CH #2
Draco opened his eyes slowly, closing them again tightly as the light grazed his pupils like sandpaper. He kept them shut for some time, wondering if he was actually dead and just when he had convinced himself that he was dead and had opened his eyes, Madame Pomfrey waddled round the starch white hospital screen and smiled brightly to see him awake.
"S'bout time you woke up, darling!" she said brightly, as she bustled to the bedside, pouring a large spoonful of purple liquid from a bottle as she came.
"Come on love, down the hatch, it'll make your headache go away." Just as she said it, Draco realised just how terrible he felt. His nose was aching, but when he saw his reflection in the mirror on the nightstand his face looked totally normal; when he ran his leathery, thick tongue across his lips he discovered they were dry and cracked. His limbs felt so heavy he could hardy move.
"You know," remarked Madame Pomfrey as she shoved the spoon unceremoniously into his ashen mouth, "Ms Granger and Ms Lovegood have hardly left your side. They are right worried 'bout you. They just popped out to get some more flowers, they'll be very happy to see you awake, sunshine!" she yanked the empty spoon out of his mouth and Draco swallowed painfully. Then the taste of the purple liquid reached him and he gagged violently.
"Well at least your tastebuds still work, Drake!"
Hermione, who had just appeared round the screen, ran to his bedside and kissed him on the cheek. He winced in pain, so he still hurt. Looks could be deceiving, but he smiled a grateful smile as she sat down on the bed. She was followed closely by Luna who, to Draco's amusement was wearing her 'spectraspecks". As she breezed dreamily into the room, her eyes widened with delight when she saw him.
"Oooohhh! You're awake, Draco! I am so happy!" She said sincerely, then she frowned and shook her head, "however, your Wrackspurt condition is just as bad. Your head is swarming with them."
Hermione grinned and Draco tried to smile at his friends.
"Hi," he croaked wincing at the pain in his lips, "where are my flowers?"
Hermione slapped his foot playfully and Luna placed the fresh orchids in the vase next to the bed.
Draco's head began to clear and he suddenly sat up stifling a scream when pain ripped through his mind. He swayed were he sat and his vision blurred, nausea pounded through him in waves. Then he felt someone grab his shoulders and a moment later, it seemed, he was once again lying back on the soft white pillows, with Hermione and Luna's faces hovering above his, with worried expressions on their faces.
"Are you crazy, Draco?" Hermione said in a high pitched voice her eyes wide, "You have just woken up after being in a coma for three weeks and you try to sit up with the speed of a fucking bludger. What's wrong with you?"
"What happened to me?" Draco croaked, his eyes squeezed shut as he waiting for the pounding in his ears to cease.
"Some douc- bag cursed you and then bashed the shit out of you." Hermione explained with a shaky voice. "Lucky for you, Blaise Zabini - you know, the prefect -happened to be passing and stopped the guy before he killed you."
Of course, thought Draco, he was a prefect. He had been obliged to stop the attacker.
"Oh, for a moment there I thought my rescuer was someone who actually cared about me," said Draco in genuine sadness. "But, he had to do it."
"Well actually Draco," Luna piped up, "I think he does care. For the first few days after he carried you back to the castle, he would approach us daily to ask if you were okay and then he started coming with us when we came to visit you and now he hangs out with us all the time and he is a really nice guy."
"He carried me?" Draco asked, shocked.
"Yes, all the way from the Hogshead to the Hospital Wing." Luna confirmed brightly.
"Are you sure he isn't just buddying up to us to get in your pants?" asked Draco suspiciously.
"Draco!" Hermione gasped, "He is very genuine and kind, besides if he wants to get into anyone's pants it will be yours."
"WHAT?" Blurted Draco, "What? Why mine?"
"Calm down, Drake," sighed Luna, "what Hermione is saying so gracefully is that Blaise is gay. But," she continued turning to Hermione, "he wouldn't have to be nice to us to get into Draco's pants, he could just pay him."
"Gee, thanks Luna you make me sound like such a sleazy whore." Said Draco in a hurt voice, even though he knew it was true. No one had to play nice to get his body.
