Blue Eyed Dragon

Author\'s Notes: I\'d like to thank my beta(s) for doing such a wonderful job editing my story and for putting up with me and my fussiness! If I owned the characters, I wouldn’t be writing FAN fiction. Please don’t sue. I love reviews so any and all (good/bad/undetermined) are welcome!

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CHAPTER THREE

Draco woke up with a start. He wasn’t sure what had disturbed his unusually peaceful sleep, but he decided that no matter what it was, he didn’t like it. He’d been in the middle of a wonderfully intoxicating dream. He’d been sitting in a serene meadow; he was surrounded by the green grass that was sporadically dotted with vibrant colors of the wildflowers that were growing through it. The sky was clear, not a cloud in it, and Draco was transfixed by its brightness and beauty. He was at peace with himself and his surroundings, something he hadn’t felt since he was a little boy, playing in the gardens of the Manor.

So much for a moment of tranquility, He thought to himself.

The blond man sighed. He wanted to go back to that dream, to the peacefulness. He dragged himself out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans and a dark green shirt, he put on his robes and headed towards the headmistress’ office as he ran his fingers through his long, silky platinum colored hair.

By the time Draco emerged from Minerva McGonagall’s office, it was nearly noon. It seemed that she was not happy about his not being reachable the previous day and had let him know it. “Where have you been,” she’d yelled the second Draco had walked through her office door?! The usual rants followed-he’d been irresponsible in not being reachable to her in the emotional state he’d been in for the past few days, if he did it again he wouldn’t have a job (though he knew this wasn’t true-she herself had told him that his teaching methods were unsurpassed). Draco smirked as he headed back to his quarters to take a shower.

She reminds me of Narcissa! He thought, walking through the corridors. So damn over protective!

Draco shed his clothes quickly; he was anxious to let the steamy water relax the knots in his muscles away. The water streamed over his taut, lean body and Draco’s mind pulled him into the aftermath of his father’s death.

(flashback)

No matter how hard he had tried, he couldn’t stop the tears and he couldn’t tune out the evil laughter of the Death Eaters. The front door to the Manor slammed shut and he rushed to his mother. She was on her knees in the main hall sobbing.

Draco rushed to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. She violently pushed him away.

“Don’t. Touch. Me.” she snarled. “You did this to him! You let them kill him!” She looked at her son, who was now backing away from her slowly. He’d never seen her this angry with him. “How could you? How could you kill your father?”

“But I didn’t! They would have attacked us all! I just-“

“Get out! Get out of my house! Now!”

“Why? Because I shielded us from Voldemort?!”

“You killed him! You killed your father, Draco,” Narcissa shouted at her son! “You stepped back and you let them utter those horrible words at him! Now get out!”

Draco turned and left, his cheeks were tinted pink with anger and guilt and tears were sliding down them without restraint. That was the last time he’d ever been to his family’s home.

(end flashback)

A sharp stab of ice drew Draco’s mind out of his thoughts and he then realized that the hot water must have run out. He was violently shaking and he couldn’t stop. He leaned against the wall to try to steady himself and before he knew it, hot tears were flowing freely down his cheeks and he was curling up into a ball on the floor of his shower; he had killed his father. He didn’t want to believe it but that was what Narcissa had told him and never in his life had his mother ever lied to him.

***

Harry stirred in bed. He’d only fallen asleep three hours before and even then it had been a very restless sleep. He was worried about Draco; a person could only take so much before they cracked. He groped around for his glasses and slipped them on.

Before Harry knew it, three hours had passed. He’d wanted to talk to Draco today but he wasn’t sure if pursuing him was a good idea; Draco had never taken kindly to anyone “sticking their nose in his personal bloody business.”

This was one of those times that little voice in his head came shouting, Go make sure he’s okay, Potter! He had a rough night and it’ll prove that you want to be his friend!

Having convinced himself, the raven-haired man set off towards the dungeons.

***

Severus Snape stalked down Knockturn Alley, closely listening to the conversations around him.

“Did you hear? There were threats made on Malfoy’s son.”

“By who,” gasped a witch? “I want to shake their hand! Imagine! Turning your own father over to Death Eaters!”

It took all of Snape’s self control to not lash out at the witch, but the reply from her companion was lost in the crowd.

Trying to find out more information for his godson, Severus traveled further into the dark alley. And though he didn’t find out the Death Eaters’ names, he did hear that they were the same people who had killed Lucius. After a few more hours and finding out nothing more, Severus Disapparated home to write Draco a letter with the details he had learned.

***

Harry had been knocking on Draco’s door for a few minutes and was starting to get worried. He pounded with the side of his fist now.

“Draco! It’s Harry! Please let me in! I just came to check on you!” He still got no answer so Harry let himself into the room.

“Dray,” Harry called.

He heard the water running and knocked on the bathroom door, slightly pushing it ajar.

“Draco?”

The blond sobbed and Harry rushed to the shower and flung the curtain open.

The sight frightened him. His hands started to shake uncontrollably; sweat rolled down his forehead and he felt as if his legs were magically bound to the floor. Draco was sitting on the floor hugging his knees to his chest, his chin was resting on his knees and he was rocking back and forth. The blue-eyed dragon was crying and staring straight ahead, not blinking.

After a few moments of Harry willing his legs to move, they responded and he turned the water off, wrapped Draco in a towel and swept his colleague into his arms effortlessly. Draco clung to him and let his head come to rest on Harry’s shoulder, his forehead cradling against his neck. Harry gently laid Draco in his bed and pulled the covers up around his shoulders.

As Harry turned to go, Draco weakly said, “Stay.”

The raven-haired man turned and asked, “Are you sure?”

Draco nodded and Harry pulled a chair up to his bedside. “Sure, Draco.”

