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Draco groaned as someone knocked on his door, but soon stopped because it hurt his throat. He’d woken up with an awful cold which had plugged up every facial duct he had. On top of that it had also given him a fever and a headache.
Despite all that, he still sat up and half crawled to the door when his visitor knocked a second time, more urgently now. He figured it was important because why else would someone knock on his door when it was close to midnight?
“Thank god you’re home.” A body slammed into him and knocked all the air out of his lungs. The shock of that combined with his sorry state made Draco collapse into the hug, completely boneless. As he caught his breath, he also caught the scent of his visitor; Harry was crushing him in his arms. “I had to see you, I’m sorry. It’s just… I couldn’t be alone. Not after-”
And then, out of the blue, Harry began to cry. Proper, loud, all out ugly crying. Harry held onto Draco like the hug was the only thing that kept him from falling, even though it was Draco who would hit the floor if the other man let go.
“Shhhhh, it’s okay.” Draco’s voice was cracked from disuse and his cold. His throat protested his decision to speak up with every fiber of its being, but Draco didn’t listen. He hadn’t heard a grown man cry like this since Marcus Flint had lost his mother. “It’s okay, I’m here, I’ve got you.” He said even though he still lacked strength in his muscles. “You’re not alone, you have me. And you can stay here for as long as you want. Please. It’s okay.”
“I-, I-, I saw him and it hurt . He greeted me like it didn’t matter, like he hadn’t locked me up and-, and-,” Harry choked up again, unable to speak. Draco shivered in horror as his feverish brain slowly began to piece together the thing that had made Harry so upset. “I was a waste- waste of space to him. Them . He was disgusted by me, and- and… And I believed him. In the dark in my cupboard I believed him.”
His uncle . Draco’s suspicions were confirmed. If he hadn’t been sick he would have pulled himself loose from Harry, marched over to the Dursleys and killed them all. No adult who did that to a child deserved to be alive.
“That’s why tonight I couldn’t be alone. I started to think-,” But Harry abruptly stopped talking and crying when he took a proper look at Draco’s face. “Oh god Draco you’re sick! I’m so sorry, I never would have-”
“Stop.” Draco croaked. “Stop. It’s okay. Just because I feel shit doesn’t mean you can’t feel shit too. That’s not how it works.”
“From what I can see and hear you barely work at all.” Harry, who had loosened his grip on Draco a bit, caught him just as he was falling to the floor. Four calloused fingers pressed against his forehead before Harry put an arm around his waist and started guiding him back to bed. His eyes were still red but the sobs hadn’t returned yet. “Come on, you’re running a fever, you should be in bed. I’ll make tea.”
Before Draco could protest he was already in bed and Harry was on his way to the kitchen, He tried to call him back in, but his voice just wasn’t there. It was very frustrating, needing to wait for Harry to return so he could comfort him. Because comfort him he would, sick or not. Draco already freaked the fuck out when he was confronted with the image of Bellatrix or Fenrir, he could only imagine what Harry must feel when seeing his shitbag uncle.
“Here’s your tea.” Harry had finally returned and as soon as the cups were on the nightstand Draco pulled him into bed. Or rather Harry followed his mimed invitation because Draco was in no way shape or form capable of pulling anything in that moment. That was why he was extra grateful when Harry took charge in hugging him, quickly pulling him flush against his warm chest. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“You’re not bothering me. Harry you have to know that you're never bothering me. Ever.” Draco rolled onto his side and kissed Harry's forehead. He didn't care how sappy his confession was, he just had to be sure Harry understood. That was all that mattered. “I love you. So many people love you. You are the most wonderful man I ever met.” He kissed Harry again with every line he could wrangle out of his cranky throat. “Please never forget that. And when you do I'm always here. You don't deserve to feel unloved ever again.”
“Draco…” Harry's voice sounded more broken than his own, which was saying something. A messy mop of hair almost made him sneeze as Harry tried to shove his face into his neck. “I love you. I love you I love you I love you.”
Draco smiled, despite his sore throat which hurt more than ever now due to all the talking. Never in his life had he dared to dream that he'd ever feel so loved, left alone that Harry would be the one to love him. Sometimes miracles really did happen.
“Your cracked up voice trying with all its might to make me feel better…” Harry kissed him lightly on the lips, and smiled as tears began to fall again. “Best thing I heard in my entire life.”
“Oh shut up.” Draco mumbled as his cheeks flushed. Now that Harry knew he was loved there was room for embarrassment.
“No you shut up.” Harry chuckled through the tears and kissed his nose. “I think that if you keep talking much longer you will actually lose your voice.”
“Sure.” It was meant to be sarcastic but his wince of pain directly after kind of ruined that. He really didn't have that much voice left. Luckily Harry didn't laugh at him, but instead held on to him tighter before pulling him up.
“Here, drink your tea. It's cooled enough now.” Harry helped him drink the tea laced with honey, though to Draco it tasted more like honey laced with tea. It soothed his throat though, so he didn't complain. “And now you're going to sleep, babe. You're sick. You've done enough.”
“Are you alright now then?” Draco sat up a bit more and eyed Harry suspiciously just before he had a minor coughing fit. Stupid cold.
“Yes, I’m alright.” Harry sighed in relief as Draco managed to catch his breath again. “I have you, don’t I?”
Sap . Draco tried to shoot back, but all that came out was just a weird wheeze. His voice was officially gone. Surrendering to it, he let himself fall back onto the pillows, nestling himself next to Harry as soon as he laid down as well. It was a nice, warm place to be, especially when sick.
“Thank you.” Harry kissed his forehead and held him close. “Thank you for being here. For not letting me be alone.”
“ Never. Never alone .” Draco tried to say, though he doubted Harry could understand him. Not that it mattered much. Harry knew what he meant anyway.
“Good night babe.”
Good night . Draco said by nestling his head on Harry’s chest as if it were a pillow. And just before he dozed off he planted a soft kiss on his lover’s neck. I love you .
Harry smiled, already halfway to dreamland, though fantasies and reality didn’t differ much from each other these days. “I love you too.”