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Draco Malfoy was still standing on the Hogwarts side of the Battle, but when people realized he was there, paralyzed; they started giving him dirty looks, even tho he was the one who essentially helped Harry kill Voldemort. What Draco did caused him forgetting about his pride, finding courage to leave his parents to save one person whom he owed the most. Person he never wanted to die. McGonagall came up to him and he was preparing to run, but his feet were glued to the ground.
“You did the right thing, Mr Malfoy.” She tried putting her hand on his shoulder, but he moved away. He doesn’t entirely know what he’s feeling and why the hell did he do all that and for what cost. “You needn’t be afraid, no one is going to hurt you here.” Minerva looked at Draco with what he can only call pity.
“That’s the second funniest thing you ever said.” He bit back finally, it’s his defensive side speaking; however there is no venom behind his voice, it’s rather quiet and broken.
“I won’t let anybody hurt you.” His teacher got closer to him again and this time he allows himself to be comforted by her touch. It feels good, it might be the first time in week, no, months he has been offered any warm embrace. His stoic face curves upwards a little, but not too much for McGonagall to notice. “Hogwarts will be always open for you.” Draco knows what she is really saying. She knows his parents disappeared as soon as the war was over, well his dad did. His mom cast him a look that begged him to come with her, it almost broke Draco’s heart. He did a quick math and knew that coming with her meant staying with his father, it also meant going on a run from all the people who hated them, it meant hiding and not trying to change his life, it meant that whatever he did to help Potter meant nothing; he refused to lose even a slightest chance of improving his life. During a war and even before that, especially in his sixth year he realized how wrong his father’s teaching was, how wrong was what he was contributing to, how painful for others and himself was all this madness. He just wanted out. His only hope was Potter, but not because he had any feelings for him, but he genuinely had a chance of winning, he had a chance of ending Voldemort, he had a chance of ending Draco’s nightmare. If Draco was strong and not cowardly enough before he could have switched sides multiple times, but it just wasn’t him at the time. He regretted it. Of course he thought of leaving the manor and trying to be accepted on the light side. That time he broke down in front of Potter in the bathroom; on the Astronomy tower; at the Manor when Potter, Granger and Weasley were brought there and he couldn’t look in Potter’s eyes, because he knew he would break down and actually acted on his impulse (which he never did) and tried to help the trio out. Even that time in the Room of Requirements he had his shot of switching sides. But every time the idea of taking the risk and becoming a bigger person occured to him, he talked himself out of it, there were just too many consequences and possibilities of him getting hurt, his mom getting hurt, Lucius was long time dead to him.
“Everyone here hates me.” Draco stated in monotone voice.
“They might, but they won’t do anything to you. You helped at the end and that's what matters.” He gave him a pat on the shoulder. “If you need anything, Mr Malfoy, tell me and I guarantee you that I can offer you help. You’re welcome to stay at my house, I know you hardly have anywhere to live now.” Her words made Draco open his mouth in shock, but he closed them as he realized it wasn’t in good manners to do so.
“But I’ve never, I was never-” He struggles to say the words, as he knows saying it becomes reality. “I’m awful.” He wipes his sweaty and shaking hands on his once black, now covered in ash and burned down at the end, trousers.
“We all have good and bad inside us, it matters what we act on when the times like this come. You’re only seventeen, and I hardly blame you for choosing to stay on the other in order to save yourself and your family. Not all of us are brave like Mr Potter.” Draco os once again lost for words. He would never expect McGonagall to say that. He felt his eyes water for no other reason than the smoke coming into them.
“No one here will ever be welcoming towards me.”
“I understand your concern, Mr Malfoy, but consider that you were never especially nice towards them.” She takes a sharp intake of breath. “However I think that we all make mistakes we’d rather not remember. People change, and so can you. If you work on becoming the better version of yourself everyday you’ll see the results sooner or later.” He never doubted his teachers wise self, but at this moment he realized how much love was inside this woman and how much was she willing to swallow her pride to offer Draco help.
“Thank you, Professor.” It wasn’t even forced, he was genuinely thankful and his heart began to beat faster. “I’d like to think about your offer, if that’s okay with you.” He smoothed down his suit and ran a hand trough his sweaty hair.
“That is more than okay, Mr Malfoy, just get back to me in time. I’ll be staying here over night to help out with the bodies of people we lost and the ones that are still to be saved.” Draco looked around the Hogwarts grounds, that didn’t look like his school at all. Everything was destroyed, all the memories seemed to be gone. The castle was not recognizable. The pieces of it were spread on the ground as if they were just huge rocks and nothing else. There were bodies of those who died, layed up on one of those medical beds, there was so many of them. Draco suddenly felt sick staring at their unmoving people and had to look away.
Draco nodded his head politely to his teacher and rushed down the Hogwarts stairs up, he wanted to be alone, he wanted to have some time to think about what just happened and what will happen next. He needed a time just to let his emotions out and not be seen by anybody. He was tired, needed a shower and good night sleep.
