A murky Sunday came and Harry woke from yet another nightmare. He had seen Elizabeth standing in a misty field – crying and then turning to him for help, but before he could reach her a snake erupted from her face, her accusing eyes never leaving Harry's. Then it changed and another one of his friends was crippled and he was blamed because he was always too slow or too far to help.
He clenched a fist on his chest reminding himself how most of them were well and alive and those who weren't were beyond his help. He was really getting tired of… everything. All day he busied himself to distract his mind, but at night his nightmares took the time he refused them while awake. It was exhausting to keep himself in one piece. Some days it was easier, some days harder, but it never stopped. And he grew more and more tired by day.
Still he kept going, for those who died, those who lived and himself.
His roommates were sleeping soundly while he got some clothes on and left. The castle was dim and gloomy, Harry's hands were freezing by the time he reached the Owlery. Lucifer was sitting on a window sill high above but when he saw Harry he fell in his direction like a bullet. He had grown in the last month but still was active and excited for any letter.
Harry gave him a piece of owl treat and tied a letter for Andromeda to the owl's leg. They went outside and Harry looked in the owls yellow eyes.
"Have a safe trip, okay?" Lucifer looked at him like it was a self-evident thing and nibbled on Harry's nose before taking off with a theatrical dive.
Harry smiled and watched as the black owl got smaller and disappeared in to the gloomy sky. He felt a little better thinking about his godson and hoped Andromeda would be okay with him coming over the next weekend.
He reached the portrait-hole secured with the painting of a knight who always sounded vaguely cross and wheezy under his helmet. This morning however the helmet was off and Harry was surprised to see not a senile and grim man but a girl about 16, she was braiding her hair and humming quietly.
"Wow, you're a girl!" he said looking at her wide-eyed.
"Ahh!" she exclaimed and dropped her comb. "Hello. I mean, password! I mean, oh, no, uhh…" she seemed distraught and annoyed. "Well, yes, I am." She stuck her nose in the air proudly. "'ve got a problem with that, Mr?"
"No. Sorry, I didn't mean to trouble you."
"You didn't."
"Well, Justice league, then."
"Correct." She said but didn't open the entrance.
"Is there a problem?"
"Can you not tell anyone?"
"About you being a girl? Why?"
"Because, uhh… because nobody takes girls seriously." She talked fast and didn't look at Harry only fiddled with her helmet's feathers.
"Sure, if that's what you want. But I would take you seriously even if you didn't pretend to be grumpy, old knight."
"Yeah?"
"For sure, you seem cool."
"Oh." She looked at Harry appraisingly. "What's your name?"
"Harry. And yours?"
"Artemis. Wait… Harry Potter?"
"Yeah."
"Oh!"
"What is it?" her reaction seemed suspicious, like she had heard something about him before and it didn't fit the facts.
"Nothing, well, something. I had heard, from an anonymous sources that you are an obnoxious, supercilious ass with a hero complex, but… you seem rather nice."
"That's a nice source you've got there." Harry puffed.
"Heii! Me – always stuck here to let people in and out never given a second thought – I don't complain when somebody bothers to talk to me more than the password. Even if it is to complain about their classmate."
"Right, sorry."
"Yeah." She nodded and looked down on her armour. "You know, you're right, and I'm tired of this armour anyway, always catching my hair on the hinges." She said ripping off the metallic glove, then the other one and then every piece that came off. She wasn't discrete and just threw everything out of her painting to the right. Finally free she straightened and stretched her arms.
"I do feel much better."
"Nice, well if anyone gives you trouble feel free to tell me and I will kick their face in."
She laughed, but shook her head.
"I doubt that will be necessary." The next second her eyes turned black and the painting became significantly darker, her voice turned to rattling thunder and her movements became eerie. She looked like a demon queen with her shadow cloak, her dark skin beaming and eyes sparkling from black to white fire. The background seemed to become cloaked in mist, wind lashed against Artemis' clothes and picked up a couple of dry leaves from the autumny forest drawn behind her.
Surprised Harry took a step back.
"Wow, that's awesome!" he said slightly disturbed but also impressed.
"Ha–haha. I know right? My last girlfriend, didn't think so though." In a second she was back to looking peaceful and lovely with her hair braided all neatly.
"She needs to sort her priorities out!"
"I know! But I'm over mermaids anyway."
Harry laughed, it was weird, he never thought about portraits much and usually they too minded their own business, but now he found out they had their own lives.
"Okay, I won't hold you here any longer, have a nice day, Harry."
"You too, Artemis."
He closed the painting behind him and stepped in to the common room, it was clean and peaceful only fire cracking in the grate. He went to sit by the fire when he noticed that Hermione was already there sitting curled up with a book.
"Oh, hi, Harry."
"Hi, Hermione."
He slouched down in a chair next to her and looked at the fire. She didn't ask him where he had been instead she watched him with a worried look.
"Stop that."
"I'm not doing anything." Harry looked at her with a stern look and she puffed. "Well, okay, then, I'm worried about you, is that a crime nowadays?"
"No."
"You don't talk to me and Ron, you barely spend time with us, he is worried too you know."
"It's not like you need me, I seem to interrupt you two if anything." He tried not to not get angry, but it stung a bit.
"Oh, Harry, it's not like that. I'm sorry." She winced because in her newly formed relationship with Ron she might have neglected Harry more than she should have.
"It's fine, I understand." He smiled, he was hurt that they didn't hang out with him as much but also he really did understand. Besides sometimes he just didn't feel like hanging with people at all.
