This is a SLASH story between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. It has nothing further than kissing. Please, enjoy. :)
He had arrived late at school, whilst the feast was still going on, because he didn't want everyone to stare at him on the train. Also it was bloody difficult getting on a train, then in a carriage and then somehow into the Great Hall. Draco sighed when he realized that this year was going to be the hardest yet and he would just have to grin and bear it. He wheeled himself into the Great Hall after he had been pulled backwards in his chair up the steps by his father who seemed slightly embarrassed to be there with him. Draco didn't care any more about what his father thought because if he couldn't love Draco when he was crippled then Draco didn't want to know him.
Draco had eaten a huge tea at his house before he left, not knowing what time he would arrive here. Now he wanted to get up to his dormitory but knew that trying to get up all those stairs alone in a wheelchair would be near impossible. He would have to wait until someone came along and agreed to help him all the way upwards. Why had they had to put the eighth year common room up at the top of a huge tower this year? It was all very well allowing them to come back and putting all the eighth years in their own tower but now he would have problems all the time.
Worse still his friends hadn't come back in the majority, only Blaise Zabini who had a broken arm currently and would be of no use to him. He sat in the chair feeling dejected and alone when he heard a lone pair of footsteps coming towards him.
"Oh, excuse me do you need a hand to get up the stairs?" asked a voice which Draco recognized at once as belonging to Harry Potter. The boy would probably just laugh when he turned round so he thought it was probably better to get it over and done with. He wheeled the chair round and came face to face with Potter who he hadn't realized had walked a lot closer.
"Malfoy?" Harry asked shocked. "What happened to you?"
"My aunt captured me after the final battle and then she tortured me until eventually my spine went funny and I lost all sensation in my legs. There's a cure but it's unlikely so it looks like I am going to be stuck in this wheelchair for a while."
"I'm sorry to hear that Malfoy," Harry said softly surprising the blonde greatly. "Now do you want me to help you up to the tower because no offence but I don't imagine it's easy to do on your own. I've finished my dinner anyway and was going up because I have a migraine so..."
"If you would help me that would be greatly appreciated Potter," Draco replied tried to sound dignified again, as if he wasn't just about to accept help from someone he greatly disliked. "I really just want to get to bed."
Harry then said, "Listen it's a long way up for me to drag you with a wheelchair so would it be alright if I magicked the wheelchair up there and then carried you up? I mean if you would rather I wheeled you that's fine it's just it would be a lot easier for the both of us – not to mention quicker – if I can just carry you. What do you say?"
"Sure," Draco replied blushing slightly. Harry leant forwards and Draco could smell the scent of the cologne he was wearing on his neck. Harry then scooped him up in his arms and with a casual flick of his wand the wheelchair vanished, presumably to meet them upstairs. Draco was not a light person particularly because he was six foot two and well built from all the Quidditch he played. However Harry seemed to have no problem carrying him all the way up the stairs, all seventeen flights, until they reached the tower. He said the password and then walked into the room before setting Draco gently down on the sofa.
"I'll take you up to the dormitory in just one minute, I just need to use the bathroom really bad."
Harry rushed off in the direction of the toilet and that was when Draco's bladder gave an uncomfortable squirm. He knew this feeling. Since the ill-fated day when he felt that sensation it meant he was about to lose control of his bladder everywhere. He tried to yell for Harry but when no one came he knew what was going to happen and then it did. The warmth spread up and down his legs and seeped into the leather sofas without a second thought. Then before he could do anything he heard Harry come back into the room and he said cheerfully, "Hey, do you want me to carry you up now?"
"Potter..." Draco moaned unhappily, completely mortified to have been carried up here and now having lost control of his bladder.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't come any closer this is embarrassing enough as it is. Sometimes because of the lack of sensation and the way my spinal cord is I lose control of my...bladder. I sort of just lost control then and now the sofa is really wet. I haven't yet regained control of my magic since the incident so could you help me."
He expected Harry to turn round and laugh at him, a horrible mean laugh that sounded Slytherin. Harry however just picked up the boy, ignoring how wet he felt, and then scourgified the sofa before lifting Draco up the stairs. Draco expected Harry to dump him on his bed and then hastily make an excuse to leave before going off to tell everyone. Instead he was led through to what he realized was the bathroom off two of the rooms.
