Harry couldn't even nod in answer. Thankfully, he didn't have to.
Snape pushed his way to his feet, his bones creaking a little. He gave Harry a hand up. "I'll see to matters in the Tower, then."
"Don't scare Ron half out of his mind when you wake him."
Draco stood up as well, a little bit of a smile hovering near his mouth, though his eyes still looked troubled. "The Hero of Hogsmeade? Afraid?"
If Harry had been less tired, he'd have stuck out his tongue. As it was, he just kind of stared, bleary-eyed, at Draco.
His brother had the grace to flush, just a little. "Sorry." He glanced at Snape, then. "Go, Severus. And make sure you summon that needle out of his sleeve or whatever. We wouldn't want Harry getting stuck by it later."
Harry yawned, too exhausted to even take exception to Draco's high-handed manner. He knew Draco meant well, anyway. "Night--"
Snape caught him by the arm, his other hand reaching into a pocket to pull out a packet of much-folded parchment. "I went to collect this for you earlier. Perhaps having it again will help you begin to feel better." He pressed the parchment into Harry's hands.
Oh. The Marauder's Map. Harry blinked, feeling his eyes begin to water. He'd complained he wanted it, and his father had gone straight away to get it for him . . . "You said you had work to do in your office!"
"I did. But I also took the opportunity to visit Albus." Snape patted him on the shoulder. "I'd have told you in advance, but I wasn't entirely certain he'd be ready to relinquish that map. You're not to misuse it, though. Do you understand?"
Guilt instantly swamped Harry. You're not to misuse it. Snape was thinking of one of his "Gryffindor adventures," no doubt, but what Harry had wanted it for was something much, much worse. He didn't want to let the map go again, but how could he keep it, knowing as he did that he might get an urge to make another needle, and the map could help him make sure he wouldn't get caught?
"I . . ." Realising he'd been practically hugging the map to himself, Harry made a conscious effort to hold it out. "You'd better keep it, sir. I . . . I wanted it so I could . . . um, see who was coming when I was . . . yeah."
His father's jaw clenched as he took that in, but he seemed to calm after a moment. "Ask for it again when you feel stronger, then," said Snape as he took it and tucked it back in his pocket. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Yeah. Night." Sighing, Harry turned away to go to his room. Draco didn't follow; he was obviously going to talk to Snape for a moment or two. About Harry, no doubt. Harry was too tired to care. He just wanted to sleep and forget about this. All of it.
That soon became impossible, though. Harry had long since stopped noticing the melted surface of the walls in his room, but when he went in this time, they seemed to leap out at him. Wild magic. Lucius' horrid words floated to the surface of his mind. You're dark clear through, Potter . . .
Harry gasped, hating the way that claim seemed to just resonate inside him. It wasn't true, he told himself frantically. It wasn't. But if that was so, then why did it bother him so much?
Draco's voice broke through his thoughts. "Harry?"
"I need you to spell off the lights," said Harry without turning around. "I don't have my wand."
"You have your fingers," said Draco dryly. "But yes, you're not supposed to get used to using them without cover." He cleared his throat. "Do you want to sleep in Severus' jumper? Because I . . . er, I cleaned your pyjama top for you."
That had Harry turning around. "You did?"
"Lavare is well within my talents. And I didn't think you'd want Dobby to catch sight of this and come around offering to bleed for you, or something." Draco held out the top.
Harry shuddered. He couldn't look at it, let alone wear it. Ever again, probably. Besides, he didn't really want to change. He liked the feel of his father's jumper against his bare skin. He shook his head. "Banish it, I think."
"Ah. Yes, all right." Draco fetched his wand from his night table, and a moment later, the pyjama top was gone forever.
Harry was turning down the covers on his bed when Draco spoke again. "Harry? It'll be all right. It really will."
Harry didn't reply. He didn't know what to say.
A tap on his shoulder had him turning around to find Draco right behind him. "It will, Harry," the other boy said earnestly.
That time Harry tried to reply, but before he could, Draco was pulling him into a hug, his arms wrapping around Harry's shoulders to yank him close. "Severus and I will get you through this," Draco said, the words sounding fierce and loving, all at once. Protective, that was it. "I swear we will. I swear by Merlin's wand."
Draco started patting Harry's back like he was trying to offer comfort.
It was only then that Harry realised how hard he'd been trying to be strong. To not let Draco see how weak and frightened he felt. But all at once, he knew that his brother wasn't going to reject him, any more than his father would. No matter the horrid words he and Draco had exchanged after dinner. That was all forgotten now.
Harry wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him back, letting himself lean on the other boy. Letting himself rely on him. Draco would help him get through this. Harry knew that, now. He had help.
He had a family.
Harry pulled in a breath, sniffling a little.
Draco let him go, then, and stepped back, his silver eyes worried. "Shite. I wasn't trying to make you cry, Harry."
"I'm not crying, you prat!"
Draco studied him for a minute longer. "All right. Er . . . are you for bed, then? Or did you want to tell me about it, now?"
"Bed." Harry yawned. "Oh. Sorry about before. I didn't think I was better than you and Severus. I just wanted to be alone so I could . . ."
"Sorry I called you self-important and selfish." The pain in Draco's voice matched his expression. "I didn't know you were . . . er, taking things so hard, Harry."
"Yeah, well don't feel bad about that." Harry slid between his sheets, and sighed. They felt like home. "How could you have known? I was keeping it all from you."
Draco hadn't moved; he was still standing right beside Harry's bed, a strange look on his face.
"I don't have a needle now," Harry felt he'd better mention.
Draco didn't point out that with wandless magic, Harry could make one, anytime. Perhaps that's why the other boy was looking so much like he was standing guard.
Or maybe it was due to something else, Harry belatedly realised.
"Um . . . what was it that you wanted to ask me, anyway?"
In the instant before Draco turned away, Harry saw his features flush. The other boy flicked his wand to spell off the lights, then, judging from the noises the followed, climbed into the bed across the room. "It's not important, Harry. I shouldn't have been even thinking about it, not when you were having such problems of your own."
Harry yawned. "But something was really bothering you, I think. Just because I have problems doesn't mean you don't have them, too--"
Draco gave a short laugh. "We all have them, Harry. Let's just go to sleep now, all right? Merlin, in just a few hours it'll be time to get up! Severus'll probably let us sleep in, though."
"Mmm." Harry rolled over to face the wall, his mind swimming in exhaustion. Good thing, though. He didn't want to lie awake thinking. Or wishing he had a needle.
He told himself that tomorrow, he'd get Draco to tell him whatever had been on his mind these past couple of weeks.
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Harry was alone in his room when he woke up. He sat up and stretched, snatches of the previous night's conversation coming back to him as he got dressed. Oh, God. He didn't want to go out into the living room and endure yet more questions from Draco. He hadn't even been able to endure them from his father, really.