"Well, we should do some homework, I'm sure Ron will be up soon. We can just start." She fussed falling back in to bossing the boy around.
"I guess we have to don't we?" he sighed and Accio-ed his bag.
"The Herbology essay first?"
"Okay."
They immersed in homework, about an hour later Ron came down and escaped also being put to homework only because it was breakfast time. They went and ate hurriedly as Hermione had promised to curse their asses off if they slacked before finishing all the work they didn't do when they should have.
Harry had just finished the essay for professor Sprout, when Malfoy entered the common room.
"Hei, Malfoy, do you want to come study with us?" he called over the mostly empty room.
Hermione hissed at him with a frown.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
"What? I thought you forgave him." He hissed back.
"I just… I did, well, kinda, I did for what he did to me, we were kids, but he did try to poison Ron," she said angrily.
"Well, technically it was an accident." Harry didn't understand what was going on.
"Yes, his goal – was to kill Dumbledore!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.
"My father had ordered me to do it, and I didn't have a lot of choices as my mother was under one roof with him and the Dark Lord."
"Oh!" she startled as she hadn't noticed that the Slytherin had approached them.
Harry looked up from couch and motioned to Malfoy to sit, trying not to appear too eager, if Malfoy sensed how desperate Harry was there was no chance he would help him without praising himself to the sky.
"Will you be doing your potion essay?"
"I might be." He didn't seem so keen on studying with the Gryffindors.
Harry sighed and put aside his attempts not to feed Malfoy's ego.
"I need help with the Potion homework but Hermione already finished it, so maybe, you would be so charitable and help me?" he made his best pleading face and hoped Malfoy wasn't too offended by Hermione.
"You're not afraid I will poison your ears with my dark Slytherin words?" he was angry with himself that he had done all those ill considerate things, but what's done, done and he was done apologizing. They could hate him or not, but he was who he was, no apologizing for that. He was different now and if they didn't want to see that, their loss.
"Don't be stupid."
"Okay then, I will help you, as you truly are an imbecile in potions and I am known for helping those evidently much less gifted than me."
"I would say for you to shut it, but I'm in terrific need to get a good grade so I will say please shut it."
Malfoy smirked and sat down Accio-ing his bag from his room. It flying through the narrow corridor summoned a couple of frightened voices and a curse that made Hermione jump to her feet and tell the rude-arse off. Malfoy merely smiled a smug smile and opened his bag.
"So, firstly, did you write down the task correctly? – No? Well, to be completely honest, I'm not surprised."
Ron returned from the loo and almost fell over when in his place he saw sitting Malfoy.
"Uh, Ron, sorry, you can sit in the chair beside Hermione can't you?"
"I sure can, mate, if I don't get cursed right down to the hospital wing." He said eying the blond angrily.
"Ron, came off it, he is helping Harry with the potions."
"Why can't I just fight with whoever I want? Hermione. He is a war criminal."
"Ron! Shut up. He didn't identify me to Bellatrix did he? And think about what you would have done if your mother would be held hostage by the Dark Lord. Okay?" Harry cut in.
"No, Potter, he is right, I am one bad, bad Death Eater, he should kill me right here. That would, for sure, make him a better human."
Ron looked at him confused. "I wouldn't do that."
"And why is that? I mean I did hate you, and I was on the wrong side."
"Because it's not right." And saying that he somewhat calmed. It was obvious he still disliked the Slytherin but he didn't look ready to curse him on the spot anymore.
"Yes! Congratulations! It's not, Weasley. Can we, please, ignore each other now? I will get a headache arguing with a – a person… like you." he had in mid-sentence looked at Harry who was watching him sternly. When the blond ended the sentence without a real insult Harry smiled slightly and turned over to Ron.
"Please, don't fight. Okay? We can duel later." That idea came to him suddenly and escaped his mouth before he could properly think about it.
"That's a wonderful idea, Harry." Ron said with a malicious anticipation for when they finish their homework. He sat down and pushed his chair closer to Hermione's so she could help him easier.
By the lunch time they had all finished their most pressing assignments. Ron practically ran to the Great Hall frightened to be put to more work. Hermione hurried after him saying things like 'I know you will regret it later' and 'I will not give you any of my notes!' at that though Ron had stopped and swept her off her feet with a kiss, Hermione flushed and murmured something about responsibility and future.
Harry couldn't help but smile watching his two best friends so happy.
"Wow! I want to bleach my eyes." Malfoy glanced at the couple again. "Right now."
"Leave them alone." Harry smiled watching them run down the corridor hand in hand.
"Phh," Draco hissed in pure disgust. "If they make babies I hope I never have to meet them."
"Really?" Harry crooked an eyebrow at the other. "You wouldn't like a young redhead running around reciting random facts and setting everything on fire thanks to their uncles – Fred and George? You are intimidated by a little baby making? Only imagine – Granger-Weasley – the ultimate horror of McGonagall."
Slytherin looked at the other incredulously, "are you absolutely out of your mind, Potter? Never, never have I ever in my life thought of something so revolting. Please, shut up or my mind will go to dark places that I do not wish to visit."
"Maybe a little fun is what you need Malfoy, always so collected… I wonder if you even had a proper childhood."
"My childhood was… fine." He said remembering the discipline his father had made him pick up soon after he started walking. "Not bad…" remembered a couple more things, "it could have been worse."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just I was kind of starved and used as a house elf. So if you want to share experiences…" he trailed off unsure if he was being too nosy.
