Chapter 16
The remainder of the Christmas Holidays fly by, and as the train ride back to Hogwarts looms ever closer, Harry finds himself more and more restless. He's continued to put off his conversation with Draco about Tom Riddle's Diary, and time is quickly running out. Harry can't seem to shake the feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye, and the thought that Draco could be caught up in something sinister absolutely terrifies him.
Groaning, Harry sloppily rolls over in bed, reaching out blindly for his wand. He grasps it and sits up, casting a quick tempus to tell him what time it is. He sighs when sees that it's only seven in the morning, cursing his brain for waking him up so early. For someone who's not a morning person, Harry sure as hell seems to wake up early, lately, at least. It's frustrating, and Harry is very much hoping that the early rising will stop once this whole diary fiasco has been resolved.
Harry ruffles his hair and rubs his eyes sleepily before raising his head to take in the early morning light streaming in through the curtains. He clumsily puts on his glasses and looks over to Hedwig and Adira, who are both still sound asleep on the other side of the room. Resigning himself to the curse of consciousness, Harry carefully swings his legs over the side of the bed, resting his bare feet on the frigid wood floor. He shivers and then stands, quietly padding over to the door and exiting his room.
He doesn't have a destination in mind when he begins wandering the halls of the Manor, but after about fifteen minutes he finds himself standing in front of the library doors. Harry smiles softly before entering the room, the hinges of the grand doors protesting as he pushes them open.
The library is bathed in warmth and light as the sun shines through the windows, casting intermittent shadows upon the floor. Harry walks further into the room, breathing deeply as the doors click shut behind him. He meanders over to the lavish sitting area, where one of the books he's been reading is still sitting on one of the desks. Taking a seat, Harry picks up the aged tome, opening it gently to where he left off as he settles down to read.
Harry is quickly lulled into a contented daze, allowing himself to be transported to another world as he reads. He's oblivious to the outside world and he fails to hear the library doors creaking open and the shuffling of footsteps approaching him.
"Harry?" The raven-haired boy is snapped from his trance by the questioning voice of his best friend. Startled, Harry jumps in his seat, wrenching his head upright to meet Draco's gaze.
"Merlin, Draco, don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack." Harry exclaims, placing his book in his lap and grasping a hand to his chest.
"Sorry." Draco apologizes timidly, moving to take a seat in the armchair next to Harry's. An uncomfortable silence falls upon the two friends, neither boy knowing how to continue. They both obviously have something on their mind. "You're up early." Draco comments, his foot tapping rhythmically against the floor. The blond tries to hide his anxiety behind a mask of indifference, but Harry instantly sees through it. The undertone of uncertainty in Draco's voice causes Harry's chest to tighten painfully as he realizes what he's been putting his best friend through the past few days. It's not that Harry has been intentionally ignoring Draco, at least he doesn't think that he has, but they certainly haven't spent a lot of time together in recent days.
"I could say the same to you." Harry responds mechanically, setting his book on the desk next to him before leaning back in his seat as he waits for Draco to tell him what's on his mind. A few moments pass before Draco is able to find the right words.
"You've been avoiding me. Why? Have I done something?" Draco is practically whispering, all attempts to mask the pain in his voice abandoned.
"I haven't meant to, I promise. I've just had a lot on my mind." Harry explains, looking over to meet Draco's gaze. To Harry's dismay, there are tears welling up in his best friend's steel grey eyes, and the sight causes guilt to pool heavily in his stomach.
Draco breaks eye contact and bites his lip nervously. "Then why haven't you talked to me? I thought that's what friends do." Draco murmurs sadly, breaking Harry's resolve. It doesn't matter how uncertain Harry is, he realizes. He needs to talk to Draco now. If he doesn't, he's going to keep hurting the most important person in his life over something that likely isn't as big of a deal as he thinks it is.
"You're right, Draco. I'm sorry. I should have talked to you about this sooner." Harry begins, noticing Draco's sharp intake of breath. "I was in your room looking for some paper the other day and I came across something strange. There was an empty diary sitting on your desk and I figured you wouldn't mind if I used some of it for school work as long as I gave it back. But, when I wrote in it someone responded. He said his name was Tom Riddle. Do you know anything about this?" Harry finishes, holding his breath as he awaits Draco's reaction.
"I- That's just some dusty old antique that I found in the basement. I've barely even touched it. And, either way, you shouldn't have been going through my things!" Draco defends hastily, his words becoming louder as he speaks, his tone somewhat frantic. Harry's eyes widen in shock.
