Regret, Remorse, Hold On || Drarry

FOUR

"Draco."

"Draco Malfoy."

"Draco Lucius Malfoy."

"Oh for – Draco!"

He turned, sighing, to face his annoying best friend. Blaise was staring at him, eyebrows raised and mouth thin in disapproval. Draco found that this look did not suit him in the slightest. He still had a fierce headache that wouldn't go away, and he felt vaguely sick, and his body ached, and so he really wasn't in the mood.

"What, Blaise?" He snapped, returning to looking at his potions textbook in an attempt to understand what the hell he was doing, and why the hell it wasn't working. He could already tell what Blaise was going to say, and frankly, didn't want to hear it.

"Look, about Potter-"

"There it is." Draco rolled his eyes, turning to face him fully. "I knew that that was what you were going to say. Merlin, I wish Theo were here so that he could tell you to shut up as well. Wait, why isn't he here?"

Blaise looked momentarily distracted, rolling his eyes. "He probably skipped again. Idiot. He's already in enough trouble with McGonagall, and now Slughorn – Wait, that's not what I was going to say." He made a sound of frustration. "We were talking about Potter. Look, I know you don't want to hear it, but he's acting strange. You were the one who mentioned it in the first place!"

Draco just shook his head. "I know I was, but maybe I was wrong. He was fine earlier, so... maybe I was just imagining things?" He reread the instructions and began chopping up the next ingredient. He hoped that the knife in his hand was warning enough for Blaise.

Blaise, however, just gave him a flat look. "Really." He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Really!" He exclaimed, more emphatically than he felt. "And will you please at least pretend like you're working, and not just gossiping."

Blaise ignored him. "Come on Draco, you are literally the smartest person I know. Do you really think that you're just imagining things?"

While inwardly he preened at the words, Draco shrugged them off with a frown. "Well, I have been wrong before. Remember sixth year?" The thought that made him shudder, involuntary images flashing in his mind. The thought of that god-awful year was enough to send him spiralling, and only Blaise's hand moving to cover his was enough to rein in his suddenly spiked heart rate.

"Breathe, Draco. You're safe now." Blaise murmured, and he forcefully pulled himself from the past, leaning into Blaise's side.

"I know, I know." He muttered.

"Look." Blaise continued quietly, one hand rubbing soothing circles into Draco's back. "You're my best friend, and you know that I will never forgive myself for not helping you in sixth year. I shouldn't have listened you to when you said you were fine, and I should've helped you-"

"Blaise, seriously stop, it wasn't your fault-" Draco was quick to point out, having heard this spiel from all three of his friends, multiple times. It had grown old very quickly.

"Maybe not, but I still don't forgive myself. I'm sorry, but it's true. And because of that, I will do everything I can to make sure you're okay. I hate seeing you hurt, Draco. I never want to see it again, not after last summer. And, if Potter is being weird and hurting you, then I'm sorry but you can't make excuses for him. Not to me." He finished by squeezing Draco's hands in his own, larger ones, looking straight into his eyes.

Draco stared back at him, speechless. He knew Blaise was his best friend, and hell if he didn't feel the same, but to hear those sentiments was enough to silence him. He opened his mouth to reply when he suddenly felt a great rush of... something. Anxiety. Not his anxiety. Panic. Magic. A great rush of magic rushing inside of him, taking his breath away –