Silver Claws [Drarry] ✔

Chapter 31: Smell of turpentine

Crying. Muffled, unfamiliar but still there, penetrating through high walls of the room and destroying peace and quiet that were prevailing the room for last few hours. Draco moved his eyes from the black words in the book and glanced over at Harry. He seemed to be sleeping in perfect peace but the muffled cries were still coming to his ears. He took the thin, wooden bookmark, left the book on the seat he just got off and walked back to the bed. He slowly climbed up and kissed Harry's temple. Harry budged a bit in his sleep but didn't wake up. Draco smiled at his sleeping boyfriend and went back to his book.

The crying was still somewhere there bothering him but he kept reading. Ella was right- he liked the books and they were just perfect for these sleepless nights that were coming more often than usual. Few more words, lines and paragraphs when the crying again entered the room. 

I'm just imagining things. Draco concluded but the crying didn't stop. He got up and quietly opened the door. The cries seemed to come from one of the rooms down the hall. It was the girl crying but it didn't sound like Ella. But he knew it couldn't be Ella; her room was on the other side of the house not in their hallway. He closed the door and smiled at Harry who was yawning in the middle of the room. His bare feet were making a low noise as he walked on the parquet floor toward the blond. 

'Hey, love' Draco whispered, pulling him into a hug.

'What's going on?' Harry asked sleepily and let himself fall in blond's arms. 

'Someone was crying. Don't bother yourself. It's none of our business.' Draco stroked his messy hair. 'Come on, let's go to sleep.'

Harry jumped up and wrapped his legs around Draco's waist, his hips keeping Harry's legs from falling. Draco carried him to the bed like a toddler and then carefully placed him under the covers. He too laid down and lovingly hugged Harry cuddling them together. He liked it. Harry was warm and soft and he felt like sleep was literally forcing him to close his eyes. Maybe he could finally sleep few hours. He felt like something was bothering him but he couldn't quite tell what. He had a feeling that something will happen but when he threw those thoughts away that hard feeling inside him was still there. 

'Goodnight, Draco' Harry mumbled into the other boy's chest.

'It's morning, Harry' Draco traced his cheek with his fingers.

'Yeah, whatever' another mumble came and Harry kissed Draco's chin- it was highest he could reach without unfolding himself out of Draco's arm.

Draco let himself relax, deciding that he will finish the chapter next night and forgot about the crying girl from the room next to them. He let the fuzzy feeling he always felt with Harry take over him and soon that rock that found a home in his chest was pushed away.

.o0o.

'Morning' Theo said in a rush walking past Draco on the corridor.

'Where are you rushing?' Draco almost joked although his curious head wanted to know.

'Ella is pouting again. We can't find her' 

'I'll help you.' Draco said and went to the front hallway when Theo went to the left one. 

He was opening the doors, knocking on some until he came to the end of the hallway. There was just one more door left and when his fingers touched the doors they opened. He peaked in and saw her instantly.

Ella was sitting next to a large window of the atelier. The window was actually a lot of small windows all closed but one. One by Ella's head was open and little clouds of smoke were coming out of it.