Mistaken Impressions

Harry slipped into the room, hidden by his invisibility cloak. He wasn't sure what he hoped to find here, but he had felt drawn back after the run in he had with Draco last night in the tavern. It looked the same as always, the mattress on the floor covered with pillows and sheets that ended up all around them most nights. The window was open and a breeze fluttered the curtains softly.

With a sigh, he pulled the hood back and propped himself up against the door. So many memories crowded his mind, each vying for his attention. The earliest times with Draco, when they were still getting to know each other both in bed and out of it. The disbelieving yet almost hopeful look on Draco's face the first time Harry had admitted out loud that he loved him. The times he had woken up in his own bed with nightmares and had come to the room for some peace and had found Draco waiting with open, comforting arms.

Yet, even as he examined each of these bittersweet thoughts, he couldn't forget the pigheadedness of Draco's refusal to even consider another way or his dismissal of how Harry felt. Draco could never seem to believe Harry; it was almost ingrained in him to doubt that someone could love him. Closing his eyes, he recalled the first sign he had about Draco's distrust of all things dealing with love.

With a satisfied and tired smile, Harry snuggled closer to Draco and felt his lover's arms wrap around him. Sleepily, he said, "I love you."

He felt Draco's embrace tighten a moment and then heard the reply, "You don't have to say that."

"Course I do, it's how I feel and I want you to know it." Harry replied, a little puzzled but too exhausted to really worry about it.

Draco shook his head, "I'm not going to leave you."

As Draco's words sunk in, Harry pushed out of his arms and sat up, his fatigue forgotten. "You think that when I say 'I love you' I'm only saying it to tie you to me?"

Draco hesitated before answering slowly, "I'm just trying to say that it isn't necessary." He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed casually and his face carefully blank.

"Why won't you believe me?" Angrily, Harry shook Draco's shoulders. "I mean it, okay? I," fierce shake, "love," shake, "you."

"Alright!" Draco shrugged Harry's hands off and cupped his face in his hands. Draco looked deep into Harry's eyes and said, "I believe that you feel you love me." His voice hardened. "Don't expect me to be as foolish to declare the same."

Harry almost laughed at the image of Draco suddenly quoting poetry and vowing undying love. "Trust me, it's the last thing I would imagine you saying." Harry said wryly and something flittered across Draco's expression before settling back into his usual coolness.

"Good, I don't want to disappoint you." With that final comment, Draco tugged Harry back down into the bed.

Draco smiled slightly as the door came into view. Shifting his book bag to a more comfortable spot on his shoulders, he took a quick glance around. Once satisfied that he was alone, he dropped his heavy bag beside the door and winced as they made a loud sound. Pulling out his wand, he quickly enchanted the hallway to give off an eerie feeling if anyone walked in. Hopefully, that would convince most people who wandered through this part of the castle to find someplace else to explore. He didn't want any visitors tonight.

Picking up his bag, he pushed open the door. He had taken to sleeping in here ever since the breakup just in the off chance Harry decided to stop by for old times sake. It was probably a futile hope that Harry would be coming back any time soon, but he didn't want to miss it because he wasn't here. Walking into the room, he gave a savage chuckle at the irony of it all. Who would have thought Harry Potter would have driven Draco Malfoy to this state?

Flattened against the far wall, Harry stilled with shock as Draco walked in with laugh. As soon as he had heard the noise outside the door, he had quickly moved away to keep from being discovered. Wondering why his former lover was here, he studied Draco for a clue as to what was going on in his mind. He watched carefully as Draco dumped his bag in a corner and then went over to the chair by the fireplace; grabbing a book that Harry hadn't noticed earlier.

He continued to observe as Draco settled in the chair and opened up the book to a marked place. Harry recognized it as the novel that Draco had started reading about a week before the break-up, but it didn't look that Draco had gotten much further in it. Relaxing a bit, he leaned back against the wall, his mind racing with possibilities. Draco was sitting there, cool and collected as always, turning a page occasionally. Closing his eyes tightly, Harry remembered how many evenings he had showed up to find Draco in almost the same position. He glared at Draco, irrationally upset that he was sitting there looking so composed while Harry felt so befuddled.

