepeoplewhowentthroughthewarhadspentalotoftimetogethertryingtoreachthepointwhereDracoiscurrentlyat.Theonlythingwas,nooneeverthoughttotellhimhowharditwouldbe,walkingthroughlifelikeyouneedsomeone’spermissiontobehealthyandwholeagain,alwayswaitingforthemomentwherethegroundmightbepulledoutfromunderyourfeet.

(It’slike,thereweretheseholes,inhisheartandhismindandhisbody,andDracohadspentthesepastmonthsgivingeverythinghehadintofillingthembackup,andherehewas,withallhismetaphoricalpotholespatchedoverwithbrandnewcement.Inhisheadheknowsitisagoodthing,butitisalsoastrangething,tohaveallthistime,tokeepexpectingtofallbackintooldpatternsandbadhabits,tohavetokeepremindinghimselfitwasokaytobeokay.)

“You’rehappier,right?”Harryhadaskedhim,oneofthosenightswherehecaughtDracostaringathimselfinthemirror,pokingatasmatteringofscarsandpockmarksthattraildownhisside.“Now?Withme?”

“ThisisthehappiestI’veeverbeen,”Dracohadsaid,andhedidn’tevenhavetolie,andhissmilewasnotcoveringupanyoldghostswhenheturnedbacktohim.He’dbefine,really.Allhehadtodowaskeepmoving,keepbusy,justenoughthatthepastdoesn’thavethespacetosqueezebackintoDraco’slife.

It’sthis,morethananythingelse,thatmakeshimvolunteerwhenGinnywascomplainingabouttheoverwhelmingamountofworkthathadtobedonebeforethewedding.

“Imean,it’smental.Mental!Whothoughtupwiththisstuff?”TheywereattheBurrow,hercombatbootcoveredfeetthrownuponthecoffeetableandasteamingcupofteainherhand.“Youhavetothinkaboutfood,andthepeople,andthecolorscheme,andflowers,andwheretoputeveryone,soI’mgoingtohavetorentaplacebecauseIcan’thaveithereotherwiseeveryonewilljustcompareittoFleurandBill’s,andMerlin’sbeard,doyouhaveanyideahowmuchaweddingdresscosts?Andwehavetobuytwoofthem!”

“Well,”Hermionesaidtentatively,reasonably.“It’syourwedding,youdon’thavetohaveallthatifyoudon’twantit.”

“Oh,Iwantit.”Ginny’seyeswidenedinalarm.“It’sjustthatit’sallsobloodyhardtowrapmyheadaround.”

Ginnywasgoodatalotofthings.Shewasgoodatfighting,andatQuidditch,andcalmingGeorgedown.Shewasgoodathealing,evenifherspellshurtmorethanLuna’swhentheycreptoveryourskin.Shewasagoodcookandagoodfriendandgoodperson,butshewasnotgoodatorganizinganeventlikethis.Luckyforher,Dracowas.

“Icouldhelp.”Bothgirlslookedoverather.Fromherseatinthearmchair,Lunasmiledvaguely,likesherecognizedthathehadsaidsomethingnicebutwasn’tfollowingtheconversationenoughtoknowwhat.“I’vehadpracticeplanningthesetypeofthings.”