"You were what, Potter?" he stopped in his tracks completely taken aback by the other's statement.
Harry looked back at him, "yeah, by my aunt and uncle." Malfoy motioned for more detail and Harry sighed. "I had to do all the cleaning, cooking and other chores if Petunia didn't think I would mess something up with my disgusting wizard hands. It was fine as long as I didn't do magic or talk back. I didn't have friends till coming here actually. That's one of the reasons I started disliking you – you started bothering them right away." He blabbered hoping he didn't sound whiny.
Malfoy listened as Potter talked about his childhood in an unemotional voice – just stating facts. In the previous years he had never heard a single rumour about this. About Potter living with muggles – yes, them being not a bunch of Golden boy's admirers – no.
"Made me sleep in the cupboard under the stairs too. And Dudley used to like to practice his punches on me." Harry recalled, now it seemed long ago. "They locked up Hedwig too." At that he frowned and clenched his hands.
Malfoy raised his eyebrows "Really? Are you that holy? Not angry about what they did to you, but to – whatever Hedwig is?"
"For your information, Hedwig is… was my owl." He bit his tongue.
"Oh… Cruel."
"You're the one to talk – you almost killed Buckbeak in our third year!"
"I was young and dumb!"
"Aha! You admitted! I knew it."
"Shut up, scar head." He started walking down the corridor again.
Harry followed him looking out the window.
"My father used Imperius on me, for discipline." Malfoy said his voice cold as ice.
Harry's eyes darted to Malfoy. "Ah," he said, not being able to get out of the surprise right away.
"At least my mother was there for me. You were alone," Draco stated.
Harry was boiling with the rage of the unfairness of the world. Children were supposed to run around happy and fed. Not – under Imperius. That's inhumane. And the War, what was up with that? Did any good come out of that? Harry didn't think so. Only suffering and pain. He let out a breath reminding himself that it was over and the life went on. Last summer was the proof of that.
"Your hair will catch fire from such furious brain-work Potter. What you thinking?"
"Nothing… That I'm glad I wasn't alone this summer." He admitted slightly disturbed that he was feeling such compassion for his ex-rival.
"Mhh." Malfoy puffed, "does having those adorers of yours around really help that much?"
"They are not adorers, Malfoy. But, yes. It does."
"Whatever." Why was he talking about this with Potter again? Oh, yes, because they were friends. Hardly. Potter probably only pitied him because he was always alone these days. At that thought Malfoy frowned, he didn't need pity. That was disgraceful and unhygienic and absolutely un-Malfoy like.
"But to be fair, it did work. Until the sixth year only thing he complained about was my inability to beat you at Quidditch and having slightly worse grades than M… Granger." And complaining again, what was with him today? "Okay, I'm shutting up. My daddy issues are none of your concern."
"It's okay to act like a human once in a while you know. Pretending to be an emotionless rock is probably unhealthy."
Malfoy snorted at Potter's choice of words.
"You're probably right."
"Of course I am, I always am."
"Ohh, sure always."
"Most of the time then."
Malfoy kept staring at him.
"…Sometimes?"
"Sometimes. When I whisper you the correct answer."
"That is not true!"
Malfoy only laughed.
They entered the Great hall and split up to sit with their house-mates. Harry sat down and eagerly started eating his lunch. Ron wanting to start the duelling sooner ate hurriedly not talking much, Hermione was busy scolding Dean and Seamus, so Harry was left to his own devices.
While eating apple pie his eyes landed on Malfoy who was reaching for his desert. His face was passive, moves stern, but his hair was dazzling white in the sunlight that shone through the windows. Suddenly their eyes met and Harry, in surprise, missed his mouth and ended up with pie all over his robe, at the exact same moment somebody hit Malfoy's face with a piece of lemon cake.
It hit him right on the side of his face, furious he swivelled around to find the guilty party, small particles of the cake splashing the surrounding Slytherins.
Immediately he noticed four young Slytherins who were looking at him with horrified faces, one of them hurriedly shoving his wand under the table. Malfoy got up, his face unreadable, cake still stuck to the side of his face, he approached them calmly. They trembled and looked ready to blot if he came any closer, before he could, another cake hit him on the back of his head. He stopped in a half step and whirled around to see a young girl an empty plate in her hand and a fierce grimace on her face.
"They did it on accident. I – on purpose. What will you do?"
Harry recognized the little girl as Elizabeth. What was she doing? Very un-Slytherin like.
Malfoy smirked and took out his wand, pointing it at a cake witch happened to be on the Ravenclaw table. Malfoy was enraged so the nonverbal spell did more than he had anticipated and caused not only that piece of cake flying at her face but all of the deserts from that general area to shoot from their plates in her direction.
And those unlucky Ravenclaws who were in the way of Malfoy's charmed cakes ended up full-face in desert too.
Elizabeth ducked the first slice and used a shield charm to avoid the rest. Sudden movement to Harrys left made him avert his eyes off of the Slytherin table, but what he saw was confusing.
It was Elizabeth standing up from Gryffindor table.
Harry blinked and looked over to the Slytherins again. Yep, Elizabeth was still there. What the hell?
But before he could do something, forth year Ravenclaws that had suffered the most damage from the flying cakes had stood up and were levitating their own deserts and approaching Malfoy who had casted a shield charm and was now retreating by jumping over the Slytherin table. He alone defected deserts flying in his direction from the Ravenclaws and others who had thought this could be fun. But soon some cake hit also the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables who before had mostly watched events in amusement.
