He and Harry walked in silence. Draco purposefully kept his distance. This wouldn’t get more awkward than it already is, he decided.

He reached up to touch his necklace. Prying them away was useless anyway. The Lion grumbled in warning. After Draco shown no intention of getting them apart, the Lion went silent, before purring lightly as Draco petted its mane. Draco chuckled.

They reached the Parlor. He eyed a niffler bounty with suspicion, Draco’s confusion only worsened when the exact wooden niffler scaled the glass display. It reached a shelf top and pocketed a golden snitch. He followed inside after Harry, enjoying the warmth and coziness of the store.

“Ah! The holder of the Lion bracelet returns!” Pip exclaimed merrily, “How can I help?” At a corner of the shop, Pippin organized the displays. He rushed back to the counter as he heard Pip’s words. Both the owners had the same twinkle in their eyes that reminded Draco of the Weasley twins, just fantastic.

“It kind of went stuck, we want to unstuck it,” Harry stepped aside, tilting his head to gesture Draco’s necklace. Draco thought the boy was kind of adorable. The Snake hissed pleasantly, as if agreeing. Draco flinched, wondering if they had mind-reading abilities.

“Interesting,” Pippin mused. Harry and Draco turned towards him in confusion.

Pip started, “Well, you see, when we designed the necklace, the sentients are only meant to be activated when a certain level of affecti-”

“Just tell us how to get it unstuck,” Draco cut off sharply, his cheeks were already flushed red with embarrassment.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Pippin deadpanned as Draco gaped.

“What he meant is, you don’t want to get it stuck again, don’t you? This is the type of thing that happens either zero times or hundreds of times.”

“’cuse me, hundreds?” Harry’s voice shook.

“Yes indeed, and we want to avoid that because you two will go bankrupt with the repair fees,” Pippin chuckled, “You will need to understand the mechanics behind these two sentients. Embrace them and their opinions. Ever since you have the ownership, they are the truest forms of yourself. One without burden nor fear.” Pippin’s eyes flashed with profound wiseness, taking his time addressing Draco and Harry.

“So how did they get stuck together?” Harry asked.

“Simple, it meant the two of you have something unresolved. It is initially designed for couples, friends or family who have a fight, and the forced proximately this feature brings serves as a reminder, to embrace the essence, the highs and lows. When the conflict is resolved, they will part automatically.”

“Problem is, we don’t know the unresolved thing we have,” Harry glanced back to Draco for confirmation.

Draco felt vulnerable, the unfinished words of Pip still in his mind. Bloody, certain levels of affection. He felt pretty sure these sentients measure emotional intensity. Afterall, Harry might, possibly still hate his guts for everything before the war. A highly likely chance. He was just acting nice for the sake of being the savior he is.

There are too many things unresolved between them. Most of them likely will stay unfixed, years of rivalry, dueling Harry in sixth grade, the night at the library… And whatever kind of tension the two had.

Draco felt needed control. He scoffed, “Couldn’t we just get them apart? What’s there to resolve anyway? We’re not even friends.” The Snake hissed as the necklace tightened around his neck. Not choking Draco, but a warning. Traitor necklace.

He didn’t miss the way Harry’s eyes hardened.

Pip visibly drooped, but still answered with some degree of professionalism, “Of course they can be separated. Spell. But you will need me or Pippin to do that.”

Pippin neared Draco, his wands pointing towards this neck.

Good. It was better this way. Draco glanced at Harry. The boy stared back, with defiance. The Lion bared its teeth. Draco saw the resemblance with reluctance.

With a flick of Pippin’s wand, the Lion bracelet fell to Draco’s palms. Its red eyes blinking and eventually closing. His necklace does the same. Draco handed the bracelet to Harry. The other boy nodded, turning back to Pip.

“Will they wake up again?” Harry asked. Of course he had to ask.

“Certainly,” Pip beamed, “as long as the affecti- I mean, attraction is still there, they will wake up in no time.” Draco debated which word is better. Affection or attraction.

Pip continued despite of Draco turning paler at every word, “They won’t stick to each other for a few days though, as long as they keep seeing each other. Think of this as two lovers. If you separate them for too long, they will rebel and cling on the next time they meet. Give them a few minutes every day together, you postpone the ‘stick to each other part’.”

“What if, say, for example, we were both wearing them, and they want to stick. Would it work if I just pull back my hand?” Harry asked. Draco briefly thought of the scenario. The Lion and Snake embracing each other. Harry’s wrist inches away from his neck. Draco shuddered.

