Drop to Hold You
005.
"I'm gonna stay here," Harry blurted after Slughorn's Christmas party. He had tried to enjoy himself but watching Draco laugh wildly with Ivan and have a hushed conversation with Severus was too much for him in one night. They were walking back to the common room now, and he was fairly tipsy.
"What d'you mean, mate?" Ron asked, he and Hermionely were covertly holding hands.
"I want to stay here, study, and clear my head a bit. I've been trying to crack Malfoy for so long, I just want to recluse for a couple of days," he explained. Both of them gave him tight smiles, and assured him that he was welcome if he changed his mind.
Ron and Hermione said a rueful goodbye to Harry after breakfast the next morning, but he shushed them with promises that he'd Floo over on Christmas. He spent the day catching up homeworks he hadn't done. That night he was thrilled to be going down to dinner and he wouldn't have to see sodding sulking Draco there, pushing around food. He was furious, and relieved, when that was the sight he was precisely met with. Few students peppered the Great Hall that evening, but Draco was one of them. He stormed off to write Ivan who had already returned to his family's home for the holiday. For this, Harry thought a Howler was in order. He sorted out what he'd say a few times, but it didn't come out how he planned.
"You sodding bastard, Ivan! Why didn't you let on that he was staying here? Merlin, I'm a ball of nerves. I don't even care about this mission of his, whatever it is anymore. I'm not about finding it out anymore. I'm pathetic over this. I really think I fucking love him, that sexy stupid prick. What am I supposed to do knowing he's here and the castle is practically empty?! Happy Christmas anyway, see you when you get home you git." He couldn't believe the words he'd just said. Could he really feel that way? He laid in bed, forgoing the thought to have a wank in his newfound privacy. After the stupor wore off, he still was woried. Nonetheless, he felt satisfied with himself after sending it, and unbeknownst to him Malfoy was on the other side of the castle doing the same.
***
He sat down and pulled out a think piece of parchment and out a new nib on his quill, he bit his lips together with thought as he tried to keep his tact. Pouring the truth out felt exhilarating, it had been months since he'd done it properly, since he'd been trying to hide things from Severus as well.
Ivan,
Now that father is busy with all the holiday affairs that take place at the manner, I feel comfortable enough to tell you this. My mission is to find a way to fix the vanishing cabinet so that Death Eaters can get into the castle, and also at the end of the year, I'm to kill the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Everyone thinks that the Dark Lord has gone back into hiding and has thrown their cares to the wind, but indeed, he is on his way back. I, personally, am severely uncomfortable with this. I can't believe that my father made me take the mark, and now I'm making up for his failures. Severus has helped me keep the family convinced things are going well, but they really aren't. I'm nowhere near as far along into it as I should be, I'm starting to get scared. The Dark Lord said he would kill my family if I got this wrong. Also, I have a little bit of a problem... Potter is here. He's still sodding here, and I was looking forward to getting a break from the git. I don't know what's gotten into him, he's changed a lot this year. He doesn't look so plebian when he isn't under stress. It's an awful thought, but he looked dashing this morning when I saw him. I've gone barking mad. Have a nice holiday, regardless.
With cordiality,
Mr. D. Malfoy.
He used a random owl so as not to be discovered by anyone, and then he tried to take a nap. An owl tapping on a window woke him a while later, and he recognized the red envelope right away. It made his stomach turn, surely not father, he hoped as he relieved the owl. When it stood up and started screaming at him, he got the shock of his life. Potter's voice reverberated off every wall in Draco's room, reverberated deeply in his chest. He sat on the floor between the two beds rocking himself. What the bloody fuck was going on?
Malfoy's letter was similarly delivered to Harry. He read it over three times and formulated a plan.
Ivan was sitting smugly at home, having no clue what he had just started.
"What d'you mean, mate?" Ron asked, he and Hermionely were covertly holding hands.
"I want to stay here, study, and clear my head a bit. I've been trying to crack Malfoy for so long, I just want to recluse for a couple of days," he explained. Both of them gave him tight smiles, and assured him that he was welcome if he changed his mind.
Ron and Hermione said a rueful goodbye to Harry after breakfast the next morning, but he shushed them with promises that he'd Floo over on Christmas. He spent the day catching up homeworks he hadn't done. That night he was thrilled to be going down to dinner and he wouldn't have to see sodding sulking Draco there, pushing around food. He was furious, and relieved, when that was the sight he was precisely met with. Few students peppered the Great Hall that evening, but Draco was one of them. He stormed off to write Ivan who had already returned to his family's home for the holiday. For this, Harry thought a Howler was in order. He sorted out what he'd say a few times, but it didn't come out how he planned.
"You sodding bastard, Ivan! Why didn't you let on that he was staying here? Merlin, I'm a ball of nerves. I don't even care about this mission of his, whatever it is anymore. I'm not about finding it out anymore. I'm pathetic over this. I really think I fucking love him, that sexy stupid prick. What am I supposed to do knowing he's here and the castle is practically empty?! Happy Christmas anyway, see you when you get home you git." He couldn't believe the words he'd just said. Could he really feel that way? He laid in bed, forgoing the thought to have a wank in his newfound privacy. After the stupor wore off, he still was woried. Nonetheless, he felt satisfied with himself after sending it, and unbeknownst to him Malfoy was on the other side of the castle doing the same.
***
He sat down and pulled out a think piece of parchment and out a new nib on his quill, he bit his lips together with thought as he tried to keep his tact. Pouring the truth out felt exhilarating, it had been months since he'd done it properly, since he'd been trying to hide things from Severus as well.
Ivan,
Now that father is busy with all the holiday affairs that take place at the manner, I feel comfortable enough to tell you this. My mission is to find a way to fix the vanishing cabinet so that Death Eaters can get into the castle, and also at the end of the year, I'm to kill the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Everyone thinks that the Dark Lord has gone back into hiding and has thrown their cares to the wind, but indeed, he is on his way back. I, personally, am severely uncomfortable with this. I can't believe that my father made me take the mark, and now I'm making up for his failures. Severus has helped me keep the family convinced things are going well, but they really aren't. I'm nowhere near as far along into it as I should be, I'm starting to get scared. The Dark Lord said he would kill my family if I got this wrong. Also, I have a little bit of a problem... Potter is here. He's still sodding here, and I was looking forward to getting a break from the git. I don't know what's gotten into him, he's changed a lot this year. He doesn't look so plebian when he isn't under stress. It's an awful thought, but he looked dashing this morning when I saw him. I've gone barking mad. Have a nice holiday, regardless.
With cordiality,
Mr. D. Malfoy.
He used a random owl so as not to be discovered by anyone, and then he tried to take a nap. An owl tapping on a window woke him a while later, and he recognized the red envelope right away. It made his stomach turn, surely not father, he hoped as he relieved the owl. When it stood up and started screaming at him, he got the shock of his life. Potter's voice reverberated off every wall in Draco's room, reverberated deeply in his chest. He sat on the floor between the two beds rocking himself. What the bloody fuck was going on?
Malfoy's letter was similarly delivered to Harry. He read it over three times and formulated a plan.
Ivan was sitting smugly at home, having no clue what he had just started.