The Boy Who Lived

A Suspicious Bargain

That night, Draco had another nightmare. 'NO! FATHER!' he shouted, waking Harry in the next room. 'I WON'T SAY ITS HARRY. I CAN'T - I CAN'T BE SURE!' he screamed at an invisible presence as Harry rushed to his side. 'I can't give him up...' he murmured. 'I don't want to give him up...'

'Draco?' Harry said softly, sitting on the side of his bed and pushing his blond hair away from his face. He felt clammy to Harry's touch.

'Harry...' he gasped hoarsely, reaching out to grasp Harry's wrist in a vice-like grip. 'I knew it was you... I tried to let you know I knew...'

'I know, Draco, I was there, I saw it in your eyes,' Harry said softly, unsure whether Draco was truly awake.

'Don't leave me,' he whimpered.

'It's okay, Draco. It was only a dream.'

'Make them go away,' Draco whispered.

'I wish I could, I really do. I want to protect you from them,' he whispered too, meaning every word. Hell, he knew he'd attempt to make the earth orbit the moon if Draco asked him too.

'Stay with me again,' Draco asked quietly.

Harry slipped beneath the duvet and spooned Draco.

'Harry...'

'...Shhh, Draco, I'm here. You can go back to sleep now.'

Eventually Draco began to relax in Harry's arms, perfectly conscious of what he asked of Harry and its strangeness considering their tentative friendship. He knew, really, he should go back to therapy. His nightmares had eventually subsided completely after prolonged sessions with a Mind Healer. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had one but the fire seemed to have triggered them again. He thought that perhaps they might go again but he wasn't sure - they were back to how they were when they were at their worst.

He heard Harry's breathing deepen as he fell asleep with his chest curved against Draco's back. Draco felt wrapped in Harry's sandalwood aftershave and the smell of his citrusy shampoo. It smelt as comfortingly familiar and soothing as the warmth of his body.

They hadn't spoken about this and Draco knew they should. He wanted to but didn't know how to broach the subject, partly because he didn't want to end up bringing a halt to what was happening. It was strange for him to have such intimate, personal interactions with someone else, especially another man. But somehow it felt so natural with Harry. It left his skin tingling just feeling Harry's warmth wrapped around him. It brought back those brief moments at school; in the hospital wing and after Vince's Fiendfyre and he began to question the significance of those moments with Harry, especially considering their past.

There was a distinct problem that he was certain he was exasperating; Draco could sense Harry's magic surging uncontrollably at the heightened emotions relating to the very personal nature of these nights. Draco knew Harry carefully reined in both his emotions and his magic around Draco, normally breathing deeply, reaching for his mindful meditation exercises. He recognised that Hercules was there for Harry too, he would nudge Harry if he felt the magical surge. He was, in many ways, more than a Corps dog, he was a therapy dog too, he seemed to understand Harry and had taken to warning him with a single bark or calming him in times of need. He helped more than perhaps Harry even realised.

Once more, Harry slipped away first thing in the morning to go for another long run in the May rain.

Once more, Draco met him with a towel and commanded he removed his wet running kit.

Once more, nothing was said of the previous night's events.

'Why don't people notice?' Draco asked as they walked Hercules on the West Wiltshire Downs on the Sunday, their strides falling naturally into sync with one another while Teddy and Hercules ran riot across the grass. Harry had Apparated them all into the countryside which was surprisingly close to Malfoy Manor. He said they often came this way at the weekends and Draco noticed that as they walked it was almost as if Harry were searching for something. If he were, he didn't explain what it might be.