Ok, so this chapter took me longer to get up than the first three. I would just like to say that reviews like "Why didn't they..." have always made me laugh quite a bit. I'll answer the questions that are probably to come and the couple that have already been asked right now: Because I wanted it this way.
Happy reading!
Chapter 4: One Step Closer, Two Steps Back
A day had passed since the boy's... unfortunate encounter with the Dark Lord. Now, Draco simply sat in his bathtub. He had been lying there since approximately four hours ago.
No matter what he did, no matter how hard he scrubbed his now raw skin, he couldn't get the filthy feeling to go away.
Draco Malfoy hated himself. He hated his own weakness.
He moved swiftly down the hall, ignoring the stares and whispers. He knew he didn't look as he should. He was aware of the gashes along his cheek that simply did not want to go away, no matter how many times he tried to conceal them with countless charms. Draco also knew that word had gotten around. He was probably the new joke of the school.
"Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin was a wimp and had been disowned by his own friends." What a charming conversation starter that was.
He had been in the infirmary for about two days. He had had no visitors. He just knew Blaise and Pansy had tried to come, but Pomfrey turned them away. He could picture her high-pitched voice. "No visitors. The poor boy needs his rest!"
Draco's main concern was Harry. Did Potter try to visit him too? Did Harry think that he was as pathetic as Draco thought himself to be? An overwhelming feeling of self-hatred flooded the blonde. He was so very weak.
His thoughts were interrupted by an attack from his left. Draco stumbled sideways but caught the unidentified object in his arms. He was shocked to see that Hermione had latched herself onto him.
"Oh, Draco. I'm so sorry about what I said. I really didn't mean it! I was just so angry at what they were saying. Draco, I'm so very sorry. Please forgive me!" she took a breath and pulled away to stare up at his face. "How are you feeling?"
Draco rubbed his side unconsciously. He had broken 4 ribs and punctured a lung. He wasn't even sure what else had gone wrong. All he knew was that he was sore. "I'm alright," was all that he could manage to say to the girl as his eyes scanned the distance for the person who saved his life.
"Harry went up to the infirmary." Hermione stated, almost as if she had been reading his mind. "He was actually making another attempt to come visit you. This must be his twentieth time. Madame Pomfrey keeps sending him away. He's been worried sick. No one has heard anything about your condition. Some of us thought you would be in there for weeks. That's mostly Ronald's fault, though. He described the scene so dramatically I'm surprised anyone believed him at all. He said your eye was hanging out of it's socket and that blood was flooding the floor around you." Hermione finished with a sigh.
Draco simply nodded, preoccupied with the fact that Harry had come a number of times to see if he was alright. 'Probably because he feels the need to protect the poor little weakling,' he thought. 'Just another duty of Saint Potter.'
Just then, the slapping of shoes against the hard floor could be heard behind Draco. Draco's vision was encroached by somebody's chest as he was enveloped in a bear hug. All he saw was darkness, and he prayed to Merlin that it was who he wished it would be.
Draco looked up, and could feel his heart beat faster as he came face-to-face with a very happy Harry.
"I've been worried sick, Draco." Draco blushed. He didn't want Harry to feel as if he needed protection. He struggled to find words to say as they began to walk, but didn't have to search far, as Harry spoke again.
"When I saw you lying there," he began, "my heart stopped. I thought you were dead. I thought... I thought they had killed you." his voice cracked as he said "killed" and Draco looked over and was surprised to see tears threatening to fall from Harry's eyes. They both stopped walking and faced each other to see that the corridor was suddenly abandoned with the exception of the two boys. Draco was confused.
"I... I didn't really know you cared."
"Draco. Of course I cared. For crying out loud, you were dying!"
"That's not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"
"I didn't know you cared about me."
Now tears were falling down Harry's cheeks. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I didn't know. After all that I did to you, why should you care about what happens to me?"
Harry found himself lashing out and pinned the smaller boy against the wall with slightly more force than he had intended to. Without thinking, he captured the blonde's lips with his own. He was pleased when Draco responded. Their tongues collided for what seemed like hours, and Harry found his hand had snaked its way underneat Draco's shirt to explore his chest.. Harry came to realize that Draco had stopped responding. He took his hand away from it's place and pulled away to find Draco shaking with tears in his eyes. Slowly, Draco slid to the floor and placed his head in his hands.
Harry was scared. He had just ruined everything. He had gained Draco's trust and he just blew it with a kiss and curious fingers. He knew that he had ruined their new friendship. He had abandoned Draco's trust. Harry knelt down next to a very upset Draco.
"Draco. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I don't know why I just did that. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." Harry kept muttering apologies as the smaller boy continued to shake almost violently. Harry moved to place a hand on his shoulder and was surprised to find Draco in his arms a moment later, sobbing into his chest. After a minute or two, Draco pulled away and rubbed his eyes after calming down a bit.
"I'ts not your fault, Harry. It was just me being stupid."
"Draco, being startled by a guy whom you are not interested in suddenly kissing you and feeling you up doesn't make you stup-"
"I am interested in you. I'm... very... interested in you, Harry."
Now Harry was even more confused. "Then why did you-?"
"I'm not good with... being close to people lately." Harry advanced on the smaller boy again.
"I can get you back to normal," he said seductively as he made to kiss Draco again. Draco turned his head and looked away.
"I don't think I'll ever be normal."
"I'm not sure that I understand."
"You shouldn't understand. I'm not making any sense."
"Can you explain it to me?"
"I'm not sure that I can, Harry."
"Why not?"
"It hurts me too much." Draco let out a whimper and found himself wrapped in Harry's arms again. He tensed up, but quickly relaxed. 'This is only Harry,' he thought. 'He would never do anything to harm me the way that father and that snake had.'
Harry looked down at the shaken form lying in his arms. He knew that this had something to do with the past summer. He knew that Draco would open up to him in time. Harry just hoped it was something that he could fix with time.
