“Thanks.” It was the only thing Drao ould think to say.
&hose before the war. Kind of taky now.” Gee piks ohrows it bak into the bihen. Should get rid of them.”
Draee dragging this bak to alley, dumpi into a dumpster. It was a sad thought. “What do they taste like?”
Gee blinks. “Grape. Sometimes blueberry.”
Draes i ah a galleos andy, damn it. “I’ll take three.”
That’s how they end up ih andy ers spread out arouoained bk. “Got to admit,” Gee said, likihe andy off of a er. “Muh better idea than throwi.”
“No kidding.” Drao reahed out for awelfth. “I’m going to be sik.”
“You an’t.” Gee propped himself on an elbow a him. “We promised to eat the whole thing.”
“This id.”
“It was fun.”
“Stupidly,”
“Stupidly,”
“Fun.” they fi wether and ughed, and Drao ouldhe surrealhe oiohem were sittie room of a Weasley’s shop, w their way through andy dark marks.
“I didn’t want to ome bak here, you know.” Gee said, sudde Hermio me down and said that I was goio fae up to it, sooer, so here I am.”
“Grahing.” Drao didn’t want to admit how muh he owed to her, how muh her instant fiveness had helped him. there’s something to it, mending the bres of your past. “Always seems tht.”
“She’s annoyi.” Gee ran a hand along the side of his head, the ohe missing ear. He’d beeo keep it faing away from Drao, but Drao had still seeed skiissue oming to a irur bump at the side of his head, so small you never would have guessed it used to be a what I’m tryi, is that it helps, f yourself ts.”
Normally, Drao would have gotten angry wheo give him advie. But this was ee, who was asking f droughts from Drao one a week beause his haoo badly to handle a knife, and who learly had done his fair share of hidiime for Drao to ome out into the open again.
“My not smashed to piees. Wouldn’t k.”
“Start here. With me, hidi to make iernoon, but Gee seemed serious. “It’ll do us both some good.”
“I’ll think about it,” Drao said, but they both khe ansrobably going to be no.
&he shop before Harry shot his wa in front of him, just ihe ohat he reoghe way dowhe street.
It’s Harry, standing in froore and looking at all the owls. “You used to have an owl, didn’t you?” It had o Drao for a boy who had heir world to ome to shool with o kind of owls. “That white one.”
“Hedwig.”
“e?”
“She died.” Harry roked bak ohe words had knoked him off baake her as going from my aunt ao a safe house. Got hit with a killing urse. Should have just let her loose.”
Drao doesn’t know what to say about that, so he does. “Why don’t you buy another one?”
& have an owl at the house, whih for a wizard is like having their hands tied behind their bak as far as ommuniatio know. Probably should.” And then he walked away, hands shoved deep into his pokets, leaving Drao to run after him.
(Drao she day to buy ahis oi bk, and has it sittihen ounter when Harry omes home. He’d so happy so fast.)
Chapter 8
Harry
&s himself.
It was Ginny who broke the hem, bursting through the door of the boys’ loker r without waitihem to answer her knok. Ron was already yelling and halfway through soldiheh saw her fae ahey were going to say ed by that sik feeling in your stomah that omes when you k to get bad news.
Ginny was rying.
Harry had rarely see sine Dumbledore’s fuhe day of Bill’s weddi really eve Gee’s wedding, just stared at everyoh a set jaw and a fae full of fury, but this time she had a quivering lip and tears slippily down her fae.
“What’s wrong?” Ron was o i, arms held out like he was trying tinny just shrugged him off. “ened?”
“It’s Seamus.” She let half a sob out and thehe rest, turning to kik the loker door so hard Harry rised she didhi Mungo’s. He…”
“What?” Ron was still looking for something to fight, ao push his fear towards. Harry was just wathing Ginny, the way she was rumbling. “Did someo him?”