Harry had continued to undress, peeling off suspenders and his tie and dress shirt as Malfoy watched. Despite the context it had the hairs on Harry’s neck standing, finding the situation both dauntingly familiar and utterly heartbreaking in a way he hadn’t felt in years.<br/>Perhaps it was that dire mixture of polarly different emotions that made Harry exhale a chuckle at the question, his desperation tipping over into humour. When Harry raised his gaze to meet Malfoy’s he smiled at him, uninhibited.<span style="font-style: italic">Yeah.</span><br/>"We carried his Horcrux for a while," he plainly stated. He finally paused at the last layer, a grey cotton undershirt that only barely managed to filter the light of Malfoy’s ward. Pausing only added to the heavy knowledge that Harry was undressing with an intent, but he needed to see Malfoy’s reaction. "7th year. Ron and Hermione have one to match, proportional to how long we each carried it."<br/>When Harry had first stumbled upon Malfoy’s research, he had been surprised nobody had contacted him. The scars hadn’t made the news upon the time of their discovery or treatment, but it had never been considered an unknown fact. Harry and Ron had started Auror training while their scars were still pink and bruised, neither even attempting to hide or conceal it. Harry figured that maybe the reason their case had never been studied was the simple fact that Malfoy had authored all research on the matter.<br/>"Long exposure to a dark artefact," Harry mused, his voice still too easy for considering the topic.<br/>His eyes were bright, intently on Malfoy, before a smile once again tugged at the corner of his mouth.<br/>"Unbelievable’ we haven’t crossed paths before," he added, almost friendly, tough his voice was muffled by the last piece of cotton fabric as he pulled the shirt over his head.