AN: IT'S BEEN FOREVER! I'm so, so sorry! Here it is, hasn't been read. [sigh] I hope it's okay. - °Mia°
The water felt refreshing, like the warm waves of the Mediterranean Sea were lapping at his pallid skin. With a sigh of contentment Harry leaned back into the luxurious tin tub-well seemingly luxurious for a person who hadn't bathed in two weeks. The water was thick with the grime which moments ago had covered Harry. His mind buzzed with activity, today was the day he was to see Hermione, something he had thought he would never do again. A smile brightened his face momentarily as he thought of their times together, traversing the tricky halls of Hogwarts with Ron. Ron-a sharp pain pierced through his heart like a steel tipped arrow, the loss of Ron was nearly unbearable though it had come to pass nearly two months before. A growl escaped through clenched teeth as Harry thought of his friend, the pain he must have endured before his death-they must have tortured him for information. Knowing Ron, he had no doubts that he had not given in to their demands. Ron was a determined, loyal friend. With a weak smile Harry lurched up to his feet, using the flimsy sides for support-bad idea. With a loud clang, the tub overturned, tossing Harry a few feet away, naked and slippery. Cursing loudly, Harry scrambled to his feet, groping around for a towel. A muffled chuckle found it's way to Harry's ears, making his face flush scarlet. "Nice, Potter, very nice-" the voice began, straining with the feat of keeping off laughter that long. Harry quickly covered up his private parts and glared at the blurry form in front of him-he had taken off his glasses for the bath.
"What are you looking for, eh Malfoy?!" Harry snapped, "damitt, give me a towel already!"
Harry grumbled as a towel met his face with a resounding smack, "Thanks, bastard."
Swiftly, Harry tied the towel around his waist. Patting the floor for his glasses, he finally discovered them and shoved them back on his nose. Draco's slender frame came into focus, amusement plain upon his face. "What's so funny? You're the cheap jackarse who can't give me a tub which actually supports one bloody bit of weight!"
Draco rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, why would I waste money on you?"
Harry narrowed his eyes and then shook his head, "I wouldn't expect any less from a Malfoy."
Draco's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes still dancing with amusement, "Time to get dressed Potter, I am providing you with some clothes. Don't want you to look too gross."
Harry glowered at Draco as a bundle of clothes bounced off his head. "Why thanks, I do hope you didn't rub these in some foul substance . . ." he muttered, pulling on knickers and then trousers on hastily. Harry risked a glance back at Draco; luckily, he'd turned his head during the dressing process.
"I have more taste than that Potter, those clothes are expensive, worth more than any garment you've owned, I'm sure," Draco taunted, eyeing Harry curiously.
"What?!" Harry demanded, exasperated.
"Didn't know such a weakling like you would actually have muscles . . ." Draco commented.
Harry's jaw dropped, "How much of a freak are you?"
Draco walked out of the cell, "Very freakish, now let's go, Potter."
Harry stared at him for a few moments longer before pulling on the shirt and following Draco. Suddenly Draco leaned in and tied a heavy green silk scarf over his eyes. "Hey-what are you doing?!" Harry exclaimed angrily, backing up a few paces.
Draco chuckled, "Got to use the blindfold, can't have you know where you are, now can we, Potter?" A moment of eerie silence passed, the hot breath of Draco landing on Harry's chin-scarily close to his mouth.
Harry backed away a few more feet, banging painfully into the metal bars of his former prison. "Ouch."
"Stop fooling around Potter, let's get going, Hermione is waiting, after all," Draco reasoned, shoving Harry in front of him.
With a grunt of protest Harry began to walk, his spirits lifting despite the odd sensation of Draco's hands on his shoulder's, steering him. Soon I'll get to see Hermione-OUCH. Draco had just 'forgotten' to steer him away from the stonewall he'd just walked into. "Whoops, so sorry about that Potter," Draco's voice chimed, sickly sweet.
Grumbling, Harry allowed himself to be shoved forward, his body numb to the pain of his toes roughly meeting the floor. Just keep thinking about Hermione; soon you'll see her smiling face-well maybe not smiling. But-Harry's thoughts were interrupted as he felt Draco halt and move to his side. A neat click and a swoosh of air told him Draco had opened the door. Suddenly the pressure of a hand pushing him through the doorway sent him sprawling on the floor.