He didn’t know where to go. He wasn’t going to go to Slytherin common room, he was sure it was destroyed, he wasn’t going to Astronomy tower either, Room or Requirements was a huge NO.
He walked through the castle when he heard a silent, almost unnoticeable sobbing coming from what seemed to be a A Gryffindor common room, Draco couldn’t tell, it was too much damage to the place to be totally sure. The door was open and whichever portrait guarded the door, they weren’t there. He let himself in, taking quiet steps, moving forward, so he could find out if he was hearing things by now or was it a real person. He did want to be left alone, but something in him told him to go with this sick plan of figuring out the source of the noise.
As he stepped closer to one of the dormitories, the sobbing became louder and clearer, Draco swore, there was something familiar about the sound. He put his ear on the door, so he could hear the noise more clearly, and he did, it made his heart shudder, because he recognized the voice of the person inside immediately.
Potter cursed several times and broke down into a sob again. Draco’s heart was hammering inside his chest, it almost felt like it was going to escape it. His first thought was to back away quickly and find himself his own space, but he couldn’t help, but feel for the boy he once hated, though he would never admit it out loud. He straightened himself up and began to take steps back, Potter’s cries were breaking his heart. He started rushing the stairs quickly, he didn’t want to see the boy now.
“Malfoy.” Potter’s voice made Draco stop moving. He didn’t dare to turn away and face his former (or at least that’s what he felt like he was to him) enemy. There was a silence that was only broken by both of the boy’s heavy breathing. None of them moved. Bad things happened when they were left alone and Draco knew of that very well. He put his hand on his chest as if he could feel it burning from being slit once over and over.
“Why are you here?” Potter said, his voice a bit quieter then usual, spoken with less confidence. Draco didn’t know what to do. “Didn’t you hear me?” Potter’s voice got rougher. Draco still wasn’t ready to face the boy behind him. It wasn’t as if they could have a casual conversation, and especially not now, not after what happened today. “Whatever, Malfoy…just, of you want to-” he look a long breath and let it out slowly. “-to take a piss or something then you can just go, I don’t need more bullshit in my life.”
Draco finally gathered the courage and turned away. Potter was in his dirty t-shirt that was sticking to his torso, his pants were gone, he was only in his boxers. Draco tried looked away from it faster than he disaparated from awkward or a heartwrenching situations at the Manor. The dark and red circles under Potter’s eyes revealed gryffindor’s lack of sleep and deep sadness. He looked way too thin to be considered healthy, just like Draco did. They weren’t so different at the moment, he realized.
“Why would I do it after what I did back at there?” He referred to the situation that took place not so long ago. “If I wanted to harm you you would have been body binded by the time you caught me here.” Be confident, Draco. Don’t let him see through you.
“I don’t know-” Potter crossed his arms over his chest. Draco could see that his legs began to give away, the brunette needed to sit down or else he’d fall. “- I never know what to expect from you.” They were speaking for at least a minute now and no spells or offensive words were thrown at one another, it was a record.
Draco was about to turn away and hide, he didn’t feel comfortable at the slightest. The situation was so strange,so rare, it was almost comical.
“Thank you.” Potter uttered, looking at Draco, but not quite catching his eyes. “for your wand,I mean. I would never think you could do something like this.”
“Stop it, Potter.” Draco shook his head and closed his eyes. He couldn’t bare to look at the other boy. “I don’t need this. I’m not one of your fans who will do just about anything for you.” There we go again. He was shielding himself from emotions and behaving like a human.
“What is your problem, Malfoy?!” Potter streamed and walked up to him. “I try to be nice to you, you act like a prat; I save your sorry arse, you act like a part! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?! HOW DO I MAKE MR MALFOY HAPPY? Perhaps you’d be happier if I just died today.” At this point Potters leg give up and his on the ground, being the most valuable that Draco has ever seen him, that Potter ever allowed Draco to see him. He his broken, he needs help.
Draco isn’t an expert when it comes to people, but something tells him to at least say something, anything.
“I never wanted you to die.” Potter raised up his head and their eyes met. This time none looked away. Their eyes were burning into each other. “Actually, I just wanted your attention.” It’s the first time he says it out loud and the frist time he admits it to himself. He feels his legs hurt, so without thinking much he sits down, not breaking an eye contact with Potter. “I wanted to get rise out of you. I’m not fully sure why.” Why was he saying that? Perhaps there was something stronger than his mind not allowing himself to close himself off again.
“I can say the same.” Potter admits and runs his hands through his mess of a head to pull them away from his face. There is a blood dripping from his cheek and Draco has an urge to reach out for it and smear it, even heal it, so it’s away from raven haired boy’s face. He doesn’t do it, it’d be ridiculous. “You make me feel so angry, so…-” he doesn’t end the sentence, instead, he touches the side of his face with a cut. There is a silence between them for few minutes. They try not to look at each other, but glance up when they think the other isn’t watching.
“Why did you help me?” Potter murmurs, more into his knees that are close to his chest, than to Draco.
