Potter!

Soulless

"Draco's been gone for a while." Harry mused while sitting at the dinner table that evening, a book still in his hand.

Hermione glanced up from her book and sighed, "It's only been a couple of hours, Harry."

"Yes, but he has missed all his lessons.  Even Potions which is always really important to him." Harry stabbed a vegetable with his fork, pushing it around the plate with slight anxiety and worry for his lover.

"Perhaps what he is doing is even more important that Potions." She pursed her lips, seeming to be annoyed that Harry had interrupted her study. Their NEWTS were not far away after all and Hermione never seemed to put her books down except to sleep. But he supposed she memorised them so that she could even read them in her dreams.

"So important, but he wouldn't tell me?" Harry said, growing slightly impatient and his friends lack of support. Ron wasn't even listening as he dug into his full plate. Maybe he was but didn't care, he wondered.

"He doesn't have to tell you everything. I'm sure he's okay." Hermione huffed while scribbling a note on some parchment beside her.

"Hm." Harry stared at his plate anxiously and then back st the entrance to the great Hall, expecting Draco to just materialise and walk towards them.

After all, be knew his lover better than Ron or Hermione, and he wouldn't leave without telling him where he was going after he broke his promise at Christmas. Harry was very serious about promises.

Looking back at his distracted friends one more time, he grabbed his books and left the table swiftly.

"Harry?" He heard Ginny call behind him. "What's up with him?"

"Draco's missing." Hermione replied in an almost mocking voice. He knew she didn't believe him and probably thought he was overreacting. NEWTS were more important.

He escaped through the crowds outside the Great Hall and found himself face to face with the Slytherin House Common room entrance.

Before he could knock to go in or turn away, Pansy stepped out and walked straight into him.

"Potter, what the hell?" She glared at him, dazed.

"Is Draco in there?" Harry asked impatiently. He couldn't see past her into the darkened stone room.

"I don't believe so. Why, isn't he with you?" Pansy softened slightly.

Harry shuffled anxiously "No. He went to see McGonagall this morning and I haven't seen him since. I was just wondering-"

"Potter." Draco's voice echoed from behind him. It was cold, harsh and unlike the person he had grown to know. But he took no notice of that feeling because he was back, the boy he loved was back.

"Draco. I was worried." Harry flung his arms around the man's neck, but drew back when he winced and looked away.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He stuttered, gazing up at him uneasily.

"Nothing." Draco replied sonorously, his voice empty of feeling.

"Where were you? I missed you." Harry prompted, aware he was only going to be getting short answers.

"I was at home." He replied, his eyes flickering between their normal silvery glow and a dull grey mist that clouded over his emotions. He noted that Draco had called Malfoy Manor 'home', an unusual choice of words which told him that something was definitely off. He had told him that place was not his home, nor ever felt like it, compared to Hogwarts (and Harry's arms).

Harry moved his hand towards the pale boy's cheek, pressing it against his icy skin, causing them both to flinch. "Malfoy Manor? Why?"

"Because its my home? Why shouldn't I go there." Draco replied, harshly removing his hand from his face. "I need to go."

And with no other words, despite the ravenette calling after him desperately, he disappeared into his Slytherin dormitory.

Harry felt a shock wave through his body. It wasn't right. Something had happened. An alarm sounded somewhere inside his brain, telling him to panic.

Pansy stood silently, watching him, and then turned back to Potter who was rooted to the spot.

"Potter, I'm sure he's just tired. He gets like that when he sees his parents. They drain him." She attempted to comfort him.

Harry glared at the door where his lover had disappeared to, willing him to come back out and everything to be okay. This was just not like him.  Maybe it was what he was like before the war, but he had changed, right?

Draco Malfoy wasn't the same Malfoy as he was before the war. He was sweet, kind, caring, loving, well-mannered and clingy, to say the least.
All the attributes that were completely opposite to a Malfoy usually acted. And Harry was proud of him for being able to break free from that. Or at least he thought he did.

"Why is he acting so- so soulless?" He asked Pansy, biting his lip and still imagining him to be walking back out the door perfectly normally.

She huffed glancing back at the door to the 8th Year boys dorm. "I don't know, Potter. I said they drain him. I haven't seen him like this in a while, but I'm sure he'll come round."

With that, giving Harry a pitiful glance, she closed the door and walked past him in the direction of the Great Hall.

Harry sighed, letting out all his anxious emotions. Maybe Pansy was right, his parents were draining to the best of people. Hogwarts was his way of escaping them so of course going back there, even for a few hours, would mean entering back into his old life. The past drained him too. Perhaps he just needed to sleep it off.

The ravenette left for the library, promising himself he would forget about it for a few hours and study for his exams.

But Draco couldn't forget about the events of the day. They haunted him, even now he was back at Hogwarts. He felt as though he father was behind his back, watching his every move, his every word, and holding his mother with a knife to her neck.

Bringing his knees up to his chest, he stared at the blank wall intently, as if he would suddenly be filled with all the answers of how to get around this task. Just like last time, nothing appeared, the wall stayed blank, and his mind stayed empty.

There was nothing for it, it was either his mother or Harry. He had to choose.