In moments the Great Hall was thrown in to complete chaos. Cakes, pies and jelly flying in all directions and students running around, shouting and pie-ing others in face.
Hermione and some others were running out of the hall only protecting their clothes from all the deserts shooting around, but Harry was pretty sure he had seen Hermione cast a nonverbal on a chocolate cake in one Ravenclaw's face.
Harry got hit by vanilla cream but he retaliated by sending a horde of strawberry muffins right back, missing Ron's head by inches.
Harry and Ron paired up and became invincible, Malfoy still standing on the Slytherin table and being like a machine-gun for cakes and muffins. He didn't get hit even once, after the first two times.
The turmoil continued for about five minutes until professor McGonagall stood up and with magically amplified voice shouted,
"Stop this pandemonium at once! Students –" she didn't get to finish as Flitwick sent a chocolate cake flying right at her face, she deflected it with ease and sent a lemon muffin shooting right back not even blinking.
"As I said this is well and enough! If you wish to avoid punishment put away your wands and proceed out of the hall."
Students sighed but the mood was exhilarated and cheerful. They fled the Great Hall not wanting to enrage McGonagall more. Most were covered in remains of their deserts, some more chocolate than humans, so everyone went to their common rooms to shower and change.
Harry was beaming with happiness – a fantastic food fight that had been, yes. For a second in the crowd he saw Elizabeth who had magically avoided any desert landing in her black hair. But people were still full of adrenalin, somebody had started singing and in the disorder of it all Harry lost sight of her again.
Deciding to deal with this mystery later he caught up with other eight years who were cheering and fooling around like Harry hadn't seen them do since before the war.
"We still are going to duel?" Ron bumped in to Harry's shoulder.
"Sure. I you're up to it."
"Oh, I am. I will pulverise that slimy git."
"Will see, Ron." Harry laughed.
They showered and in 15 minutes were ready to go duel for real not with just cakes and pies. Excitement still rushing through Harry's blood, he decided that going through the castle would take too long so he grabbed his Firebolt and repeated the jumping out of the window from their dormitory. Ron shocked had ran to the window only to see Harry free-fall till the last moment and then laughing fly upwards almost grazing the redhead's nose.
Ron also didn't want to stay behind and after a second of hesitation jumped out of the window with a thrilled shout, they together flew down to the lake and sat down under a tree waiting for Malfoy and Hermione.
While Ron's girlfriend was coming down from the castle and both boys could already tell she was going to have a row about the jumping out the window. There was just that something about her stride and the violent head shaking.
"– we are grown men, Hermione! Honestly seems like you think you're our mother!" Ron was angry.
"I do NOT think that. I merely think that jumping out of a window is not how 'grown men' are supposed to act."
Harry tried not to attract the angry girl's attention and hoped Malfoy would show sooner so the pair would have something else to think about. But the blond was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly Ron and Hermione were kissing again and Harry had no idea how the argument had ended.
Some more people had shown to sit by the lake, but still no blond Slytherin.
Ten minutes later Harry was sick of sitting in the shadow of a tree and listening as the lake's waves hit the shore. He grabbed his broom and irritated flew in the direction of his window. Somebody had closed it so he Alomohor-ed it and awkwardly climbed in. When he did, something in the room seemed off, he wasn't quite sure what, but something.
Then the doors to the showers opened and in a cloud of steam Malfoy came out, his hair drizzling with tiny water drops, all Harry could do was stare, as Malfoy only had a towel around his waist. His body was lean, his skin pale and beaming from the hotness of the shower. Oblivious to Gryffindor in the room he started drying his hair with another towel, then the blond startled Harry by starting to hum quietly. He put a towel around his head in a turban and went back in to the showers.
Harry couldn't get out of shock, 'how did I mess up windows that bad?' he blinked as the Slytherin started singing in the bathroom, not a particular song but more like adoring poems to himself. His voice was beautiful and Harry took a sharp breath in as Malfoy half jumped, half danced in to his bedroom again, his dirty clothes in one hand, other holding his towel on his waist in place.
What should I wear for a duel? Malfoy had just taken a long liberating shower and felt positively wonderful. The incident in the Great Hall, to his surprise, had made his mood even better than it was before. Something about just not caring and throwing cakes around had been – and still was excellent. Something…
He was so happy he hummed and let himself to do a very unlike-Malfoy half dance, half jump out of the bathroom. He almost slipped, but turned it in to a cool 180° pirouette. He smiled.
A sharp intake of breath that came from the other side of the room made his smile freeze on his face. Slowly he turned around embarrassed already felling as his face turned in a shade of pink. Who?
"I'm sorry… I… there was a misstep… well… you could say a mis-fly with the windows –"
"What the hell are you doing here, Potter?" Malfoy put all the venom he could muster in to his words as he was standing half naked in the middle of his room just preformed a pirouette and a towel around his head. He wanted to hide and cover up but his pride didn't let him shriek and run like a twelve year old girl, instead he crossed his arms and looked at Potter with the most evil stare he had in his repertory.
"I confused the windows, somehow. I was aiming for my room." Potter was bright red and didn't look Malfoy in the eye, his head was turned slightly sideways and stare fixed on some point on the wall.
"Why are you even flying around? I thought we were going to duel." Malfoy wanted to throw the Gryffindor out.
"Well, yes, but I grew tired of waiting for you so I flew up to find you and make you move faster."
"Well, you will have to wait until I get dressed."
