Roommates (Drarry)

Chapter 14 - Straight, my ass.

*Draco pov*
The gates of the Manor loomed as sheets of rain mercilessly thrashed my face. I threw up one soaked shirt sleeve in an attempt to shield myself from it, but my thoughts again circled back to Harry, and the expression on his face as I'd wounded him.

Actions speak louder than words, my mother used to say. And my actions... I'd gone too far this time. My actions, not Astoria's. I knew it wasn't her fault - unwittingly or not, I had led her on. I hadn't pushed her away, not immediately.

I lowered my arm. Let the rain lash me. Merlin knew I deserved it.

Upstairs, on the second floor of the Manor, I saw a bedroom light turn on and I knew that the wards had alerted my mother to my presence.

Another light came on; this time, it was downstairs. The door opened, and a figure came  hesitantly down the path, though, as always, she made it look graceful.

Of course, I had never loved Astoria, or even remotely liked her like that. My hesitation had been a good ten seconds of total gay panic. But to Harry...

It was every worst nightmare for either of us: that it was all a prank, a cruel joke. That one of us was straight.

And for Harry, his worst fears had been played out before his very eyes.

I'd broken his heart.

And I had nobody but myself to blame.

"Draco?"

Her quiet voice pierced the darkness, soft though it was against the pouring rain. "I thought you were coming next week. Come in, darling, you must be freezing."

She didn't ask, though I felt her curious gaze. In silence we sat, as she poured some herbal tea, and the peacefulness and normality of it soothed me.

The next morning was a Sunday, and though she hadn't once asked, I told her over breakfast, a bewildered father having been sent out for potion ingredients earlier that morning. When I was finished, she only said gently, "Go back to Hogwarts tomorrow, Draco. I think you should explain to him, or at least try. If he won't listen, he isn't worth it anyway."

And that was that.

***

It had been cowardly and stupid to run home, I knew that now, but I hadn't known what else to do. After Harry had run away... I couldn't have faced him after seeing how much I'd hurt him. But today was Monday; this morning I would have to go back to Hogwarts.

My eyes drifted across the room to the desk in the corner, surrounded by balled-up and half-burned bits of paper. The letters I had tried and failed to write him to explain everything.

I could do this; it was the last week of term.

Sighing, I Apparated to the castle gates and once again made my way up the path.

Harry would be having breakfast in the Great Hall. He'd see me. What would he think? That I was the manipulative bastard who'd ruined his life, undoubtedly.

How could I ever make him see otherwise? I knew if it had been me, it would have taken a lot to convince me that what I'd seen wasn't what it looked like. Explanations would be meaningless.

Reaching the top of the path, I pushed open the great oak door in the entrance.

*Harry pov*
Draco hadn't come back to Hogwarts this weekend. Harry couldn't stop thinking about him, though he tried to distract himself on the grounds that only someone guilty would have run. Draco would have come after him if Astoria had lied, which she obviously hadn't.