Harry was given several potions and sat uncomfortably in one of the hospital beds while Malfoy and Pomfrey had a chat in the other room. Malfoy appeared back with a tea pot and cups floating behind him.
They floated gently on to the table at the end of the hospital cot. Harry sat crossed legged ready to leave, "What was all that about?" Harry couldn't help asking immediately.
Malfoy sat down pouring them each a cup, "I volunteer here she wanted to give me a schedule update. I do have a life outside of what you see on a daily basis."
Harry fell quiet, Malfoy sat at the edge of his bed and looked out the window. After a minute or so Pomfrey came in with a tray of sandwiches, Harry ate and drank his tea adding in extra sugar and milk when Malfoy seemed truly distracted by something outside.
After a bit once Pomfrey seemed satisfied with how much Harry had eaten they were allowed to leave. They had started chatting- nothing serious just quidditch, well the English league which neither of them were overly invested in.
Malfoy was trying to pump up the prospects for the new season, prodding Harry about which team he might be thinking of supporting, Malfoy was backing the Wimbourne Wasps of course.
"Oh you don't care about the English League come off it, I haven't picked a team anyway. How are the frogs doing?" That was enough to get Draco riled. The flyer had mentioned the French league on a few occasions even admitting to Harry he had been born in France. Harry wasn't surprised by Malfoy's immediate reaction. He was sure the kid would have decked him if they weren't coming from the hospital wing.
"The finals are on Halloween," Malfoy grumbled with a sigh. "The Champs just need to win one more game to get in but it's against the fucking Quiberon's. They win every year I swear to fuck they cheat." It didn't take long for Malfoy to spin himself into a rant about just how easy it was to cheat in the French quidditch league. Harry had heard the beginnings of this rant once before but found it just as entertaining the second go around.
"You wanna go to your common room?" Malfoy suddenly cut himself off pointing up a stairwell. Harry made a face trying to find some excuse.
Malfoy gave him a smirk, "Wanna play some chess?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, yeah I do…"
They both seemed to be on edge as they snuck around the empty castle. Harry was certain Malfoy had never skipped class and Harry hadn't dared. It was strange to watch Malfoy give him a conspiratorial smirk as the walked quickly into the depths of the castle.
Malfoy pulled Harry to the classroom from that morning but before grabbing the handle paused and knocked. There was shuffling and the rustling of blankets, an older boy opened the door. His rust hair was messy and Harry could guess what may have been happening moments earlier.
He frowned at Malfoy, "What do you want?"
Malfoy held his ground, "Just the chessboard sorry to interrupt."
The boy looked between Malfoy and Harry and raised an eyebrow, "Don't worry about it. Just try not to come around here at odd hours okay? Sometimes people are up to worse shit than this." He gestured back at a girl who was mostly hidden under a blanket she scowled and stuck out her tongue.
They were quickly given the board and the door was shut before Malfoy could say anything. They moved to an empty classroom down the hall. The room was larger than the other classroom but full of desks and empty bookcases. One side of the room was lined with windows set into a deep sill about waist height. Draco moved to the middle window sill climbing up to open the pane and letting fresh crisp air bring the classroom to life.
Harry sat on the edge of the sill in front of Malfoy learning back with a sigh. They played for the better part of two hours, Harry allowing himself to relax and just focus on the game. That's what made Pansy's intrusion all the more jarring.
"Snape said you two could be excused, you'll make it up tomorrow night he'll owl you details. Malfoy, you forgot your bag, and I assumed you wanted it back. So I, being the most generous person you know, have brought it all this way." Parkinson spoke a mile a minute and began shoving Draco's things into his arms.
"Thank you Pansy. I promise to make it up to you." Malfoy was some kind of firetruck red at this point he seemed stuck somewhere between mortified and irritated.
Pansy rolled her eyes, "Shove it up your ass you have years of making up to do for me. I assumed I would just get your first child at this point."
Malfoy furrowed his eyes, "What in the world would you want that for?"
Pansy gave a quick smirk, "Oh a rather delicious lunch I suppose. Regardless you seem a little…" She waved her hand towards Harry. "Preoccupied babysitting, Potter please be on your best behaviour. If I hear you've been a pain I'll have to saw your legs off and feed them to the werewolves in the forest. Really it's quite a lot of hard, long, messy work I'd like to avoid so please do us both a favour and don't make an ass of yourself."
