It's all over finally! I had fun writing this story but I'm still relieved to see the end of it Yay!!!! Its a wonder that this story saw completion at all since I was going to abandon it but I simply couldn't refuse the sweet reviewers and I still can't! such lovely supportive comments will make me do anything its a serious weakness people! I was at one point going to kill both Harry and Draco, for no other reason than I'm mean and wanted to try a not so happy ending but several of my friends threatened me with bodily harm if I did that so I decided to save them, Harry and Draco are lucky my friends are so violent! I now feel that it's only right to thank and acknowledge every reviewer as they took the time to review in the first place so here it goes:
Ranma, Kimmy, Whitebearwrites, Anya Malfoy (I love Draco too), me (it's the reviewers name), Ko-chan, Christina, wandering reviewer, Evelyn Black, Wildfire, Liz Swarthy, donelle, Ashie, Goggled Monkey, Moriavis, Setsuri, The Slayer, Prophetess Of Hearts,
Avalon Princess, Aurora, Juvenile, Dark Blood AKA Hermionegranger, bec, Double-Edged Sword and Kelly. And to anyone else who reviews this chapter. Thanks so much!
I hope no one is overly disappointed with the ending. I was a little but I didn't like the idea of making this the type of story where a situation like the one they are in makes them fall madly in love I also didn't think that they would become the best of friends because of this so it's sort of a very low key kind of friendship. However I'm making a sequal where there might just be some slash *evil grin.* So keep a lookout for it.
Thank you and goodnight.
Disclaimer: No mine.
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Chapter 12
His ears were ringing and his head was pounding. He probably would have thrown up had he anything in his stomach to throw up. He began to cough. The sound was dulled slightly by the harsh ringing in his ears, but he certainly felt it pulling at his chest making him ache. He heard voices; ones that were vaguely familiar, ones he should recognize but the faces kept evading him. He felt a warm hand on his forehead and momentarily panicked; thinking it was the creature again coming back to finish him off. He began to writhe weakly trying to get away. Something was holding him down whispering soothing words. He tried to identify them, struggling to clear his mind enough to hear what was being said.
He let out a low moan.
"I think he's waking up"
"Harry"
Another voice so familiar.
"Harry can you open your eyes for me."
The simple request took so much energy Harry almost deemed it too much before he finally managed to open them. He had been expecting the forest not this room and he had been expecting it to be dark and murky not so bright and he hadn't expected to see three blurred faces peering down at him either. One of them handed him his glasses and the world swam back into focus. Madame Pomfrey was on his right, Dumbledore at the foot of his bed and to his right stood Draco.
*Draco he's not dead*
Was the first thought to come to mind.
"It's about time you woke up" Draco said grinning slightly.
"Meh" Harry grumbled struggling for awhile before he successfully managed to sit up.
"What a way with words." Draco said hopping onto the edge of Harry's bed.
Harry mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like a curse causing Draco to laugh and Madame Pomfrey to frown. Dumbledore shook his head in disapproval but his still had a tiny smile on his face.
"I'm glad you are awake Harry, you have caused us great worry these last few days, the both of you." Dumbledore said looking first at Harry then at Draco who shrugged sheepishly.
Harry shook his head slightly still trying to clear it.
"What happened?...that light I saw-"
"Was me Harry" Dumbledore interrupted "it scared away the dragon and the meignlinx." (A/N don't ask)
"Meignlinx?" Harry asked.
"That was the rather large creature that had been tracking the both of you for the time you were lost I would say Harry. It is a scavenger by nature and was most likely waiting for you both to be come weak enough to be unable to fight back." Dumbledore answered. " I don't think that I need to tell you were both extremely fortunate to survive for as long as you did"
"But how did you find us?" Harry asked.
"Ah yes, we had a mess of a time trying to find you it took many nights of very complicated locating spells, had you stayed in one place we would of been able to find you two a lot sooner."
"Hey that was Potters fault." Draco said.
"Thanks Malfoy." Harry said rolling his eyes.
Draco smirked "I try."
"Um professor? Where exactly were we?" Harry asked turning back to the old wizard.
Dumbledore frowned. "It doesn't have a name Harry, but it is a forest that has been used for many years as a dumping ground for the most dangerous and illegal of magical animals. Many of the animals were smuggled into England and then dumped when there was not enough buyers for such creatures. The forest had been charmed to keep muggles out only allowing wizards and witches entrance but it is such a dangerous place that even the most experienced of wizards and witches avoid the place."
"Wow." Said Draco
"Indeed" Said Dumbledore "And now that the both of you are awake I must inquire as to how you ended up in such a place."
Harry noticed that Malfoy had gone pale but he squared his shoulders and spoke up, ready to accept the trouble he knew he would be in.
