Endgame - A Drarry Fanfic (Harry Potter x Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 7: A Friend

A few days later, Harry arrived to work to find another owl on his desk, but what was surprising was that it was a Snowy owl. Harry hadn't known anyone to own one besides himself when he was young. He untied the letter. It was from Malfoy.

Potter, Hope you are well. I have to be at the Ministry on Thursday and I was wondering if you would like to get some lunch? If not, that's fine. Draco Malfoy

Harry laughed to himself thinking about Draco writing this letter himself– how much effort it would have taken him to write "Hope you are well." He couldn't believe this was the same boy he knew in school. Seeing or hearing from Draco used to make him miserable, now it was making him smile.

Harry grabbed a quill and wrote on the back of the same parchment, Malfoy, Sounds good. Just stop by my office when you're done with what you have to do and we can head out to eat. See you Thursday. Harry Potter

It would be nice to have Draco as a friend. The past was behind them, and their kids were best friends after all. Plus, Harry needed someone new to talk to. Ron and Hermione were still his only good friends because Harry was still seen as quite the celebrity. He wished he could just be like anyone else, but people don't forget when you kill the Darkest Wizard of all time and end two wars.

***

All day Thursday, Harry was excited that Draco was coming, but he had gotten wrapped up in his work when he heard a knock on his office door.

"Come in." Harry said without looking up; he was used to other Ministry members coming to him for things.

The door opens, "Hello, Potter."

Harry looks up and sees a smile on Draco's face, "Hey, Malfoy." Harry said hopping up, "Let's go."

"Oh, prefect, did I come at your lunch break?"

"Perks of being the boss." Harry says with a silly smile, "I can take lunch whenever I like."

"Well so can I, Potter, because I don't have to work!" Draco says, reverting back to that entitled voice Harry was more familiar with as they walk out of the office.

***

"Why are we in the muggle world?" Asks Draco loudly as they walk down the streets of London.

"Keep your voice down, Malfoy. Muggles aren't used to hearing the word "muggle" yelled in the streets; its bad enough you're in robes." Harry sighed, "We're here becuase I know a great place up this way."

Harry heard Draco mumble something under his breath that sounded like "muggle-lover." Same old Draco.

The two men make their way to a small restaurant on the corner and get seated at a small table across from each other.

"A bit shabby, isn't it?" says Draco, looking around.

"Will you give it a chance, Malfoy?" says Harry and they catch each other's glaze before Malfoy looks down at the menu.

"So, what did you have to come to the Ministry today for?"

"Oh! That." Draco looked bit nervous, "It was nothing, just uh.... dropping something off something for a friend."

Harry eyed him suspiciously but didn't comment.

"So how are the kids? Hear from Albus lately?" Draco asked.

"No, I haven't heard much from the kids since the divorce, neither has Ginny. Her and I still talk and we're on good terms, despite what the Daily Prophet writes."

"Ya, quite the stories I've been seeing in there. But I don't believe them, I know how much of what that woman writes is nonsense, used to feed her half of it." Draco and Harry both laugh.

"What did happen with you two?" Draco asked, "Don't worry I won't go running off to tell Skeeter!" he said with a smile.

Despite all of their history, in this moment, Harry felt like he could trust Draco. He definitely wasn't going to tell him everything, but he told him the truth. "I uh.... I didn't love her the way I should have. And after all these years that was really starting to take it's toll, on both of us. Ginny and I finally talked about it and we decided that we both deserved the chance to be truly happy. So we split and I moved out; we told the kids, and then signed the papers."

"Sorry." Malfoy said.

"No, it's ok. It's for the best, really."

After that the waiter came by and took their orders. When it came Draco actually enjoyed the food, though he didn't want to admit it to Harry.

"I told you!" Harry said watching Draco eat the last bite from his plate.

"I never said I liked it."

"But you've eaten the whole thing!"

"So? I just haven't had a cooked meal like this in a while."

"What? Why?" Said Harry, puzzled.

"Well I spend most of my days at home by myself and don't bother to cook. Mother never bothered to learn to cook after the house-elf left." Hearing Dobby being referenced pulled at Harry's heartstrings a bit, but Draco just continued on. "So I just make up whatever is around the house, usually its cold."

"That's kind of sad."

"Oh I could heat it if I really wanted to, I just don't bother."

"No, I mean being alone all the time. What do you do all day?"

"Not much to be honest. There's nothing I need to do. Whatever I fancy that day. Taking long strolls in the garden. Visiting mother. Reading, sometimes."

Harry was very tempted to reply 'I didn't know you could read' but then he remembered that Draco didn't know that Harry knew about that time he said it to 'Goyle.'

"That sounds really lonely. " said Harry. He actually felt quite bad for Draco. "You don't have any friends?"

"Of course I have friends, Potter!" said Draco defensively. "I still speak with Goyle and Blaise." By the way he said that Harry thought it was unlikely they spoke much anymore.

"Well I don't have many friends." said Harry, opening up, trying to level with Draco. "Besides Hermione and Ron of course, but they're married so it's different now, you know? And not being married to Ginny anymore, I go home to an empty house too."

"Well I guess it's a good thing you got me as a friend now, Potter."

Harry giggled a bit to himself but said, "Ya, it is nice," with a smile.