It has been so long since I've updated and I have no excuse other than the fact I've been outside hiking way more! Do you guys have any hobbies that make you happy? Share with the class in the reviews! Your reviews really did motivate me to type another chapter so keep them coming! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Draco POV

"Dray, you should get some sleep," I mumble quietly into his bare chest. My only response is his arms wrapping around me tighter causing me to huff in frustration. Pushing myself onto my elbow, I look down and peer into his drowsy eyes. Lifting my hand from his chest, I brush my thumb under his eye where a dark shadow has bloomed. He grabs my hand and presses a kiss into my palm before placing it back on his chest. I give him a small smile and watch as his eyes blink slowly like he's fighting sleep.

Glancing over at the side table, I see the clock blink back at me in the dark room and see it's two in the morning. Shaking my head, I turn my gaze back to Draco to find him staring at the ceiling silently. Sliding into his mind, I feel myself getting lost in his self-depreciating thoughts about not being able to keep me safe. I go to open my mouth to tell him he's wrong when he shakes his head.

"Don't try to make me feel better," he says in a clipped voice devoid of emotion. I press my lips together to keep my anger at bay knowing that wouldn't help. Taking a deep breath, I decide to change the topic onto something safer.

"When was the last time you slept well, my dragon?" His eyes flicker to me in confusion before settling on a look of exhaustion. With a shrug of his shoulders, he goes back to staring at the ceiling. I can feel my frustration building from lack of sleep and I can practically feel Draco's anger and self-hatred simmering below the surface. Knowing I need to tread carefully if I don't want to fight with an emotionally exhausted Draco, I let out a huff of air before leaning down to softly press my lips against his. Before he has the chance to respond to the kiss, I straddle him and prop my chin up on my hands to look up at him from his chest.

"Bry, you should be sleeping," he mumbles and tries to push me off of him. I press my thighs into the outside of his and refuse to budge while scrunching my eyebrows up at him in confusion. I can feel he's slowly edging me out of his mind and I can feel my heart starting to beat a little faster.

"What are you doing?" He stays silent and continues to stare at the ceiling. I reach my hand out only to be rebuffed and he's finally successful of pushing me off of him. Now on the side of him, I sit up completely and stare down at him with hurt written all over my face.

"Briar, go to sleep," he mumbles and rolls over so his back is to me. Taking a deep breath and swallowing in nervousness, I try to push down the rising panic within me now that I can't slip into his mind as easily.

"Draco…" My voice cracks at the end of his name and I can see his shoulders stiffen slightly at the sadness in my voice.

"Go to sleep, Briar. Now," he growls. Blinking back my tears, I try to think about what I could have possibly done to make him act like this, but I come up blank. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I open my mouth to say something before quickly closing it. My eyes blink furiously to expel the mistiness quickly gathering in my eyes, but it only results in a single tear sliding down my face in a silent caress.

Standing up from the bed, I go to the closet to grab a pair of flannel pants to cover my button down clad body. Opening his wardrobe, I can see Draco staring at me in the mirror and all I see is coldness. He has completely shut me out. Looking away from his gaze and blinking again, another lone tear makes it way down my face as a quiet whimper leaves my mouth. Closing the wardrobe, I quickly donned the pair of pants and quietly shuffle to his bedroom door.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice is ice cold and I can feel myself shiver. Rubbing my arms with my hands to try and expel the coldness, I whisper back my answer.

"To the kitchen to get some tea. I'm not tired," I say in a raspy voice as result of pushing past the lump in my throat. I can hear the bed rustling and I know he's going to stand up.

"Okay, lets go to the kitchen then," he grumbles. I shake my head and turn my body to face him as my arms continue to try and rub some warmth into my skin.

"I would like to go alone," I mumble. I hear him scoff and I look up at him in surprise.

"Not a chance. You're not leaving my sight until the wards are checked and strengthened in a few hours," he states in tone that signals the conversation is over, but I stare at him in bewilderment.

"I don't want to be near you right now," I whisper with hurt laced in every word. He stares at me in shock and I can tell my words have hurt him, but I just keep thinking of the coldness he exhibited moments ago.

"What?" His voice is barely above a whisper.

"I don't know what I did to make you so cold to me, Draco, but I don't want to fight with you. I'm going to get some tea. Alone," I whisper unable to meet his eye. Before he can say anything else, I quickly unlock the door and rush into the hallway to get to the stairs.

With my head down, I stumble around in the dark silently cursing myself for not grabbing my wand on the side table before leaving. Rushing through the hallways, I find myself in the hallway by Blaise's' room. Taking a deep breath, I take a few more steps and find my fist quietly rapping on his door a few seconds later. Waiting for a few moments, I knock again when there's no response. Letting out a sigh in defeat at the silence, I turn to walk to Narcissa's room to try her instead when I hear the door open behind me.

"Bry? Is everything okay?" Turning around, I see a sleepy Blaise in silk green pajama pants with sleep tousled hair in the crack of his open door. His concerned eyes meet my tearful ones. Sniffling a little, his eyes harden and he opens his door wide for me to step over the threshold. Walking into his room, I find myself crawling under the covers of his bed and pulling the covers up so only my face is sticking out. I sniffle again and curl into a ball on my side. He walks over to the bed and sits next to me and smooths my hair back from my face gently.