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have done that. But are you sure-"
"I said I don't know anything about is, alright?! Now drop it, Harry, please!" Harry stares open-mouthed at his friend, taking in the blond's panicked expression. He doesn't understand why the subject of the diary has upset Draco so much, but he does know that he shouldn't push any further. Draco obviously doesn't want to talk about it, and even though it pains Harry to accept that, he decides to let it go for now.
"Okay. I'm sorry. I'm going to go check on Hedwig and Adira." Harry mumbles, standing from his chair and walking quickly toward the door. Draco seems to snap out of some kind of trance and his expression of panic immediately shifts to one of horror and disbelief.
"Harry, I'm so sorry. I-"
"No." Harry cuts Draco off. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you at breakfast."
Harry closes the door before Draco can respond, taking a moment to lean back against wall as he collects his thoughts. He's sure of one thing. Something is going on, and it all revolves around that damn diary.
The next morning, Harry wakes up to a light knocking on his door and the soft voice of Narcissa telling him that the train back to Hogwarts is leaving in four hours. Harry answers with a groan, indicating that he's awake, and rolls over. He hears Narcissa's footsteps echo down the hall as the Malfoy Matriarch retreats from his door.
Harry squints his eyes shut as memories of yesterday's conversation with Draco flood his mind. They hadn't spoken again yesterday, not even at meals, which didn't escape Narcissa's notice. The woman had come to Harry's room last night to ask him what was going on. And though the conversation was soothing, it did nothing to quell Harry's worry.
Another knock on his door draws Harry from his thoughts. He shouts "come in" from his lying position on the bed and he hears the door squeak open and soft footsteps entering the room.
"Good morning." Harry recognizes Draco's voice as the blond mumbles out a greeting, his tone meek and uncertain. Harry cracks his eyes open, taking in Draco's appearance. The blond looks as regal as ever, his clothing immaculate and his hair slicked back neatly.
"Morning." Harry responds, sitting up slowly, allowing his comforter to slip off of the bed. Harry glares as the crumpled pile of blanket on the floor, shivering lightly as the chilly air of the room assaults his body.
"Um… I- I came to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Honestly, I don't even know why I did. I understand why you're angry with me and I-"
"I'm not angry with you." Harry interrupts his friend, his gaze flicking away from his blanket to the blond standing at the foot of his bed.
"You're not?" Draco questions, his brows scrunching up in confusion.
"No." Harry states, meeting Draco's eyes with a look of sure resolve.
"Why not?"
"Shit happens, Draco. Emotions happen. I have no right to be angry with you for expressing how you feel." Harry explains, his tone even and calm. Draco visibly stiffens at Harry's words.
"But… How I handled the situation was wrong. I was rude and-" Once again, Harry cuts Draco off mid-sentence.
"Draco, it's not the first time you've been rude to me, and it certainly won't be the last."
"And you're okay with that?" Draco asks, clearly still confused.
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that my best friend's an arrogant, emotionally constipated prat most of the time. So, it's safe to say that I'm used to it." Harry teases with a smirk, attempting to lighten the mood and provide Draco with a sense of normalcy. Harry internally sighs in relief when Draco's expression morphs from timid confusion to affronted indignation.
"Oi!" Draco exclaims, making Harry laugh boisterous at the blond's unusually inelegent rebuttal. After a moment, Draco sighs, chuckling lightly with a soft smile playing on his lips. "You're an arse."
"What can I say? It's a lifestyle." Harry counters cheekily, a wide, toothy grin pulling at his lips.
Draco scoffs. "You have fun with that, Potter."
"Oh, I absolutely will, Malfoy." Both boys break out into unbridled laughter at Harry's sarcasm, welcoming the normality of their playful banter.
"So," Draco begins once their amusement dies down. "I assume that you've put off packing until the last minute again?"
"What?! No!" Harry denies, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Draco.
"Oh, really? Then I'm sure you won't mind if I take a look in your trunk to make sure you're not forgetting anything?" Draco raises a singular eyebrow, smirking at Harry's gaping expression. Harry stares at Draco in silence for a few seconds before he finally relents.
"Fine, you win. I put it off 'till the last minute. So what?" Harry grumbles, defeated.
"You're hopeless. Here, let me help." Draco says, moving to stand at Harry's bedside, reaching out a hand to pull Harry to his feet.
"FIne." Harry huffs out. "But it's not because I need your help." Harry says as he takes Draco's hand, allowing the blond to pull him to his feet.
