"Harry? Draco?"
Draco's eyes fluttered open as the voice penetrated his slumber. He sat up slowly, blinking, noting the positions of the shadows on the wall. 'Well, at least he got a good couple hours' sleep.' He smiled fondly at Harry, then replied to the voice calling them. "Yes?"
Madam Pomfrey poked her head around the curtains and smiled at Draco. "He's sleeping?"
"Kind of." Draco noticed Harry stirring out of the corner of his eye. "Don't think he will be for long, though."
"Well, there are some people who would like to see him. Do you think he's up to it?"
"I'll ask. Tell them that Harry's just waking up, and it'll be a few minutes, if he chooses to see anyone. And...ummm...it might be best not to mention my presence." Draco flushed. "If one of his visitors is who I suspect it is, he might not be happy to see me here. Who's out there, anyway?"
"Hermione, Ron, Dean, Lavender...the whole of the sixth-year Gryffindors, Ginny, and...Colin, I think."
Draco sighed. "I'll tell him."
"Tell me what?" came Harry's voice from beside him, slightly slurred with sleep.
Draco smiled down at Harry and ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "You have visitors," he answered.
"Visitors?" Harry sat up, and a trace of fear was visible in his eyes. "Who?"
"Your...friends...from what I've been told."
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to see them."
"Harry." Draco understood Harry's feelings, but.... "You can't run forever. You should at least see one of them, love."
Harry drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "Do you really think I should?" He looked at Draco.
Draco swallowed at the look in Harry's eyes. He seemed so lost.... Carefully, Draco chose his words. "I might think you should, but it is really up to you in the end. If you don't want to see anyone just yet, I'll support you. But remember, you will have to face them sooner or later."
Harry nodded, thinking. "I can see only one?"
"If that's what you want."
"I do. All of them...I don't know if I can take that many people." He looked at Draco. "Who would you recommend?"
Draco didn't even have to think. "Neville or Hermione. Neville's been great since...well, you know, and Hermione's got enough brains to know what happened with you was wrong and that she needs to make it up to you."
"Nobody needs to make anything up to me," Harry whispered. "But...I think I'll see them both. That way, Ron really can't accuse me of snubbing my," he swallowed, "best friends, and I want to hear what Neville did to impress you so much." He attempted a small smile.
Draco sighed. "They do have things to make up to you," he murmured, but didn't dwell on it. Now wasn't the time. "I'll go let them know," he said, smiling and getting up from the bed.
"Draco?"
"Yes, Harry?" He turned to see Harry looking down at the bed and blushing.
"Remember what we were talking about earlier? About love?" Draco nodded. "Well...I don't know if I can love you...but I want to. For the first time since...I want to *feel*...I want to love."
Draco grinned. "Harry...I think you're going to beat this yet." He went back to Harry and kissed him gently. "Now, I'll be right back."
As Draco left, Harry smiled...a real smile.
**********
Draco's eyes fluttered open as the voice penetrated his slumber. He sat up slowly, blinking, noting the positions of the shadows on the wall. 'Well, at least he got a good couple hours' sleep.' He smiled fondly at Harry, then replied to the voice calling them. "Yes?"
Madam Pomfrey poked her head around the curtains and smiled at Draco. "He's sleeping?"
"Kind of." Draco noticed Harry stirring out of the corner of his eye. "Don't think he will be for long, though."
"Well, there are some people who would like to see him. Do you think he's up to it?"
"I'll ask. Tell them that Harry's just waking up, and it'll be a few minutes, if he chooses to see anyone. And...ummm...it might be best not to mention my presence." Draco flushed. "If one of his visitors is who I suspect it is, he might not be happy to see me here. Who's out there, anyway?"
"Hermione, Ron, Dean, Lavender...the whole of the sixth-year Gryffindors, Ginny, and...Colin, I think."
Draco sighed. "I'll tell him."
"Tell me what?" came Harry's voice from beside him, slightly slurred with sleep.
Draco smiled down at Harry and ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "You have visitors," he answered.
"Visitors?" Harry sat up, and a trace of fear was visible in his eyes. "Who?"
"Your...friends...from what I've been told."
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to see them."
"Harry." Draco understood Harry's feelings, but.... "You can't run forever. You should at least see one of them, love."
Harry drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "Do you really think I should?" He looked at Draco.
Draco swallowed at the look in Harry's eyes. He seemed so lost.... Carefully, Draco chose his words. "I might think you should, but it is really up to you in the end. If you don't want to see anyone just yet, I'll support you. But remember, you will have to face them sooner or later."
Harry nodded, thinking. "I can see only one?"
"If that's what you want."
"I do. All of them...I don't know if I can take that many people." He looked at Draco. "Who would you recommend?"
Draco didn't even have to think. "Neville or Hermione. Neville's been great since...well, you know, and Hermione's got enough brains to know what happened with you was wrong and that she needs to make it up to you."
"Nobody needs to make anything up to me," Harry whispered. "But...I think I'll see them both. That way, Ron really can't accuse me of snubbing my," he swallowed, "best friends, and I want to hear what Neville did to impress you so much." He attempted a small smile.
Draco sighed. "They do have things to make up to you," he murmured, but didn't dwell on it. Now wasn't the time. "I'll go let them know," he said, smiling and getting up from the bed.
"Draco?"
"Yes, Harry?" He turned to see Harry looking down at the bed and blushing.
"Remember what we were talking about earlier? About love?" Draco nodded. "Well...I don't know if I can love you...but I want to. For the first time since...I want to *feel*...I want to love."
Draco grinned. "Harry...I think you're going to beat this yet." He went back to Harry and kissed him gently. "Now, I'll be right back."
As Draco left, Harry smiled...a real smile.
**********