Title: While you are sleeping
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Story rating: PG13
Summary: Draco watches Harry sleep, just to be sure.
Story type: Ficlet
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they belong to JKR.
Beta: None, any mistakes are my own
Harry was quiet when he slept. He never made a single sound, except of course when Voldemort invaded his dreams but since he had defeated the Dark Lord months previously, Harry's sleep was peaceful. His breathing was even and sure, his chest rising and falling deeply.
Draco Malfoy watched carefully, every movement of that chest meaning more to him than he could ever put into words. Draco's dreams were not so peaceful; plagued with the images of Harry motionless in the half giants arms. His thin limbs limp, dangling above the ground. Of course he knows Harry was faking now but then, it had torn at a part of his soul, burning deep into his sub-conscious.
For a moment he had believed Harry Potter was dead.
He had screamed himself hoarse at the sight, calling out the other boy's name, not caring who heard or who saw the anguish that had taken over his face. His eyes burned at the mere memory, remembering the pain at losing his only hope at every destroying the mad man that had torn apart his family.
Remembering the heart wrenching despair at seeing the small frail body of the boy he secretly loved.
He came here every night now. After the nightmares, after waking up in a pool of his own sweat and occasionally (and horrifically) in his own urine. He would sneak out of the Slytherin common room (so few '8th years' had returned it wasn't terribly difficult to do) and head up to the Gryffindor tower.
He had managed to sweet talk and flirt his way inside on only the second night of term and quietly made his way up to Harry's dorm. His dorm mates were always sound asleep. Weasley's snoring almost rattling his bed curtains.
He would then carefully sit on the edge of Harry's bed and watch. He would watch the simple signs that proved Harry was resting and not dead. The signs that showed the smaller boy was alive; was here and alright.
Draco would watch over him until daybreak then would make his way back down to the dungeons and try to get a few more hours of sleep before he would have to get up again and make excuses for the heavy bags under his eyes.
Tonight though, as Draco watched him sleeping peacefully as usual, his right hand began to itch. He could feel it twitching and jittering as he watched Harry sleep. It ached to reach out and feel Harry's hair. It had falling over his closed eyelids and Draco wished to brush it to the side.
It barely took him a minute before he indulged himself and leaned forward. The thick black hair was silky at the touch and Draco felt himself shudder with delight. As he caressed the strands a few more times then let his fingers trail slowly down his neck, the sleeping boy made the oddest, yet cutest squeaking noise.
Draco grinned.
It really was a rather adorable noise, so he allowed himself to do it again. Again, Harry squeaked but this time mumbled something under his breath. Draco frowned and leaned forward to make out the words as he stroked the skin a third time.
The words were unintelligible but a puff of breath fanned over Draco's face, escaping from Harry's mouth making Draco aware at how close he had actually come. He stared at Harry's pale face, his pink lips and straight nose, the jet black eyelashes that looked as thick as his hair. He was perfect.
Allowing himself one more act of indulgence, Draco leaned over a fraction and placed a barely there kiss to Harry's not so surprisingly soft mouth.
"Mmm," Harry sighed in his sleep.
Draco felt himself preen at the acknowledgment and felt himself go in for another. This time he pressed a little harder, but still softer than he would have liked. He felt a tongue trace over his bottom lip and he instantly sat backwards, almost falling off the bed in the process.
Was Harry awake?
Draco felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest as fear coursed through his veins, rather than the blood his heart was pumping.
Harry merely mumbled again before turning slightly on his side and smacking his lips together. He was still very much asleep it seemed.
Draco let out a sigh of relief, he wouldn't know what he would have done if the other boy had woken.
Realising how close he was to not only being caught but also receiving the lashing of a life time if Weasley was to wake up and see him kissing his sleeping best friend, he decided it was time to head back for the night.
He would see Harry again tomorrow in class and would keep a close eye on him there before coming back tomorrow night.
He allowed himself to feel Harry's hair one more time and to get the adorable squeak from running his fingers down his neck before getting up to leave.
And just like every night Draco stood for another five minutes simply watching, just to be sure.
Then with a whispered, "Goodnight Harry," He was gone; leaving the Gryffindor's bedroom to the sound of Weasley's constant snoring and Harry's murmured, "Goodnight Draco," which as every night before it, was never heard.