"I don't know what I did, Blaise," I whimper out. "Draco went cold on me and I don't know how to fix it. I don't even know what I did," I cry. Sniffling again, I press my face into the pillow and start to sob as I feel my heart contract in pain.

"Oh, Bry…I'm so sorry. Do you want me to go punch him? He might be my best mate, but you're like a sister to me. I'll go fight him right now if you want me to," he says teasingly. I let out a watery giggle and glance up to see him smirking at me. I shake my head and sniffle again. With a sigh, he lays down facing me on top of the covers and wipes away a tear that's fallen from my eye.

"I just…I told him he should get some sleep because I could tell he hasn't been sleeping and he snapped at me. It escalated and I didn't want to fight so I left and came here. I don't know what to do. I'm sorry for disrupting your sleep," I mumble shyly knowing he must've been passed out.

"Hey, none of that," he says before I feel his hand lifting my chin to look at him. His head lays on the pillow next to me and I can tell he has bags under his eyes. "You already know I'm here whenever you need me as a protector, friend, and annoying brother figure of course," he teases. I giggle and snuggle into his pillow more as the lack of sleep starts to catch up with me.

"Thank you, Blaise. I really appreciate you being there for me," I mumble as I feel my eyelids getting heavier with every stroke of his hand through my hair. I find myself remembering nights when I missed Draco and I came here to talk to him for hours until I fell asleep. He soon found the quickest way to get back to sleep after a nightmare was to stroke my hair lightly.

"Of course, Bry. Get some sleep, okay? I'll be right here the entire time," he whispers as my eyes succumb to the sleep I've been depriving myself of.

Thirty Minutes Later

A knocking pulls me from my sound sleep and I find myself groaning in annoyance.

"Dray, get the door," I mumble sleepily. I'm met with a sleepy chuckle and a kiss on the head before he gets up to answer whoever is banging on the door incessantly. Blinking my eyes open slowly, I quickly remember the scene in the bedroom with Draco and how I came to stay with Blaise and find myself fending off new tears. The knocking stops as Blaise rips the door open to stop the loud pounding.

"Merlin, it took you long enough! I need your help, I can't find Briar and I…" Draco's voice trail off as I sleepily groan and rub my eyes in annoyance.

"So you're back to caring about me, huh?" My sleepy grumble is met by a teasing chuckle from Blaise as I sit up and let the blankets fall into my lap. Turning my attention to an amused Blaise and a verydispleased Draco, I find myself fixing Draco with a glare at being interrupted from my sleep, but also his treatment in his room.

"Nice hair, Bry," Blaise teases. I'm sure my hair is knotted and mused from sleeping fitfully, but I can't find it in me to care. Settling on sticking my tongue out at him, I turn to meet Draco's eyes which are blazing in anger and sadness?

"The entire time I was frantically searching the entire Manor's grounds because I was worried you had been taken, you were here with Blaise?!" I shrug my shoulders in nonchalance and run my fingers through my hair in annoyance.

"He doesn't try to push me away when he thinks he's incapable of protecting me. He knows it's important to put my safety first in front of his temper and thoughts of self-depreciation," I finish with a growl. I watch as Blaise looks at me with pride as Draco looks at me in shock that I was able to figure out why he was so angry. Opening his mouth to say something, I shake my head and cut him off. "I don't want to hear it, Draco. I'm exhausted and I want to go to bed. I would prefer it be in our bed, but I refuse to be back in our room just for you to give me the cold shoulder just because you feel unable to protect me because my role in this war has made me a target. That has nothing to do with you and if you can accept that? Great, we can go back to our room and go to sleep cuddled together like we were supposed to before you took your insecurities out on the last person that deserved it. If not, I'll stay here with Blaise and his ability to not let his insecurities lead his emotions. The choice is yours," I challenge.

Both of the guys look at me in gaping shock with their mouths hanging open. Blaise glances at Draco before glancing back at me with a glint in his eyes. I can feel him sliding into my mind so I open the connection.

Trust me. I look at him curiously, but slightly nod my head when Draco glances at Blaise in question at our glance.

"Alright, Draco, well, if you're not going to make a decision, then I will happily kick you out so I can get back into bed with Briar. She's a very cuddly sleeper, did you know that? Oh, and she does this thing with her nose when she scrunches it up in her sleep when…" his voice is interrupted with a low growl from Draco. Marching into the room, Draco grabs my hand and soon, I find myself wrapping my legs around his waist as his hands settle under my thighs to keep me in the air. Resting my head on his shoulder, I glance up to look at Blaise with a wink as we walk past him.

"Goodnight, Blaise," I tease and send a smile of appreciation towards his direction.

"Goodnight, beautiful. Make sure you come back if you get tired of his cuddles and want mine," he teases. I giggle as Draco grabs my thighs tighter and growls a "Goodnight, Blaise" in response.

Wrapping my arms around Draco's neck, I settle into his embrace more comfortably as we make the journey back to our room in silence. Pressing my nose into his neck, I find myself being lulled to sleep surrounded by the distinct smell of Draco and the soft sound of his heartbeat against my ear.

Guys, I don't think you understand how much I love Blaise and Briar's friendship. It makes me giggle every time they banter! Leave a review, my loves! They keep me going!