CHAPTER THREE - Cumulonimbus

Double transfiguration the next day was when Harry's hastily made plan was supposed to happen. Draco acted normal and kept his head down all through the class, even though Harry wasn't. Draco swore McGonagall would be getting jealous seeing as Harry was more likely to know how many hairs Draco had on his head rather than how to transfigure a successful cooking set from stones.

Eventually the class ended. The other students filtered out, chattering easily as Draco waved on the lingering Slytherins and watched Harry do the same to Weasley and Granger. Then Draco finally met Harry's eyes and nodded once. Harry scrambled slightly to leave the room and Draco followed him out only a moment later. The hall was mostly clear but a few witnesses wouldn't be a bad thing, keeping up appearances was the point after all. Harry dropped a book which Draco nearly tripped on and that was really all the catalyst they needed. Maybe it was too simple, but most of their usual scuffles happened over pointless nothingness anyway.

"Potter, you idiot." Draco said which caused Harry to turn, looking annoyed. Draco frowned hard, thinking of how Harry had run away last night. He used that mild frustration with the boy to scoop the book off the ground and fling back at him. It was such a good throw that shock bloomed on Harry's stupidly pretty face as he was forced to dodge. The same stupid face that had been staring at Draco so intently during meals yesterday. The same face which belonged to the boy he'd had pressed up against the wall just last night. The same boy who brought him a fucking apple because the git had noticed Draco hadn't been eating. Oh for Salazar's sake, what was Draco doing?

"What the fuck, Malfoy?" Harry responded and Draco smirked as he sent a severing charm at Harry's bag. It ripped satisfyingly.

"It appears your bag has a hole, perhaps you should fix that?" Harry raised his wand, face screwed up in concentration. Of course, that's when Granger came back around the corner, her eyes widened then she ran and pointed her wand. Her silent spells efficiently caught both boys before either could react. That also happened to be when McGonagall came out of her classroom, since the universe was just teeming with inconvenient conveniences today. Draco collapsed to the ground with a groan as the Jelly Legs Jinx started to affect his whole body. Interestingly enough, he could hear Harry groaning as well.

"Ms. Granger! What on Earth!"

"They were about to duel Professor, I couldn't just-"

"Clearly. Detention. All three of you. My office, 8 o'clock." She turned to walk away, then almost as an afterthought she added, "Twenty points from Gryffindor and ten from Slytherin. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" Granger said softly and Draco managed to push himself to his elbows in time to catch Harry's eye. Granger was helping Harry up and fixing his things with her wand, but Harry was looking at him with such concern, his eyes darted to Granger and back to Draco. He mouthed "Sorry" and Draco scowled. He wanted to hate him, he really did. But there was never a speck of Draco Malfoy that could hate Harry Potter, especially not with his broken mask falling to pieces at the Savior's feet.

He was doomed.

Maybe with Granger working on this it would be less likely he'd be killed.

Harry stared at him in frantic bursts all through dinner that night and it was just about driving Draco sideways. It wasn't even that much of a surprise when an invisible hand grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into an alcove shortly after he left the Great Hall. Draco knew he must have made a ridiculous noise and his mouth was quickly covered by another hand, as the world around him shimmered. Harry was suddenly right there, so close, casting a 'Notice-Me-Not' and 'Muffliato' in the small, dim space. A tapestry was partially covering it anyway, so it was a good choice.

Draco grabbed the wrist of the hand covering his mouth and pulled it away from him.

"Really?"

"I'm sorry!"

"I mean, how is this fair?" Draco whined with all the posh petulance he could muster.

"I know, I promised I wouldn't involve them yet and-"

"A magic map AND a fucking invisibility cloak?! No wonder you've been getting away with shit for years!" Harry blinked at him.

"What?" Harry asked as Draco pinched the slippery fabric covering them between his fingers. Harry shuffled closer and Draco had to hold his breath. He was so bloody close. "You're not mad?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"About Granger? No. You three are excellent at stepping in it, but she's clearly half the reason you and Weasley are even alive." Harry chuckled softly, a sound of relief and maybe genuine humour.

"Fair." And it all made Draco feel impossibly warm and happy. That laugh. The look in Harry's eyes. The space between them seemed to grow smaller and smaller. Now, he was just staring at Draco, eyes travelling all over his face and Draco wanted to squirm, scoff, do something… but he was trapped. "You look good, uh-" Harry blushed and Draco felt his own face heat. "Good-er, uh. Better. Better than yesterday. Is your head, uh-"

"It's sore, but I slept well last night. Maybe that's-"

"Yeah, yes.. You look.. Well rested." Harry nodded and cleared his throat.

