Astoria tossed and turned in bed. Something was off, and in her sleepy haze, she couldn't pinpoint what. Then a scream startled her awake.
"Harry!"
Draco was sitting up on the bed, panting, a look of pain and panic on his face.
"What is it?"
"He's burning. I'm burning. My skin is burning. I can't breathe!"
Astoria pulled him by the hand and ran toward the fireplace, taking some floo powder.
"St Mungo's hospital!"
When they walked out of the floo, a big commotion was happening at St Mungo's magical emergency room. Healers and mediwitches zoomed by them. Draco forgot about his ailment and started walking around frantically.
"Harry! Harry Potter! Where is he?"
Astoria felt her heart sink. The feeling she had, the burning sensation Draco felt, it was not theirs. It was Harry's. He was in danger.
"They have him on that isolation room," a male voice made them turn—Draco round on the redhead Auror that had his face and clothes covered in ash.
"What happened?" Draco asked, almost yelling in Ronald's face.
"It was Dolohov. He was hiding in a cave. The arsehole knew we had him, and he started a Fiendfyre in that small space. He shot it at me before catching on fire himself. Harry jumped in front of me," Ron said, voice cracking.
"You let him get hurt! This is your fault, Weasley!" Draco launched forward. Astoria stood in front of him before the Auror had to stun him.
"Draco, calm down! This is not helping." Then she turned to face the redhead. "Are you ok?" Ron nodded sheepishly. At that moment, Hermione Granger walked out of the isolation room.
"He will be fine, but the burns were extensive. And he inhaled the cursed smoke. We will have to keep him in a magically induced coma for a few days. He is on a ventilator charm."
Draco fell on his knees, crying uncontrollably. Astoria reached for him, sobbing too.
"This is my fault. It's all my fault," Draco whimpered.
"Malfoy, this had nothing to do with you. We were on a mission; it is dangerous; these things happen," Ron said awkwardly, trying to calm down his former rival.
"I spent years wishing bad things on him. This is my fault; it's my karma," the disheveled blond mumbled between heavy breaths.
"That is absurd, sweetheart," his wife consoled him, then turned to Hermione. "Can you please check him too? We were in bed, I was restless, and then he woke up screaming, saying his skin was burning."
Hermione guided them to another room, where she ran some diagnostic spells.
"Everything seems to be in order." Then she asked discreetly: "are you...involved with Harry?"
Astoria nodded, wiping tears. "We have all been together for about two months."
Hermione smiled.
"I think what you both suffered was a mirage of Harry's accident. The bond between you is so strong that his suffering was too much for you two to bear. I'll give you both calming draughts; then, I will let you go in and see him for a bit."
When she turned to leave the room, Draco called.
"Granger."
She turned around. He tried to speak, but his throat was still tight. Hermione smiled sweetly.
"I will take good care of him. You know I will."
The Malfoys nodded in gratitude.
After a few days, the Malfoys were allowed to stay by Harry's side. He was breathing on his own but still under a sleep spell. The couple took turns to spend the night. Then both would stay by his side all day.
Finally, Harry opened his eyes. His vision was blurry for a while; then he saw the sleeping silhouettes. He silently Accio his glasses. Astoria was on the bed, curled onto him. Draco was sitting on a chair on the other side of the bed, resting his head on Harry's arm. They were holding hands over the Gryffindor's chest. If there was a perfect way to wake up from a bad dream, this was it.
"Never have I ever seen anything more beautiful," Harry's voice sounded coarse.
The other two opened their eyes. Astoria burst into tears and peppered kisses all over his face. Draco took the hand closest to him and kissed it softly, then held it between his in a silent prayer of thanks.
Two days later, a romantic breakfast in bed was happening at the Malfoy household.
"You two don't need to keep spoiling me. I recovered, I swear," Harry said between bites, as his gorgeous girlfriend was feeding him.
"We know you are a big, strong Auror," she mocked sweetly. "But what we are doing here is trying to convince you that life with us is more fun that life alone," she said, reaching to pass him the cup of coffee that Draco had poured.
"I know that life is better with you two than without you. I have known that for a while."
"Then why do you keep talking about going home?" asked Draco while buttering another crumpet.
"Because I have a house?" Harry asked, confused.
Draco slapped him on the forehead.
"Ouch! Malfoy!"
"Don't hit him," Astoria whacked the offending hand.
"He's a dumb-dumb!" Draco pouted. "Do I have to spell it for him?"
"Spell what, you nutters?"
Astoria removed the tray of food, and the couple sat facing Harry.
"We want you to move in with us."
Harry looked dumbfounded; then, his face opened in a smile.
"You are trying to get in my pants, aren't you."
Now it was Astoria who slapped his forehead.
"Ouch! You two need to learn how to make a proposal. You cannot bully me into living with you," he said chuckling.
"Fine," the statuesque witch stood up and let her nightgown and knickers fall on the floor. "How's this for a proposal?"
Harry pretended to think about it, then shoot Draco a look, eyebrow lifted in question. The blonde rolled his eyes and took off his pajamas.
"Now we're talking," Harry said smugly, his clothes hitting the floor.