Oblivio Nex
Chapter 2
The next day Harry woke late. He looked outside the window next to his bed and noted with surprise that it was already noon. The sleeping draught Madam Pomfrey had given him must have been quite potent to make him sleep for so long. He remembered his reluctance to go to sleep last night and smiled. How could anyone not be reluctant to leave someone so beautiful? He glanced at the only other occupied bed in the Hospital Wing and smiled widely. Draco was sure to be awake by now, even if his bed curtains were still closed. And if not...
Harry grinned wickedly.
He climbed out of bed, jumping a little when his bed-warmed toes touched the cold stone floor. He tiptoed to the other bed and pulled back the curtain with a dramatic flourish. His mouth froze in a perfect 'o' when he looked at what he'd revealed and decided to not rudely awaken Draco after all. Harry blushed crimson in amazement at the sight in front of him.
Draco was still asleep, and it appeared he slept in the nude. Harry stood there, entranced, as he looked at the other boy. A peaceful expression graced Draco's pretty face, making him look like some kind of innocent angel. His long elegant neck, connecting his heart-shaped face to his smooth bare chest, was the same silky white that covered all his body. The grey sheets came just up to his hips, allowing Harry a much more intimate look of the boy then he'd ever had (at least, as far as he could remember), and Harry's breath caught in his throat as he noticed a fine line of soft white blonde hair that travelled invitingly down to Draco's groin. He smiled slightly at the thought that at least he hadn't fallen for a bottle blonde.
For it seemed that the slender boy did indeed provoked some kind of powerful reaction in him, one that Harry could not ignore. He'd known the boy for barely a few moments yet that was all it had taken for Harry to recognise the odd connection they shared, as well as giving him enough time to become fixated with Draco's more attractive assets, which oddly enough had taken even less time then the recognition of their strange connection…
The Gryffindor continued to gaze at Draco hungrily until the delicate looking boy stirred with a quiet moan.
Harry smiled tentatively as Draco's dark lashes slowly fluttered open. The boy smiled at him sleepily but suddenly his silvery eyes widened when he realised that he wasn't precisely decent. Draco grabbed the covers and pulled them up modestly while looking at everything but Harry. He wondered how long the Harry had been there, and his cheeks pinked as he thought of Harry watching him while he slept. It was quite pervy really, but Draco couldn't stop the pleased, almost giddy rush he felt when wondering if he had captivated such interest from the raven-haired boy. Hell, Harry was hot and Draco had certainly noticed, it was nice to think he was being noticed back.
Harry flushed a little at the blonde's blush and with a playful grin he tried to cover his embarrassment at being caught.
"In the nude, Draco?" Harry teased, his eyebrows arching critically.
Draco pursed his lips together in what he thought was an angry manner. Personally Harry thought it was one of the most erotic sights he'd ever seen.
"I was hot," he said, now a little irritated that Harry had caught him in such an awkward and vulnerable position – and still hadn't left.
"Mmm," Harry agreed absently, still a little dazed from the sight of Draco's naked form.
"Well, are you going to let me dress?" the other boy asked, exasperated.
Harry flushed a little at his obvious lechery and grinned apologetically.
"Sure," he said, quickly retreating back to his own bed.
Harry didn't know if he had any other clothes and as he couldn't find any, he decided he might as well stay in the pyjamas he'd woken up in. He waited for Draco to finish; impatiently sending wondering looks towards the other's bed.
Soon the boy opened the bed curtains, and Harry grinned as he saw that Draco was once again dressed in the soft grey silk pyjamas he'd seen him in before.
"What?" Draco asked, as he saw what could only be described as a leer flicker over Harry's face.
"Nothing," Harry said quickly.
Draco looked at the brunette suspiciously, taking in Harry's flannel nightwear and inwardly groaning at how gorgeous the boy looked – and this was flannel!
"So, do you know where we are?" Harry asked as Draco sat down opposite him on the bed.
"Have no idea, you?" Draco asked.
