Once again, I must thank all of my lovely muses.
This chapter is a little darker than any of the others, and I'm not sure why, aside from the whole 'nightmare' thing. What I meant is I don't know why I felt like writing a dark and angsty chapter, it just sort of happened.
Harry jerked awake from a nightmare, eyes wide, gasping for air.
He reached instinctively for his glasses, before remembering that they'd been snitched by one of the students' pet pixie. Madame Pomfrey had given him an oculus potion to use until they could be replaced.
It was then that Harry realized he was being held gently, almost cradled.
He blinked up at the concerned face above him, "Draco?"
Draco nodded, smoothing his hands down Harry's arms, "Are you alright?"
Harry nodded as well, rubbing his eyes, "Just nightmares, nothing I haven't survived before." He blinked, "Hang on, how did you get in my room?"
Draco almost smiled, the barest lifting at the corner of his mouth, "That House Elf, the one you tricked my father into freeing?"
"Dobby."
Draco nodded, "That one. He came to get me, said you were having," here he mimicked Dobby's reedy, quavering voice, "'a monstrous and terrible dream' he said you were tossing and turning."
Harry blinked, "Why do you think he went to get you first?"
Another almost smile, running his fingers through Harry's hair, gently leaning his dark-haired companion back against his chest, tendering away the tenseness left over from the nightmare, "I've learned that House Elves usually know more than they let on. Particularly Hogwarts House Elves."
Harry blinked heavy-lidded eyes, studying the man looking down at him. Pale complexion and hair giving him an almost ethereal glow in the witching hour gloom, a seeming guardian angel.
He reached up, running his fingers gently along Draco's jaw, "You've changed."
Draco tried to smile, "Not since yesterday."
Harry shook his head slightly, "No, not since yesterday. Since. . . I'm not sure, ever I guess."
Draco nodded slowly reaching down to flick a lock of hair away from Harry's eyes, then he blinked, "Harry, what happened to your glasses?"
Harry smiled, apparently embarrassed, as a faint blush crept across his face, "One of the second years, Taylor Cameron, her pixie, Imp, got them. Poor girl was terrified, I don't think she really knew how to react when I told her that all she had to do was walk me to the hospital wing to see Pomfrey." Harry's eyes were completely closed now, nearly totally relaxed against Draco.
Draco smiled, running his hands down Harry's arms again, "You should go back to sleep, it's still hours before breakfast."
Harry nodded slowly, already halfway there, "Stay with me?"
Draco smiled again, still tendering the raven-haired beauty in his lap, "Of course I will Harry."
Harry was still nodding faintly, "And Draco? Don't go to sleep."
Draco's brow furrowed, puzzled by the request, "Alright Harry, I'll try."
Harry was already asleep, his breathing evening out, deepening.
Draco tilted his head, watching Harry sleep. It was the first time he'd seen 'Saint Potter' completely at ease. He half smiled, reaching down and running his thumb along Harry's cheekbone, ~No, not a saint, you've seen too much, done too much to be a Saint. An angel maybe, but never a saint.~
He smiled, resting his head back against the headboard, he only meant to close his eyes for a moment, to rest them.
What he felt was something akin to the sensation of traveling by portkey. Only the tug was behind his eyes and at his temples instead of behind his navel.
He blinked, confused, then saw Harry. Harry shook his head sadly, "I told you not to go to sleep. Now all you can do is wait it out."
Draco blinked, "Where ARE we?"
Harry smiled sadly, "Nightmare. You don't have to watch."
The nothingness around them, and Harry, swam before Draco's eyes, blurring at the edges and spreading out.
After a moment it all came back into focus. The first thing Draco saw was Harry, naked, against a wall, it took Draco a moment to realize that the only thing keeping Harry upright were the binding spells around his wrists.
That's when Draco saw. . . Himself, standing across the room, toying idly with his wand.
