Potter!

The next morning brought Christmas Eve and Harry woke with his arms around Draco on the couch by a crackling fire. A feeling of dread and anxiousness filled his stomach as he was reminded of the events that he would now have to go and make up for before they completely ruined Christmas. He was sure Mrs Weasley would not forgive him if there was tension at the dinner table and another argument during Celestina Warbeck singing. After all she'd had enough trouble in her time, bringing up 6 boys with Arthur who always seemed to let things slide.

Carefully removing his arms from Draco, he stretched and went into the kitchen. He poured himself some tea, not wanting to disturb Kreacher, and sat down, with a quill and parchment, trying to word a letter to Ron and Ginny.

After a few attempts, he was already exhausted. He was only going to owl and say he would come and sort things out. But apparently that was difficult. Probably because he had been a complete asshole to them. He wanted to protect Draco, and for some reason the words they said about him, even if somewhat true, infuriated him.

Draco entered the kitchen, his feet quietly padding on the floor, his hair unbrushed and matted in places.
"Want some tea?" Harry smiled up at him.

Draco shook his head to Harry's surprise and just sat down next to him, his eyes seeming to have grown larger overnight, full of sorrow, longing and regret.

"I'm going to go sort things out with Ron and Ginny today. I don't know if you want to come. Maybe it's best if you don't, but I'll make sure you're still invited to Christmas Dinner." Harry reached to place his hand on Draco's shoulder. "If you're not invited, I'm not going. I can't have you spending Christmas alone here with Kreacher."

"Okay." He managed a reply, licking his dry lips. "Tell them I'm- I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to take you away from them. I feel horrible about it."

"I'll make them understand. You don't need to be sorry for anything." Harry comforted him.

"I do. And I'm thinking- I know you said to stay- but they'll be happier if I stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the holidays." Draco fiddled with the button on his sleeve, afraid to look Harry in the eye.

"Draco, you know I can't let you do that. Despite your past, you don't deserve Christmas alone. Do you not see that someone who can't see the future after the war and past events is wrong to think that way. Every second they dwell on the past, it steals from the present, and the future." Harry spoke as if he knew what he was talking about. But the nightmares he had from the war told him differently.

"I suppose." Draco mused, taking his eyes away from Harry's. He could not see why he was so intent on protecting him, even if it meant losing his best friends that stood by him since he started Hogwarts. They would never betray him, they would never wish him dead. He completely understood why they hated him, after all, he was still the boy who was tasked to kill Dumbledore, who sat at a table with the Dark Lord, who fought on his side until the very last minute. Maybe he hadn't changed at all, and Harry was wrong.

"I better go and talk it out with them." Harry forced himself to get up, "Will you be okay alone for a while?"

Draco nodded, knowing he couldn't tell Harry that he wouldn't be. That would be more selfish that he was already being, by staying here with him.

For a second he considered leaving while Harry was gone but as if he'd read his mind he looked him straight in the eye, "And I don't want to find you've gone and left me when I get back."

A smile played on his lips, but Draco could tell he was deadly serious, so nodded again, "I promise." He said the words but he didn't mean them entirely, the guilt was eating away at him and he wanted to atone for his mistakes.