“Yes, but I strongly advise you not to. There’s a certain point where if you two postpone your arguments, their aggression will be enough to stop our spells from knocking them out,” Pip explained. Draco was certain his face turned to utter horror. He glanced at Harry. The emerald eyes were hooded and unreadable. He’d seen Harry angry, scared, determined, even flustered. But the expression the Gryffindor had now was something else. More serious. More ... A fire lit up inside Draco. He panicked as he realized he didn’t want to extinguish it.

On cue, his Snake bracelet woke up. The green eyes glinted lazily. Harry’s Lion stirred.

Pippin raised his eyes with discreet astonishment as Pip gasped, “This fast! The normal time I predicted was an hour. Not that we have actual tests though. Must be the certain chemistry.” Pip gestured the two boys vaguely. His voice filled with genuine excitement rather than teasing.

Draco paid for the repair fees hastily. Before Pip dragged them into the depths impulsive buying, like he desperately attempted right now, “Have you considered also buying this diary. We can give half price off the repair fees. Plus, this diary hexes people’s hair neon pink, the best, humiliating way of catching your nosy friends reading your diary. Ah! There’s also our newest innovation. It’s exclusive, the only one left. The Golden Snitch. It really snitches people. Annoying but fun.” Draco briefly recalled months ago, Pip saying that him and Pippin never really repeated designs, because why would they. He figured everything was exclusive. Apparently, Snake agreed with him, as it huffed the same way as Draco. Harry watched the necklace with amusement.

Draco jerked towards the door sharply, leaving Harry to deal with Pip. He stopped at the front of the shop. He told himself he was NOT waiting for Harry. He was just finding a moment to stand still. Draco hid his face in his palms. Who was he kidding at this point?

The door to the Parlor creaked open and closed. Draco felt Harry beside him. He stared across the street, “Madam Madness Potion” and its window display suddenly turned interesting.

“Draco, could you help me with the bracelet?” Harry mumbled, Draco barely heard what he said, “I don’t think I could get it open.”

“Alright,” Draco took the bracelet back, his voice breathless. Snake hissed excitedly and trashed his tail. Lion mirrored the necklace. Harry huffed with a sheepish laugh, sending a warm tide through Draco.

“Malfoy, could I ask you something?” Harry glanced at Draco, who was examining the bracelet.

“Sure,” Draco hummed. Where even is the opening? Draco’s fingers touched the Lion’s mane. Its tails flickered as it released one end of the chain, the bracelet cracked open. That was easy.

“Pansy said she wants to unleash your feminine side with these jeans, so you can stay gay,” Harry started. So, Harry had noticed these jeans.

Draco groaned, “They look ugly, don’t they? Muggle fashion.” Draco looped the bracelet on Harry’s wrist, his fingers touching the other’s warm skin. Draco’s hands trembled slightly when he felt the accelerating pulse, mirroring his own.

Harry stared at Draco’s legs for a little too long, he snapped back after a few moments, “You look fine. It’s not what I planned on saying.” Draco glanced up in confusion.

“Are you gay?” Harry asked, his voice coming out as a whisper.

Draco didn’t know how to answer. The fact wasn’t a secret. His family wouldn’t care at this point. His friends were all cool about it. He had been open since the war ended. The fact wasn’t public knowledge either. Nobody would like to know the sexual preferences of an ex-Death Eater.

“Yeah,” Draco’s own voice betrayed him, hoarse, quiet. The Lion bracelet locked on with a small CLICK. Harry’s eyes widened and he nodded slowly, as if taking in a vital piece of information.

Draco saw the exact moment realization hit. He stepped back. Harry opened his mouth to say something. He hadn’t heard the words as he jerked around. His feet thumped against the dirt frantically, accelerating. His robes whipped behind him.

Draco broke into a sprint. Coward. He plunged into the forest. It embraced him like he belonged. Sunlight dimmed, Draco slowed down, going a familiar route. Back to the clearing.

He laughed, out of relief and desperation, as he saw Nyx. The thestral seemed to notice Draco’s mood, it ruffled its beak against Draco’s palm comfortingly.

“Human life is complicated. I would explain but I don’t think you’ll understand,” Draco said fondly. A nagging thought appeared. How would he face Harry ever again without combusting with embarrassment and attraction? The safest way, he wouldn’t face Harry. Afterall, some people – Blaise – say ignorance is bliss, avoidance is key. Draco was certain his friend made the last part up but, honestly, who would care? He would have to start living in the forest right now, unironically.

Then, Draco realized, he hadn’t run because he said yes, he ran because of the way Potter looked at him after. With longing. Want. Something Draco couldn’t name.

His Snake necklace hisses with disappointment. Not at Draco. At each step away from the bracelet and its owner.