Ch. 6: Do You Think You're Safe?

Darkness. From all directions the complete and utter darkness pressed in on the blonde teen sprawled on the floor. As if he could see it anyway. Fear coursed through his veins and a harsh shiver trailed down his spine.

Tears had begun to fall from his useless eyes. He could hear someone circling him, their ragged breathing reaching his ears. He didn't dare speak, didn't move besides his constant shivering.

It hurt him more than he could imagine to be able to hear the person's presence, to feel... whoever it was... circling him, but not being able to see. Plus, his salty tears were burning the still-tender wounds in his eyes.

"Do you think you're safe? Do you think that staying with Potter will protect you?" the voice hissed near his ear, causing the blonde to draw up.

He remained silent, hearing the gentle swish of the stranger's cloak as he made his way around and around.

"Do you think we won't come after you again? We will have you, Draco. Your blindness is a mere punishment until you come to your senses."

The last word echoed slightly and Draco shivered.

"And if you refuse to come to your senses," the voice hissed, Draco suddenly sensing the presence right beside him, "You will die. You die alone, useless, and broken. Do I make myself understood?"

Draco felt a cold blade press against his throat, and a swell of his own blood slide down his neck.

"You will join us, you will follow me."

"Malfoy!"

Draco woke up, or at least he thought he did. He wasn't quite sure, as he couldn't differentiate between consciousness and the dream world.

"Malfoy, wake up!"

The familiar voice sounded again, assuring Draco that he was, indeed, awake. He felt warm wetness on his cheeks, neck, and chest. He also felt one hand gently shaking his shoulder and the other working through his hair.

"Draco, please wake up, you're bleeding."

Draco's eyes finally shot open, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He brought a hand to his throat and brought it away, feeling the sticky texture of blood on his fingertips.

"He cut me Harry, help me," he sobbed, scrambling into a seated position and grabbing his throat.

Harry started to gather his wand and hissed, "Damn, I can't use my wand, Voldemort will be able to pinpoint my location, even if he won't be able to find me." He thought briefly and said, "Come on, I'm sure I have some muggle gauze in my bathroom somewhere."

He then pried one of Draco's hands from his neck and said, "Just follow me."

Draco only nodded and wiped away his endless tears, smearing his own blood across his cheeks. He allowed the Gryffindor to lead him to the loo, the dull burning in his eyes ebbing away slightly as he grew accustomed to the ache.

"What happened Malfoy? Was it... did you have a dream?" He questioned softly as he gently wiped away the blood on Draco's hands and neck.

Draco nodded gently, trying to calm his racing heart to no avail. "He threatened me. He said he would kill me if I didn't join him. He would kill me. I don't want to die."

Harry rinsed the red-tinted cloth and said, "Who, your father?"

Draco shook his head and whispered, "No, the Dark Lord. My father must have told him. He'll follow me; he'll follow whoever I'm with. I can't stay here."

Harry rummaged around for gauze and hospital tape before gathering what little he had and returning to the distraught blonde.

"We are going back to school in and month and this place can't be found by anyone unless I tell them where it is," Harry said reasonably. "And it's safe to say that I won't be telling Voldemort where I live any time soon."

Draco blinked a little in surprise as he felt Harry press ointment-moistened gauze to his neck. "It's safe here, but what about Hogwarts? I'll be in a dorm full of the followers of the Dark Lord, waiting like a sitting duck. I will barely be able to tell if someone is in the bloody room." He stopped, rubbing his leaking eyes gently. "I won't be safe there. The one place I have ever felt safe will be my downfall."

Harry wiped all the remaining blood away and grabbed the blonde's hand again, leading him back into the bedroom. He directed Draco to sit down in what felt like an overstuffed armchair.

"Tell you what," Harry said as he made sure Draco was alright, despite his evident fear, "I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore before we go back to see if you can maybe have your own room or something. It probably wouldn't be a great idea to..."

"To what?"

Harry made small grunts of effort under his breath while removing the bloodied sheets. "For you to come into Diagon Alley. Voldemort might have people looking for you. I'll help you make a list and I'll pick up your stuff as well."

Draco pulled his legs up into the chair and rested his head on his knees. He noted absently that the pyjama pants Harry had loaned him were slowly getting damp where his face was resting.

"Okay, I guess. I want Lupin to stay with me, if it's all right. He... I haven't really..." the blonde paused, trying to think of the right wording. "I haven't really tortured him in the past, have I? He has less of a reason to sneak up behind me and kill me."

Harry tossed a duvet over the bare mattress and pulled another out from under the bed. "For the record, neither Ron nor Hermione would sneak up behind you and kill you."

"Would you have?"

Harry paused after tossing two pillows onto the bed. "Wh… what do you mean?"

Draco pulled off his torn pyjama top and said, "Would you have snuck up behind me and killed me if you had the chance?"

Harry walked over to Draco and placed a light hand on his cheek. "Of course not. In all honesty I'm not sure I'll be able to kill Voldemort. I don't see good reasoning in stooping to that level. I know that he killed my parents, but I don't see how killing him will make a difference. It won't bring them back. So, what good would killing you do? What purpose would that serve?"

Draco stiffened as he felt Harry's thumb slide gently across his cheek as he lowered his hand to Draco's.

"Come on, you should go back to sleep."

"No Harry, I don't want..."

Harry led the blonde over to the bed and said, "You will have to sleep sometime. I'll give you a potion the next couple of nights, but after a while it doesn't work anymore. Believe me, I know."

Draco lay down apprehensively and sighed. "I don't want a potion. But..."

Harry lay down next to him and closed his eyes. "Yeah?"

The blonde turned his head to the side, feeling a slight crack as a scab on his throat snapped. "This may sound weird but..."

"Spit it out, Malfoy."

Draco hesitated. "I... I don't like you or anything, but..."

Harry smirked and said, "Yeah?"

Draco scowled and said, "I'm not into blokes or anything..."

"There's always room for improvement."

Draco's eyes shot open and Harry chuckled.

"Harry..."

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Draco bit his lip and whispered, "Will you hold me? You just... I don't know... make me feel safe, I guess."

Harry smiled and said, "Sure, I don't mind."

Draco tried to conceal his sigh of relief and said, "Okay."

The Gryffindor wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulders, fingering the soft blond hair at the base of his neck. Draco took in a deep breath of comfort, the linen scent of Harry on the boy himself somehow made him more concrete, more real. He could feel sleep coming almost instantly.

"Good night, Draco."

The blonde nestled his head into Harry's chest and sighed, "Night, Potter."

Thanks to brionyjae for the beta!