Draco has always been a light sleeper. Especially when his father was home. Now, staying at this place, it was just as bad, if not worse. He was always staying up at night, listening to the deafening silence.
It was always the slightest tap that could wake him. The quietest tweet of a bird, or the smallest chirp of a rat. But that is not the reason he woke so suddenly tonight. Two o’clock in the morning.
It was the click of the bedroom door opening and closing. It seemed like he was hearing things. There was no way the door just opened. Vernon always locked it before he lay down to drift into the void of rest.
But when Draco opened his eyes, he saw he was alone in the room. Just like he had been when he lied down on the bed to fall asleep. He thought back to the events of the previous night. What happened downstairs. He remembered it going quiet for just a moment.
He could remember hearing sniffles. But just for a moment. A moment that lasted too long. A moment that drowned him in a tsunami of memories from home. A moment he wished he didn’t have to live.
Draco sat up, still thinking. His head spun with thoughts and worst case scenarios. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet touching the cold hard-wood floor. He looked down at himself. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday.
Eh, what did it matter? Draco stood, slowly making his way towards the door. He put his hand on the knob, taking in a deep breath. He turned the knob. To his surprise, the door swung open. It didn’t fight the push, it just swung.
This baffled Draco. Why would they leave the door unlocked? He stepped out of the room and into the open hallway. Downstairs, he heard a door open and click shut.
Draco silently shut the door behind himself and continued walking, hugging his robes to his body. He stepped down each stair step, holding onto the rail so he wouldn’t fall. He made it to the ground floor, looking around.
Blue light illuminated the kitchen from the windows. He worked his way towards the door, especially careful not to make any noise. Being the idiot he was, Draco accidentally cursed aloud after stubbing his toe on the corner of the table.
Fortunately for him, everyone remained asleep. He opened the door, wincing as it creaked open. He stepped out into the back yard and stopped. He stared at the familiar silhouette of a boy.
Harry sat, his legs crossed and his hands in his lap. He stared up into the sky, the man in the moon staring back. His back was turned towards the house, and his beautifully messy hair flowed in the quiet breeze.
Draco admired his figure and everything about him. Everything about Harry was just-
“It’s rude to stare, Malfoy.” He spoke, startling Draco out of thought and back into the real world.
“Sorry…” Draco muttered back, looking down at the ground. Harry began to chuckle, causing Draco’s head to shoot up in his direction.
“Draco Malfoy apologizing to me? Never thought I’d live to see the day.” He chuckled. Harry turned around so he could look at Draco. “Are you going to just stand there all night or are you going to come sit?”
Draco noticed how the moonlight fell gracefully on his face, casting shadows every here and there. But he also noticed the skin bruising around Harry’s eye, and how he attempted to cover it up with his hair.
Draco walked towards Harry, the half dead grass crunching beneath his stile naked feet. He sat next to him, hugging his legs to his chest. Draco couldn’t help but to keep glancing over at him.
“What happened to your face?” Draco heard the words fall off his lips before he could stop them.
Harry’s body seemed to tense within a second. “I… erm…” Harry hesitated. “I tripped.”
Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh please.”
“What?”
“You’re a horrible liar, I hope you know that.” Draco glanced at him. “I’ve used that excuse many times and it has never worked. What’s the point in lying, anyway?”
“It’s none of your concern, Malfoy.” Harry snapped, looking over at him. Harry turned back around to look up into the stars, not speaking for several minutes. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”
“Indeed they are.” Draco said. But he was more looking at Harry than he was the stars; the idiot didn’t seem to notice. Even if he did, he didn’t (or perhaps wouldn’t) say anything. “Look there, Canis Major! Home of Sirius, the dog star.” Draco pointed up at the sky, tracing a group of the stars.
“That it is.” Harry said with a sad sigh. He released his legs from the crossed pattern, laying down on his back on the ground. He raised his hands behind his head, using them as a pillow.
Draco looked over at Harry again. This time, Harry looked back at him, creating direct eye contact between the two boys. Draco felt something in his chest flutter. His hands began to sweat slightly, why was he suddenly nervous?
But he continued to look into Harry’s eyes.
Merlin, his eyes…
Those eyes are the most ethereal shade of emerald he’d ever seen. Those eyes that start out light and grow a deeper emerald the closer they get to the pupil.
His eyes shimmered in the moonlight, teasing Draco. Get lost in our beauty, is what they said. Drown in us for hours. As much as Draco wanted to look away, he just couldn’t.
The oddity, however, was that Harry didn’t look away either. He stared back. Draco thought for a moment he saw Harry’s eyes slide downward just the slightest bit. Draco tried to fight the heat that rose to his face. He failed.
This caused Draco to look away. Harry looked back up at the stars. “You want to know what I think?” Harry spoke after a moment of silence.
“What?” Draco lay down next to Harry. He rested his hands on his stomach.
“I think, though Ron and Hermione might disagree with me, that all of this is stupid.”
“What do you mean? The war?”
“No, no, not the war. I mean all the Hogwarts drama.” Draco looked at him, confused. “The whole feud between us three and yourself.”
Draco felt his eyes widen and his mouth fall. Was he really suggesting…? Harry rolled over on his side to look at Draco.
“What are you suggesting?”
"I don't know…" Harry shrugged. "Perhaps a truce?"
"Like a friendship?" Draco sat back up, his arms behind him for support.
"If that is what is okay with you." Harry shrugged once more. He closed his eyes, smiling just the slightest bit.
"You're being serious, right? This isn't some sort of prank?"
"No, I'm being one hundred percent honest."
Draco stared at him. There was no way Harry Potter was proposing a friendship.
"Alright," Draco held out his hand, hoping for Harry to shake it. "A truce."
Harry sat up, shaking Draco's hand. His hands are so soft… "Truce!" Harry had the smallest smile on his face, silence capturing them.
"Hey, Potter..."
"Yes?"
"I want you to call me by my first name."
Harry beamed at this, as if he'd been watimg for this moment for years. "And I want you to do the same, Draco."
His heart fluttered at Harry's use of his first name, and he smiled wider than he had in years. This... this he could get used to.
The two boys sat and talked until the sun rose. They simply sat outside, talking about random things.
***
Someone had gotten up early. He stood by the back door, looking out the window, watching the two boys laugh and talk. He squeezed his hand into a fist. A smirk crept across his face.
"Perfect…"
YOU ARE READING
The Summer That Changed Everything ⤘ DRARRY
Fanfiction"Harry thought that maybe he was having a dream where Draco would have him, and they would stay in a small place in Godric's Hollow. Maybe he dreamt of a world where people like himself were accepted, and didn't have to hide from society. Or maybe...