Harry barely caught a word of the flurry of sounds that came at him in quick succession but he got the gist.
Parkinson turned to leave giving Draco a condescending pat on the head before pausing and turning to Harry, "Oh yes Longbottom grabbed your things. I honestly don't know if he's an upgrade or a downgrade from those other two. However, I am happy to see you actually attempt socializing Potter. I've never seen you without Weasel. It will be interesting to get a glance at the elusive Boy Who Lived."
She had disappeared before Harry had even begun to process that she had entered the room.
"Sorry she can take a bit of getting used to," Malfoy spoke in a wooden tone obviously thrown off by the sudden intrusion of the real world.
A silence fell over them and Harry started to wring his hands. Malfoy took a moment to reorient before attempting to continue the game. Harry put out a hand motioning him to stop.
"Malfoy it's... It is good of you to want to help me with… everything but…" Harry knew blunt was the only way to get through to Malfoy. He swallowed before continuing, "I'm going to die. How can they expect me to fight a dragon?"
Malfoy sighed his face falling, "We are going to get you through this Potter. Just let me think…" The boy stood up and began to pace, "What are your skills Potter, tell me what I'm working with."
Harry sighed, scratching his head as he tried to think of skills.
"Ugh I don't know, I'm not dead yet? Is that a skill?"
Malfoy rolled his eyes, "I suppose considering everything but come on you beat a basilisk didn't you? Weasley kept running around saying it in second year. Dragons are just flying basilisks right?"
Harry could feel himself blushing, "Ron did what?"
Malfoy laughed, "I knew it wasn't true! That week you were unconscious in the hospital wing in second year, what really happened?"
Harry's hands were in fists, "What the fuck is wrong with that kid. Why would he run around bragging about that? We should've died then, hell I was supposed to, I got bit by the fucker. We only got lucky." He could see the tooth scraping into him as he fell on the dungeon floor. He could remember pulling himself to the book and plunging the tooth into it. He could remember the screaming, and Ginny crying. He had closed his eyes and a week later magically opened them.
Ron had no idea how terrifying that was. Ron was trapped several hundred yards away with an unconscious Gilderoy. Ron had no idea how close it all came to ending. Not just Harry's life, or Ginny's but everyone. A monster like that could have killed everyone before the morons who ran this school would have noticed. Harry gasped at himself, what an awful thing to think. Dumbledore was the greatest wizard there ever was but then why had Hermione figured out what was happening before him?
Real life came back into focus and Malfoy was in front of him. His hand on Harry's shoulder, telling him to breath. Harry found himself and looked into the other's eyes.
"Harry, I - I didn't want to believe it was true, and I didn't realize you felt that way about it... I stepped out of line." It took him a moment but after his pause Malfoy regained his composure speaking in a strong, calm tone. Harry could hear the flyer in his voice instead of the blonde bastard, and he smiled instinctively.
Then his mind reminded him who had set the basilisk on everyone in the first place and unease settled in again. He moved to massage his temples and realized how wet his face felt. "God I'm crying I'm sorry I just haven't thought about it. I dunno Ron bragging about it is just- I don't like talking about it."
Malfoy nodded, "Okay, okay let's just try to focus on something else. Have you seen the new designs for the tornadoes emblem?"
Harry took a moment to think, "I think maybe- Wait Quidditch! Malfoy, we're idiots, I'm good at flying, that's my skill."
Malfoy stood up pointing to Harry, "I can work with that! Are you allowed a broom?"
Harry sighed, "Ah no no I just get to use a wand."
Malfoy stared at Harry for a moment, "You use magic to get the broom. Potter this is not that complicated. We can practice summoning spells, and some shields. You may be able to live through this Potter!"
The boys were excited, Harry couldn't help the feeling of pure giddy glee that filled him. The conversation moments before was completely erased as he smiled ear to ear. Malfoy's brain seemed to be going a mile a minute as he started ranting and pacing. He listed off spells they should practice in the evening and books he should borrow in the meantime for them to use.
By the time they were ready to leave for lunch the boys were quite pleased with themselves. They had a plan and time to execute it and Harry for the first time saw light at the end of the tunnel.
