Sleepwalker [discontinued]

Chapter 4

Draco scribbled out another sentence on the scroll. How was he supposed to phrase this?

He groaned and crumpled up the paper, stuffing it into his bag. If he wanted to talk to Harry, he would have to do it face to face.

"Hey."

Draco looked up. Harry was standing there, an apologetic look on his face. "Can I sit here?"

"Sure," Draco replied, and Harry took a seat across from him at the table. "Why are you here? Reading?"

"Homework," Harry said, and made a face. "Hermione says I had to do it myself because I put it off so late. Honestly, how does that make any sense?"

Draco shrugged. "She just doesn't want to help you when you had plenty of time to work on it."

Harry nodded. He studied Draco for a second, and Draco glanced to the side, uncomfortable with Harry's gaze.

"Your parents," he said finally.

"What?" Draco asked, confused by the way Harry hadn't phrased it as a question.

"Do you love them?" Harry asked, keeping his voice calm. "No, wait - why..." Harry seemed to be struggling with the words.

"Why do I put up with them? Like the way I am? A Death Eater?"

Harry glanced down. "That's- that's not what I meant. But-" he looked up again. "Do... do you still have the Mark? Even after he died?"

Draco slid up his sleeve, revealing the cruel, twisted mark. The skull eating the snake, that would writhe whenever the Dark Lord had touched his. "It's faded, yes, but there."

Draco pushed his sleeve back down and didn't miss how Harry's gaze lingered on his forearm for a second. "And for your first question... I don't know. I didn't know until... fifth? The sixth year that he was a Death Eater. I wanted to be like him - rich and influential."

There was more to the story, but he didn't want Harry to get too suspicious that he was telling him so much. 

Harry nodded. "You're lucky to have a family, no matter how ev-" Harry stopped, probably realizing how that sounded. "Wait, that came out wrong."

Draco bristled, and he exited out of his chair, slinging his bag over his arm. "Bye, Potter."

"No, wait, I didn't mean it like that," Harry started, getting out of his chair. "Malfoy, wait."

Draco snorted, slowing down. Harry was right behind him. Whatever he wanted to say, he could say it now.

"Malfoy..." Harry began.

Draco argued with himself for a moment, and then muttered, "Call me Draco." He was half-hoping Harry wouldn't hear him.

But he could practically feel the shock coming off of Harry. "Pardon?"

"You heard me," Draco said, but it was quiet. A statement, not meant in a superior way. He kept walking.

"Why?" 

Draco sucked in a breath and glanced around. No one was here.

He whirled around and crashed his lips on Harry's. After a second, he pulled away, shoved Harry, and mumbled, "I hate you."

With that, he turned and ran to the Slytherin common room where he collapsed onto a sofa and stared into the fire with shock. Did he really just do that? 

Draco groaned and put his head in his hands. He was a major idiot. 

***

*Harry's POV*

Harry stared with shock after the retreating form of Draco. Why did he just do that?

Did he like, like him? Geez, he sounded like some kids at his school when he was eight. "Do you like him? I mean like, like him?"

But Harry wasn't gay, right? 

Harry pulled his invisibility cloak from his bag and covered himself. He didn't want any questions right now.

He made his way to the Room of Requirement. Climbing through the door, he settled on the space in front of the picture.

The picture's image hadn't changed, but Harry couldn't help wondering what Draco had seen.