erhalfoftheeiling,draohadhalfexpetedhewasnotgoingtoshowupatall.

drao’salmostannoyedthathehadn’twaitedlonger,beausenowthathegottoyeyesonhim,withthefreshutsandbkeyeandtousledhairandlothesthatheobviouslyhadn’tbotheredtohangefordays,thespeehthathehadbeenabouttogivediedinhisthroat.he’sspentthebetterpartofthepasttwodayspreparingit,butnowit’sompletelyuseless,beauseitishardtostayangryatsomeonewhenyouarebusythankinggodtheywereabletoomebaktoyouatall.

“merlin,harry.”draofeelssomethingbuildinginhisthroatandheisafraiditistears,sohebusieshimselfbywinghiswayoutofthebsandlurhingovertothedoorway,movingfromhairtohairforsupport.(heandgeehadpositionedallthefurnituresoheanwalkallthewayaroundtheroomonhisown.)“whattookyousolong?”

draosinksdowntositinoneofthearmhairsthatmollyhadonjuredwithherwandthesttimetheweasleysametovisit,andharryjustkeepsstaringathim,rightuntilthemomentwherehedropstohiskneesinfrontofdraoandpresseshislipsdownontodrao’sbandagedknukles.itwassaringhim,thewaythatharrystillwasn’tspeaking,sohe’salmostgdthatwhenharryfinallytalked.“wegotthem.”thereisnoneedtoaskwhotheywere,oraskforanyfurtherexpnationofwhereallthesefreshinjurieshadomefrom.“wegotallofthem.everysthathurtyou.”

there’sautunderhharry’srighteye,anddrao’shandsfindtheirwaytoit,followingthepathwayofthewoundwithhisthumb.inafewweeks,thiswouldonlybeanothersar,butinsomeway,draoknowsthisonebelongstohim.isbeauseofhim.isowedtohim,somehow.

“isitover?”draowantstofallintoharry,tohughim.“isthisit?”

hewantsittobeover.hewantstobedonefeelingafraid.hewantsto