Disclaimer: Still there aren't any people who actually own Harry Potter? I'm waiting?
It all started with observing him more then I already had. With my eyes I followed every movement and everything he did. The way he would play with his hair when he was extremely anxious or how he was biting on his lip, when someone talked to him that made him nervous. I saw the gentleness when Crookshanks would cuddle up to him. The dreamy stare, that resembled Luna's so much, when he was thinking about something. Not even once had I seen the smirk he was so famous for, since he had moved in with us.
One night, when I was plagued by nightmares, I decided to get up and make some warm chocolate for myself. When I walked past his room, I heard him screaming. Without knocking I walked in and when I saw him, it was so obvious he was a having a really nasty dream. He was fighting with his pillow and tears streamed down his cheeks. Real tears never lie. Cautiously I tried to wake him. When he finally woke up, he looked at me with a bewildered look in his eyes, probably because he never would have expected to see me in his bedroom. But I took his hand and led him downstairs. Without even asking why, he followed me downstairs.
When we entered the kitchen, I told him to make himself comfortable at the family table and started making the hot chocolate I already intended to make, only now I made an extra cup. This time the tables were turned and I felt his gaze following my every action. After I was done, I poured the chocolate in two mugs and tried to decide where I should sit. I could keep my distance and sit across him, but somehow I opted to sit down next to him and gave him the mug. Softly he muttered a thank you and kept looking at me as if my ears just sprouted scurvy-grass. Not knowing what to say, I smiled at him and drank my hot chocolate very slowly. "Why are you doing this for me?" those seven little words spoken so softly startled me. I hadn't expected him to ask me that, nor did I know what to answer to that. The only thing that came to mind was "Why not?" and that was exactly what I said to him.
He looked at his mug this time and softly uttered "I've always teased you and your brothers, even Po-.. Harry for that matter. I never brought anyone any good, did I? Most people hate me and that never changed, or so I thought.." At that moment I sought for the best words that would comfort him and tell him that not everyone hated him, but I couldn't find the right ones and so I stayed silent for a moment. He spoke again "I don't even understand why I'm here, Potter should've let me die." He slammed down his mug and stood up. I saw the tears in his eyes, which made me almost cry. I don't even know it was pity or compassion at that moment, but I put my mug next to his and stood up as well. For the second time that evening I took his hand and looked in his eyes. "Even though I can't tell you why, but I'm glad you're not dead. Too many good people have lost their lives this was. Every one of their deaths was one too many. So I'm glad you're still here."
Not many have seen Draco Malfoy break down. Of course I had seen tears in his eyes and I had seen him afraid of everything. Afraid of the people around him, his nightmares, maybe even life itself, but this time he broke down and I hoped it was in a good way. For a moment he had just looked at me with those tears shimmering in his eyes and that's when it happened, the tears started to run freely over his cheeks and he sagged down to the floor, burying his face in his hands and started muttering incoherent sentences. I followed my instincts and kneeled down besides him and put my arms around the his trembling body.
It felt like we sat there for hours before Draco finally calmed down. He removed his hands from his face and softly grasped the hem of my robe. I lowered my hands as well and took a handkerchief from my pocket and gently wiped away his tears. We didn't say anything anymore and he just looked at me. For a moment I looked back at him, but it was time we both got back to bed. So I took his hand again, we both got up and walked back to our own bedrooms. Before Draco walked in, he just looked at me again and I could hear him whisper a thank you. That made me smile for a moment.