Midnight Wanders : Chapter 4

The next morning the two boys wandered into the great hall together, looking sleepy and dishevelled, due to the lack of students only one table was being put out instead of the usual four house tables, Harry was nervous but Draco grabbed his hand and dragged him over to sit with Ron and Hermione who just looked shocked, “Umm, I know I’ve not been the nicest person to you, but as you are Harry’s friends, umm… truce?” Draco offered a handshake to Ron, Harry nearly fell off his chair in shock. Ron looked reluctant but after a nudge in the ribs from Hermione he shook Malfoy’s hand and gave Harry a week smile. After breakfast Harry ran off to the Gryffindor common room to get changed for going into Hogsmeade, Harry was going with Ron and Hermione and meeting up with Draco later in the afternoon. By the time they got outside it was snowing and they could see their breath hanging in the air in front of them. The three friends walked into town mostly in silence until it was broken by Hermione saying “I thought you looked happier” which just made Harry blush “You are happy though aren’t you Harry?” he looked at her in shock before nodding with a smile across his face, he was, Harry Potter was so happy. “Look, why didn’t you tell us mate?” Ron was looking at Harry with a concerned expression “I don’t know, I guess I wasn’t sure how you would react, would you have still been my friend if I told you I was gay? never mind if I told you I was in love with…” Harry suddenly put his hand over his mouth to stop himself saying any more, Hermione giggled “What was that word Harry, love? Have you told him?” Ron was smirking too, Harry made to storm off ahead but they pulled him back “Its alright mate, we don’t think of you any different, you are still Harry” Harry was glad, he had seen something most people hadn’t, the softer gentle side of Draco Malfoy, and it made him smile. The three friends shopped for a few hours and then went for Butterbeer in the Three broomsticks, after finishing his drink Harry looked at his watch “I’ve got to go guys, see you at the castle, ok?” they waved goodbye and Harry left the pub walking out into the cold again, his face went red and his nose turned into an ice cube. He walked down the road to a small style where they had once met Sirius when he was hiding, Sirius… Harry suddenly felt selfish, he had been so happy he hadn’t given him a second thought, after everything Sirius had done for him, after all the things he had been left in his will, the house, the money, He would have wanted to you to be happy, Yeah he would Harry thought “Are you ok?” something about his mood showed on him. “yeah I’m fine!” Harry smiled, and pulled Draco into a loving embrace, they kissed but only gently as they where both still nervous about how people where going to react once the school was full again, this too must have shown on his face, “Harry I don’t care what anyone else in this school thinks, let them think what they want, what’s important is that we are together because we want to be, and I don’t know about you but I am completely happy!” Harry was shocked, Draco had said this so powerfully it had taken him by surprise, then Harry just couldn’t resist “I..I love you!” This time Draco was shocked, he tripped and nearly fell but Harry caught him before he did. They walked back to the school an hour later with their arms around each other, kissing on the cheek occasionally, but when they hit the entrance hall they were greeted by Luscious Malfoy and Snape, Harry went to let go of Draco, but he wouldn’t let him. “Draco, what is this Lunacy???” Luscious had a look of pure loathing on his face, similar to the one on Snapes, “Father I’m happy, please don’t interfere.” and pulling Harry by his hand they went off into the grounds, “A...Are you ok Draco?” Harry slid his arm around Draco’s waist and with the other hand lifted his head up so that he could see his eyes, there were tears in the corners which he was trying hard to hold in.