"Harry! Oh Harry, are you all right?" a deliciously familiar voice called, footsteps sounding as she approached him. In an instant the blindfold was removed, light poured mercilessly into his sensitive eyes. Slender arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a warm embrace. "Harry-you're alive!" Something wet began to seep into the shoulder of Draco's precious silk clothing.
Tears, Hermione is crying. Harry realized, his fingers gently rubbing her back in small circles. "It's okay Hermione, I'm right here, I'm here."
Blinking, Harry's eyes adjusted to the light in the room. It was enormous. A massive bed that would have fit at least five people width wise and an incredible ten length wise. "A little bias Malfoy? You gave me a dinky cell and you give her a silk covered palace," Harry remarked dryly, trying to elicit some kind of amusement from Hermione.
Instead he earned himself a combination of a glare and an outraged squeak, "Harry Potter! I don't care about all this, I'd much rather be in that cell with you," Harry got a mouthful of hair as she whirled around to face Draco, "and you! You're keeping him in a cell when you have dozens of extra rooms?!"
Draco shook his head in dismay, "Granger, do you really think I'd soil one of my good rooms with that twit?"
Hermione rose her eyebrows, "Then why am I not down in the cell with him?"
Draco laughed outright, recovering quickly, "My dear Hermione, number one: He's a dangerous wizard. Number two: If you two were together you'd find a way out in a matter of minutes. Number three-nah, let's not go there."
Hermione's eyes narrowed, "Just what is that supposed to mean?!"
Rather fond of his life, Draco retreated a few steps to safety, his eyes gleaming evilly, "Why--nothing. Anyways, I'll leave you two alone for a bit--" Dodging the slipper Hermione had launched at his head, Draco slipped out of the door and locked it, "Ugh, I hate that git!" she exclaimed, rather loudly.
"Aw, Granger, it hurts!" came Draco's muffled response, to which Hermione answered by chucking her other slipper at the door. "Bloody hell, stop tossing heavy objects, woman, you'll break the whole place down."
With a sniff, Hermione stuck out her tongue at the door and whirled around to face Harry, who was clogging his oncoming fits of laughter with half of Draco's shirt-sleeve. "Harry, how could you find that funny?!"
Giving up, Harry took his sleeve out of his mouth, the laughter came out in an explosion. Hermione's constant protestations only made him laugh harder, ("Harry it's not funny!").
Hermione noticed, "Harry, what's wrong, has he hurt you?"
Harry shook his head slowly, "No--I was just thinking about--"
"Ron."
Suddenly, Harry bent down and wrapped his arms around her, she was shaking. "It's okay, Hermione, you can cry, it's all right, to cry. I miss him too."
AN: Awww, cuteness! ^_^ . Please review, I wanna know whatca think, and I'll try and respond to each review at the bottom, under the dashy line. So, if you dun wanna read my comments to reviewers, then don't read below the dashy line! = ) This time I'm only replying to reviewers for chapter 5 and up, and each new chapter I'll reply to each reviewer. - °Mia° (I hold no credit for the answering reviews right on the fic idea, that's totally Lady Malfoy's. GO READ HER FICS! Lady Malfoy ll)
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cyanide blue- Dude, thank you for all of the reviews! Thank you so much for the urging of Harry chapters, it works out well ^_^ . As for the writing Draco well, I'm flattered. Hehe, though Sarathiel helps with him, I'm getting better at perfecting his attitude. So, [huggles] and thank you!
ESHONEY- Hehe, thank you for the incredible cheering section! I'll keep at it ^_~
Lady Tskuya- Je deteste is 'I hate' in french, thanks for the review! (Sarathiel took french, and she despised it, so she decided to stick it in, the nerd :P.)
EC- Thank for the enthused MOREs, I'll try to keep up the chapters :)
VeelaStar- Why thank you, [bow] hehe, just kidding. I appreciate the compliment, very much so! I shall do my best to keep Draco cute n' mean. And of course you didn't sound like an idiot!
Mirrors Reflection- Thanks very much for the praise, though I don't really deserve it. I'm gonna do my best to improve the story as far as plot goes . . . ^^;;
Carolyn- Thanks for all the comments! Looking back at the bed scene, I agree with you, the point was to show what rich bastard's the Malfoys are. I think we went overboard a little bit . . . ^^;;
THANKS EVERYONE!!! - °Mia°