I'll Take That Chance

CH 29 - "Good Morning," He Smiled

The first part of December had flown by and the Christmas Holiday was upon them. Harry was glad to be leaving for a while, just to clear his head. He was also glad Draco hadn't received any more letters and that things had stayed relatively calm. They had done well to stay apart in public at the school but now that they would be leaving, Harry intended to spend as much time with Draco as possible. He was excited to see Draco outside of school, see how he was different in his home setting. They were going to be leaving for Andromeda's house first thing the next morning. Harry was a little unsure about that part. He was nervous about being with Draco in front of his family. They hadn't been around each other much and now they were all going to be very close. He had been so busy before school started that he hadn't had the time to buy any newer clothes or shoes. He liked his regular clothes but now he was getting worried about looking nice and meeting their expectations. Draco had never complained about them so maybe it wouldn't be a problem to his family.

He spent a few hours tossing and turning in bed before he made the decision to go talk to Draco about it. He put his glasses on and pulled his invisibility cloak from his trunk. He scrawled a quick note to Ron in case he woke before Harry returned. He grabbed the Marauders Map and checked to see if anyone was up and about before he threw his cloak on over himself. His watch told him it was almost two in the morning. He crawled out the portrait hole and was thankful he didnt have to go past Peeves or Mrs. Norris.

He whispered Draco's password and climbed through. It was completely dark but he could tell the sitting room was empty. The bedroom door was ajar and he could see a faint blue light flickering through the crack. He took off his cloak, laid it over the back of the sofa, and slowly opened the bedroom door. A small blue flame in a jar sat on a dresser at the far end of the room but it gave just enough light that Harry could see the entire room. He wondered if Draco had a fear of the dark; it was an endearing thought. He saw Draco's wand laying on the nightstand, the same wand that he himself had used earlier that year. And on the bed he could just see Draco's blond hair shining against his dark pillow. He was stretched out on his back, one arm tucked under his head and the blanket tossed over his waist. He watched as his chest moved up and down in steady breaths. Harry was afraid of scaring him and he wasn't sure if he should sit and wait for him to wake up or just leave.

"Harry, what are you doing in my room?" Draco asked quietly and Harry jumped back, startled.

"Why are you awake?" Harry whispered back.

"Why are you in my room?" Draco asked again and he sounded tired but Harry could hear the smug curiosity in his voice. His socked feet were peeking out from the end of the blanket and he pulled them up and patted a spot next to him on the bed, scooting back a few inches to give Harry some space to sit. He took a deep breath and chewed his lip. Even though it was dark, Draco's grey eyes seemed to glow, and it was making Harry very warm. He lowered himself onto the bed and thought over what he was going to say. Draco placed his hand on his hip and waited for him to speak.

"I couldnt sleep. I've been worrying about the next couple of weeks. I guess I'm afraid I'm going to embarrass you in front of your family or something," he trailed off. He realized how stupid it must sound. He sat stiffly on the edge of the bed and he felt Draco's fingertips lightly stroking his back.

"Harry, don't worry about that. It'll be fine. You won't embarrass anyone. After what our family has been through, the holidays are going to be tough this year, and you'll be a nice distraction. Not that you're merely a distraction, dear," Draco said with a yawn. "Come tomorrow and see how you feel and if you're still uncomfortable, we can work something out. But it's the middle of the night and we've got a long day ahead of us. It's time to go back to sleep, Potter." Draco sighed heavily and his hand fell down to Harry's leg and his fingers were rubbing small circles there. Harry blushed; he wasn't even sure if Draco was fully awake enough to remember this in the morning. He got up to leave but was stopped when Draco grabbed his hand. "Stay here. You're already dressed for the occasion." Harry was glad it was dark because his face immediately started burning.