Chapter Two
A Civil Conversation
Harry lay on his side on his bed in the Hospital Wing. Malfoy had been given the bed across from him. Harry could feel Draco's eyes on him; he had for the past ten minutes. Harry finally turned over onto his back, pulled himself up, and leaned back against his pillow. He stared at Draco for several minutes before saying, with a resigned sigh, "What? You've been staring at me for about twenty minutes now. What do you want?"
Malfoy looked thoughtfully at Harry for a few moments before replying. "Well, while you've been laying there, trying to avoid me, I've been thinking." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Don't say it Potter," Draco said, sighing, "Listen, we've been enemies ever since we first arrived at Hogwarts, because you insulted me. Now we're stuck in an empty, locked room together for seven whole days." Draco looked at Harry, "So you realize we're either going to end up killing each other... or... Yeah, killing each other." He shrugged. "Almost makes me think of the 'Noble Path' of suicide." Draco rolled over and pretended to go to sleep.
Harry stared at Draco, a look of surprise on his face, for a moment before rolling over and pretending to sleep as well.
Draco opened his eyes and looked around the dark Hospital Wing. His idea of pretending to sleep had actually turned into a light sleep. He sat up and immediately looked over to Harry's bed. He too, was sleeping, although, not peacefully. He was crying out and turning over, and over, and he was whimpering in pain. Draco pulled himself out of bed, as quickly as he could without feeling dizzy. He hurried over to Harry's bed, and only then did he hear what Harry was muttering.
"No... Not Cedric! Leave him alone! Cedric duck! " Harry murmured. Suddenly he was still. Draco paused, looking surprised. Then, it seemed, Harry's dream changed.
"Nooo..." he murmured, "Don't touch him Ron, it wasn't Draco's fault. Just leave him. Go Ron. Draco..." Draco's eyes widened as Harry's lowered to almost a sweet whisper, "Draco..."
A shiver ran down Draco's spine. He stepped up to Harry's bed and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. He shook Harry gently, "Harry, c'mon Harry. Wake up!"
Harry stirred. "Draco..." he murmured, still half asleep. Harry opened his vivid green eyes, and looked straight into a pair of concerned, but smiling, storm gray eyes. "Draco!" he said, sitting up, surprised, "What are you doing here?" Harry was clearly confused. Draco smiled, not a mean smile, but a nice one. Harry smiled back, but then realized he was smiling at Draco Malfoy, and that was enough to wipe the smile off his face. Draco stopped smiling, looking slightly surprised.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"Well, we got in a fight, landed ourselves in a locked room together for seven days, and not to mention we're in the hospital wing at this very moment in time. There, that answer you question?" Draco replied.
Harry looked surprised for a moment, then as the memories came speeding back to him, he said, "I remember now. You mean, you don't mind the fact-" But Harry was cut off by the sudden arrival of Madame Pomfrey.
"No fighting you two! I think you've done enough of that to last you a week," she smiled sweetly.
Draco glared at her. He looked back at Harry, gave him a quick smile, and stalked back to his bed.
Madame Pomfrey gave Draco a reproving glare, before bustling over to Harry to give him a quick check up, to make sure he was all right. She did the same to Draco, pronouncing them both fit. "Now," she said, a slightly threatening tone to her voice, "Classroom 302 is where you two will be spending the next week. Your stuff has been taken up to the room, and it has been set up with a bathroom and two beds. Follow me."
Madame Pomfrey stalked out of the Hospital Wing, with Harry and Draco following behind her.
"So what were you going to say?" Draco said quietly to Harry.
Harry looked at him. "What?" he asked, confused.
Draco looked at Harry, smiling teasingly, "I thought they said you were smart, Harry." Draco said it in a friendly way.
Harry started. He couldn't remember Draco ever calling him anything nicer than 'Potter' and never had Harry heard Draco tease him in a friendly way.
Harry smiled. "You know Mal- Draco, I mean, this is our first civil conversation."
Draco laughed, "I realized that. But you're still not answering my question. Before, you were going to ask me something. It started out, 'You mean, you don't mind the fact-'" Draco raised his eyebrow expectantly.