"Looks like we're sharing a room this year anyway, Malfoy. Now come on you need a shower. It seems to have been already adapted for you. Do you need help, erm, getting undressed or are you alright?"
Back at his home a healer had popped round every day to make sure he was washed properly and they had seen to sorting him out. As much as Draco knew he could not do this himself he had a huge amount of pride left if not much dignity and so shook his head. Harry placed him on this white chair inside the shower, took his shoes and sock off and then left him to it. Almost at once Draco regretted the decision he had made because he could take his top of fine enough but found it impossible to do anything with his trousers.
"Harry!" Draco called eventually. "Will you come and lift me out of here?"
Harry leant forwards and lifted Draco from the shower and Draco could see his face wrinkle when he realized Draco had still done nothing about his situation. "I thought that you were going to have a shower."
"I...changed my mind," Draco replied stubbornly, hoping that he would just get scourgified by the boy and then left alone to slowly die of shame.
However Harry walked back into the bathroom with him and placed him back on the white chair. Gently he undid the belt that Draco was wearing and took it off and then undid his trousers as well. "Put your arms round my neck, Malfoy," Harry said. Draco put his arms around Harry's neck as the boy lifted him slightly and pulled the trousers away from his body. He was now sitting embarrassingly in his sodden pants which Harry didn't hesitate but just pulled off him. Draco was now mortified that a boy of the same age who happened to be his enemy was not only helping him but had now seen him naked. He might have been gay so it didn't matter it was a boy but it was still very embarrassing for him.
Then Harry reached over Draco's head and turned the shower on and immediately warm water washed over him. He lifted the shower head down from it's position and handed it to Draco and then said gently, "I'm going to go sit over there and leave you to have some privacy but then you can call me when you want to get out OK?"
Draco nodded quickly and Harry nodded back before walking to sit over in one of the armchairs in the room. He accioed a magazine from his trunk and then leant back to read it. Draco turned on the shower and began to wash himself with the water happily, pleased to lose the horrible feeling around his crotch. Then Draco rubbed shower gel over himself until he felt fully clean and contented but then realized something. There was no shampoo in the shower with him and he had been having problems with that sort of thing anyway. He'd had to get his mother to do his hair each morning as the damage to his spinal cord meant that he found it almost impossible to get his arms above his head.
"Potter?" he called out hopefully turning off the water. Harry set down the magazine and walked over to him and said, "Uh-huh?"
"I really need some more help here. I mean I don't want to burden you or anything but I really want to wash my hair and I can't actually do it myself. I mean it's fine if you think that this is weird but–"
"Is your shampoo in your trunk, Malfoy?" asked Harry without waiting to hear the end of the question. Draco nodded, grateful that Harry was noble enough not to make him have to ask another embarrassing question. He returned a minute later holding the bottles and then he swivelled the chair round slightly so he could wash it. Harry was very gentle with him and washed the hair whilst massaging his scalp slightly. He was just rubbing in the conditioner when there was a knock at the door and they both heard Ron call, "Hey, Harry are you in there? Can I come in?"
"Er, actually Ron I don't feel so good still and I'm kind of pretty sick right now so maybe we can speak tomorrow? Look I really have to go and unless you want to hear something gross I would leave now!"
Harry knew that Ron was squeamish and had a very weak stomach so it came as no surprise to him when Ron hurried off. He turned back and began to continue massaging the conditioner into Draco's scalp when Draco said in a voice that was barely a whisper, "Thank you, Potter."
Harry just smiled and knew that it would be better if he just let the moment ride instead of trying to say something back. Eventually he had completely rinsed out Draco's blonde locks and then he went to go and find him a towel. The towel was green and Harry wrapped it tightly around Draco's slender body and then carried him through to the bedroom.
"What do you wear to sleep in Malfoy? Please tell me your not one of those guys who sleeps nude..."
"I usually just wear boxers because that is the most comfortable thing. I could get hold of some pyjamas though if it is a big issue that I sleep in very little, I'll send for some from my parents."
"Nah, that's fine. I just can't stand it when Seamus sleeps nude and then when he wakes up just walks across the room to the bathroom with everything on show. I'll grab you a pair of boxers out then and then maybe you can finally get some very much needed sleep at last."