"Yea, sure, no problem," he answered, relived to leave the awkward situation. Harry jumped on the window sill and stepped out.
"What the hell?!" Malfoy ran to the window only to see Potter well and still red flying a circle until settling on a gargoyle above Malfoys window.
Malfoy stepped back not wanting the Gryffindor to see that he had startled and went to put on some clothes. In a record time – two minutes he was ready, his broom in his hand.
He climbed on the window sill and without glancing down jumped out and mounted his broom on the way down. Soon Potter was behind him and they both flew down to the lake.
Harry landed gracefully one step away from Ron.
"Okay! We're all set! Let's duel!"
"Sure, in a minute." Ron was lying down in the grass and seemed sleepy more than ready to 'pulverise that slimy git'.
Malfoy landed a second after Harry.
"Hei! You! Weasley! Did you get cold feet? Too afraid of the powerful wizard that I am?"
At that Ron seemed to activate.
"Shut up, ferret. Okay, let's do this." He got up from where he had laid and stretched his hands above his head.
"Ron! I want to duel with you first." Hermione also got up taking her wand out.
"But Hermione…"
"No buts, Ronald."
"Okay, I will first defeat the Golden boy, then the Weasley and then you Granger."
"You wish!"
"Never in a million years."
Hermione drew two magical fields so the spells wouldn't hit other people that were nearby.
"Only spells, to disarm or disable. Obviously, no dark magic." She didn't look at Malfoy while saying that, but Ron stared enough for both of them.
They stepped in to the fields Ron against Hermione and Harry against Malfoy.
"One –" they all readied their wands and stepped in to their stance.
"Two –" Malfoy shot a nonverbal stunning charm witch Harry deflected only thanks to his seeker's reflexes.
"Three!" and Hermione also shot a spell at Ron who sidestepped it.
Harry shot a spell after spell at Malfoy trying to make him lose his balance, but Malfoy deflected every one of them. Slytherin shot a blue flame that Harry's shield spell absorbed. Gryffindor sent back a blasting curse.
They were shouting spells and ducking, not paying attention to where they stepped. Malfoy disturbed a pair of young Ravenclaws who swiftly got out of the way. Good thing Hermione's barriers followed the duellists around because the deflected curses shed sparks everywhere.
Soon people started watching the fighting four, not only to be safe from being stomped over, but also because they looked impressive – sparks flying everywhere, some grass patches on fire, and a hole in the ground where Ron had tried to blast Hermione off of her legs.
About 4 minutes in Hermione bested Ron with a complicated binding spell and jumped in victory, her wand emitting red sparks. They were both breathing heavily, Hermione started to free Ron who was watching Harry and Malfoy fight.
Seemed like they didn't see anything else only each other, their eyes focused, trying to predict the next move of the opponent.
After releasing Ron, Hermione too stayed still watching as the two boys fought. Everyone watching were holding their breaths having not a slightest clue as to who would come out on top.
There was something about fighting Potter that Malfoy really enjoyed, also when they flew, it was something, different than when he flew alone. He ducked a lame spell and sent a jinx back not really expecting it to hit Harry, he was too focused. What Malfoy needed was a distraction, when he had to avoid the next spell he stepped in the direction of the closest people.
He sidestepped and tried to stun the other. After one more step Ron was in Malfoys range so he sent the next jinx right past Potter and in to the Weasleys red face.
When Harry realised what Draco was doing it was too late. Hypothetically he could let the jinx that he didn't recognize hit Ron, but that was not the Gryffindor way.
Harry jumped in front of his best friend and was sent back stumbling. Ron surprisingly kept him on his feet and three seconds later Harry was out of the daze enough to send a curse to Malfoy.
The jinx made him feel funny, his vision was swaying and he could barely stand. He blasted the ground beneath Malfoy to buy himself some time and tried to shake his head out of the weird buzz. His head felt like it was floating and at the same time there was a weird pressure on his eyes and ears.
He swatted with his wand in the general direction of the blond and was surprised as a large green flame erupted. He got an idea and pointed his wand to his head, mouthing a spell that he had read somewhere recently, it was supposed to improve focus.
And it did. Harry acquired a pinpoint accuracy, he shot three head-shots only ineffective because the other boy deflected them without a blink. He needed something stronger, faster. Because he needed to win.
He ducked two curses and blasted a curse in the Slytherins direction. The fire didn't even reach him but the force of the explosion was enough to send the blond flying in the lake.
Harry put a fist in the air as the sign of his victory and his wand burst out in a firework. He watched as the fire went out looking shimmering and confused. How does a fire look confused? he questioned his own thoughts.
People around him clapped, but he felt very hot and sweaty and too winded up to calm down. He approached the lake where he could see the blond swimming back to the shore and caught his breath for a moment. Somebody was saying something, but everything seemed to be in a slight mist.
He kicked of his shoes and took off his torn t-shirt. Why is it torn? He stepped in to the cold water, but it seemed to calm his hot head so he didn't hesitate and jumped in the lake, his wand forgotten on the shore.
He swam in a blond-head's direction, his skull feeling very heavy. Only now it occurred to him that maybe it wasn't the wisest idea to go swimming in cold water after receiving two charms to his head.
Wait, what charms?
Meh, too late now.
