Writer's Pov.
"If you are not my m..master and you have not bought me then why can't I go to my own house? To my mother? She is under house arrest."
Harry's eyes widened in shock. He was horrified at his words. 'Draco doesn't know that his mother is dead? Shit! What am I going to do now?' Harry thought.
It was hard for Harry to believe that Draco didn't know about his mother's death but who was even going to inform Draco about his mother in that place?
Draco thought his mother was alive and was waiting for him but the truth was that his mother committed suicide almost a year back.
When the word came out that Draco Malfoy had died in Azkaban, his mother broke down completely. She was only alive for his son, whom she loved the most, and now that he was dead, there was no other reason for Narcissa to live. So she committed suicide in Malfoy Manor. Aurors found her dead body with a note that wrote how much she loved Draco and that she was only living for him and now that he is no more, she died to go and reunite with her son.
'His mother's death news will kill him' Harry thought. 'How will I break this news out to him? How will I be able to tell him that his mother is no more? How will he react? He is already broken so much and this news will break him even more.'
Harry came out of this trance when Draco called him in a low tone. "Master?"
Harry looked into his eyes and saw Draco looking back with a hurt expression.
"You can tell me the truth. I will handle it." Said Draco in a low hurt tone but Harry again didn't reply to which Draco just nodded and murmured. "I understand, master."
"What? You understand what?" Harry asked with a frown as he didn't know what Draco was talking about.
"That you have bought me and you can't let me go to my house until I don't serve you," Draco said, his eyes still on Harry and he looked hopeful. He was hoping that Harry would inform him that he had not bought him and he could go back to his mother.
But how could Harry say this to him? Draco had a house but not his mother. Harry couldn't inform him about his mother's death. He was already broken and vulnerable and Harry couldn't break him more. He was only alive in the hope that one day he would go back to his mother and live a normal life. If Harry took this hope away from him then he would kill himself. And Harry couldn't let this happen. If Draco did something to himself under Harry's care then Harry will never be able to forgive himself.
Harry sighed in anger. He was angry about his fate. He had to lie to Draco. He didn't want to but he had to. Draco was not ready to hear his mother's death news.
Harry looked at him and Draco looked scared.
"Yes, Draco, it's true that I have bought you and I can't let you go until you don't serve me for a few months," Harry murmured looking into his eyes in a low soft tone, trying his best not to hurt him in anyways.
Draco's hold on Harry's hands loosened and he looked at Harry with an expressionless face. He nodded his head in yes and now looked down at Harry's chest.
Harry slowly held his chin and made him look in his eyes.
"I won't hurt you, I promise. I am not like those monsters." Harry said to him and he just gave Harry a small nod.
"Do I only serve y..you or do I have other m..masters as well?" He stuttered a little as he asked this in a low tone.
"Only me. You won't take anyone else's command." Harry told him immediately as he didn't want anyone else to take advantage of Draco's vulnerable condition.
Draco was too submissive and anyone could take advantage of this. What if Harry was not present with him and someone took Draco's advantage? Harry couldn't let this happen.
Draco again just gave Harry a nod and Harry frowned as he looked so hurt and broken.
Harry took Draco in a hug as he wanted Draco to know that he didn't mean any harm to him. Draco didn't hug him back so Harry said in a low tone. "Please hug me back."
Immediately Draco's arms wrapped around Harry's body and Harry sighed as he knew that Draco hugged him because he took his plead as an order.
After a few minutes, Harry broke the hug and he held Draco's hands in his tightly. But Draco didn't hold his hands back. Harry noticed this and got sad as Draco did not trust him now.
"Are you hungry?" Harry asked Draco and Draco immediately nodded his head in denial.
Harry looked at his body and saw how much underweight he was. He looked so thin and fragile.
Harry picked up his wand and immediately sent a patronos for food.
"Lay down on the bed. You are still injured. You shouldn't sit for too long." Harry said to him and Draco immediately laid down on the bed.
Soon a lady entered the room with food for both of them.
Draco's hand shook a little and he closed his eyes tightly thinking that the stranger would hurt him.
"It's okay. I am here with you. No one will ever hurt you in my presence." Harry said and caressed his knuckles.
The lady kept the food on the side table and left from there.
"Come on let's eat lunch?" Harry asked Draco and he slowly opened his eyes. Harry left Draco's hands and held his plate of food.
"Get up and eat something," Harry said and Draco sat on the bed. Harry gave Draco his plate of food and then took his plate.
Draco looked at his plate and widened his eyes at the portion. Harry ate a bite however Draco didn't touch his food at all.
"What happened, Draco? Go ahead and eat your food." Harry said and Draco nodded and started to eat his food.
Harry smiled and silence spread between them as they ate their food. After a few bites, Draco stopped eating and kept his plate on his lap.
"You didn't like the food?" Harry asked as Draco stopped eating.
"I am f..full."
"You have only eaten a few bites, Draco. Eat more."
