Three Lonely Souls

two

TW: blood, injury, mention of rape/aftermath trauma of rape

It took me ages to write this because I actually care about how it turns out lmaoooo. I took a minute to read the first chapter of the old version of this and the writer in me wept at how horrible it was :D

So please, enjoy! Let me know what you think of this chapter and feel free to leave suggestions on what should happen next!

Draco Malfoy didn't know what to think of Potter's sudden change in character.

He had gone to Potter's train car intending to start their yearly feud (something that entertained him endlessly), but the unexpected tension already in the tiny space changed his mind.

Anyone with eyes could see that Potter was not doing well. He had dark circles under his eyes, his face haggard with exhaustion, and something about the way he looked at Draco with such... desperation? It was like he was begging Draco for something, or rather, for him to do nothing.

This, however, wasn't what gave him such a pause.

It was Potter's posture, how every muscle in his form was pulled taught, as if Potter wanted to promptly evacuate his own body. It was how his eyes flickered from Draco's gaze to Weasley, or rather, where they touched. Weasley was too busy glaring at Draco to notice that Potter was strung like a live wire, and the entire thing completely baffled him.

He remembered the Golden Trio being all buddy-buddy before. They seemed thick as thieves and as close as peas in a pod. So what was wrong with Potter?

Draco's eyes flicked back up to Potter's, and he was once again stunned by the emotion he found there.

So, he left him alone.

Later, he sat in his claimed spot at the Slytherin table and observed Potter again.

Potter was sitting between Weasley and Granger, picking at his food. His shoulders were hunched, his body seemed to curl so far into itself that it looked painful. He looked so forlorn amongst the rowdy Gryffindors, but no one seemed to notice a thing. And yet, it was so clear to Draco that something was wrong with Gryffindor's Golden Boy.

His gaze slid over to Granger, the know-it-all of the Trio. She was seemingly lecturing Finnegan, hands waving in what he knew to be wand movements. Once, in a large swooping movement, her arm grazed Potter's.

The reaction was immediate. Potter jumped in his seat, a hand immediately coming to rub his arm. At first, it was slow, something meant to be soothing, but eventually, his movements devolved into a harsh rubbing, as if he were scrubbing his skin of her touch.

Perhaps the touching wasn't because of a personal offense then, Draco decided. After all, Potter sat with them. He didn't seem angry, and while he seemed upset, the other two didn't seem unusually guilty.

No, the Slytherin concluded, this was a personal issue of Potter's.

Then, in Potions, Potter had an interesting reaction to the description of the potion they were to make for Snape. Draco watched as he became tense, and then as he became small under Snape's scrutiny.

This also baffled him. Draco was long used to Potter and Snape's standoffs, their raised hackles and the tension in the air as Snape baited Potter and as Potter took it, hook, line, and sinker. Now Snape was trying to tempt Potter into detention but for once, Potter seemed... afraid. Or at the very least, Potter was submitting to Snape's authority, of which Draco thought he would never see the day.

But as the day went on, Draco, dare he say it, was almost concerned.

He sees Potter several times throughout the day. When they would meet, Potter's eyes lingered on Draco, but Draco thought that when Potter stayed silent it no longer seemed like the Gryffindor was about to burst with something he wanted to say. He seemed... finished.