Harry stared at his feet as they carried him down the hall. "Uh, well, I was going to ask you if you mind spending a week locked up with me. Because, you know, how we seem to be, well,getting along and, you know, everything." Harry shook his head, and continued to watch his feet.
Draco was about to say something, when Madame Pomfrey stopped suddenly; causing Harry to stop dead, and Draco to trip over him, sending them sprawled out on the floor on top of each other. Harry and Draco smirked at each other before picking themselves up.
Madame Pomfrey looked at the boys. "In here," she said, pointing to the room. Harry and Draco scampered inside and watched as Madame Pomfrey made to close the door, saying a few last reminders as she did. "Once you are locked in, there's no way of getting out of here until your week is up. Goodnight Boys." Madame Pomfrey smiled sweetly as she closed the door.
Draco and Harry could here all the magical locks shutting on the outside of the door, and as the last one locked itself, they heard a loud PING.
"Time lock," Draco muttered, shaking his head, "There's no way we're getting out of here."
Harry looked around the room. "There's our homework, our beds and the food." He looked at Draco. "So now you have to answer my question. Do you think you're going to mind spending a week locked up with me?"
Draco looked at Harry appraisingly, and Harry shivered inexplicably.
Draco smiled when he saw Harry shiver. "Well, I used to think it was going to be hell, but now I don't think is will be too bad," Draco smiled. He went and sat down on one of the beds.
Harry went and stood by one of the windows. "It's getting even later," he commented, unnecessarily. He looked at his watch, "It's almost midnight." Harry looked back out the window, "And it's a full moon." Suddenly he caught his breath. "Draco! Come look at this!"
Draco willingly pulled himself off the bed and went over to stand next to Harry. Draco caught his breath at what he saw, "It's beautiful." Nervously pawing the ground at the edge of the forbidden forest was a startling bright white unicorn. The unicorn tossed its head, its mane sparkling in the light of the full moon, and took off into the forest, kicking up a cloud of dust as it went.
Harry nodded, still breath-taken by the sight.
Draco leaned against the window frame, in a strikingly handsome way (as Harry noticed) and turned to look at Harry. "Y'know Harry, when I woke you up? Well, you were talking in your sleep and I heard what you were dreaming about." Draco bit his bottom lip.
Harry looked surprised, and his eyes widened as he started to blush. Harry remembered the two dreams he had had. The first was of the night he had witnessed Voldemorts return and Cedrics death. The second had been and dream he'd been having fairly often now; it was a recurring one. It started off the same, Draco and Ron fighting, and then he, Harry, would step in and break them apart. Once Harry had calmed them down, he would tell Ron to go with Hermione and then he and Draco would... Well, he wasn't about to get into that...
Harry looked at Draco. "Erm... Did you? You mean my recurring nightmare of the night Voldemort returned? The night Cedric died?" Harry paused, waiting for Draco's answer.
Draco bit his lip harder and looked Harry straight in the eye. "Yes... and your second dream as well..." Draco watched Harry's handsome profile go rigid in the dark room. They hadn't bothered to turn on the lights when they came in.
Harry sighed and relaxed. He put his head on the cool window, and his arm above his head resting against the glass. He tried to organize his thoughts. "Well... I take it you know what my dream was about then..." Harry said, his voice trailing off.
Draco smiled, "I just wanted to know if it was true..."
Harry grimaced and whispered something quietly enough that Draco didn't quite catch it.
Draco stepped closer to Harry and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "What was that?" he asked softly, "I didn't quite catch it..."
Harry turned to face Draco, still leaning against the window. "It's true..." He muttered, blushing again.
Draco paused, looking into Harry's eyes. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of Harry's face, and Draco let his hand slide down Harry's face and linger on his cheek. "I thought so," he said simply. Draco turned and went to lie on his bed.
Harry watched Draco's every move. Once Draco had settled down, Harry turned and looked back out the window. "Night Draco..." he murmured.
"Night Harry," came a whisper, causing Harry to start slightly.
