I must have fallen asleep too because when I woke up blue light fell through the windows.
Malfoy was still asleep. I got up and stretched myself.
Everything really hurt and I would do anything for a hot bath.
I looked around the room.
Yesterday when I was here it was dark and I had other things to do than examine the room's furnishings.
The room looked like a mansion. Fine dark wooden floors and ornate wooden panels on the walls.
A massive wardrobe stood against one wall and almost the entire rest of the room was taken up by the bed.
A two-metre bed with a roof and bed curtains in dark green.
In fact, there was a lot of dark green in the room. Typical Slytherin.
But mainly it didn't look like a room in a school. Besides, there was only one bed here and I was sure that no Malfoy classmate slept there, except maybe Astoria.
The guy just had his own room with his own bathroom, no wonder he was so spoiled.
I didn't even have a room like that at home.
Quietly I opened the door to the hallway that was leading to the common room and looked around.
This was the first common room I'd seen here at Hogwarts so I only had my own at Ilvermorny to compare it to.
This one was much more impersonal and cold. Both in terms of the general temperature and the feel.
There were windows through which light shone, as with the Malfoy in the room and that surprised me, since we were in the dungeons.
They had to be enchanted windows but then they could have conjured up a nicer view than this opaque blue.
"That's the black lake."
I cringed.
Malfoy was standing in the doorway.
"The windows aren't enchanted?", I asked and he shook his head.
"So we're right under the lake, looking straight into its waters?"
Malfoy nodded.
"Wicked", I said excitedly, staring out the window.
"Well rather boring and dull", he contradicted me.
"Well, if you say so, I think it's pretty cool."
"She's so weird", he mumbled so quietly, he thought I couldn't hear him.
I let him think that and didn't respond.
"How are you feeling?", I asked instead, turning my gaze away from the window to Malfoy.
He didn't look as devastated as he had that night but he also didn't generally look like someone who had just gotten out of bed.
He was still wearing last night's clothes but his hair looked as licked as ever.
I on the other hand, had to look cruel, at least that's how I felt.
I desperately needed a shower and clean clothes.
"Better," he answered my question.
At least he was better, he could sleep in a bed.
"You look like shit", he stated, as if I wasn't already aware of that.
"Thank you for stating the obvious. Unlike you who slept in his huge princess bed, I sat on the hard floor next to it and had to make sure your royal highness didn't have nightmares", I replied snappishly.
"Should I have invited you to come to bed with me or what?", he hissed in the same tone as me.
"No and even if you did, no ten thestrals would get me into the bed you're fucking Astoria in.
But a pillow would have been nice."
I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"You can get one next night."
"Next night ?!", I asked pointedly, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Yeah next night. I can only seem to sleep when you sing your nasty song and because I need my sleep I guess you'll have to sleep here more often."
"Fuck it, I won't sleep with you just because you want me to. The world doesn't revolve around you!" I got really pissed off.
"Stay, just one week and I give you my Malfoy word of honour that I will never bother you again."
"And what if I don't give anything on your word?", I countered.
"I'll make an unbreakable vow if you want."
"For Merlin's sake, are you mad? No most certainly not. There will be no vow."
"So you'll stay?", he asked again.
"On one condition."
He rolled his eyes but I continued.
"I don't want just a pillow, I want a mattress or a sofa or something. I'm not sleeping on the floor another night."
"Agreed", Malfoy declared, holding out his hand to me.
Reluctantly I took it and his expressionless face gave way to one of triumph.
"I'll go now", I said, releasing my hand from his.
"As you've already realised, I look like shit and I feel the same. I really need a shower and some clean clothes.
I'll see you tonight and you know how the emergency button works", I added and walked towards the door.
"Don't forget your sexy underwear tonight", he teased.
"Fuck you Malfoy!"
I gave him both middle fingers and slammed the door behind me.
Such an asshole, why did I let him talk me into this over and over again?
I was just way too stupid and naive.
When I finally got back upstairs to the flat, it was empty.
Min is probably back in the office and hadn't even noticed that I wasn't there all night.
I stood under the shower and let the warm water run over my body.
It felt so good. As I looked at my hands I realised I hadn't even healed the cuts from tonight, only the one from Malfoy.
I would do that as soon as I got out of the shower. But first I'll stay under the warm water for a minute longer.
I got out of the shower, dried my hair, healed the wounds on my hand and put on clean clothes.
After I had eaten something, I planned to go out to the lake and try out my skates.
So I put on a comfortable pair of leggings and a tight-fitting top and a cosy woollen pullover over it.
I packed my feet into warm cosy socks and shuffled into the kitchen.
A big bowl of cornflakes later, I was standing by the black lake with my skates on.
I had thrown on a jacket, which I had only brought for the walk and a headband that protected my ears from the wind.
I was pretty wobbly on my feet due to my year-long break but after a few minutes and a few falls on the hard ice, I slowly got the hang of it again and I was skating safer and faster.
