Delicate {𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪}

Chapter 15

The door to the Gryffindor common room opened, allowing the young boy inside. His raven hair covered hi emerald eyes, hiding his apprehension with the aid of his practised mask. Harry looked around the room for a sign of his two friends, naively hoping he could escape their notice and sneak up to bed.

Hermione clearly had different choices as he head shot up the second she heard the door to the common room, searching for a sign of her own friend who had been acting very strangely recently.

Harry sighed as he caught sight of the approaching brunette. Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him over to another couch, away from the one she had been sitting on with her boyfriend, not that the latter noticed, too engrossed in a game of wizarding chess against Dean Thomas.

"Where have you been Harry? First, you disappear all day and then you just get up and leave dinner for no reason?" Harry scowled slightly when she claimed he left for no reason but said nothing as the girl continued to reprimand him for being so careless and for not telling them where he was going.

"What so I'm supposed to tell you anytime I go anywhere?" Harry questioned angrily, "You're not my mother Hermione, in case you hadn't noticed, she's dead." Hermione gasped in horror at Harry as he said that and he pursed his lips, aware that his anger had gotten the better of him.

"I'm sorry okay? That was uncalled for, I'm just stressed and need to be left alone, it was only one day 'Mione, it's not going to kill me." Harry was relieved when Ron backed him up again, reminding himself to thank his friend later on.  Hermione reluctantly agreed but rather than leaving the exhausted boy to his thoughts, decided to simply grill him on another topic.

"So are you upset with Ginny then?" She questioned. "What?" Harry asked with wide eyes, "What gave you that impression?" Hermione merely gave him an unimpressed look before sighing and changing the subject to what they did in class today, earning a groan from Ron who immediately zoned out again and returned to his chess game.

Their conversation continues for a few minutes with Harry indulgently nodding along to Hermione's rant before their interrupted by the youngest Weasley plonking herself beside Harry and leaning into his side, causing him to tense instantly.

Hermione watched the scene before her with narrowed eyes, sure that Harry had some issue with Ginny that she seemed unaware of. She shot Harry a pointed look, with a jerk of her head towards the ginger who was practically sprawled across him. Harry merely shook his head minutely, closing his eyes and taking a few calming breaths.

Hermione's hostile behaviour seemed to melt away as she properly looked at her best friend. (Finally) She looked at his pale face and sunken eyes, decorated with deep purple bags. She felt the exhaustion and weariness rolling off him in waves and the anxiety he felt in this situation. She finally looked at the boy she claimed to know so well and began to see what she had been missing this entire year.

Hermione watched as he attempted to manoeuvre the girl from off of himself, with difficulty. She saw him pause and inhale slowly and watched as his hands began to shake. Catching herself staring she quickly stood and pulled Ginny from the boy before her and watched as the tension seemed to drain from him when she pulled her away.

Deciding to address that when her friend was of sounder mind, she pulled the protesting girl from the common room, with the excuse of needing help with 'lady problems' in the hope of the boys not questioning that. Much to her exasperation, it worked very well. She rolled her eyes. Boys.

Before they leave, Hermione shouts towards the group that another party was being planned before they all returned home for Christmas break.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, a certain blond had also adopted his Slytherin mask of indifference as he approached his friends. Pansy immediately began to grill him about his behaviour during dinner and his absence throughout the rest of the day.

"Pansy" Draco made sure he had eye contact with his friend before he continued. "Harry was in trouble, and was extremely upset this morning." He gave her a pointed look as he said this.

Her eyes widened and a hand came up to cover her mouth as tears danced along her waterline. Pansy was heartbroken as she read between the lines of what Draco was telling her. She nodded quickly and pulled the boy in for a hug, praising him for helping Harry.

He shrugged her off, saying he didn't do it for her praise and made sure she knew that he hadn't told her anything. Which he didn't, but, you know.

Pansy nodded and gave him a better smiling after schooling her expression. They all sit together, talking quietly amongst themselves before Draco stands to leave. Pansy informs him of the last party before Christmas before he leaves. He nods in recognition before heading towards the astronomy tower.

When he arrives Harry is already there and turns to greet him with a smile form his seated position. Draco returns it and sits down beside the smaller boy, taking Harry's hand in his own as if by habit, though I guess by now it could be called that.

Harry rests his head against Draco's shoulder as his eyes close. The two chatted quietly about anything and everything, joking about the upcoming party and giggling about the potential dares they'll have to face.

Soon enough the two fall asleep in each other's arms, Draco's body curled around the smaller boys as the slept comfortably in each other's embrace.

The peace didn't last long, as soon Harry was roused by a whimpering near his ear. He jerked awake, to find the blond he's become so close to whining and crying our on the ground beside him. Harry did his best not to panic, aware it would not help the situation, but he wasn't really succeeding all that well. Taking a calming breath he began to shake Draco lightly, whispering gentle reassurances into the blonde's ear and pulling his quivering body into his arms.

The boy jerked suddenly, seemingly pulled abruptly from the dream he was submerged in. When his eyes came into focus and landed on the concerned face of the raven before him, he let out a heart-shattering sob and fell into Harry's comforting embrace, crying relentlessly and relishing in the comfort the other boy was providing him.

Harry stroked a hand through Draco's hair, which had grown down past his ears and remained as soft as ever now that it lacked the copious amounts of hair gel he used to abuse it with. Harry continued to hold the boy until his sobbing lessened and turned to sniffles, Draco's hands remaining twisted in his shirt as if confirming he was indeed there beside him.

When Draco was finally calm enough to pull away but Harry didn't let him get far, holding onto his hand tightly and giving him a concerned look. Draco let out a self-deprecating laugh before allowing Harry to wipe his tears away with his one free hand.

"I'm so glad you're okay" Draco whispered to Harry, making the boy concerned because Draco was definitely not the one who should be glad Harry was ok. At Harry's confused look, Draco hesitantly described his dream.

"I-" He cleared his throat, "I had a dream that you were there with me, a-at the Manor and you g-got caught and The Dar- Vo-Voldemort," He cringed at the name but smiled at Harry's concerned but proud look, "He found you a-and he was torturing y-" He broke down again, "Oh Harry it was awful" He sobbed to the boy.

"Shh, I'm here, I'm okay and I'm not going anywhere okay? You're stuck with me I'm afraid." That got a choked laugh out of the blond and Harry counted that as a win.

"I can't go back to sleep after that Harry, I can't." Harry simply nodded and pulled Draco back into his embrace, glad to finally be the one there to offer support.

The two stayed quiet and just held each other, relishing in the calm that fell over them once again.

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OK! another chapter is done! Next Chapter will be the party and the boy's heading home for Christmas break.

See you then!

1423 words (Woah)

Lila out 💜