Make Me Fall

30. Little Sisters

Patrol duty is boring. We just hang around on the street outside some buildings. We don't even know if Harry, Hermione and Ron are in there, or if they're even together. I doubt that they would have separated, but I'm not telling anyone that. It's been a week since we got home and reality has definitely sunken in. Draco has been leaving early and getting home late. I've been on patrol duty at all hours of the day and night and we're both crabby and snappish with each other. It's awful.

I've been helping take care of my sisters during the day, from about eight until I start patrol at five. I've been trying to do some school with them, reading and writing. Jess is fairly good and Tori wants to learn, but the twins just want to run around and play, it's exhausting. For those who have lost track, Jessie is nine, Sarah and Drew are seven, Tori is five and Sophia is nearly three. I think Mother and Father have decided to stop having children. I hope. They'd had kids every two years since they started, so unless Mother is pregnant now, they've finished. Or maybe they're just waiting until after the war, like everyone else.

It's about one in the morning now. I was on patrol from five this afternoon until midnight. When I got home Draco was already asleep. We haven't spoken for two days. Once of us is always asleep when the other gets home or leaves. We've taken to sleeping in different rooms, so we don't wake each other when we come in or go out. I'm sleeping in one of the spare rooms tonight. It's comfortable and all, but I miss Draco's snoring. I never thought I'd say that, but I do.

I haven't had a chance to go and see Fred and George again. I keep thinking about Fred's suggestion of becoming a double agent. It's madness! But at the same time, it makes sense. I have family and friends on both sides. If this was a novel I'd somehow be the link between the two sides and show them how they're not so different, how they're really the same. Sadly, this is real life, and real life is ugly and lonely.

Lonely. I haven't felt like that for a while, but I think I'm lonely now.

I put my book down and climb out of bed. I creep down the hallway to the master bedroom and carefully push open the door. Draco is lying on his side, curled up in a ball. I've never seen him sleep like that before. He's frowning and mumbling in his sleep. I tip toe over, trying not to wake him, and slip into bed. I wiggle over closer to him, trying to hear what he's saying, but I can't make it out. I gently reach over to brush a few strands of hair away from his eyes. At my touch his brows furrow.

"No," he groans softly. I withdraw my hand guiltily.

"No, no, no!"

Oh crap, what did I do?!

Draco curls up in a tighter ball, clinging to the pillow. I sit up, alarmed. He's clearly having a nightmare. I heard once you shouldn't wake someone when they're having a nightmare. Or was that sleep walking?

"NO!" Draco's shout startles me. He starts to cry, holding the pillow tightly.

"No, Autumn, no!" he sobs.

"Draco!" I shake his shoulder, "Draco, wake up!"

He wakes with a jolt, tears still pouring down his face.

"Shh," I brush them away, "you're alright."

"Autumn!" he sits up and pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly, "it was a dream."

"Yes, just a dream," I tell him soothingly, rubbing his back. He buries his face in my shoulder and I run my fingers over his hair, relishing in his embrace. Once he's calmed down he sits back and wipes his eyes.

"Sorry," he says.

"Don't be," I reply, "what was your dream about?"

He shudders.