AN1 - Yes, I'm alive! I'm terribly sorry I haven't updated in nearly a month. Christmas break is three weeks and we're barely ending that this week, and I get lazy easy. Plus, most of my muse comes when I'm in school. But I assure you I am back for good!
AN2 - This has nothing to do with this chapter, but in the last chapter i said 'chapters' instead of 'words' when getting excited about my word count. I have a tendency to mix those up a bit!
AN3 - This is basically AU, I know Lupin doesn't teach at Hogwarts anymore but I added him myself.
In this chapter: Childhoods, Wrestling, and Insults
So they chatted about Quidditch for a few minutes before Draco said, "I've been practicing for Quidditch ever since I was eight. That was the first time I saw a Quidditch tournament."
Harry looked at him blankly. ;'I didn't know about it until I was eleven."
"Why's that?"
"I was raised by my aunt and uncle," Harry explained. "And they're Muggles."
"That couldn't have been fun."
"It wasn't. All they'd do was yell at me. And order me around. And lock me up in the cupboard when something went wrong."
"What about your room?"
Harry looked away. "That was my room." Draco frowned. "Until I was eleven," Harry added hastily. "Anyways, enough about my childhood; what about yours? Surely it was more interesting than mine. You are, after all, Draco Malfoy."
Draco's eyes flitted to the cold stone, which was the temperature of the hand he felt wrap around his heart. "It wasn't as interesting as some may think. Aside from Quidditch, just mostly meeting Father's Death Eater friends. There was, sometimes, the occasion I would refuse to come out."
"What happened then?" Harry asked.
"Imagine a patch of red across my face, except my face smaller," Draco supplied.
Harry frowned. "Your father would hit you?"
"It's not uncommon in a loyal pureblood family for the man of the house to use force to get the family to listen.
"It still isn't right. You were a child. How often?"
"How often what?"
"How often did he hit you?"
"Potter, it's no big deal," Draco tried to convince him.
"I think it is."
Draco turned away. He watched to wall and then heard Harry's defeated sigh. "You don't usually give up on things," Draco commented.
"I don't give up on things that matter."
The words stung, and Harry looked both surprised and apologetic. He opened his mouth to apologise when Draco cut him off. "Don't bother, Potter." The words were short and bitter. He walked to the other side of the room, and laid down, since there were no beds.
When they both attempted to sleep an hour later, they found it nearly impossible. It was freezing in the cell, and they spent the majority of the night shivering. Draco longed to be in Harry's arms, to cuddle—and keep him warm, of course. He figured their body heat together would be enough to keep them warm.
He signed as the cell warmed up, signaling noon. He grabbed his bowl of soon and ate, glancing at Harry every so often. They had not spoken since the night before.
~oOo~
When the cell started to get cold again, the two boys curled up into themselves again. It, as the night before, did not help. Frankly, Draco was tired of it.
He stood and walked to Harry's side of the cell. "Potter," he said, causing Harry to look up and sit up without thinking. Draco then proceeded to deposit himself into Harry's lap.
"What—what are you doing?" Harry demanded.
"Do you want to die of hypothermia, Potter?" Draco asked. "Doesn't sound like a pleasant way to die at all." He then cuddled, acting as if what he was doing was completely normal.
Harry blinked, awkwardly putting his arms around the Slytherin, blushing. This felt nice, Harry had to admit to himself. He felt himself relax. It felt natural almost. He rested his head above Draco's.
Draco couldn't help but grin, despite how crappy he felt due to the cold and lack of food, alongside the bad situation they both were in. "Now this isn't so bad, right Potter?" He felt Harry shake his head. "Knew it wouldn't be."
Harry smiled a bit to himself. They soon fell asleep, each comforted by the other's presence.
~oOo~
It was while they were eating their once-every-twelve-hours meal the next day that something felt different to Draco, off. He looked for the source, and realized it was Harry.
Harry had gone from reserved to friendly around Draco. He smiled at him more, spoke to him more, and once even touched his arm, which, of course, elated Draco.
"Hey, Draco? Want to have a friendly game of Quidditch if we escape?" Harry asked when they huddled together that night.
