Chapter Four: Dormitories

(This chapter is from the point of view of Draco Malfoy)

I trailed after Harry, my eyes fixed on his shoulders as we climbed a series of staircases up to Gryffindor Tower. How had this happened? I didn't understand anything the Hat had said while I was wearing it, about friends and inner strength. I wasn't brave or aggressive, which was what Gryffindor House was known for.

But then, there wasn't a House for weak, scared, hated little boys that wouldn't live to see seventeen. So maybe it had meant to put me where I'd known Harry belonged, because it had realized I wouldn't survive without him.

The password was "Gillieweed," and the way into the common room was a portrait of an impressively fat woman in a pink dress. I climbed through the hole that the portrait concealed, keeping close to Harry and trying to avoid the glares that came from every other direction.

Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the hearth inside, waiting for us. "Welcome to Gryffindor," she began, which led into a speech about the values of our House and founder, as well as what she would be expecting of all of us, especially the new first-years.

"Before all of you retire for the night, I need to speak with our first-year boys in the corridor," she concluded, turning without another word and stepping through the portrait hole.

We scrambled out after her, Harry and me standing slightly apart from the others. There was Weasely, who looked as if his dip in the lake had left him with a touch of cold. And then there were two other boys that I didn't know, one pale and freckly sort of like Weasely but with darker hair, and the other was as black as coffee. And behind them was a chubby boy that tripped on his way out of the common room.

"Now, our policy is no more than five students to a dormitory, and when there are more students than that, their year is given two dormitories. You may divide them however you wish," she told us, looking around at us until her eyes rested on me.

"Great, so we don't have to share a dorm with Malfoy," Weasely sneered, but I thought he sounded a little stupid with his stuffy nose.

"Mr. Weasely, that is hardly any way to treat a fellow Gryffindor," McGonagall snapped.

"The Sorting Hat can make mistakes," one of the other boys grumbled.

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to scold him, but Harry interrupted. "Really, Professor, I think the best arrangement would be Weasely, Thomas, Finnigan, and Longbottom can have their lovely dorm; Draco and I will take the other," he told her with a grin. "That okay with everyone?" he asked, but he looked at me.

I smiled and nodded; it sounded perfect.

"Harry, what exactly is your problem?" Weasely demanded loudly, his nose whistling a bit. I wished he would leave us alone, and the thought surprised me. This boy had thought he was friends with Harry, and who wouldn't be upset about losing a friend like Harry?

"I think you're the one with the problem, and that what I do is really none of your business," Harry said, but there really wasn't any malice in his words. He yawned and smiled at Professor McGonagall, who was studying him curiously. "So, I think we're all in agreement that I'm the only one rooming with Draco? Yes? Excellent. Let's go to bed; I'm beat," he announced.

"The House Elves will bring in the required beds. Mr. Malfoy and Potter's dorm will be the door on the right, and the rest of you will be staying in the room on the left. Goodnight boys." And with that, she turned and strode down the corridor.

"Harry-"

"Ron, I have no obligation to explain myself to you, or to anyone. Goodnight," Harry said, pushing me ahead of him through the portrait hole. "Well this is just excellent, don't you think?" he asked once he'd shut the door of our dormitory behind him. He grinned around and then ran and leapt onto one of the beds.

I smiled, looking around the room. There were two beds with red velvet drapes, and a chest for each of us. Our trunks were already at the foot of our beds, and I recognized my own trunk at the foot of the bed Harry had sprawled himself on. He noticed me looking and grinned.

"Yeah, this one's yours. C'mere," Harry said, sitting up. I sat down beside him on the bed, kicking my shoes off and drawing my legs up against my chest. "You okay there?" he asked gently, sitting up beside me.

"I didn't even think about the people you might already be friends with," I admitted, staring at the door. There was a lock on this side, which was comforting.

"Are you talking about Ron? He's a git. I've never cared much for him, since we were kids. His brothers are okay, and his sister is too young to tell yet, but Ron has always been annoying. It's just too bad the giant squid didn't eat him," Harry said, making a face and sticking his tongue out, "even though he would have given it a stomach ache."

I smiled, shaking my head. "But what about the other boys in our year?" I asked.

"I wasn't kidding when I said that I have a tendency to not like people," he paused, looking at me out of the corner of his eyes and then looking away. "I don't get along with people. There's just something about you, though, that makes me feel more…human, I guess. Not as jumbled up and angry inside," he said, his voice soft and his eyes somewhere in the middle distance.