"All I'm saying is that I think he is a real friend, I like him and he appears to really care about you." Luna replied. Draco narrowed his soft grey eyes at her and raised one blonde eyebrow in disbelief.
"Gosh, Draco, sometimes your lack of self-esteem astounds me; it is completely plausible that he cares about you; so don't look at me like that."
Draco lapsed into thought and then asked, "Wait. Which one is Zabini? What does he look like?"
Umm…dark, tall, built, great fashion sense and H.O.T." listed Hermione dramatically, standing up and gesturing wildly as she spoke.
"I am flattered you think so highly of me, Ms Granger." Said a deep, amused and incredibly sexy voice from behind her, as Blaise Zabini stepped out from behind the screen.
Draco, Luna and Hermione all turned to face the tall, dark wizard as he strode to the girls' side.
"Oh come on, Blaise, I was just quoting some Hufflepuff chicks. You know I would never come on to you." Sighed Hermione dismissively.
"Hello Blaise!" said Luna brightly, "look. Draco is awake!"
Blaise's eyes flicked to Draco, who was sitting up again and his expression turned from one of tense amusement to one of happy relief.
"Welcome back to reality Mr Malfoy." He said trying to cover his relief with a dramatic, comedic greeting.
"Fuck! Blaise? This coming from the wizard who broke down and cried more than once during Draco's comatose period." Hermione said fiercely. "Man up and tell him you care. Oh, and stop calling us by our last names or I friggin' swear by Merlin's saggy left ball sack I will whip you right across your shapely, black arse!"
Draco saw the embarrassment that passed fleetingly over Blaise's smooth face.
"I am sorry." Said Blaise, "Hermione, I would really appreciate it, if you gave me a moment alone with Mr Malf… Draco, to explain my actions."
"Okay, go easy on him tiger, he is only just getting better. Come on Luna we'll go and get some food for you Draco, you must be hungry."
"Thank you, ladies." Draco said, ashamed to say he was eager to be alone with the strangely arousing man.
"Please take your time; my story is a long one." Blaise told the girls as they breezed out of the Hospital Wing.
"Now, Draco," said Blaise turning to the bed, after checking that the Hospital was deserted. "I feel you deserve an explanation of my actions in saving you, then proceeding to befriend Hermione and Luna and then as Hermione so discreetly disclosed my emotional reactions to your lengthy comatose period."
Blaise's deep, seductive voice made Draco's blood speed up. What was going on? Why was just the voice of this sexy, young wizard enough to stir his lust? Draco knew he was bisexual. He had known since he was 13, but no wizard, witch or muggle had ever moved him sexually by just talking to him.
"Six years ago, just before I started school, my mother was raped and then bashed to death because she was in the same line of work you are." Blaise's deep brown eyes never left Draco's as he told his story. "So, when I saw you being hurt I couldn't just stand there, something snapped and I raced to stop it." Blaise's eyes then dropped to the floor as he continued, "It is not the first time I have defended your honour. I have punished many students who I have witness hurt you, physically or verbally, it just doesn't matter, I can't bear to see you in pain.
Blaise's eyes rose to Draco's again and Draco thought he saw uncertainty and fear in their brown depths.
"This may seem very sudden," continued Blaise getting faster and faster as he spoke, "considering we just met, but for two years now I have liked you a lot and not as a friend. You know I am gay. I do not know what you are but, I love your body and your voice and I would love to be your partner. Please understand that I am a very proud person and although I won't push the matter if you aren't interested, but please also understand that I do not go around begging every man I meet to go out with me. This is a unique request that I have never made before…"
He trailed off; looking once again at the floor. Draco just sat there stunned; he did not know what to say. Part of him was seriously turned on by the flustered admission of long standing attraction and part of him afraid of having to tell Blaise why it could not work.
Blaise sank into the chair by the side of the hospital bed and put his head in his hands.
"I'm so sorry, Draco, I had to ask" he whispered through his fingers, "please just tell me why you can't, if that is what your silence means."
"Blaise…I am bisexual and I would love to be your partner, but..." Said Draco. Blaise lifted his head in amazement.
