The Entertaining Escape, Part II: Sleeping Beauty
Malfoy followed Harry up to the towers, but Harry stopped in a corridor away from The Fat Lady, eyeing Malfoy suspiciously.
"Why would I go into Gryffindor Tower?" Malfoy asked, practically reading Harry's mind.
"Steal my things-"
"I don't want your dumb broom or books," Malfoy muttered in annoyance.
"Steal other people's things!"
"If I wanted their things, I'd just go to my mum and dad and they'd buy it for me."
Malfoy had a point. Really, what would he do in Gryffindor?
"I won't destroy anything," Malfoy muttered in annoyance again. "We have our own little games in Slytherin, and right now, I'm sick of destroying things."
Harry eyed Malfoy again before nodding his head towards The Fat Lady.
She gasped. "A Slytherin!"
"It's okay, I trust him," Harry said, casting a doubtful and suspicious glance at Malfoy. "Pumpkin." The Fat Lady was angry and flustered, but she still had her job to do. She swung open the portrait, revealing the hole. Harry allowed Malfoy to go in first.
Harry was curious to what Malfoy's expression of Gryffindor tower was, but he didn't look at him, as he suddenly remembered his vow to himself not to look at Malfoy.
Harry quickly went upstairs, activated the map, and came back down with it in his pocket and with his cloak underneath his arm. He quickly explained to Malfoy what they were, and ignored him from that point on. He didn't ignore one specific question from Malfoy as they started to leave, however.
"Where's that broom of yours?"
"Upstairs," Harry said, glancing at Malfoy.
"I thought we were going to fly around," Malfoy said in that brat annoyance.
"We would barely have any time!" Harry said.
"I thought the point was to get caught," Malfoy said.
"But you will be, of course, wanting to go first," Harry glared.
Malfoy smirked and shrugged.
"So then I won't get a turn because we'll get caught easily!"
"Then we'll just go on together."
Malfoy left the Gryffindor common room casually, and it was only when Malfoy had left it completely did Harry react. The memories of finding out that Malfoy was attracted to him, that he was gay... Ron would instantly have said the obvious: he was taking advantage of Harry.
But what about that ride? Who cared if Malfoy would be taking advantage of Harry? Certainly not him... All he wanted was to ride through the sky. Honestly, he did! Harry shook his head, ran upstairs, received the broom, ran back downstairs, and jumped out of the portrait hole out after Malfoy. He finally caught up with Malfoy (with the map's help) by the library. Malfoy was hiding behind a gargoyle statue.
"Finally caught up, did you?"
Harry ignored Malfoy's comment, threw the invisibility cloak over both of them, and watched the map. His breath caught in his throat. Snape was walking this way! Harry signaled to Malfoy to be quiet, and when Snape finally walked past them, the two walked down the corridors.
Harry kept getting nervous. Malfoy kept brushing up against him. Whether it was by accident or not, he didn't know, and really, he didn't mind that much, but... The warnings that came out of Hermione and Ron's mouths earlier that morning kept popping up in his mind. Maybe the broom ride was a bad idea.
Too late, they had just walked out into the field. They walked into the center of the field and Malfoy ripped the cloak off of himself and Harry. He looked flushed again, Harry noted. Malfoy looked up and smirked as he caught Harry watching at him.
"Seems we both have fevers again," Malfoy muttered. "Pomfrey is going to be pissed."
Harry nodded in agreement, but it was too late to go back now. He cleared the map, tucked it underneath the cloak, and jumped onto the broom. Malfoy climbed up onto the broom after Harry, and before Harry could stop himself and rethink his words, he said, "Hold on tight."
Malfoy only naturally obeyed, and Harry wasn't sure if it wasn't only for his safety. But whatever, all Harry wanted to do was fly at that moment, and it seemed Malfoy was thinking the same way, because he kicked off for Harry.
The feeling of air rushing in Harry's ears swept over, and Harry had nearly forgotten Malfoy was there until he felt Malfoy's grip around his waist tighten.
"Jeez, we were only here for five minutes and we've all ready been caught," he muttered into Harry's ear. Harry looked down to see Professor McGonagall glaring up at the two from the front steps of the castle with a small girl standing next to her, which he supposed was the tattletale. Harry had half the mind just to fly off into the forest, but it was better to face his fears right away.
Besides, he was starting to feel the fever, and it must've been the same for Malfoy, because his grip was tightening around Harry's waist all the more and Harry could feel through the cloth of his shirt that Malfoy was getting warmer and warmer.