"Sure. Whatever you say, Harry." Draco chuckles and walks over to the antique dresser that's standing proudly next to Harry's bedroom window. He opens one of the drawers and begins to move Harry's clothing from the dresser to the bed.
Harry pads over to the far side of the room to retrieve his trunk, dragging it across the floor and heaving it up onto the bed. He unlatches the trunk and starts placing the clothes Draco has set on the bed inside of it.
After thirty minutes of packing and mindless conversation, Harry latches his trunk, surprised when it closes easily. Usually, Harry has to resort to brute force and name-calling to get his trunk to shut properly. As if Draco can sense Harry's train of thought, the blond comes over to him and smirks.
"So, you didn't need my help, huh?"
"Shut it." Harry snaps as he lifts his trunk from the bed and places it by the door with his satchel.
"Your wish is my command." Draco teases with a dramatic bow, grinning all the while. Draco laughs at Harry's angry scowl before making his way to the door, grabbing Harry's hand as he passes by so he can drag the dark-haired boy out of the room. "Come on. We need to eat before we leave."
With an annoyed grumble and a few inaudible insults, Harry allows himself to be pulled from the room and down the hall in the direction of the dining room.
"So, how was your Christmas?" Blaise asks Harry and Draco when the four Slytherins finally manage to escape from the Slytherin train car to the privacy of their own compartment.
"Good enough. You?" Draco responds, hardly looking up from his copy of The Daily Prophet as he replies.
"Brilliant, actually." Blaise supplies, turning to Theo, who is sitting next to him, and giving him a smile and a soft pat on the back. Theo blushes and nods, playfully punching Blaise on the arm.
Suddenly, the door to the compartment slams open, startling all four occupants. A split second later, Hermione comes rushing into the compartment in a flurry of robes and bushy brown hair.
"Finally!" Hermione exclaims, slamming the sliding food shut behind her before leaning back against it and taking a deep breath. "I thought I'd never find you."
"Hermione? Are you alright?" Harry asks, setting the book he was reading down in his lap.
"I'm hiding." Hermione replies cryptically, plopping down on the bench next to Harry.
"Who from?" Blaise inquires.
"Who do you think?!" Hermione exclaims. "Ron bloody Weasley!" Hermione growls and fists her hands in her hair out of frustration.
"Ah, I see. What did the idiot do this time?" Theo pipes in, looking at Hermione sympathetically, knowing full well the lengths Weasley will go to in order to get under someone's skin.
"He started making fun of me in front of my parents when we were saying goodbye. Which, obviously got my mum and dad all worked up about me being bullied again. Honestly, I beyond caring about the way Ron treats me, but he had no right to drag my parents into the situation!" Hermione rants, her words rushed and frantic as she waves her hands to further express her annoyance.
"That prat." Harry snarls darkly, already coming up with a plan to get back at the red-headed Gryffindor.
"Exactly! I was mortified! The last thing I wanted was for my parents to worry about me, especially since there's absolutely nothing to worry about. It's not the same as when I attended muggle school. I actually have friends now. I just… now they're going to worry about me for the rest of the year. I didn't even get the chance to reassure them." Hermione deflates, her voice lowering to whisper as her speech draws to a close.
Sensing his friend's sadness, Harry takes it upon himself to pull Hermione into a tight hug, rubbing her back soothingly. "Hey, it'll be alright. When we get to Hogwarts you can owl them and thell them that you're not dealing with it alone this time. I know it's not as good as talking in person, but I'm sure it will reassure them, at least a little bit."
Hermione clenches her fists in Harry's robes, nodding against his chest. "Thank you, Harry." SHe says before pulling away. SHe straightens her robes and tames her hair, exhaling heavily.
"He's right, you know. You're not alone. We've got your back." Draco states frimly, locking eyes with Hermione and nodding definitively. Hermione nods back and smiles, silently thanking the blond for his kind words.
"Yep! We're here for you, even if you are a Gryffindor." Blaise says cheerily.
"What he said." Theo agrees, giving Hermione a reassuring smile. Hermione laughs at their antics, settling back in her seat as the nervous tension in her body begins to melt away. She watches as Harry picks up his book, Draco unfolds his paper, and Blaise and Theo huddle around a copy of The Quibbler, and she happily thinks to herself that she's finally found a place where she belongs. Smiling softly at the thought, Hermione slips a pieve of parchment and a quill out of her bag and begins to write, eager to tell her parents about the amazing friends she's made.