Draco froze. Harry bit his lip when he felt Draco stiffen.
"Sorry," Harry said quietly. "I didn't mean to offend you…"
"Offend me?" Draco said, relaxing slightly at Harry's apologetic tone. "Why do you think you offended me?"
"Well, you went still and didn't say anything for a minute or so, so…"
"Harry, I was surprised." Draco felt Harry smile against his hair when he addressed him by his first name. "And, to answer your question, of course. No doubt I'd win, though."
Harry felt himself smile again as the competitive side of Draco was shown. It hadn't happened in so long. "Five Galleons you won't."
Draco laughed and sat up, looking at Harry and pushing him playfully and gently. "You're on."
The next few days they gained more of a friendship than a rivalry. They'd chat about nearly anything, have deep conversations, or wrestle a little, making sure not to hurt each other.
Four days had passed, and they had helpfully distracted each other from the possibility of what their fate may be. They were wrestling, like usual, and Draco was able to pin him down. Harry chuckled but Draco laughed, a playful smirk settling in his features. Their eyes met for one long moment.
A ruckus outside their cell caused them to break eye contact and look up. They both heard cells slamming open. Their own flew open, and Ron and Hermione were greeted by the sight of Draco pinning down Harry.
Now, of course, Ron was expecting the worst, so, without thinking, Ron shot the knock-back jinx at Draco. Harry sat up to protect Draco, seeing the wand raised and fully expecting Ron to attempt to harm Draco.
Harry was thrown against the wall by the spell and hit the cell wall with great force. It was enough force to snap his collarbone. Harry gasped, and Draco was at his side immediately. "Harry!"
"That hurt!" Harry was barely able to get out, wincing as he spoke.
"What's your problem, Weasel?" Draco demanded, immediately whirling and facing Ron in a fit of anger, reaching into his pocket for his wand, but remembering he did not have it.
"Draco..don't," Harry said, knowing he'd try to hurt Ron.
Draco lowered his wand.
"Harry, did you just call Malfoy 'Draco'?" Ron gasped.
"Last time I checked…it's not illegal to call…friends by their first name," Harry said, trying not to cry out in pain.
"Friend?"
"Yes, friend," Draco hissed. "Friends who don't harm their friends!" Before Ron could reply, Draco said, "Will someone just take Harry to the hospital already?"
Remus Lupin stepped forward and picked Harry up. "I'm going to Apparate to get there quickly," he informed them, knowing that the ones guarding the cells were gone.
"Can I come?" At Lupin's nod, Draco grabbed his arm and they Apparated to St. Mungo's.
"Bloody hell, does Malfoy actually care about Harry?" Ron said to Hermione.
~oOo~
Draco did not want Harry to be taken away, but Harry had to be tended to. Draco paced, and then sunk into a chair, head in his hands.
Ron and Hermione were along shortly. Draco felt his anger flare at the sight of Ron. "Leave," he growled.
"No!" Ron said. "I'm allowed to see my friend!"
"Such a great friend you are, putting him in the hospital!"
"I was protecting him!"
"What did you think I was going to do?"
"You're Malfoy!" Ron spat. "You could've done anything. Especially with what you are!"
"And what am I, Weasel?" Draco challenged.
"A bloody poofter, that's what!"
Hermione gasped and Draco's face reddened. In embarrassment or anger, none of them knew. What they did know what that Ron and Draco were suddenly on the ground, physically fighting.
"Boys!" Hermione nearly shrieked.
"Boys!" Lupin echoed, pulling them apart. "Fifty points from each of your houses!"
"He started it!" Draco exclaimed.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor for unnecessary insulting," Lupin added sternly. "I thought you were better than that," he told Ron.
Ron was about to say something when a Healer arrived. "Mr. Potter is in stable condition," she said.
"Great, can we see him?" Hermione asked, eager to get away from the fighting and animosity.
"He only wants to see one person. Draco Malfoy."
Ron glared, but Draco couldn't help but smile and follow the Healer into Harry's temporary room.
"Bloody git," Ron muttered to his back.