Freshly Unsorted || A Drarry Story

One: Mental State

Ron didn't speak to Harry throughout the entire weekend, making Harry feel very lonely whenever Draco or Hermione couldn't walk with him to his classes on Monday. Luckily, Neville would walk with him whenever he was alone.

During Care of Magical Creatures, Hermione spoke with Harry, earning them both a glare from Ron.

"I'm sorry about Ron, "

Harry shrugged and said, "It's fine. He has a reason to be mad."

Hermione shook her head. "He just doesn't want you to make the wrong choice. You may not think things through because of your Post---"

"You don't have to bring it up with every conversation, " Harry said without expression. "And certainly not in front of people."

Hermione said, "I'm just telling you what might happen if you don't think before acting."

"Whatever, " Harry muttered with an eye roll, trying to walk away from his friend before she asked, "Have you told him?"

"No, and I'm not going to."

Hermione asked, "Why, Harry? He should know."

Harry shook his head. "Don't tell him."

Hermione opened her mouth to continue before Harry stalked away and asked Hagrid, "Can I go to the Infirmary Wing?"

"Fer what, Harry?"

"I just . . .need to go."

Hagrid looked at Harry and said, "Er, I guess so."

"Thank you." Harry took his stuff with him and, instead of going to the Infirmary, he walked around Hogwarts, not wanting to be around anyone.

He eventually ducked into the second-floor girl's bathroom, looking behind him to make sure nobody was following him. Harry felt the familiar crushing, helpless feeling in his chest that he only normally got when he was dealing with something dangerous that could go horribly wrong.

He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. He rubbed his eyes and felt a lump form in his throat and his eyes burned with tears.

"Hello, Harry Potter."

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin but calmed down when he saw Moaning Myrtle floating in front of him with her usual glum expression, though it looked a little bit brighter than usual.

"Hello, Myrtle, " Harry said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "How are you?"

Tears flooded Myrtle's eyes as she said, "Oh, it's been dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. Nobody ever comes in here. Not even Draco Malfoy. And you haven't been here in years."

Harry shuffled awkwardly and shrugged. "Sorry."

Myrtle smiled sorrowfully. "It's okay. I sometimes scare the students that find their way here."

Harry chuckled and Myrtle's smile grew. Harry asked, "Can you stick your head out and see if anybody is coming?"

Myrtle did so and, when she pulled her head back in, she said, "Nope. Nobody, "

Harry exhaled a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. Myrtle looked him up and down and asked innocently, "Where are your friends? I heard that the three of you are quite famous."

Harry shrugged and lied, "I dunno."

Myrtle stuck her head out again and told Harry, "Oh, here they come, Harry."

Harry told her frantically, "Hide. Don't tell them that I'm here."

Harry slid into one of the stalls and quickly pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag and covered himself. He heard the door open and Ron's voice say, ". . .not my fault."

"Ron, don't you think that you should apologize?"

"He should apologize, " Ron replied. "Why did we have to come here anyway? And where is miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle?"

Hermione said to him. "Don't call her that."

Harry held his breath, not wanting to be discovered and have Ron look at him the way he was all weekend. He heard him snort, "If Harry wants to hang around Malfoy and his mates, he can hang around them all he wants."

"Are you seriously going to---"

"Yes, Hermione!" Ron exploded. "You can't really think that Malfoy has good intentions. I bet you he just wants to kill Harry or something."

The two were silent and Harry saw Moaning Myrtle floating above him with a scowl. Surely Draco can't be thinking of doing that . . .

"You saw how he looked at Harry at breakfast, Ron."

"Well, it could be an enormous act. You know how addled he is now, especially with his mental health."

Harry clenched his hands and felt as if his heart would beat out of his chest when Myrtle flew down from above him and said to Ron and Hermione, "You really oughtn't to be talking about someone while they're in the same room as you."

Ron started, "What are you talking about?"

Harry burst through the stall door, making Hermione jump, and tried to shove past them. He almost dropped his Cloak from his hand as Hermione grabbed his wrist. "Harry, don't---"

Harry yanked his hand away and ran out of the bathroom and into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind him and huddling in a corner, biting back the tears that desperately wanted to escape his eyes. He heard his two 'friends' footsteps walk past the room and let out a sob. The more he tried to hold back, the more he sobbed as if the world was ending.

He had his arms wrapped around his abdomen as he sobbed heavily. How could his best friends think that he was addled? Draco couldn't be putting on an elaborate act, could he? There was no way. He heard the entire school walking to their classes and stayed as silent as possible and waited for all footsteps to leave the corridors before continuing to sob.

Draco frowned when he walked into Potions and Harry wasn't there. He asked Theo and Blaise, "Did you see him on the way here?"

They both shrugged and Blaise replied, "Maybe he's just late."

The three took their seats in the back of the class, Draco sitting behind Theo and Blaise, painfully aware of the empty seat beside him. For half of the class, Draco silently wondered where Harry was, occasionally glancing over to Weasley and Granger, who were whispering to each other behind their hands.

When the door opened, Draco looked over and saw Harry with his head down and his hair covering his eyes.

Professor Slughorn looked up from his book and asked, "Why are you late, Harry?"

Harry walked over to his desk and told him something, making Slughorn nod. He pointed to Weasley and Granger, but Harry shook his head quickly and turned around, making his way to the empty seat next to Draco.

Draco whispered to him, "Hey, where were you?"

Harry shook his head and Draco tried to brush his hair away from his face, only to see the skin around Harry's eyes was swollen and red and his face was flushed. Draco asked him, "What happened?"

Harry whispered, his voice raw, "I'll tell you later, "

Draco nodded and gave Harry a small peck, earning a grateful smile from him.

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