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Chapter Five

Potions

Harry wasted no time going to the Headmaster and asking for time in the lab to brew the potion that he would give to Draco. With a searching look Severus Snape asked if he could help him and was not surprised when Harry smiled gently and refused his help.

"It is a difficult potion before hand and our conflicting magic's would disrupt the brewing process." He said softly. Knowing this to be true in some cases the Headmaster, and old Potions Master himself, agreed to clear the lab for him.

As Harry turned to leave Snape's voice stopped him at the door, "I am happy to see you back in one piece Mr. Potter. Mayhap, if you need to talk before you leave again, I could find the time."

Harry turned to see the knowing eyes on him and blushing he smiled gently at him, "Thank you Headmaster, it would be my pleasure."

And with a nod to the Headmaster he left and made his way to the infirmary to inform Pom that he had the blood and was going to the potions lab to brew what he needed. She nodded and taking him in her arms she hugged him tightly all the while searching his eyes intently. He smiled gently at her and pulling away walked to the lab.

He missed her smile of relief as she remembered the peaceful look she saw in his eyes for the first time in over a year. Maybe she would get her Harry back after all. She sent a silent 'Thank You' to the Unicorns for helping him and turned to get Draco ready.

As she prepared him for the potion that Harry was brewing for him she was surprised when he moaned. He wasn't supposed to be waking up! They had given him a dreamless sleep potion that should have keep him asleep for at least another three hours. Casting a somnulus on him she left to go ask Harry if it was safe to give him another dose of the dreamless sleep potion.

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Earlier Harry had prepared the ingredients he would need for the potion so all he had to do was light the fire underneath the cauldron and wait for the base liquid, phoenix tears and water from a mountain spring gathered on the first day of the full moon after a hard snow, to come to a boil before he added the newt's eyes and the gryphon tongue. As that simmered he took the Unicorn Blood and dropped a eight drops into a pestle, adding dried fig leaves and cinnamon, he ground the ingredients together until they formed a paste.

The mixture in the cauldron had begun to boil so he removed it from the fire and cast a freezing charm on it. The freezing charm had to be applied for no longer than five minutes, after that he boiled it again for precisely 35.6 seconds. He added the paste and stirred counterclockwise three times, clockwise five times, and then back counterclockwise eight times.

He waited until the paste had dissolved into the potion boiling in the cauldron before he stirred it the required eight times in a whirling pattern. He would let that boil until all the liquid was gone and all that remained was a powder in the bottom of the cauldron.

He set the stirrer down and turned to the smaller cauldron he had prepared earlier. He cast the unfreezing charm and watched as the base liquid he had prepared earlier slowly come to a boil. As that came to a slow boil, he added the rest of the Unicorn Blood and then he took the knife he had prepared earlier, with oils and an incantation, and drew it slowly across his wrist. While doing that he whispered the rite that would bind his blood to that of the Unicorn Blood.

Bring together these two

One shall meet

Where the other ends

So that both shall provide

What the one needs

Bring together these two

Let the will of the bringer

Decide the fate

So that none shall break asunder

What the bringer has brought

Bring together these two

As he quietly whispered the words Harry let sixty-four drops of his own blood fall into the boiling cauldron to join the Unicorn Blood already there. He felt a moment of lightheadedness as he stared at the blood mixing together. His head was pounding and his chest was feeling tight, but he forced himself to finish the potion to get it to Madam Pomfrey to give to Draco. He didn't understand the weakness, yes, the rite pulled his power from him, but he should have been able to recover from the blood loss quickly.

He fought the wave of blackness that threatened to overcome him. He didn't have the strength to heal the cut on his wrist so he worked around the blood flowing from the laceration, very mindful not to get any more blood in the cauldron. He was so cold and his hands were shaking now. The power drain had him close to comatose with its effects. He didn't understand what was happening, this really should not be happening.

He let the combined blood boil for another 120 seconds before he extinguished the flame. He sighed. It was done. He was reaching for a vial to combine the two when he paused at the wave of dizziness he was feeling. His head jerked up at the startled gasp coming from the lab door and his dazed eyes widened.

"Harry?" The Medi-witch gasped out in disbelief at what she had just seen.

"Pom?" Harry questioned weakly. "what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Malfoy is waking up, I came to ask you if it was all right to give him another sleeping potion." Pom said sharply.

"Yes, you can. He has to stay asleep for this to work." Harry said softly motioning to the table. He heard her gasp as his bloodied wrist came into view. He had to reach out and steady himself against the edge of the table or he would have fallen to the floor.

"Oh, son what have you done?" She cried out and rushed forward as Harry lost the grip he had on the table and on his consciousness and started to slowly fall into the blackness.

He caught himself against the edge of the desk as he swayed, the white spots in front of his eyes growing bigger and the chills making his body shake. "Get Snape. Notes, desk. Join the two together...get him to drink it." He managed to gasp out before he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

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He floated into consciousness. He mentally ran through his body, sending small fingers of his magic deep into himself. He sighed when the feeling of weakness slowly started to fade and he opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling he knew by heart. Pom must have been trying to send him a message by putting him in the bed he had spent most of his youthful days in. He grinned slightly at that thought but frowned quickly when he realized he had not gotten over all of his weakness. Even his teeth hurt! He quickly closed his eyes as the sunlight hit them, so, he had only been out for a while if it was still light out.

