Unmasked

Hermione returned only a moment after McGonagall and Snape left the common room. Neville and Ginny had said their goodbyes and headed up to bed. Hermione passed them as she jogged back down the stairs, already changed into her pajamas, carrying a few blankets and pillows in her arms. She stopped in front of them as they gazer up at her with curious faces. “I thought we could all sleep down here tonight,” she said. “Together. I think it would be better for Draco.”

Pansy nodded, reaching out for a pillow and blanket. “I agree. Can I take this couch?”

She nodded, handing a set to Ron as well. “Of course. Ron, you take that on. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Are you sure?”

She rolled her eyes. “Just sleep on the damn couch before I change my mind.”

He rolled his eyes and Pansy laughed, then turned to look at Harry. He was still holding Draco close to his body and was looking down at him in a daze. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Harry? You okay?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. What should I do with Draco? He’s fallen asleep.”

Pansy smiled. “Why not just leave him where he is? He obviously felt safe.”

Harry nodded, pushing them back so Harry could lean against Pansy’s couch, shifting Draco slightly so that he was leaning against Harry’s chest. When he looked back up, Pansy and Hermione were staring at him. “What?”

Hermione only smiled. “You guys are cute.”

“He could have died,” he whisper shouted. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do…”

“We aren’t saying that’s what’s cute, Harry,” Hermione clarified. “That was terrifying, and I’m sure Ron could agree to that. None of us wanted that to happen, but it did… “

“We only meant that you two look cute together like that,” Pansy added. “And he seems more content with you than he does with any of us, especially when we try to be there for him. He accepts it, usually, but not as much or as easily as he does with you. I’m really glad that you’ve been here for him, Harry.”

“Of course.” As he said that, Draco flinched in Harry’s arms, mumbling. Harry simply played with his hair again until he calmed down, whispering to him. “I’m right here… it’s not real…” The others watch as Harry rests his cheek on Draco’s head, letting out a slow breath. “I wish this wasn’t happening to him. It’s awful, and half the time I don’t know what I’m doing… I’m just guessing.”

Ron let out a low chuckle. “Well whatever you’re doing, it seems to be working. He trusts you. But uh… I’ve got a question for you, mate.”

“Yeah?”

“Why’d you kiss him on the head?”

“Huh?” Harry looked at him, bewildered, while Hermione and Pansy looked at Harry with wide smiles. “I did?”

Ron raised his eyebrows. “Yeah. When I first came in and told you what happened… as soon as he was in your arms you kissed his head.”

Harry thought about that for a moment. “I… I dunno… it just happened…”

“Is there something more there, Harry?”

Harry chanced a glance up at Ron. He didn’t seem upset, or uncomfortable, more interested. The girls were giving him the same look. He huffed. “I… don’t know. I don’t think there is on his end anyways… He just needs support, and our support is helping.”

Pansy spoke up, giving him a serious look. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings just because he’s struggling with something else. Feelings that may have been around longer than we thought…”

“We haven’t talked about it.”

“Maybe you should.” They all sat in silence for a moment before she curled up under her blanket. “Anyways… goodnight.”

“Night.” Hermione spread a blanket over top of Harry and Draco, then layed down beside them, facing the other way.

Harry’s mind whirled as the others drifted off into sleep. He stared down at Draco, who’s head was lying on his chest. His eyes were puffy, his face tear-streaked. He cradled his arm between himself and Harry, and Harry’s heart lurched when he looked at it. Then white lines laced his arm like a corset, faint blood-stains marking his pale skin. He bit his lip, thinking about how it roe his heart to pieces when he saw Draco in pain. Especially tonight. He didn’t know what had come over him… he had felt so many emotions at once that it was hard to separate them. An overhwleming need to protect him, to hold him close until he felt okay again… This struggle wasn’t beautiful the way that many people describe it… It was horrible and terrifying and gut-wrenching. And he couldn’t stop Draco from feeling these things, because he had to feel them and process them in order to feel. He couldn’t protect him.

He thought back to all of their lingering glances, all of the heavy feelings in his chest… all of the feelings that made his heart race and his skin flush… The way he longed just to hold Draco in his arms and how every time he looked at him he couldn’t hel but notice everything about him. Of course, it had always been that way with Harry. He’d always noticed Draco. More than he wanted to admit. Maybe there was something more to all of this? Of course there was…

He took Draco’s hand in his own, rubbing his thumb gently over the other boy’s knuckles. He sighed, lowering them both to the carpeted floor and adjusting the blanket. Draco squirmed in his arms, pressing his head impossibly closer to Harry’s chest. A small smile graces Harry’s lips as he brushed some hair out of Draco’s face. Although he’d always known Draco to be the confident, outgoing Slytherin, he couldn’t help to notice how small he was like this. He knew that Draco still had that snark and demeanor when he was comfortable with people, but he also had a soft side to him. Harry’s smile spread wider and he cursed himself inwardly.Dammit… he was really falling for him, wasn’t he?

He closed his eyes, finally relaxing, and willing himself to fall asleep. He knew that Draco would get the chance to heal when he was away from the immediate issue, but that was a matter of how, if, and when. All he knew for sure was that if given the chance to start healing properly, they’d all be there for him while he did. But it was something he’d have to do on his own.

What in the world could come next?

*

Hermione’s eyes fluttered open the next morning to sunlight streaming in the window and birds chirping cheerfully outside. She rolled over, wincing at the stiffness of her back, and blinked at the blurry figures around her. Ron was snoring softly on the couch, half of his body hanging off. Pansy was curled into a ball, her hair covering half of her face. Harry was lying down, still sleeping, with Draco ling on his chest, also asleep as far as she could tell, but his back was to her. She stood and stretched, twisting her back until it cracked. Then she padded over to Pansy, who woke as she approached her.

