Chapter 5. Broken vases

"What do you think you're doing!"

Alright, maybe he had been a bit too optimistic when he thought he would finally have some rest. He decided to continue to ignore Draco, hoping he would get tired of it and would leave him alone.

"Sure, walk away again, just act as if you don't hear me. Do you really think this is going to help us Potter?"

Harry didn't listen and walked towards the balcony. He opened the doors and looked out over the city.

"Do you really think I'm happy with this Potter? Do you think I like being a ghost who can only be seen by you?"

Harry was distracted from Draco's lecture by an owl who flew towards him. With a graceful landing the owl stopped on the railing of the balcony. Curious Harry walked towards it and got the piece of parchment the owl was carrying. He folded it open and started to read.

Dear Harry,

I heard from Ron and Hermione that you've finally found a home. Congratulations. Before the war we broke up because you wanted to concentrate 100 on this war. Now the war is over and I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night.

Love, Ginny

While Harry was reading the letter a small smile showed on his face.

"That's really pathetic. The Weaselette is just about begging you to go out with her."

Startled Harry turned around and saw Draco standing right behind him.

"You're not seriously thinking of going, are you?" said Draco while he pulled a sour face.

"Mind your own business," Harry said angrily.

"Ah, so you are still able to see and hear me Potter," said Draco with a victorious smile.

Harry looked angrily at Draco before walking inside again. He closed the balcony doors with a loud slam. He knew it was pointless because Draco would no doubt walk through them, but he could still hope he would stay away.

"Potter be careful with those doors. I don't want to come back in a dump when this is all over."

Harry was getting sick of this. Without thinking he grabbed the first object he saw, what happened to be an old vase. He threw it at Draco, but it went right through him and landed with a loud bang against the wall where it fell to pieces on the ground. It was silent after that, but the tension was tangible. Draco looked angrily from the broken vase towards Harry, while Harry looked back just as angrily. They stood together like this for several minutes until Harry broke the silence.

"We have to talk."

Draco nodded and walked with Harry towards the sofa. Harry waited until Draco sat down before he turned towards him.

"It's obvious we can't go on like this any longer. If you weren't already a ghost I'm sure we would have killed each other by now. But because it's clear that due to some kind of stupid reason were stuck with each other, I propose a truce. I'm sure that if we don't do this we'll both get crazy, I would anyway. I want you to stop making fun of my friends. Also I want you to respect my privacy and that when I've visitors you stay out of our way."

Draco looked at Harry angrily, obvious not happy with these new 'rules' Harry wanted. Harry quickly continued.

"In exchange I will try to find out what happened to you and what can be done to change it back. It's a real win-win situation if you ask me," said Harry while he glanced at Draco, curious what he thought about this.

Draco looked to be thinking over Harry's words before he nodded.

"I think this could work," he said eventually.

"Oh, one other thing."

Draco looked warningly towards Harry. He found that he already had to do very much for this truce.

"As it's obviously very hard for you to remember my last name is Evans and we'll probably stuck with each other for a lot longer I propose to call each other by our first names, Draco."

Draco stood ready to protest, but any protests stayed away.

"Fine Harry," said Draco who spoke the name of Harry a bit more vicious than absolutely necessary.

"That's a deal than," Harry said while holding his hand out to seal the deal with a handshake. He saw Draco give him a strange look and remembered his mistake. A bit ashamed he let his hand fall down again.

"And? How are you planning to help me?"

Harry hadn't really thought about this yet, but he could hardly tell this to Draco.

"Uhm.. You've got friends right? That uhm… David with whom you're in that picture."

"What have my friends to do with the state I'm in?" said Draco surprised.

"Nothing probably," said Harry slowly. Draco rolled with his eyes.

"They probably didn't do this to you, but they might know what happened with your…," Harry stopped with talking for a moment while he gestured towards Draco. "Well, with your body."

Draco nodded, maybe Potter wasn't as stupid as he had thought.

"That sounds like a plan. Why don't you call David right away?"

"Call?" said Harry while he looked at Draco with big eyes.

"Potter," said Draco irritated. He saw how Harry gave him an angry look. "I mean Harry. Don't tell me you don't know what a telephone is. Those muggles you lived with must have had one."

"Yes, I was just surprised to hear you talking about a telephone."

Draco chose to ignore this remark.

"It's next to the television. David's number is programmed in it."

He saw how Harry walked towards the phone.

"Ow, and he doesn't know I'm a wizard."

Harry looked a little surprised after hearing this.

"Alright, is there something else I should know before I call him?"

Draco opened his mouth, ready to say something, but changed his mind on the last second and shook his head.

Harry agreed with David to meet him later that evening. David sounded like a really nice man and Harry told him he got his number from an old friend. After Harry had told him he was a friend of Draco and would like to know what had happened to him, David eventually agreed to meet him.

"Alright, he agreed to meet me this evening," said Harry while he put down the phone.

Draco looked surprised to hear this but didn't say anything.

"Would you like to leave me alone for a moment so I can write Ginny back?"

"But of course Harry," said Draco in a bittersweet voice while he stood up and disappeared through the bedroom door.

Harry found the way Draco acted suddenly so nice quite scary, but knew that he had asked for this himself. He read the letter from Ginny one last time before he grabbed a piece of paper and started to write his answer. Dear Ginny, He stopped writing while he stared at the paper. How should he answer her letter. He started to write something before he shook his head and threw the paper on the floor. After this followed five other sheets of paper before he gave up. It seemed as if he wasn't able to write a normal letter. They sounded too sweet, too sappy, too distant or just plain stupid. He sighed while he pushed his chair backwards.

"Did you manage to write your letter?" asked Draco while he looked at the various sheets of paper on the floor.

"What do you think?"

Draco bit his tongue to stop a sarcastic remark.

"I think you could use my help," he said eventually.

Harry looked at Draco a bit wary, not sure if he could really trust him. Thinking that it couldn't get much worse than this and he had to write something eventually he agreed.

"Alright, I take it you want to accept her invitation?" asked Draco.

Harry nodded.

"Dear Ginny."

Draco saw how Harry just kept looking at him and sighed. "If you write it down chances are she might actually receive the message."

Harry looked a bit sheepish while he quickly turned towards the paper and started to write. Draco started again to dictate.

"Dear Ginny. It will be my pleasure to accompany you tomorrow during dinner. Make sure you're ready by half past seven so I can pick you up. Harry."

Harry reread what he just had written. It didn't really sound as him and he wasn't sure he could send this.

"Just send it to her. She will love it, and who knows? If you're doing well tomorrow you might not be going home alone", said Draco smirking.

"What?!" said Harry shocked.

"You heard me," said Draco with an even bigger grin. "So are you going to send it?"

Harry gave Draco one last angry look before he folded the piece of paper and gave it to the patiently waiting owl.

Harry decided to watch some television before he would start his dinner. He was surprised that Draco left him alone the rest of the evening. After dinner he started to get ready for his meeting with David. He decided to take his wand, just in case something happened. Although chances were slim he would meet any living Death Eaters, he didn't want to take a risk. His penthouse was already well protected by some spells, but it was impossible to keep this protection outside. He grabbed his wallet and did it in his pocket before he called a cab who would bring him to the café he had agreed to meet David. He would have liked to talk to Draco about what kind of a person this David was. But Draco seemed to have disappeared from the penthouse. Typically. When you wanted to speak to him he wasn't there. He saw the cab arriving and walked downstairs. His head was full of possible scenarios about how the meeting would go. None of them could have prepared him however for what would come.