Just your average 6th year

Trolls, death, Christmas surprises, near fatal Quidditch matches, it's all in your average 6th year at Hogwarts.

Chapter 4 – midnight wanderings

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He didn't come to the feast. He didn't walk in, he didn't sit down; he didn't show up at all. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. After all, he is my enemy. Or at least, I think he is. I know that a year ago he was. But now, now I'm not so sure. I think I still hate him, and he probably still hates me; but there was something else there when I talked to him in the train. Almost like he's stopped feeling anymore. Like he isn't capable of hating. I don't know though.

As we get up to leave, I think of talking to Professor Dumbledore, maybe asking him where Draco is. But even as I think this, I know I can't. For one thing, we're supposed to hate each other. For another, Dumbledore is gone as soon as everyone has stood up to leave. It looks like I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to see if Draco is still alive.

Ron is watching me closely as we walk back to the common room. I guess I deserve it, I haven't really said much to either him or Hermione. After a summer of not talking to anyone, you would think that I'd be bursting to talk, but I'm not. I don't know why either.

It seems as if I know nothing tonight. My mind keeps wandering, leaving a deep dark void, which bears no answers for my questions. Which is rather annoying, because now when I need my mind, it is no longer functioning properly. It always seems to be that way.

We have reached the common room now. With a new password, infinite, the fat lady opens up for us to enter. It is too early to be in bed, especially on the first day of term, so Ron, Hermione and I take seats in one of the corners of the room, to talk. About what, I haven't a clue, but I suppose I should join in the conversation.

"...all I did. What about you Harry?"

I look at Hermione, wondering what she wants. I haven't paid any attention to them, so I don't know what it is they're talking about.

"What did you do on your holidays Harry?"

"Oh. My holidays. Nothing really." In a way, it's the truth. I don't want to lie to my two best friends. But I don't want to tell them either.

"Nothing happened?" Ron asks.

"That's what I said Ron."

"I wish you could have stayed with us for a while. But Dumbledore said no. Dunno why."

"He had his reasons."

"Yeah? What were they?"

"I don't know Ron. Why don't you ask him?"

"Maybe I will."

"So do it and quit whining."

"Harry!" Hermione interrupted. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired. I'm going to bed."

I stand up, and walk away from them. I'm not tired at all, but I want to get away from Ron and Hermione. They ask too many questions, questions that I can't answer. God, I'm starting to sound like some stupid adult. I want to tell them, I just can't. Instead, I keep walking into the dorm, sit down on my bed, and pull the curtains closed. I lay back, staring at the ceiling, waiting for something. Or maybe nothing.

I let my thoughts wander, and drift off until I am thinking of nothing, but counting my breaths. Breathe in, breathe out. It's simply really. Such a very simple thing that we have to do in order to keep alive. In the end that's all it comes down to, whether we breathe or not.

Some time later I hear Ron come into the room; I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. I hear him move around, making enough noise so that I know he is there, but so he doesn't wake the others, who are already asleep in bed. When he finally stops moving around, I open my eyes again. After ten minutes of just listening, I can tell that he is fast asleep.

I get up, and dig through my gear for the invisibility cloak. Pulling it out, I wrap it around my shoulders, draw it close to me like it's the security blanket I never had. I walk out the door of the dorm, and into the common room. There is nobody here, but I can hear voices up in some of the dorm rooms. Pushing open the portrait, I walk out and into the hallway.

I don't know where I am going, really. Just that I want to wander around for awhile. So I do just that, wander. I walk back down to the great hall, and as I walk through, I can imagine just what it looks like during meal times. Even after a summer away from here, it feels like coming home. I don't think I'll ever forget anything from Hogwarts. There are too many strong memories from here, memories that I don't think I could forget even if I tried to.

After about an hour, or maybe more, I find myself wandering back upstairs. I climb flight after flight of stairs, not realizing where I am going until I reach the astronomy tower. The large, round room that is just perfect for sitting in to think. I don't know why, but there is something about round rooms that comforts me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Dumbledore's office is round.

I walk over to one of the large windows, and lean against it for a moment. The night's breeze is slightly chilly, foretelling of a cold winter that it still a long time away from us. I'm living in the present at the moment, and don't care to be reminded of the fact that there is still tomorrow waiting for me. I live each day as it comes, take each moment for it's own merits.