"Harry?"

"Yes?" Harry answered so fast, eyes instantly locked on Draco's again. So intense with wanting… something, but Draco wasn't sure what it was. His throat felt tight and his chest was heavy. Something bold bubbled up Draco's throat. Perhaps it was the Gryffindor proximity doing this to him. Maybe it was contagious.

"At least you didn't say my skin looks good, huh?" Harry's eyes widened as he sputtered and blushed while Draco grinned widely, a laugh nearly spilling out of him as well. It was all so reckless. There was only half an hour left before their detention. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"You're teasing me."

"Am I? Is that what we're doing now?" Draco would classify what he was doing under a far different category. Either Harry didn't notice or he was giving him a way out.

"Is this what you're like? When you're not pretending?" Harry's head tilted slightly and he was so cute his words almost didn't hurt with how accurate they were.

"I'm only like this with you." Draco said softly, containing far too much truth. Draco put his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed slightly. "See you in a bit." Then he ducked out from under the cloak and walked away as fast as he dared. He couldn't afford this, even if he wanted it. He was handing Harry the matches that would set Draco aflame. Never mind if it ended him, that was always coming. But death by Harry couldn't possibly be so bad, not with him looking at Draco like that.

See? Draco was very self aware. But self awareness didn't always give you the tools to change the path you were on, or even adjust what you were doing. Sometimes, most of the time, it was just watching a crash in slow motion with nothing you could do to stop it.

Draco had mostly gotten his head back on his shoulders by the time he was standing outside McGonagall's office. He wondered if he'd have to face the scrutiny of Granger right away, or if Harry hadn't even told her. Maybe he would let McGonagall do the honours.

But, much to both his annoyance and chagrin, he was the first and only student to show up for detention.

"Please sit down, Mr. Malfoy." His professor told him, barely looking up. McGonagall waved a hand and locked the door behind him without so much as a break in her perfect penmanship. After a moment Draco watched her sign it and set down the quill. "I'm glad you're here first. Tell me, whose plan was the hallway incident?" She looked up at him over her glasses and Draco sighed.

"That was Harry." McGonagall hummed, folding her glasses and setting them on her desk.

"I've never heard either of you use each other's first names until the morning after I came across Mr. Potter in the corridor. It's a.. big change for you two." Draco smirked, unable to guess what she was thinking.

"We had some words. We fought. It was all rather normal. Until…" Draco shrugged.

"One of you actually listened." Draco shrugged again. "Or both of you?" She watched him very carefully and Draco had no clue how to respond. Her gaze dropped off of him and back to the parchment on her desk, which she folded crisply to place in an envelope. "There's always been a lot expected of you, and not often enough were you able to decide what you wanted for yourselves." Draco winced at that, because she was right. He had always gone along with the plan. He had once believed it would give him everything the world owed him. Truth was, the world owes him nothing. Especially not to any self entitled, rich, brat. "I don't know if you two intended to involve Ms. Granger, but I'm very glad she will be joining us in this."

"Brightest Witch of our age."

"Yes, and you used to wish her dead." Draco's gaze snapped back to hers with wide eyes. His mouth was dry, his palms sweaty. The moment strung out, thin and heavy at the same time. Her gaze wasn't judgemental but also brokered no argument. Maybe it was a test? After a bit more of her unwavering stare he nodded, then looked away. "Mr. Malfoy, if this is the path you are choosing now, things will get harder for you before they get better." She paused and a poignant silence settled over them. "You may lose everything you're familiar with."

"With all due respect professor, I already have." He looked back up at her to see raised eyebrows as she waited for him to continue. He sighed, then pressed on. "The things my family believes in, they made sense to me for a long time, but they don't exist. They're hateful fairy tales made up by people scared of change. None of it was real. And everything that I thought was… my home, my friends, my life, my fath-" Draco's voice broke and his hands balled into fists to continue past the emotion. "It's all tainted with pain, and blood, and death, and him." Draco closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just to save them I have to become a killer. It never had to be that way. But he chose to let him in, continues to and I-" He shook his head and had to fight down the tears. His home. The Manor was once his kingdom and playground, now every time he closed his eyes all he saw was dead peacocks, Nagini, tarnished opulence, and an energy so evil it roiled against his skin. Not to mention the people he'd never met who would take advantage of him in a second if he weren't so good at defending himself.

"Have a biscuit, Mr. Malfoy." She slid a tray across her desk to him as she stood. "I'm sending this letter to your aunt. No matter what happens in these next few weeks, I won't let you go back there." Draco nibbled politely on a custard creme and watched her stride confidently across the space to an owl on its perch.

