The Noctis Codex | DRARRY

NINE

The two boys exchanged a glance, both feeling a weight settle over them as Snape took his place behind his desk, his dark gaze cold and penetrating.

Snape folded his hands and fixed them with a glare that held both anger and a strange, wary calculation. "You two have always been reckless, but I never expected you to steal from me. You took that book," he spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "I noticed it was missing immediately, and only the two of you would have been foolish enough to take something from the restricted section. That book is dangerous, Potter, Malfoy. It was hidden for a reason."

"Professor," Draco interjected, glancing toward Harry. "The book... it's already affected us."

Immediately, Snape's eyes narrowed, a dark glint of realization flashing in them as his gaze darted from one student to the other. For a moment, he looked almost startled, but it quickly turned into cold fury. "So it's begun," he muttered, his voice like ice. "The dreams?"

They both nodded, and Harry swallowed, feeling the weight of those nightly encounters pressing down on him. "Yes. It started almost right after we found the book."

"And yet you kept it secret. You meddled in magic far beyond your comprehension. Magic that was hidden for your protection."

Draco's frustration flared. "We didn't know it would do anything like this, sir. And now we can't make it stop. We came to you for help—there's nothing in the book that explains the dreams or how to end them."

While leaning back, Snape folded his arms as he studied them with a mixture of irritation and resignation. "If you believe the book would contain such instructions, you're even more naive than I thought. This magic—these dreams—do not answer to anyone's commands, and certainly not mine. They follow their own rules, their own logic, which none of us can override."

Harry's face fell almost instantly upon hearing those words, and he shot a look at Draco, seeing the same resignation reflected in his expression. "So... we're on our own?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Potter. This is a trial that you brought upon yourselves, and only you can find a way through it." Snape's tone softened, if only slightly, and he looked at them with an unreadable expression. "The bond between you has been forced into something ancient, something beyond the reach of conventional magic. Neither books nor potions will end it. The path you've started on requires something else—understanding, patience. And perhaps something beyond that."

Draco clenched his fists, hating the vulnerability he felt in that moment. "So that's it, then?" he muttered bitterly. "We just... deal with it?"

Snape's gaze darkened further. "You two are bound by something neither of you understands. How it will shape you—how it will end—is not for me to decide. But heed this: the magic will not relent. Avoiding sleep or fighting the dreams will only deepen their hold over you. Face them, work together, and perhaps you will find the answers you seek."

Both boys exchanged another look, one filled with trepidation and unspoken questions. They had come hoping for guidance, for some tangible solution to the nightmare they were trapped in. But instead, they'd found only more questions—and a path that neither one of them could walk alone.

Snape's voice cut through the silence. "Now, get out of my sight, both of you. And I suggest you consider your actions very carefully from here on. You may have set something in motion that cannot be stopped."

Before they turned, leaving the shadowed confines of the office, the weight of his words settled heavily over them as they stepped back into the dim hallway.

And as the door closed behind them, Draco let out a sharp breath he didn't notice he was holding, his frustration reaching a breaking point.

"That's fucking ridiculous," he hissed, his voice filled with anger. "So we're just supposed to... deal with this? Face it? With no help, no solutions, and no idea what we're actually up against?"

"Yeah, well, sounds about right, doesn't it?" He looked over at Draco, trying to keep his own frustration in check. "We got ourselves into this mess."

Draco rolled his eyes, stepping closer. "So what, you think we just have to accept this? That's your big plan, Potter? Deal with it?" He scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, brilliant idea. Let's just embrace the magical, uncontrollable nightmares we can't escape."

A frown fell upon Harry's face yet again, feeling the pressure of it all pressing down on him, the familiar weight of uncertainty, only worse now with the other beside him. "Look, it's not like I have any more of an idea than you do, alright? But Snape's right—whatever this magic is, it's... it's not something we can just ignore."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Draco clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists as he fought to control his frustration. The silence stretched between them, thick with anger, confusion, and something else, something neither of them wanted to admit.

Finally, Draco sighed, his voice softer than before. "You're right," he muttered, barely meeting Harry's eyes. "We don't have any other choice."

"So... what do we do now?"

"Maybe we start with the dreams. If we're going to be forced into them anyway, we might as well learn as much as we can." The blond paused, glancing at the Gryffindor. "Assuming you're actually willing to get some sleep now."

Harry winced, knowing he couldn't keep running from this. "Fine, we'll go back to sleep... and see what happens."

"Good." Draco nodded before he started down the hall, then stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "And Potter?"

"Yeah?"

He hesitated, looking almost uncertain, a rare vulnerability flashing across his face. "Next time... don't leave me alone in there."

Although he was shocked, Harry's gaze softened, and he gave a small nod. "I won't."

Draco was just turning the corner when Harry suddenly called out, "Malfoy."

The blond paused, glancing back with a frown. "What is it, Potter?" he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice. He was so close to getting away, to letting the frayed edges of their conversation unravel alone in his thoughts.

Hesitation filled the younger one as he felt a sudden wave of regret for even saying his name. He didn't know what he'd wanted to say, didn't have any real plan. But he also couldn't deny the weight settling over him at the thought of returning to his dorm room alone. "I... I was just thinking," he stammered, looking away, his fingers twitching at his side. "What if we—what if we tried the Room of Requirement again tonight? Just to... you know... maybe look through that bloody book one more time. Maybe there's something we missed."

Draco arched a skeptical eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest. "We've already gone over it. There's nothing in that book that's going to magically help us. And what's the point, anyway? Being in the same room doesn't stop the dreams. You know that."

"I know," Harry murmured, lips pressed to a thin line. "I just... I thought that maybe if we... if we kept trying, we might notice something. Anything. And—" He took a breath, feeling the urge to say something he didn't quite understand himself. "Maybe it'd be easier to handle all this if we didn't have to be alone."

Draco was silent, his eyes narrowing as he studied Harry's face, looking for something that would make sense of this strange suggestion. The Slytherin's mouth twisted into a frown, and he shook his head slightly. "So that's it, then? You're just hoping that staring at the book long enough will magically tell us how to stop it?" he asked, his voice sharp.

But Harry could see the slight falter in the other's expression, the way his hand tightened on the edge of his sleeve as if he were mulling over the idea despite himself. "Maybe it's stupid," Harry admitted, forcing himself to meet Draco's gaze. "But I just... don't think either of us should be alone in this right now."

A long silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant echo of voices down the empty corridor. Draco let out a frustrated breath, glancing up at the ceiling as if weighing his options. "Fine," he muttered, almost more to himself than to Harry. "But just one more night, Potter. And if we find nothing, then that's it."

Harry's shoulders relaxed, a faint hint of relief easing the tension in his face. "Alright. One more night."

After answering with a small nod, Draco glanced around to ensure no one else was lingering in the corridor before he met Harry's eyes again. "I'll meet you there at midnight. Don't be late." And with that, he turned, heading off down the hallway, leaving Harry standing alone.