"No… I wonder why we've forgotten everything," Harry mused.
Draco frowned as he pondered the same thing,
"Well, that nurse said we were in an accident, right, so maybe we got knocked on the head?" Draco proposed.
Harry thought about this for a moment and then shook his head, wondering why the explanation just didn't feel right.
"No, I don't think that's i-"
"You're both awake then!"
The boys looked up to see a rather cheerful old man in purple robes walking toward them as he came through the doors. Three people, the nurse Madam Pomfrey and two other adults neither boy recognised, followed him. One was a tall stern looking woman who seemed to be quite angry. The other was a pale greasy haired man who had a sour look on his face. Neither looked very happy.
"Um, hello?" Harry said.
"Harry, dear boy! Do you have any recollection of who I or the others with me are?" The old man asked gently.
"No, no, I'm sorry I don't," Harry apologised.
"It's alright, is it the same for you, Draco?" The silver bearded man asked.
"Yes," Draco said nervously, watching the irritation increase on the other two adults' faces.
"I told you, Dumbledore, tabula rasa! Completely obliterated, I have no clue how they've done it but-"
The old man (apparently, "Dumbledore") interrupted the nurse gently.
"Yes, Poppy, it appears you are correct. Hmmm. Have you tested them for spells or potions yet?"
"No, I was more concerned with bringing them back from their comas," the nurse sniffed.
"Well, there's plenty of time now, never fear! I do wonder what happened, though," Dumbledore mused.
"Isn't that obvious? It was Potter, in yet another pathetic plea for attention. He was probably trying to curse Draco when he stupidly reflected it back onto himself as well," the black haired man sneered.
Both Harry and Draco were a little taken aback by this.
Draco irritably wondered what the man had got against Harry. The boy had been nothing but nice to him, nicer than this man anyway, and he certainly wasn't going to allow some greaseball to say such things about his friends.
"Harry wouldn't do something like that!" Draco objected angrily.
All the adults turned to stare at the boy incredulously, all except Dumbledore, who seemed to be trying to cover up a smile. Draco shifted uncomfortably under the adults' stares and wondered what was going on. Had he taken it too far?
"I'm sorry, but it seems to me that Harry's not the kind of person who would do something like that," Draco said, still pushing his point, he felt that this had to be clarified – there was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this mess was anything but Harry's fault.
Harry smiled at Draco appreciatively and the slender boy flushed at Harry's pleased gaze.
"That if anything proves the severity of the memory damage," the nurse muttered to Dumbledore, out of the boys' hearing.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Well, it seems as if we have quite a lot to do here," Dumbledore said happily.
Harry caught the other three adults looking at the older man with identical expressions of annoyed vexation and tried he to hide his smile. He liked the headmaster and his easygoing manner. Dumbledore was nice - in an old, cheerful, slightly eccentric sort of way.
"What about their school work, Headmaster? They will fall behind," the stern woman put in, still looking mildly irritated.
"Let's not worry them with that, Professor. They'll recover quite soon, I'm sure of it, and when they do they will be able to catch up. Besides the memory problem would probably restrict their progress," Dumbledore smiled.
"Sir? What school work, and would you mind telling us where we are?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore smiled at him kindly.
"Of course, so sorry Harry. I imagine that this is all a bit tiring for both of you. You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, this is Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said as he gestured to the man and woman with him.
Harry and Draco looked at each other in realisation.
"So we're students here?" Draco asked.
"Yes, and you both appear to have done something to make you forget. Do you remember anything at all about your lives?"
"No, not really. I remember information, like I know that Hogwarts exists, but I didn't know I went - go here," Draco said, frowning, "I can't remember anything about people or my experiences. I can remember how to cast a Summoning charm but I don't know who my family or friends are."
Dumbledore nodded seriously and exchanged worried glances with the other two professors.
"And you, Harry?"
"I feel the same. I know things, like there are Quidditch teams, the Chudley Cannons and the Wimbourne Wasps but I can't remember who's on them or who I like better. It's as though it's on the edge of my mind but I can't get at it," Harry said, frowning.