Thirty minutes later, Draco heaved the book away from him with a curse. He just couldn't concentrate on it; all he had done was just turn the pages without even noticing the words. He kept seeing Harry instead, wishing he would come in the door so everything would be right again.

Harry didn't see the book heading his way; he was too busy daydreaming by that point. So, when it hit him he loudly said, "Oof." His hand quickly moved to cover the sound but it was too late. Draco had heard it and was standing up, a fierce look on his face.

"Show yourself." Draco commanded. Harry saw that somehow he had gotten his wand out without him noticing and was now pointing it in his general direction.

With apprehension, Harry slowly reached up and unclasped his cloak. A quick shrug and it fell to his feet around him. Forcing a calmness into his expression that he didn't feel, he looked right up into Draco's astonished face. He allowed himself a small smile, spitefully glad that for once the tables were turned and he was the one in control.

Draco gaped at the one person who kept invading his thoughts, the very last person he expected to see here. He looked carefully, indifferent to the fact that he staring, for some evidence that Harry was back for good. But there was no sign of nervousness, just that slight turn of the lips in a private amusement. Draco was suddenly struck by the thought that Harry was here to silently laugh at his misery, but he had never known Harry to be so callous.

Finally, he dismissed his musings and said sharply, "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

Hurt flickered across Harry's face as he retorted back, "None of your damn business, I would think." Draco's breath caught at the statement, it eroding away what little hope he was still harboring

"Get out."

Harry crossed his arms across his chest and glowered back, a stubborn set to his jaw. "No."

Draco felt his hastily erected defenses start to crumble. Harry was going to take away the only thing he had left, the room they had shared. Desperation clawed with pride, but he refused to beg. "Fine, then I'll leave." He spun on his heel and stormed towards the door.

Harry snorted, unsurprised that Draco had given in. "You and your bloody pride, Draco." He was determined to finish this one way or another tonight. Swooping down and grabbing the book that had given him away, he threw it with deadly aim at Draco's back. "Stay and fight, you coward. You always run away."

Draco stopped and slowly turned around. His eyes glittered with icy anger and he softly stalked right back to Harry, stopping only about a foot away. "That is the last time you call me a coward."

Harry took an involuntary step back, gulping with trepidation. He suddenly wondered the wisdom of provoking Draco. The chance of actually getting Draco to lose control and really say what he felt seemed rather small right at that moment in comparison to Harry surviving to see it. *Too late now*, he thought with a frown.

He forced himself to stare right back into that enraged face and say calmly, "Talk to me, Draco. Tell me what's going on."

"I thought you said everything you wanted to the other night." Draco pointed out acidly.

He was stunned when Harry grimaced and said, "Touché. I did say a lot of things, most of it rather silly. But I don't want to do the do the talking, I want to hear what you think."

"There's nothing to say, Potter."

"There is always something to say. You can tell me what last night was about, why you are here now." Trying to find something that could spark some sort of fire in those cold grey eyes staring back at him, he vaguely rubbed the side of his jaw and was suddenly reminded of something that had been bothering him. Quietly, he said. "Tell me about the blood, Draco."

"Blood?" Draco shook his head, seemingly genuinely puzzled by Harry's question.

Harry growled impatiently, "Yeah, the blood. You know, the stuff I found on my face after we broke up. Where did it come from, why was it on me?" He wanted to add the questions that really burned in his heart. *What caused you to hurt yourself? Was it me? Did the thought of me leaving have that much of an effect on you, and if so why didn't you just say so?* He already knew the answer to the last one though; Draco would rather die than ever admit he needed someone. As for the rest, if he couldn't even get Draco to open up about the simple things, what made him even contemplate asking questions that would probe into Draco's very self?

