Cover You : Sleep's Dark and Silend Gate
Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate
Disclaimer : The character's in this story belong to J.K. Rowling, I only own the plot. Oh, and this story is slash, so if you don't like that, then turn around and go. For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy
Ron looks over at Harry's bed, finding it empty for the third time this week. Ron shakes his head as he makes his way downstairs. He finds Hermione waiting there, but no Harry. Ron just shrugs at her unspoken question and they make their may down to breakfast.

"Ron, I'm getting worried about Harry," Hermione says softly when she sees that no one else is in the hall.

"Me too. He wasn't in his bed when I got up this morning, again. It's not like him to get up so early three times in one week," Ron replies.

"What if something's happening to him? Something serious, I mean," Hermione asks.

Ron shrugs. "I don't know. Well, he's probably just down at breakfast. He was probably just hungry when he woke up and decided to go down early," Ron tells her, trying to ease her worries, along with his. Hermione doesn't believe it at all.

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Harry shivers in the early October breeze. He shakes his head, trying to release it from the picture of Draco's arm with the dark mark blazed on it. Something tells Harry that this fact is somehow important, but he can't figure out how.

It hasn't been two days without having that dream at least once. By now, you'd think that Harry would be immune, but he's not. Every time, he wakes up shaking, covered in sweat.

Harry shakes his head and pushes his worries to the back of his mind. He knows that Ron and Hermione are worried about him. He decides to put on his usual, brave face and go eat breakfast like every other student in Hogwarts. But, every other student doesn't have the burden of Voldemort's hate on his shoulders.

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Harry's falling through a hole, like the one in Alice and Wonderland. But instead of tables and rabbits, skulls and wands fall with him.

Finally, Harry stops at the bottom and gingerly stands up. As he looks around him, lightning flashes. The yellow light lets him see into the distance. There, he sees the circle of death eaters, all chanting something.

Chanting something. Chanting something. But, what are they saying? Harry inches closer, wanting to hear the words. A burning desire overtakes him and he starts to run.

Suddenly, something pushes Harry to the ground.

"So, Potter, want to know what they're saying, do you? Well, you can't," Malfoy spits at him.

"Why aren't you with them?" Harry asks from where he's sprawled on the ground.

"I have more important business," Malfoy says. He makes to strike at Harry with his fist. Thunder sounds. With this motion, his robes fall to his elbows, and the dark mark is glaring at Harry. Harry screams.

Harry wakes with a start. He covers his mouth quickly, hoping that no one heard his sleep-driven scream. He pulls the covers to his chin, trying to forget the dream. It was a new one, one that has never come to Harry's dreams before.

Harry sighs in resignation and curls up into a small ball, feeling like a dog left out all night during a rainstorm. He barriers his head into his pillows and drifts off into shaky sleep.

The dungeon is dark and smelly. Harry can feel noises outside. His arms ache, and he tries to move them. He realizes that they are locked above his head by magic, and Harry can't do anything about it.

"So, Potter . . ." Malfoy drawls from a dark corner.

Harry tries to twist around and see him, but his hands are stuck to the wall and he can't move. Malfoy laughs evilly at Harry's feeble tries.

"Don't bother. You won't be loosened," Malfoy whispers into his ear. His breath feels warm in Harry's ear, and the sound feels much like a snake's breath.

Suddenly, Malfoy turns into the snake-dragon. It opens its mouth, and licks Harry's robes, emblazing the dark mark wherever it touches. Harry tries to break through, but he can't. He tries and tries, but the magic is too powerful.

The sheets are twisted around Harry's meager form. He opens his eyes drearily. He clenches his fists in frustration, promising himself to find the truth about these dreams.

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The perfect opportunity for Harry to find the truth comes sooner than he thought it might. Harry walks slowly and dejectedly behind Ron and Hermione, who are chatting normally. Harry looks around himself, barely being able to keep his eyes open.

"Ugh, Double Potions," Ron groans as the trio nears the dungeons.

"With Slytherin," Hermione adds wit a frown.

Harry just nods in agreement, his mind elsewhere. Potions might actually be a good thing today. It might just provide Harry with the opportunity he needs to get near to Malfoy.

To Harry's surprise, luck is on his side. Snape pairs his with Draco. Harry almost smiles, but stops himself quickly.

Draco gives him a glare as he sits down next to him. Harry ignores it, focusing his attention on his job ahead of him.

"What is the main ingredient of Slogswallow Potion?" Snape asks. His gaze sweeps across the room. His eyes rest on Harry for a moment, but move on. The dark slivers pass Hermione's flying hand and finally come to rest on Neville.

"So, what is the main ingredient, Longbottom?" Snape asks coldly.

Neville's head shoots up from where he's engrossed in Lavender's beautiful hair. "Um . . . could you, please, repeat the, um . . . question, sir?" Neville stammers.

