Golden Thread Of Trust

Golden Thread Of Trust

Chapter 6: That's What Friends Are For

Harry and Draco were finishing their homework in the library.
"Draco, what are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing in particular, as usual. Why?"
"Ron and Hermione are having an anniversary party tonight. Want to come?"
"I'm invited to a secret Gryffindor party?" Draco laughed.
"Yes. Hermione told me to invite you."
"I don't know..."
Harry gave him a sly look.
"If you don't show up your admirers will be disappointed."
"Look who's talking! Wait a minute. What admirers?"
"I really shouldn't be telling you this, you know."
"Harry! Come on!"
"About one third of the younger girls and some of the boys as well, or so Hermione says."
Draco snorted.
"Hah! They don't stand a chance!"
"Why not?"
"They're Gryffindors," Draco said, as if that answered everything.
"What's wrong with Gryffindors?" Harry asked, offended.
"They're insufferable. Company excepted, of course."
Harry smiled a little.
"Will you come?"
"All right. Just have to leave my things in my dormitory."

On their way to the dungeons they bumped into Blaise Zabini.
"Malfoy, what are you doing in the company of..." his eyes flicked in Harry's direction, "…Harry Potter?"
"None of your business, Zabini."
Harry crossed his arms over his chest. Zabini measured them both with a glance, and since both Harry and Draco were considerably bigger than he was, he reluctantly stepped aside. As they walked away Harry could almost feel the Slytherin's glare on his back, but he didn't turn around.

Harry waited outside while Draco quickly put his books and scrolls in his trunk. When they finally got to Gryffindor Tower and entered the common room, the party had already begun. The party was not very wild, for being a Gryffindor one, since Professor McGonagall kept popping in to make sure there was no rule breaking.
"Cosy place," Draco remarked, "and warm. Not that I don't prefer the cold and damp dungeons, of course."
Harry laughed.
"I don't see Ron or Hermione yet, but I'll keep an eye out for them."
They seated themselves in two armchairs in front of the fireplace, where a fire was crackling cheerfully. With an unspoken agreement they didn't join the bigger groups of people who were playing games or having loud conversations at the other tables. Harry had the feeling that quite a few of the other Gryffindors glanced in their direction, but he didn't care right then. They still sat there, talking quietly, when Ron came up to them and flopped into an armchair.
"Hi Ron. Where's Hermione?"
"She won't be long. We were just... celebrating a bit in private," he replied and grinned.
"Congratulations," said Draco solemnly.
"Thanks," said Ron, a bit surprised.
"Hi guys," said Hermione smiling.
"Hi Hermione! Wow, you've really dressed up!" said Harry.
Hermione wore a very beautiful, floaty, blue robe.
"It's my dressrobe from fourth year," she said. "I had to transfigure it to a bigger size…"
"I remember," said Ron. "You wore it for the Yule ball, and I was so jealous because you
went with Krum."
When Ron mentioned the Yule ball, Draco visibly paled and hid his face in his hands. Harry put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
Draco didn't answer. Harry tugged at his arm.
"Come," he said and dragged Draco up the stairs to his dormitory.
"I'm sorry," said Draco when they sat down on Harry's bed. "I'm ruining everything."
"No, it's all right. What's the matter?"
Draco was trembling, and he looked very pale.
"I have nightmares about the Yule ball."
"I know what it's like. I react just the same when anyone mentions the last battle…"
"Really?" That seemed to comfort Draco.
"Yeah. Tell me about it."
"Pansy and I are dancing, and she's wearing that awful, pink, frilly robe. Then suddenly I get this strange feeling that something is horribly wrong, and she falls down on the floor in a puddle of blood. Her dress is torn, she has cuts and wounds everywhere, and she's screaming... And then my wand is pointing at her and they're saying "Kill her. Don't show any weakness." And there's blood on my hands, blood everywhere..."
Harry put his arms around Draco and drew him closer. He tried to soothe him, and held him until his trembling subsided.
Someone knocked on the door, and Harry left Draco to see who it was.
"Harry, is everything all right?" he heard Hermione's voice asking worriedly.
"Yeah, we'll just be a minute, okay?"
Harry went back to Draco, who looked around the room.
"So this is where you sleep," he said. "Looks a lot like our dormitories, except that we have green hangings. Who do you share with?"
"Ron."
"Figures," said Draco with a smile. "I used to share with Crabbe and Goyle, but since they left I have my room all to myself."
"Ah, what a luxury," said Harry. "Then you don't have to put up with your friends bringing their girlfriends and forgetting to cast a silencing spell."
Draco laughed.
"That's right. And no snoring."
"Are you ready to go downstairs?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, sure," said Draco, and stood up.

