New Beginnings Series by HPFangirl71
Chapter 2: Sharing Secrets
It didn't take long for Draco to run into Potter again… in fact it was the very next night when he heard the knock upon his quarters. He moved to answer it and was shocked to find the dark haired hero standing at his doorway. He was holding out a fairly nondescript book.
"What's this?" he asked with morbid curiosity. After all, it wasn't everyday Harry Potter came to your door bearing gifts, especially if you were Draco Malfoy.
Harry just stood staring at him as he pushed the book into Draco's hands. He took the proffered gift and looked down to read the title. The book was embossed with the words Dreams and Nightmares: The Origin and Meaning of Dreams by Ernest Hartmann, M.D. He gave Potter a questioning look before speaking in as polite a tone as he could muster.
"Why are you giving me a Muggle book on dreams?" he questioned the man.
Instead of answering him right away, Potter pushed his way by, uninvited. Draco refused to be baited by the sod so he simply stepped aside and repeated his question.
"Because I saw your face Malfoy. I saw how pale you got when I mentioned Charity Burbage. I suspect we might be suffering from similar nightmares and I think we might be able to help one another"
Draco crossed the room, placing the book upon a small end table beside a leather loveseat.
"My nightmares are my problem Potter, not yours and I have them perfectly under control," he said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
Leave it to Potter to come here with the intentions of a hero. He didn't need the man swooping in to save him again. Harry sat upon the sofa and gave Draco a concerned look.
"Don't try to bullshit me Malfoy. I know how hard it is to get through this. I'm supposed to be the bloody hero and I'm still having trouble, that's why I left the Auror program."
"Well bully on you Potter, but I don't need your damn help!"
"Yeah, that's exactly what you told Snape during sixth year… and we all know how right you were then"
Potter's tone was matter of fact, not at all condescending but still it bothered Draco to have to accept help from him of all people.
"I don't need you to save me this time Potter!" Draco said in a barely contained screech.
"Yeah well maybe you're not the only one who needs saving"
Potter's voice was low and shaky as he spoke. Draco didn't want to face exactly what Potter was implying, they'd never been friends and he'd be damned if he helped the bloody fool.
"Fuck you Potter!"
"Actually I'm not at all interested in that at this point but thanks for the offer"
Potter grinned stupidly at him as if he found what he'd just said particularly clever or entertaining. Draco was going to make with a witty comeback of his own when suddenly Potter seemed sidetracked. His gaze had fallen upon a table nestled toward the back of the room.
"Are you brewing something?" he queried as he made his way toward the table and looked into a rather large black cauldron that was sitting in its middle.
"Like I said Potter, I have my nightmares all under control"
Draco watched as Potter again perused the lavender liquid that was bubbling at a slow simmer within the cauldron. He sniffed at the mostly odorless potion and then turned slowly toward Draco with a mostly unreadable look upon his face.
"You're brewing a sleeping potion," Potter said in a toneless voice.
"Still have a knack for stating the obvious, I see…" Draco replied with a halfhearted smirk upon his lips.
He was waiting for the man's outcry, waiting for him to point out the dangers of potion addiction. He just knew what the saintly Potter was thinking, that Draco was a coward not to face the demons of his past but frankly he didn't really care. Draco could only handle the horror of his dreams a few nights a week, so anything Potter might have to say was a moot point. Instead, he was shocked by the words that came next from within the man's lips.
"When will the brewing be done?"
"Why Potter… Interested?"
This time the smirk that Draco trained upon the man was of a more devious nature…
"See Malfoy… I told you we could help one another