Snape waits for the Slytherin's laughter to subside before he speaks, amusement in his voice. "If you weren't so engrossed in Miss Brown's backside, then you'd know that I asked what the main ingredient of the Slogswallow Potion is."

At this point, Snape takes one last step so that he's standing over Neville, who is shaking uncontrollably. Beads of sweat appear on his forehead as he wrinkles his brow.

"Um . . . frog legs, sir," Neville answers tentatively.

Draco's snigger pulls Harry out of his revelry just in time to witness Snape's crooked grin.

"I've given up, Longbottom. There's no amount of work can ever teach you a thing. You can't even attempt at a good guess. Ten points from Gryffindor for your incompetence," Snape says as he turns on his heel and walks to the front of the room.

From Harry's viewpoint, he can see Hermione put a hand on Ron's arm as Snape passes.

When Snape reaches his desk he turns around and glares at his students. "Miss Parkinson, can you please tell me what is the main ingredient in Slogswallow potion?"

An awful silence fills the room as Pansy looks around her, searching for the answer from someone, anyone. The blank faces make her go pale and she starts to shake as badly as Neville did. Not even Hermione dares to move.

Snape looks outraged that even his Slytherins can't answer his simple question. He surveys the classroom with a frosty look and says in a low, icy voice, almost a whisper. "I suggest hat you all do some quick reading. This potion will be tested at the end of class and anyone, anyone who doesn't pass gets a detention along with a twenty point house point deduction. You had all better start on your potions. Now."

"Get to work, Potter, unless you want another detention with me," Draco drawls at him.

Harry shakes his head, trying to remember anything about the Slogswallow Potion. Draco must have noticed this, for he explains in an aggravatingly superior voice.

"The Slogswallow Potion is a gurgling potion used to cure most teeth and tongue diseases."

"And, what are the ingredients?" Harry asks, abandoning his search for his brain cells.

Draco shifts uncomfortably in his chair. "Um . . ."

Both boys begin to look around themselves franticly, hoping to see another group with a list of ingredients or something. Not surprisingly, Hermione is the only one who doesn't look as lost as Harry and Draco.

Draco grabs a book from a nearby table when Snape is not looking and searches franticly through it. Harry sighs with relief when they turn to a page titled "Mouth Potions."

Harry looks at the clock and groans when he reads the description of the Slogswallow Potion. "It boils for 45 minutes. We'll never have enough time."

Draco also looks at the clock. "Well, I'm not getting a detention, so we've better hurry."

The boys work in a semi-peaceful silence while they cut up leaks and crush ivy stems. Harry forgets about his nightly dreams until they finish the potion and have to let it sit for 45 minutes.

"We might just make it," Draco says as he sits down in relief.

Harry nods and continues to ponder how to catch a glimpse of Draco's forearm. As Harry things, his eyes fall to where Draco's pale fingers are wrapping on the tabletop. His writs are resting lightly on the edge, and his robes are handing half-way to his elbow.

Harry pretends to have dropped something and falls to his knees on the ground. He crawls under the table, but he cannot see Draco's forearm well enough. He tries to inch closer, but he doesn't realize when his elbow digs into Malfoy's foot.

"Potter!" Draco yells as he stands up straight and reaches down. He grabs Harry's robes and pulls him up. "What were you doing?"

Harry shakes loose of his grasp. "Nothing. I just dropped something."

Draco does not believe a work Harry says. A blind fear takes over him and he doesn't care what he's doing. "No, Potter. You wanted to see something; something you have no right to see," Draco yells as he punches Harry square in the stomach.

Harry staggers back, then gains his balance. He gives Draco a punch in his face.

By this point, Snape gets up and goes to the two boys, pulling them apart. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, up to Professor Dumbledore's office. Now. I'll let him know you're coming."

Harry heads out the door, not looking at Draco as he makes his way up the dark passages. Finally, he looks over at his nemesis, and is taken about by what he sees.

Draco is walking with his head down, looking almost, if Harry didn't know better, scared.

They reached Dumbledore's office without a word passing between them. Harry suddenly realizes that he doesn't know the password. He looks over at Malfoy, who shrugs.

Harry jumps back as the stone Gargoyle opens to reveal Professor Dumbledore. He motions for the two boys to follow him up the stone steps. Harry follows him up and up, not looking at Draco, but hearing his footsteps on the stone steps.

Harry sits down in one of the two chairs by Dumbledore's desk. The rustle of robes tells him that Draco has followed suit and sat in the other armchair. Harry just looks around quickly, noticing that nothing has changed, then turns his eyes to his hands in his lap.

Dumbledore sits down behind his desk. He folds his arms in front of him on the desk, and stares at the two boys. Soon, both are squirming under the scrutiny.

"Headmaster . . ." Harry stops, not sure how much he wants to tell the old wizard.

Dumbledore starts for him. "Professor Snape has informed me of your fight."

Harry looks at Dumbledore, but the old man's eyes do not reveal anything. He looks back at Harry, contemplating his next words.

