Close Enough

Ch 10 Stay

Harry made his way to back to the dorm before it was too late, he had just finished a training session and was feeling a little worn out. After depositing his things in his room, and a nice long, extremely hot and relaxing shower, he felt much better. Dressing in his lounge pants and a tank top Harry walked back into his room and closed the door. He grabbed his notebook and guitar and settled down on his bed for a little practice time before everyone got back to the dorm and it wasn’t quiet anymore.

Cord accompanied Draco down to the dorm that he shared with Harry. She wanted to see him and knew that by this time of night he would be there, she had also decided that it would be good to be seen coming in with Draco. When the couple didn’t find him in the common room they made their way down the hall to Harry and Draco’s room. They had been chatting all the way down the hall, but a few feet from the door Cord smiled broadly putting a hand on Draco’s arm and placing one finger to her lips shushing him. Draco turned confused eyes to her and she pointed to the door and then mouthed, “Listen.” Closing the last few feet to the door Draco could hear it, the strumming of a guitar and singing. Moments later Cord joined him and Draco raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled and gestured with her head to walk back down the hall with her.
Once in the common room again Draco looked at Cord waiting for an explanation. She smiled and leaned against the wall at the end of the hallway. “If he’s playing alone it means he’s working. No one hears until he thinks it’s perfect.”
“So what you are saying is that I’m not supposed to hear him? The room isn’t sound proof, he knows that…”
“Yes it appears he forgot the silencing charm this time. Probably a little tired after training with the twins this evening, he tends to be alittle forgetful when he’s tired.” Cord mused. “But I will go down there and make it so you can get in your room, okay?” she pushed off the wall and went back down the hall. Draco watched her retreating back for a second and then followed.
Silently Cord opened the door and the sounds of music filled the hall. Harry sat with his back to the door notebook open on the bed in front of him. Cord smiled when she was not too far away from him she said, “Sounds good HJ. When will it be done?” and that did it. The music stopped and Harry turned around to see Cord standing there. At this point Draco made it to the door just in time to see Harry set the guitar on the bed, gracefully let his feet fall to the floor and launch himself into Cords arms.
Draco watched as they stood there; Harry’s forehead pressed in the crook of Cords neck while she rubbed a small circle in the small of Harry’s back with one hand and one between his shoulders with the other. Draco was jealous to say the least, but it was a little easier now knowing that this was something that Harry actually needed, that he basically didn’t have a choice in his actions. He could hear the soft purring coming from his mate and stepped back out of the door pressing his back to the wall in the hallway. Cords words drifted into the hall softly, “Have you slept much, love?”
“Not really.” Harry replied softly.
“Do you want me to stay for a while?” this got audible response but she continued. “Okay, I’ll be right back then.” Draco could hear movement and Cord walked stepped back in the hall and looked directly at Draco.
Softly, “Draco I’m staying here for a bit. Are you going to be okay with that?” she looked a little concerned as she continued. “He hasn’t been sleeping, he will if I stay. I just need to send a message to the guys that I won’t be coming back tonight. Are you going to be okay with this?”
Draco frowned slightly, ‘he hasn’t been sleeping? But…’ “Yea, whatever he needs. As long as he needs.” Draco thought for a second. “do you think it’s because he’s in a room with me? Is that what it is?? Is that why he can’t sleep, you think?”
Cord shook her head a little. “I doubt that, if anything it should make it easier to have his mate so near, even if he doesn’t know.” Shaking her head again, “I think he’s just not used to being away from his flat, you know, other people round and stuff. He kind of locked himself away after his birthday, except for a few gigs and seeing us, he was alone.” She sighed. “I’ll be right back. He’s packing up, so you can go in whenever you want.” With that Cord left.
Draco peaked around the door in time to see Harry gently place his guitar back in it’s case, lock it and prop it by his wardrobe. As he moved to put away the notebook on his bed Draco decided it was time to go in.
“Hey Potter.” Draco watched as the other boy’s shoulder’s tensed slightly and then relaxed a little picking up the notebook and putting it safely in his bag before turning to Draco.
“Malfoy.” Draco raised an eyebrow slightly as they eyed each other and then shrugged and got together his bed clothes and toiletries for a shower.
“You know, Potter, I think it’s time that you and I come to some type of an agreement…” Draco paused in his gathering and turned to face Harry.
“about what may I ask?”
“About us possibly being friends. I mean, I would like to get to know you, and with us living together it just seems like the perfect time to do so. We have been at odds for far to long, you know the truth about me and mine now and I was just hoping…” Draco leaned back against one of the posts of his bed thrusting his hands into his pockets looking down at the rug, “I was just hoping, Harry, that we could put the past where it belongs and kind of start over…?” Draco looked up at Harry who was perched on the edge of his bed with his mouth slightly slack and his eyes filled with confusion.
“Why now?” Harry swallowed the lump in his throat, “Why now, Draco? The war has been over for a year… yes the truth is widely known now about you and yours, it is also widely known that your old house of friends aren’t very pleased with what they found out…” Harry let this hang for a minute before he sighed and continued, “Why now?” Draco watched as Harry’s hand went to his choker and he rubbed the charm between his two fingers. He pushed off of the post and walked slowly closer to the other boy stopping just outside of his personal space waiting for him to look up.
He didn’t right away so Draco spoke, “Because I feel like it is time to grow up and move on, Harry. And I feel that it’s time.” At this point he extended a hand out in front of himself, “Draco Lucian Malfoy, a pleasure to meet you.” Harry looked at the hand and then up to Draco’s face and stood from where he was perched on the bed keeping his eyes, slightly wide and curious, locked on Draco’s. He took the offered hand.
“Harry James Potter, the pleasure’s mine.” A small smile pulled at Harry’s lips. As he let go of Draco’s hand Harry kept eye contact and sat back on his bed again. Draco smiled and walked to where all of his shower stuff was sitting and took it heading for the door. When he had almost reached it he heard from behind him, “I would like to get to know you too, Draco.” Draco exited the room with a huge grin on his face staring down at his hand. It was all tingly from where it had touched Harry’s.
After a long and relaxing shower Draco walked into his and Harry’s room to a sight that was so cute it made him want to laugh. But instead he just smiled and put his clothes in the hamper before grabbing a book and sitting down on his bed. Once he got settled on the bed he looked over at Harry’s bed again.
Harry was resting his head in Cord’s lap, curled around her leg, asleep. Cord herself sat reading a book while petting Harry’s hair slowly, humming softly. Draco took in the way that the action seemed so natural to the two of them, like mother to child almost. When Harry shifted slightly, Draco watched as Cord’s eyes flicked to him and the humming became, “Shhhhh, I’m right here. I’m right here.” And she brushed his hair away from his neck and gently rubbed the skin there. Cord then went back to humming softly but instead of looking back at her book she looked over to Draco to see him watching them. She smiled sadly, mouthing, “Nightmares.”
Draco’s eyes softened a little and he gazed back at Harry for a second before looking back at Cord who was still watching him. He smiled at her softly. She looked down at Harry quickly and then softly said, “I have something for you.” As she looked back up at Draco.
“For me? Why?” Draco asked quietly not wanting to wake Harry.
She glanced back down at Harry again and then gave Draco a small smile, “It will help you know him. Help you understand things that he will never say.” She closed the book that lay next to her and tossed it over to Draco. The cover read:

