Ink Stained Fingertips

Prompt No. 686

5/50

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to the Harry Potter Universe.

Response to the 'Are You Crazy Enough to Do It Challenge'

Summary: Draco asks Harry to teach him about Muggles and Harry happily does so…

Months ago, Harry had been clearing up and readying himself to head home after a long day at the Ministry. He'd been packing up the last few items into the leather briefcase he had finally purchased after Hermione's badgering that it 'looked more professional'. He hated to admit that she was right, but it did make him look slightly more distinguished. Clasping the case shut, he was shocked at the gentle and unsure knocks against his office door, he hadn't been expecting anyone and he was sure that most of his team had already headed home by now.

"Come in?" Harry hadn't meant for it to come out in such a questioning manner, but he was preoccupied with rapidly through the mental list of appointments and meetings he had compiled to sound assertive. The door slowly creaked open, and Harry was shocked to see the familiar and very recognisable white hair belonging to Draco Malfoy on the other side of the door. He looked nervous and uneasy standing in the doorway of Harry's office, usually Harry would delight in seeing Malfoy squirm slightly, but something about the lost expression on his face pulled at his heart.

"Hey Draco, come in, what can I do for you?" As much as Harry wanted to get home and curl up with his godson and listen to how his day had been, he just couldn't bring himself to send Draco away, especially with the way he was looking right now.

"I…I didn't know who else to ask…and I know that it's a completely ridiculous notion, and honestly I'm a grown adult I shouldn't need to ask this of you…" he had begun to work himself up, pacing in front of Harry's desk as he carded a hand through his hair, ruffling it up until it was reminiscent of a cockatoo.

"Draco calm down and tell me or ask me what it is you want to know. Working yourself up like that is going to do nothing for either of us, and clearly you need my advice, or you wouldn't be here pacing in my office at almost 6 o'clock in the evening on a Friday." Gesturing towards the chair in front his desk, Harry sat back down behind it, preparing for what could potentially become a long night of sorting through Draco's problems once again.

Since the end of the war a few years previous the pair had been civil, and at some points almost friendly. They spoke when they saw each other, and they no longer outright hated each other. There had been a few times where Draco would come to Harry for help, he had struggled since the war with having to live with a permanent reminder of his actions and those of his father. It had surprised Harry how resentful he would often sound when talking about his father, but Harry had come to learn that behind his perfect mask of stoicism and pureblood pride, Draco had not had a happy childhood and was filled with hurt and anger.

They still sometimes referred to each other by their surnames, but it was no longer in spite but friendliness and amusement, although Harry had started to find him anticipating his run-ins with his ex-nemesis and could feel the fondness creeping into his voice when speaking to him. As Draco all but threw himself into the chair, sighing loudly as he did so Harry struggled to maintain his composure. Sometimes Draco did not come across as the perfect pureblood that society expected and knew of him, instead, in this moment he was acting like a petulant and confused child. He sorely reminded Harry of his five year old godson Teddy in that moment, and it took all that Harry had not to laugh at him.

"So, what can I do for you?" he thought he should start with the most open question possible, because with Draco it could take a while for him to feel comfortable enough to finally tell him what he actually wanted.

"You know that my views surrounding…Muggleborns have changed a lot since the war, I've fully accepted that they're a part of our society and belong you know? But I'm still struggling with the concept of Muggles, and I don't want to be that way for the rest of my life Harry, I don't." By this point he had begun to work himself up again and started to fidget, which considering the topic was rather normal for Draco. Honestly, Harry was shocked, he had never expected that Draco would fully move past his hatred for muggles, but he supposed watching his father go to Azkaban for the rest of his life showed him how wrong he had been about his ideals. "I need you to teach me about Muggles." Draco blurted out abruptly causing Harry to freeze in shock.

"What? Teach you about Muggles?" Harry was rarely caught off-guard anymore, but this was definitely an off-guard moment. Of all the things he had thought Draco would need help with, learning about Muggles wasn't even on the list

"I know it sounds odd, but if I'm ever going to fully move past the way I've behaved and the ideals I was taught, then I need to understand where they stem from. To do that, I need you to teach me about Muggles and their world." Draco was clinical with his words, reminding Harry that he had been seeing a Mind Healer for some time now, apparently the things he'd seen while Voldemort had been living in his house had caused permanent mental scarring.

As much as Draco didn't want to beg, Harry could see it clearly in his expressions that he was desperate for his help. It took less than a minute for Harry to make a decision. He could appreciate how hard it must have been for Draco to go through with this and come to Harry of all people for help.

