Trust Me (Drarry)

Chapter 30 - Summer

A/N - Hey guys! This is a slightly shorter but necessary chapter with a small trigger warning - there is an asterisk where it begins and ends if you want to skip it. Hope you enjoy! :-)

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Summer

DRACO POV

Dear Harry,

I hope you are well. I didn't see you before the end of the year but...

But what? I wanted to? Of course I wanted to. But at the same time, I couldn't think about Harry without Snape's words also ringing in my ears.

"You have no idea how much danger you are putting yourself in..." And my family. My family could be killed if the Dark Lord finds out about ny connection with Harry. Either way, I'm going to die when my father finds out.

So is it worth it? To keep hiding our relationship while this is all happening? When will this stop?

My mind was spinning with so many questions that I was beginning to get a headache. I crumpled the piece of parchment up and chucked it across my bedroom. That's about the twelfth letter I've tried to write in reply to Harry's, but I just don't know what to say. I'll have another go later.

I walked out of my bedroom and hesitated on the landing, listening for my father's voice. It didn't come, so I walked down the stairs quietly and poked my head into the study. My mother was sitting in there, her head in her hands.

"Mother?" She jumped and turned around, letting out a small chuckle when she saw me.
"Merlin, Draco!"
"Sorry," I smiled apologetically. "Are you alright?"
She sighed. "As alright as I can be now. Your father is upstairs. Are you hungry?"

She turned around in her chair, placing her arm over the letter she was reading, but not before I made out the words 'Dementor', 'hearing' and 'Potter'.
"What's that?" I asked, and she looked nervous.
"It's a letter.'"
"It mentions Harry Potter in it... May I see?'
She sighed again. "You're not supposed to know..."
"Please?"
She looked so shocked that I had said please that she almost didn't seem to notice as she passed me the piece of paper. My eyes widened as I read it, and I suddenly felt sick.

"Is he ok? Is he hurt? What about his cousin? Where are the Dementors now? Why was-?"
Mother looked around nervously, as if to make sure my father wasn't going to pop out from a cupboard, before lowering her voice. "He's fine, that's what the hearing is about. It appears Mr Potter is very gifted at Patronus charms, and was able to protect himself and his cousin."
I smiled proudly. "Yeah, in third year he battled about a hundred by the- what?"
Mother was raising an eyebrow at me. "You like him, don't you?" I hesitated, feeling my cheeks burn, and she smiled sadly. "Oh Draco. You know it's dangerous, don't you?"
"I do. And I'm so sorry."
She shook her head. "You can't help how you feel. Just be careful, for your own sake and his." I nodded, and she grinned. "So have you kissed him yet?"

"Draco?" We both jumped as my father's silky voice came from the top of the stairs.
"Yes, Father?" I walked to the door of the study as he came downstairs.
"What is this?"

I felt a sick feeling in my stomach as he held up my crumbled, unfinished letter to Harry. Shit.

*My father looked at me expectantly, but I knew better than to give him the sarcastic remark I thought of.

"It's a letter."
"To Harry... Potter?" My father's voice was calm, but his hands were shaking with fury. I stayed silent, glancing quickly at my mother. She looked just as terrified as I did.

"Answer me!" He snapped, shoving the piece of parchment at my chest.
"No, a different Harry!" I cried, starting to step backwards.
"Harry who?"
"Harry..." I was painfully aware that the wall was getting closer, and I was becoming boxed into the corner of the study.

My hesitation was enough. He slapped me across the cheek and I cowered in the corner... But nothing happened.

I looked up, tears springing to my eyes at the sharp pain on my face. My father was sitting in my mother's chair, his head in his hands. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and calm, but I felt it pierce through me like ice.

"Draco... Was I not clear about my feelings towards that boy?"
"Yes, Father."
"Did those feelings - at ANY point - suggest I thought it suitable for you to form a friendship with him?"
"No, Father."
"So why," he stood up and began to walk towards me, "have I just found a letter addressed to him in your bedroom? And why," suddenly he swept away to the other side of the room and opened a drawer, "is Rita Skeeter under the impression that you are 'plotting together about the Dark Lord's return'?"

I couldn't speak; fear was building and my throat constricted as he towered over me, holding the copy of Witch Weekly in his hand. Harry and I had been doing nothing of the sort; but this bitch had obviously taken one of our conversations and twisted it into something much worse.*

"Lucius..." Mother began, nervously placing a hand on his arm, but he swatted it off. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation-"
"What could possibly explain this?"
"Harry and I got forced together for a history of magic project," I said quickly. "It was about the first time the Dark Lord was in power. She must've heard us talking about it and gotten the wrong idea."
"And the letter? 'I hope you are well', it said."
I sneered. "McGonagall got onto us about it. Saying that if we didn't try to get along while we were working on it, she'd automatically fail both of us on the assignment and we'd be in detention until next year. And you know what Potter's like," I was rambling now, "if I disrespect him even once, he'll be off-"

"Ok, Draco, I get the idea!" Father snapped, chucking the magazine onto the desk. "But you have to understand, if the Dark Lord gets hold of this, he could get the whole wrong end of the broomstick."
"I could talk to him? Set him straight?" I suggested, although the very thought set my hairs on end.
Father shook his head. "Don't be a fool. He won't listen to a pathetic child. I'll talk to him myself, but only if he sees this. I'm taking it into my hands to have every copy of this magazine burned, and if that fails, I'll find Rita Skeeter and burn her instead." Then he turned to me, his eyes blazing with anger and, to my surprise, fear. "As for you, boy, another slip up like this and I won't be so reasonable."

With that, I knew I was dismissed. I gently squeezed my mother's hand as I left, and she gave me a halfhearted smile. I'm sure she could tell I was lying, and I know we'll have a talk later. But for now, I'm just relieved that worst thing that Father had done was call me a pathetic child. I could deal with that: he often called me much worse.

I wouldn't make that mistake again. Particularly now that my father was even more suspicious. The Dark Lord wa back, and that meant everyone was in so much more danger than they were before. And for the sake of my family, Ron and Hermione's families, and, most importantly, for the sake of Harry, our relationship had to stop. It was over.

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HARRY POV

Dear Draco,

How are you? It's incredibly boring here. The Dursleys are unbearable as usual, so I just spend most of my time out of the house. Thank Merlin I have you to talk to.

I didn't want to talk to Draco about the Dementor attack. I'm sure the Daily Prophet would've reported it somewhere, and I didn't want to worry him too much by making it a big deal.

Ron and Hermione haven't sent me many letters, they say they're very busy. I just think they don't know what to say to me after last year.

I clenched my fists in anger at the thought. They were my best friends! Surely they knew me well enough to know that I'd happily talk about anything OTHER than what happened?

How has your summer been? I expect you've been busy, and that's why you haven't replied to any of my letters yet. That's ok, just reply when you have a chance.

Love from Harry

I folded the letter up and gave it to Hedwig. She nuzzled her head against me gently as if she understood how hurt I was, before taking off through the window. And I was all alone.