The Darkness that Dreams Are Made Of
When Angels Loose Their Way
"Shh…quit moving."
"It hurts"
"I know…but if you don't clean them everyday the bandages will adhere to the skin and create a most, exquisite, pain to remove them. Unless you use a spell, probably a very delicate spell."
Draco winced slightly and remained silent. He had woken up in Harry's bed, snug under the worn cotton sheets, barely a clue as why he was there. Harry had slept on top of the blankets, still clothed in his outfit from before, one hand touching Draco's cheek.
The only thing he could remember from the night before was crying, and Harry had sat in his carriage, there had been something about blood; but most of all, he remembered Harry. His smell, his strength, and falling asleep in his arms.
As soon as Draco had moved Harry woke, blinking to adjust his eyes and for a moment Draco was afraid Harry had been just jerking his leash the whole time. Then, he smiled.
He had sat up and ruffled Draco's hair like he was a little brother and opened the curtains to the new rising sun. It was still so early. Harry showered and brushed his teeth, Draco hadn't moved from the bed. Once Harry was done, however, he forced Draco to do the same.
When Draco came out of the shower Harry was waiting with a tray of food and medical supplys to rebind his wounds again. Some of the wounds had started bleeding again and all of the wraps were sopped from the shower.
Harry hissed softly in sympathy, "This one's infected, hold still this is going to hurt like hell."
Draco bit his tounge to keep from crying out, unconsciously aware to the fact that in the room the other Gryffindors still slept on and the only thing that kept them from teasing, linching, or beating the crap out of him was Harry.
Proscrit uncoiled slightly, flicking the end of Draco's nose.
"Hmm, Proscrit was out hunting last night." Harry mused in parsel tongue.
"The castle ripe with the most, deliciously fat rats."
"Good hunting to you."
Draco shivered and closed his eyes, as eirily dark as Harry's parsel tongue was; it almost seemed to fit him now.
"There! One left, and this one's not too deep, then we can go to breakfast. You'll…", Harry started but was cut off by a, very, shocked Ron's gasp.
Harry paused and looked at him for a split second before continuing with his work. Draco refused to meet Ron's eyes, instead keeping his eyes' fixed in his lap. Harry began humming a completely random song as Ron stood in total shock, rubbing his eyes repeatedly as if he believed himself to be dreaming.
"Harry, please tell me I'm dreaming and that Malfoy's, not, sitting on the end of your bed and…this must be a dream, has to be a dream…"
Harry continued humming oblivious to Ron's ravings; in the end it was Draco that spoke up, so softly his words were almost transparent.
"That's what I thought, it's not a dream, as improbable as it all seems."
Ron's face went bright red. "Shut up Malfoy! I'll kill you this time, you stupid pureblooded ferret!"
Draco flinched and weakly attempted to cover the areas of greater damage on his body with his arms. Ron charged head long at Draco, fists up and ready. His rage only bested by his astonishment, for when he went to claim the first blow he contacted not Draco's fragile flesh, but instead, Harry's bulk. The blow hit right into Harry's abdomen, although thin, he was stronge and Ron's knuckles popped painfully upon connection.
Harry pressed Ron's shoulders back forcefully, his face deadly serious, "You will not touch him, and if you ever hurt him, I will never forgive you. Understand?"
"Why are you protecting him? Harry, what has happened to you?" Ron stammered.
"He's mine, no one elses and I will let nothing happen to him."
"Do you mean…" Ron paled and started to go green in the face.
But before Harry could answer, Draco spoke, "Not quite what you are thinking Mr. Weasley."
"What did you call me?" Ron looked down at Draco in bewilderment.
"Ron look at him!" Harry gestured at Draco's shirtless form, "He suffered more pain than any one person deserves, in a single beating as well. A family honor is not worth this, no amount of pain he has caused nor all the insults he's delt out. Leave him alone."
"Why? After all he's done to you, why are you doing this?"
"Because all my life I have been be protected and taken care of, I am left alone and I end up being beaten or almost killed and then as soon as I am back among you people, I get a piece of chocolate and a pat on the back. I hate it more than anyone person can imagine. What I wouldn't give to be normal, but I can't I am so tired of it all.
"That's one of the things we have in common, Draco and I, perhaps the only thing we have in common. We are both so tired of life. I want to take care of Draco, like I was taken care of. The lesser of two evils."
Harry stood up and threw Draco one of his shirts, much to loose but it suited him well enough. Draco pulled the shirt on gingerly and stood up, looking at Harry.
That look, hard to describe but I will try. It was not angery and not happy, it wasn't blank either but almost a look of soft desperation, as if he was still clutching at a fragile hope he himself had long ago thought since shattered.
"We're going down to breakfast, I'll see you there later."
Harry left, Draco trailing behind, leaving Ron standing in the middle of the dorm, a look of mixed horror on his face.