How Are You, Really? (Drarry)

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Holiday Blues

            "Who do you think Draco likes?" Harry asked Hermione for the hundredth time.

She rolled her eyes heavenward. "Why don't you ask him?"

Harry sighed deeply. "I have! He won't tell me!" Harry stared hard at Hermione, who blushed. "And I have a feeling you know who it is. Why do you know, and I don't? Blaise knows! He won't tell me! Besides, I'm his best friend beside Blaise!"

"Oy! Mate! Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth? Why do you even care?" Ron cut in.

Harry opened his mouth and then closed it, unable to find an answer. "Well," he spluttered, "I'm just curious!"

Ron looked at Harry as if he'd grown a second head.

Hermione coughed. "Oh, look, Draco's here!"

Harry watched Draco collapse onto the couch next to Ron, as graceful as ever. Harry never figured out how Draco did it – it was like he was born with natural grace.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, frowning. Harry realized Draco was draped rather dramatically, covering his face with his hands.

Draco mumbled something.

"What did you forget how to speak?" Ron asked.

"I said -," Draco spat, removing his hands from his face, "that Christmas is just around the corner!"

"Why is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked confusion written clearly on her face.

Harry sat up, his stomach dropping. He thought he knew why; he used to feel the same way.

Draco paused before saying, "It's going to be the first one without my parents."

"But, your mom's still here," Harry pointed out.

Hermione gasped, and Draco drooped more if that was possible.

"What'd I say?"

"Harry, did you not see the Daily Prophet several weeks ago?" Hermione always read the paper, even now.

"Course he didn't, Hermione," Ron laughed. "Only you read the paper."

"What does that have to do with Christmas or Draco's mom?"

Draco sighed and sat up, clasping his hands in front of him and staring at them intently. "You two might be the only ones who missed the article discussing my mother's transfer to St. Mungos."

"Is she okay?" Harry gasped.

"She is not," Draco whispered.

Harry rose and moved to the couch, wrapping an arm around Draco. Hermione and Ron shared a knowing glance that Harry missed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Draco opened his mouth, about to say no, when he closed it. "Yes, I do, I really do."

Ron and Hermione paused what they were doing to stare at Draco, waiting expectantly.

Harry tightened his hold around the man as he started to speak. "After my father was kissed, my mother fell into a psychosis and hasn't done anything since. She just lies in her bed unmoving, unresponsive no matter what I do or the healers do. Althea finally convinced me it was time to move her to St. Mungos. So I'll be sitting at home alone for the holidays after I visit her." Draco frowned deeply.

Harry's heart hurt for his friend, but an idea started forming almost instantly in his mind. "I'll come with you if you want. To the hospital. No one should face that alone," Harry offered.

"Me too," Harry was surprised to hear Hermione say.

Ron frowned at the two of them but then sighed. "I'll be there too. Mom'll kill us if we're late to lunch, though."

Harry felt a warm love for his friends. He turned to Draco to find the man almost in tears. "You really don't have to. I know you have your own families to spend time with."

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione snapped, turning back to her book. "We want to. We're your friend, after all."

Draco seemed shocked by her words and even more so when no one, not even Ron, objected to the statement.

Blaise came striding into the room before Draco could collect himself. "What are you guys doing to make Mr. Stone Cold Wall cry?" he asked, plopping down in an armchair and eyeing Harry's wrapped arm around Draco. Harry quickly withdrew it and didn't notice Draco's grunt of protest.

"We're going with Draco to visit his mother on Christmas," Hermione informed him.

"Cool, add my name to the list then. It's been a while since I've seen Narcissa."

"Aren't you wanted home?" Hermione asked, frowning. "Won't your mom miss you?"

"Nah, she's on her third boyfriend this month; she'll be fine. Besides, I'll apparate home after we're done." He flicked his wand, and smoke rings started drifting out lazily.

Harry sat there watching his friends discuss how best to get to St. Mungos without having the reporters catch them, engrossed in his own thoughts. Why did he want to know who Draco liked so much? Why was it eating him up inside? They were friends, after all, and Harry hated secrets. He turned his head slightly to watch the firelight play over Draco's features, highlighting his angeled and angelic appearance. Yea, that much be it.

"Harry?" Blaise's voice finally broke through his contemplation.

"Huh?"

Blaise sniggered. "I asked you where you're spending Christmas? Are you going home to your muggles?"

Harry felt Draco stiffen beside him.

"No," Harry shook his head. "We don't get along very well. I'm going to Ron's."

Blaise looked past Harry to Draco and frowned. "Oh. I see."

"I don't care. I'd rather be with Ron anyways."

"And your sure you two don't have a legit bromance going on?" Blaise asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Harry snorted. "Never!"

Ron snorted. "Wow, Harry, way to make a guy feel good about himself!"

Their conversation went round and round until Harry finally declared, "I could never love Ron like that, he's just too, Ron!"

"Here here!" Hermione cheered, which got her a nasty glance from Ron before everyone started laughing.

Draco slipped away during all the ruckus, and when Harry went upstairs not long after, the other man was lying in bed, his back to Harry's side of the room. Harry let Draco have his privacy and got ready for bed.