"Um professor it was...well it was-"
"My fault." Harry said cutting Draco's confession off. Everyone turned to look at him surprised.
"You see I misread the instructions and added too much Wolfsbane, then Neville tripped and accidentally knocked my cauldron over, and it was all just an accident sir."
"Is that so?" Dumbledore asked. At Harry's nod Dumbledore sighed and stood up.
"Well I'm glad that is resolved, Harry please try and be more careful in future you too mister Malfoy now get some rest." Dumbledore added before turning to leave.
"I must go now; there are many people who are going to be very thrilled with the news that you are both all right."
He got to the door then turned to look at them one last time.
"I'm very relieved that you are both safe." Then with a swirl of robes he was gone.
Madame Pomfrey set down a glass of some concoction next to Harry's bedside.
"Drink this" She instructed "Your still quite ill, you too" she added glaring at Draco "Bed now, pneumonia the both of you not to mention the malnourishment, and other such injuries its a wonder your alive at all." She muttered as she briefly straightened Harry's covers and then pointed to another bed clearly indicating for Draco to get in. He rolled his eyes but complied lying back down on the bed next to Harry's. Satisfied she nodded then too left.
"Alone at last" Harry said coughing a bit.
"Yeah" Draco said sounding a bit uneasy jumping back up from the bed.
"I thought you were supposed to be resting?"
"I've been resting for three days now I need to move around."
"Three days? We've been here for three days?"
"Yeah I've been awake since yesterday afternoon bored out of my mind I might add." Draco said walking to stop by Harry's bedside.
"So how you feeling?"
"Like absolute shit thanks for asking, you?"
"Pretty much the same." Draco answered.
"Then you should be resting."
"I don't want to in fact I'm thinking of making a break for it when the right distraction comes along"
"Well don't blame me if you get even sicker." Harry chuckled.
"Hey speaking of blame, why did you take the blame for me?"
"Well I kinda thought that getting lost and almost dying was punishment enough don't you think?"
"Well thanks." Draco said then pulled a face "Shit now I owe you one don't I?"
"Damn straight you do." Harry said trying to look serious and failing. Draco pretended to glare for awhile but was soon grinning too.
"You don't think Dumbledore really believed you do you?" Draco asked.
"Not for a moment but he won't press it." Harry said.
Draco sank back down onto the edge of Harry's mattress. The two sat in silence for a moment before Harry broke it.
"This doesn't really change anything does it? Now that we're back at Hogwarts I mean."
Draco snorted "Of course it doesn't I could never be friends with a Gryffindor."
"Yeah well I could never be friends with a slimy Slytherin." Harry retorted.
Draco smiled "Exactly...although I think the animosity could be held off some don't you think?"
"I'd like that." Harry replied smiling.
"But not too much" Draco added. "Heaven forbid I actually start to like you."
"Thanks Malfoy" Harry said laughing.
Just then they heard footsteps and loud voices approaching the hospital wing. Draco got back off of Harry's bed and inched over the other side of the room creating a decent distance between them just as the doors banged open and Ron and Hermione rushed in. Harry's face broke into a wide grin as he caught sight of his friends. He'd forgotten how much he missed them until he saw them again. They both rushed up and hugged him laughing.
"Harry mate boy are we glad to see you!" Ron declared.
"Harry we were so worried, are you alright, you look terrible, it must have been so scary and-"
"Mione" Harry said interrupting "I'm all right, I'll be fine."
Hermione wiped tears from her eyes.
"I'm so glad your ok" She whispered.
Ron took in the sight of Harry's bandaged shoulder and arm and his still healing scratched up cheek and his face darkened. Harry taking notice of this sudden change in mood smiled reassuringly at him.
"It not as bad as it looks, it doesn't even hurt that much any more."
"It must have been horrible." Hermione said quietly.
"It was but I don't really want to talk about it." Harry said. The two nodded.
"I'll kill Malfoy." Ron said. "It was all his fault; it must have been a nightmare having just him around for all that time."
Harry didn't really know how to respond to that. He knew that his friends would never understand how Draco had saved his life and how he had saved his in return.
They wouldn't understand that on some level an understanding had been reached between them, he hardly understood it himself, and they certaintly wouldn't understand that Harry was actually starting to like him at all.
It was at that moment Harry glanced up and saw Draco. He had managed to cross the room without being noticed and was now wearing a black school robe, where he had gotten it from Harry had no idea but Malfoy was clearly intending to make his escape now.
He turned and looked at him and flashed him a smile, holding his finger to his lips signalling not to say anything.
Harry returned the smile in earnest making a mental bet that Draco would be dragged back to the infirmary within the hour.
Draco opened the door soundlessly and disappeared through black robes swishing behind him.
Harry watched the door close then turned back to his friends who hadn't noticed Draco leave.
"You have no idea." Was all he said.
The End