"Get your things together Draco, you're coming for dinner with me and Teddy tonight. We're having McDonalds, and the best introduction to the Muggle world is chicken nuggets."

Harry had spent the past four months teaching Draco as much as he could about Muggles and their world. It had been an experience for the both of them rectifying the many preconceptions of Muggles being stupid and inept without Magic. At points, Harry could not believe how naïve and ignorant Draco had been with some of his thoughts surrounding Muggle life, but then Harry had to remind himself that it wasn't like someone had felt the need to teach him the truth surrounding the non-Wizarding world.

Early on they had decided to set up a kind of schedule. Every Friday Draco would come for dinner (much to Teddy's delight) and they would go to different Muggle restaurants and sometimes get a takeaway. Harry had found it hilarious that the refined pureblood had declared chicken nuggets to be his new favourite food and had yet to find anything to beat it, Teddy fully agreed with this and so Draco had become his new best friend.

On Saturdays they would go somewhere educational, museums and tours usually, so that Draco could learn more about Muggle history specifically and the rise of technology. He had been surprised to find that in some ways, the Muggle world was more advanced than the Wizarding community with their use of technology, especially the internet and mobile phones. Finally, on a Sunday they would spend the day in a less intense environment. Sometimes they would venture of into Muggle London to do some shopping, and other days they would take Teddy down to Hyde Park for walks and to play football. Ever competitive, Draco had declared that he was the best at the sport and Harry had no issue going along with this just to see the joy on his face as he scored a goal.

As nervous as Draco had originally been to explore the Muggle world, Harry had to give him points for throwing himself in completely refusing to admit that sometimes it was a bit much for him. While some things just weren't his cup of tea, he had not appreciated the trip to Madame Tussauds and all of the statues, others he found to be interesting and had no problem with fully immersing himself in the culture surrounding him.

One Muggle concept that Draco had been truly fascinated by, was pens.

It had been a dreary and wet Sunday, nothing to write home about, but the pair had chosen to venture out anyways and do a bit of shopping in Muggle London before the Christmas period took over completely. Knowing that Teddy had developed a love for colouring at the moment, Harry had decided to purchase him a children's art set, filled with different coloured pens and pencils for Christmas that year.

"Let's go in there, I can grab a Christmas present for Teddy and show you a couple of Muggle things that you might like," Harry had pointed to the closest stationery shop on the high-street, it was one that he recognised from his early years when Petunia would go Back to School shopping for Dudley. Walking inside Harry was glad to see that they still sold what he needed and there were clear signs leading to the art supplies he would need, along with a sign to the section he planned to let Draco wild in.

"These are pens, kind of like quills, except the ink is already inside them so you don't have to dip a nib in any ink to write. There's loads of kinds, why don't you try them out?" Harry had expected him to be cautiously curious of the new Muggle object, and quickly darted off to the art section to pick out Teddy's gift before heading back to find his companion. Harry wasn't sure what he expected to find once he returned, but he definitely didn't think he would find Draco sat on the floor in the middle of the aisle surrounded by a multitude of stationery items.

"Harry, there are so many varieties look!" at some point Draco had managed to find a little notebook, which Harry made a note to pay for at the checkout and had begun testing the different pens he had found. He had clearly tested out multiple options, from ink pens, to biros, a couple of highlighters had been added to the mix, and Harry noticed him clutching a rather fancy and expensive fountain pen in his hand.

"I take it you're having fun then?" Harry spoke dryly but there was fondness in his voice as he gazed at the man before him. He had never thought that he would see Draco Malfoy so excited about something as simple as a Muggle pen, but it was amazing to see the way he had opened up immediately.

"Look at the way they flow on this paper, much less scratchy then a quill and parchment Harry! These will be so much easier to take to work, do you know how convenient this will be not having to lug around pots of ink, so ingenious" Draco couldn't stop rambling as they headed to the self-checkout. Unsurprisingly, Draco had decided to purchase one in almost every colour and had included a range of styles, the start of what would become a large collection Harry felt.

It was as they left the store, shopping bags in hand that Draco said it, "we should buy everyone a pen for Christmas Harry, they're amazing. Ooh, do you think the Weasley's will like them? I'm sure Mr Weasley would be thrilled with them!" It was right then that Harry had realised how much Draco had come to meant to him in the past few months and how close the two had become. It was right there that Harry had realised that somehow, he had managed to fall in love with Draco Malfoy.

It was right there in the middle of Muggle London on a dreary and wet Sunday that Harry kissed Draco for the first time. It wouldn't be the last.

I hope you guys liked this! Let me know what you think and whether I should do another chapter featuring Christmas at the Weasley's!