Harry grabbed some boxers from Draco's silver trunk and then swung Draco round so his legs were hanging over the edge of the bed. Gently he pulled the pants over the other boys feet and then lifted them up to just above his knees. "Right I'll lift you up a little and then you can pull them right up, alright?" Harry said.
They did as they said they would and Draco was slightly touched that although Harry had seen him naked already he was trying to respect his privacy. Then Harry took away the towel and went and folded it up in the bathroom ready for it's next use. He helped Draco to lie gently down and made sure his pillows were adjusted so he would be comfortable. Harry gently moved a strand of hair out of Draco's eyes and then stripped off for bed himself.
The next morning Draco woke up feeling gross again and to his horror realized he had lost control. Before he could help it he was crying into his pillow and the noise woke up a worried Harry. He walked towards Draco and said, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just leave me alone, Potter, please," Draco said with a small moan and more tears running down his beautiful face. To his upset Harry pulled back the covers to find out what had happened again but he didn't say anything. Then Harry very gently bent down and carried him through to the shower again. This time he didn't want to do his hair so Harry left the room to go do something and told Draco to call him back in when he wanted to get back out.
Harry walked back into the room and with a flick of his wand changed the sheets on Draco's bed and his duvet cover as well. He started unpacking all of Draco's things into the various drawers and wardrobes and then finally unpacked the last of his possessions, personal things. Then he heard the call from the bathroom and went back in to the room to collect Draco and bring him back into the main room. Again he helped him get dressed without taking away his privacy and then they were ready to go to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Harry reached the top of the dormitory stairs that led to the common room and with a flick of his wand turned it into a ramp which he wheeled Draco down. He wondered why he hadn't thought of this last night but it didn't seem to bother Draco so he just continued. They had made it down three flights out of seventeen stairs when two people walked up either side of Harry.
"Harry! We didn't get to speak to you at all last night we were starting to get really worried about you! Well I guess Ronald spoke to you but all he could tell me was you were really ill; I was up half the night worrying."
"Yeah, mate, what happened? Are you alright? Can you– OMG. Draco Malfoy? Why are you in a wheelchair? Hahaha, Harry are you planning to push him down some stairs or what?" Ron laughed cruelly at Malfoy's misfortune. Ron made as if to take the wheelchair from him but Harry shoved Ron away and scowled at him hard.
"Ron either stop being a complete jerk or find someone else to annoy because right now this is not funny. He's in a wheelchair because he was tortured and all you're going to do is make fun of that? Get out of my sight. I'll see you later, Herms."
She gave him a quick hug and even flashed Draco a quick smile before she hurried off with Ron looking angry. Draco didn't speak to Harry until they had descended another eleven flights and were only three away from the bottom. "Potter, why didn't you just laugh along with your friend?"
"He was being a jerk and discriminatory. You don't deserve to be in a wheelchair and I would hope that if the tables were turned you wouldn't let your friends bully me because of it. But actually I am a realist so..."
When they walked, or in Draco's case wheeled, into the Great Hall everyone turned to stare at them. Draco was wheeled over to the Slytherin table by Harry as everyone sat in silence and as the only Slytherin from their year was Blaise Zabini he didn't get any insults. Harry helped Draco get onto the bench. At once Blaise launched into a conversation with them that seemed to be mainly about berating Draco.
"So all summer all you send me is one very short letter to tell me that you've been badly hurt and are now in a wheelchair. I am your best friend so I naturally panic and hurry my ass over to your place where I am told by your father that you won't see anyone. All summer I try to get you to talk to me – I know you got my letters – and all summer you ignored me. If you had just contacted me once I would have come over and kept you company for as long as you wanted."
"I wanted company all the time," Draco sighed sadly
"I would have given it to you, I promise," Blaise replied his voice softening slightly as he spoke to his friend. Neither of them paid any attention to the fact that Harry had now sat down next to Draco and was eyeing them both nervously.
"But that was the whole reason why I never just grabbed an owl and got in touch Blaise. I didn't want to take your whole summer away from you and make you feel like you had to look after me like a baby. This summer was hard on me Blaise but sometimes suffering is just an important part of life that we have to accept, grin and bear it and then move on quickly."
