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“Do you think I should go check on them?” Butterbeer sloshed from the top of Ron’s pint as he swung around to gaze at the door of the Leaky Cauldron, dousing a copy of the Daily Prophet and Hermione’s S.P.E.W. papers in the process.“Ronald!” Hermione shouted, widening her eyes and carefully stilling the drunken wavering of her boyfriend’s hand. With a quick flick of her wand, she only just managed to save the sodden ministry papers she was attempting to read amongst the excitement of the pub on a Friday evening.Across the table, Pansy Parkinson shook her head and tossed back another shot of firewhiskey. “Not worth it. Just let them throw a few punches and hexes. They need to get it out of their systems.”“Pansy’s right,” said Hermione, nodding at her friend. “I mean, the two have hardly gone more than a week since Hogwarts without some sort of duel. And Harry’s only just come home from a month long mission. Lots of magic and testosterone to hash out, I guess.”At this, Pansy nodded. “Wizards,” she said with a roll of her eyes.Harry and Draco’s fights were a common happenstance in their patchwork of a friend group. It had started with the Gryffindors plus Luna. Eventually, Pansy had joined, bringing Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Draco Malfoy along with her. The bi-weekly outings to the Leaky Cauldron brought a sense of unity to the group, diffusing the tensions which were exchanged at great heights throughout the war. Apologies had been traded and accepted, terrors almost forgotten, and the group of witches and wizards were all incredibly close with one another. Still, that didn’t stop Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy’s long-standing rivalry from getting out of hand occasionally—or every bloody week, as Pansy and Hermione frequently reminded each other.Pansy stood. “Anyone for another?”“No thank you, Pansy,” replied Hermione.“Butterbeer for me,” said Ron, an intoxicated smile creeping across his face.“I think you’ve had enough, Weasley. Anyone else? Ginny? Theo? Blaise? Longbottom?”“Another glass of elderflower wine, please,” answered Luna wistfully. She was sat in the corner of their booth paying little attention, her nose stuck in an upside down edition of the Quibbler. “Oh, would you look at that! The nargles…”A few minutes later, Pansy returned to their table with an assortment of drinks.“Where’s mine?!” complained Ron when Pansy slid the last two butterbeers down to Dean and Seamus.“You’re already had six,” responded Hermione. “We’ve to get up early in the morning to babysit for Fleur and Bill, remember?”Ron grumbled, taking a final swig of his drink and setting the empty glass on the table with a loud bang. “What about Harry? Doesn’t he have to take care of Teddy?”“Harry’s been gone a month, Ron,” Ginny piped in. “Give the man a break. He’s allowed a night of drinking.”“Speaking of,” added Pansy. “I think I ought to bring them back in from their little brawl. I’m starting to worry he’s cursed Draco’s hair off or something.”Just as she finished her sentence, the door to the Leaky Cauldron swung open, Harry Potter’s boots tapping along the worn wood as he crossed the pub to rejoin his friends. His hair was awry, his glasses sitting lopsided atop his face.“Mate, who in Merlin’s left ballsa—”“Ron,” Hermione hissed again, though her punishment died in her throat as her eyes landed above Harry’s collar. She let out a sharp gasp. “Harry James Potter!”Harry pulled out a seat and promptly sat down, extending his long legs and crossing them at the ankles. He let out a cheeky smile, his hand going to touch just one of the many hickeys which now littered his dark neck. He took a swig of butterbeer, winking at his mates. “You should see the other guy.”Just a moment later, the door to the pub opened again. This time, Draco Malfoy crossed the floor, his steps steady and sure. When he took his seat next to Pansy, it was to a table full of dropped jaws and stares. Sure enough, a series of dark bruises were colouring the left side of his neck and jaw, disappearing well below the cut of his robes. No one dared say a word as Draco lifted his glass of wine, taking a small sip and staring nonchalantly at a painting of a dragon which was on the wall above him. The slightest hint of a blush still coloured his cheeks, and the edge of a smile was hinted at the corner of his mouth as he set his wine down and turned to glance at Harry.“I knew it!” shouted Blaise, cutting through the tense silence at the table. “Four Galleons, Nott.”The table burst into drunk, sputtering laughter as Theo groaned and defeatedly dug into his trouser pockets for the coins, slamming them onto the table top with a definitive clatter. And if Harry and Draco left for another few ‘brawls’ later on that night, well, it was decided no one really needed to check on them anymore.