After -Drarry COMPLETE

Chapter 27

—Draco POV—

Now, we were walking home from Maria's house. Harry stayed next to me and I was carrying Scorpius, who I've just noticed is not as easy to carry as he was when he was a toddler, and also had not showered today. Actually, none of us have showered today. Scorpius will get one first thing in the morning, because he's asleep, but I will definitely need a bathe before sleeping.

"Harry, open the door please, they keys are in my back pocket."

"Um, Your left or right?" He said a tad bit awkwardly. I understand why, but I'm too busy making sure I don't drop Scorpius to really care that I'm asking him to go into my back pocket.

"Left. Please." I said, trying to readjust my arms to continue carrying the child.

I felt Harry get the keys with as little contact as possible, then he went to open the door. I huffed upon entering, going straight to Scorpius's room.

"Door again, please." I said, leaning back, knowing that my grip was giving out.

Harry closed the front door than rushed to catch up to me down the hall, opening Scorpius's bedroom door. I got him in the bed just in time, whispering to myself:

"I am never carrying you again." I fixed my now crooked shirt, then got Scorpius under the covers. I gave him a quick hug and left the room, closing the door.

"Did you lock the front door?" I asked Harry

"Oh come on, really?" He said, giving me a look.

"Hey, you can never be sure. Now come on, go take a shower. You look like you were rolling around in the mud with all the other children."

"Do I really need to? I'll just shower tomorrow morning-"

"Then enjoy the couch, because nobody is sleeping in my bed without having showered." I said confidently. There's no way on Earth he's sleeping in my bed dirty.

"Fine, ok." He said, headed towards the bathroom inside my room.

"Thank you." I said, "Also, keep the water on. I'll go in after you." I added.

——--

"Okay, you can get in the shower." Said Harry, fully clothed, I entered the bathroom and locked the door before removing my clothing and stepping in, however, I immediately jumped back and let out a shriek. The water was practically boiling.

"Merlin Potter, you scald yourself in the shower!" I said. Harry replied from the other side of the closed door:

"At least I don't scream like a girl."

"Oh shut it Potter, at least I don't burn my skin off with the water."

"You sound like you've never had a warm shower."

"Warm?! The water is searing!"

"Whatever." He said, and I heard his footsteps receding. Meanwhile, I had to find a way to turn down the temperature without touching the stream of water.

——--

I was now in a T shirt and shorts, ready to go to bed. Harry was sitting on the bed looking at his phone with a blank stare.

"So, I have several questions to ask, and most of them are very serious, so I'll spare you and leave the rest for tomorrow because I'm actually exhausted, but I do want to ask you one thing." I said, Harry looked at me like a child who was just told their favorite theme park shut down.

"Okay? what would you like to ask?" He said. I could tell he didn't like this. I could see the wheels in his head turning at all the thousands of things I could possibly bring up.

"Would you be okay with taking off your shirt?" I said confidently and lacking any sort of emotion.

"This is a trick question. You're going to want me to take it off anyway. Why though?" He said, tugging his sleeves down. "It's not like you don't know what's there." He added.

"I just want to see something." I said, a little more softly than I was previously speaking. I noted that his face was bright red, and so were his hands, which furthered my suspicions.

"Why though?" He protested.

"Because I need to answer a question I'm asking myself. Please?" I said, sitting on the bed in front of him.

He slowly took his shirt off, and I noticed he was trying to keep his shirt away from himself as he did so. I saw all of his scars, It never fails to send a shiver down my spine, but I also noticed exactly what I had suspected. His skin was bright red everywhere. He absentmindedly scratched an itch on his side.

"Harry, you know the hot showers make the itch around your scars worse right?"

"But-"

"It also dries your skin and makes it easier for your skin to break."

He stayed silent. After a moment of examining him, I spoke again.

"Why do you burn yourself in the shower?"

"It calms me down, and since it's everywhere it overwhelms my senses and then I usually can't really feel anything for a bit."

"You mean unless something touches you, then you feel it too much." I told him, a little bit of a dumb look directed towards him. He put his shirt back on.

"Well-"

"Please stop it." I told him, my emotions switching to that of a desperate person. "You really don't deserve the pain you put yourself through." His head was faced down.

"I'm not sure I agree with that." He said.

"Oh come on you don't need to agree for it to be true, Harry."

"I know." He said. I sighed. This isn't going to go anywhere when I don't know what to say about it.

"Let's go to sleep?" I suggested.

"Yeah, you can." He muttered.

"And you won't?" I said confused.

"I don't want to."

"You already practically don't sleep and that's while trying. You need to at least try." I said plainly.

"I don't want to." He said again.

"Why on earth not, Potter?"

"My nightmares are worse since yesterday when I was home. I'm getting certain nightmares I haven't particularly had in a while."

"Was one of those the nightmares the ones you had last night? And this morning? The one that led to a panic attack and the one that made you itch- I mean?" I asked slowly, trying to phrase my words carefully. Harry nodded, then took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about that?" I asked, trying to gain eye contact while his eyes were still downcast. He nodded. Things were still, but not necessarily in an awkward way. I spoke again.

"I'll be here to help you calm down like I was last night. Okay? I'm not leaving your side. I'm staying right where I have been this whole week or so." I told him. He looked me in the eyes. I felt like he was trying to find any trace of lying or deception. Any bit of worry or regret. I took his overly warm and red hand softly, feeling a wave of emotion as I did so.

"I'm going to be right here to stop the nightmares as they come." I said again.

"Okay." He whispered.

"Let's get under the covers okay? And you can do whatever you want to get comfortable." I told him genuinely.

"Okay."

Soon we were both laying in the bed, covered by the blankets.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight." He said, putting his glasses on the nightstand.

"Harry?" I asked

"Yeah?"

"I really, really don't hate you. I care about you a lot."

Things were silent, and for a second I thought I'd messed up. Then he responded.

"I don't hate you either. And I care about you quite a lot."