So,afterthemostawkwardhourandahalfofHarry’slifewasoverandDraoouldremovehimselffromHarry’spersonwithoutHarryyelpinginpain,Draowordlesslydisappearedintoaroom,whihHarryassumedwasthebathroomto,asHarryassumed,washoffthathandaboutamilliontimes.HarryhimselfwouldhavedonethesamethingexeptMalfoyhadbeatenhimtothebathroom.
SoHarryresolvedtojustignorethefatthatMalfoy’shandhadbeenunderhisshirtforoveranhour,andsetaboutmakingsurethateverythingheownedwasarefullystoredinhistrunk(whihhadarrivedatsomepointunknowntobothHarryandDraoviathehouseelves).Everythingwasthere,andHarrymadesurethathelokedthetrunkbeforemakinghiswaytohisbed,orwhatheassumedwashisbedbythefatthatthepillowaseswereabloody,redolor.Veryfunny,Malfoy,hethoughtinDrao’sdiretionbeforelimbingin.Thiswaswhenherealizedthatthesheets(andthebloodredpillowasesforthatmatter)weresilk.Harrybliwie.Andthendeidedthathereallydidn’torshouldn’tare.WhatevermessageMalfoymightormightnothavebeentryingtosendbythatwasnotgoingtobereeivedbyhim,atleastnottonight.
HarrywasvaguelyawareofthewatershuttingoffintheroomwhihDraohaddisappearedinto,andwasevenlessvaguelyawareofDraopaddingintotheroominbksilkpajamas,andwasevenlessawareofthewhispered“Nox,”whihasttheroomintoalmostompletedarkness.Butheouldnotsleep.Notevenwhenhiseyesadjustedtothegloomtothepointwhereheouldwaththesteadyriseandfalloftheotherboy’shestthreefeetawayouldhisbrainseemtoshutitselfdownforsleep.Italmostwasn’tfair,hissleepymindthought.It’snotfairthatDraoanbemoreateasethanIamaboutthis.AndHarrydriftedofftosleepbeforeheouldevenregisterthathehadjustthoughtaboutDraoMalfoyusinghisfirstnameinsteadofhisst.
Harrywasnowstartingtoenjoyfallingasleepatnight,espeiallywiththeompletehaltofnightmares,whihhewouldgrudginglyadmitwhenawake,amewiththeanofDrao’sVeriaeblood.Itwasnietohavedreamlesssleepinwhihtheonlythoughtwhihwasshowntohimwasoneofompleteomfortandprotetion.Aftersomanyinstaneswherehehadtoprotethimselffromtheworld,itwasnietofeelproteted,reallyproteted.AndasHarrydriftedthroughthissleepyhazethatwashisdreamworld,hefeltthesilkenaressoftheebonywingswhihsurroundedhim,andtherewassomethingelsesoothingtoo.Almostasifsomeonewastherewithhim,somethingthathehadneverexperienedinanyformofadreambefore(unlessyouountVoldemort’snightmaresaspeoplebeinginadreamwithhim).Butthisperson,amale,wasunobtrusive,andseemedjustasalmastheauraofthedreamsape.Thetwoseemedurleduptogetherasifnothingintheworldreallymatteredtothem,asifnothingwouldeverbreaktheserenityofthisdream…
ThatisuntilHarry’seyesopenedtomakeoutinthedimlight,sleepysilvereyesthatwerealsoopening,andwhenbothDraoandHarryjumpedapartfromtheembraeinwhihthey’dbeenooonedinwithidentialshrieks.
Chapter12:HomeisWheretheHeartis…Isn’tit?
Foraminutetherewasabsolutesilenebeforebothboyssaidtwodifferentthingsatthesametime.“Whatthehell?”and“Whatisgoingon?”
Therewasthenaseondofsileneaseahboywaitedfortheothertorepeatwhathehadsaid.Deidingthenthatthiswasnotgoingtohappen,Harryspoke.
“Doyoumindexpiningwhatyouweredoinginmybed,Malfoy?”
Draorolledhiseyes.“Sleeping,whatdiditlooklike?AndPotter,you’dbetterhekagain,beauseyouweretheonewholimbedintomybed!”