"Andromeda? She'll have me?" Draco asked far too hopefully. McGonagall smirked.

"If she'd known you needed asylum sooner, she'd have done it herself." She set the owl off with a treat. "As for the rest of your plan, we can discuss that when Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger finally grace us with their presence." She cast a 'tempus' and pursed her lips. It was a few minutes past the scheduled beginning of detention. "It's unlike Ms. Granger to be late." She commented idly just as a knock sounded on the door. Another wave of her wand had the two Gryffindors bustling into the room.

"I'm sorry professor, someone-" Her eyes darted to a very flustered looking Harry. "-thought it best Ronald not know we had detention, so it took a while to leave convincingly." Draco had to try hard not to laugh as McGonagall actually rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure he'll find out eventually. I'm shocked he didn't follow you here." Granger sat with a huff in the chair furthest from Draco, not even looking at him. Harry flopped inelegantly into the chair next to Draco and shot him a shy smile that had Draco looking away. He was suddenly very busy trying to forget how it felt to be so close to him under the cloak. Harry shuffled in his seat, causing their knees to bump together. Draco couldn't help but look up at him again to find a question in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. He looked at the biscuit in Draco's hand, then back at Draco. Draco tilted his head, confused. Did he want it? For some stupid reason Draco actually wanted to break a piece off and share it. His weak mind urged him to find out what Harry's reaction would be.

"Say, Professor." Harry spoke, suddenly looking at McGonagall. "How often do you give students biscuits in detention?" McGonagall stood up straight and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I have no idea what you're implying, Mr. Potter." She looked to be fighting off a smirk, all the amusement escaping through her eyes.

"I thought you gave those out when someone does something you like but you can't explicitly say it."

"That wouldn't make sense, Harry. She gives them to me every time I'm here." Draco and Harry shot Hermione a look.

"That's 'cause you're you, Hermione. I've only ever had two. One the other night, and one last year when I told off Umbridge." Draco snorted, earning him a smile from Harry. Granger's eyes narrowed and darted between the two of them, then back to McGonagall.

"Something is going on."

"Quite correct, Ms. Granger. You won't be serving detention today." McGonagall confirmed. "I'm afraid you were caught in the middle of a cover story." Granger's gaze snapped back to the two of them, Harry and Draco. Back and forth.

"So…Harry. When you said you were with Professor McGonagall the other night…" Harry rubbed at the back of his neck and opened his mouth to speak but Draco beat him to it.

"He was with me." All eyes in the room went to Draco. McGonagall settled back in her chair, clearly waiting for Draco to continue. He suspected she had already heard Harry's version of events. "Potter… found me. We fought. I shot a spell at him that bounced off his shield and back into me. Plus the bathroom took some damage."

"It took some damage from his body flying into it! And he wouldn't let me take him to Pomfrey, but I couldn't just leave him there!" Harry interrupted and Draco feared he was looking at the Gryffindor with something akin to fond exasperation.

"Harry decided he was nurse material." The boy in question scoffed at that.

"Mr. Malfoy, you should probably still see Madam Pomfrey. I promise, she will be discreet." Draco nodded.

"Yes professor."

"You called him Harry." Granger said softly, Draco's gaze returned to her. She didn't look shocked. Instead she almost seemed to be in awe. Draco decided he was done sharing. He looked out the window where the quidditch hoops were just visible. Thankfully, McGonagall continued explaining everything to Granger who had a million questions about and additions to their plan. Draco was grateful she was there, believe it or not. The last few days had been a lot.

Draco's skin prickled with the familiar sensation of being watched. He suspected it was Harry, but the light bump to his knee still took him by surprise. Just to make a point, he didn't respond. Harry couldn't have everything he wanted whenever he wanted it.

A few moments later he felt a hand settle over his fist. Suddenly his skin was on fire, and Draco couldn't bring himself to look as Harry gently pried his hand open. When he let go, Draco missed it immediately. Harry's knee bumped him again and Draco finally looked up.

There was concern in those green eyes. Draco didn't deserve it, but he wanted it, oh how he wants… Harry tilted his head in a question that Draco didn't know how to answer. It was funny how they'd been doing so well at reading each other's expressions until now. Draco's eyes wandered over to McGonagall and Granger who were bent over looking at something on the other wall. Oddly, he hadn't even noticed them move.

"Draco?" Harry asked softly and ooh, why did his brain feel so fuzzy? His mouth tasted ashy too. Draco tried to shake his head to clear it but the feeling remained.