"Draco, we've been friends since we could walk and talk how on earth did you think I would be wasting my summer? Now, Harry," Blaise said turning to talk to a very surprised looking Harry, "I heard from the Weasel and Granger that you have been sort of making sure that he's alright and I wondered... actually will you come with me for two minutes? Draco, we'll be right back."
Draco wanted to protest but realized he couldn't get up and follow them anyway so there was no point. Blaise dragged Harry off and said, "I wonder if you are alright to help him because he seems to trust you from the way you wheeled him in this morning. I can't be a lot of help at the moment because of my broken arm but I'll happily take over from you when I am well again."
"I think maybe it is helpful that I am the one caring for him in that way, to be honest with you Blaise. Being disabled has some embarrassing moments and he needs you to be his friend without his friends seeing him in embarrassing conditions."
"What do you mean?"
"Sometimes, due to the severance of his spinal cord, he loses control of his bladder which I am sure you know what that means. Also he is unable to wash and dress himself so I help him which if it was you I don't know if he would ever find your friendship to be the same again."
"Wow, Harry, I've got to say I do think you're very mature to put this beside and look after him regardless of what has happened between you. Thank you. Now come on we best go back before Drake starts getting really suspicious."
They walked back into the room together and found Draco sitting there looking pretty lonely. They both sat, Blaise opposite him and Harry sat next to him, and the rest of the meal was spent with them. Then Blaise had to hurry off down to Herbology whilst Harry and Draco had to go along to their next class which was Potions in the dungeons. Getting down those stairs was hard because they were anti-charmed and so he couldn't just turn them into a ramp.
But then Snape appeared and he, without a single word to either of them, grabbed one side of the chair whilst Harry grabbed the other. They carried Draco down the stairs to the dungeons and then Harry wheeled him into the classroom whilst Snape held the door open. This year there were two advanced Potions classes but they were mixed meaning Harry was in a class with Draco, Ron, Seamus, Parvati, Ernie, Hannah, Padma and Justin. Harry wheeled Draco to the back of the classroom and then started to take out his books and vials as did Draco.
Ron walked over and said, "Oi, Harry, he doesn't need help once he's at the lesson so you can come and sit with me now. We can both fail this class together like we do every other year."
Harry noticed out of the corner of his eye the way that Draco's shoulders slumped and so said, "Sorry, Ron, but I would like to sit with Malfoy for today so maybe you should find someone else to partner up with before everyone else is taken."
In the end Ron ended up alone whilst everyone else partnered and he threw Harry an annoyed glare. Harry had to get all the ingredients for them as it would have been too difficult to make Draco do it. They made a perfect potion by the end of the class and when Snape came round to look at them he even congratulated both of them. Ron just scowled even more at this.
Draco was completely silent for the entire lesson and Harry wondered if he was alright. He was packing away his books like everyone else when he noticed a lone tear run down the blondes face and stopped. He gave Ron a go on without me look and then turned back to Draco to see that now that everyone had left he was crying a lot. Boys crying is something different to girls crying as they try and make it look like they hadn't been. There were no loud sobs coming from his mouth or shoulders shaking as he cried just the tears.
Severus sat down opposite the boy as Harry slunk back into the seat next to him and took his hand. For a minute the Chosen One and the Professor looked at each other wondering who should speak until Severus said, "Draco, come now, tell us what is wrong. We'll both listen and care, I promise."
Draco didn't stop crying but sobbed, "My life is never going to be the same ever again and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Never again will the one I love probably even look at me as more than an invalid. I might as well be dead."
"Don't say that Draco! There are so many people that love you!"
"Come on Harry, bring him through into here for a minute, because you can't just sit in the classroom. I have to go and meet with Professor McGonagall now but I shall be back in half an hour and hopefully then we can have a proper talk to sort this out. Look after him."
Harry wheeled Draco through into Severus' main room and then sat down on the sofa whilst Draco sat in his chair crying. Then Harry tried to pull Draco out of the chair so he could sit on the sofa next to him but the weight distribution had not been what he was expecting and he fell backwards pulling Draco on top of him on the sofa. For a minute he felt a little awkward but soon enough he relaxed a little and just let Draco lie on his chest and cry hard. When Snape came back in a half hour later he thought for a second he had walked in on something that he didn't want to see. But when he realized the only movement was from their chests rising and falling he noticed they were sleeping.
