Chapter Seventeen: Getting There
LuvlyLadyLexi: you know, I always have to try very hard to keep Hermione a Gryffindor, I usually end up giving her a Slytherin complex.
"Those of you that need to change clothes should. If you don't have anything but robes, I'm sure Harry can help you out," Hermione said, putting the car into drive and pulling out of King's Cross, her parent's long gone. She leaned over to the radio and Savage Garden's Crash and Burn began to play throughout the car.
"I don't have my trunk- or muggle clothes." Draco said, looking at Harry.
"I've got it," Harry said, reaching into his own trunk and then pulling out a shirt and pair of pants, "here, these are small on me. You can get more later, I'm sure. Then, he passed passed around more clothes to everyone else, except Remus, who often went among muggles anyway.
Stripping off his own robes, down to the clothes he wore anyway, Harry pretended to be looking out the window, watching Draco peel his own tattered robes off, getting down to his boxers. Draco turned to look at him, one eyebrow delicately arched, and paused. Harry sighed, blushing, and sunk lower in his seat.
"Busted," Blaise laughed, having seen the interaction. Harry watched outside, Draco's hand in his and heard Hermione put on her turn signal. Alarmed, Harry sat up,
"hold on, where are we going?"
"Well, we all need to rest before heading off to Grimmauld Harry, I don't want to fall asleep driving and I'm the only one who *can* drive. We certainly can't walk."
"I asked you where we're going," Harry snapped. Draco sat up, looking around.
"The Dursley's Harry, they agreed to shelter you- their house is protected. It's a safe place."
"No, turn around. We are *not* going to the Dursley's."
"I won't sleep there." Ron chimed in, "I hate them, Hermione, you hate them, Harry hates them. Everyone hates them. We'll find somewhere else."
"We'll go to a hotel. Hermione, did you just forget what Draco did on the train, did you?" Harry asked, irritation still prominant in his voice.
"Yes," Hermione replied, realization dawning on her.
"Who are the Dursley's? What's going on?" Draco asked.
"Harry's muggle family," Ron offered.
"If you go to the Dursley's Vernon and Dudley are going to start their bullshit- most likely Aunt Petunia too, Draco is going to lose his mind, and we're *all* going to go to Azkaban," Harry said, sitting back.
"I'm inclined to agree with Harry, after the train." Remus offered, "a motel would be easier."
"I think we should go!" Ron cut in, "release the ferret on them, that'll teach 'em to hit Harry Potter!"
"Hit Harry?" Draco asked, a small growl escaping his throat. Harry layed an encouraging hand on his knee.
"No, Ron," he snapped, "we're *not* going, now stop it-"
"Well we could just stop by- I'll take him inside, you stay in the-"
"NO! Ron quit. Draco, calm down, I promise we'll talk about it later." Harry glared at Ron, daring him to speak again.
"Harry," Hermione said, desperate to change the subject, "we don't have any money. I never thought I'd say this with Draco and Blaise as resources, but we're broke."
"Nonsense, I had a good chunk changed to muggle money just in case." Harry said, digging a credit card out of his trunk. "It's still a good few days drive Hermione, let's stop and get some food- and some clothes in the morning." Hermione beamed in the rearview mirror,
"I love you Harry."
"I love you too, Hermione. Now, where should we get some food? I'm thinking McDonald's."
"Oh yes, that sounds fantastic," Hermione laughed.
"Excuse me, but not all of us are muggle born, or raised by muggles- what are you two jabbering about?" Ron asked, sitting up with his arm over Draco and Harry's seat.
"Food Ron, food." Remus sighed, "as much as I appreciate the offer, I have to go alert everyone that you're all safe. Hermione, can I apparate out of here?" Hermione nodded. Harry leaned over the back seat to give his old professor a hug,
"I'll see you at headquarters, Moony, be safe." Remus nodded,
"you too Harry, no more dumb stunts Malfoy,"
Draco just ignored him, whispering to Blaise about muggle food and debating whether or not it was safe to consume. With a few kind words to the others, Remus was gone. Hermione ran inside the McDonald's with Harry's card- it wouldn't be wise to pull the drive through with all the wizarding space inside the car.
"You're sure this stuff is safe? What is a cheeseburger exactly?" Blaise asked.
"It's... it's like a sandwich. It's delicious," Harry offered to everyone.
Of course, everyone loved the food Hermione brought back out, though Draco and Blaise had argued about starving first but with some persuasion from Neville and Harry, agreed to try it. They were finished first.
The hotel was a large one, on Harry's insistence, because they needed the room. However, the only thing left was a room with two double beds, and a fold out couch. Harry suspected it wasn't, that they were only getting treated badly because they were all wearing clothes that were Harry's hand me downs from Dudley, save for the pants he and Draco had on. This suspicious drove Draco and Blaise into fits, promising the others they'd be back to show the hotel manager what money was.