"Draco?" Harry tried again, slightly louder. Draco didn't know why he hadn't responded yet. Suddenly Harry was there. With a hand on his cheek and another on his shoulder and ooh. That was nice. Steadying. Harry was all warmth and Draco wanted to soak up his comfort. The world stopped for a while after that. The only lingering feeling as Draco drifted into nothingness was Harry's warm palm on his cheek.

Harry's behaviour over the past few days had been strange. No matter how many times Hermione pointed this out, Ron always dismissed it. The argument that she was usually right about these things never mattered because ever logical Ronald said they 'needed to wait'

"He's weird a lot, 'Mione. He'll tell us eventually. He always does."

But this time was different. Harry had gone so far off the deep end with his Malfoy obsession Hermione was positive this must be a different planet altogether. Then she was sucked into their plan, the 'Malfoy and Potter Grandmaster Plan to Save the Entire School that We Mustn't Tell the Headmaster About Because We Don't Trust Him Anymore' Plan. And it was good. It was well thought out and Hermione knew how to make it better, but she wished Ron was here, chess strategist extraordinaire. In fact, she ought to askHarry about that. Her mouth opened as she turned, only to see Harry gently prying open the fist of a miserable Malfoy as he stared out the window.

The shock of it had her head snapping back to their plans with her mouth still hanging open.

Turns out they had not only left the planet but switched universes too. Working together was one thing, but that was something else. Hermione looked over to Mcgonagall who was adjusting things with her wand to match Hermione's critiques from moments prior. She wondered if her favourite professor had noted this turn of events. Calling each other by first names was surprising, but now they were practically holding hands?

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off by Harry's panicked voice.

"Draco! DRACO! Professor-" Harry cut himself off as Hermione turned and Mcgongall rushed over. Draco was slumped over in his seat, unconscious and sliding out of it. Harry only just managed to catch him.

"Ms. Granger. Madam Pomfrey." Hermione didn't hesitate, she rushed from the room. Of course, she bowled over none other than Ronald Weasley.

"Why the hell-" He started, invisibility cloak slipping off of him.

"Ronald! Honestly. Not now. Come on." Hermione grabbed his hand, panicked and confused. Ron ran with her, his cheeks already red from who knew what.

"Why were you in there with Malfoy?" He said as they ran, still holding hands.

"I thought it was detention!" Hermione snapped. "How did you find us?"

"The map! Obviously." Hermione sighed.

"Why do you choose the most inconvenient times to be so stupidly smart, Ronald Weasley?" She shouted in frustration.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Ron complained just as the Hospital Wing came into sight.

Harry was panicking. He knew it too. Had been since the night in the Astronomy Tower. And he couldn't really talk to anyone about it. However that panic had nothing on the constricting feeling around his throat and chest. Draco was unconscious in his arms for the second time in only a handful of days. The most he could surmise about the situation was that it was worse this time.

"Potter, Breathe. I can't have two students passing out." Harry tore his eyes away from the too pale blonde boy in his arms, and met his professor's steady gaze as he struggled to breathe. "Good. Now, tell me. Did he pass out after the initial injury?" Harry's mouth was so dry he just nodded and looked down. His hand went back to Draco's face, thumb stroking his cheek. The background panic of the past few days was not even a whisper compared to right now. "Harry." McGonagall said softly, drawing his attention once more. "How long was he out for?" Harry swallowed.

"Maybe five minutes. But he seemed okay after. We stayed up all night and-"

"He should have gone to Pomfrey. The Dark Magic in his body may be preventing him from healing if it can sense an allegiance change. Severus mentioned before that his injuries heal more slowly than they should, but we attributed it to age." Harry thought she said this mostly to herself. "He may have an aneurysm. I should get Severus-"

"NO." Harry said firmly and McGonagall looked affronted at the interruption. "Sorry, he just-.. Draco said he trusts Dumbledore too much. It's why Draco never told him about all of this." Harry felt like he was cracking open. "We have to protect him. Promise me."

"Mr. Potter, that is my job." Harry looked up at her pointedly. His eyes stung with how overwhelmed he was, but he held her gaze. Her lips pursed. The moment dragged before she sighed and relented. "I promise." Harry let out a breath and nodded as he turned back to Draco. Pomfrey bustled in with a lot of noise, followed by Hermione and… Ron. Oh boy, he was really going to have to explain himself. Draco's head was in his lap. Fuck his life right now.

A/N: New chapter tomorrow! Leave me comments because I love reading them and seeing your theories! 3 Also soz for the cliff hanger here. (I'm actually not, I love a cliffy)