"You're getting hot, Potter," Malfoy muttered drowsily. He seemed to be a level ahead of Harry, because Harry didn't feel sleepy yet.
"You do too," Harry replied as they landed. He gathered his things and carefully hid the map in his pocket, while Malfoy took the cloak and hid it underneath his shirt. The two boys walked up to the tiny girl and Professor McGonagall.
"First of all," Professor McGonagall said angrily. "You're supposed to be in the infirmary! Why are you out here in the hot sun?! Look at you two, all sweaty and high with fever! Second of all, there is a well known rule that expresses that there is no public display of affection here at Hogwarts!"
"Well, I wouldn't say public, Professor McGonagall," the tiny girl said with an evil grin. "They were trying to be private."
Harry gaped at them in disbelief while Malfoy glared at the small girl. "Go off, Mary."
"Where?" the girl asked in a mocking tone.
"To hell, you little-" Malfoy hissed, but Professor McGonagall interrupted him.
"That is quite enough, Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall said angrily. "Now please, you two, this way! It's quite fortunate that Ms. Eurydice here saw you two flying around, one of you could've fainted! You see, Mr. Malfoy? You're tired all ready!"
Professor McGonagall led them away from Mary and towards the infirmary. "And I would think that you two would try to at least muffle the rumors! The whole wizard public is finding out slowly but surely, and what do you do? Go off flying together! Honestly! Not only were you breaking the rules, but you were giving those Daily Prophet journalists more reasons to question Professor Dumbledore on you, Harry! Have pride! Do you really want all of those rumors going around? And what about you, Mr. Malfoy? Aren't you at least a little upset about this?"
Malfoy stumbled slightly; he was getting more tired by the second, and Professor McGonagall ended up dragging him slightly by his arm.
Harry looked at Malfoy to see if this was all coming to a shock. Sure, the fact that the whole magical community was finding out about this was a shock, but what about finding out that everyone knew he was gay? But no, Malfoy didn't seem surprised at all. But then what about the whole thing with the public affection, and what about Malfoy's partner in crime with breaking this rule was supposedly Harry? Nope, not surprised at all.
Professor McGonagall walked with them inside the infirmary where an angry Madam Pomfrey was standing. Two hard wooden chairs were waiting with two wands sitting on the surfaces. She forced Harry and Malfoy down into the chairs and shoved the wands into their mouths as she said the exact same lecture Professor McGonagall just had. The only difference was that Madam Pomfrey expressed the fact that their fevers had gone way up, further than yesterday. She insisted that they stayed another two days.
Professor McGonagall left without informing them that they had received detention, but then again, they didn't need to hear it from her to know.
"Why am I always in the middle of things?" Harry muttered to the ceiling as he laid down in bed.
"Because you're The Boy Who Lived," Malfoy replied. For a second, Harry thought that the ceiling had replied (he wouldn't have been surprised), but then he saw that it was Malfoy.
"I thought you said you would still hate my guts down to the ground," Harry said, turning his head to look at Malfoy.
Malfoy was staring up at the ceiling. He was quiet for a while before replying, "I always have, and I always will, don't get me wrong... It's just that, well..."
"The rumors, they're true, aren't they?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.
Malfoy didn't look like he was going to reply, but it didn't matter anyways, because Madam Pomfrey screeched for them to be quiet and go to sleep from her office.
"How can I?" Harry asked himself. "It's in the middle of the afternoon."
Harry half expected Malfoy to reply again, but when he hadn't, Harry glanced at Malfoy and saw that he was fast asleep. Harry supposed that Malfoy had the worst of the flu. Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek as he stared at the Sleeping Beauty. Wait, Sleeping Beauty?! Where did that come from?
Okay, so Harry had to admit, Malfoy was beautiful. Who wouldn't think that? That didn't mean he was gay, it was just a general thing. I mean, come on... The way his silvery blond hair caught the sunlight, the way his pale face was flushed slightly, and Harry could just imagine Malfoy's eyes open. That icy blue that just spent chills up his spine. It was safe to think this too, of course, because it was a general thing. girls and boys alike would think the same thing anytime.
"I'm not gay," Harry repeated to himself in his mind as he rolled over.
'Bi,' a part of his mind corrected him. 'Remember, you may like boys, but you have also liked girls in the past.'
"I'm not gay, bi, whatever," Harry muttered to himself. He then realized that he was talking to himself again and shook his head. The fever was getting the better of him. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"100, 99, 98, 97..."
