WE NEED EACH OTHER [DRARRY]

CHAPTER THIRTY : LISTENER

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. I thought hard. What does Potter do in his sleep? How is he while he's asleep?

Meeting Wilson's eager eyes, I said with a baffled face, "I... I don't know..."

Harry's POV

I cleaned the room. I knew the house elves were supposed to take care of that. But I realised that cleaning actually soothed my nerves.

I had just finished making the bed, folding the blanket and fluffing the pillows when Malfoy walked in.

Sometimes I'd forget how taller Malfoy was than me. Today, for some reason, I saw how tall Malfoy was as he walked closer to bed. I was busy cleaning the sofa, but could sense his presence behind me.

"I- I made the bed... for you," I awkwardly said, and regretted the next second. Malfoy would have noticed that already. Why did I state something so obvious?

"Thanks," Malfoy muttered as if he didn't know what I was talking about.

I fluffed my pillow and kept it neatly on the sofa when I heard Malfoy ask, "Will you make the bed for your new dormmate as well? Probably sleep together, right?"

I turned around to face him and plopped on the sofa.

"Does that mean you have confirmed your decision?" I asked with a sad smile.

"There is nothing to confirm, Potter," Malfoy said, sitting on the bed. "Father would want me to switch."

"And what do you want?" My question was impudent, but I didn't care.

"What does it matter what I want?" he shrugged. "It's not my decision to make."

"Of course it is!" I said earnestly.

Malfoy chuckled at my reaction. "Easy for you to say," he said, with a slightly bitter tone. "You have always got what you wished for."

"Hey! That's not true!" I said, offended, but it came more dramatic than I expected.

"You think I choose to live like this?" I rhetorically asked. "If I could choose, I'd wish for an ordinary life with my parents, my family, Sirius, Professor Lupin and everyone I've loved. I never asked for any of this."

Then I heard Malfoy saying something unexpected.

"You know, I have always envied you," he said.

I was flattered for some reason but, at the same time, couldn't believe him.

"Did you?" I asked with a chuckle.

Malfoy broke into a smile. "Yeah," he muttered. "People always loved you no matter what. You were— are a hero. You are always praised for what you do. It's like, you can't get anything wrong. Even when you make a mistake, it doesn't matter. A perfectionist. Me? I'm heavily flawed. So, yes. I envied you. I still do."

I shook my head, looking at my feet. "I'm not a perfectionist," I said. "Most people loved me because they believed me to be the chosen one, the one who could free them from Voldemort. I was constantly under the pressure of not making a mistake. Remember when the entire school thought I was the heir of Slytherin because I spoke in parseltongue? It's like they forgot all about it as soon as I saved Ginny."

I sighed. "Every time I do something wrong, the entire school turns against me— then suddenly, I do something right, and it's all hero hero again."

Malfoy was silent. It seemed he tried to understand my situation.

"In that case," I said, "I envied you."