Chapter-4-ready to fal

Harry pushed open the door and listened for the light footfalls of the now invisible Malfoy that had been following him through the castle and to the front of the Room of Requirement to pass by him and into the waiting room before closing it once more.

The door would disappear from the outside, leaving him and Malfoy all the time in the world to sit in this room. Together. After Malfoy had just been tortured by his own father. Quite honestly, Harry's mind was still reeling in shock from the series of events that had just taken place only, what, ten minutes ago?

He looked around the relatively small room quickly, noting the plush looking couch near a lit fireplace and the table in front of it containing non-magical medical supplies. Malfoy took off the cloak and Harry's eyes went back to the wounded wizard, wincing slightly at the shape the usually proud boy usually was.

"Alright. You should probably sit down, I suppose," Harry suggested awkwardly, hating how hesitant his voice sounded.

Malfoy nodded and started walking towards the couch, his limp more pronounced after the long trek through the castle. Harry tried not to stare and instead walked forward and tried to busy himself and give the blonde some privacy by looking through the medical supplies.

There was ointment, some bandages, a few clean rags, a basin full of clean water to wash away the blood, and a few small vials of varying shades and hues that Harry didn't know the purpose of. He glanced up to find Malfoy wincing in pain, slowly lowering himself down onto the couch, trying his hardest not to make a noise as his bruises and wounds shifted and touched the piece of furniture.

Harry fiddled with the supplies, laying them out on the table to give Malfoy a bit more time to situate himself before finally looking up and approaching him, the ointment in hand.

"The, um, Room provided some ointment. There aren't any instructions or anything, but I think I'll just clean it up then apply some of this medicine so it doesn't get infected?"

Malfoy just nodded, trying to cover up his discomfort. We're in the same boat, then, Harry thinks before getting closer with the clean rags, bringing the bason closer. He took a deep breath.

Draco watched wearily as Harry soaked a rag in the water and rang it out, the water trickling into the bowl and making the silence even more awkward. Then he turned and grabbed Draco's arm gently, unbuttoning the cuff and slowly pulling up the stained and torn white sleeve to reveal a deep gash on his arm.

Draco felt the uneasy knot in his stomach pull tighter, and he glanced around the room, looking anywhere but Potter. But he found himself being pulled in by those glittering emerald eyes. Merlin, Draco could stare into the varying shades of glowing green forever and never get bored. And he had, for years. Looking for those bright orbs in the crowded halls of Hogwarts, teasing Potter in hopes that he would just look at him.

"Am I hurting you?"

Draco snapped back to reality, to find Harry looking at him uncertainly , a blood-soaked rag in his hand. Draco looked down at his now clean arm and remembered that he was Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater. In a room with the Chosen One.

"No," he replied hesitantly.

"I need to look at your chest. Could you...um..." Potter trailed off, instead gesturing his hand at Draco's stained shirt.

Draco startled, his eyes darting quickly to look at his shirt before glaring at Potter. "Is that really necessary?" he bit out maybe a little too harshly, unconsciously pulling his left arm off of his lap and pressing it into his side.

The thought being shirtless in Potter's presence made his stomach flip, and he feared a blush was creeping up to his cheeks. Stop it, he scolded himself. There was no reason to think that way.

Potter did not flinch away from his words, instead pressing forward like the insufferable git he was.

"Mal-" he paused, looking uncertain for a second before his features softened and instead said, "Draco…" Draco searched his emerald gaze, looking for any judgement or ill-intent. But he found none, instead seeing concern and a gentleness Draco had not been on the receiving end of for a very long time.

Harry watched as Malfoy's posture turned defensive, curling in against himself almost unconsciously. It was like he was wanting to from Harry, but in a different way than he had in the other years of Hogwarts.

"Mal-" Harry cut himself off. Calling him Malfoy seemed wrong in this moment. Insensitive, almost. "Draco," he tried again, more softly this time.

Harry watched Draco's eyes widen a bit and he pulled away a bit. Had he said something wrong?

But instead he looked away, sighing before glaring up at him again.

"Fine, Potter. But don't you dare think that this changes anything," he bit out. "I don't need your help and don't you forget it. This is a one time ordeal. I can't deal with your need to feel like you are a part of every little thing that happens at Hogwarts. You and your House's insufferable knack for chivalry is practically unbearable-"

Harry watched as one by one, Draco undid each of the buttons on his shirt, revealing pale skin underneath. Draco continued to rant, never making eye contact with Harry as he slowly peeled away his shirt. Harry sat and let him ramble, but soon his eyes caught on a large gash that was revealed part way down his chest and his jaw dropped open.

"-because you really are an insufferable git, you know that, Potter?"

Draco had taken off his shirt at this point, laying it next to him on the arm of the couch. His lean build was muscular, and Harry couldn't help but trace his eyes over the outline of each muscle. But despite the obvious tone, the more Harry looked, the more appalled he became.

Draco's skin was marred with all sorts of horrible scars.

"Potter?"

Harry startled. "What?"

Draco looked Harry over and raised an eyebrow. "Enjoying the show?" Harry looks up and finds defensiveness in his ice blue eyes.

Harry immediately feels guilty and instead of responding he just picks up a clean rag, soaking it before gently wiping the blood away. As he cleans the new gashes from both the Cruciatus itself and thrashing on the ground, he can't help but look at the old wounds on his skin. Some are newer than others, and pucker out from the skin. Some look years old, and Harry doesn't want to wonder where they came from.

When the wound was nearly clear, Harry looked up to find Draco looking at him with his sparkling blue eyes. Suddenly the scars were forgotten, and Harry instead found himself looking at the fine angles of Draco's jaw and the way his lips were slightly parted. His platinum blonde hair was falling in just the right way, and his skin seemed to glow from the firelight.

Harry's breath caught with the sudden realization that he wanted to kiss Draco. Very badly.

Harry had fallen silent and Draco suddenly found that he couldn't continue to rant on and pretend that it wasn't the Boy Who Lived who was cleaning his wounds and looking at his scars.

And suddenly Draco was drawn in by Harry's bright green eyes that seemed tosparkle like gems, shifting and changing in the light.

He looked at Harry, and he took in every part of him. The tangled mess of hair that made him look like had just rolled out of bed. The way his glasses rested on the bridge of his nose just so. And the plump lips that he had been wanting to kiss for the past year.

Suddenly his breathing picked up and he found Harry had shifted so that his leg was now touching Draco's.

"Draco" Harry whispered.

And before he knew it their lips crashed into each other, hungry and messy as if they had been starved from each other. Harry's lips were soft and Draco could taste the remnants of a bottle of butterbeer. Their tongues intertwined, Harry running his hand over Draco's muscled chest. They kissed as if the world outside didn't exist. It was only the two boys, desperately needing someone to love them.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this, Potter," Draco murmured. He felt Harry laugh and Draco sat up to look at the beautiful boy sitting in front of him, love in his eyes.