Chapppppppter five! Wow, my spell check hates me. Oh well. I should really go to bed right now since it's like one thirty in the morning and I have to get up at seven to get ready for work. Well, no one ever said I was practical…besides, what's better? Sleep, or another chapter? (I think the author and the readers would differ on this one, but for some reason, the reader thing is winning me over.) If I don't write this, I might think about it all day when I should be concentrating on shelving books in alphabetical order…(some of the sections are so messed up though that I don't really think it makes a different) but I'm going stop rambling now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Or any Chronicles of Narnia references I made in this chapter. (Has anyone seen the trailer for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe yet? It's so awesome looking! Even though they started with the wrong book…(I'm a nerd, can you tell?))

Warnings: General weirdness. Stuff.

Ghosts

Chapter Five

The next couple of weeks, even though it was completely strange to think about, there was almost a routine that the whole group fell into. Mrs. Weasley had decided the best way to keep the children out of trouble was to have them do chores. Mostly just keeping the enormous house clean. Draco had protested loudly to doing chores, but only after the first few days, and then he settled in, maybe because Mrs. Weasley ran a tight ship and knew how to put her foot down.

It was a strange sight to see Draco doing the dishes, albeit magically, and methodically getting each dish as clean as possible. Harry found himself not paying as much attention to his own chores as he did when Draco was cleaning in the same room as him. Was it the shock of seeing Draco doing any sort of manual labor? Or was it just because of the look on Draco's face as he went about his task? Efficient, calculating, and scrutinizing.

It wasn't as though the whole household was in perfect peace with Draco. Ron and him could not be left alone in a room together and Harry and Hermione always made sure to be in the room with them.

"Stunning Spells at the ready." Hermione would joke quietly whenever they went into a room with the two.

Mostly they just started insulting each other back and forth, which Harry or Hermione would cut in during and try and change the subject. Besides insulting Ron, Draco didn't say much else. He said little to Harry, even though Harry would catch him looking at him.

Draco would talk to Ginny though. Harry wasn't sure Ron actually knew that whenever Ginny said she was going up to her room, she'd just happen to wander upstairs and start chatting with the blonde-haired boy. Harry didn't know what they talked about, but sometimes he wondered why Draco wouldn't bother talking to him but he would talk to Ginny.

Things aren't different between us. We aren't friends or anything.

But…something did happen between us…

I don't know what though.

Ron spent most of his time complaining about Draco to Harry and Hermione. (Ginny would usually just roll her eyes and leave the room when this happened.) Harry would just sort of shrug and Hermione would just nod patiently, in such a fashion that Harry wouldn't be surprised to learn that she wasn't actually listening at all. One day, Hermione did stick up for Draco.

"He's actually almost pleasant." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "He doesn't say a whole lot, which I must say, is a vast improvement from 'filthy Mudblood'."

"He's still a wanker." Ron muttered bitterly. Harry didn't blame him, he and Draco never had anything remotely pleasant to say to each other. He wasn't sure if Draco was just reciprocating the animosity Ron was obviously feeling towards him or not. It seemed like Draco had a very active defense system.

"Well, he's bound to have relapses." Hermione reasoned. "Actually, he reminds me of Eustace from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I keep expecting him to say, 'I'm afraid I've been pretty beastly.'" She giggled a little at this thought.

"The Voyage of the What?" Ron's face screwed up in confusion.

"The Chronicles of Narnia, honestly, Ron…" Hermione shook her head and sighed a little. "Although I guess since you grew up in an all magic family…"

"I'm going to go take a shower." Ron grabbed his towel. "If Malfoy isn't using it…that idiot spends more time in there than anyone else in the world…" And then he scowled and left the room.

As soon as he did, Harry felt the sudden urge to ask Hermione a question. He kept wanting to bring it up, but he didn't know how. And it seemed weird to ask anyone, but he wanted to know.

He decided to just go for it.

"Hermione," Hermione turned towards him. "Do you know remember Theodore Nott?"

"The Slytherin boy?" Hermione's face screwed up as tried to remember. "A little…I never actually talked to him or anything. Why?"

"Oh." Harry tried to look nonchalant. "Malfoy said that he died."

"How?" Hermione looked a bit surprised.

"I don't know." Harry admitted. "But Malfoy…Malfoy said that I was the reason he was dead. What do you think that means?"

"Hmm," Hermione frowned a little as she gathered her thoughts. "My only guess would be that in fact, you didn't really have any hand in his death, but Malfoy has somehow redirected his anger over the matter towards you, which wouldn't be hard to do for him. He's blamed you for things before."

