分卷阅读30（1 / 2）

“Yeah,thatblokefromthe—uh—yourdepartment,”Rongulped.“Sableton?Hewasleadingthemout.Theylookedrough,buttheywerealright.”

Hermionesatbackdown,amillionquestionsinherhead.Itcouldwait.Itwouldhavetowait.Shewasexhausted.“OhthankGod,”shemanaged.“Wehadn’theardfromthemsincethisafternoon.”

Ronsnorted.“YoushouldhaveseenwhatHarrywaswearing.”

“Willyoustoppacing?”Dracosaidirritably.“Ican’tconcentratewhenyou’remakingyourbestefforttowearaholeinthefloor.”Harryglaredathim.They’dbeenintheroomforabouttwentyminutes.Dracohadsettowork,makingitlooklikehewasattemptingtorepairtheTimepiece.Harryhadbeenwonderingwhattheyweresupposedtodonext.Atleast,hehadbeensilentlyandyetsomehowveryloudlyexpressinghimselfwithheavysighs,shakesofhishead,andthetensepullofhisface.

Harryfinallyhadsatonthesofatogetoffhisnervousfeetandhadchosentostareattheemptyspacethatwouldeventuallyholdthecaseboard.Dracodecidedtobehonestwithhim,ifonlybecauseitwastheeasiestwaytostopHarryfromthinkinghimselfintoastupor.Pointingtotheemptyspace,hesaid,“AfterIleave—afterIleftthepenthousethismorning,wellbeforetheincident,Iwenttohavesometea.IgatheredmynotesandanythingZivantushadgivenmeandcametothisroominthelateafternoon.”Dracostoppedandwonderedatthecoincidencethathisroomassignmentlaterthatdaywouldbetheverysameroom.

HecouldtellHarrywasstaringathimbutDracofixedlyfocusedonthebackoftheTimepiece.“What—?”

“Yourthoughtsarelouderthanthatinfernalmusicatthenightclub,”DracoofferedanddaredtoglanceatHarry.Atthementionofthenightclub,Harrytensed.

“Comingbackwaspointless,”Harrystarted.Heshookhishead.“Wecan’tevengetValentine.”

Dracofrowned.“Wewouldn’tknowabouthimifwehadn’tcomeback.”HewonderedifbeingtasklessinthehotelroomhadcausedHarrytoregretthemomentsthey’dsharedearlier.IfDracothoughtbacktothosesecondswhereit’dseemedasiftherewasnothingbutthefeeloftheirownbreathbetweenthem,hewouldfeelexposed.Harryhadpeeledawaylayershedidn’tknowhe’dhad,andhestillwasn’tsureifthatsimplifiedhisfeelingsforHarryorsomehowmadethemmorecomplicated.“Anditwasn’tpointlesstome,Harry.”

Harrycrossedhisarmsandfrowned,theunmistakablelookofshamewashingoverhim.Sothatwasit,then?DracosupposedheshouldhaverealizedHarrywouldn’treciprocate.Wasittheirhistory?Draco’sMark?Orthefactthathewasaman?HeputdownthecoolmetalinhishandandleanedovertostareatHarry,suddenlyunabletodoanythingelseuntilhefoundoutwhy.“Withinthesefourwalls,rightnowinthismoment,canwepromiseeachotherhonesty?”

“I’malwayshonest—”

“Don’tgivemethatbullshit,Harry,”Dracoreplied,hopinghisbrashtonewouldpushHarryfarenoughtoanswertruthfully.SometimesDracothoughtHarry’sangerwasthemosthonestthingabouthimapartfromhisloyalty,bravery,andempathy.

Harry’sfaceflushedwithanger.“Thereyougo!Youwanthonesty,Draco?HalfthetimeIcan’teventhinkbecauseyoumakemesobloodyangry!”Heshotupandwalkedintotheentranceway,hisbackturned.Hestoodstillforafewminutes,butDracoknewhewasn’tdone.Harry’snextadmissionsurprisedhim,though,“Youwereright.BackatZivantus’house.”HarryturnedandfocusedonDraco,hisgazeinsecure.“Youweresupposedtobethisirredeemablegit.Thelinesweredrawn,anditwaseasy.”

“Itwascomforting,”Dracooffered.

“Yes!AndyouandIhadourroles.Youwerehorrible,Draco.YoutooktheMark,andyouwerehorrible,sidingwithhim.Peoplediedbecauseofyou,”Harryshookhishead,workinghimselfupagain.Heclosedhiseyesandtookadeep,unsteadybreath.“Peoplediedbecauseofmetoo,though.AndIalwaysknewwhyyoudidwhatyoudid,andthatmademeevenmadder.Ididn’twanttounderstandyou.Whenyouliedforme?Whenyoushoutedmynamethatnight?Itfilledmewithrage.Youweren’tsupposedto—”Dracocouldn’ttellifhisheartwassinkingatHarry’swordsorfillingwithsomerare,twistedhope.Harryshuddered.“You’dchanged.”

Dracohadn’trealizedhe’dbeenclutchinghislegsinafirmgripuntilHarry’swordssentawaveofreliefthroughhimandhe’dletgo.

“Butnow?You’rethis—thisgoodguy.You’reactivelygood,betterthanmeeven,bloodyhellDracoyou’reanUnspeakable!”Harry’sfacewashedwithfear.“Themagnitudeofthiscase—therepercussions,whatwecouldbeupagainst—”DracorealizedthatnotonlyhadHarrybeenseeinghiminanewway,buthe’dbeenpulledbackintoatypeoffearfuluncertaintyreminiscentofthedaysofVoldemort,andthelinebetweenthepastandthepresenthadblurred.AsifsensingDraco’sunderstanding,Harrycontinued,“We’reonthesamesidenow,wewantthesamethings,it’s—”HarrywalkedbackandstoodacrossfromDraco,thecoffeetablebetweenthem.Hesighed,“Sorry,I’vebeenranting,and—Ijust—Idon’tevenknowwhatI’msayinganymore.You’verippedmeopenwithallofthisspillingoutinthemiddleofthiscase.”Harrysatinoneofthearmchairs,alookofdefeatonhisface.“I’mashamedthatthisisallIcanthinkaboutwhenBertriceisstilloutthere.”

DracoalmostlaughedasHarry’swordsalleviatedhisfears.Helickedhislips.“Youknowyou’retheangriestpersonI’veevermet,Harry,”heputupahandtosilenceanyreplyuntilhe’dfinished.“I’mnotsayingit’sabadthing;it’sjustwhoyouare.Therewillalwaysbesomethingthatrattlesyou,it’swhatmakesyouso,sostrong,soreadytofightforsomething.Todosomething—insteadofsittingandwaitingfortheoutcometorevealitself.”Dracosmiled,“Ittookmeawhile,butI—”Dracothoughtabouthiscurse,thethreadsofFatepushinghimforward,beckoningwiththeteaseofpossibility.Heclosedhiseyes.“I’vecometorealizethatIstayedintheshadowsofmineandothers’doubtswhereitfeltsafe,comfortable,”hisvoicewasshaking,“untilitwasn’tsafeanymore.”

WhenDracoopenedhiseyes,hegasped.He’dbeensowrappedupinthewordsofhisadmission,hehadn’trealizedHarrycameandsatnexttohim.Greeneyesboreintohimastheothermanasked,“Andifnotintheshadowsofdoubt,whereareyounow?”