He made a somersault in the water, but his head suddenly started feeling too fuzzy. Harry had no idea whether he was swimming up or down and when he was supposed to breathe in. He clenched hands around his head and tried to focus on holding his breath. Or was I supposed to inhale? He opened his mouth, letting the bubbles out but hastily closed it again deciding that – no, he was supposed to keep his mouth shut. But his brain was screaming for oxygen. Harry moved his arms in effort to reach the surface but the faint light was too far, he was sinking. He closed his eyes and frowned. His head was weary.
He started moving his legs, with the last strength he had he struggled to reach the sky. He wanted to fly again and to see again and to not feel only the freezing lake water.
A strong arm grabbed him from behind and he felt bit warmer again. He was hurled to the surface and soon could breathe again. The air stung in his lungs and his head still was dizzy and heated up, but the person that saved him was cool and Harry rested his head on the wet chest of his rescuer.
His eyes were closed, and the weird pressure still there. Harry didn't feel well – his body was heavy and cold, his head – too light and confused. What am I doing again? – breathing? – not breathing? He held his breath for a moment but the chest under him kept moving up and down heavily. He inhaled sharply and tried to open his eyes. Or were they open?
No, he didn't think so. He frowned and opened one eye, his wet hair obstructing his vision. He puffed, maybe he should sleep.
No! Wait, I was doing something! He scowled trying to remember.
Oh! Right, I was fighting a duel! Somehow it seemed it was already over, though.
"Did I win?" he asked the other boy who was lying still, his heart beating like crazy.
"What?" voice spat tiredly.
Harry winced at the unkind voice.
There was a pause and then the boy continued in a slightly calmer and warmer voice.
"Well, technically you did. But I would say I definitely did the most damage." Malfoy was lying in the sand, his arms splayed and trying to catch his breath. He had seen the Gryffindor go under water and not wanting to risk it, he had dived after him. He reached the raven-head and then with a blast of his wand got both of them in a close proximity of the shore, though, some way away from the place they had fought at.
"Why were you swimming when the water is so cold?"
"What do you mean, Potter? You yourself blasted me almost to the other side of the lake."
"Ohh."
"Harry!" there was a stressed call from Harry's left, "I found them! Get Madam Pomfrey! – Harry, Harry, are you okay?"
Boy lifted his head from the comfortable position and turned his face in the direction of the voice.
"Me?"
"Yes, Harry. Are you all right?"
"My head hurts… but I'm okay." He didn't know why he lied, it was just something he was supposed to do. He did not feel okay.
The girl fussed around summoning things and loudly bossing some other people around.
She covered him in a warm blanket that made him shiver with content and get up to sit on his knees. The girl fussed further casting a warming spell on him and drying his hair.
"Harry, what happened?"
"I won the duel!" he frowned. What else? Did I forgot –
"Yes, but why did you drown?"
"Did I?" his head was covered in clouds, everything was fluffy, he laughed. But everything was dark. Why?
"Why is it dark?" he asked the girl who was talking too quickly for him to pay attention.
"Oh… because you're eyes are shut, Harry."
"Right," he proclaimed, frowned and opened one eye, the light blinded him so he blinked. Slowly he opened the other one and focused on a richly haired girl with a worried facial expression. Everything was still blurry though.
"You look like a lion, fluffy…" he extended his hand but his fingers were numb so he ended up only tangling himself deeper in the warm blanket.
A laugh distracted him from his confusing finger-labyrinths. He looked to the other boy who had sat up and now was laughing in the most amazing way.
"You laugh so beautifully," Harry exclaimed, but judging by his gut feeling and the other boy's face that was something he wasn't supposed to say.
"Sorry. Sorry. Don't be mad, please don't." Harry looked at the other pleadingly, the boy was so beautiful when laughing, he did not want to see him angry.
The blond opened his mouth to say something but a violent sneeze shook his body before he could respond to Harry.
Harry looked at the girl and demanded.
"Give him a blanket too!"
"I don't have one, Harry." She seemed utterly confused.
Harry clenched his fists and forced his legs to move, he walked cautiously over to where the other boy sat motionless but his eyes watching Harry carefully. He heavily sat down next to the blond and put one half of the blanket around the other's shoulders.
Harry felt that the other was shivering so he kept his hand on his shoulders and tucked the blanket around him despite that the other boy was sitting still like a rock. What is with him?
"Are you frozen?" he asked confused as to why the blond was so tensed. He was shivering slightly under Harry's arm, his blond hair still soaked, the water trickling on to Harry's arm and then down the other boy's back again, a violent shiver went through the other's body.
Malfoy was sitting tensed and scared to move, Potter had put his hand on his shoulders. He was stubbornly avoiding Grangers gaze. He didn't want to let his mind wonder too much in the shirtless Gryffindor's direction, but he couldn't stop a shiver from Potters touch going through his body, but the other only gripped his shoulder tighter.
"No, but saving you, git, left me quite breathless."
Why was he so rude? Doesn't he like me? But why did he save me then? Harry shook his head in confusion. The blond boy looked cold and small, all Harry wanted was to make him warm and happy.
"You! Lion girl. Why don't you dry him too? You did a spell on my hair…" he lifted his hand to touch his head, his hair was silky. Somehow he was sure it was never usually like that.
"Erm, okay, I can, if Malfoy agrees." She looked at the blond.
"No, no, no, I'm fine. I, of course, didn't lose my wand." Somehow through the flight in the lake and then swim back to the shore he had never let go of his wand. And a good thing too, without it he never could have gotten Potter out of the water. What was the damn git even thinking? Going swimming after a confusion charm.
