Title: Learning Paradise

Author: RainShadow

Rating: PG-13, R later

Part: 3/10

Beta Reader: Klee (she's on vacation, so she only read 'bout half of it -_- poor me)

A/N: Thank yous at the end ^_^

Learning Paradise

~Chapter Two~

The Dark Lord was weakened, and Ronald Weasley advanced on him with vengeful fury. "Where's Harry, you bastard?!" he screamed, too angry to be frightened, shooting a curse at You-Know-Who.

"If you destroy me, you destroy the only key to Potter," The Dark Lord knew he was cornered, but he was taking that damned Mudblood's child with him. Then, for the first time, there was fear in You-Know-Who's twisted face, as Ron felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder. "Dumbledore," he snarled, "Not even you will find him!"

"Together then, Ron?" the old wizard whispered in his ear, and Ron grimly nodded. Beside them Hermione stood, her hair wild and her eyes blazing, and the three of them banished Voldemort and all that remained was a green puff of smoke, and then, not even that.

Ron dropped his wand as if it scalded him. Instantly Hermione was in his arms, holding him, hugging him.

"Not all is lost," Dumbledore said kindly.

"But you heard what he said-!"

"Ah, but we found his wand, whole and well," and Dumbledore produced Harry's wand with a flourish. "We also have Voldemort's wand, which we can use to see what kinds of spells he cast. We may yet find Harry."

~

Everything was a haze of red pain as Harry Potter supported his skinny frame, and that just added to the absurdness of the situation. He mumbled something over and over like a prayer and he wasn't even aware that he was speaking until again this voice invaded his pain-daze.

"Water? C'mon, you can make it, right over here..." and then sweet bliss as smooth, forgiving liquid opened up and engulfed his hurting body. He swallowed great gulps of it, blessed, blessed water. Abruptly his body was hauled up, and there came an appalled exclamation from Potter.

"Shit, Malfoy, you're sunburned all to hell!" Draco was shivering horribly now, and he weakly tried to pull away from Potter's grasp and get back into the water. Then the temperature change and sunstroke got to him and he went limp in Harry's arms.

Harry stared down at the lobster-red teenager, dumbfounded. Why was Draco Malfoy *here*? //Well, he's not going to answer any questions now,// Harry picked the unconscious Slytherin up, who thankfully was quite light. He trudged back to the cave, trying not to further injure his wounded leg and hoping against hope that Malfoy was some loophole to the limbo he was stuck in.

~

"An exilies spell," Albus Dumbledore sighed, and Hermione gasped.

"What? What's that?" Ron said.

Sirius Black groaned and covered his face in his hands. "I shouldn't have sent him, he's much too young, I'll never forgive myself..."

"What is it?!" Ron shouted.

"It's a spell... Harry's been exiled to another plain of existence."

"Well, let's get him back here then, shall we?"

"I fear it's not that easy, Ronald. You see, only the caster of the spell can undo it."

"Oh Harry-"

"My best friend is stuck on another plain of existence and *we can't get him back?!*"

~

Something cool and wet was on his forehead, easing the pounding heat in his skull. Draco cracked an eye open.

"Damn." he croaked, and Harry, who had been kneeling next to him, jumped. "You weren't a dream."

"Nice to see you, too, Malfoy," Harry said coldly. He pulled the soaked rags from his robes off of Malfoy and left them in a soggy heap.

"What the hell is going on-" Draco started to sit up, when a warm hand pressed on his chest, firmly pushing him down. Draco glared at the green-eyed teenager.

"No way, you're way too sick to get up."

"Since when do you care about my well-being?!" Draco snarled. Harry fell silent. "Anyway, I have to take a piss."

"Whatever." Harry dismissed.

Draco smirked, then got up quickly, too quickly, banging his head on the low stone ceiling. "Shit!" he yelled, slinking down and clutching his head.

Harry looked up, amusement dancing like fireflies in his eyes. "Guess you're too tall." he observed cheerfully.

"And you're not?" he responded icily.

Harry stood to his full height, his unruly hair merely brushing the roof. Draco scowled balefully at him, and Harry smirked at him, both of them forgetting in an instant the present situation as the slipped into the comfortable //familiar?// action of bickering with each other.

"Nope." Draco frowned, and Harry laughed. Then stopped. For one brief moment, their eyes met in confusion, then Harry sat down, a guarded look on his face. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Cat got your tongue, Potter?"

"Go pee or whatever." Harry waved a hand at the entrance.

Draco closed his eyes as a brief spell of dizziness passed over him, then he tottered outside. It was dim, the sun had gone down, and chilly already. Draco did his business fast and stumbled back inside. His head was killing him, and the swelling, egg-sized bump sure wasn't helping. He rubbed his temples.

"Where the hell are we, anyway?" he finally voiced the question that had been burning in his mind the whole time.

"Dunno." Was Harry's quiet response.

"You don't know? You, perfect Potter?" Draco said in disbelief.

Harry bristled. "Screw you! I'm not perfect, and I got here because *He* sent me here!"

Draco's eyes widened. "Oh." For once he didn't have a smart comeback.

"Yeah. So how did *you* get here?"

Now Draco was uncomfortable. "Just, my father..." he mumbled.

"Your *father*?!" Harry said incredulously.

"I don't want to talk about it, especially not with you!" he snapped.

"Fair enough." Harry rummaged around in the little bags he'd created. "Here," he said, tossing a peach to Draco.

"Thanks," he said automatically, and then blinked. He'd just thanked... He glanced swiftly at Potter, who hadn't seemed to notice. He bit into the peach, lost in thought. It tasted good, warm and juicy. But when it hit his stomach...

"Oh *crap*" he moaned, hurtling out of the cave. He fell onto his knees and vomited into the dirt. "Yuck," he said faintly. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and to his shock, Potter was there, gripping his arm gently. "Christ!" he yelped in surprise. Harry merely shook his head and guided him to the stream. In a daze, Draco washed his mouth, and then the two stumbled in the darkness back to the cave.

Draco watched as Harry heaped some ferns together, then laid the remains of his robes over it. He glanced up, and Draco looked at him, confusion in his stormy gray eyes. Harry jerked his head at the bed he had made. "Go on,"

Well, he wasn't about to pass up this for a bed of rock. He collapsed onto the heap, and fell asleep almost immediately, his fevered brain swimming in confusion.

~

TBC soon.

Thank you's go to: Avalon Princess (I will email you, no problem ^_^), Schulyr (I hope it lives up to its potential), Maddy, o0opryalishao0o, Shila (I'm glad you liked the style-- I did too!), internalscream, Aiera, Hana-chan (I know, sunburns suck, ne?), Melanie, and Intangible Lollipop (haven't I seen you somewhere before? Your name is really familiar...)

See, *they* reviewed! Don't *you* want a nice thank-you, too? Review! ^_^

One more thing, no, two more things. #1. The next part is about halfway written, it should be up um... dunno. soon. school starts on the 5th so.... :( #2. *whistles innocently* fans of "My Fire My Love" might want to check out my site for a sneak peek of something... here, copy and paste this... [smearedsilver.8m.com/mfml10.html] don't you love me? I know.

~RainShadow