Crawling into bed that night, Harry removed his shirt, pulling Draco closer to him,
"Harry!" Draco whispered, "what are you doing? We are not alone!" Harry just smirked and snuggled closer,
"I'm not doing anything. You're hurt, I'm helping. I read in that book that skin to skin contact was better." Draco couldn't argue with that, and he knew he wanted it anyway so he slipped his own shirt off and slid down next to his bondmate, his back to Harry's chest. He worried for a moment that that was the only reason he and Harry had had any physical contact but shrugged it off and snuggled deeper into the blankets, Harry's breathing lulling him off to sleep.
When Draco woke up, he was alone. Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Blaise were there but Harry was gone. Stretching, Draco sat up in the bed, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on over his head. Blaise turned to look at him, tossing him a paper bag with food in it,
"Eat, Dray, you need to... heal..." Everyone was staring. Draco arched an eyebrow back at them,
"Draco... you're uh... hmmm..." Neville offered.
"I'm what Longbottom?"
"You're cuts are gone!" Hermione said, jumping up and racing to him, she grabbed Draco's arm to look closer at where it had been broken before. Draco wrenched free from her,
"What is it with you Gryffindor's? Haven't you ever heard of personal space? Of course I'm healed. I just had..." Draco looked up at the clock on the wall, "eight hours of contact with Harry, go away."
"He can heal you?" Blaise asked, "that's not fair. I want that. I'll trade you my Dragon knowledge."
"Blaise, dear, even if that was possible, I'd still say no. Besides, it's not like I'm completely healed- these could open up at any time. My arm still hurts, and I'm really *really* sore. Oh, and Blaise, keep your hands off of Harry too." Draco took a bite of his breakfast sandwich as Neville giggled at the look on Blaise's face, "where is he anywhere?"
As if to answer Draco's question, at that exact moment Harry opened the door and sauntered in, his arms filled with several bags. He smiled, kicking the door shut behind him, and crossing the room to Draco. Sitting on the bed, surrounded by bags, Harry grinned and turned to Draco, a cup in his hand. He offered it out to the blonde,
"Coffe, Draco." Draco beamed and took the cup,
"Thank you."
"I got everyone some clothes. I have no idea what sizes everyone wears, so I guessed. Muggle clothes aren't like wizard's, they're in premade sizes- no measuring." Harry was still beaming. Looking up from his coffee, Draco became suspicious.
"Why are you smiling that way Harry?"
"Because he's done something- what did you do? What are you up to?" Hermione asked.
"Well," Harry said, "I got everyone something." Harry began rummaging through the bags, pulling things out and tossing them to the people he'd gotten them for. Draco sipped his coffee as his pile got larger. Picking up one of the shirts, he held it up to look at it and nearly spit his coffee out. Harry fell over with laughter. The shirt was a deep maroon and a white tribal sort of lion was on the bottom corner. In the center of the shirt, in white letters, it read 'bravery'.
"You, sir, are an arse." Draco sniffed. Ron was roaring with laughter, holding his sides. Harry turned to him, smiling.
"Since I knew you'd have so much fun with that and most likely be making fun of my..." Harry seemed at a loss for words for a moment, "Draco...for that, I decided I'd get him a little revenge. Turnabout's fair play after all," Harry said, tossing Ron his shirt. Black with a huge green snake wrapping around the back to come over the shoulder. Ron paled.
"I'm not wearing that."
While everyone was downstairs, loading up the car with their clothes and snacks, Draco cornered Harry,
"What were you going to say earlier... I'm your what?"
"I don't know, I think I might have said boyfriend, but I don't know." Harry replied, "I don't know how I feel Draco. I like you, you're attractive to me... I just don't know."
"You're attracted to me?" Draco asked, leaning in closer with a sly smile that made the Gryffindor shiver. Harry swallowed hard and nodded,
"uh yeah, that's what gives guys...that's what get's them up, Draco, now back off before you do it again."
"Maybe I want to do it again."
"DRACO!"
"Fine. Fine, I won't. I just want you to talk to me Harry, okay? I need to know what's going on in that head of yours."
"Look Draco, I want you. I do. I find you attractive- very attractive. I like your personality, I just have my doubts. What... is it you or the Veela in you that wants me? What if you get hurt because of me? What if you got killed in this damned war, because of me? Besides, Draco, you're talking about forever, and that's a long time..."
"Let me tell *you* something, Harry James Potter, 'the veela' as you put it is me. Same person. I am a Veela, I was born this way- there are no two sides. I am not some werewolf or vampire or... or... whatever. I can't tell you I'm never going to die, Harry, because I will one day. Maybe sooner than we think but it's going to be that way with everyone until the war is over."
"Draco... that's not what I meant. Can you just give me some more time? Please, Draco, I don't want to hurt your feelings."
"I'll give you all the time I have, Harry." The two embraced and headed outside, Blaise and Draco sitting next to each other, Ron and Neville in the middle, and Hermione and Harry up front.