"But what?" he asked urgently; his hands clasped in anticipation.
Then Draco told Blaise the whole story about his mum's death, about Bellatrix and Tom, and the reasons for him being a whore. He left out the part about Tom being Lord Voldemort, because that was just another long story.
"So basically she said that I can't have a permanent relationship ever because it would obviously affect my work." Finished Draco, "Besides Blaise, I am a dirty whore why would you like me?"
"My mother was a 'dirty whore' and that did not make her a bad person, nor does it affect you so." Replied Blaise hardly moving.
"Would you consent to a secret relationship?" He asked staring straight at Draco. "I need you and I will get you any way I can if you allow it."
"Is it all going to be about sex?" asked Draco not wanting to be in a relationship of convenience like Bellatrix.
"No." replied Blaise smiling cheekily with his brilliant white teeth, "it'll be romantic and sweet, I hope that someday there will also be sex. But I want love to come first. I know that may sound cheesy but I feel we are destined to be together and I have for two years."
Draco was really starting to like Blaise's slightly cocky attitude, with his naughty humour and his cheeky grin. But, with his heart finding Blaise very sweet, honest and amusing; underneath the Hospital blanket one very particular part of his anatomy was expressing a different kind of 'liking'. Draco decided to share this with Blaise.
"Then, yes, I definitely want to be your partner but it has to be a secret even from Hermione and Luna, I want them to have plausible deniability if my aunt finds out. Oh, and one more thing," Draco added with a blush, "I don't know why but I am seriously turned on right now."
Blaise grinned right back at him and said it that husky voice that only worsened Draco's situation:
"Why do you think I'm still sitting down, little dragon?"
That did it Draco already had a nickname that was very erotic when used in that kind of dirty sentence.
"Come sit next to me until the girls get back." Draco asked, "I want to get to know you, but we need to be touching. It just feels right."
Draco moved over and allowed Blaise to slide into the bed next to him. Blaise was a whole foot taller than Draco but they felt perfect when they sat together like that.
"You said we should get to know each other," said Blaise a naughty gleam in his eyes. "So I'll go first. Here's a little about me."
He slid his arm around Draco's waist, tilted Draco's chin toward his face and pressed their lips together. Undemanding and seductive, Blaise's breath became Draco's and his tongue sought entry-
"Draco?" Hermione's voice from the end of the wing ripped through their mutual lust and for a moment Draco thought she had seen them. Then he remembered the screens and almost sighed in relief. At that same moment, Blaise scooted back to the chair, where he crossed his legs to hide his excitement and a few seconds later Hermione, followed by Luna arrived. Both of them were holding two platters covered with all sorts of different foods left over from the school lunch. Hermione had a glass bottle under her arm
"Draco." Hermione said again, "they had run out of pumpkin juice so I brought you some grape juice my parents sent me. It's really very good. Is that okay?"
"Yeah! Yeah! That's great! That's fine!" said Draco a little too quickly and Hermione and Luna both looked up sharply.
"Are you okay? You seem rather flustered -" started Hermione, glancing suspiciously at Blaise, who just shrugged.
"My, my," said Luna worriedly peering at Draco through her 'spectraspecks',
"Your Wrackspurts are buzzing like crazy and that only happens when you are extremely excitement about something."
"Yeah…I am excited…" said Draco thinking fast, "I'm excited about all the wonderful food I get to eat now after three weeks with none."
The girls both raised their eyebrows but let the issue drop and they all tucked in to the leftovers and Hermione's awesome grape juice that tasted more like blackberry juice to Blaise but he didn't care, he was there with his new 'secret boyfriend' and his other wonderful new friends. Although they were an odd group they fit each other perfectly.
When they had finished they sat around in Draco's screened off cubicle for ages just talking, until Madame Pomfrey returned and shooed the visitors away. As they left Hermione and Luna both kissed Draco on the cheek and Blaise longed to do the same.
Blaise was the last to leave and as he did he glanced back and blew a quick kiss in Draco's direction. Draco smiled and closed his eyes. For the first time in many months he had hope that his life might not be so bad in the end.