"Wish I knew what happened…" Harry trailed off. Why did he want to know? He shouldn't, it didn't make a difference at all, it was Malfoy's business…But yet it still bothered him and he found himself laying in bed some nights, staring up at the ceiling, knowing that somewhere above his head, Draco was sleeping, or maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was staring up at his own ceiling…

"I know you do." Hermione smiled knowingly at him. "I think part of you wants to make friends with Malfoy."

"What?" Harry looked perplexed at this suggestion. "I didn't say that."

"I know." Hermione's knowing smile grew wider. "But I can tell that what's you're thinking. I can understand why. You two have known each other for a long time…and now you're both in the same situation. Malfoy's family wants him dead, he doesn't really have a family anymore and you…" She trailed off, obviously not sure how to go on. "Maybe a part of you understands Malfoy more than you realize."

"Have you been at those Cheering Charms again?" Harry asked suspiciously. Hermione threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the side of the head. They grinned at each other.

"Of course, you have to remember…" Hermione grew serious again. "It won't be easy trying to be friends with him. Malfoy's not going to make it easy and Ron…" Hesitation. Hermione always hesitated when she almost said something bad about Ron. Unless it was to the redhead's face. "I can't say that I like Draco, but he has gotten easier to be around and well…I told you once that I thought bravery and friendship was more important than books and cleverness…I still think so and it's situations like this that remind me of that."

"That was really deep Hermione." Harry observed.

"Of course it was!" Hermione shook her head in exasperation. "I don't see why you and Ron insist on giving each other bad advice all the time when you could just come to me." She pretended to be weary of this.

Hermione was right. Being friends with Draco. It was hard to imagine, but at the same time, not hard to imagine. It wasn't as though they'd be inseparable best friends by tomorrow. But they could be something…

But sometimes he didn't like Draco at all. Sometimes he wished that the blonde-haired boy just didn't exist. And sometimes he was even glad that Draco was there. It just didn't make sense. But who said these sorts of things were easy?

Harry woke up in a cold sweat. He didn't know what he had been dreaming about but he was terrified, his heart was racing, and he knew that in his dream, something horrible had been happening. Another nightmare.

He tried to go back to sleep. He tossed and turned but it didn't help. No position made him feel any sleepier than any other. Ron's snoring seemed too loud. Deciding to get a drink of water, Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up. The grey t-shirt and white boxers he was wearing were all rumpled up and his glasses, that he put on groggily, felt askew. He didn't even bother grabbing his robe as he felt uncomfortably warm as it was.

He walked down the silent, dark, hall on his way to the bathroom. The whole house was sleeping, except for him. It was like the ghost of a place, empty of its life, even if just for a few hours. His feet, in their white socks, padded along the floor. But for some reason, when he got to the stairs to the next floor, he stopped. Harry stared up into the darkness and the stairs that led further up.

Why am I standing here?

There was a strange hopeful feeling in his mind that he couldn't fathom and finally he moved away from the stairs and to his left. He turned on the light and grabbed a cup, filling it up with water. Then he carefully turned the water off and tilted his head and the cup back, taking a long drink of water. He emptied the cup and when he looked at himself in the mirror, he just stared at his reflection.

It's because I'm tired.

I'll go back to bed and just go to sleep…

Even though that still seemed impossible. He didn't really feel like going back to sleep and was sure he was in for another night of tossing and turning until the sun came up.

"Are you going to stand there all night, Potter?" Draco's voice startled him and he dropped the paper cup he had been holding. He quickly grabbed it and looked up to see the blonde-haired teenager, looking at him imperiously with those ice blue eyes.

"No." Harry felt somewhat dumb. It was strange to see Draco in the same thing he was wearing, with his hair rumpled up. It made the Slytherin boy seem a little more human, a little more like him. Harry stepped outside of the bathroom and stood there, even after Draco had closed the door. What was he waiting for? What was he doing?

Draco came out a few minutes later. When he opened the door and saw Harry there, he quirked an eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked him.

"I'm…" Harry looked down to see he was still holding his cup. "I was still thirsty."

"What are you doing up?" Draco questioned him, moving so that Harry could get around him and use the sink. Draco's tone wasn't friendly, nor was it exactly mean. He sounded suspicious, if anything.

"I couldn't sleep." Harry mumbled as he filled up the glass again. Then he glanced over at Draco. "Why are you up?"

"I had to use the bathroom." Draco answered, almost defensively. "Why can't you sleep? Weasley's snoring?" Harry laughed a little. "What? You can hear it from here."

"No." Harry shook his head. "Just…bad dreams."

"Oh." Harry had touched the taboo subject between them. That night…which seemed like a million years ago. Draco's expression became unreadable. Harry would have given anything to know what he was thinking. "I can't really sleep either."

"Maybe we should stay up together." Harry suggested without thinking. Then he tried to explain. "It'll give us something to do."

"I suppose it will be more interesting than just lying in bed." Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Come on then." And Harry followed him up the stairs and down the hallway to his bedroom.

