Medical Magic (Drarry)

Chapter Ten: Nightmares

            The screaming is what woke Harry. He leaped off the couch, wand in hand, and sprinted down the hall to the only bedroom. He flung the closed door open and scanned the room for threats. He only found Draco thrashing on the bed, screaming and clawing at his left arm.

Harry hesitantly approached the bed. "Draco," he shook the man's shoulder gently. "Draco, wake up."

The screaming stopped, but Draco stayed unconscious. This close, Harry could see the tears still running down his cheeks. Harry perched on the edge of the bed and did what Hermione had always done for him: he started gently running his hand through Draco's hair. It was still damp from his shower and softer than Harry could believe.

Taking a deep breath, Harry started singing the first song that popped into his head.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind, but now I see

Was grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace, my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares

We have already come

T'was grace that brought us safe thus far

And grace will lead us home

And grace will lead us home

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind, but now I see

Was blind, but now I see

"Not bad, Harry. Never would have taken you for a singer or someone who would choose that song."

Harry glanced down and found Draco was awake, his eyes bloodshot. Harry stilled his hand but left it tangled in Draco's hair. "Hermione used to sing it to me. You know, her parents are rather religious. It's the first thing I thought of. Do you know it? It's a muggle song..."

Draco's eyes shuttered at the mention of Hermione, and Harry didn't like it. "It's one of my favorites." There was a pause. "So Granger often visits you at night?"

Harry rolled his eyes and scooted further onto the bed, his hip now pressed against Draco's side. "We all lived at the Burrow after the war. She'd hear me screaming and come to comfort me. She's the only one that could wake me up in the middle of a terror."

"Oh." Draco looked away. "I'm sorry for waking you."

Harry started playing with Draco's hair again, and the man didn't push him away. "You don't need to apologize; I still get them too."

"You do? After all this time?"

"Yea, just less often now than right after the war."

"What made them stop?" Draco asked.

"Therapy."

"Gross." Draco made a face.

"What do you dream of?" Harry asked quietly.

Draco was silent for so long Harry would have thought he had drifted off to sleep again had his eyes not been open. "You know He lived in my house. Of all the things He did in public, He did worse in private away from prying eyes. I can still see the people; I can still hear their screams whenever I close my eyes."

Harry's fingers stilled. Draco grunted, and Harry took it as encouragement to continue. "I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for you, Draco."

Surprised eyes stared up at Harry.

"We were kids doing the best we could do. It's been years since I believed you were actually to blame."

"But it was my fault. You and your friends were kids too, and you chose to do the right thing; I didn't."

Harry shook his head. "We also hadn't grown up under the hands of an abuser. You never really had a chance, Draco." After the war, at the Malfoy trials, it had come out that Lucius had brutally abused both his wife and son. He put the Dursleys to shame.

Snorting, Draco stared past Harry at the ceiling. "I'm glad I'm branded from the worst mistake of my life. Even if it's ached ever since He died."

"Why?"

"It's a reminded to do better, to be better."

"I think you're amazing, Draco." The words were off Harry's tongue before he could stop them. "That is, I mean, what you do is amazing. Helping all those people."

"It's the least I could do."

They were silent for a while, and Harry finally extracted his hand from the soft strands. "I better get back to bed."

Faster than should be possible, Draco's hand shot out and grabbed Harry's arm. "Stay. Please. I can't – I don't want -," his voice broke off, and Harry understood. He didn't want to be alone, not after what he'd seen inside his head.

"Where do you want me?" Harry whispered.

Relief flowed over Draco's pinched features. "I have a large bed; we can share it."

Surprised, Harry just stared at Draco. "You sure?"

A shiver racked Draco's lean frame. "Yea. But we're never going to speak of this to anyone, got it?"

Harry suppressed a smile and went around to the other side of the bed, slipping in between the covers. "Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Harry."

They were silent. Harry was almost asleep when he felt Draco reach out and grab his hand. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry squeezed the other man's hand as he tipped over the edge into sleep.