“Why did you save me in the Room of Requirements?” He thinks this tactic will save him from responding to a question that he wasn’t ready to open up about. He wasn’t even sure himself why Potter’s life became more important to him than his own or his parent’s.
“It was the right thing to do.” Potter’s face turns into a frown again. He looked better without it, he looks much better when he’s smiling, the realisation of his thoughts scares Draco. WHY WOULD HE THINK ABOUT POTTER’S SMILE?! “But I thought you wanted to save your arse more-” Potter has his thinking face on, Draco rarely sees it.
“When wizard saves another wizard’s life the bond is created between them. I had to repay you.” Draco knows that this is a lie, but there is no way he’s going to think of what the truth is.
“That’s a lot of crap, Malfoy.” Why can Potter read him so easily?! That is absolutely not fair.
“You’re not getting anything out of me, Potter. I thought you knew me.” Somehow this talk with Potter makes him relax a little. It’s extremely weird and unusual, but somehow it works. There is a little smile on gryffindor’s mouth and Draco almost chokes on his own breath when he realizes he likes it, he is even smiling a little looking at Potter’s smile. WHAT ON MERLIN IS HAPPENING?!
“I think I know you way too well.” Potter snorts and stands up.
“You’d be surprised if I told you, you don’t even know half of who I am.”
“I think I know you pretty well after all of those years and especially the sixth year.”
“Right, your little obsession with me back then?”
“It wasn’t an OBSESSION!” Potter growls. “It was- I was- I was only doing what I had to do to get you busted on the shit you were doing. I was right, if you remember correctly. You were up to a lot of crazy shit.”
“I’m not proud of that.” Draco really isn’t, if he could he would have turn back the time and try to get better sooner. He was so stupid.
“I wouldn’t be either.” Potter’s face us unreadable. “I’m going to bed and so should you.” He states. Since when does Potter care for him?
“I should go.” Draco stands up and fices his hair that feel like a dried out, previously cooked pasta.
“Why don’t you stay here? I know you have no else to go and there are at least three beds here.” Draco is truly surprised by the offer.
“You can’t be sure I won’t curse you.”
“Oh,please, if you wanted to you would have done it sooner, besides you’re to tired.”
“You also have my wand.” Draco adds.
“Riiiiight.” They look eyes once again. “So, will you stay?”
“Why don’t you invite the Weasley bunch, your girlfriend or Granger? Anyone would be better company then I am? Remember, we hate each other.”
“No, we don’t. And I’m pretty sure you’re the best company right now. You won’t treat me any different because of who I am or won’t try to go easy on me like I’m made out of glass or something, like everyone from the list that you mentioned would.”
Draco eventually gives in, mainly because he is tired and really need to sleep, to switch his mind off. They walk awkwardly to Gryffindor dormitory and they lay on separate beds, opposite each other. It’s weird. Draco would never think he would end up sleeping in the sane room as Potter after a civil conversation. His life was changing already.
Draco took off his dirty clothes, leaving just his boxers and undershirt on, and he dimmed the lights, tried to sleep, but Potter kept grunting and shaking in his bed.
“Potter! For Merlin’s sake, what are you doing there? I can’t sleep.” There is no answer, just mire grunting. “Potter?” He says more softly.
“I’m sorry, I’ll stop.” Potter murmurs.
“What is it, Potter?” Draco grunts. The prat won’t stop and he is sure of it.
“Nothing, go to sleep I’ll stop.” Draco gets out of his bed and walks over to Potter.
“Do you want me to ask Mcgonnagal here? Maybe Pomfrey or Weslette?”
“No. Just, go to sleep, I’ll be fine.”
“You’re insufferable. What us it, Potter, I don’t have the energy for your lying arse.”
“I SAID IT’S NOTHING MALFOY GO AWAY.” Potter hides his head into the pillow.
“What is it, Potter damn it?” Draco says through the clenched teeth. There is a silence before Potter speaks.
“I can’t sleep. Um, I’m sure I’ll manage though.” Draco can see scared boy’s face when Potter turns to him. He doesn’t want to be alone. Who would to be fair? But why won’t he let Draco get him someone who he actually likes here? Draco was pretty scared and traumatized himself because of last two years and today’s events. Potter must be feeling even worse since he was almost killed today.
Draco knew there was a way to help Potter out, but it sounded crazy in his head, not to mention that for someone who was considered an enemy of Potter few hours ago, it was downright unexplainable band so out of order.
“Move and make some space you dumbass.” Draco sighed not believing he was actually going to do it.
“What?!” Potter made a face at him. It was purse confusion.
“Don’t be dull, move so I can lay here. No touching, no grunting, no stealing the sheets or the pillow.” Potter’s confusion turned into a slight grimace. “I know all ot this is mad, but today was just like that, most of this year was like that! So be a good gryffindor boy and let me be a decent person this once.” Potter was speechless, but he moved to one side of the bed. It was quite small, but both of them were quite skinny, so they fit almost perfectly. They were both turned their backs to each other careful not to touch the other even the slightest.
“Thank you.” Potter whispered, but Draco pretended to be already asleep.