Second Chances

      Harry had just finished his essay after a day of sulking about Draco’s interruption, flopping down on his bed with a groan. His hand had cramped up multiple times, and he hadn’t even bothered to clean up the desk afterward, which would probably piss off Draco. It wasn’t even his desk, it wasn’t his business how he organized it, Draco had his own damn desk.       It pissed him off, really. They got on each other's nerves still, just differently. Not trying to hurt each other, just nitpicky and contrary to each other. It was an odd dynamic, Harry had realized it soon after. They had gone from spitting out each other's surnames and being enemies to being on a first name basis and sharing a room.       That wasn’t the point. Now… Now Harry had to figure out how the hell to break up with Ginny. Things after the war had been fine, but lately things had been getting… less. Just less. It was hard to explain, but he’d sort of… lost interest. Looking back on it, their relationship had been this hasty sort of thing, a distraction, a method for some sort of weird street cred, and a way to make things seem fine all in one. It didn’t feel real, or genuine, not anymore. Before the war had really begun, it was just bursts of… an odd passion.       Ginny certainly still felt it, which was… going to make things harder. She seemed to want to take things farther, becoming more pushy for dates whenever Harry showed signs of withdrawing. It was… honestly becoming comparable to how Lavender Brown was with Ron, in sixth year. He was beginning to consider announcing that he was breaking up with her in front of everyone, just to solidify it a bit. He felt sorta… stifled.       Harry flinched slightly when he heard the door open. He always flinched at sudden noises, there was always some feeling of fear and an expectation for things to go wrong in the back of his mind. But it was just Draco, walking in from lunch. Harry had grabbed something from the kitchens earlier, often preferring that over being gawked at by everyone. The ‘twice savior’ of the wizarding world. He didn’t know how Draco could stand it, practically nobody trusted him, despite his pardon and Order of Merlin, second class, for his bravery.       Actually, Draco had ended up having to cut things off rather harshly with his ex, Pansy Parkinson, who had also seemed a bit stifling. He couldn’t believe he was considering this, but… maybe Draco would have some advice?       “Hey.” Said Harry, sitting up. “Y’know how you broke up with Parkinson right after Voldemort was killed?”       “... Yeah, I guess.” Muttered Draco, throwing Harry a slightly bemused glance as he went through his trunk, retrieving his copy of Expert Potioneering. “Why?”       Harry sighed faintly, rubbing at his eyes. “Needa break up with Ginny. She’s getting clingy, especially when I try to step back even a little. It’s stifling, honestly. Things haven’t been the same since after the war, and to be honest, i don’t think my feelings for her were ever real in the first place. It was weird.”       Draco blinked, mildly perplexed and faintly amused. “So… you’re asking me for advice?” He asked, almost teasingly.       “Shut it,” He snapped. “But yeah. How am I supposed to get it through her head? I would ask Ron how he dealt with Lavender, but things between them just kinda fell apart…”       Draco almost snorted, rolling his shoulders as he absently flipped through the textbook. “I don’t know… just, she tried to kiss me, I pushed her off and told her that I wasn't interested any more, that things just plain old weren’t working for me. She sure didn’t like it, but it worked well enough.” He explained.       “God.” Muttered Harry. “That’s a task for dinner, I guess.”       “... Well, I’ll be watching to see how that goes.” Laughed Draco, seeming almost invested in how the evening would go.