So far Harry didn't have a mark on him, aside from a dark smear of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Draco heard his own voice, cold, calculating, immaculately mannered, just loud enough to carry in the empty room, "Just give in already Potter. We both know you aren't going to leave this room alive. Honestly I'm surprised that you've managed this long without so much as a scream."
Harry's voice was thick with pain, but still had an edge of steely determination, "I'd never give you the satisfaction Malfoy."
Malfoy smiled slowly, "Satisfaction Potter? Is that what you think this is about?"
Draco could only shake his head, hand over his mouth. He knew, somehow, what spell his doppelganger intended to use. It was a sensitivity charm, used correctly it would heighten the recipient's senses to the point of arousal.
Harry inhaled sharply as the spell hit him, his lower lip caught between his teeth as he bit back the groan that was rising in his throat.
~Well that explains the blood~ Draco thought detachedly.
Malfoy strode forward, a slow smile spreading itself across his face, this was no ordinary smile, it was a full on Cheshire grin, all teeth and sadistic amusement.
Malfoy trailed the tip of his wand in an excruciatingly slow path down the center of Harry's chest, drawing a bright line of blood from the juncture of his collarbones to his navel.
Harry arched away from the pain of the wand, pressing himself against the wall behind him, a long low groan finally tearing itself free from his throat, his breath coming in harsh ragged gasps through clenched teeth.
Draco could see the venom in Harry's eyes, he'd gotten much the same look often enough when they were younger. But what Harry said next hit him like a punch in the stomach.
Harry's voice was low and pained, but still clear, "Do it Draco. End this, finish me. Please."
Malfoy's wand was over Harry's heart now, he nodded once, slowly, "Goodbye love. Avera kadavera."
Harry did scream then, it started low, and spiraled up to a wail, and up still to the shriek of a dying animal, and higher to the point where it was merely felt as a pressure against the eardrums
They both woke, gasping, Draco shook his head, eyes brimming, "I'm so sorry Harry, I'd never. . ."
Harry shook his head, silencing Draco with a finger against trembling lips, "I know Draco. It was just a nightmare. It doesn't mean anything."
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This chapter is a little darker than any of the others, and I'm not sure why, aside from the whole 'nightmare' thing. What I meant is I don't know why I felt like writing a dark and angsty chapter, it just sort of happened.
Harry jerked awake from a nightmare, eyes wide, gasping for air.
He reached instinctively for his glasses, before remembering that they'd been snitched by one of the students' pet pixie. Madame Pomfrey had given him an oculus potion to use until they could be replaced.
It was then that Harry realized he was being held gently, almost cradled.
He blinked up at the concerned face above him, "Draco?"
Draco nodded, smoothing his hands down Harry's arms, "Are you alright?"
Harry nodded as well, rubbing his eyes, "Just nightmares, nothing I haven't survived before." He blinked, "Hang on, how did you get in my room?"
Draco almost smiled, the barest lifting at the corner of his mouth, "That House Elf, the one you tricked my father into freeing?"
"Dobby."
Draco nodded, "That one. He came to get me, said you were having," here he mimicked Dobby's reedy, quavering voice, "'a monstrous and terrible dream' he said you were tossing and turning."
Harry blinked, "Why do you think he went to get you first?"
Another almost smile, running his fingers through Harry's hair, gently leaning his dark-haired companion back against his chest, tendering away the tenseness left over from the nightmare, "I've learned that House Elves usually know more than they let on. Particularly Hogwarts House Elves."
Harry blinked heavy-lidded eyes, studying the man looking down at him. Pale complexion and hair giving him an almost ethereal glow in the witching hour gloom, a seeming guardian angel.
He reached up, running his fingers gently along Draco's jaw, "You've changed."
Draco tried to smile, "Not since yesterday."
Harry shook his head slightly, "No, not since yesterday. Since. . . I'm not sure, ever I guess."
Draco nodded slowly reaching down to flick a lock of hair away from Harry's eyes, then he blinked, "Harry, what happened to your glasses?"
