A Twist of Fate

Chapter 8: Switched Up Again?!

Harry yawned and stretched. He had an unusually good sleep the previous night, which seemed odd given the circumstances. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed that the room around him seemed... Different.

"Draco! We're going to be late, get up." Goyle called from nearby.

"Go on ahead, I'll be there in a minute." Harry felt his mouth move, but only Draco's voice filtered through. That's when he noticed his bed sheets were a nice shade of green and silver...

"Draco?! What's going on?" Harry panicked. Draco flinched. Peeking around the room, he made sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Harry what the devil is going on? I thought we resolved this days ago."

"It's not like I wished for this. Agh- it's so cramped in here, how did you deal with this?"

"Well someone told me not to complain."

"Guess so. Oh man, I feel bad for Ron. It might be difficult dragging my body out of bed." Draco scratched his head, and started changing.

"Er- what are you doing?"

"One of us has to look presentable. Besides, I had to watch you change." Harry shrugged in agreement. He couldn't help watching as Draco peeled his shirt off. He wasn't that bad of a looker, Harry thought. Wait, what was he thinking? Sure, he had subtle feelings for him but nothing that compelled him quite like this. And yet, his heart fluttered just thinking about them together.

"You seem nervous." Draco coughed. Harry felt himself flush.

"What makes you think that?" He cleared his throat.

"It just feels that way."

"You're very descriptive, Draco." Harry felt Draco smile as he buttoned up his shirt.

"Off we go then, Harry dear."

It was odd, sitting at the Slytherin table during breakfast. Draco nibbled at his bacon and eggs, shooting suspicious glances cross the room at random. He seemed more on edge with Harry inside of him, so Harry did his best to comfort the lad.

"Don't worry, Draco. Nothing happened when you were in my head."

"It's a lot more peculiar when the Boy who Lived suddenly falls into a coma verses some average Slytherin after a duel." Draco whispered under his breath. Harry had no choice but to agree to that thought, but he couldn't help retaliate to one of his points.

"An average Slytherin? If you were on a scale of average you would skyrocket out of there so fast it would be a miracle if you lingered there a second. So don't sulk about yourself so much." Harry's face beamed when he saw the traces of a smile on Draco's lips again. God, he just got a thrill each time he made that boy smile. It was like seeing a small child accomplish a great height, you just couldn't help but be proud of them.

"What's so funny, Draco?" Crabbe looked at him in confusion.

"Oh, just thought of a cruel way to dispose of Potter. Perhaps even all the filth here." Draco lied with ease, but Harry felt a twang of unrest in Draco's heart.

"Is that how it was? Feeling all the emotions I felt?" Harry lowered his voice, which really he had no need to. Draco nodded, barely moving his head. It must have been agonizing, having to suddenly deal with two sets of emotions. Harry vaguely wondered how did he feel right now? Hmm... The best answer he could think of was 'liberated'. But how did Draco feel? He was able to tell how he felt instantly, so shouldn't Harry be able to do the same? Harry concentrated every fibre of his body, and felt something- blue. Blue? How odd. But that colour blue filled Harry's mind with an emotion that felt so powerful it was like he had been hit in the face. Empty, inferior, abandoned? What made Draco feel this way? Hadn't they concluded their feud just the other night? Perhaps Harry read it wrong... Draco rose from his seat, as well as every other person in the Great Hall. Time for classes.

All through out the day Harry resisted the urge to ask Draco what was wrong. It was infuriating, being cooped up like this! At least he knew how he had felt last time. How long would this last now? Days? Months? No, his friends needed him now more than ever. And he needed them. Draco gritted his teeth, and Harry felt a new wave of hostility.

Class ended shortly after, and while Draco was walking through the halls, a glint of red caught Harry's eye. Ron, accompanied by Hermione passed by Draco, glum looks on their faces. When they caught his eye, Ron's anger was apparent through narrowed eyes, while Hermione simply looked devastated, yet threatening. Their looks caught Harry by surprise, he had never seen such resentment from either of them. But of course he would. He was stuck to Draco, his 'worst enemy'. Suddenly, Harry felt Draco jerk to the side and speed down the corridor. Ahead loomed the wall where the Room of Requirement was. Zabini stood tall, guarding.

"Draco? Don't you have a meeting with-"

"Move." He snarled.

"I can't allow anyone in, not even you." Zabini pushed Draco away from the wall. Instantly, Draco had him pinned against the wall.

"I'm going in, like it or not. It's your responsibility to keep this a secret." Draco's cold, grey eyes penetrated into Zabini's dark ones. Without bothering to wait for a reply, Draco let go of him and slipped through the now visible door.

"Do you have a problem with me, Harry?!" He snapped, pacing around the room. The room had changed into his and Draco's hangout room, but it seemed Draco had no intention to sit down.

"What do you mean?"

"I heard what you said, or, felt! Do you really miss your friends that much? Am I just a burden on you?!"

"What? Where is this coming from? You're anything but a burden!"

"Tch. And that wistful look you gave Hermione didn't mean anything!"

"It's just a shock to be placed in your head, okay?!"

"And you think it wasn't the same for me? I held it all in so you wouldn't be inconvenienced by my emotions! Honestly, I accidentally let a drop of me escape and you get all mushy like a bruised apple!"

"I've even concerned about you, Draco! What kind of a friend would I be if I pretended not to care?! You may not realize it, but I love you just as much as you love me, if not more!"

"That's rich, coming from Harry Potter, the greatest wizard of them all." He waved his hands around sarcastically.

"You know just as well as I do that I'm not a great wizard! Hell, you've had better ideas than I have when you were in my head! The spell thing, reading my emotions, bloody hell you're brilliant!"

Silence. Harry bit his lip, figuratively. Had he gone a little far?

"I'm sorry." Draco spoke quietly, more faint than he ha e'er heard him speak before. His voice was almost hoarse.

"Draco?" No response. Only an overwhelming sense of despair. "What's ailing you?" Harry asked again.

"I can't keep this a secret anymore. As soon as you're out of my head I'm telling every soul I can."

"What?! Draco, you know you can't do that! Everyone will shame you, you'll be picked on en after the end of Hogwarts!"

"I don't care. I love you." Harry fell silent, there was nothing he could do to convince Draco out of this. All he could do was wait until he was back in his body, however long that would take. Draco exited the Room of Requirement, dragging his feet on the ground. Zabini glared at him, but remained in place. He went through the rest of the day just sulking around, keeping to himself. When it came time for bed, Draco was the first to crawl in.

"Goodnight." Harry said.

"Sleep tight." Draco shut his eyes. Soon Harry fell asleep also, and didn't wake once through the night.

The morning dawned, and with it another long day. But this time, Harry saw a scarlet and gold bedspread, as well as the startled faces of the people around him.