Anxious Love

Chapter 4

Draco rushed out of class, in a hurry to get away from Harry. Harry was having none of it. He chased after Draco, hot on his heels and eventually cornered him in a dead end hallway. Harry watched as Draco slowly turned around, and approached him how someone would approach a frightened, wild animal. He watched his little love back into a wall and get worked up over his approach, so he started to make soothing noises.

"Hey, it's okay love. I'm not going to hurt you. You're okay, you're just fine."
Soon Harry was toe to toe with Draco, caressing his face. Draco had significantly calmed down, but Harry could still see the nerves and anxiety swimming around in his big, grey eyes. Harry trailed his hand down to Draco's own cold and, compared to Harry's, tiny one. The soft caressing of his knuckles by Harry's thumb completely dispelled the anxiety that was swirling in Draco's eyes.
"I'd like to get to know you love. For you, not for the you that people talk about, but for the real you." Harry spoke no louder than a raspy whisper, not wanting to invoke Draco's anxiety again.

To say Draco was surprised would be an understatement. He wanted to get to know me? That's odd. Feeling a rush of confidence that he had never felt before Draco voiced his questions. "How do I know you're not like everyone else? How do I know you aren't going to just hurt me?" The reaction he received was not one he was expecting. Harry stiffened. His hold on Draco's hand became tense, but not harsh. His nose flared and his eyes drew into angry slits.

For some odd reason Draco wasn't scared. He knew, just had a feeling that Harry wasn't angry at him, but rather at someone else. Who? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Draco watched as Harry glared at the wall behind him, seeming to be contemplating something. "A-Are you alright Harry?" Draco's voice came out soft and shaky. He didn't want to further provoke the tense and angry lion, but he also, for some reason, didn't like seeing Harry this way.

Draco's eyes widened when Harry's fiery gaze snapped to him. "What did you mean when you asked if I was like everyone else?" Harry's voice came out strained, "Why would you think I would hurt you? Has someone been hurting you Draco?" Harry's voice oozed with venom at that last question and Draco wasn't so sure he wanted to tell Harry the truth.

"I didn't m-mean it that w-way," Draco stumbled over his words making them even less believable. And boy did Harry not believe one word that spilled out of Draco's lips. Draco didn't want to tell Harry the truth for fear that he would do something irrational or maybe, see how weak he really was and join in on Crabbe and Goyle's fun. You know he would never do that, Draco's subconscious chastised him. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe it.

"Bullshit. Now tell me who hurt you Draco." Harry was ready to tear a new one into anyone who hurt his precious baby. Draco found that his name falling from Harry's lips sounded completely unnatural. He found that he actually liked the pet names Harry called him, and wished that Harry would start doing it again soon. He couldn't stand the fact that if he didn't tell Harry, right then and there, then Harry may never call him another pet name again.

It was an irrational thought, but it was one that stirred him to reveal the truth.
"Crabbe and Goyle!" He blurted out. Draco didn't even know that his breath had sped up and his hands were shaky until they both calmed down. He found that telling someone, even if it was Harry, made a weight he didn't know he had, lift off his chest. His heart felt a tiny bit lighter than it normally did.

In the meantime Harry is fuming. Both hands are clenched into fists. His one hand that was held onto Draco's was now next to Draco's head. His other hand on the other side, completely encasing Draco to the wall behind him. His eyes became impossibly darker than they already were and his face became red in anger. "What in bloody hell..." he was only able to bite out those four words, his anger clogging his throat, "...made those two imbeciles think the could touch what was mine?" Harry finished, roaring the sentence out. Harry was so consumed in his rage that he didn't even realize he called Draco his right to Draco's face. He didn't have time to dwell on how Draco would react to that. Instead he spun around on his heel and stalked away. Crabbe and Goyle you better watch out because I'm coming. When I get my hands on the two of them they are going to wish they were dead.