Piece of Your Heart ✔️

Chapter 18

Harry had dozed off about half an hour or so after Draco. Adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, and he had needed to calm down first. 

At some point in the night Draco had slid off of Harry and under the blankets. Harry suspected that was partially why he himself had woken up to another nightmare. This was one was even more vivid then usual because he had gone to bed upset.

Grabbing his glasses from where Draco had left them, Harry sat up hugging his knees to his chest. He tried to steady his breathing so as not to wake up Draco. A quick look at the clock told him it was 3am. Of course it was the witching hour.

It took him 20 minutes of deep breathing to finally regain some sort of sense of control. Debating between getting up to clean or going back to sleep, Harry was just about to swing his feet out of bed when he heard a soft whimper come from Draco.

Immediately his attention was drawn to Draco's sleeping form. Harry carefully reached out a hand to brush through Draco's hair, trying his best to soothe him without having to wake him up. He didn't know how Draco would take to being woken up. Harry himself would usually wake up fists flying.

Running his fingers through Draco's hair only proved to be a temporary relief. He was soon trembling. When the first tear fell Harry knew he had to act.

He brought his body down over Draco, wrapping him in his arms. Harry rolled the both of them over so Draco was on top.

"Harry.", Draco whimpered.

"Shh, Draco it's okay."

"Harry no!"

Draco awoke with a start, terrified and utterly confused. He quickly looked to his left to find Harry, not processing that Harry was holding him.

"Harry?", he whispered hoarsely.

Draco felt terrified and alone. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack at any moment if he didn't find out that Harry was okay.

"I've got you Dray it's okay. I'm here and I'm not leaving you."

Draco collapsed back onto Harry's chest as heavy sobs overtook his body.

"Shh just let it all out. I've got you. You're safe. I'm safe. Everything is fine. It was just a bad dream."

"They always feel so real!", he wailed.

"This is real."

Harry ran his hands over Draco's back and up and down his arms.

"We're safe. We won. I'm alive. You're alive. Your parents are alive."

Draco was still barely responsive. Harry bit his lip, mulling over the different options. When he got like this physical touch always grounded him, but it was barely having an effect on Draco. The other man was trapped too far in his head for his own good. Harry would know.

Thinking over what he was about to do, Harry was more terrified than he was after his own nightmare, which until this moment had been forgotten. Latching onto a bit of Gryffindor courage, Harry began slowly kissing down Draco's neck.

It took about 30 seconds for Draco to realize what was happening, and another 30 to respond.

"H-Harry? What are you... what are you doing?"

Draco was gasping for air and Harry knew this could get even worse.

"I'm trying to ground you. You're having a bad panic attack. Focus on me and what you're feeling okay? You'll be alright I promise."

"But."

"Shh. Just focus on my touch and my voice. If I cross any boundaries stop me."

Harry wasn't sure how long they laid there, Draco gasping for air on the verge of hyperventilating and him caressing and kissing Draco's skin.