Drarry One Shots

...You are my universe!

A/N Part Two of 'You are more than my Galaxy...'

Draco gathered up his calibration notes and made his way to the Astronomy Tower and the long climb to the top.

When he finally climbed the last steps, he found Harry leaning against one of the railings, clearly waiting for him as he watched the stairs. Draco stood very still at the top, unsure what he was facing and knowing it would be very rude to turn back around and go back to his office.

'You've been avoiding me,' Harry said without any preamble. 'You stand at your window, watching me, but when I come to talk to you outside of meal times, you purposely don't answer.'

Draco raised an eyebrow. He was ready to be defensive but Harry was an ex-Auror and clearly knew how to put those he was questioning on the back foot.

'Are you interrogating me?' he asked haughtily. 'What is your precise accusation? What do you assume I hope to gain by purposely ignoring every time you come and pester me?'

Harry burst out laughing, his green eyes twinkling mischievously. 'Sweet Merlin, you should have been an Auror with me, we would have had the criminals crawling over themselves to confess their sins.'

'Potter, do you really think they would have let me in the Aurors, despite you preventing me from actually having an official criminal record against my name?'

'"Potter"?' Harry queried because Draco had been using his first name. He sighed, it always felt like one step forward, two steps back with Draco.

'Old habits,' Draco answered, finally moving towards the Orrery and putting his paperwork down.

Harry moved too, coming closer. 'Can I help?'

'Don't you have any Dark Creatures to go and play with?' Draco sniped.

'Only the Fwooper, but she's settled in to her new home for the year and is sleeping.'

'And the Boggart?' Draco looked at him and for the first time Harry saw fear behind the defences.

'Safely locked away with many, many Wards. An excessive amount really, but it's better that way. I don't need inquisitive eleven-year-olds being scared to death by facing their worst fears.' Harry watched Draco's shoulders relax a little. 'Have you ever faced one? When Remus made everyone deal with a Boggart in our third year, I'm sure you and I were the only ones who didn't show our greatest fears to the class, ready to be mocked should anyone feel that way inclined...'

'You mean by me.'

'I mean by anyone. We all had mean streaks if the desire took us, we were kids. We have to forgive ourselves the faults of past and be grateful we've recognised them and moved on from our old behaviours. And we have moved on.'

Harry looked so hopeful but Draco knew he was right. He nodded and studied Harry for a moment, debating what to say.

Harry could tell Draco was contemplating whether to answer, whether to be open. And once more he wondered at his stupidity for seeking out the blond man, knowing he wasn't serving his heart any favours. But, at some moment over the past five days, he decided he had to try. He had to see if there could ever be anything between them and if not, he could lay the old ghosts to rest.

Finally, Draco took a deep breath and said, 'me... that's what the Boggart becomes. I'm afraid of myself.' He snorted dismissively to himself. 'Only it's not really that... I used a Boggart a few years ago, doing some research for a paper. I was looking at lunar cycles and whether they impacted on the Boggart's creations. I had a hunch that full moons might make the visions stronger so I tried it. It became a mirror of me but then I slowly morphed into my father in every aspect apart from my face: the cane, the hair, the clothes, the pompous sneer, the underlying cruelty, the willingness to dismiss everything and everyone at the slightest whim, the bigotry towards anyone and everyone, especially if they didn't serve to further the family name. Everything hateful about him, it was all there, and it was crippling. So now you know that my greatest fear is becoming my father. I have learnt, Harry, I have recognised the faults of my past because I was well on the way to becoming a replica of him and there are many, many things about my father that any sane person would fear. Needless to say, I didn't finish the paper or the research.'