分卷阅读41（1 / 2）

“Whatchanged?”Dracodidnotwanttohearthis.Notwhenhewastiredandwantingtenmorehoursofsleep,notwhenhewascoveredinbruises,notwhenhecouldnotevenholdhisownifthisturnedintoashoutingmatch.

“Iwatchedyougetburiedunderapileofrubbleandrealizedthatdespitehowmuchofagiganticarseyouwereinpast,Iwantedyoutolive.”Ronlookeddownathishands,andDracoimaginedthattheywerestillcoatedinthedustfromwhentheceilingcollapsedandthechandeliertoppled.Ginnyhadbeentheonlyonetothinkthathewasstrongenoughtoheartheaccountofwhathadhappened,anditwasGinnywhotoldhimthateventhoughHarrywasthefirsttofalltohiskneesbesidethepileandstartrummagingforanysignoflife,itwasRonwhohadbeentheonetopullhimoutofthedust.“Andbecauseyousavedher.”

“Ididn’tdoitforyou.”Dracowasn’tsurewhyhisfirstreactionwasalwaystogoontheattackwithsomesnideremarkthatwasn’teventhathurtful.Hewouldmakeallthesejokesanddrawloutalltheseinsultsandnoneofthemwereevenfunny.“Ididitbecauseshe’smyfriend.”

She’smyfriend.ThewordsechointheroombetweenthemandforthefirsttimehemightbegettingwhyheandRonweresuddenlyonspeakingterms—thefactthatHermionecaredaboutbothofthemandtheybothcaredabouther,andRonwaswillingtoputasideanypastfeudtomakeherhappy.

“Exactly.Yousavedherlife.”Ron’svoicecracksonthelastwordandDracocanseehiseyesshininginthelamplight.“YousavedherevenwhenIcouldn’t.”

Dracoknowsaboutdebt.Aboutagratitudethatyouneverwanttofeel,aboutanaccountofrightsandwrongsthatyoucanneverevenout.Hedidn’tthinkhewouldeverhavetofacethatsamefeelingcomingfromRon.

“Youdon’towemeanythingforthat.”Itwasanawkwardsentencetoforceout.“I’ddoitagain.”

“Youdon’tunderstand,”Ronsaid,rakinghishandsthroughhishair,yankingsohardDracothoughtitwaslikelyhewouldripsomeout.“I’msupposedtoprotecther.”

“Ron—”Hewantstohelphim,butdoesnotknowhow.Notthatitmattered.Ronjustkepttalking.

“No,listen.”Helookslikehemightstartcrying,likehe’sfullyonthevergeoftopplingintoaseaofpanic.“Wesavedherfromthistroll,right?MeandHarry.Butitdidn’treallycountasussavingherbecauseIwastheonewhomadehercryandhideinthebathroominthefirstplace,soIgotitintomyheadthatIwouldhavetomakesureshedidn’tgethurtagain,tomakeupforit?AndItried,Ihave,that’sallI’veeverwanted,toprotectherandmyfamilyandHarry,butyoucan’tdothat,there’sneverenoughofonepersontoprotecteveryonetheycareabout,soIthought—somewherealongthelineIstartedthinkingthatitdidn’tmatterifIcouldn’tprotectanyoneelse,evenmyself,aslongasImanagedtoprotecther.AllI’veevertriedtodomywholelifewastakecareofher,butIcan’tevenmanagetodothat.”He’sbreathinghard.Dracohalfthinkshedidstartcrying,thekindwhereyoureyesareburningbutthereisnotenoughtearsandthereisnowaytogetanyairintoyourlungs.“Butyoudid.YousavedherwhenIcouldn’t,andnothingelsematters.Sojustletmedothisforyou,alright?”

Itwasforgiveness.That’swhatDracowasbeingofferedinthismoment,apromisethatevenaftereverything,allthehorriblethingshehadsaidandthethingshehaddone,Ronhadfinallygottenpastit.

“Istillthinkit’screepy.You,lurkinginthedark.”Dracowantedtogobacktosleep,buthecouldn’tbringhimselftostrugglebackunderthecovers.“Justcomevisitduringthedaynexttime,okay?”

Rondidn’tsmilelikeDracohadwantedhimto,justclenchedhisjawandtookuphispositionagain,readyforwhatevermaycomethroughthedoor.

BythetimeHarryshowsup,exactlyaweekafterDracohadbeenburiedunderneaththebetterhalfoftheceiling,Dracohadhalfexpectedhewasnotgoingtoshowupatall.

Draco’salmostannoyedthathehadn’twaitedlonger,becausenowthathegottolayeyesonhim,withthefreshcutsandblackeyeandtousledhairandclothesthatheobviouslyhadn’tbotheredtochangefordays,thespeechthathehadbeenabouttogivediedinhisthroat.He’sspentthebetterpartofthepasttwodayspreparingit,butnowit’scompletelyuseless,becauseitishardtostayangryatsomeonewhenyouarebusythankingGodtheywereabletocomebacktoyouatall.

“Merlin,Harry.”Dracofeelssomethingbuildinginhisthroatandheisafraiditistears,sohebusieshimselfbyclawinghiswayoutoftheblanketsandlurchingovertothedoorway,movingfromchairtochairforsupport.(HeandGeorgehadpositionedallthefurnituresohecanwalkallthewayaroundtheroomonhisown.)“Whattookyousolong?”

DracosinksdowntositinoneofthearmchairsthatMollyhadconjuredwithherwandthelasttimetheWeasleyscametovisit,andHarryjustkeepsstaringathim,rightuntilthemomentwherehedropstohiskneesinfrontofDracoandpresseshislipsdownontoDraco’sbandagedknuckles.Itwasscaringhim,thewaythatHarrystillwasn’tspeaking,sohe’salmostgladthatwhenHarryfinallytalked.“Wegotthem.”Thereisnoneedtoaskwhotheywere,oraskforanyfurtherexplanationofwhereallthesefreshinjurieshadcomefrom.“Wegotallofthem.Everylastonethathurtyou.”

There’sacutunderneathHarry’srighteye,andDraco’shandsfindtheirwaytoit,followingthepathwayofthewoundwithhisthumb.Inafewweeks,thiswouldonlybeanotherscar,butinsomeway,Dracoknowsthisonebelongstohim.Isbecauseofhim.Isowedtohim,somehow.

“Isitover?”DracowantstofallintoHarry,tohughim.“Isthisit?”