They went back to the common room and the party. All in all it was a very pleasant evening. Ron, Hermione and Draco managed to have a friendly conversation without insulting each other even once.
Draco had changed so much. He didn't care if Granger was a Mudblood anymore, she was Harry's friend, and that was all that mattered. He didn't care about Weasley's money, or lack thereof, either. Money wasn't everything, just look at his own father. Lots of money, but no heart.

A lot of people, mostly girls, wanted to talk to them, but to Harry's relief they turned their attention towards Draco instead of him. Something was disturbing him, though. He caught himself wishing that they would go away and leave Draco alone, he was Harry's friend, after all. He heard how ridiculous he sounded, but the thoughts were still there. He made sure to keep an eye on the girls, just in case.

Draco noticed that Harry kept glancing at the chattering girls surrounding them. He looked almost... jealous. Yes, that was it. Was he jealous because Draco stole his admirers? Not likely. Harry had told him that he didn't like to be the centre of attention. But it was either that, or Harry was jealous of... the girls! Interesting thought. He grinned at Harry, and he smiled back.
'It feels like we share a secret, like we share something that belongs to us alone... S'pose that's what it like to have friends,' he mused.

The fun ended when Professor McGonagall caught sight of Draco and firmly told him that he'd better get back to his own dormitories now, before curfew. Draco said goodbye to everyone and went down to the dungeons.
He actually felt better than he had in ages. He was almost happy. That night he didn't have any of his usual nightmares. Instead, he dreamed of the Gryffindor Tower, the fire, all the people, and of Harry holding him.

* * *

Nothing lasts forever. A week later they were walking down a deserted corridor in the dungeons, on their way to the Slytherin common room. As they rounded a corner they discovered that they stood face to face with a large group of Slytherins with Blaise Zabini as leader, blocking their way.
"Well, well, who have we here?" said Zabini menacingly. "Potter and Malfoy. The Boy Who Lived and the Traitor. Betrayed the Malfoy name and his House. You should stick to the Hufflepuffs, Malfoy, or the Gryffindors that you seem to prefer.
"Contemplating a new career as a Sorting Hat, Zabini?" said Draco, frowning. "Now let us pass."
"Hardly."
Zabini pulled out his wand, and so did Draco and Harry.
"Expelliarmus," Zabini roared, and Draco's wand flew straight into his hand.
"Zabini, stop this immediately," said Draco with barely contained rage.
"I don't think so. I find this game amusing," said Zabini, and looked like a cat playing with a mouse. "Feel like tap-dancing, Traitor? I think I should teach you a lesson."
"No," said Harry and stepped forward. "You shall do no such thing."
Draco groaned. Stupid, brave Gryffindor. Why did he have to interfere?
Zabini turned to Harry, pointed Draco's wand at him and said:
"Crucio."
Harry fell to his knees, screaming with pain. Draco was paralysed. He knew what to do. He had promised himself not to do it again, ever. But he had to, to save Harry. He started to chant in a low voice that slowly increased in volume. He finished the invocation and started the instruction. The Slytherins started to look nervous and one of them alerted Zabini, who released Harry and stared unbelieving at Draco. Draco knew what he was seeing. Winds were starting to circulate the air around Draco, making his robes billow and his hair flow, as the winds became more and more violent. The air around him shimmered with a green light, and his usually pale form was now a glowing silver shape with black eyes, radiating pure evil. A beautiful yet horrible demon. In the air, seemingly from nowhere, you could hear human voices, screaming with pain and madness, as in the Muggle stories of Hell, and a voice penetrating, violating your mind, whispering: "Come to me, I will consume you, I will devour you. I will seduce you and have your soul; I will eat you alive and make you scream with pain. I will make you mine. Come to me."
The Slytherins started running, screaming with terror, the cowards. Draco thanked the spirits, and ended the incantation.
"Draco?" Harry whispered, wide-eyed, and obviously in pain.
"It's all right, Harry," said Draco as he sank to the ground shaking with exhaustion. Harry was coughing up blood, and Draco knew he should be helping him, but his strength was completely drained. He barely had strength enough to breathe. He turned his face to Harry, who was unconscious now. He managed to move his hand over to Harry's wrist and feel his pulse. He seemed to be all right. He thought he heard voices, but he wasn't sure; they seemed so far away and everything felt so unreal. He didn't care anymore.

"Lupin," Snape called, quickening his pace so he could catch up with the other man. "What's happened?"
"The wards detected the use of an Unforgivable curse and advanced Dark Magic further down the corridor," the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor answered.
Snape paled a little and pulled out his wand. When they got there they found Harry Potter unconscious, the floor beside him stained with blood, and more blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Draco Malfoy lay beside him, trembling and staring unseeing at them. Snape hurried forward and grabbed his shoulders.
"Draco!" he said. "What happened?"
The boy looked at him with eyes that were glazed over.
"Crucio," he whispered, and fainted.