"Stupid Gryffindor!" Came the sarcastic voice of the Headmaster, a voice tinged with an emotion that Harry couldn't identify. "Too proud to ask for help. Conflicting magic's my arse. You just didn't want me to know what you were doing. You fool! Do you know what you have done? I know you are awake you foolish boy!"

Harry grinned again and opened his eyes to see a slightly concerned Headmaster, a worried Medi-Witch, and a very pissed off best friend.

"Did it work?" He asked softly with a grimace of pain as he tried to sit up.

"Did it work?" Ron asked incredulously. "DID. IT. WORK!"

"Mr. Weasley, if you can't keep your voice down I will have to ask you to leave." Madam Pomfrey snapped at him.

"Fine," Ron snapped back not even taking his eyes from Harry. "You said you would be safe, that you knew what you were doing, and you go and do something that stupid. Harry what were you thinking?" Ron asked with a softer but still accusatory tone.

"Ron..." Harry said softly staring sadly at his best friend. "Please not now."

"Later." Ron growled giving Harry a look that clearly said the conversation was not over. Harry nodded his head once to him to acknowledge his unspoken argument.

Harry turned to Madam Pomfrey and asked quietly again. "Did it work, Pom?"

Pomfrey smiled at him and nodded her head, "Yes Harry, we think it did, but we aren't for sure. Do you feel up to checking him?"

Harry sighed in relief. "I will check him now." He said as he sat up. He had to grip the edge of the bed to stop himself from sliding off unto the floor.

He was stopped by Snape's cold voice, "Do you realize what you have done Mr. Potter?"

Harry saw the understanding in the older man's eyes and a lump formed in his throat so that he was not able to reply. He smiled gently at the Headmaster and just gave him a slow nod of his head in acknowledgement. Snape sighed and turned from Harry to look at the other bed in the room.

"You are a great healer Harry." He said so softly that it was difficult to hear him. "Thank you for saving my Godson."

Harry's soft 'your welcome' was said to the retreating back of the Headmaster as he left the infirmary but Harry knew he had heard him and that was enough.

"Harry," Ron said grumpily beside him, "care to explain what that was all about?"

Harry turned to his best friend and grimaced at the look on his face. He remembered that look from years past, Ron was not going to let him go as easily as Snape had.

"I bound my blood to the Unicorn Blood." Was Harry's soft reply before he sighed and walked unsteadily over to the other bed. He could feel Ron's gaze on him as he struggled to come up with an answer to combat Harry's answer.

Harry withdrew his wand and leaning against the edge of the bed cast the spell that would reveal the sleeping man's condition. He sighed with relief as the colors flowing over Draco went from angry red and sickly green, his last update, to pale blue and soft white, a clear indication that he was on the mend.

"Why?" Came the harsh voice from behind him.

Harry flinched and weakly turned to face Ron, propping himself on the rail of the bed behind him. He smiled softly at Ron, "because it was the only way."

"You...THE ONLY WAY? Harry you're bound to Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed furiously.

"Yes and in the process I saved his life." Harry said gently as he eyed Ron sadly. "That is all that matters Ron."

"But why? Why would you bind him to you?"

"I did not bind him to me, Ron. I bound me to him." Harry explained softly and then waited for Ron's outburst.

Ron stared at Harry, tears in his eyes and horror on his face, as he finally comprehended what Harry had done. He had not been one of the best students in potions, true, but he hadn't been the worst either. He knew what Harry had done. He had not only bound his body to Malfoy but his soul as well, such was the properties of the Unicorn Blood that Harry had used in the potion to save Draco's life.

Harry had bound himself to a man that hated him.

"But why?" He questioned not able to keep the angry tears from falling or his voice from cracking.

Madam Pomfrey walked up to Ron and put a comforting arm around his shaking shoulders. "Do you think Harry would have let him die, Ron? Knowing what you know, do you think he could have done nothing?"

Harry felt tears threaten but he refused to shed them, instead, he turned to face his patient and the man he had bound himself to for the rest of his life and stared at the pale face longingly. It had been worth it. No matter the pain he would go through, and knowing Malfoy, Harry would go through pain, lots of it, it was still worth it.

Harry sighed sadly and not able to resist, let his hand rest briefly on the other man's cheek. Draco shifted and unconsciously turned his cheek more firmly into Harry's hand with a soft sigh. He ignored the flash of feeling he got from his fingers as he drew them across the pale cheek. "Get well love," he whispered low so that no one could hear him.

He turned back to his now composed best friend with another weak smile. They smiled tearfully at each other before moving in for a brief tight telling hug.

"You okay mate?" Ron whispered in his ear as he held him tight.

Harry smiled as he pulled away, "I will be." He said gently.

He turned to the medi-witch who was watching them with tear filled eyes as well before also giving her a brief but telling hug. Without another look at his patient he turned to leave the room. "I am going to my room. Please, call me when he wakes." He said softly as he slowly, and painfully, walked from the room to his own where he fell unto his bed in a deep sleep.

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Sorry guys about the mix up with chapter four. I fixed it as soon as I was told. I really hope that you guys like this chapter!

ENJOY!

LMG