Work Text:
—Draco POV—
The ceiling above me seemed to stretch as I looked up at it. I sighed. Harry had not come to bed yet. It'd been a few hours, and I was becoming impatient. I turned towards the clock, frowning as I read the time. 12:15pm. He's usually here by now...
Then again, he hadn't come to see me in a few weeks. Not since I visited the bloody doctor. I told her those doctors didn't really want to help...
But today had been a particularly bad day, anyway. I need him. I stayed home, praying that maybe, hopefully, today he would come.
I sighed and turned to the ceiling again. The longer I watched it, the more the world seemed to distort itself around me. Soon enough the ringing in my ears began. I closed my eyes, Please come today. Before I knew it, the bed dipped beside me.
"Did you really think I would leave you alone tonight?"
A wave of relief crashed onto my chest with such force that I thought I might sob. I promptly scooted up to him, letting the feeling of his arms wrapped around my torso overtake me. I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the weight against me as he lay with me.
"I thought I might never see you again." My voice was a whisper, tentative. I didn't want to scare him off. "Why haven't you visited me?"
"I told you not to trust your friends," he responded. "You know they're trying to take you from me."
"They told me that I need help," I countered. "They basically dragged me... they think I need to speak to a... a professional."
"Don't listen to them, my love. They don't know what's best for you."
I shut my eyes tighter against his shirt, wishing that what he was saying wasn't true. A slight pain struck my head when I thought of what Hermione had told me when we went to the doctor.
"You can't just stay home all day waiting for him," she'd said. And-
"Don't think about that," Harry said firmly, as though he already knew precisely what I was remembering. "The point is that you realized what they were doing. You stopped taking the pills they gave you, right?"
Before I knew it, tears wet my cheeks. "I stopped after the second night that you didn't come."
My breath hitched, and he shushed me softly. "It's okay. Don't cry, my love. I'm sorry they kept me away like that. But you won't let it happen again, right?"
"I felt lonely without you," I sniffed. There was a sound in the distance, but I shrugged it off. This house was always loud anyway.
"I know."
There was a thumping sound. I ignored it, only holding him tighter as a hand passed through my hair. He did always like to do that. There was a stretch of time before I could calm down. I opened my eyes, wanting to see him more than feel him.
"My love," he whispered softly. "They're coming."
"Don't say that," I breathed, feeling my eyes sting. My tears were streaming steadily down.
"Don't let them take me."
"They won't. You can- you can stay," I suggested, growing anxious.
"They'll make me leave. Don't let them in."
"But-" I flinched at a bang that came from behind me. I refused to turn around. Harry was silent. The voice behind me echoed through the room. I recognized the voice as Hermione's.
"Who are you speaking to?"
My eyes locked onto Harry's. I was trembling. He was still. "Don't leave," I whispered, voice trembling.
"Have you been holed up here all week?" Hermione's voice drew nearer.
A hand gripped my shoulder. I was turned around. "Draco, answer me-" Hermione stopped abruptly, frowning. Her eyes showed pity.
My lower lip quivered. I glanced to the side. He was gone.
"You asked me to take you to visit Harry's grave today," she said softly. "The whole family is waiting... I know it's been a rough year, but we're all hurting. You can't just hole yourself up like this. We all lost him last year... not just you. You promised you would come with us."