Chapter 2

A/N: This is dedicated to my first vote for this very book! Pasta_or_gtfo!
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Darkness…

That was all Harry could see along with feeling the sensation of a burning throat for quite a while.

 He could hear the shuffling of feet and a buzzing that got his head throbbing. It was not a nice feeling…

After being exposed to so much pain, Harry had blacked out as he was being carried down to the hospital wing by none other than Professor Snape himself.

He had heard the cries of help coming from his room and sighed.

“What other troubles has Potter gotten himself into…?”

Though, he did not expect it, when he walked into his room, to see an epileptic Harry and a spazzing Draco. Of course… Might as well get them to the hospital wing before more trouble brews up.

Now, Draco was in the infirmary right beside Harry’s bed, wondering if he was going to wake up any time soon. It was his fault that Harry was unconscious… but he wouldn’t admit it.

‘A Malfoy never apologizes!’ At least that’s what his dad, Lucius Malfoy always told his son, Draco Malfoy. But now it seemed that if he didn’t’ apologize, then maybe… just maybe Harry would ignore him and that left Draco feeling like a huge pit was in his stomach. Something the so-called Malfoy never had felt before.

“A Malfoy never apologizes…” Draco muttered and shook his head rapidly. “But if I don’t do it… this stupid feeling will never leave my stomach!”

Confusion overtook him and he started to think. Why did he care so much about a feeling? Feelings are only there for destruction… and feelings led to trust. As his father had always told him ‘Trust is painful… don’t fall down that path Draco’

Well what am I going to do now father?

~~~

It had been hours and Draco was still pacing back and forth in the room, not realizing that someone had sat up in one of the beds. That someone was none other than Harry whom had awoken from his slumber, groggily and quite unwilling.

“Stop your pacing! It is giving me a headache!” Harry called out and grabbed his head.

Draco stopped in his tracks and swiftly went to the source of the sound, pulling the curtains apart as he looked inside. The messy haired boy with emerald green eyes sat there, looking at him stunned. Why is Malfoy taking time out of his day to be here?

“You’re awake!” Draco called and sighed in relief, only to look back up at him and scowl. “You gave me quite the heart attack Potter! That is so not good for my health”

Harry tilted his head in confusion and thought of something to say.

“You were the one who made me drink that potion and look at where it got me.”

“I know… and… I am s-so –“It seemed that Draco was having a hard time getting out the words. He had never tried to apologize before and his body would just not let him spill out the much needed words.

“Huh?” Harry asked curiously, trying to decipher what the flustered blonde was trying to say.

“Let me talk!” Draco had snapped. “I apologize ok? Are you happy now?”

Harry was taken aback. A Malfoy never apologizes, or at least that was what he was told. Why in the world would Draco apologize to him? It was surreal and it felt… weird.

“Are you feeling ok Malfoy?” Harry asked.

Draco looked up at him and scowled.

“Yes, I am fine… I shouldn’t have stayed here all day if I knew you were just going to sit there and think something is wrong with me… I’m leaving”

With the swish of his robe, he turned around and began to walk towards the doors of the hospital wing. The feeling in his stomach had subsided but now his heart felt as if someone were grasping it and squeezing out his life. He couldn’t breathe or think straight for some reason. Was it because Harry hadn’t believed him when he apologized? Or was it because Harry didn’t do anything to correct his error. Maybe it was because Harry didn’t even try to stop him from leaving.

All of these thoughts were swarming in the blonde’s head as he reached for the handle of the big door and stopped. He sighed, and opened the doors, only to realize it was nighttime and that he should be heading down to the Slytherin common room.

“Draco…” He heard come from behind him.

He stopped… It certainly could not have been Harry whom had called him. He always uses Malfoy. Not Draco.

“What is it Potter?” He called back, nervous. Why was he nervous? A Malfoy… nervous? Never.

“Come back…”

Draco looked down at his hand and sighed, releasing his grip from the door handle and walked back, his heart racing.

“What do you need? Did you call me back to laugh at my apology?”

“No… I called you back to apologize for offending you”

The blonde’s eyes widened and Harry noticed this. He took a good look at the flustered Draco and smirked a bit. He had quite sharp features and blonde hair that wasn’t slicked back. His eyes were a grey-blue, like the color of the sky on a cloudy morning but with a bit more warmness to it. He was handsome –Wait… Harry did not just call another man handsome! Maybe it was the effect of the potion he had taken earlier.

Draco cleared his throat and fixed his composure. He could not let Harry see him so flustered at some simple apology. He needed to get out of this embarrassing situation, thus leading him to the conclusion that he had to have some alone time to think for himself.

“Well… if that is all, I might as well leave” Draco started before Harry reached out to tug at his robe.

“Why did you stay?” He asked.

Draco stopped and looked back at Harry, taken aback at the question. He figured lying would get him nowhere with the observing Gryffindor. After all, he had caused this. Picking up his courage, he began.

“I don’t know why I stayed… I felt as if I didn’t, I would have felt much terrible…” Draco began to be flustered once more as he continued “Not like I care or anything”

 The green eyed Gryffindor looked into the grey eyed Slytherin and laughed, feeling the tsundere atmosphere around them.

“Well, thanks. I appreciate it” Harry said and smiled up at Draco, who in turn, looked away.

Suddenly, there was a slam of the door, indicating people had walked into the infirmary. Footsteps were heard along with a voice.

“Potter, Malfoy, I have some news for you both”

Harry recognized that voice. It belonged to the most dreaded teacher in the school. Professor Snape.

“Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey are both here as well”

As the 3 teachers stopped in front of Harry’s bed, he noticed that they were all relieved to see Harry awake. Except for maybe Professor Snape.

“Harry” Professor McGonagall began “You are to have Draco Malfoy beside you at all times during the day, except for meals and personal hygiene. You two shall sleep here in the infirmary for about a month until Harry’s body disposes of the potion he drank. He is lucky. That potion contained all the right ingredients for Veritaserum and it also included Fire-Protection potion and Dogbreath potion. I assure you, that when Harry was scratching at his neck, that was only due to the Dogbreath potion but the Fire-Protection potion helped… in some way.” She looked over to Snape, hoping he would continue the explanation.

Professor Snape sighed.

“These two potions were made to never be drunk together. They cause a reaction, making the consumer have coughing fits. Now that the Dogbreath potion is in his stomach and the Fire-Protection potion is also in there, they will fight, causing some internal bleeding but rest is assured, they both somehow cancel each other out. Potter will be fine in about a month. Draco, if you would please, if Potter ever begins to cough harshly, let him, just give him water and make sure he gets his homework for every class, seeing that he might miss a few classes every now and then.”

Draco nodded, finally realizing what the potions in those two vials were. But he didn’t expect such small potions to affect each other greatly.

“Madame Pomfrey shall do a small checkup. We shall see you two at the beginning of the week” Professor Snape finished and left, along with Professor McGonagall, leaving Madame Pomfrey to work her magic.

~~~

After Madame Pomfrey assured the 2 boys that everything was fine, she left, taking her wand with her.

Draco looked at his stuff that had magically appeared on the bed beside Harry’s.

“Did your stuff from your bedroom magically appear on your bed as well?” Draco called.

“Yea… apparently they weren’t joking when they said we had to sleep here.”

Harry took off his glasses and laid back down, sleep coming to him slowly.

Draco lay awake, wondering if Harry had gone to bed.

“Potter…” He called out and was relieved when he heard a response.

“Yea?”

“Goodnight….”

Harry smiled a bit, liking this new side of Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin boy.

“Goodnight… Draco”