Ghosts ✔️

Chapter 31

When Draco woke up, he was wondering if last night had all been a dream. If it was, he didn't want to wake up.

Currently, his head was on Harry's chest, and he had both arms wrapped around the other man.

"Good morning sweetheart."

Harry's low morning voice shot chills down Draco's spine.

"Morning darling."

"You have a good night?"

"The best. Tonight is going to be completely different."

"Stay hydrated please."

"Of course."

They laid there in silence, Harry's hand working through the soft tangles in Draco's hair.

"Ready for breakfast?"

"Can I help?"

"You want to help on your birthday?"

"I want to spend more time with you before I go", Draco mumbled into Harry's chest, trying to cover his embarrassment.

"Aren't you sweet", Harry cooed.

"It's not being sweet, it's entitlement. It's my birthday, therefore you have to do what I say."

"Of course your highness, I am but a lowly servant."

Harry thought it was cute when Draco blushed and tried to backtrack what he was saying, trying to hide how much he actually cared for Harry.

"Maybe one day you'll be my co-ruler."

"I'd be honored."

Pressing a kiss to Draco's cheek, Harry got out of bed, Draco following closely behind.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

"How hard can it be?"

Draco hoped he wouldn't end up eating his words. In reality, he ate much more than that. Currently, he was coughing up flour, and the counter was covered.

"Malfoy, I turned my back for a few seconds", Harry wheezed in between laughs.

"I was trying to be proactive!", he argued, marching over to the sink.

He was about to turn on the faucet when Harry yelled at him.

"No! Let me."

Harry grabbed a towel and made it slightly damp. Gently, he grabbed Draco's chin and started wiping the flour off of his face. Draco's eyes fluttered shut.

"If you wanted personal attention, you could've just asked."

"No offense darling, but I wouldn't sacrifice my lungs for you. I kind of need those."

"Hey, you made it to 18 though!", Harry cheered.

"That in and of itself is a miracle."

"I'll drink to that."

Draco watched as Harry carefully wiped down the counter.

"So, why couldn't I use water?"

"It would turn it into a paste and be a pain to wipe up."

"Magic?"

"Don't use it much."

"You are one very interesting man Mr. Potter."

"I can say the same to you, Mr. Soon to be Potter."

With a laugh, Draco walked back towards the evil "electric mixer".

"Here, let me help."

Harry came up behind Draco, a bit closer than he needed to. He extended his hand and placed it on top of Draco's.

"In the bowl, start on low speed."

Doing as instructed, Draco allowed Harry to guide his hand.

"Now that we've got a rhythm going, we can increase the speed."

Oh how Draco wished Harry was talking about something else. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter.

"You okay?", Harry asked quietly.

"Just thinking."

"You do that a lot", Harry teased.

"Yes, well, not all of us have a Granger to think for us", Draco teased, lightly swatting Harry's hand.

"I don't either at the moment, so think for me too."

"Already on it."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry stepped away to begin making the waffles while Draco started chopping fresh fruit.

"It's just weird being happy. Everything feels a lot more fragile. It's... unfamiliar. I used to think I had a relatively happy childhood, but I don't think I've ever actually been happy.

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure as hell does make life a lot easier. I can't deny that. I had more than I ever needed, but it always lost its charm. Birthdays felt meaningless, each one always reminded me I was closer to the end. I never had what I actually wanted.

We've been friends for about two months now, and you really just... understand me... in a way no one ever has tried to before. I know I have Pansy and Blaise and I love them dearly, but they've always been closer to each other. It's hard being in a friend group of three, I'm sure you know that. Even numbers are always best.

I was just taking some time to appreciate the time we've been friends. It's made a world of a difference to me. Thank you Harry, genuinely. I'll never forget this day. Thank you for being my best friend and going out of your way to make sure I had such a wonderful birthday, even though you're dealing with things I could never fully understand."

Draco let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He suddenly felt a lot lighter, and rolled his shoulders back, surprised when they bumped into something. Confused, Draco turned around, only to be pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"There's things I physically can't talk about, but you've helped me so much Draco. Look how far I've come with my sentences. That's just the beginning. This is what best friends are for."

Draco left Harry's house an hour later feeling ecstatic. He wished he could bottle this feeling up forever. That gave Draco an idea. Very carefully, he removed his memory, duplicated it, and placed the duplicated copy into a labeled vial. This was one memory that would chase away his nightmares for the rest of his life.