It was really fun to feel the wind around my nose and I felt really free for the first time in a long time.
There was only room in my head for me, the blades and the ice.
No school, no Min and no Malfoy.
I could have stayed like this on the ice forever but the snow, which fell lightly at first became more and more. Satisfied I made my way back to the castle.
I went straight to Min's office, as I still had to explain to her that I would be sleeping with Malfoy from now on.
She apologised for forgetting the button and after some explaining she also agreed that I could spend the nights with Malfoy.
It was a safeguard for her and I made her understand that it was not a problem for me.
It was a problem for me but the prospect of sacrificing five nights to never be bothered by Malfoy again was a price I was willing to pay.
I spent the rest of the day in the library, skilfully suppressing the thought of spending the night with Malfoy.
But sooner or later I had to think about it. In my case it was later, so late that I didn't deal with it until after dinner and therefore had to hurry to get my things together for the night.
Down in the dungeons it was chilly and damp, as it usually was when I was down here and I really wondered why they had to build a common room here.
But when I thought of Malfoy, I realised that there was no place he would fit better than this.
His room was empty when I arrived but I wasn't surprised.
He wanted me to stay the night but not because of me but because he couldn't sleep otherwise.
It was completely selfish and anyone else would have been just as good, except that there was no one else here at the moment.
I'm sure he was repressing the thought of the night as much as I was and was probably still out somewhere.
I just hoped he didn't try to hurt himself again.
By forgetting the time, I hadn't managed to shower after ice skating and now seemed like the perfect time, since Malfoy wasn't there anyway.
I was pulling my jumper over my head when I heard a whistle coming from the direction of the door.
"I hope you didn't take the sexy underwear thing serious, Harper!
I wouldn't touch you if you were the last female on this planet."
"Are you crazy?!
How about knocking before you come in. After all you don't live here alone anymore!", I hissed at him and threw my jumper at him.
He caught it with one hand without any problem. Fucking quidditch player.
"Were you going to take a shower here?", he asked confused, throwing the jumper back.
"Yes of course, what else does it look like?"
"Not in my shower, use any other one from the rooms here but don't contaminate mine."
He gave me a nasty glare.
"You're such a neurotic mimosa Malfoy.
I'll go then and remember I want a proper place to sleep in a minute."
I packed my things for a shower and disappeared into the common room.
This arrogant bastard won't even let me shower in his room even though he wants me to stay.
I found a shower in a room that stank so much of aftershave that I was sure all my clothes would smell of it just from being in that room for a moment.
When I got back to Malfoy's room, he had put a mattress on the floor along with a small pillow and a thin-looking blanket.
"What a luxury," I said, rolling my eyes.
"The complaint box is out in the hall", Malfoy replied flippantly, coming out of the bathroom.
He must have just been in the shower himself because he was only wearing a towel tied around his waist and for Merlin's sake I hoped he was wearing something underneath.
"Heavens, Malfoy please tell me you don't sleep like that."
"Why? Would that distract you Harper?
Would it make you want to crawl into bed with me?", he grinned mischievously.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"In your dreams Malfoy.
I'm just worried about your health with the damp and cold here you'd catch your death sleeping like that", I replied.
Malfoy raised his eyebrows but said nothing and walked away from his wardrobe.
He let go of the towel and it fell to the floor.
I hadn't been looking the whole time and only heard what he was doing and I was glad for that.
It wasn't until I heard that he was in his bed that I opened my eyes again.
"Did you like what you saw?", came from Malfoy and I couldn't believe he was still trying.
"It was bearable with my eyes closed", I said and cuddled myself under the blanket Malfoy had prepaired for me.
Not only had it looked thin, it was quite thin so I pulled out my wand and tripled it up, so it was warm and cosy.
I also increased the size of the pillow and could now lie reasonably comfortably.
I turned over and reached for the music box I had taken from my room.
I could just let it play and not have to sing myself, so I would also get some sleep.
"Open the box if you want to sleep", I said to Malfoy and put the box on his bedside table.
"But be careful, if it gets so much as a scratch I'll make you suffer", I added and turned back onto my side and curled up in my blankets.
I was dead tired and apparently Malfoy was too, because he turned the light off straight away and the music box started playing.
I loved that music box, I loved Mum's voice and I missed having that lullaby sung to me while I snuggled into her arm.
Thinking of her, I quickly fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
A scream woke me up in the middle of the night.
Malfoy.
I was wide awake directly and looked around the pitch dark room.
Malfoy was sitting on his bed with his knees drawn up to his body.
"What happened?", I asked him but got no answer.
"Malfoy, what happened? Are you alright?", I asked again and this time I got an answer, quietly and in a shaky voice but I heard it.
"He was back."
I didn't understand who he meant.
His dad again, like the other day?
"Who was there, your dad?", I asked cautiously, sitting up straight on my mattress.
