Nowhere Else to Go

Chapter 6

Draco was thankful that Harry wasn't prodding. And that he'd prevented that awkward conversation this morning. He watched him leave without another word, and turned to the cupboard to get something to eat. He was honestly starving. He hadn't had a proper meal in a long, long time. He picked up some cereal and an apple, making himself a small breakfast.

He finished eating and cleaned his dishes, putting them in the dishwasher when he was done. He wanted to be as little of an inconvenience to Harry's life as possible. He was sure to clean up every trace of him being in the kitchen before walking back up to his room. He slipped in and shut the door, sitting down on the bed. He just felt this overwhelming guilt and anxiety in himself. He felt horrible for intruding on Harry's life like this.

Draco spent the rest of his day in his room, planning to stay there until dinnertime. Harry on the other hand, went out to buy some groceries, went to the library for a while, and finally returned home to read and write for the rest of the day.

As dinnertime came 'round, Harry got up and went up to Draco's room to ask what he wanted. He knocked at his door and waited a moment before gently pushing it open, seeing Draco laying on his bed, looking to be asleep. He walked over to him and looked him over. He really did look exhausted. He wondered how much sleep he'd gotten last night, or in the past week even. And although his porcelain skin was tarnished by bruises and cuts, he still managed to look angelic and peaceful as he slept. He reached out to place a hand on his shoulder and shake him awake, but realized it was likely best to just order something and wake him later when it was delivered. He didn't want to force the slytherin to lose any more sleep than he already had.

He stepped back and closed the curtains before slipping out the door and shutting it silently behind him.

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The food arrived about twenty minutes later and Harry went back up to Draco, opening his door gently. He wished he could let him sleep but Draco clearly needed to eat. He looked even slimmer than he had that night at the bar, and even back then, he was quite thin. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and gently shook him, gasping softly and pulling his hand back when Draco shot up and looked around frantically. He furrowed his brows a bit and looked him over. "It's just me, Malfoy. I ordered us some food, you alright?" he asked, watching Draco slowly recall where he was.

Draco took a breath, embarrassed of his reaction in front of Harry. He nodded a little "Yes, I'm alright. Thank you" he muttered, getting out of the bed and following Harry down the stairs.

Harry set the food out on the table and got Draco some water, sitting down to talk with him a bit. He did feel that he had at the very least the right to ask about what had gone on with Draco for him to end up here, and how long he would be staying.

"So, did you just decide to turn up unannounced looking like you've just escaped death for fun or..." Harry took a sip of his wine, keeping his eyes on Draco.

Draco sighed, "I... I just got into a bit of a fight is all" he mumbled, ashamed that he had no home, no belongings, nothing at all to his name. He bit his lip and stared down at his food, practically on the verge of breaking down.

Harry looked him over and listened to his every word, knowing the situation ran far deeper than Draco was letting on. "And you didn't go back to the Manor?  Seems like a safer option than here hm?" he asked, still observing Draco, who had stopped eating entirely now. "Malf-"

Draco snapped and stood up "No, Potter, I didn't go back to the Manor! Why? Because my father stripped me of every damn thing in my inheritance from behind bars! My mother is dead, I have no fucking money, and I've just been evicted from my damn apartment! It doesn't fucking help my case that I'm the most hated living person in the wizarding world now, I won't get hired anywhere, and yes, I get abused and tossed around like a damn rag doll because of my past. So I'm sorry that I haven't got "Daddy's money" or some big fancy Manor or whatever the fuck you said to me last time we spoke!" he yelled, panting softly with tears brimming at his eyes.

Harry sat, looking at him in awe. His heart sunk as Draco repeated the words he'd so carelessly uttered to him the morning after they'd spent that night together. He felt guilt surge through him. "I had no ide-" Draco stormed out of the room before he could even begin to apologize. He heard Draco's steps up to his room and he heard the door slam shut. Fucking hell.

He sat at the table for a while to recount everything that had just happened. Draco must've been honestly desperate to come here of all places. It had to have been a last resort. He was also more than certain that even that wasn't the full story.

He stood and picked up Draco's food, honestly wanting him to eat at least something before he got malnourished. He realized he probably hadn't helped with Draco's appetite. He felt more than guilty. He knocked, waited, no response. He went to gently push the door open but it was locked. He cursed under his breath and rested his forehead on the door. "I'm sorry" he whispered. He had no clue how insensitive he'd been. Of course, he didn't mean it. He set down the plate of food outside Draco's door. It was all he could do without invading Draco's privacy. He turned and walked back down to the kitchen to clean up the food, putting the rest of his own food in the fridge and finishing off his wine, having entirely lost his appetite.