Draco's eyes suddenly dropped to study his hands. His face whiten a moment before he got his reaction under control enough to look up with a smirk. He said flippantly, "Mosquito bit, I must have accidentally scratched it."

"That was a lot of blood for a simple bite." Harry said suspiciously.

"It was a big mosquito." Draco shot back.

"Well, I don't believe you. Why won't you tell me the truth, Draco?" He reached his hand out towards Draco, a pleading expression on his face. "I don't understand what's going on anymore."

"So that's it. The great Harry Potter doesn't understand so everyone has to explain things to him." Disgusted that all Harry wanted from him was reasons, Draco turned away. It would have almost been better if it had been laughter.

"You're twisting my words!" Harry protested, grabbing Draco's arm, and spinning Draco back towards himself.

"Am I?" With a sneer, Draco stepped closer. "There is only one thing that is important. Did you come here tonight because you realized you couldn't live without me and wanted to come back?"

Harry sighed and dropped his hand back to his side. He couldn't lie to Draco, not for something this important. "No, I didn't. I came here because I never gave you a chance to defend yourself, instead I played a nasty trick on you." As he spoke the words, Harry become conscious of how true they were. While Draco may have used deceit to get his way, it didn't give Harry the same right to do the same.

Not caring for Harry's honesty when it tore apart all the dreams that he had been harboring since their break up, Draco replied sardonically, "How noble of you. Regretfully, it was a waste of your time. We don't have anything to discuss. I'm not interested in allowing you to psychoanalyze me just to let you 'understand,'" He stressed that word with sarcasm, "my point of view." He shoved past Harry and walked over to the window and stared out of it unseeing. It was over; he could feel it. He would have to face facts that Harry didn't want him anymore and undeniably didn't believe he loved Draco.

Harry felt everything slipping away; he wasn't quite sure where he lost control of the conversation. Frustrated, he pleaded, "Let me in, Draco."

"Let you in?" Draco gave a hollow laugh and squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to contain his feelings. How ironic, that Harry wanted the one thing he already had, the one thing that frightened Draco the most. "It's too late for that, I'm afraid."

Harry bit back the cry that came unbidden to his throat. He had destroyed everything that mattered to him in his blind quest to get Draco to open up. Wishing he could turn back the clock and never go down this road initially, he said forlornly, "If you're sure."

Draco was too caught up in his own emotions to notice Harry's tone. He was so tired of it all, tired of fighting. Sighing as he leaned his head against the window frame, he replied with a touch of bitterness, "Oh, I'm sure. Happy now?"

"Just ecstatic." Harry said faintly. He had wanted to know what Draco felt and he guessed he had found out. It wasn't Draco's fault he wanted more than Draco could give him. He picked up his cloak where it had fallen and started to slowly back up, his eyes taking one last look at his love staring out the window. "I'm sorry for everything, Draco. I shouldn't have pushed for more; you were honest with me from the start. I'll leave you alone now, you won't ever have to deal with me again." Feeling the doorknob in his back, he reached behind and opened it. "Good bye." Gathering all his strength, he quickly stepped out the door and closed it behind him.

It wasn't until Draco heard the door click that what Harry had been saying connected in his brain. Spinning around, he stared at the door that Harry had just left by. "Bloody hell," he breathed, "I give him what he wants and he just walks out without realizing it." He sank down to the floor, unsure why he felt disappointed. He should be relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with Harry's probing questions about his feelings.

With a final groan of incomprehension, he picked himself off the floor. His legs moved over to where his book laid and his hands picked it up, but his mind was still hearing Harry's final good-bye. He stared at the book unseeingly, its very presence an anchor preventing him from fleeing or perhaps, following Harry. Draco wasn't quite sure which, just knew the desire to be gone from the room pulled at his very being. Disgusted at his weakness, he finally snapped his head up and resolvedly strode over to the chair. He forced his mind to focus on reading, instead of the mental picture of Harry standing in front of him defiantly. For Harry was gone from his life and that was how it was going to be, no matter what he wanted.