Draco wasn't really willing to wait months, but the Patils said if the other steps were established and Draco could manage his life and make sound decisions, they would bend it to a full month. Thirty days. Thirty days of Draco proving he wasn't under Harry's thrall. Blaise and Neville were critical in this step. They were taking him outside to other gatherings, the bank, and his new job. He would emphasize to the nth degree that he was fully capable of running his own life. He would leave no question that he knew what he was getting into.
Draco brushed his hair and carefully got dressed with assistance from a house elf. Then he shuffled out to the breakfast table. Neville and Blaise were still in their pajamas and sitting at the small kitchen table. Blaise had a dining room for formal parties near the foyer.
"What are you, hooligans? Don't even change for breakfast?" Draco chided with a smile.
Neville laughed. "What would gran say?"
"I know my mum would have taken some skin off my hide for it," Blaise snorted. "But... it's our house... our rules... and pajamas are acceptable at any meal."
Draco smiled and carefully dropped down in his usual seat. "Even when company is over?" he queried. It hadn't been the first time he had noticed their lack of pureblood etiquette, but he felt puckish enough to point it out.
"You're not a guest. You are living here, too, Draco," Neville responded.
But Blaise gave Draco a questioning look. "We've eaten like this every day."
Draco nodded. "I certainly didn't want to insult my hosts, and I... umm... forgot."
Neville looked at him sympathetically. He had had many talks with the boy he had once taunted. Neville seemed to understand his memory issues and his reactions to certain things. He had told him about his parents and how he had... bonded with them over the years, despite their inability to communicate. Neville had been so forgiving and welcoming to him... almost like an unofficial mind healer. He valued his friendship with him and was so thankful that he allowed him to come and stay with them.
Neville had caught him in the library reading the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, and he had to embarrassingly admit that he couldn't remember how to cast most spells. Neville sat down next to him, and they went over each spell in the book until Draco got them. Draco was so happy that Neville was helping him and told Neville that he had made it seem easy. Neville just laughed and pointed out that he and Blaise were both professors. Teaching was their jobs. Draco smiled at his own stupidity, and Blaise and Neville spent the time after dinner teaching him magic.
But Neville saw he was embarrassed, again. He reached over and gripped his hand. "How about tomorrow, we all get dressed for breakfast? Would that make you feel better?"
Draco looked down, blushing. "You don't have to."
"No... you remembered something that you hadn't thought about... plus your physical therapist told us that you needed to get dressed and use your muscles in everyday instances. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable. Getting dressed is not a hard thing to do," Neville said with a laugh. "Truth be told, we have been getting lazy since the school year ended."
Draco looked at Blaise, who nodded. "It's not a problem, Draco."
He still felt uncertain. "I didn't mean to... prompt you to do it. I was just... kidding."
"And you revealed something that means something to you. Besides, it might boost your confidence if we all wear the proper clothes."
Draco nodded and accepted the plate Nimi, his elf, gave him. It was filled with healthy foods to build his muscles. It was a lot better than the hospital food, though Harry had always brought him takeout at lunch. He ate it carefully, using his silverware, which was still a learning process. Harry said that his dexterity would come back with time and continued use. Unfortunately, Harry wasn't around to heal and massage out his cramps. Merlin, he couldn't stop thinking about him.