He took his wand from the ground near him and pointed it to himself murmuring a drying and warming spell. He closed his eyes in content as warmth settled in to his body.
"Wooow! Your hair is so soft." With a childish grin Potter ran his fingers through Malfoys hair on the back of his head. Malfoy froze as the other boy's fingers caressed his neck and hair. His first reflex was to swat at the offending Gryffindor, but maybe it – I am not actually thinking that! Kind of… felt a little bit good.
It was the trauma talking, surely – being hurled half way across the lake and then having to save Gryffindor's arse in quick session of things – surely came with consequences. So he breathed out and rested his head on his knees, hugging his legs. He closed his eyes and relaxed slightly, hoping that Potter wouldn't come to his senses too soon, or he might get a heart attack and then all Malfoy's heroics would be for nothing.
Hermione's mind was working furiously, Harry seemed all right except for his mind. She supposed that the charm that hit him was some kind of confusion or memory altering spell. She wanted to try and reverse it but she knew better because it was very dangerous to use multiple brain-affecting spells at once, so she watched her friend anxiously. Soon she heard Ron and others coming this way through the bushes.
She went to greet them and started explaining the situation to Madam Pomfrey. The mediwitch ordered all the other concerned people stay back and approached the two sitting in the sand.
"Harry?" she asked cautiously.
"Yes?" he looked at the witch.
Then she asked him many questions, mostly they made no sense. He answered best he could, but it was hard to concentrate. Who was she again?
"Looks like you were hit by a confusion charm, Potter. We should get back to the castle there we will sort this out."
"It was an altered confusion charm, yes." Malfoy said annoyed that he was ignored, "it is meant to disable your opponent. I have no idea how he kept fighting, he even seemed to be more precise after it hit him, it was very weird."
Harry frowned, why would I get hit by a charm? It would have made more sense if he would have deflected it. A vague memory of the fight came back and he was pretty sure he had jumped in the way of the spell at his own free will. What a dumb thing to do.
The mediwitch refused to let them walk to the castle so they were put on flying stretchers, too tired to complain both boys obeyed.
Harry's head was throbbing, since entering the castle it had gotten steadily worse, his thoughts more and more confusing. Lying still while he was floating up the stairs made him sick so he sat up, but movement made his head even worse. He grabbed his hair and dug his nails in his skin trying to stop the pain.
"You all right, Potter?" it was the other boy, up on one elbow watching him with his beautiful grey eyes. They were like the morning's mist with a hint of unicorns and miracles.
"You stole your eyes from a unicorn, but they suit you." He said through clenched teeth. His brain was killing him. A wonderful laugh made him open his eyes again and watch in wonder how the blond laughed.
"Why do you think I stole them?"
"Because the unicorn would never give up eyes so beautiful." And there it was again the other boy smiled a small smile and laid down, seemed like Harry had a talent for making people uncomfortable.
"Sorry."
"It's fine, I know I am uncommonly beautiful, it's just that… you would never say anything like that. It's just the confusion."
They entered the Hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey positioned them in beds next to each other. She gave them both Pepperup potions and then started to fuss around Harry.
Malfoy explained what jinx that was and even Accio-ed the book he had read about it in. The counter spell was on the next page. Madam Pomfrey read the page and turned to Harry.
"Now, Potter this spell is supposed to make you baffled and disoriented in 6 seconds, but Mr Malfoy claims you shot three head-shots at him right after, and a blasting curse that send him flying half way across the lake. Mind telling me how you did that?"
Harry thought for a moment. "I think I just concentrated really hard on winning."
"Okay, try to remember if you did any spells on yourself before you started focusing."
Harry's face lit up. "Oh right! I made myself focused." He beamed with pride. "And then I won."
The woman cast a detecting spell on him and he shivered slightly.
"Yes. Seems like you have two charms on you, one – confusion, the other for focus."
"Can I have some more chocolate?" he asked shyly, like afraid to be rejected. He was sitting on the side of his bed, feet dangling over the side, the blanked was behind him forgotten.
Malfoy was standing behind Madam Pomfrey and was trying to not stare at Potter's bare chest too much. The Gryffindor looked content, and carefree. It was weird seeing him like that, because even now when the war was over and all, he still defiled around the castle like he was expecting something bad to happen the next moment.
Absentmindedly Malfoy broke his own chocolate in half and gave a piece to Potter, who's face lit up and he bit in to it happily, thanking the Slytherin with a full mouth.
"Potter." The woman addressed him briskly, Harry's eyes focused on hers in anticipation of a scolding. "Can you, please, try to remember what spell you used?" she continued in a kinder voice, trying to correct her first outburst that had been out of pure habit.
Harry was tensed, distraught by the tone of her voice and he tried to think desperately. He had no idea what the name of the spell was, but he knew where he had read about it.
"It was in a book."
"Well, that narrows it down," the blond boy retorted sarcastically. Harry threw a look at him and tried to think.
"Sorry, sorry, it was a book, it was blue, with black letters on the spine, dark blue. I'm sorry. I can't… I don't. I'm sorry." Harry was looking down on his hands, his head was pulsing his limbs felt heavy. He didn't feel so good.
"It's okay Potter. Everything is okay."
"Okay," he echoed.
"Get some rest. If your head hurts too bad I can give you a painkiller, but only if it gets too bad, I don't want to mix your brain up even more."
Harry nodded still looking down at his hands.
"Mr Malfoy, would you be so kind and look after him while I'm gone? It might be better if we wouldn't leave him alone."