Harry smiled, apparently embarrassed, as a faint blush crept across his face, "One of the second years, Taylor Cameron, her pixie, Imp, got them. Poor girl was terrified, I don't think she really knew how to react when I told her that all she had to do was walk me to the hospital wing to see Pomfrey." Harry's eyes were completely closed now, nearly totally relaxed against Draco.
Draco smiled, running his hands down Harry's arms again, "You should go back to sleep, it's still hours before breakfast."
Harry nodded slowly, already halfway there, "Stay with me?"
Draco smiled again, still tendering the raven-haired beauty in his lap, "Of course I will Harry."
Harry was still nodding faintly, "And Draco? Don't go to sleep."
Draco's brow furrowed, puzzled by the request, "Alright Harry, I'll try."
Harry was already asleep, his breathing evening out, deepening.
Draco tilted his head, watching Harry sleep. It was the first time he'd seen 'Saint Potter' completely at ease. He half smiled, reaching down and running his thumb along Harry's cheekbone, ~No, not a saint, you've seen too much, done too much to be a Saint. An angel maybe, but never a saint.~
He smiled, resting his head back against the headboard, he only meant to close his eyes for a moment, to rest them.
What he felt was something akin to the sensation of traveling by portkey. Only the tug was behind his eyes and at his temples instead of behind his navel.
He blinked, confused, then saw Harry. Harry shook his head sadly, "I told you not to go to sleep. Now all you can do is wait it out."
Draco blinked, "Where ARE we?"
Harry smiled sadly, "Nightmare. You don't have to watch."
The nothingness around them, and Harry, swam before Draco's eyes, blurring at the edges and spreading out.
After a moment it all came back into focus. The first thing Draco saw was Harry, naked, against a wall, it took Draco a moment to realize that the only thing keeping Harry upright were the binding spells around his wrists.
That's when Draco saw. . . Himself, standing across the room, toying idly with his wand.
So far Harry didn't have a mark on him, aside from a dark smear of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Draco heard his own voice, cold, calculating, immaculately mannered, just loud enough to carry in the empty room, "Just give in already Potter. We both know you aren't going to leave this room alive. Honestly I'm surprised that you've managed this long without so much as a scream."
Harry's voice was thick with pain, but still had an edge of steely determination, "I'd never give you the satisfaction Malfoy."
Malfoy smiled slowly, "Satisfaction Potter? Is that what you think this is about?"
Draco could only shake his head, hand over his mouth. He knew, somehow, what spell his doppelganger intended to use. It was a sensitivity charm, used correctly it would heighten the recipient's senses to the point of arousal.
Harry inhaled sharply as the spell hit him, his lower lip caught between his teeth as he bit back the groan that was rising in his throat.
~Well that explains the blood~ Draco thought detachedly.
Malfoy strode forward, a slow smile spreading itself across his face, this was no ordinary smile, it was a full on Cheshire grin, all teeth and sadistic amusement.
Malfoy trailed the tip of his wand in an excruciatingly slow path down the center of Harry's chest, drawing a bright line of blood from the juncture of his collarbones to his navel.
Harry arched away from the pain of the wand, pressing himself against the wall behind him, a long low groan finally tearing itself free from his throat, his breath coming in harsh ragged gasps through clenched teeth.
Draco could see the venom in Harry's eyes, he'd gotten much the same look often enough when they were younger. But what Harry said next hit him like a punch in the stomach.
Harry's voice was low and pained, but still clear, "Do it Draco. End this, finish me. Please."
Malfoy's wand was over Harry's heart now, he nodded once, slowly, "Goodbye love. Avera kadavera."
Harry did scream then, it started low, and spiraled up to a wail, and up still to the shriek of a dying animal, and higher to the point where it was merely felt as a pressure against the eardrums
They both woke, gasping, Draco shook his head, eyes brimming, "I'm so sorry Harry, I'd never. . ."
Harry shook his head, silencing Draco with a finger against trembling lips, "I know Draco. It was just a nightmare. It doesn't mean anything."
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