Safe Haven part one
Chapter 12: Safe Haven part one
In the days following that night—when Harry had decided he would no longer sleep alone in the forest—something changed.
He became more open.
he Talked more.
Laughed occasionally—a rare but not unwelcome sound.
He no longer hid in dark corners but spent his time with them as if he truly belonged.
Draco, Zabini, Pansy, and Nott observed this transformation with interest—and a hint of fascination.
No one said it out loud, but they all knew the reason.
Harry Potter had finally felt safe.
He was still Harry Potter, but he was also… different.
And they got used to it.
But nothing could have prepared them for what happened on that cold, stormy day.
______________________
The group had decided to spend the day in the library after breakfast.
They had chosen a quiet corner near the window—one traditionally occupied by Slytherins and shielded from prying eyes by a large bookshelf.
Outside, the rain pounded against the high windows.
Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by deep, rumbling thunder.
Nott was flipping through an old manuscript on potions when he suddenly noticed something.
He lowered his quill and furrowed his brow.
"Has anyone seen Potter today?" he asked casually.
Zabini looked up from his parchment, leaned back in his chair, and considered for a moment.
"Not since breakfast."
Draco frowned. "Hmm. I saw him in the dorm this morning, but not after that."
Pansy shrugged. "Maybe he's sleeping."
Draco shook his head. "No. If he were in the dorm, we would have noticed."
"Or he’s back in the forest," Zabini muttered.
But before anyone could make another guess—
BAM!
The library door burst open.
With a loud crash, it slammed against the wall as a completely soaked figure stormed into the room.
The group flinched and turned toward the sound.
Harry.
His breath was fast, his eyes wide, and his gaze frantically searched the room.
His hair was plastered to his forehead, water droplets ran down his face, but he didn’t seem to care.
He looked around in a panic, as if searching for something.
Or someone.
And then—
A loud rumble.
Lightning illuminated the entire castle for a brief moment.
And Harry…
Transformed.
Right there in the library.
Draco froze.
Zabini nearly dropped his parchment.
Pansy sucked in a sharp breath.
His body shimmered briefly, shrank—
And suddenly, where Harry had stood just moments ago, there was now a trembling, snow-white wolf.
His fur was bristling, his ears flattened against his head, his green eyes wide with fear.
For a heartbeat, there was absolute silence.
Then—
He bolted.
He ran straight toward Draco, his claws skidding over the smooth floor.
And then—
He jumped.
Draco, barely processing what was happening, widened his eyes as the small wolf launched himself at him.
Before Draco could even begin to consider what the hell was going on, the white wolf had burrowed into his cloak.
He shoved his snout deep into the fabric, pressing against Draco’s chest as if he could escape the storm that way, and shook like a leaf.
Draco stiffened.
…Opened his mouth.
And closed it again.
Then he glanced at Zabini, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Well," Zabini said dryly. "This is… an interesting development."
Draco let out a long sigh and ran a hand over his face.
He hated how familiar this was starting to feel.
For a long moment, there was complete silence.
Only the wolf’s quiet, trembling breaths could be heard.
____________________________
"Did Potter… just hide in your cloak?" Nott asked slowly.
Draco blinked.
Then he looked down.
The wolf—Harry—was practically curled up against him, his entire body pressed into him, his shaking subtle but unmistakable.
He was hiding.
From the storm.
Draco stared incredulously at the head of the white wolf, which was now burrowing even deeper into his cloak.
"Yes," he finally said, his voice completely devoid of emotion. "Yes, he did."
A brief pause.
Then—
"I didn’t know Potter was afraid of thunderstorms," Nott murmured.
"Me neither," Zabini added with a grin.
Pansy pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Oh Merlin. Our great, brave Potter is afraid of thunder."
Draco said nothing.
He knew they were amused.
But he could also feel how tightly Potter was pressed against him when another clap of thunder rumbled over the castle.
How his entire body flinched.
How his wolf had instinctively chosen Draco as a safe place.
He sighed.
"You can keep mocking him all you want," Draco said dryly, "but honestly, I’d rather get rid of him."
He tapped Harry’s fur lightly with his fingers.
"Potter. You’re not seriously frozen in fear, are you?"
The wolf didn’t move.
"Potter."
An ear twitched.
Draco huffed.
"You’re hiding from the weather. You do realize that, right?"
Still no reaction.
Pansy shook her head, amused. "I think you officially have a storm wolf."
Draco rubbed a hand over his forehead.
"This cannot be happening."
Zabini grinned. "Well. Good luck, Mr. Wolf-Shield."
Draco wanted to argue.
But the wolf had clearly made up his mind.
And so, Draco Malfoy sat there, with a frightened white wolf buried in his cloak.
And all he could do…
Was sigh in resignation.