Authors note: K, so… yeah. Now we know the MAIN problem with him, but… Is that ALL that's going wrong in his life? Come on. You all know that I'm a bit of a bitch to dear Draco. Obviously, there's going to be SOMETHING else going on… Enjoy and review please. Keep it constructive and respectful, please.
After she had calmed herself, McGonagall broke the emotional silence. "Enough of this foolishness. Crying never solved anything. We have to think about this rationally and we can't do that while we're drowning in our own tears."
"Minerva is right," Dumbledore said. "Now, I think it would be a good idea to have someone keeping an eye on him: Someone who, if anything should happen, would keep a level head and inform Madame Pomfrey, rather than panic." He looked to Harry. "And I think you should be the one to do it, Harry."
Harry was slightly stunned. Why should HE be the one to watch over Malfoy? Why couldn't Snape do it? He knew better than to try to argue with the old man, though. It was just a waste of breath, seeing as Dumbledore always knew what was best and what he was doing. Harry gave a curt nod. "Yes, professor…" He hoped that the irritation hadn't been too prevalent in his voice.
The professors decided that they should take their leave, but Snape did not notice their departure. It was only when Professor McGonagall came back and retrieved him that he, too, left the fair boy's side. Harry pulled a chair over next to the bed. 'Well, this'll be heaps of fun…' he thought sarcastically. 'Nothing more exciting than watching Malfoy sleep.' He rolled his eyes and let out a long, drawn out sigh. His gaze flitted around the room, ending up back on Draco's sleeping form. A small smirk spread over his face. 'He looks pretty peaceful… His hair is a bit messier than usual… He's kinda cute asleep, actually…" He sat up sharply, realizing what he had just thought. "Whoa! Back up! There is no way that I just thought that Draco Bloody Malfoy is cute when he sleeps!' He was pulled from his thoughts when the blond stirred. He shifted positions slightly, a pained expression on his face, and his hand, clenched into a fist, went up to his left breast. A faint moan escaped the blonde's lips. 'It's hurting him? But I thought they weren't supposed to hurt…' He decided he should probably tell Madame Pomfrey, but when he stood to go get her, she was already out.
She had a hand to her mouth, shaking her head. "It shouldn't be hurting him like that…" She went over and gently put a hand to his forehead. "He's burning up…" She looked stumped. "But that isn't a symptom…"
Harry couldn't stop himself from voicing his concerns. "You don't think he's sick with something else on top of all this, do you?" He glanced down at his rival of 6 years, feeling sorrier and sorrier for the boy. He felt a pang of guilt. 'How often did I call him weak, oblivious to the reasons behind it? And here, what I've called weakness is actually Malfoy being incredibly strong. Especially if it's been causing him that much pain…' He looked down at his lap. 'And I'm sure it didn't help that I'm always getting into a row with him...' Harry felt sick to his stomach as the guilty thoughts continued to press to the front of his mind.
Madame Pomfrey shook her head, unable to deduce what had caused the boy's fever and pain. "I guess people just react differently to the invasion of the disease…" She pulled out a small potion bottle, ladling a generous amount into a spoon. "This should bring down his fever and help soothe the pain." She tilted the fair boys head up and poured the thick, blue liquid through his parted lips. With that, she headed back to her office, seemingly lost in thought. She was still trying to make sense of everything.
Harry watched as the boy's body relaxed, the medicine taking effect. Harry sighed. He wanted nothing more than to go back to Gryffindor tower and go to sleep. As he watched the blonde's chest rise and fall, in peaceful sleep, he began nodding off. His sleep was dreamless and brief.
He woke about an hour and a half later. Draco was still asleep. He let out a slight sigh of relief, glad that nothing had happened since he fell asleep. 'Dumbledore trusted me to keep an eye on him. If something happened to him because I fell asleep, Dumbledore would be disappointed in me. That's why I'm worrying…' he tried to reason with himself. He refused to admit that he might have 'feelings' for the boy in front of him. He had tried to keep his mind off of that the whole night, to little avail.
He started slightly when Draco moved. His pale hand moved up to his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Harry held his breath as his pale lids slid up slowly, revealing clear, silver orbs. His eyes widened as he sat up abruptly. "What the-?!" He looked around the room before his gaze landed on the boy sitting by his bed. "What the bloody hell happened?! Why am I in the hospital wing? And, more importantly, why are YOU here, Potter?"
"In that order: You passed out. I brought you here. And Dumbledore told me to keep an eye on you in case something happened." His tone shifted from slightly annoyed to one filled with caring and concern. "How are you feeling?"
"Oh, fantastic…" he said sarcastically. His hand slid unconsciously up to his chest. His gaze shifted down to his lap, covered by the sheet. "I suppose you think I'm weak…"
"No," Harry's words held no hesitation, no hint of sarcasm. "I think just the opposite, actually. If you've dealt with all the pain that this has caused you without even letting on to it once, then I think you're pretty damn strong. Foolish, for not telling anyone about it, but strong…"
A weak smirk crept on to the blonde's lips. "Well, being foolish is something that I seem to excel in. That's all my life has been, it seems: Foolish mistakes." Harry was about to ask him to elaborate when Madame Pomfrey strode in with a tray of breakfast for Draco.
"You need to eat, Mr. Malfoy. You've lost an alarming sum of weight since you were in here last." She shot a quick glance at Harry. The last time Malfoy had been in the hospital wing was after Harry had hit him with 'Sectumsempra'. She set the tray next to him on the bedside table. Draco didn't move. "Harry, do make sure that he eats."
Harry looked at Draco. "I don't know if you actually looked at it, but it looks pretty good. You should eat-"
"I'm not hungry." Draco cut in flatly, his eyes never leaving the sheets.
"Not big on breakfast?" Harry asked.
"Not big on food in general lately." He looked up into Harry's confused face. "I just… Don't seem to have an appetite anymore…"
"How long has your appetite been gone?" Harry tried to keep his voice calm despite the concern filling his brain.
"About 3 weeks…" Draco responded weakly. "I've had a piece of toast or a handful of grapes now and then, but other than that…" He shrugged. "I can't seem to keep anything of substance down, so I just don't eat."
Harry's eyes widened. "Malfoy! That is SO unhealthy! Why didn't you come and talk to Madame Pomfrey sooner!?"
He began fiddling with the sheets. "It… didn't seem all that important at the time…" His voice is low and soft, sounding almost ashamed.
"Well, does it seem important NOW?!" He hadn't intended to, but Harry knew that he had snapped his comment at the other boy. To his surprise, the blonde cringed slightly.
"Are you mad at me?" Draco's voice was lightly laced with worry and anxiety. As if he truly feared he had upset Harry.
Harry reached out and turned Draco's face to look at him. He let out a small gasp, and Harry saw an extremely distant look in the pale grey eyes. It seemed like Draco wasn't entirely there. Harry shook his shoulders lightly, to snap him out of it. "Draco. Draco I need you to focus on me, ok? I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. And I'm not mad, ok? I'm just concerned." Draco's eyes cleared and focused on Harry.
He tilted his head down and Harry saw a few tears fall on to the bed. What had happened to the boy that Harry thought he knew? Where was the boy who lived to make his life as difficult as possible and never seemed to run out of snide comments? What had happened that had broken the Slytherin Ice Prince so completely?
Note: This is where I'm ending this chapter. Nice little cliffhanger for you. Please review. Any guesses as to what "Broke" him? If so, feel free to share.