For some reason, they didn't turn light any candles or anything. They just sat on Draco's bed in the dark. Harry saw for the first time that Draco's bed was actually right next to a large window and he stared out at the twinkling night sky. They didn't really talk at all; they just stared out the window together.

"Do you like it here?" Harry ventured after awhile, still looking out the window.

"It's not terrible." Draco's answer was begrudging. "Other than the chores."

"They aren't that bad." Harry couldn't help but smile to himself. "I noticed you and Ginny talk a lot." Why had he brought that up? Draco didn't say anything and Harry thought he must be wondering where Harry was going with this. Draco was always so careful…he always seemed to match the mood of the other person. "Ron hasn't noticed yet…he probably won't like it when he does."

"Like I really do anything based on whether or not Weasley approves." Draco scoffed. Harry leaned back, propping himself up with his hands behind him. They sank into the soft white blankets that the two boys were sitting on top of.

"No, but if you and Ginny are friends, he's bound to say something." Harry pointed out logically.

"If I want to talk to Ginny, I will." Draco jutted out his chin a little. "It's not any of your business." Harry's head turned to look at the stubborn face in front of him.

"I forgot I'm just a nosy bastard that you hate." Draco had definitely struck a nerve. Neither of them said anything and Harry just turned back towards the window, trying to shut out Draco completely and focus on nothing but the sky.

"I don't think you're a nosy bastard." Draco finally broke the silence, which was unusual. Usually it was Harry that did this.

"Is this where you tell me that you don't hate me?" Harry asked, almost amused with the situation.

"No." Draco turned and fell over onto his pillow. "Sometimes I still do."

"But sometimes you don't." Harry turned towards him, a quirky, understanding smile playing at his lips. "I feel the same way about you…"

"Then we're in agreement." Draco actually smiled back. Then he shut his eyes and Harry found himself watching Draco instead of looking out the window. There was something about it that kept his eyes there instead of looking away, like he supposed he ought to.

"You called her Ginny." Harry realized all of a sudden. One of Draco's eyes opened. "You call everyone else by their last name."

"What else would you have me call you?" Draco asked in a cryptic tone.

"Harry." Harry didn't mean for it to come out. Both of Draco's eyes were open and he propped himself up on his elbows. His expression was measuring, but mixed with curiosity. Harry swallowed, not sure why his throat had constricted all of a sudden. "You could call me Harry."

"Why?" Draco asked, but not in his demanding, accusatory tone. He genuinely wanted an answer.

"Because I want you to." Harry couldn't think of any other reason that he could put into words. A strange, bittersweet, almost longing look, was there in Draco's eyes for a fleeting moment that Harry almost missed by blinking.

"Then I suppose you could call me Draco." Draco was studying his face, looking for something. At least that's what it felt like. And the night air seemed suddenly cool to Harry and he felt…he felt…

"Why?" Harry couldn't help but repeat the question.

"Because I want you to." Draco's small smile was enigmatic. Then he laid back against his pillow again. "I believe this staying up together thing is working…I'm feeling sleepy…"

"Me too." Harry longed to get under a blanket and be wrapped in warmth and drift off…He got up off of Draco's bed but it seemed somehow wrong to just leave. Not after what just happened, not that he could really say what had just happened. But it was something. "Is it alright if I sleep in the other bed?"

"If you want." Draco didn't bother opening his eyes. Harry walked over and slid under the covers of the other bed. Resting his head on the pillow, he turned so he was facing towards the window, towards Draco. He realized what the feeling that was making him feel so sleepy was. It was peace. He felt at peace all of a sudden. He saw that Draco had turned on his side, but was facing Harry.

Their eyes locked and they just looked at each other for the longest time. Harry didn't know why he suddenly wished their beds were closer together, he just did. It was as though they were trying to explain themselves to each other without saying a single word, because saying any of it out loud…it might break the spell.

"Good night, Draco." Harry finally said.

"Good night, Harry." Draco replied. And then, as if they had agreed on something, they both closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Omigod, I love that last scene. Sometimes, when you're writing, you kind of feel like a scene didn't flow as well, but that last scene just wrote itself. 'Here With Me' by Dido is now the official theme song of this story as I played it about a million times this chapter. Okay, the Chronicles of Narnia thing…Eustace is my favorite character from those books and every time I re-read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (my favorite book from the series!) and read the diary entries that Eustace makes, they totally remind me of Draco. I guess there's some obvious parallels between the two. (Mostly the whole, 'Eustace turning into a dragon' thing. Wait, is that a spoiler? Am I spoiling it for anyone? I think I'm spoiling it for Teresa because I think she still hasn't read them.) And also, that bit of dialogue popped into my head way back when I was writing the first chapter…waste not, want not. Please review!