(And that pisses him off, what they ould have been if Unle Vernon hadn’t been suh an arse.)
“So I was thinkied, and Harry groaned. Whenever Dudley started to think, they always fourouble. “No, really, I was thinking that you should ome to my birthday dih mum and dad this Thursday.”
Harry ughed, but then realized he wasn’t kidding. “What? e ohey hate me.”
“ed magi. Aed your dad.” Dudley titled his beer bottled towards him, pausi some guy aross the bar that might have been heking Harry out but ertainly wouldn’t ahey tolerated you.”
“Gee, Dud.” Stupid. “Way to make a guy feel speial.”
“Listen, I know it’s not your idea of a fu I thio move past this. They’re willing to try if you are.” Dudley ated like it le. Maybe in his world it is. Like, okay, here’s my hek list: get i a good summer job, find a girl that puts up with me and is hot at the same time, did all that, o reate warm fuzzy feeliweehe kid they repeatedly abused. Sounds like a pn. “You an even bring Drao, if you want. I wa him.”
Harry almost hoked on his drink, but sine Dudley was rummaging io pay the bartehe look on his fae. “Really? You wa a wizard as my date, but a male wizard?”
& are that yay.” Dudley almost looked offended. “Really now, what did you this, Harry.”
The irony of it almost hurts.
Drao
When Harry asks him to go to dih his muggle retives, Drao had said yes, fully expeting him to ae. But as it tur, Harry stuk to his ommitment, eves onsiderably jumpier as the week goes oo beomi odd momeartled that he drops whatever he’s holding.
It’s a strange look on him, to see him afraid, aime Drao is able tet an idea of how horrible it must have been frow up the way he did. They must have been really bad, if he was more sared th a dihao fight death eaters.
“You dohis.” Drao said, after the third time that Harry tried to tie his tie but ouldn’t beause his hands were shaking so bad. Drao stood up to do it for him, so he a it pains Harry to think about baking down. “You dohem anything. And I’m not going to think anything less of you for it.”
He fiie, and then works at the uffs of his shirt, buttoning up the ufflinks that he had bought him for Christmas, then steps bak.
“I promised Dudley. It’s his birthday, as me there.” His v, and his eyes were darting around the room, and Drao wahaell him no, that this is ohat he will not wath him torture himself over. “It’s o.”
Drao stays quiet, but even as he goes up to get ready to leave, he ahink that this is going to end very badly.
Harry
&aurant is inredibly fany, just like he k would be, and Harry is terribly gd that he brought Drao with him, beause he’s ompletely out of his element.
Drao, though? He seems to stand straighter the minute he walks in, as if piking up o toing to be following his lead. People moved aside for him, and sine Drao was holding Harry by the ha have to fight through the rowd of people arouess wh for a table. “Hi.” He leahe podium and smiles, harming and in oess, like she reoghis is the kind of person who an atually afford to eat here, turns away from the et a table that wouldhere a him. “I think our party already went bak. Table for Dursley? Or maybe it’s uer?”
“Ver very white teeth, whih makes the lipstik stain stand out that muh more. Harry aop looking at it, but Drao doesie.
Drao looks bak for onfirmation, and Harry ’s the one.”
He keeps up a steady stream of hatter ohe bak of the room, and Harry takes a moment to gather his bearings. This is nothi done before. He held his tongue and pyed his part for seventeen years, he ould st one evening for Dursley’s sake. And this time, Drao was with him. He would have someone in his orner.
“Hello.” Drao smiled, winningly, giving no sign that he had heard anything bad about the Dursleys. Dudley stands up first, and after exhanging a look, Auunia and Unle Vernon follow suit to shake Drao’s hand. “You must be the Dursleys. I’m Drao.”
(Harry an pratially feel them alutiag on Drao’s suit, ahough it doesn’t matter and Harry doeshe suit outside of the o of how good Drao looks in it, he’s hd that it ost muh more thahem end.)
“I’m Dudley. Heard so muh about you.” Harry wiher than a slight smile iion, Drao does. “And this is my mother, Petunia, and my father, Vernon.”
Harry stays silent through the introdutions, etunia is in a garishly greeed with pink flowers, her as long and bo her hands looked worn down, the skin pale and ripped raw. Unle Vernon was just as gruff as ever, dressed to impress, like he ould bully his way through di like he did every other aspet of his life.
“And you, boy?” Boy. The word still stings. Eve deserve a name. “Seems like y well for yourself.”
A ompliment. Harry didn’t know how to respond to that—if he shoul