"I can't," Draco said while looking at the plate of food and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Okay fine. There is no force, Draco." Harry said and kept Draco's plate of food aside.
For the rest of the day, they didn't talk much. Just some small talks here and there mostly initiated by Harry and he got only a nod or yes as a reply.
At night.
Harry sighed as it was too late and Draco was still awake. He walked towards Draco's bed and sat on a chair kept beside the bed.
"Draco, it's too late. Why don't you sleep?" Harry asked him.
Draco said in a low tone. "Wha.t if t..they come back and hurt me?"
"I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise. Even I will sleep here with you on that couch so don't worry." Harry said and pointed at the couch that was kept on one side of the room.
Draco looked at the couch and nodded his head. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep but he was not able to. He was afraid of being hurt. They hurt him a lot while he was asleep.
Draco moved a little not able to fall asleep and Harry, who was still sitting on the same chair, held his hand. Draco flinched at first as he thought he would be hurt but then relaxed a little as he heard Harry say. "It's okay, it's me."
Harry kept caressing Draco's hand and Draco was now trying his best not to think about that place but to concentrate on Harry's soft fingers.
Soon Draco fell asleep and Harry smiled. He walked towards the couch and lay there. He closed his eyes and thought about the whole day.
Only one day with Draco and it was quite a tiring day. How will he manage to take care of him or take him out of the pain that he has gone through? Would Draco trust him enough?
They were enemies in the past but still, Draco trusted Harry a little in the morning because he knew that even if Harry hated him at least he didn't mean any harm to Draco, physically. Even that trust was broken as soon as Harry lied to him that he had bought him.
'I need him to trust me again and only then I will be able to take him out of this pain. But what shall I do? He thinks that I am his master.' Harry thought and prayed for some help.
Harry closed his eyes as he felt his sleep taking over him but soon in a few hours he woke up with a jerk as he heard screams and cries. He looked around and immediately put on his glasses. He saw Draco, still lying on the bed, shrieking and shaking.
Harry immediately walked towards him and understood that he was having a nightmare.
"Draco. Draco, wake up." Harry started to shake Draco to wake up from the nightmare. After attempting a few times, Draco finally woke up and looked around the room, not able to understand where he was. He used his shaking palms and wiped the sweat and tears from his face.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked in a low tone and Draco jumped in terror.
"Don't hurt me. D..don't hurt me." Draco started to chant and Harry sat on the the bed in front of him and held his shoulder.
"I won't hurt you. Please calm down." Harry said to him and then slowly hugged him. They stayed in this position for a few minutes until Draco calmed down and then broke the hug.
"I am sorry, Master. You woke up because of my nightmare." He said in a low tone.
Harry sighed as he called him 'master'.
"It's okay even I get nightmares sometimes," Harry confessed.
"Really?" Draco asked and Harry nodded and said. "I used to get a lot of nightmares after the war but then I started to take therapy for it and now I am better," Harry said and Draco nodded his head.
"Try to sleep again," Harry said to Draco and Draco denied it.
"I am fine. Please, you can go to sleep." Draco said to Harry.
"I am not sleeping until you sleep."
"Please master I don't want to see a nightmare again."
"Fine let's sleep together. In this way, there are fewer chances for you to get nightmares." Harry said to which Draco stiffened. Sleep together? But he was still in pain.
"M.. Master I a..am o..okay." Draco stuttered more and his body started to shake a little. Harry saw this and immediately asked him. "What happened?"
Draco didn't reply but just looked down at his hands.
"What happened, Draco?" Harry asked again Draco replied. "I am s..still in p..pain." A few tears fell from his eyes and he shut them tightly.
Harry frowned trying to understand what affected him so much and after a minute he widened his eyes as he understood. Draco thought that he meant a different type of 'sleep together'.
Harry looked at Draco and was not able to understand how a sly, prideful, sarcastic, bully could turn into such a broken, vulnerable, defenseless, submissive person. Just how could Draco change so much in just two years? How much did he have to go through to get to this point in his life?
Harry came back from his trance as he felt Draco shaking more than before.
"I am so..sorry master. Pl..please don't be an..angry." He said with a pleading look on his face.
"Shhh calm down. When I said that let's sleep together that just meant lying next to each other, nothing else. If I lay next to you then you will feel a little safe so you might not have a nightmare. I didn't mean anything else." Harry immediately justified himself and Draco calmed down a little after hearing this.
"So do you want me to join you in your bed?" Harry asked in a soft tone and Draco reluctantly nodded his head in yes. Maybe he agreed only because he could not turn his master down.
Harry, oblivious to this, smiled at Draco and slowly lay down on the bed. Draco took some deep breaths to calm down and lay beside Harry.
It was a small one-person bed so obviously they were sleeping very near to each other and even facing each other. Draco's eyes were open and he looked stiff. Harry noticed this and to calm him down a little, Harry held both of his hands gently. He closed his eyes while still holding Draco's hands and soon sleep took over both of them.
To be continued...
BY J.