He had to admit his Godson was very lucky to have found someone who would care for him regardless of his situation. He sat there watching them for a while as he knew that they had frees up until lunch time. Just before the bell went for lunch Draco woke up and Severus watched as he rolled over and almost fell off the sofa. However Harry's arms wrapped tightly around the boy and stopped him from falling even in his sleep. Draco looked up at Severus and gave him a small smile whilst Harry woke up with a smile on his face too.
Harry realized Draco was on top of him and swivelled round so that Draco was sitting on his lap. He felt like a father with his little son instead of a boy with one of his ex-arch enemies on his lap. Draco leant back against him as Severus watched and then he spoke, "Harry; Draco, it's time for lunch now so I suggest we all go up for lunch as it's rather dismal down here."
Very gently Harry lifted Draco into the chair again and then stood and smoothed down his robes. He seemed to be still slightly tired from his sleep but shook his head slightly and then wheeled Draco from the room. Severus helped him carry the boy up the stairs again and then left them to enter the hall before him with a small smile at both of them. Harry wheeled Draco in and straight over to Blaise who looked rather relieved to see them both. "I thought you two had gotten into some sort of trouble when you were no where to be seen at break or in the frees we had!" he exclaimed as Harry stopped the chair and helped Draco onto the bench before sitting down.
Harry didn't get the chance to answer because there was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to find Hermione and Ron standing there looking awkward. "Hey Harry, we just wondered if you were alright because no one has seen you for over two hours!"
"I was fine thanks, guys," he replied. They seemed to be waiting for him to elaborate on this but he said nothing more so they awkwardly went back to their table. Harry turned back to Blaise and Draco to find the blonde looking at him confused. When Harry shot him a questioning look he said, "You didn't tell them about what happened when you could have easily humiliated me, Harry."
"I do not wish to humiliate you Draco. Before when we were arguing and trying to make fun of each other that was fair as it never really meant anything. But you can't help that you're in a wheelchair so humiliating you would be evil."
Draco smiled at him nicely and then suddenly his eyes went wide with horror and he went bright red. Harry whispered in his ear, "What's wrong?"
"I just lost control again," he whispered back sounding more embarrassed than anyone else Harry had ever heard in his life. He then noticed that Draco had indeed lost control and quickly vanished it before anyone else could see. "How am I going to get out of here without anyone seeing?" he asked.
Harry could see the tears in his eyes as Draco spoke and said, "Right, hold onto me tightly and then just don't let go and I'll get you out of here unspotted. And keep your eyes closed if you don't want to be blinded!" Then Harry felt the arms wrap round him as Blaise watched and with a quick flick of his wand the hall was coated in a darkness so deep that you couldn't see your own hand centimetres in front of your face. The Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder would give them enough time to get out of there as Harry knew a spell that could cut through it.
He lifted Draco into the air, placed him in the chair and then made a run for the doors as he could hear people coughing and shrieking. The first place he could think of going was the place he ran to and soon they were sitting inside the Prefects Bathroom. Harry placed Draco gently down against the wall and then leant against it himself, panting hard. He slid down the wall until he was sitting next to Draco with their legs touching and then reached out and took Draco's hand as his heart rate slowed.
"Come on, do you want a bath?" he asked Draco. Draco nodded as his cheeks went redder than ever but Harry just walked over to the taps and turned them on as water flooded from them. Soon it was deep and Harry removed Draco's clothes with a whip of his wand then lowered him to sit on the dugout chairs on one side of the bath – which was basically a pool. Harry took off his shoes and socks and then rolled his trousers up past his knees and swung his legs into the water. It didn't take Draco that long to bathe himself which was lucky as they needed to get to class.
Harry cleaned the other boy's trousers whilst he was washing and then helped him out and back into them. He was just lifting Draco into his chair when to his surprise the mermaid on the wall spoke and said, "Such love between you two." Harry blushed a deep red and then wheeled Draco out of the bathroom where they almost immediately ran into Blaise.
"Harry! Draco! What happened to you back there?" he asked at once.
"Did you like our practical joke? We thought it would be funny... has it cleared down there yet?" Harry at once said.
"Bit of a weird practical joke as no one seemed to get what was going on. It was kind of funny though because when the powder cleared some of the boys were crying, clearly terrified. It's cleared down there now and they are trying to work out who did it but to no avail. You guys have got off the hook completely!"