Stepping away from the window, I move around the wall to the next one. But before I reach there, I stumble over something, and fall on my face. I turn to look, and see that there is nothing there, but that something is making a moaning sound. Sitting up, I send out a hand, and collide with what seems to be another hand, looking for me. I drop my hand, just looking at the air in front of me. After a moment's pause, I hear a soft voice.

"Who's there?"

I don't reply, but instead move my hand out from underneath the invisibility cloak. It hangs in the air in front of me, before being joined by a pale white hand from the other person. One look at the hand, and I know who it is that is under the invisibility cloak.

"What's the matter Malfoy?" I ask quietly, "Forgot your password?"

As I say this, I pull off my own invisibility cloak, and at the same time reach forward and pull of his. His face is paler than usual, and there are red rims around his eyes, which are puffy. It looks as if he has been crying.

"Stuff you Potter. I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Why? Because you a blessed Malfoy? And nobody can ever harm you?"

I see him flinch, and draw back from me slightly. I don't know what from, and I'm not too sure that I really want to know why. He doesn't answer my question, but just stares at me through his red eyes. After a minute, I look away.

"What's wrong with you Potter? Not good enough to look me in the eye?"

"I don't see why anyone would want to."

"Oh, but they do. Much more so than they do you."

"As if Malfoy. I think you're still in the land of dreams."

"Better the land of dreams than the land of reality."

I look at Malfoy sharply, wondering just why he would say such a thing. When he sees me staring at him, all he does is smirk.

"What, did I say something wrong Potter?'

"No. You just echoed my exact thoughts. Why?"

"Why what Potter?"

"Why is it better living in the land of dreams for you?"

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because I'm the only person in the room. Besides, what else are you going to do?"

"Insult you."

"Oh well isn't that fun. Would you like a medal saying that you've insulted me once again?"

"Ah, the Prince of Sarcasm strikes again."

"And who would be the King?"

"Why, me, of course."

"Yeah right. Look, Malfoy, you going to tell me or not?"

"I still don't see why you'd want to know. After all, we hate each other, no?"

"I'd say we do, but I'm not sure either."

"Well, why do you want to know?"

"Because we're sitting a room together, and I don't think either of us really wants to back to our real room, so we may as well talk. Besides, I'm curious. Especially after that wonderful display on the train today. How is your head, by the way?"

"It's fine. I would have been fine if you hadn't interrupted me in the first place."

"So sorry your highness. Now, will you tell me why or not?"

"You don't give up do you?"

"No. I take that as a yes then?"

"Bloody annoying brat. All right. You'd better get comfortable, cause this may take awhile."

I folded up the invisibility cloak, and set it down on the ground against the wall. Sitting on it, I lent into the wall, facing Draco. He held his cloak in his hands, twisting the fabric as he began to speak.

"I guess the first thing I should tell you is, my parents aren't who they appear to be. Sure, they can be nice sometimes, but when they get angry, you really don't want to be there..."

I sit with Draco for nearly an hour, listening to his tale about his parents. He calmly tells me of the events of the previous night, until he has spoken of his house elf waking him up. Then his voice begins to crack, as it did on the train earlier. And when he tells me of what happened to his parents, his voice breaks completely, and I can see that he is struggling to keep back the tears.

Moving gently to sit by his side, I tentatively lay my arm across his shoulders. He looks up at me, with tears still threatening to spill, and is about to say something, but doesn't. Instead, he lets his head fall onto my shoulder, and cries. I can feel the tears get soaked up in my robes, but I don't worry about that. Instead, I just let Draco cry until the tears have finished falling, and he pulls away.

"If you tell anyone any of this Harry..." he begins.

"I know. You'll hex me to Australia and back. Don't worry. I don't spill other peoples secrets."

"Good."

We sit in silence for a few minutes before Draco gets up. He carefully smoothes the non-existent crease out of his cloak, before draping it around his shoulders.

"I'd better be going now."

"Yeah."

I watch as he walks toward the door, still with the invisibility cloak only partially covering him. Before he walks out of the door though, he turns around to face me.

"Harry?"

"Yeah Draco?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He pulls his cloak around his shoulders more firmly, and drapes it over his head. After I hear the last of his footsteps fade into the distance, I get up myself and put my cloak on. But I don't leave the room, instead I walk over to the window and sit on the windowsill until the sun is about to rise and I have to leave.

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Well, if there is actually anybody reading this, I'm sorry for not updating in a while. Just finished my mid-term exams. So, have been busy doing study and stuff. But I'll try and get another chapter out soon.