Malfoy followed Harry up to the towers, but Harry stopped in a corridor away from The Fat Lady, eyeing Malfoy suspiciously.
"Why would I go into Gryffindor Tower?" Malfoy asked, practically reading Harry's mind.
"Steal my things-"
"I don't want your dumb broom or books," Malfoy muttered in annoyance.
"Steal other people's things!"
"If I wanted their things, I'd just go to my mum and dad and they'd buy it for me."
Malfoy had a point. Really, what would he do in Gryffindor?
"I won't destroy anything," Malfoy muttered in annoyance again. "We have our own little games in Slytherin, and right now, I'm sick of destroying things."
Harry eyed Malfoy again before nodding his head towards The Fat Lady.
She gasped. "A Slytherin!"
"It's okay, I trust him," Harry said, casting a doubtful and suspicious glance at Malfoy. "Pumpkin." The Fat Lady was angry and flustered, but she still had her job to do. She swung open the portrait, revealing the hole. Harry allowed Malfoy to go in first.
Harry was curious to what Malfoy's expression of Gryffindor tower was, but he didn't look at him, as he suddenly remembered his vow to himself not to look at Malfoy.
Harry quickly went upstairs, activated the map, and came back down with it in his pocket and with his cloak underneath his arm. He quickly explained to Malfoy what they were, and ignored him from that point on. He didn't ignore one specific question from Malfoy as they started to leave, however.
"Where's that broom of yours?"
"Upstairs," Harry said, glancing at Malfoy.
"I thought we were going to fly around," Malfoy said in that brat annoyance.
"We would barely have any time!" Harry said.
"I thought the point was to get caught," Malfoy said.
"But you will be, of course, wanting to go first," Harry glared.
Malfoy smirked and shrugged.
"So then I won't get a turn because we'll get caught easily!"
"Then we'll just go on together."
Malfoy left the Gryffindor common room casually, and it was only when Malfoy had left it completely did Harry react. The memories of finding out that Malfoy was attracted to him, that he was gay... Ron would instantly have said the obvious: he was taking advantage of Harry.
But what about that ride? Who cared if Malfoy would be taking advantage of Harry? Certainly not him... All he wanted was to ride through the sky. Honestly, he did! Harry shook his head, ran upstairs, received the broom, ran back downstairs, and jumped out of the portrait hole out after Malfoy. He finally caught up with Malfoy (with the map's help) by the library. Malfoy was hiding behind a gargoyle statue.
"Finally caught up, did you?"
Harry ignored Malfoy's comment, threw the invisibility cloak over both of them, and watched the map. His breath caught in his throat. Snape was walking this way! Harry signaled to Malfoy to be quiet, and when Snape finally walked past them, the two walked down the corridors.
Harry kept getting nervous. Malfoy kept brushing up against him. Whether it was by accident or not, he didn't know, and really, he didn't mind that much, but... The warnings that came out of Hermione and Ron's mouths earlier that morning kept popping up in his mind. Maybe the broom ride was a bad idea.
Too late, they had just walked out into the field. They walked into the center of the field and Malfoy ripped the cloak off of himself and Harry. He looked flushed again, Harry noted. Malfoy looked up and smirked as he caught Harry watching at him.
"Seems we both have fevers again," Malfoy muttered. "Pomfrey is going to be pissed."
Harry nodded in agreement, but it was too late to go back now. He cleared the map, tucked it underneath the cloak, and jumped onto the broom. Malfoy climbed up onto the broom after Harry, and before Harry could stop himself and rethink his words, he said, "Hold on tight."
Malfoy only naturally obeyed, and Harry wasn't sure if it wasn't only for his safety. But whatever, all Harry wanted to do was fly at that moment, and it seemed Malfoy was thinking the same way, because he kicked off for Harry.
The feeling of air rushing in Harry's ears swept over, and Harry had nearly forgotten Malfoy was there until he felt Malfoy's grip around his waist tighten.
"Jeez, we were only here for five minutes and we've all ready been caught," he muttered into Harry's ear. Harry looked down to see Professor McGonagall glaring up at the two from the front steps of the castle with a small girl standing next to her, which he supposed was the tattletale. Harry had half the mind just to fly off into the forest, but it was better to face his fears right away.
Besides, he was starting to feel the fever, and it must've been the same for Malfoy, because his grip was tightening around Harry's waist all the more and Harry could feel through the cloth of his shirt that Malfoy was getting warmer and warmer.