I stared at him for a long moment, but he didn't seem to have anything else to say, so I slowly leaned my side up against his and sighed when his arm draped around my shoulders and his head bumped comfortably against mine. It was a wonderful thought, that I really meant something to Harry. Maybe a bit out of my grasp to believe, but still nice to imagine. "I hope you don't regret being my friend," I whispered.

"Draco," he murmured against my hair, "if it makes you happy, I'll never regret it." I closed my eyes, savoring his warmth and words. His easy affection made me hungry for it, as unfamiliar as most of his gestures were. Sitting like this, so I could feel his heartbeat and his even breathing, was lulling me to sleep. So I leaned against him, warm and safe, and fell asleep.

I was standing in front of the Great Hall, holding the Sorting Hat in my hands while a million faceless students hurled the plates off the table at me. And then Harry was standing there in front of me, a soft smile on his face as everything meant for me crashed into his back and he crumpled to the floor.

The Sorting Hat was suddenly on my head, swallowing me. "He's all you've got, and you're going to break him against the stones," its voice hissed, becoming a different voice. "Bring me the boy, or I'll kill your mother," the Dark Lord hissed, standing above me in the darkness, holding my mother by her hair. She was emaciated, her skin gray and her eyes the colorless orbs of a corpse even as her mouth opened and she gave a tortured cry. Millions of black flies poured from her mouth, and covered me, and I couldn't breathe…

"Draco! Draco, wake up!" Harry was calling, shaking my shoulder. I gasped, my hands flying to my face and scrubbing where I could still feel a thousand bugs on my skin and in my mouth.

"Bad dream," I muttered, half-lucid as I leaned into his warmth.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, pushing my bangs out of my face. I could sort of see him in the silver light that the moon lent though the window. The shadow of his concerned frown and the whisper of his hand as it combed soothingly through my hair.

"Used to it," I murmured, closing my eyes to concentrate on how nice the petting felt. "Mmm, why are you in my bed?" I asked as I snuggled back down under the covers and against his chest.

"Cause I fell asleep here," he whispered, tucking my head under his chin and slinging an arm over my waist. "I could move," he offered, but he was asleep before I could reply. I smiled, falling back to sleep to the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat.

The next morning, Hermione sat down beside Harry across from me at the breakfast table. But she didn't so much sit down beside him as she did crash into his side, her arms loaded with books and her eyes bright.

"We're about to get our schedules! I can't believe I woke up so late, but I just couldn't stop reading last night," she told us, grinning at me as she dumped her books on the vast space of seating between us and the rest of the Gryffindor students. "Wow," she said after she realized what it meant, and the glares we were getting. "Leprosy."

Harry laughed and I grinned, shrugging. I felt stronger this morning, after waking up to Harry flying out of bed and dumping us both on the floor before he started crashing around the bedroom as he got ready, yelling that we were late. We were the first students to arrive at breakfast, a few minutes before the food appeared on the table. Slowly, the rest of the students had trickled in, some looking bright-eyed and excited, some with bleary eyes and sleepy voices, and then of course there were the ones that glared. But I didn't mind, too busy listening to Harry talk animatedly about taking me to meet Hagrid, which I tried to smile about, and giving me flying lessons, which made me smile in earnest.

"Invisible leprosy," Harry agreed, bringing me back to the conversation, which was interrupted by the arrival of our schedules.

"We have Potions with Slytherin this afternoon, and Charms this morning. I think I know where that is. Let's go," Hermione said as the food disappeared. "I want to sit in the front." Harry and I glanced at each other, and he grinned and shrugged before he got up to follow her.

We got lost.

"I know it's around here somewhere," Hermione said defiantly, tugging on a locked door that we had passed three times now. "You have to tickle some of the doors in the right place. I read about it," she said, running her fingertips deftly over the surface of the door, as high as she could reach. "Merlin's beard," she muttered angrily, going back to tugging. "Help me before we're late!" she ordered.

So all three of us were tugging away at the locked door when Filch walked around the corner and saw us.

(AN: okay, so there are several things I want to say/ defend. The boys having their own dorm: it's possible. I had an explanation, but I just realized that I was making a reference to another fanfiction instead of any actual canon to back it up. Oh well. I guess it's just like that because it would be crazy for them to room with the other boys. Draco wouldn't have a chance. And they need to cuddle. So there. And second: Draco's nightmare was just a nightmare, not a vision or anything. And third: am I the only one that thought there was too much Hermione? I love Draco and Harry, and I don't think I really want a third main character. So she may hop in where I need her, but otherwise keep to herself. Since I doubt any of the other girls in her year will talk to her now.)

(PS: forgive the horrible rambling author's note and review please?)