Harry kissed him gently on the lips and wiped away the tears now falling down his face, “Why can’t he just be happy for me?” Harry looked shocked, this was the most vulnerable he had ever seen the person he loved, crumpling in his arms, an emotional train wreck. They sat on the ground, Draco’s head in Harry’s lap, he was stroking his hair, running the long silvery strands through his fingers, this seemed to calm him down and stopped him crying. Suddenly stern footsteps approached in the dark and Harry felt Draco being dragged from him, There was a series of sharp cracks and Draco was on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth, his father walked off, without a care. “Draco, Draco, are you alright?” he was unconscious, his lip split and a nasty bruise across half of his face, what had his father done, and why? With sudden strength Harry lifted Draco’s frail figure into his arms and carried him to the castle to find help, going into autopilot he carried him all the way to the hospital wing. He was out cold for hours even with the medicine. Harry didn’t leave his bedside, but when Draco finally came round it was to find Harry asleep on a chair with his head resting on the bed, Draco smiled, He always looks cute when he’s asleep, he took the spare blanket and draped it around Harry’s shoulders trying not to wake him, “D..D..Draco…?” Harry yawned waking up, “You’re awake!” a grin spread across his face that Draco had never seen before as he climbed onto the bed to hug him “Don’t you dare scare me like that ever again, do you hear me?” Draco smiled and kissed him on the head as he hugged him tightly, “Don’t worry, umm what happened? I feel like I got hit by 20 bludgers” how was Harry supposed to explain this to him? “Umm well your Dad kinda… attacked you” Harry looked away he couldn’t bear to look at the bruises, he knew it was his fault even though Draco would never say it, “Ah well, guess I’m homeless…don’t look away you fool, its just a bruise” Draco pulled Harry’s face towards him “Come live with me” Harry had said it before he could stop himself, Uncle Vernon would hardly allow it, then he realised, Grimlaud place, Draco was hardly a bad guy anymore, the order would understand, I mean, it WAS Harry’s house. “Don’t you live with muggles?” Draco asked looking slightly concerned, but still smiling at the idea “I have my own house, sort of, it was left to me by my godfather. There are always people there but It is my house… our house if you want?” Draco stared deep into Harry’s eyes, he looked serious, “Sure at least for next summer anyway, after that its our last year here” Draco smiled at Harry, but in his eyes He could still see a faint sadness “Draco… are you ok about your dad?” He looked away, but Harry pulled his face towards him to see tears again, “No I’m not ok, but as long as I’ve got you its worth my dad knowing that I’m gay, and that I’m with you!” The both blushed at this, and kissed gently “We’ll have none of that in here, thank you!” Madame Pomfry yelled impatiently down the hospital wing. “Mr. Malfoy you are free to go, just take it easy, whatever caused that bruise is nasty, I cant seem to remove it by magic, you are just going to have to  ride this out” Harry helped Draco out of bed, he knew he didn’t really need the help but in a way he wanted to make up for it all, as if it wasn’t for him, this wouldn’t have happened. As they walked through the door of the hospital wing, Harry automatically turned to head for Gryffindor tower but found himself being dragged by Draco to… “The room of requirement? Are you sure you are well enough to…” Draco laughed loudly at Harry’s question “Once again potter you assume I am easy” now his face split into an adorable smile “I just don’t fancy being around Snape right now, and for some unknown reason I find you good company” Harry turned in shock at the sarcastic comment, he wasn’t sure how to reply “I don’t think you are easy, but after the other night…” Harry was rudely cut off by Draco laughing “Yeah well I was horny then!” Harry opened his mouth to reply but found himself shut up with a quick kiss. The boys smiled at each other, Harry leaning to kiss Draco again was suddenly stopped by the sound of approaching footsteps, quickly and silently the boys ran to the room of requirement, walked past the door three times and found themselves in their safe haven, the beautiful candle filled room. Suddenly without warning Draco fell onto Harry, weak still from his fathers beating. Worriedly Harry gently picked him up and carried him over to the bed, placing him down gently, and beginning to remove Draco’s cloak so that he could sleep, as he began to remove it, a hand grabbed his own “told you I wasn’t easy, so behave yourself you” weakly Draco stuck out his tongue at the shocked Harry who just laughed “Shut up you daft thing, you need to rest” Harry continued to get Draco undressed so that he could sleep comfortably, putting him under the covers Harry walked towards a chair on the other side of the room “No Harry, please… just hold me?” Harry was shocked,  but obliged, he climbed into the huge bed and slid his arms around Draco’s slender waist, trying hard not to hurt him, to even brush against a single bruised part of his body, difficult as it was, Draco’s entire body seemed broken, cruelly beaten by his own father, for being true to himself. Harry kissed the frail boy in his arms gently on the shoulder and closed his eyes meaning to sleep, Draco laced his fingers in between Harry’s, not wanting him to go away. They fell asleep like that, Draco in Harry’s arms, safe and loved, and as the next day was a Sunday, neither worried as to waking up.