"Would you please explain what happened?"

Draco gives Harry an icy glare before responding in his usual drawl. "Potter here put his elbow in places where it didn't belong."

"It was a mistake," Harry replies a little too quickly.

Dumbledore raises an eyebrow questioningly, but allows the two boys to continue their argument.

Draco turns to Harry, his icy eyes growing angry. "Why were you crawling around on the ground anyway? Oh yeah, that's where you belong, with the dirt and the dogs."

Harry's guilt at lying disappears in an instant. "I dropped something," Harry spits out between clenched teeth.

Draco raises an eyebrow. "On my foot?"

Dumbledore's eyes shine in amusement as Harry struggles to come up with an intelligent answer. Harry finally throws an answer at Draco. "Look, Malfoy, it's none of your business."

Draco looks at him in amazement. "None of my business? You were crawling on my foot! My foot is my business."

Harry squirms, and Dumbledore finally decides to intervene. "Harry, will you please tell me what happened?" Draco opens his mouth to protest, but the Headmaster puts his hand up. "You're next, Draco."

Harry takes a deep breath. "We were waiting for our potion to boil, so I was playing with a left over piece of fluxweed. It slid off the table, so I went to pick it . . ."

Malfoy jumps from his chair. "Fluxweed isn't used in the Slagswallow Potion."

Harry gulps, realizing his mistake. His mind reels, searching for a response. "It was left over from the class before."

"You can't even come up with a decent lie. You're pathetic Potter," Draco spits at him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry replies quickly.

"Oh, nice come back. Real smooth," Draco drawls.

Harry stands up, coming face to face with his nemesis. "You don't know what you're talking about, Malfoy. You're the pathetic one. At the first chance you have, you run to Voldemort, the symbol of power. Oh yeah, that's real brave, following people who have power. You're as bad as Peter Petigrew, and look where that's got him. He grovels around on the ground, jumping at Voldemort's every word. That's not power, that's cowardice, that's lust fro power you'll never have."

Draco stares at his enemy, his words cutting him to the bone. The truth that he's been trying to hide from starring him in the face. As usual, that fear that grips him is transformed into an incredible anger. He lashes out at the young man in front of him.

"And why, if the Death Eaters are all so weak, can't you defeat Him. Come on, he's only one man, surely it can't be so difficult. He killed your parents and you can't even avenge their deaths." Draco stays just long enough to watch the change in Harry's eyes before he turns and leaves the room. Harry watches the dark form as it disappears down the steps. He hates that Malfoy can se Harry's deepest secrets and voice them. He hates it even more that he knows those things are true, and that when Malfoy says them, they seem so real. Harry can't hide from them, and he hates it.

As his anger builds, the image of the Dark Mark returns to his mind. He bolts after Malfoy, clawing at the door and slipping by it, before racing headlong down the stone steps. He steps into the hall just in time to glimpse the blond boy.

"Malfoy," Harry yells.

Draco stops, but does not turn around. He feels Harry's feet pounding on the floor. All too soon there's a "swoosh" of robes and Harry is standing in front of him.

"Please, just . . ."

Draco eyes the panting figure with clear blue eyes. "Just what, Potter?"

Harry gulps, visibly drawing courage from his surroundings. Unfortunately, this hallway has no portraits, and so has no one to offer words of encouragement.

"Spit it out, Potter," Malfoy drawls, feigning an air of boredom.

"I just wanted to . . . can I see . . . well, I'm having . . . um . . . " Harry staggers, sounding suspiciously like Neville with Snape hanging over his shoulder.

Draco sniggers. "Oh shut up Potter. Your miserable drawl is hurting my ears."

"But . . ."

"I know what you're looking for."

"Oh."

They stand in an uncomfortable silence for immeasurable minutes. Harry keeps his eyes glued on the floor, tracing the pattern of cracks with his mind. A sudden movement catches his eye and he looks up.

Draco's pale fingers rest on the cuff of his robes, where they hesitate. Harry watches, mesmerized by the long fingers, deft and thin. Finally, they clasp the black cloth and pull it upwards, revealing millimeters of deathly pale skin.

The movement is quick and jolting, leaving Harry mesmerized, transfixed with the forearm, naked in all its glory. It is unblemished, not a mark is to seen in the light color.

As quickly as the view came, it is gone. Harry drags his eyes from the new darkness up to Draco's face, which is again fixed with an angry growl.

"Just because I don't have the Mark, that doesn't mean that I'm not a Death Eater. And that I am. Sometimes they are the more powerful ones, the ones who must fight for their glory and distinction. Watch your back, Potter. It'll come when you least expect it," Draco says with passion, perhaps one of the first times he's lost his drawl. He turns and slips around the corner, never looking back. If he had, he would have seen a crumpled Harry Potter, in a defeated heap on the floor, tears flowing from his tired and fearful eyes.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review, I live off of them! Thanks, Mara