The next day, Tom and Draco stayed alone and by themselves most of the time. Both were invited to come to dinner which would be served in a few hours. Dumbledore had stated that Tom would be sorted once they got to Hogwarts, saying that despite the...lax in traidtion, he would still need a house, and therefore his sorting would be after the first years took place. Tom had merely shrugged, not all that concerned. It was not as though he did not know which house he was going to go into, and even if he did not, that did not bother him all that much anyways. He would make do with whatever house he was given. He had the means and resources and with Draco's obedience and loyalty, he knew that he would get what he wanted sooner or later.

Around dinner time the next day Tom sat on the couch while Draco laid at his feet, leaning against his legs, while Tom read a book, and raked his hands through the boy's hair. Draco felt himself drifting off. He kept himself awake, though, he didn't want to sleep. The fear of nightmares kept him awake. He had been worried about sleeping with the Golden Trio around, and for good reason. They did not like each other, and Draco had no illusions that they would try something the moment that he drifted off.

"Little one," Tom began, speaking to Draco. Draco looked up into Tom's beautiful eyes. It was something Draco was beginning to notice, that Tom was quite an attractive person. He did not know much about attractiveness, of course, but he would have to admit that Tom was quite attractive. His eyes, especially, were beautiful.

"Yes?" Draco asked, his own eyes dull and tired, quite the contrast to the gleaming and glittering ones of Tom.

"Sleep." Tom watched in fascination as Draco's eyes dilated with the command before returning to their normal size, and he just nodded.

"Don't go?" He asked, Tom glanced around. Hermione was staring at the scene intently. Draco's voice and eyes showed vulnerability, Tom was widening his eyes, and softening them, and turning them to Draco.

"Do not worry, Luv, I will be right here." He said soothingly, letting his fingernails snag on the scalp. "Come up here." Draco got his feet underneath him and hauled himself up onto the couch, almost falling onto Tom's lap, curling around the older boy. Tom chuckled.

"How long has it been since you slept little dragon?"

"I do not know, yesterday, I suppose." Tom hummed at that, amused at the young, insecure blond.

"Ah," He wrapped a slender hand around the back of the boy's throat, applying gentle, but firm pressure, making the boy's eyes flutter as he was lulled into a sense of security, at the hand by his throat. Tom chuckled at the boy.

"Go to sleep." He ordered. He watched as the boy's pupils dilated a bit, before he shut them, his deep, steady breaths marking the fact that he was sleeping.

_____

Hermione, Harry, and Ron, watched the the two, attentively. They had done absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, well, nothing dangerous at least. All three of them had been spying on the two since yesterday's pact to keep an incredibly close eye on the both of them. The way the two acted around each other, contrasted sharply to how they acted with anyone else. Draco seemed relaxed and calm. None of them realized just how often the Slytherin Prince was tensed during their years at Hogwarts, until they saw him with Tom. Even in his sleep, as they had caught him sleeping in spare classrooms at night sometimes, he was always at least halfway alert. Here, he seemed to trust this Tom Riddle completely. Unlike usual, the blonde entered a deep, therapudic sleep. One that they doubted anyone had seen. Hermione took a picture with a Muggle camera. Ron and Harry stared at her.

"What? I can't help it. There are just so adorable. They'd make a good couple." She said giggling slightly. That was when they noticed a slight change in the scenery. Tom pulled Draco up onto the long couch, and he curled around Tom, who held the back of his throat, making Hermione have to stop Ron and Harry from bursting in the room, causing them to giver her the stink eye.

"Watch." She whispered. They did so, and noticed that Tom was not choking the life out of Draco, but calming him. He did have his hand around the back of the younger boy's throat, but his thumb was pressing against where the neckline connected with the spine, in soothing circular motions, which calmed the boy automatically, making him go limp in Tom's lap, and fall into a deep, safe sleep. They all stared. Not only had Draco willingly and instantly sit at the slightly older boy's feet, relaxing against them like it was nothing, but he allowed the boy to lure him into an immensely deep sleep. Hermione took another picture. Ron and Harry glared at her.

"What? I was thinking maybe we could show this to Professor Snape. After all, he seems to know Malfoy the best of anyone." Ron sighed, and Harry nodded, understanding the logic of this idea.

"Fine, just, make sure neither of them sees it. If they realize that we have been spying on them, I doubt we will live to see the morning." Harry said.

"Why are you so obsessed with them as a couple anyways?" Ron huffed. "just yesterday you were telling us that we had to be careful because they were probably lying to us."

"Well, of course they probably are, but that does not mean that I cannot say that they look cute together. They do, but we should still be quite careful and cautious around them nonetheless."