Harry continued walking with Draco down the hall as Blaise fell into step behind him. He didn't speak but just watched as Harry looked down at Draco with a look which he couldn't quite identify in his eyes. Blaise was pleased that someone was helping Draco as he was slightly incapable of helping right then with his broken arm. Also he was finding it hard being around Draco as a friend whilst he was this ill and wondered how he would cope if he had to be around him all the time.
Draco, Blaise and Harry had frees after lunch as well so they went down by the lake to just spend time in the sunshine. Blaise watched as Harry lifted Draco down and then the way the boy leaned gently against him as they sat by a tree. Blaise felt a flash of jealousy for a second but soon pushed it aside as he knew that Harry was better for him than Blaise could ever be. Harry was whispering something into Draco's ear which made the boy smile and turn to say something back. Harry pressed his cheek against Draco's to listen and for a minute Blaise just watched until Harry laughed.
He felt a flicker of jealousy again but then realized they were having one of those interruptive moments. Slowly he backed away from them until he was far enough away to properly walk back to the castle. Harry eventually noticed it was turning dark and so said, "Blaise come on it's time to-"
But then he realized Blaise had already gone and wondered for a moment how long since he had gone. He lifted Draco up into the wheelchair then wheeled him back to the castle in silence. Blaise wasn't at dinner that night which concerned both boys slightly but they chose to say nothing. When they were back in the dormitory Harry took the first shower in their small bathroom whilst Draco lay on the bed reading a copy of the Daily Prophet.
There was a quiet knock on the door ten minutes later and Draco called out, "Come in!"
Ron Weasley walked into the room in some pyjamas and a maroon jumper with a letter "R" embroidered onto it. He looked around and then asked Draco harshly, "Where's Harry?"
"He's just gone for a shower but I'm sure if you wait a minute he'll be out soon and then you can talk-"
"You're the one I want to talk to Malfoy. I've seen the way you look at Harry like a lost puppy hunting for it's mother. You hang off him and expect him to do everything for you like some house elf. You're using him to suit your own needs, you're being so selfish. Harry doesn't like you Malfoy, and he'll never come to love you like you love him. If you were any sort of friend then you would see that and leave him be. That's the only warning you'll get from me."
Then Ron stormed from the room just as the door to the bathroom opened and Harry came out, towel drying his hair. He walked into the room and then said, "Was someone in here because I swear I just saw someone leaving..."
"No, no one was here," Draco said angrily. Harry was shocked by the tone of voice and so asked kindly, "Have you lost control again or something?"
"I'm not a fucking baby, going around wetting myself all the time, you know Potter. For fucks sake stop treating me like I can't look after myself all the time when you know I can."
"Draco what the-"
"I know you don't really care Harry and I am sure you're having a jolly nice laugh with your Gryffindor chums behind my back. But don't worry Blaise has his cast taken off tomorrow so I won't need you to help me any more. Good night."
Draco managed to pull the covers over his head even though he was fully clothed and hadn't had a shower. For a minute Harry stood there in his pyjamas, towel still hanging in his hand, before climbing into his own bed. As he sat with his knees bunched up by his chin he began to cry silently but he didn't know that underneath his duvet Draco was sobbing too. Harry fell asleep late that night upset with falling out with someone he had become so close to.
The next morning Draco was not woken by Harry's alarm but by Blaise Zabini. Blaise sat down on the end of his bed and said, "Draco what the fuck have you done now?"
"What do you mean Blaise?" Draco asked sleepily, the memories of yesterday still not coming back to him.
"I was woken this morning by an upset Harry who told me that you wanted nothing more to do with him. He insisted that you didn't want his help any more and told me that you would get me to help instead."
"Ah, right," Draco said blushing monumentally. "We've had an argument about something, but can't you help me?"
"Well the thing is when I went to see Madame Pomfrey this morning she insisted that my arm wasn't quite healed yet. She wants me to keep this cast on for an indefinite stretch of time if I want to be healed. Sorry Draco, you know I would but I can't."
Draco was upset because now he had no way of doing things. But he remembered the crux of their argument had been because he didn't want to be treated like a baby any more. So he said, "That's fine Blaise, I need to learn how to live with this disability independently anyway."