"Fine." His voice was cold, Harry didn't want to look up to see the other boy looking at him like he was a burden.
Before Harry could gather enough thoughts to say that he could look after himself, the mediwitch had already left. He felt the blond's eyes watching him intently but he didn't look up, he felt bad holding back the other boy from his friends and stuff he probably needed to do.
"You can leave. I can fend for myself."
Malfoy raised his eyebrows at the quiet voice, three minutes ago Potter had been carefree like a puppy. What had happened?
"Potter, don't make me laugh, you can't fend for yourself even usually, now even less so."
Why was the blond boy so mean? He didn't want to receive any more insults so he stayed silent.
He thought about how the other one had laughed, then it hadn't seemed like Harry was messing up his life. Maybe he could make him laugh again and he would forgive him for being a burden.
Potter didn't talk back. Not one smart-ass remark from the Gryffindor. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably as Potter's shoulders tensed after his words. This was weird, he wanted Potter to go back to normal, this was unnerving.
"What's wrong, Potter? Just a minute ago you were smiling like an idiot about the chocolate."
"Noting, just… I know I am a burden. I would like not to be that. I want to help."
"You're not a burden, Potter."
"But you have to stay here without your friends and…"
"I don't have any friends, Potter! Forgot that?"
Finally Harry looked up not believing his ears.
"How can you not have friends?"
"I am too handsome and too royal for all the pathetic people in this school, so I don't bother."
"Oh." Harry looked down again disappointed, he had hoped that they were friends despite the feeling like that was just a hope, even when he wasn't confused.
"What again?"
"I dunno," he thought for a bit, "in my confusion I thought that we were friends. Sorry."
"Well, we're not, you're just hanging with me because of pity." Malfoy spat.
"What? I wouldn't do that… would I? I don't think so." he thought furiously but his mind was swimming in a sea of random emotions and memories of events.
"Well, if you're not doing it because of pity I don't know why, Potter. Don't ask me. Ask yourself."
Harry focused on the other boy's face and tried to understand why he was hanging with him. It was difficult as everything was blurry. His thoughts were tangled and he couldn't get to the root of things. He remembered laughing with the blond boy and flying and arguing, a lot of arguing.
"Why were we always arguing?"
Malfoy turned because the other had been lost in his thoughts for quite a while.
"Because we were rivals, that's what rivals do – they make each other's lives hell."
"But we are not rivals now?"
"I guess – no, Potter, we're not."
Harry kept thinking trying to understand the blond. He calmed as a vague thought reminded him that the blond boy was always saying mean things, but not always meaning them to hurt anyone.
He looked the other boy up and down – he was leaning against the bed next to Harry's looking out the window. Harry shifted and crossed his bare legs on the bed. It was cold so he put his hands around him. His face felt hot but hands were chilly, as were his toes, he brushed off his feet and tried to warm them.
Malfoy watched Potter fidget for a moment, then stepped in his direction and took the blanket from behind Potter. "Honestly, Potter, and you're saying you can take care of yourself?"
Harry froze when the blond reached past him having no idea what was he going to, then he felt something warm settling on his shoulders, the other boy's fingers sending shivers down his arms.
"Wow! You conjured a blanket!" he exclaimed in pure surprise and smiled contently covering his freezing toes.
Surprised by the genuine amazement in Potters voice Malfoy smiled. A green pair of eyes were watching him and his smile froze a little.
"What?" he asked suspicious.
"Everything is so blurry, my head hurts."
"Oh, right, you must have lost your glasses while swimming."
He picked up his wand from a nightstand and Accio-ed the spectacles through the window. Soon they saw them flying in their direction and Malfoy opened the window just before they crashed in to the room after that the blond snatched them out of the air skilfully.
"Wooow! That's amazing. Thank you." He took the glasses from the other's hand put them on. He blinked and his eyes relaxed a bit, but there was still a weird pressure on them and he couldn't look in one spot for too long.
"You're welcome." He went back to leaning on the opposite bed.
Harry wasn't cold anymore, but his ears were ringing, his head pulsing and he suddenly felt like vomiting. He moved to sit on the side of the bed and leaned forward, hand on his mouth, eyes screwed shut. And then as fast as it started the nausea passed and he let out a shaky breath.
His head still didn't feel any better though.
"Potter?" he heard a worried voice but it was muffled by his own thoughts and random ringing that was the only thing he could concentrate on. He didn't feel his own body, he tried to move his arms but couldn't. Panic was starting to creep up on Harry, he blinked furiously but not being able to focus on anything, there was pressure on his head. He put his hands over his eyes and curled up hiding his face.
Potter had suddenly paled and seemed not aware of his surroundings anymore. Malfoy stood alert but having no clue what to do. He called the Gryffindor's name but the other didn't budge. He curled up occasionally whimpering quietly in pain.
The way he acted was like he didn't expect any help, only like he was enduring the pain until it would pass. Despite himself Malfoy couldn't not feel bad for the other. He sighed and sat down next to the Gryffindor putting one of his arms around the other's shoulders, hoping he wouldn't make Potter feel any worse. But to be fair Malfoy felt completely out of his depth. Comforting others wasn't what he usually did.
Harry felt like drowning all over again only not in water but in his own confusion, he couldn't understand, he looked but didn't see. His ears were ringing and he didn't know if it was from silence or from noise. Suddenly he felt a pressure on his shoulders and vaguely understood that someone was trying to comfort him.
Nothing changed but he felt slightly more hopeful as he wasn't so alone anymore.
