Beautiful Shards (A Drarry Fanfic)

Chapter 6: Harry- Malfoy

  Harry wasn't sure exactly how long he sat there by the window, waiting to hear other students beginning to board the train, but it must have been at least an hour. Then he heard footsteps. He knew it was at least two hours until the train left, and he wondered who else would be this early, since he knew the Weasleys and Hermione were still in Diagon Alley.
  He didn't have to wait long, however, because he heard the footsteps approaching, and then the door of his compartment sliding open.
  Whoever is was stopped abruptly then, and he was sure that it would be some kid who would start babbling senselessly when they saw him, and he braced himself.
  The intruder, however, said nothing, and Harry turned his head to see who it was when the door slid closed on its own.
  What he saw made him look twice, just to be sure he wasn't seeing things.
  Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, looking skinny and sickly, and he'd gone an alarmingly pale color upon seeing Harry.
  "I-I'll go," he stuttered, which immediately struck Harry as odd, since he'd never heard Malfoy sound anything less than overly-confident.
  As much as Harry found himself craving solitude anymore, he, for some unknown, completely insane reason, was okay with Malfoy staying. Maybe it was because he knew Malfoy wouldn't call him a hero. Maybe it was because he looked very lonely and, well, broken, standing there in the doorway.
   "N-no, that's okay. I mean you can stay...if-if you want to, that is." he replied. What am I doing, he thought.
  Malfoy hesitated, looking uncertain, but sat down after a moment. To Harry's surprise, he didn't sneer at him or say something like "You're so desperate that you'll take any company you can get now, eh,  Potter?", but only asked, "Why are you here so early?"
  He didn't sound rude, only curious, and it astonished Harry into giving his real answer, which he hadn't said to anyone.
  "I'm trying to avoid all the, er,  people." he said honestly.
  Draco laughed quietly then said, "Why would you need to avoid people?"
  Malfoy was being so civil, almost companionable, and he looked very lonely. Maybe that was the reason Harry decided to tell him. Maybe it was because he thought that this new Malfoy might understand, sort of. Maybe it was because he seemed desperate for someone, anyone to talk to. But for whatever reason, Harry told him, braced for laughter and mocking.
  "Everyone thinks I'm a hero. Personally, I don't think being the cause of hundreds of deaths and so much suffering is very heroic, and I can't stand people saying that I'm so great when I know I'm not. " There, he'd said it. The very thing he had been avoiding telling anyone all summer. He said it all very quickly, afraid that he might lose his nerve, but he needed to tell someone.
  Why was he telling Malfoy? Why did he suddenly trust him?
  He looked over at Malfoy, and was shocked to see him looking angry.
  "How can you say that? You're not the one who was on His side! You're not the one who watched people die and did nothing! You're... you're not the one with a Dark Mark setting you apart as...as a murderer. "
  He said the last part so quietly that it was only barely audible.
  After a moment of shocked silence, Harry said, "But I did. I watched people die and be tortured and I did nothing. They're all dead because of me." This, too, was said very quietly.        Then, to Harry's amazement, Dr-Malfoy said something that was obviously meant to be comforting. And, strangely, even though he didn't believe him, it was.
  "You can't save everyone, Harry." he whispered. "Not alone. No one expected you to."