Then Draco wheeled himself from Blaise's room back to his own room where he just sat in his chair for a minute. He wheeled into the bathroom where he looked at himself in the mirror for a minute. Since the attack he had got a lot thinner which showed as the defined cheek muscles in his face. His pale eyes looked less angry and malicious than they once had but just as beautiful. He had a slight shadow of stubble from where he hadn't shaved for days but he still hadn't managed to find his razor. He decided he didn't care any more.
Draco managed to pull on a fresh shirt and some new underwear plus trousers whilst sitting in the chair and for a moment he thought he could do this without Harry or Blaise. Then he got to the door and realized he couldn't get down the stairs in his wheelchair. He called out for some house elves which came and helped him to get down the stairs. Eventually he was one flight away from the Great Hall but on the very last step the house elves fell leaving him to fall to the floor. They hurried round him desperate to help him up but even together they couldn't do it.
A shadow fell over Draco as he lay on the floor and he looked up to find Harry standing there. Harry righted the wheelchair then lifted Draco back into it without a word. He gave Draco one last pained look before hurrying off into the Great Hall. Draco wheeled his way in and then remembered he couldn't get into the seat without help and so just tagged onto the end of the table sadly.
It took five days before Draco finally broke down in Potions much to the classes horror. Snape dismissed them earlier than usual and then quickly wheeled the sobbing Draco into the Office. When Draco had finally finished crying into a handkerchief he owned Severus said quietly, "What happened between you and Harry?"
"I don't want to talk about Potter, he's an idiot and has nothing to do with me any more," Draco said haughtily.
"Draco, he was helping you to look after yourself, something you need a lot of help with. I know you hate not being completely independent like you are used to but that's just the way it is. Pushing people away from you is never going to get you the cure you know that you need."
"Screw you, Sev! I know no one is ever going to love me so I have resigned myself to always being in a chair. You don't have to rub this all in my face you know!"
"I am not rubbing it in your face. Listen up, Draco. I have seen the way you both look at each other and there is something between you, as much as it pains me to admit it, so maybe you should just think about what you really need to do. You need to apologize for acting stupidly and hurting his feelings. Why did you even fall out in the first place?"
"I..." Draco said hoping desperately that he would be able to avoid the question somehow, but then he spotted Severus' face so he said, "Weasley came to talk to me one day and told me that Harry was only just doing all these things because he felt sorry for me. He was only doing it so that he could laugh about it with his friends later at me. So I told him that was unfair."
"Draco think. All my life I have disliked the Potter brat but he has shown me one thing over the years. Harry is too much like his mother to have been laughing at you this whole time. He would not do that to you. I think that Weasley got jealous and told you this so you would back off. Now what are you going to do..."
"I've fucked everything up and now-"
"You are going to go find Harry and ask him to speak with him," Severus said calmly but firmly.
Severus wheeled him up to the Great Hall where everyone was eating lunch now and then with one last gentle kiss to the boy's forehead he left him to do the right thing. Draco spotted Harry sitting with Hermione at the Gryffindor table and after taking a deep breath wheeled himself over. "Excuse me," he said quietly, "Can I speak with you outside, please, Harry?"
"Of course," Harry said quietly.
Harry got to his feet and then rolled Draco from the room out to the lake where he sat down on the floor next to him. "I know that you probably hate me, but I really don't think that I can apologize enough. I was told you hated me, thought I was a burden and you were laughing behind my back."
"Funny thing, how many of the people we care about very much end up in a worse state than if we'd left them well alone," Harry observed, much like Aberforth once had about his brother, "But sometimes, on rare occasions really, they end up so much better off. I could cut you out of my life, Draco, but there would be no benefit to that for either of us."
"Harry, please, I... I love you," Draco said quietly.
"I love you," Harry said.
And, without even thinking about it at all, Draco launched himself from the wheelchair into Harry's arms, pressing kiss after kiss to Harry's lips. Eventually Harry gasped out, "You just walked!"
"Love," Draco murmured against his lips.
"I'm sorry?"
"Love was the cure. When someone told me they loved me and meant it, the spell would be broken. Bellatrix didn't really believe in love."
Harry just smiled and pulled Draco down onto the grass next to him – they now had all the time in the world. :) :)
I'm glad you read to the end – maybe a quick review?
Thanks, love Charlie xxx