Harry lay on his side, looking at the flames. When he glanced upward, he noticed that the ceiling of the Room of Requirement was not a usual ceiling. It shone with stars against a night sky, but these werenât like those in the Great Hall, replicating the real sky above. This was an enchanted sky entirely its own.
The constellation Draco glittered at its centre.
âTake a look at that.â Harry murmured, nodding toward it.
Draco looked up. The stars gleamed, clear and sharp, their silver lines tracing the outline of the celestial dragon.
âThe room has good taste.â His voice was softer than before.
Harry didnât respond. Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then opened them turned to look at Draco.
Draco turned slowly, and his eyes found Harryâs, calm with a quiet kind of acceptance.
Harry felt it in his chest, like the air compressing slightly before becoming easier to breathe.
They only looked at each other, with a full, unhurried attention, trying to memorise each otherâs faces.
Draco was the first to move. He straightened with his usual elegance, making sure his robes fell smoothly.
âI should go.â He murmured, getting to his feet. âGood night, Harry.â
Harry smiled, tilting his head. âGood night, Draco.â
He was never going to fully understand the particular tenderness he felt every time he heard Draco say his name in a goodbye.
When Draco reached the door, he turned to send one last look back. There was something vaguely troubled in his expression, like he resented what he was feeling, or wished he didnât have to feel it at all. And without another word, he simply left.
Harry looked back up at the ceiling, at the constellation watching over him from above, not sure what to do with everything that had just happened.
Harry loves the way Draco says goodnight.
Redemption of the Blood part 2: The Last Heir on Ao3
snowghoul
gracieabrams
discoholicmusic
2087
baratheonpilled
