Collarbone Control

3

I don't know.' Harry sighed, 'It was all so weird.'

Hermione looked at Harry with warm eyes and rubbed his shoulder, 'I know it's odd seeing Malfoy in such a way.'

'Ugh,' Ron pouted, 'Will you two stop getting so dewy-eyed over Malfoy, he's a Death Eater for God's sake!'

'Ron,' Hermione snapped in a similar way she had earlier that night, 'he was a Death Eater sure, but do you really think that was his choice?'

'Yeah,' Harry agreed, 'I for one know what it's like to not be in control of my own destiny.' He turned his eyes towards the floor, a solemn tone was present in his voice.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them with Harry's final statement. Ron gave a reluctant nod and Hermione squeezed Harry's shoulder in comfort.

Malfoy was just so light in Harry's arms while he'd carried him. Something about Madam Pomfrey's reaction to what seemed like such an insignificant thing was confusing. What was going on with the whole mouth checking thing? It started in 6th year? What did 54 mean? So many questions rattled around Harry's head and he clenched his fists. It made no sense.

'I'll do some reading about it tomorrow.' Hermione nodded before standing up, hugging Harry from the side and kissing Ron on the cheek. She whisked off towards the girl's dormitory leaving Harry and Ron alone in the common room.

'Should we head off as well mate?' Ron questioned.

'You go ' Harry replied. Disinterested.

Ron stood up and clapped Harry on the shoulder before making his way towards the door.

'It was a good thing to do.' Ron said just as he walked out the room, 'Even if Malfoy is a slimy git.'

Making final eye contact with Harry, they both chuckled in contentment, and with that, Ron was gone.

Harry stared at the fire, letting it draw him into his thoughts. The faint crackle of the fire in the background provided comfort, but being by his lonesome hoped to encourage good thoughts.

He wasn't sure why he'd let this disturb him so much. It wasn't like Malfoy was his friend. They still had arguments - even tonight when he saw Draco stumbling out of the toilets they had a little spat.

Thinking harder back to that moment, Malfoy seemed a little half-hearted in his remarks and retorts back to Harry. It wasn't said in his usually angry and sarcastic tone. He never called Hermione a 'Mudblood' anymore, come to think of it.

How curious.

The turnaround of Malfoy seemed to be happening. Maybe Harry was right, a life controlled by Death Eaters in the way it was for Malfoy, might have broken him. His parents couldn't have helped much either. Or maybe seeing how his actions made others feel, and what damage it caused provoked this change. Maybe without his prick of a father around Malfoy was able to think for himself. Maybe this Malfoy won't be so bad.

It shouldn't have troubled Harry but it did. He ran his fingers lightly against his scar in thought and decided to go to bed. There was no use using his brain cells to think about Malfoy and how soft his pale hands were, especially as they rested on his shoulders and how warm his shallow breath was-

He stopped in his tracks, looking around as if someone had heard good thoughts.

Ugh, where did that thought come from? Just push it down along with the rest of your dodgy feelings, Harry told himself.

Since he and Ginny had split up due to the heavy amount of grief and trauma they'd both experienced, he had tried to push down any thoughts of emotion to anyone else. Even though he and Ginny were never going to work and Harry's feelings for the same gender had increased with his maturity; how he hasn't noticed the subtle signs before he'd never know, he still felt obliged to stay loyal to her.