Harry sat watching Draco for a long time. The blond was restless and Harry didn’t want to leave him before he knew that Draco was sleeping peacefully. A couple of hours passed and the man’s breathing slowly became deep and more regular. Harry pulled the blankets around Draco a bit more, kissed him softly on the forehead and headed for Minerva McGonagall’s office.

Harry explained the last thirty-six hours to the headmistress. “Please, Mr. Potter. Calm down. Mr. Malfoy is going through a rough week. It is the anniversary of his father’s demise. Draco loved Lucius very much. He feels guilty; he feels that if he’d only done something differently, he’d still have his parents. Hind sight is always twenty-twenty, Harry.”

“But he talked to me about his father! There has to be something more to it, Minerva!”

The headmistress sighed and sat down behind her desk. “This is strictly between us. Narcissa Malfoy is currently checked into St. Mungo’s. After her husband’s death, she slowly went insane. Her mother checked her in six years ago…today.”

Harry gasped. “I…I had no clue.”

“Not many people do, Mr. Potter. And that is exactly how Mr. Malfoy prefers it. You know, probably more than anyone, that Draco is a very private person.”

Harry spent three hours in McGonagall’s office. He learned a lot about Draco in those hours.

“Thank you, Professor. I think I’m going to go check on Draco now.”

“You’re welcome, Harry. Remember: This conversation is between us. Neither of us wants him to feel betrayed.”

“I understand. Thank you, again.”

For the second time that day, Harry headed towards the castle’s dungeons. But this time he was worried about something more than Draco’s well being. How would he react to Harry bursting into his sleeping quarters like he did? To Harry flinging the shower curtain open? What worried Harry the most, though, was Draco’s reaction to the kiss Harry had planted on his forehead.

It’s not like he’s in a position to get mad. He reasoned. He would have caught pneumonia in that shower! Or he would have wound up in St. Mungo’s with his mother!

Finally convincing himself, Harry knocked on Draco’s door.

***

Draco woke up in a cold sweat. The last thing he remembered was getting in the shower after talking to McGonagall about what he and Severus had talked about the night before. How’d he get into his bed? Why was he naked? Most importantly: Why did he dream that Harry Potter kissed his forehead?

Severus’ eagle owl flew into his window and landed on the bed. Draco took the letter from its leg and pet its head affectionately.

Draco

This isn’t much, but it’s a start. A lot of people are guessing that the three Death Eaters who attacked Lucius are the ones who are conspiring against you. No word yet as to who they are, but I am working on it. Did you tell Minerva what we talked about? What did she say? I have one more bit of advice: Find someone, other than that bloody journal, to confide it. I don’t care if it’s Neville Longbottom. Just find someone who can talk back so you don’t make yourself sick!

Severus

Someone knocking on Draco’s door made him jump slightly.

Who could that be?

Draco got up, quickly threw on a pair of jeans and went to answer the door. He was surprised, to say the least, to see Harry Potter standing on the other side.

“Erm…hi.”

The two men stood there staring at each other for a few seconds.

“Did you knock on my door for a reason, Potter,” Draco sneered. “Or was it just to see me without a shirt?”

Would rather see you naked again, thought Harry as a broad, lopsided and goofy grin crept onto his face and images of Draco’s hard, muscular body flooded his mind.

“What are you smiling at, Potter?” Draco’s voice invaded Harry’s daydream and he quickly snapped out of it.

“Oh. Erm… Umm… Sorry. So yeah. I just came by to make sure you were okay. You left so quickly last night and all and―” Harry paused, not sure how Draco would react to what he was about to say. “I was just worried, is all.”

Draco stared at his childhood enemy. Harry Potter was worried about him? Did he hear that right? The blond man stepped aside as an invitation for Harry to come in.

Harry walked past Draco and flashed him a small smile. “So you’re okay, then?”

“I’m alive,” Draco said flatly.

“It’s a start.” Harry desperately wanted to ask Draco what was really bothering him but he didn’t want to make him feel as if he was pushing him into talking about it.

“Spill it, Potter.”

“Huh?”

“Huh,” Draco said, mimicking Harry. “You want to ask me something. So ask!”

“I just wanted to know what was going on. You ran out of my room last night; but not before you kissed me, mind you. I found you curled into a ball under ice water this morning while staring into space and rocking yourself back and forth.”

Draco’s ice blue eyes stared daggers through Harry’s bright emerald ones and his mind was racing. He still didn’t trust Harry very much.

But Severus did tell you to talk to someone…

Draco was torn. He desperately wanted to trust Harry ― he needed someone to talk to; someone to just sit and listen instead of pity or judge him ― but he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before Harry betrayed him.

Harry took a step towards the other man and gently set his hand on Draco’s shoulder.

“I’m not going to betray you, Dray,” Harry whispered softly.

Draco drew in a sharp breath as he turned to face Harry.

His eyes were softer as he said, “How’d you know what I was thinking?”

Harry chuckled softly. “It’s easy to read you lately. Now tell me what’s going through that head of yours.”

Draco turned from Harry again and sat down on the edge of his bed. “Look, it’s complicated, okay? There’s a lot going on right now.”

“Like what?”

Harry sat down next to Draco so closely that their thighs were pressing up against one another. When the platinum haired man shifted uncomfortably and didn’t respond, Harry got up, headed for the door and said, “Look, I don’t want you to feel like I’m pushing you to talk to me. You know where to find me when you want to talk.”

With that, Harry walked out of the room and shut the door softly behind him.

Draco sat looking at the door for a long time. What had just happened?

You’re such a stupid arse! How hard would it have been to just talk to him?

Draco sighed deeply, pushed himself off his bed and sat down at his desk to write back to Severus.