"Yeah, you'd better hope I forget it," said Harry, glowering. "That's an awful wish."
"I said almost, you prat." Draco rubbed his hands all up and down his arms, shivering again. "Look, I don't really wish it. I just meant, I'd rather we were even. You know my worst fears and I don't have a clue what yours might be."
Harry relaxed a little. "Hmm. Well, I'm not even sure. I guess probably it would be losing you or Dad somehow. You know about the Mirror of Erised?"
When Draco shook his head, Harry explained how he'd seen his family standing with him, and how Dumbledore had told him what that meant.
"Sounds like you're the one who needs some therapy," Draco said with a straight face.
Harry grabbed a spare pillow and lifted it as though to bonk the other boy over the head.
"All right, I suppose I need some too," Draco admitted, that time in a long-suffering tone.
Harry laughed and tossed the pillow aside. "Yeah, you do. But enough of that. Tell me what on earth was going on in your head when you were trying to pull Severus' hair out." Draco looked confused, Harry thought. "Yeah, he was holding you, trying to comfort you and convince you there wasn't a wizard's beating going on, when suddenly you began fighting like a wild man--"
Draco suddenly looked sick again. He actually grabbed a pillow and hugged it. "I... uh, that's what I keep dreaming about, actually. That one delusion. I... don't you dare laugh."
"I'm not going to laugh, whatever it is!"
"Because it's... just stupid."
Harry simply waited. If Draco didn't want to tell him he wasn't going to try to make him, though he did think it would do the other boy some good to talk his way through it.
"I thought Severus was that horrible huge snake the Dark Lord keeps around, all right?" Draco finally groaned. "And it was trying to eat me, and I was trying to pull its head up, away from me. And when I dream, I don't succeed and I end up inside."
Harry couldn't help what he said in reply to that. Talk about gross. "Ugh."
Huffing, Draco crossed his arms. "Yeah, well I told you it was stupid--"
"It's not." Harry thought better than to mention that Voldemort actually did feed people to Nagini. Or threatened to, at least. Though maybe Draco already knew that from all the Death Eater gossip he'd overheard. "You said you keep dreaming about it. What did you mean, a lot tonight? Or every night?"
"Every night." Draco twisted his lips. "I usually wake myself up before you hear me, though. I guess maybe I should try to play with Sals, get used to snakes a bit. And then maybe it wouldn't hit me so hard. But I've had enough of sicking up, now that I know what it's like and I'm sure I'll need that bucket if I so much as touch a snake. There's no hope, I guess."
Harry couldn't help but stare. "Um, Draco? Your father's a Potions Master, you know."
"I'm not asking Severus for Dreamless Sleep."
"Why not, because he's the one who made you eat a--"
"He did not make me," Draco interrupted in a cold voice. "For your information, people do not make me do anything. I ate it because I didn't want to end up in Azkaban and he made it sound bloody well likely that I would if I didn't do something drastic. And believe me, that qualified. And I did my lines because I'd like him to respect me the way he does you, though that's a pipe dream if ever I heard one. And I've started my schoolwork because I think my only hope of staying safe and keeping you that way is to get into the Auror program which as you well know, requires several quite challenging N.E.W.T.s. Which I might be able to take even if I'm home-schooled instead of recommended by Hogwarts!"
"All right, all right!" Harry held up both his hands. "People don't make you do anything, fine. But why don't you want some potion so you can sleep?"
Draco lifted his shoulders in a haughty motion. "I just don't, all right?"
Something about the situation seemed familiar, Harry thought. Only everything had been reversed. This time it was Draco who'd had the nightmare and was refusing to let his father know about it...
Suddenly understanding, Harry jumped up and pointed a finger at his brother. "I get it. You think it's some sort of character flaw to have a bad dream!"
"Oh, shut up, Harry. You're no better at this sort of thing than Granger, and don't forget how she almost mucked things up!"
"Draco, Severus has nightmares himself."
"Yeah, well he has reason, don't you think? He's actually been through things. My nightmares are based on delusions."
"Nagini really did lick your boots. That wasn't a delusion."
"Yes, and thank you for reminding me!"
"Just go ask for some potion, Draco!"
In answer, the other boy grabbed his blankets from the foot of the bed and flung them all the way up to his chin as he threw himself onto his side and closed his eyes.
Well, he wanted to be even, Harry thought. "If you don't go tell Severus you need some potion," Harry threatened, "I'll go tell him myself, and while I'm at it I'll mention you're afraid he won't want you if he knows--"
Draco opened one eye and glared. "You wouldn't."
"Why not? You were going to once!"
"Yeah, but you're better than me," the other boy sneered, sitting up.
"Maybe not--"
Suddenly bundling all his blankets into a ball, Draco then threw them straight at Harry, who stepped to the side before they could slam into him.
"Too bad you missed me."
"Ha, very funny, Harry," groused Draco. "All right then, fine. But you owe me."
"I owe you because I'm making you go get something you need?"
"You aren't making me--"
"Of course not," said Harry, rolling his eyes. "You decided all on your own. I'm sure Severus will respect you more, not less, for that."
"You still owe me," said Draco as he thrust bare feet into slippers and padded towards their closed door.
"Owe you what?"
"I'll let you know."
With that, Draco was gone, the door thudding behind him. Harry thought about doing as Draco had, and opening the door to make sure his brother actually was going to Severus, but then he heard another door open, and a low, deep murmur that could only be their father's voice.
Nodding, Harry curled up on his own bed again. He wasn't worried about Draco, not now. Snape wasn't the type of father who would just hand you a potion so you'd leave him alone. He'd talk everything over with Draco. And since Snape was really good at that... yeah, everything would be all right, Harry thought.
He was asleep before Draco got back from talking with their dad.
------------------------------------------------------
"Well, that week went by really fast," Harry said when they were preparing to Apparate back to Grimmauld Place.
"Speak for yourself. It seemed like aeons to me."
"But at least your lines are done now."
"Yeah, too bad you and Severus couldn't manage to finish your own work," said Draco, lifting his chin a bit. "That second bathroom's an absolute shambles."
"It can wait until summer," said Snape. "Draco, I do believe you have something for me."
"Yes, sir," muttered the boy, though he handed over the borrowed wand readily enough. Snape had been letting him use it to duel with Harry earlier that morning. Actually, Harry reflected, Draco had got in quite a bit of practise with his wand. Snape didn't seem to mind him using it at all, as long as Draco was being supervised.