"There are several potions that may have caused this," Professor Snape said. "Some of which are quite dangerous. One of the boys may have got into my stores and tried something with one of the potions there," Snape said, looking pointedly at Harry.
Harry and Draco scowled at the man.
"Well, we certainly won't rule out that possibility. Professor Snape, if you could work with Poppy on this it would speed up the process," Dumbledore asked.
"We'll all be helping. Certainly it will lower the risk if we can get this done as fast as possible," McGonagall put in quickly before Snape could object.
Snape scowled but nodded reluctantly.
"Good, good! Well then, I think it would be for the best if both of you boys stayed in the Hospital Wing for now," Dumbledore said to Harry and Draco, who each nodded quickly – after all even a memory-impaired boy knew that school wasn't exactly all fun and games.
"I do suggest we give them their work, though, Headmaster. Since they both remember their past work, they may as well catch up during their absence with what they will miss," McGonagall said.
Both boys sighed, knowing they'd probably not get out of it now.
"Yes, I think that's a good idea. After all, it would be quite boring, I'm sure, if you were both kept in here with nothing to do," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry looked at Draco, and the boy returned his sceptical glance.
"But if we're going to do work anyway, why keep us in here?" Harry asked.
"I'd imagine it would be quite uncomfortable for you both out in the school. Many people have already asked where you are and if they knew that you had forgotten them, it would create quite a stir," Dumbledore chuckled.
Draco wondered why he felt that that was not all the man was thinking about and frowned a little at the niggling feeling that they weren't being told everything.
"Is there anything we should know? Anything important?" Draco asked slowly.
"All you are required to know is that you need to get better, Mr. Malfoy. I'm sure you'll know everything again soon enough," Professor McGonagall answered firmly.
Dumbledore gave them all a bright grin.
"Well then, I suppose that's all. We'll do everything we can for you both, and we'll all stop in from time to time. If you need anything, just ask Madam Pomfrey and she'll send word to me," Dumbledore smiled.
"Er, sir?" Draco asked.
"Yes?" Dumbledore smiled, looking down at the boy.
"Can we have our clothes?" the Slytherin asked, gesturing to his pyjamas.
"Of course! I'll have the house elves bring both of your things down," Dumbledore said.
"Thank you," Draco smiled in relief, ignoring the odd glance from the other two professors.
"Well, we'd best leave. I'm sure Professor McGonagall will soon send up your work. Goodbye," Dumbledore said as he walked away with the two ruffled looking professors in tow.
Harry and Draco waved them off and when the door was closed, turned to each other, both a little lost.
"Well, now that that's over I think it's time you both showered. The wing can't take unwashed adolescents for too long," Madam Pomfrey said.
"But what about our clothes?" Harry asked.
Madam Pomfrey sighed and gestured to a door that was connected to the Hospital Wing that neither Draco nor Harry had noticed before.
"You'll share a room now, seeing as you'll both be staying here a while and because the students... well, this is your room, and there's your clothes." Pomfrey led them into quite a spacious room with two beds, a desk, and a couple of comfortable looking chairs. There was a large window facing the west and the room even had a fireplace. Two chests had been placed at the foot of the beds. One was green, with 'Draco Malfoy' inscribed on it in silver. The other was a tatty old chest that seemed to almost defiantly proclaim its owner to be 'Harry Potter'.
The two boys grinned at each other when they saw their new room.
"You don't mind sharing, then?" Madam Pomfrey asked, her eyebrows raised at the two boys' smiles.
"No, this is great!" Harry said enthusiastically.
Draco gave a small smile.
Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes at their excitement and retreated to her office.
"Just don't forget about the adjoining bathroom and have a shower - and try to keep the noise down," she warned.
Draco and Harry looked at each other and laughed, unable to believe their luck. They had both got what they had secretly wanted: more time with each other.
-
To be continued…