Chapter 10: waking up...

Draco counted the minutes in his head. With every ticking moment, he found himself getting more and more frustrated and it did nothing at all to help his mood. He was sour and grumpy and for some reason, he could concentrate on nothing else aside his impending visit to Ron that night.

In his head however, is the nagging feeling that he was missing something. At least that took his mind off the anticipation he was feeling as he refocused his energy on what it was that he could have missed. It didn't take long, and it wasn't easy to arrive at the conclusion either but eventually he managed to get the million galleons question: "why was neither Harry nor Hermione surprised by him?"

After that question came a few more, both weakening his resolve and strengthening it. Like "why did it seem so normal to them that he was worried about Ron?"

"could it be they know Ron likes him?" because at that instant, he wasn't really sure if he was way over his head about the boy or if he was just in too deep and somehow Ron felt the same way.

Or even, "if it really was Harry who said 'i love you' to him a few nights ago, then why was he and Hermione acting all cuddly?" to get him jealous? No, that's not possible. He mused to himself. The brighter answer of course, would be that he was right and it really was Ron who had told him those words. But obviously he couldn't let himself believe that because the idea of going through the same amount and self doubt he went through just that morning...well, it wasn't a pleasant one.

Harry walked beside Hermione, hidden under the invisibility cloak as she went for her rounds, thinking how students seem to be too disciplined these days. It was not yet 9pm and there were hardly any students lurking in the halls.

When they were still juniors, they found /every/ reason to be outside after curfew. It just felt better somehow and knowing Snape might catch them and look down his large nose at them, well they hadn't looked forward to those moments but they sure as hell were fun.

Now, even the astronomy tower was empty. Seriously? It just felt so surreal...no late night inter-house rendezvous, no kissing Slytherins, no mischievous Gryffindors. It seemed the whole school really fell asleep.

Or maybe they're just hiding to pull a "Fred and George" he tried to kill his boredom with the thought but of course, reality being the mean bastard he...or she, is, wouldn't let him as his mind supplied helpfully, albeit unappreciated,

"There's a reason /that/ kind of stuff is called Fred and George, Harry.. Because those two are the only ones who can pull it off and /they/ haven't been in school for at least three years." he groaned, earning him a worried look from Hermione. "You know you don't have to be here, Harry. This is my responsibility."

"I know, Mione. I volunteered, remember? Besides i was just...i don't know, the change is so drastic now."

Hermione chuckled at him. "Well sorry if i actually like it this way. After all, it just makes my work easier."

Harry just shook his head at her, chuckling when he had realized she couldn't see the movement. They had visited Ron earlier. Spent two hours sitting by his bed, chatting and using his stomach as a 3 tray to keep their chocolate frogs. Keeping him updated on the days activities. Most specifically, Draco.

They'd teased the sleeping boy mercilessly and giggled further at the mere thought that if he were awake, he'd be a blazing hot shade of red or even walk out of the room but he hadn't been awake. Not in all the time they were there and when duty called, they knew they would certainly go back there to check on him.

Unexpectedly, but not surprisingly, they had seen Draco sitting outside the wing, waiting for visiting to start at 8:30pm but of course he hadn't seen them

Draco had walked into the room and headed straight to Ron's bed, looking around once more to see if Harry and Hermione had decided to show up. Nothing.

"Maybe they had decided to leave me alone with Ron" but he refused to think of the implications of that. Visiting hours at night was just 30 minutes and like hell he was going to just visit for 30 minutes. He looked around nervously, ascertaining that no one was paying attention to him; he pulled out his wand and cast an enhancement charm on himself.

He already had a headache but now his head was throbbing painfully and his skin was heated. Hoping this works, he laid his head on Ron's arm and closed his eyes.

Madam Pomphrey walked in at exactly 9:30pm, as punctual as ever, to shoo concerned friends out of the room. Surprisingly, Harry and Hermione weren't there...something that she never thought possible, but in their place was Draco Malfoy, looking ill himself.

With a slight frown, her exhaustion evident, she reached out to shake the boy awake but pulled back with a gasp.

Burning up skin wasn't a good thing no matter how you look at it. She cast a levitation spell on his bunched up form by Ron's bed and moved him to another bed, ridding him of his normal clothes and putting some Pajamas on him, a few medicines, spells and a wet towel patch on his forehead before turning off the light in the room and stepping out.

Draco waited a while after she was gone before jumping up from his bed and rushing off to Ron's bed, sitting by him as his hands held his, trailing patterns on the back of his hand with his fingers.

Ron felt it before he opened his eyes. It was a slow, light movement on his arm. At first he thought it could be an insect and was about to picture a spider when it moved, trailing back down his arm. "Nope. Definitely human" his brain analyzed but at the moment, he was uncertain if it was the good kind of human or the bad one.

Whichever it was, it seems to be waiting patiently for him to wake up so he slowly cracked an eye open to look at it and nearly elapsed into shock again because right there, with the moon light fleeting softly across his unmistakably blond hair, was Draco Malfoy.

"I just died and went to heaven" his brain sighed happily, calming him down in the process and avoiding that impending stroke. "Draco?" he whispered after a while when it seemed the boy was too concentrated on rubbing his knuckles to actually notice he's awake.

His throat felt parched but in the silence of the room, Draco heard him and his head snapped up, his eyes lit with hardly suppressed relief for a moment before they were guarded again and he simply whispered back.

"Ron... lemme get you some water first." he didn't necessarily wait for his reply before reaching for the glass of water on the bedside table and holding it to his lips. Ron sat up slowly and took deep gulps from the glass, nodding when he couldn't anymore.

Draco set down the glass and seemed to be focusing on everything except him which made him smile and squeeze the other boy's fingers slightly. "I'm sorry."

That got Draco's attention and he turned sharply to look at him. "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"For earlier...wait how long has it been since we uh... since well..."

"Oh that. That was just this morning." Draco replied with a blush.

"Okay...I'm sorry for my reaction this morning. I was just so surprised by you that's why."

"So..." Draco ventured, figuring he was doomed anyways.

"So...I'm sorry i acted that way and now, i think i may have blown out all chances of you ever kissing me again."

Draco wasn't quite sure if he should grin like a fool, chuckle, shake his head, look surprised or just grab the red headed idiot and give him the kiss of his lifetime but he managed to restrain from the last option and merge all the others. "What, you're saying if i kiss you right now..."

"I'm saying if my right arm didn't feel so heavy and you aren't clutching my left arm so tightly, I'd have grabbed you and pulled you down for one hell of a kiss." Ron chipped in, licking his lips slowly.
Draco leaned down and kissed him softly, pulling back to whisper "you should rest now, you're still weak."

Ron just glared at him, feeling challenged and moved his dead arm up and around Draco's shoulders, his fingers running through the soft blond hair on his head as he pulled him closer to him to deepen the kiss, unaware of the audience they had.

A/N: so this is it... i decided to write a sequel after this because i left a few cliff hangers and I can't fill the gaps immediately because I have exams. So, even though it may take a while because of the exams, i will start posting that too… in the meantime; do enjoy my other stories and thanks for the time... As usual, please do take time off to R&R especially now… constructive criticisms people… i need that to better my writing. Thanks a lot and i love you all... Muah!
;-*