“’Mione?”

“Yeah, it’s me, she whispered. “Do you wanna go get changed? We should get some breakfast soon.”

“I didn’t bring any clothes with me…”

“That’s okay. I’ll find something for you to borrow.”

Pansy smiled groggily. “Okay.” She pushed herself up and over the back of the couch so she wouldn’t fall on Harry and Draco. She followed Hermione to the stairs, treading lightly, then looked around with wide eyes at the dorm. It was very different from her own.

Hermione tiptoed over to her bed and unlocked her trunk. Lavender murmured in her sleep, turning over onto her other side. She dug through it for a minute, tossing a few things onto her bed, then handing Pansy a bundle of fabric. She motioned for her to follow her after closing her squeaky trunk, at which Parvati almost woke up.

In the bathroom, Pansy entered a stall and looked down at what Hermione had handed her. A pair of blue skinny jeans and a black hoodie. She quirked her head at it. Huh. Not bad.

“Are they okay?” Hermione asked form the next stall. “I know we have different styles.”

Pansy laughed as she pulled the jeans on, folding her pants from last night and setting them on the floor. “Yeah. They’re good.”

“Good.” She paused, and Pansy could hear her zipping something up. “Do you think Harry and Draco will ever get together?”

“I dunno, but I hope so. It’s taken them long enough to even start to realize it, hasn’t it?”

Hermione let out a burst of laughter. “You have no idea.”

Downstairs, Harry was staring at the ceiling, vision clear first-thing for once in his life. Draco stirs as Harry looks down, and his eyes open, staring right into Harry’s. For a second, he doesn’t seem to register where he is, narrowing his eyes. Then they widen and he croaks, “Harry?”

“Good morning.” He takes in Draco’s face without his concealment and frowns, tracing a scar on his cheek. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m okay.”

“Don’t lie to me, Draco.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know.” He pushes some stray blond hairs away. “We are trying to make arrangements. Just waiting for a reply now.”

Draco nodded, but looked away. “He’s going to find me.”

“He won’t.”

Draco pushed himself to a sitting position. “He’ll try.”

Harry was silent for a moment as he sat up. “If he does, or if he threatens to, then we will really be out of here.”

“I know.” Draco cradled his arm, holding it tightly against his chest.

Harry reached out and grasped it gently, pulling it towards him. He looked at it in the light. The raw, angry flesh was still apparent from last night, even though Ginny had set the skin back together. The scars looked gruesome. As he had seen last night, more lines were set above and below the slashed, very faint dark mark, including a thick red scar running along the side of it. “What’s this from? Your father?”

Draco turned his head, looking away from him. Harry guided his head back to look at him. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You can tell me.”

“It’s from when I tried to cut the mark out.”

“You dug it out of your arm?”

Draco stared straight into his eyes. “I couldn’t live with myself, Harry.”

Harry blinked at him a few times, than ran his thumb over the scar. He shook his head, then looked back up. “And the others… the old ones. When are they from?”

“Fourth and fifth year. This is the…” he paused, taking a deep breath. “The third time I’ve relapsed.” Lost for words, Harry only stared at him. “Are you disgusted by me?”

“What? No. I’m not disgusted by you, Draco. Just worried.” He paused, searching for the right words. “It’s something to keep an eye on. To work on, so that you don’t relapse again. I know it won’t happen all at once, but if you feel the urge to do it… you can come talk to me okay? Or not even talk if you don’t want to. Just sit. Or anything. Yeah?”

Draco nodded. “Okay. Thanks for understanding.”

Harry nodded, and as he did so, a pillow flew over his head and smacked Ron in the head. “’Mione…” he groaned. Harry turned to look, as did Draco, and saw Pansy pick up a pillow and throw it at Ron. “Hermione!” One more. He flipped over and glared at her. “Pansy, for fucks sake!”

Pansy chortled, and the rest of them, minus Ron, laughed. “Get up sleepy heads,” she said. “Go get changed so we can get some food.”

Ron moaned. “Why can’t we just go like this?”

Hermione gave him a look. “Because you and Draco are still in your school robes and Harry is in pajamas.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s go.”

He rolled off of the couch as Harry and Draco stood, and they followed him up to the dorm. Ron pushed the door open. Neville was sitting up in bed, reading a book on herbology. He waved at them, then took in Draco coming in behind. His smiled dropped as he saw the blood stained white shirt-sleeve and Draco quickly hid it behind his back. Dean saw it, too, as he rolled over.

“Geez, what happened to you?”

“Er…”

“It was nothing,” Ron interrupted. “An incident while on prefect duty last night, Dean, that’s all.”

Dean nodded, but Neville gave Draco a sad smile. He turned his back n him, not wanting to see the pity in his expression. He meant well, obviously, as he’d helped clean him up last night. He just… he didn’t know. It bothered him.

Harry grabbed his good arm and pulled him over to his bed. “I’ll give you something to wear.” He flung things around in his trunk, then tossed Draco a red pullover. Then he pulled out a pair of jeans, looked over his shoulder at Draco, who was already unbuttoning his shirt, and back at the jeans. He cringed, standing. Caught off guard by Draco’s shiftlessness, he only stared.

“What?”

“Oh! Uh, my pants will all be too short for you, but yours have blood on them, so…”

A pair of jeans hit Draco in the face and Ron sniggered. “I’m tall, so those should fit.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Thanks.” Harry, Dean, Neville, and Ron laughed as Draco shook his head, scowling at Ron.

Seamus stirred at the noise and sat up in bed. He took in the boys laughing and Draco’s scowl, then rubbed his eyes. “Uh, guys?”

“Yeah, Seamus?”

“What have I missed?”