tied to him ✔

chapter six

As they got ready to go down for breakfast, Malfoy put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Look, I just spent the last few hours cuddling with you, so I think I deserve to know why." At his words, Harry fought a blush, before blanching.

"Wait, deserve to know what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What on earth your nightmare was about," Malfoy said impatiently, as if it hadn't needed to be said.

Harry immediately shook his head, pushing past Malfoy to make for the door, but before he knew it Malfoy had him pinned it against it, looking down into his eyes deeply.

"Tell me, Potter," he pleaded.

"Why?" Harry whispered, brows furrowing. "You told me last night that you didn't care-"

"That was before," Malfoy said, looking desperate. "Before I learned how frightened you were, that you were letting your own enemy to hold you, just for some solace."

He sighed. "Just some old memories."

"And would these be the same memories that caused you to make an absolute embarrassment of yourself in front of everyone in Charms?" Malfoy said, raising an eyebrow.

Harry shook his head. "No."

"So, what were those ones about, then?" Malfoy inquired.

"Merlin, Malfoy, you don't need to know everything!" Harry exclaimed, trying to push him away but he was too tired (always tired), and he wasn't as strong as he used to be. Before the war.

"It might do you some good, to let it out," Malfoy offered.

And no one had ever been quite as consistent as Malfoy was being in that moment. They all thought Harry got over it, Harry was so strong, Harry would forget about it soon enough. Harry was stronger than all of them, the Chosen One never broke down.

Why, Ron and his family never even asked about the bars.

Would Malfoy want to know more about them, if he knew about them?

He broke like a dam, secrets spilling out of him like water.

Harry watched as Draco's own eyes glistened with tears as he retold the story of Sirius falling into the veil, the picture once again replaying in his mind.

What dying had felt like, how he regretted not staying at the platform, how Draco's own mother had saved his life by lying to the Dark Lord, just to know if Malfoy was alive.

"She really loves you," Harry whispered to him. "And your father. At first, I thought maybe... maybe the reason you were such an arse was because they didn't show you love but Malfoy, I wish I had someone who-"

And he sobbed. And the Dursleys came out, how Harry could hardly remember anything of his early childhood, and Malfoy went even paler.

By the end of it, an hour had passed and they were both on the floor, Harry's face positively soaked while Malfoy's was a sheet of paper.

"I thought, I thought-" Draco was lost for words.

"That's all anyone ever did-" Harry cried, letting himself bury his face into Malfoy's shoulder and breathe.

And it made him sob all over again when Malfoy awkwardly stroked his back and let him.

"I don't think I've cried since Dobby's death last year," Harry sniffled. "This is the first time, since then."

"Merlin," Draco said. And Harry could feel tears in his hair from where Malfoy was weeping. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Potter-"

"Harry," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Malfoy said gently into his ear. "I didn't think it was this bad, I would never have pushed you, I swear. Or used that awful spell on you, or made those jokes, I'm so awful."

"I forgave you for it a long time ago," Harry confessed, leaning back to look into shiny grey eyes. "Around the same time, I used that curse on you in our sixth year, actually."

The memory seemed to pain Draco, who flinched.

"Could you ever forgive me?" Harry asked. "I didn't know what the spell meant-"

Draco burst out laughing, looking as if he'd lost his mind with tears rolling down his cheeks. "You really are daft, Potter, if you think I'm the one who should be granting forgiveness."

"I suppose I am," Harry mused. "But then again, I'm not the one comforting my enemy."

"We're not-" Malfoy laughed incredulously. "How could you say we're enemies now? After what I know now?"

"Then what are we?" Harry asked him. "What is this?"

"The makings of a great friendship," Malfoy replied, and the rope wrapped around them in Harry's mind and stayed there, making him feel safe and protected.

DRARRY DRARRY DRARRY

"Where were you?" Ron asked through a mouth full of chicken as the two entered the Great Hall and sat down across him.

Harry and Draco shared a glance.

Draco was the first to speak. "Harry and I have been in our room."

"Harry and I?" Ron inquired, swallowing the hunk of chicken.

"We're friends now," Harry explained. "Draco and I thought it would be nice to call each other by our first names.

"I think that's wonderful, Harry!" Hermione said happily. "Don't you, Ron?"

Ron sighed. "As long as he isn't a git, and apologises for those rude jokes."

Draco nodded sincerely. "Of course, I'm really sorry, Weasley, Granger. I promise I won't ever call you a, well, you know."

Hermione beamed. "Apology accepted, of course!"

At this Harry grinned at his friends. The tiredness was ebbing a little, maybe-

What are you so happy about, vermin?

Harry looked behind him to see where the whisper had come from, but he couldn't make out the source of the noise. It was as if it had come from inside him.

You disgust me.

Pain seared through his scar like never before, and Harry fell backwards on his bench, his only memory being the sound of his name coming from Draco's mouth before he blacked out.

***
my baby can't catch a break but neither can i so fucking deal harry

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