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Oliver didn't notice the trembling figure in his bed at first. He knew only that he had awoken for some unknown reason, and he blinked into the darkness for several seconds before realising that another boy lay beside him. It had to be Percy, for none of the other Gryffindors in their year would have crawled into his bed.
Oliver frowned. Percy was usually so careful not to wake him up, but tonight he was shaking, and Oliver didn't know why. Was he cold? Scared? Crying?
Wordlessly, he wrapped an arm around Percy's shoulders and pulled him close, then checked to make sure that the curtains around his bed were completely closed. There was no moonlight peeking through any gaps, so it was probably safe to talk without waking the other boys.
"Perce?" he whispered.
Percy made a noise that was half-whimper, half-gasp.
"I didn't mean to startle you," Oliver said quickly. "It's just...you're shivering. I was worried."
"I had hoped that I wouldn't wake you." Percy's voice was so quiet that Oliver almost didn't hear him, and when he buried his face into Oliver's chest, his words grew even more inaudible. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Oliver gently stroked Percy's hair, wishing that he could see the expression on his boyfriend's face. "What's going on?"
For a moment, there was only silence, apart from the pounding of Oliver's heart as he tried to imagine what would have driven Percy into his bed in the middle of the night.
"You'll laugh," Percy said at last.
"No, I won't." Oliver racked his brain for something he could say that would make Percy believe him. "I swear on...on my broomstick that I won't laugh."
He held his breath as he waited for the redhead to respond. Thankfully, Percy didn't leave him in suspense for long.
"I had a nightmare. I—I failed all my classes and Mc—McGonagall took away my Prefect Badge. It was awful, Oliver."
The note of anguish in Percy's voice made Oliver's chest tighten. Percy always had to be strong—for his family, for the younger students, and even to fulfill his own strict expectations for himself. That he had come to Oliver and admitted that he'd had a nightmare felt like a very big deal.
"That sounds horrible, Perce." Oliver shifted onto his side so that he could wrap both arms around his boyfriend. Percy wasn't trembling quite so much anymore, he noted with relief. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Just keep holding me, please." Percy sighed, and Oliver felt the warm breath ghost his chest. "I'm sorry that I woke you, though. I don't mean to be a bother."
"You're far from a bother," Oliver said firmly. "I'm right where I want to be, trust me."
"Thank you."
Oliver felt himself smile, though he knew that his boyfriend couldn't see it. They had come such a long way from the boys they had been, two roommates who didn't seem to share any common ground.
"Any time," he said.
Silence fell again. Oliver listened as Percy's breathing evened out, and let out a silent cheer when the other boy stopped shivering altogether. Finally, Percy spoke again.
"I'm starting to feel rather sleepy now." He punctuated his point with a yawn. "I can hardly keep my eyes open."
"Good." Oliver's eyes were beginning to feel heavy, too. "'Night, Percy."
"Goodnight, Oliver."
Oliver drifted off to sleep shortly after that, his arms still wrapped protectively around his boyfriend.