More Than a Memory

9

Harry groans in his sleep. He tosses an arm out so violently he smacks Aiden across the chest.

"Ow!" He startles awake just in time for him to kick him in the shin. "Harry! What the hell are you—?"

"Don't," Harry mutters, thrashing again. Aiden scoots out of range. "Don't hurt them."

"What?"

"Please!"

Aiden reaches out and shakes his shoulder. "Harry!"

Harry jerks awake. "What? Oh. Sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Nightmare?"

"Yeah. Did I...say anything?"

"You just said, 'don't hurt them.' Do you have those a lot?"

Harry looks relieved. "Er, not anymore. I still get them sometimes, though. My job is...well, I've seen things."

"Anymore?"

Harry cringes and goes silent.

"I also went through some shit," he finally says. "As a kid."

Aiden knows he shouldn't push him, but he can't help it. He wants to know, to help if he can. "What?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Harry says firmly, lying down with his back to him. "Go back to sleep." 

✦ ✦ ✦

Draco twitches violently in his sleep.

Harry groans and sits up in bed, rubbing at his eyes. "Draco?"

His head jerks to the side, and he whimpers. He doesn't talk or thrash about like Harry does, but it's still easy to tell that he's having a nightmare. Harry rubs his shoulder, trying to wake him gently.

"Draco, it's okay love, it's just a nightmare, wake up."

Draco's eyes fly open, and he flinches away from Harry on the bed, expression wild and fearful as he takes in his surroundings. He releases a slow breath and sags back against the pillows, squeezing his eyes closed as he calms himself down, breathing deeply.

"Sorry," he whispers. "I was hoping you wouldn't see..."

"It's alright," Harry says softly, "I get them, too."

Draco lifts his gaze to look at him, then.

"Of course...of course you do. You probably...more than anyone..."

"Ron and Hermione do, too. I think everyone who lived through the things we did probably does. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Draco."

Harry's voice is so calm, his expression so openly accepting and kind, that it inexplicably makes Draco want to cry. No one has ever made him feel as understood and cared for as Harry does. He knows this relationship, because there's really no other word for it, has evolved into something quite different than they'd originally intended, especially since they started actually sleeping together, not just having sex, and it scares him, but he can't bring himself to even consider giving it up.

"Do you like to talk about them afterward?" Harry asks.

Draco shakes his head.

"Me neither," Harry shrugs. "Do you want...er, physical comfort?"

Draco nods, automatically scooting closer to let Harry put an arm around him, leaning his head against his shoulder. Harry slides them down the bed so they're lying down, Harry on his back, Draco tucked tightly against his side.

"Do you want me to talk about something else? Distract you?"

Another nod.

Draco buries his face further into the crook of Harry's neck, breathing in the comforting scent of his soap from their shower earlier.

He's alive, he's alive, he's fine, he tells himself. Nothing has happened to him, he's here, he's fine.

Draco can practically hear the smile in Harry's voice as he starts talking about Quidditch, prattling on about whatever comes to mind as he talks without expecting a response, trying to get Draco's mind off of the contents of his nightmare.

It works.

Draco drifts off feeling safe and warm and vaguely recognizing that there's a terrifying possibility that he's falling in love with Harry Potter.