Chapter 59

                                        

                                              
Chapter 59
Published: 6/17/2023
Harry collapsed in a heap on the front lawn. Ron had kept good on his promise to make him run every day. Thank Merlin, he could heal his own muscles cause his body would have been wrecked otherwise. He rolled on his back and stared into the sky as the sun crested the horizon. He was panting, trying to get his breathing under control cause Ron always makes him sprint the last kilometer. Bastard....
"Hey, you're getting faster," Ron said, walking over to him, having beat him back easily.
"Fuck... you," Harry said between breaths.
Ron smiled. "Come on... shower and food time. You first, birthday boy."
Harry snorted, and he hadn't even remembered it was today. "You... made... me... run... on my... birthday?" he panted. His heart was finally slowing down.
Ron laughed. "It's good for you... you don't think about the bad things."
Harry sighed. Ron was right. Instead of worrying about Draco all day, he just complained about his legs and waking up early. Joel had explained that running was a great way to relieve anxiety and encouraged him to keep it up. He said that endorphins would help him feel better naturally, rather than using potions and running usually promotes healthier bodies and lifestyles.
"Yeah... I guess."
Ron sat down next to him, as he had no desire to move, even though his muscles needed to be stretched out. He was still breathing heavily, too, but not nearly as badly.
Ron nudged him. "How are you feeling? About tonight?"
Harry shrugged. "Okay, I guess. You promise that you won't leave me by myself?"
"I promise, and I'll make sure that any well-wishers are sent away if they bug you too much."
"And no speeches, right?" Harry verified again.
"Nope. Like I said, it's mainly a reunion party... it just happens to be on your birthday."
He rolled his eyes. They had been playing that line for over a week. Hermione had been so nervous when she handed him the invitation from McGonagall with his name on it. She then spent nearly an hour talking it up and said that it would be good to put the trial nonsense behind him. She'd hex anyone who tried to ask him about it.
He wouldn't commit to saying yes, at first. He had gone to a few dinners over the years with Kingsley, and had eaten over at Molly's and Aunt Andy's, but this was a ball... with dancing... in his honor. He didn't like it at all, even with their guarantees for his mental safety and security. They brought it up a few times, trying to ease his concerns, but he wouldn't say yes.
Then Hermione said, "It'll just be people you know from Hogwarts. A reunion for our class... primarily, though there will be other years there, too."
Harry met her eyes, and she smiled encouragingly. She didn't directly mention Draco, but the reunion was for their class. Draco would get one, too, right? he surmised. Harry hated that he wouldn't say no, now. He wanted to see Draco... more than worrying about his own discomfort, but it had been a slow process for him to verbally say yes. So, Ron and Joel took him out several times in the last few weeks to various shops, muggle and wizard, and restaurants.
Joel gave him tips to try to ground himself and reduce his anxiety. It was going well, and Ron and Hermione promised to watch out for him. They said they wouldn't leave his side if that's what he wanted, and he could leave anytime. They said that it was to show that Higgs, Runcorn and Bletchley hadn't made him go into hiding and, hopefully, get the papers to move on from his 온라인카지노게임, which as of yesterday, was still being brought up.