Saving a Savior:
A true story

By, H. James Evans

Draco looked up at Cord, brow furrowed. “What do you mean? ‘help me know him? Things he will never say?’ what are you talking about? This is just another one of those stupid books some stupid git wrote about him.”
To this Cord giggled softly petting Harry’s hair again, “Well I wouldn’t call him a git, but that’s just me.” She said this looking down at Harry fondly.
“Are you telling me that he wrote this??” Draco asked pointing at Harry. When Cord nodded shifting her gaze back to Draco he continued, “He always hated being the center of attention, why would he do that?!?” Cord outright laughed at that, but quickly stifled it when Harry stirred.
“Oh but my dear Draco, what did you think when you saw it? You said it was just another one of those stupid books some git wrote about him, don’t you think that everyone would think that. I mean who the heck is H. James Evans anyway?” she giggled softly. “He was a little tired of people thinking that they knew everything about him because of all of the stupid books out there, so he wrote the truth. People who still read about him will come across it, maybe even read it, but they won’t believe it. Why? Because it is not what they believe, not what they want to believe about him.” She pointed to the book, “that is an accurate life story straight from the wonder-boys mouth, and no one would believe it was true even if it said that he wrote it. He didn’t want the publicity of it having his name on it, so he became H. James Evans. I think Harry just wanted the truth to be out there for anyone who cared enough to know it.” She looked seriously into Draco’s eyes, “Read it. It may help you understand him. He’s kind of a complicated guy, our little Harry.” At this she shifted, causing Harry to let go slightly so that Cord could lay down fully. When she did Harry curled into her side resting his head on her shoulder, at this she wrapped her arms around him securely. “good night Draco, I’m sorry.”
Draco finally looked up from the book in his hands, “sorry? For what?”
“That this isn’t you.” She replied sleepily.