"No," was the short answer I got.
I could thus only guess who HE was but I was almost certain he was the reason Malfoy was wearing the mark .
"He was in our house, sitting at our table", Malfoy mumbled and I could hear how close he was to crying again.
His nightmares are really bad.
I knew nightmares myself, I too sometimes woke up at night and cried because of what was happening in my dreams but never was I as scared as Malfoy was right now.
Whoever or whatever he had seen exactly, I didn't know and maybe I didn't want to know but it had to be bad, really bad.
I looked at him. He couldn't see me because it was so dark but I saw him and what I saw was Draco again.
The vulnerable Draco who had nightmares at night, who needed someone with him so he could sleep.
Draco who was afraid and the one who needed help.
I took a deep breath.
He had asked me to sleep here. He had asked for help in that strange Malfoy way but he had done it and now he needed that help and I knew I couldn't give it from this mattress here.
I rolled out of my blankets, walked around the bed and crawled onto it.
It was a pretty soft bed, so I was right to call it a princess bed.
I sat down next to Malfoy and put my hand on his shoulder.
He startled for a moment, but then relaxed again.
"It's all right. No one is here but you and me.
It was a bad dream but none of it is real."
"But it was real", came from Malfoy still in a shaky voice.
"Do you want to talk about it?", I asked cautiously but he shook his head.
"Do you want me to stay here for a bit?"
He nodded.
So I stayed.
We just sat on the bed for a few minutes.
"You should try to sleep again, it's still early. I'll stay awake and keep watch", I promised him, hoping that he would actually fall back asleep.
He nodded and layed back under his covers.
I was about to climb down from the bed when he grabbed my arm.
He just shook his head and for the first time I wondered how he knew I understood his silent answers.
Because actually I should not have seen them at all.
I would sit here for a few more minutes until he falls asleep.*
He flipped the music box back open and my mom began to sing.
But instead of turning to the other side, he turned to me and spoke softly,
"Lie down Harper, you can't sleep sitting up."
I didn't understand.
I was supposed to lie down here?
In his bed?
I didn't want to, I had already told him that this morning.
"I haven't fucked anyone in here. I always do it somewhere else", he added not so quietly anymore and I snorted.
But I surrendered and lay down.
This felt strange and it was getting stranger.
Malfoy moved closer to me and rested his head on my stomach.
Last night we had sat like this in the bathroom, only his head was on my legs but as similar as this situation was the differences were clear.
We weren't sitting in the bathroom, we were lying in bed, in Malfoy's bed and his head wasn't on my legs but on my stomach.
That was strange, more than strange but I said nothing.
Malfoy's breathing became calmer and he quickly fell asleep.
I stayed awake for a few more minutes but eventually I fell asleep too.
I woke up and the blue light was shining into the room again.
I was no longer lying on my back as I had fallen asleep, but on my side.
I could hear Malfoy breathing behind me, but when I tried to move to stand up, I realised I couldn't.
Malfoy's arm was above me, holding me tightly.
His breathing was so close to my neck that I could feel it.
This was not good.
At night he was Draco having nightmares and seeking closeness but in the day he was Malfoy hating me.
I had to try and escape his grip so he could deny what happened tonight. What he had to do for himself so he didn't lose himself.
And I would be glad when he insulted me again, because that meant everything was all right.
Carefully I lifted his arm.
He mumbled something unintelligible but continued to sleep.
I lifted his arm a little more and when that didn't wake him either, I quickly scurried under it and gently laid him back on the bed.
He mumbled something again and this time I could understand it, at least I understood the words he was saying, just why he was saying them and to whom not.
"Baby, please stay in bed it's so cold without you."
I looked at him with wide eyes because I thought I had misheard.
His eyes were still closed and I was sure he was still asleep and just dreaming someone had been in his bed and just got up.
I realised who he meant and I had to think again of his sentence from last night.
As if he had never fucked anyone in this bed. It was all just his scam so I wouldn't leave.
A pretty good scam as it turned out because I had believed it in my tired state.
But now that I was really awake again, I realised that I had been completely taken in by him.
I hated myself for it and tried to forget that I had slept in Malfoy's bed that night.
Maybe he had just forgotten, either way I wouldn't bring it up.
I grabbed my clothes and scurried into the bathroom. Now that Malfoy was asleep, I would just use it.
It hadn't stopped snowing all day yesterday and I hoped it had stopped overnight so I could go skating.
I opted for a pair of dark tight-fitting jeans and a dark green turtleneck jumper today.
I tied my hair in a bun as I did every day.
If Malfoy hadn't broken the mirror, I could have looked at myself in it now, but he hadn't fixed the mirror yet.
Colour-wise, I now fitted perfectly into Malfoy's room and I had to smile inwardly about it.
Malfoy would now make some stupid comment about me looking like a Slytherin and he would have been right.
But he was still asleep so I quietly slipped out of the room and closed the door carefully.
