Malfoy Child

More Nightmares

Unfortunately, it was not to be an easy night for either of them. Draco woke screaming from a nightmare shortly after midnight. His terrified cries were an unusual and horrifying sound in the dorm, and all of the boys were startled awake.

Harry rocked him and soothed him, rubbing his back calmly and stroking his hair as the little boy sobbed out his terror. Neville, who in his own way was as much the pureblood gentleman as Draco Malfoy, was the one who passed Harry a handkerchief to clean the little one's face.

Ron may have still been uncomfortable with Malfoy, and wasn't sure how to handle a child, but he did have experience with nightmares after living with Harry throughout much of the year. Screaming left a person's throat feeling raw and hoarse, so Ron poured a glass of water and sat down on the bed, offering it to Draco.

"Another nightmare?" Harry asked softly.

Draco nodded into Harry's chest. He was still hiccupping occasionally, but the tears had stopped.

"Was it the same one?"

Draco shook his head, but then he nodded. Harry glanced at Ron sitting on the bed next to them, and at Neville, Dean and Seamus who were currently sitting on the edge of Ron's bed. He sent them all a warning glare not to say anything.

"Was it about your father again, but something different happened?" Harry guessed.

Draco sniffled and nodded.

"Why don't you tell me about it, so then I can worry about it for you and you won't have to be scared about it anymore?" Harry suggested.

There was no movement or sound from Draco for a minute. Then he nodded and spoke up softly. "He . . . he was punishing me again, because I did something bad."

Harry closed his eyes. Ron was beginning to understand what must have happened the day before because he could actually feel the power beginning to build in Harry. Ron quietly moved and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder, hoping to ground him before his power could get out of control.

"What did you do that was supposedly bad?" Harry asked.

"I got my new robes dirty when I went outside. Father had told me to be careful and I wasn't," Draco admitted.

Harry took a deep breath. "Did he take you to the dungeons again?"

Draco's shudder wracked his whole frame, which was answer enough.

"Did he cast Crucio on you again?" Harry asked evenly. Ron's grip on Harry's shoulder tightened painfully, but Harry was thankful because it was helping to ground him better than he ever would have thought possible.

Draco nodded his little head. "But there was no body this time," he whispered.

Ron's grip tightened even more in his horror, but those words actually made Harry feel a touch calmer. At least Draco hadn't had to see a dead body in his nightmare this time.

"Is that everything?"

Draco nodded once again, and Harry hugged him tightly. "It was good that you told me, angel. I'm proud of you."

Harry pulled back from Draco a little and tilted the boy's head up so he could look at him. Draco met his gaze willingly and trustingly. "Remember what I told you. I'm going to keep you safe and your father's not going to hurt you anymore. I know that you love your father and that's all right, but it's not all right for him to hurt you like that. It was very wrong for him to punish you so severely."

"But he told me to be careful and I wasn't," Draco whispered.

Harry shook his head. "That doesn't matter. What you did was not nearly that bad to be punished so harshly. Besides that, your father should know that little boys are going to get dirty sometimes. That's what little boys do."