The Fall of Darkness

Chapter 18

Harry opened the door quietly, softly, staring at Draco and feeling a bit of deja vu. Again he was sprawled out, face down, on his bed. Harry felt a bit guilty for imaging how the scene would be beautiful with Draco's wings splayed out around him in all their silvery glory.

"Go. Away. Hermione." He bit out, obviously irritated. Harry smiled, closing the door behind him and crawling onto the bed with Draco. "I don't want to talk about it right now, okay? You got me, okay?" Draco snapped, pulling a pillow over his blonde head. Harry just smirked, shaking his head as he slid down beside his friend, pulling him into his chest. The second his hands touched Draco the Veela stiffened, raising his head up before groaning and tossing it back down, pulling the pillow tighter. "Sorry. Did she send you up here?"

"No, I came of my own free will. I wanted to make sure you're alright." Harry replied softly, tightening his embrace and trying to fool himself that he was doing it for the Veela in Draco, the need for a brood and nesting as they called it.

"I'll be fine, Harry, I'm always fine. I'm sorry. Did she tell you?"

"Yeah, she did." Harry murmured.

"I should have told you, Harry," Draco groaned.

"It's alright, we all have those feelings. I know I do, I still have nightmares." Harry replied, twitching his nose at the blonde hair tickling it.

"What?" Draco asked, pulling back to look at him.

"Yeah, of course I do. The war was terrible," Harry said, "you know, Draco, we're here for you- even Ron. You should talk to us, you could use someone to lean on."

Draco shook his head, buring it back into Harry's chest and inhaling his scent.

"I do lean on you lot, in my own way. Mainly you and 'Mione- bless her, but I still do. I'm just not like the three of you."

"Well, that's okay too," Harry murmured, feeling the exhaustion from the day seeping over him, yawning. "I know you need...*yawn* your brood, and all that nesting stuff,"

"hmmm?" Draco acknowledged the statement but felt that he might cry if he spoke.

"You can sleep with me, if you want. That's what I'm saying," Harry said, yawning again, "it's no big deal. Let me help you, and you can help me."

"How is that helping you?" Draco asked, confused.

"Then I'm not lonely either, and maybe my own nightmares won't be as bad," Harry confessed, too tired to have the courtesy to even blush. Draco nodded,

"I can do that, Weasel might flip out, but I can do it." Draco whispered, reaching out his own arms to wrap around Harry who just snuggled deeper. It didn't take him long to fall asleep but Draco didn't get up. He just layed there, watching his Chosen rest. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping- less haunted, less jaded. With a quick flick of his wand, Draco accio'd a thick blanket from the chair in the corner, pulling it up over the two of them and placing a chaste kiss on Harry's scar, as he always did when he found the boy sleeping somewhere besides his bed. Which was more frequent than it should be, really. He stroked the blanket with his free hand, tracing the small intricate patterns that his feathers made on the silk. "this is yours, Harry, yours," he whispered, his voice breaking. Harry hummed, signalling he'd heard but not really.

Draco vaguely registered in his sleep that Hermione had opened the door and awwed at them, and said she was just making sure he was okay. He wasn't sure he'd replied, not wanting to wake up. They slept straight through lunch, tangled up in each other. Harry woke up first, stretching and yawning. Draco didn't register the movement so he carefully disentangled himself, nearly falling out of the bed in his usually clumsy fashion. Peeking his head up over the edge of the bed he found Draco still asleep and snuck out, heading to the kitchen for food. Of course, Ron was there- snacking.

"Oi, Harry, pie?" he offered, sliding the tin over, "mum brought it earlier."

"Merlin, Ron, Molly was here and you didn't wake me up?"

"I'm not going in there with you all snuggled up to *hIm*!" Ron mumbled, his mouth full of food, "the last thing I'm going to do is go into a room where you're sleeping- *snuggling* with another bloke, Harry! You could have been naked for all I know!"

"Ron!" Harry gasped, shaking his head and taking a bit of pie, "this is delicious. We weren't naked, we were just sleeping, I swear. We're friends, just friends."

"Mhmm, sure, yeah. Because you snuggle with *me* like that. Just friends my arse!" Ron snorted, pouring himself some more milk.

"Yes, Ron. He's Veelan, they do something they call nesting with their brood. It comforts them and is basically snuggling. I was just trying to comfort him,"

"Oh. Well that makes sense Harry, I try to comfort Hermione just like that- what a coincidence!"

"Sod off Ron!" Harry cried, laughing. Ron rolled his eyes,

"Just don't 'comfort' me like that, mate, I'd hate to hit you." Ron snickered. Harry just rolled his eyes, getting another bite of pie. "Seriously, though, Harry- you're my best mate, he's far from it. You obviously fancy him. I don't care."

"How is it that I 'obviously fancy him' Ron? I mean really?"

"Well, I can tell you this much," the red head stopped to take another bite of pie, "all during Quidditch practice, and Auror training, and fighting Voldemort, and doing all the other stuff like that throughout- I have *not once* caught you staring at your trainer, or whatever's arse! Yet Veela boy's seems like a magnet for your eyes."

"He's a Veela, Ron. It doesn't matter if I fancy him, he has a Chosen."

"So you *do* fancy him?" Ron asked, looking very pleased with himself. It turned out that while Hermione was so busy watching Draco, he'd been right behind her watching Harry.

"Will you hush?!" Harry snapped, looking around, "Veela hearing Ron, Merlin!" Ron shrugged, pulling out his wand and casting a silencing charm.

"There! Now answer the question! Do. You. Fancy. Draco. Malfoy?" Ron demanded, causing Harry to blush.

"You're not mad are you?" he grumbled from over the top of his cup. Ron just dropped his head ungracefully on the table.

"Harry, I am not mad. I'm upset, but not at you- or even him. He's a Veela with a Chosen... I just don't want to see you get hurt, mate. You always have the worst luck!" Ron said, head still on the table.

"I know, Ron, I know." Harry muttered in reply, staring deeply into his pie as if it would bring forth his answer, "I can't help how I feel though," he whispered.

"Well... I guess. Hermione says that you two could date. You don't have to be his Chosen. You'd just have to be ready to bear it if his Chosen ever connected with him. He could never love you like he would them. Maybe... Maybe the Ferret could, but not the Veela. The Veela would try, but it wouldn't come close." Ron said, in his own attempt to comfort Harry.

"Well, he does talk about always being alone alot- how he's not ever going to be with him. I guess I could... I don't know, Ron. Maybe I could fill that place for him. And maybe... maybe it wouldn't ever be good enough for him... I think it would for me though, I think I'd be happy. Maybe a bit aprehensive... but happy. I could see that. Merlin's trouser's Ron, I don't know!" Harry said, throwing his hands up in defeat. Both men sat in silence, pushing the food around on their plates. Out of nowhere, Ron began to emit a sound that reminded Harry of giggling. Looking up he realized that Ron was, in fact, giggling.

"Y-you realize, H-harry..." he began, now in full fledged laughter and holding his sides, "that out of all the things we... we've done... together... all the stuff we've seen... that was the strangest conversation we have *ever* had?!" Harry's face fell slack as he realized that it was indeed, the strangest. Had they been able to go back in time and repeat the conversation to their younger selves, they'd have been hexed straight to St. Mungo's or worse. Harry fell in beside his friend, roaring with laughter.