chapter 16; talking with friends and two terrified boys

Sorry this took forever! It's not even good but I needed to publish something so....here you go.

Harry's POV.

"I fucked up."
Hermione moves up so I can sit next to her on her bed.
"What happened? Is Draco alright?" Luna asks, bouncing a happy Teddy on her knee.
I explain what happened to both of them, from when I walked in to when he sent me out.
"Harry, you know you're in the wrong. Malfoy isn't in the right frame of mind and even though you were trying to help, you promised something that you knew you couldn't promise." Hermione says. "That being said, he can't just kick you out of your room. Where will you sleep?"
I lay on my front, burying my face in the duvet. "Just when I thought I was getting somewhere with him. Why do I always have to mess everything up?"
Luna giggles, "You don't always mess everything up, just some things."
I smile into the duvet. "Thanks, Luna."
Sitting up, I look at Teddy. "Do you think Teddy will be safe if he still sleeps in the room?"
Hermione nods. "Despite his current state, Malfoy would never hurt Teddy."
The three of us continue to talk with Teddy babbling phrases here and there. It's nice to spend time with friends and it takes my mind off of things. Although I hide it the best I can, I can't help but feel terrified of what could happen to us all.

Draco's POV

I wake to the sound of the door creaking open. In the dim light, I can make out Teddy in his bed and Harry leaving the room.
"Where are you going?"
He jumps at the sudden break in the quiet, "Sorry. Did I wake you up?"
"Yes. Now, where are you going?"
"Hermione and Luna's room. I figured you probably wouldn't want me to sleep in here."
Sitting up, I look at him properly. "How much of a dick to you think I am? I'm pissed off with you, but I'm also terrified, and I need you."
He looks at me but doesn't say anything.

"As stupid as that sounds concidering what happened earlier, I need you. I mean it. Harry, you are one of the few things that keep some sense of stability in my life and when you're here, the screaming isn't as bad. There's always been something about you, from the day we met in Madam Malkin's robe shop, that draws me to you. I didn't know what it was then and I still don't. But I need you.
And I'm sorry that I overreacted. Obviously, I was right to be angry. You shouldn't have said what you did and put that false hope into me. Even so, I regretted telling you to leave as soon as I did. All I want is for you to hold me and tell me that everything's going to be okay and even if that's not true, I don't care. I need that and I need you. I need you so damn much, for crying out loud. I need you, Harry James Potter, I love you!"

I don't realise how much I'm crying until he's kissing me and wiping away my salty tears, his hands rough yet gentle against my face.
"I love you too." Harry whispers, his lips still against mine. He leads me towards the bed and lays down next to me, holding me in his arms, protecting me from whatever nightmares are sure to come.

***

Harry's arms are no longer around me when I wake up again. In fact, I'm not sure where he is. Teddy's not in his bed either.
"Harry?" I call out, but there's no reply.
He's probably just gone for breakfast, not wanting to wake me up.
I start to open the curtains when I realise, it's still dark. Not just regular early-October-morning dark. It's pitch black.
As soon as my fingers leave the curtain, the entire room matches the darkness outside. I can't see a thing and the screaming starts.
Arms are around me suddenly.
"Harry, is that you? What's happening? I can't see."
"Don't you recognise your own father's embrace?" His laughter rings in my ears. "Your precious Potter can't protect you anymore."

And I'm pushing him away and flailing my limbs all over the place to try and escape him and I'm suddenly sitting up in my own bed and all I can hear is screaming and I look to my left and Harry's there beside me and I look past him and Teddy is in his bed and I look to my right and my father is there and he's grinning and he grabs me and I try to escape and I'm in my own bed again and I'm so confused and there's so much screaming and I look at Harry but it's not Harry and it's my father and there's no escape this time and I'm scared and I'm crying out for help and there's nobody to help me and "your precious Potter can't protect you anymore" and the screaming suddenly stops and the silence is somehow worse and I'm shaking and someone's shaking me and I open my eyes and Harry's there and Teddy's crying and I don't know what's real and what's not and I'm terrified.

Instinctively, I rush to Teddy, taking him in my arms and trying to calm him; something that I quickly realise is impossible to do when I'm shaking so much that I almost drop him. Harry takes Teddy from me and quickly calms him down before putting him back to bed. I watch as he does this, not moving, terrified. Harry then looks at me but doesn't say anything. He just looks at me.
I can see instantly that he is terrified.
We do the only thing that two terrified boys can do in the middle of the night. We hold each other in our shaking arms and pray that things will be better in the morning.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top