To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Chapter Three

"So," Scorpius says slyly over the breakfast table. "Are you looking forward to your appointment at St Mungo's today?"

Draco scowls over his newspaper at him. They're absolutely not talking about this.

"Eat your breakfast, Scorpius."

"Hey, you don't have to hide anything from me, Dad, remember? I know all about—"

"Are you looking forward to spending the afternoon at the Granger-Weasley's?" Draco turns the conversation around and watches Scorpius squirm. "That's a nice jumper you chose to wear. The light blue really brings out your eyes."

Scorpius glowers at him. "Hold on—"

He's interrupted by Albus Potter tumbling through the Floo with all the grace of his father. "Hi, Scorp! Ready to go?"

"Nearly," Scorpius chirps, his whole countenance brightening.

"Oh, are you having cinnamon pancakes? My dad makes those, too. Weird."

"Weird," Scorpius agrees, with just a little too much enthusiasm.

How he made Slytherin when he has all the subtlety of a Norwegian Ridgeback, Draco will never know.

He takes a bracing sip of his tea, ignoring Scorp's knowing look.

"I'll just get my shoes and we can go," Scorpius tells Albus. He glances suspiciously over at Draco, who is reading his paper with determined calm. "You can come upstairs with me."

"Right," Albus shrugs and follows him up the stairs.

"Say hello to Professor Granger for me," Draco calls a few minutes later as they leave through the Floo.

Then they're gone, and Draco is left alone to panic about his appointment at St Mungo's in privacy, which is the best he can ask for in the situation, really.

✦ ✦ ✦

Draco is sitting on the edge of the bed when he walks into the room.

"Good afternoon, Draco. How are you feeling?" Harry asks. He sets his clipboard aside and pulls a stool up to sit facing him, taking in his appearance as he waits for an answer.

Draco looks good. He's wearing robes cut to accentuate his slender waist in a deep navy colour that brings out his eyes and fair skin. But Harry can't help noticing the dark circles under his lovely eyes, or that his cheekbones are more pronounced.

"Hello, Harry." Draco smiles thinly. "I'm fine."

"How have you been sleeping?" Harry asks, raising an eyebrow. "Eating?"

"I..."

"You look like you did..." Harry trails off, giving his head a little shake. "How bad are the nightmares? Have you been taking the Dreamless Sleep I prescribed?"

Draco shakes his head, focusing on an informative poster on the wall. He examines it with feigned interest. "I don't like how it makes me feel," he says. "I need to be clear-headed for my work in the morning."

"Are you, though, if you're not getting enough sleep?"

"More so than if I take that shit every night," Draco snaps.

Harry doesn't rise to the bait. "What if you took a half dose instead of a full phial?" he asks. "It should ensure a few hours of uninterrupted sleep while wearing off by morning."

"I suppose I could try it," Draco sighs, running a hand through his short hair. He turns his head, and Harry catches himself admiring the curve of his jaw. "The nightmares are quite bad," he admits.