#working shit out

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31444262/chapters/97815270

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13886657/30/Falling-Dark

“What’s this place?” Draco gestured out the window. He hoped it was somewhere to get something to drink, and eat.

“Great little spot.” Theo was rummaging in the back of the car, pulling something out of a bag. “Hermione and I found it on one of our jaunts last autumn. There’s a nice hill walk that starts from the village.”

Draco’s teeth ground together and his hands clenched in his lap, visions of Hermione and Theo and their little outings cycling through his mind. Hermione laughing at Theo as they walked windblown into the common room. Theo leaning over to whisper in her ear something that made her blush. The two of them poring over a map at the breakfast table.

“…a good taproom and really cosy on a day like this…” Theo was rattling on, but Draco was lost in a wave of jealousy, envy and regret. He suddenly didn’t want to be in this car, in this place where who-knows-what had happened between Hermione and Theo.

“So what do you say?” Theo glanced over. “Oh.” His face went from open and smiling to shuttered. He looked out the window and blew out a sigh. Draco stayed quiet.

“Do you want to just ask me what my intentions are with regard to your girlfriend?” Theo finally asked. “Because I’ll tell you.”

“I’m not a bloody Gryffindor,” Draco ground out.

“Well, I should have been.” Theo crossed his arms. “OK, fine,” he continued after a long silence. “Don’t ask and I’ll tell you anyway.” He turned toward Draco, who continued to stare straight ahead. “I want to be her friend and support her, like I always have. Share things with her like music and books or a funny story I heard. See her once in a while—sometimes with you and Daph and sometimes not. Have Daph be OK with that. Have you be OK with it, although that’s not my problem. But I don’t want to encroach on what you have with her in any way, and I’m fully committed to my own relationship.”

He stopped and Draco continued to sit, focusing on the faded letters of the pub’s sign.

“Look,” Theo’s voice was much quieter now. “I’m not sorry for what happened and I can’t erase it. But I can tell you that it wasn’t about you—hurting you or one-upping you—it was about helping each other heal.”

“I just can't—” The words flung out of Draco’s throat, almost like the reverse of the spell. “I have a really hard time when I think about—”

“Then don’t. Don’t think about it. Move on. Be happy. You have a choice now when you bloody didn’t before. I’m telling you I’m not a threat. I’m sure she’s telling you she loves you and is committed to you. Accept it. Don’t sabotage yourself again.” Theo’s words were cold, matter of fact, and Draco felt them drop beneath the surface of his hurt and rage with the finality of truth.

Something loosened in his chest. He took a deep breath, audible in the small confines of the car.

“So.” Theo looked over again. “Shall we go in and have a drink? Or do you want to go back to the castle and be pissed off at me? I don’t care either way, but I will tell you they serve a deep-fried haggis in there that is so fucking good. And their whisky selection is completely insane.”

Draco’s lip curled. “Deep-fried haggis? That’s disgusting, Theo.”

“Mate it’s not. Trust me.”

“But I don’t trust you. Isn’t that sort of the whole problem?” Draco looked over and caught Theo’s eye.

They held each other’s gaze for a moment, until Draco smirked and Theo broke into a sharp laugh.

Then they opened the doors and got out of the car.