Okay my friends, Part 3. This part was kindly, and fabulously written by Fries, another dahling friend of the Chipmunk and mine. Hope y'all enjoy!
Chapter 3- The Tale Unfolds
Harry stood, stunned to the spot, watching the tears roll down Malfoy's face. It seemed strange to Harry that Malfoy could cry so…emotionlessly. He was utterly silent, his body was incredibly still and if it wasn't for the tears shining in the light of the fire, no one would have guessed.
"Has he always cried like that?" Harry wondered, "or was it something he had to learn?"
He only allowed himself a second to think, and he immediately sprang forward, pulling a clean hanky out of his pocket. (Since the NEWTs were coming ever closer, he and Ron constantly carried hankies, for an increasingly hysterical Hermione). He pressed it into Draco's hand without muttering a word, and returned to his chair, allowing the blonde boy to compose himself. It was obvious that Draco needed help, but he wasn't sure if he could provide it. And mentioning it would no doubt be signing his own death warrant. He waited for the Slytherin to speak.
"If you ever tell anyone this happened I'll gut you like a fish. Understood?"
With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, Harry replied. "Crystal clear"
With a slump of his shoulders, Draco turned and sunk into the seat next to Harry, the movement seeming entirely drained. His hair limped over his forehead, his face was blotched pink were his tears had cooled, and he wrung the crisp hanky in between his tense fingers. Harry retained his silence, knowing that when the boy was ready to speak, he would.
"I'm sorry about all this you know, the plan wasn't to come down here and start weeping like a little girl. But sometimes, sometimes it just…I just can't take it anymore and it explodes. So, I'm sorry"
"It's all right you know, I don't mind you coming down here". He paused. "Why are you here Draco?"
The boy beside him shrugged slightly. "I came to tell you not to say anything about my mum, I don't want this to be public knowledge. All the Slytherins are being sympathetic already. Maybe I just wanted someone to talk to. Isn't that what noble Gryffindors do?"
"I suppose. Do you want to talk?"
The boy sighed. "I miss my mother."
Harry's heart cringed at the look on Draco's face. He looked entirely lost, and completely alone. He felt this need to reassure him, tell him that everything was fine. That there were others to love him, and he wasn't alone. But how could he? He didn't know anything about Draco.
"When did she die?"
"End of July. Father didn't want it to be out in the open, so he kept it quiet. The Slytherins all knew though."
"Couldn't you talk to them?"
He laughed. "Are you crazy? Those people aren't my friends. They don't care about anyone but themselves. They probably wouldn't even pretend to listen. No Potter, I'd much rather tell you my problems than them"
Harry shrugged. "Fine. So, what happened to her?"
Draco seemed to visibly sink into himself. He pulled himself into a ball, the look of pain and fear and sadness running over his face. Harry got up from his seat and moved next to the blonde Slytherin. Draco gasped, the two had never been this close before. He didn't answer, biting his lip, all he could think of was Harry next to him, the sound of his breathing was mesmerising. "Draco…"
He mumbled something Harry couldn't quite hear, and when Harry prodded him, he said louder:
"It was an accident" he announced suddenly, grey eyes bulging "no-ones fault, just an accident" he shook his head feverishly.
Harry knew there was more to it than that, there had to be something suspicious going on, but he knew better than to tell the quivering boy he was a liar, so he approached with tact. "If it was just an accident, why does your Dad want to cover it up?"
Draco turned to face him, cold eyes boring into him "You know why I went walking in the rain?" he spoke calmly
"Yeah, you told me it was…"
"I needed to clear my head" he added frantically" " I needed" he gulped for air "I needed to forget" fresh tears shone on his pale face
"Forget about your mother?" asked harry, unbelievingly
"I can't live with the guilt" Draco's head was clasped in his hand; he was rocking backward and forwards. Harry too was shaking, it was like Draco was possessed, something inside him was making him…a real person. Harry rested a hand on his should "Shhhh" he soothed. Draco's slow drawl had vanished; he was a person, a vulnerable person whom Harry had never seen before.
Draco stood up, knocking Harry's hand away. He was screaming now, incomprehensible words about guilt rejection and belonging. Harry followed the Slytherin's every move around the common room. The two faced each other; Harry stared into Draco's cold grey eyes. They were full of sadness, full of despair. Draco looked at something past Harry's face and sobbed, long choking sobs as he slid down the wall. Squatting beside him Harry embraced the boy, at first to make himself feel better, he was terrified, but Draco too calmed, his shaking hands gripping to Harry's robes for whatever stability he could find. Draco pulled away slowly "You don't know what its like Harry"
"To have lost me mother? Yes I do"
"No….to have killed her." His eyes flashed.
Harry moved away, his head buzzed. Could Draco me capable of murder? Maybe he was just confused, perhaps he just thought he did, blamed himself sort of thing…but Harry had no time to think. A thundering in the corridor indicated the return from the Hogsmeade visit.
"Quick" he announced, reaching out for Draco's hand he pulled him through the common room up to his dormitory. Fumbling about for his wand he announced a spell Draco hadn't heard before. Suddenly a doorway fizzled into view in the wall
"What the…"
"It leads down to the Kitchens…here, take this" he thrust a silvery cloth into Draco's disappearing hand
"But the invisibility cloak. It was your fathers"!"
"Just take it" Harry whispered with urgency "Keep covered and don't make a sound" Harry pushed the boy though the doorway and closed it up just as Ron burst into the room.
"Harry you…oh"
"What?" Harry panicked
"Thought Neville might have been in here, that's all." he shrugged "heard you talking, must have been practising for the charms test" he nodded towards Harry's wand
"Um…yeah" Harry reeled, it was too much. The past few hours couldn't have existed, it just wouldn't happen in real life.
"I brought you back these" Ron threw Harry a couple of chocolate frogs and a bottle of butter beer, but he dropped them, he had seen Ron's wet hair.
"I'm going for a walk, want to come?"
"What…er…no I'm wet enough thanks"
Harry smiled inwardly; this was the response he had hoped for. He walked, composed, out of the dorm and common room, leaving a bemused looking Ron to ponder exactly what Harry was up to.
Outside the doorway Harry broke into a run. He could hear the heavy rain pounding outside; it matched his racing heartbeat. The two intermingled with Harry's breathing and his rapid footstep on the stone floor until it was all that Harry could hear screaming in his ears. He needed a release, needed to get rid of the pressure on him. He tore down the steps and out the main entrance.
The effect was instant
It was like the sound had been turned off, like the world that had been pressing on his brain had just opened up around him. He could feel his mind slowly uncoiling, his head emptying, as the rain dripped down strands of his hair and soaked through his clothes until his skin tingled. Regaining his breath, Harry slumped against the wall, filling his hands with rainwater and bathing his face. This was it. This was what he needed to take away everything…but soon his mind turned to Draco. There was something so different about him, something so desperate, so fragile. He embodied how Harry had felt a million times before; when there seemed to be no point to his existence. It made him melt, made his knees go weak. It was one of the most frightening things ever. Malfoy was no longer…Malfoy. Harry shivered. If one thing had always been constant in his life it was his dislike for Malfoy but now…
"Potter" whispered a voice behind him "Potter"
He turned, the sight was enough to make Harry freeze on the spot, his vision clouded and the muddy ground came rushing up to meet him….