"You're getting hot, Potter," Malfoy muttered drowsily. He seemed to be a level ahead of Harry, because Harry didn't feel sleepy yet.
"You do too," Harry replied as they landed. He gathered his things and carefully hid the map in his pocket, while Malfoy took the cloak and hid it underneath his shirt. The two boys walked up to the tiny girl and Professor McGonagall.
"First of all," Professor McGonagall said angrily. "You're supposed to be in the infirmary! Why are you out here in the hot sun?! Look at you two, all sweaty and high with fever! Second of all, there is a well known rule that expresses that there is no public display of affection here at Hogwarts!"
"Well, I wouldn't say public, Professor McGonagall," the tiny girl said with an evil grin. "They were trying to be private."
Harry gaped at them in disbelief while Malfoy glared at the small girl. "Go off, Mary."
"Where?" the girl asked in a mocking tone.
"To hell, you little-" Malfoy hissed, but Professor McGonagall interrupted him.
"That is quite enough, Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall said angrily. "Now please, you two, this way! It's quite fortunate that Ms. Eurydice here saw you two flying around, one of you could've fainted! You see, Mr. Malfoy? You're tired all ready!"
Professor McGonagall led them away from Mary and towards the infirmary. "And I would think that you two would try to at least muffle the rumors! The whole wizard public is finding out slowly but surely, and what do you do? Go off flying together! Honestly! Not only were you breaking the rules, but you were giving those Daily Prophet journalists more reasons to question Professor Dumbledore on you, Harry! Have pride! Do you really want all of those rumors going around? And what about you, Mr. Malfoy? Aren't you at least a little upset about this?"
Malfoy stumbled slightly; he was getting more tired by the second, and Professor McGonagall ended up dragging him slightly by his arm.
Harry looked at Malfoy to see if this was all coming to a shock. Sure, the fact that the whole magical community was finding out about this was a shock, but what about finding out that everyone knew he was gay? But no, Malfoy didn't seem surprised at all. But then what about the whole thing with the public affection, and what about Malfoy's partner in crime with breaking this rule was supposedly Harry? Nope, not surprised at all.
Professor McGonagall walked with them inside the infirmary where an angry Madam Pomfrey was standing. Two hard wooden chairs were waiting with two wands sitting on the surfaces. She forced Harry and Malfoy down into the chairs and shoved the wands into their mouths as she said the exact same lecture Professor McGonagall just had. The only difference was that Madam Pomfrey expressed the fact that their fevers had gone way up, further than yesterday. She insisted that they stayed another two days.
Professor McGonagall left without informing them that they had received detention, but then again, they didn't need to hear it from her to know.
"Why am I always in the middle of things?" Harry muttered to the ceiling as he laid down in bed.
"Because you're The Boy Who Lived," Malfoy replied. For a second, Harry thought that the ceiling had replied (he wouldn't have been surprised), but then he saw that it was Malfoy.
"I thought you said you would still hate my guts down to the ground," Harry said, turning his head to look at Malfoy.
Malfoy was staring up at the ceiling. He was quiet for a while before replying, "I always have, and I always will, don't get me wrong... It's just that, well..."
"The rumors, they're true, aren't they?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.
Malfoy didn't look like he was going to reply, but it didn't matter anyways, because Madam Pomfrey screeched for them to be quiet and go to sleep from her office.
"How can I?" Harry asked himself. "It's in the middle of the afternoon."
Harry half expected Malfoy to reply again, but when he hadn't, Harry glanced at Malfoy and saw that he was fast asleep. Harry supposed that Malfoy had the worst of the flu. Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek as he stared at the Sleeping Beauty. Wait, Sleeping Beauty?! Where did that come from?
Okay, so Harry had to admit, Malfoy was beautiful. Who wouldn't think that? That didn't mean he was gay, it was just a general thing. I mean, come on... The way his silvery blond hair caught the sunlight, the way his pale face was flushed slightly, and Harry could just imagine Malfoy's eyes open. That icy blue that just spent chills up his spine. It was safe to think this too, of course, because it was a general thing. girls and boys alike would think the same thing anytime.
"I'm not gay," Harry repeated to himself in his mind as he rolled over.
'Bi,' a part of his mind corrected him. 'Remember, you may like boys, but you have also liked girls in the past.'
"I'm not gay, bi, whatever," Harry muttered to himself. He then realized that he was talking to himself again and shook his head. The fever was getting the better of him. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"100, 99, 98, 97..."