Disclaimer: blah, blah, Harry Potter, blah, blah, not mine blah, blah, blah, belongs to JKR, blah, blah, no copyright infringement intended blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Astoria Malfoy is awake again. Watching Draco sleep.

He has nightmares, almost every night.

She doesn't know what his dreams are about, not exactly. He never talks about them and she never asks. But she senses that it is his memories that haunt him. Vivid, painful memories of a time when he was still in Voldemort's service.

Astoria doesn't know for sure – but she suspects he has been tortured.

He is shaking now. Muttering, whimpering... screaming. How she hates those screams! She listens to them every night. She watches his pain every night. She suffers with him every night.

She has considered trying to wake him up, often. But she knows that it will be of no use. He will manage to stay awake for some time, a few minutes maybe. But sooner or later he will drift off again and the nightmares will continue.

The truth is that Astoria can do nothing. Nothing except lay beside him, whispering pathetic words of comfort into his ear.

And whisper she does. Whispers for what seems like hours until, finally, with a great shudder, Draco's eyes fly open and he just lays there for a few moments, gasping. Gradually, his breathing evens out again and he turns around to face her.

"It was just a dream", she says and he nods. She can't make out his expression in the dark.

"I'm sorry", Draco murmurs as his hand finds hers.

"Whatever for?", Astoria asks, gently squeezing his fingers. He is trembling, ever so slightly.

"Waking you", he replies.

"It's OK, don't apologize", she tells him.

By the dim light of the moon, she can just make out the Dark Mark on his arm.

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