FAILSAFE

Chapter Three

Draco rose from the bed; the sound of cartilage grinding greeted his ears as he stretched out the soreness. He wasn't used to anything so soft now, and his body was protesting. Throughout the night, he laid in bed, unable to sleep because of the sounds of Theo's restless movements. When he had first entered their shared dorm, he had been relieved to not be alone. Yet, every tiny sound that Theo made had left his body rigid, every exhale and rustle of his sheets sounded like warning bells in his head. For most of the night he laid in the darkness, listening to the creaking of his brother's bed. But as Theo's rustling grew louder and louder, Draco had to fight the intense urge he felt to get up and leave with each passing second.

The night before, the Great Hall had trembled with a force so strong that it left him feeling like he had been devoured from the inside. Whereas here in the dorms, he experienced the castle's warmth, a calming, inviting atmosphere that was almost tangible. He felt like he could reach out and take hold of it. The sheer power of the walls to keep the dark magic away was extraordinary. Was there a special guard that prevented it from being breached? Did it have its own protective measures? Had Salazar Slytherin been aware of the security procedures and implemented extra efforts to defend the students of his house? Did he have a hand in their creation? Draco couldn't help but contemplate the questions, even though there were more of them than answers. At least they served as a distraction, occupying his mind until he didn't think about anything else—no headmasters to kill, no cabinets to fix. If he concentrated on the task ahead of him, he could make it through this, despite her proximity. The restoration shouldn't take long, and after that he would be free to go. His heart pounded and his stomach twisted into knots whenever he considered the prospect of after. He had never expected there would be an after, that he would emerge from the war unscathed. Draco had always anticipated dying at the hands of the Dark Lord; his only intent had been to protect the ones he loved for as long as he could. So he locked the thoughts away, using his magic to lay brick by brick until his mind was a still calm, waters.

As he walked into the common room, his eyes swept over the tidy space. Though they had removed the items of his youth in a futile attempt to erase the past, the smell of dust lingered, reminding him that the memories still remained. He was uncertain why it sent a sensation of dread through him to observe the empty space. Draco had never been fond of the disorganisation of the room, but now it just felt desolate. The morning light broke through the glass wall that separated the dorm from the lake; it filled the space with a kaleidoscope of greens and blues that danced across the floor. Approaching the window, he noticed a teacup and a book, left thoughtlessly on the stone floor near the couches. The house-elves must have missed the items when they made their rounds in the middle of the night. Carefully, he picked up the book and ran his fingers along the spine. He slipped a bookmark from the back of the book between the pages, taking care to do so without wrinkling them. He hadn't held something like this in a long time. For an instant he just stood there, breathing in the papers' smell and savouring the feeling, before the day truly began. Leaving the teacup behind, he returned to the boys' side of the dormitory, setting the book down on his bed and rummaging through the chest at the end for something that would fit him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Theo's body jerk and twist in his sleep. He withdrew from the room quietly in order to take a shower without disturbing him.

He combed his fingers through his wet hair, the texture of the strands slippery beneath his touch, as he left the restroom. Draco hesitated outside his door, holding his breath to listen for any sound from the room. He exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful to find the room still and silent. He cautiously walked past, not wanting to disturb any peaceful sleep Theo might have found. Draco re-entered the common room to find it transformed; the clean tables now covered with a variety of breakfast items, from toasted bread to succulent fruits and chilled juices. His stomach still hadn't returned to normal after his time in Azkaban. The healers suggested it was more of a mental hurdle that he would have to overcome rather than a physical one. Taking a bite of toast and sipping some warm tea, he ventured back to the lake, where the only sound was the occasional ripple of the water against the glass. He didn't bother to pay attention to the hum of chatter around him. He wasn't looking for companionship, nor did he come to reconcile. His sole purpose was to accomplish a task, and nothing more. The sooner it was over, the sooner he could lock himself away and never have to think of this place again.