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Chapter Six

Draco had had Madame Pomfrey help him write a note to Granger. He thanked her cordially for the books and complimented her notes, asking if she would accept to continue sending them to him as he will be indisposed for a few more days.

He was rather thankful that the nurse had not made a comment about the tone of his note.

Later the same day he had received a return owl from her. He had had to hold the note close to him to be able to read it but he had felt certain it said:

Malfoy,

I'm sorry to hear that your condition has not yet improved.

I'll happily continue sharing the notes.

Harry will pass by tomorrow to give them to you.

Wishing you all the best,

Hermione

He wasn't sure how he had felt about that but hadn't given himself the luxury to reflect. Potter would be coming over… Potter who was invading his dreams slowly.

Last night, he had awoken with a startle as he heard a voice calling him. He couldn't remember the dream well, but he saw flashes before him of what it had been: pores dilating, pupils enlarging, hands touching. Mostly, he remembered the colors, emerald, red and gold. There was a brightness there that his world was losing rapidly.

Madame Pomfrey had guessed at his lack of visual acuity when she had given him a juice and he had been incapable of taking it on the first try. This had of course led to a speech about the importance of a mate and a breakdown of his near future.

All that he really remembered from it was that he wasn't supposed to use his magic as it was causing quite some instability within his body and accelerating his deterioration.

"I will remind you that it has been over four months already, Mister Malfoy," the nurse had added, "You don't need to be bonded right away but you at least need to be in contact with your mate to stop your symptoms."

His mind had been plagued by thoughts along a similar line.

Around midday, the door to the hospital wing creaked open and he sat up immediately with his heart in his throat.

As his vision slowly opened up, offering him the reprieve of daylight, Draco allowed himself a deep breath of relief. He didn't look up and basked for a moment on the sight of the rays of sun shining through the window.

The deafening silence weighed on him however, a deep reminder that Potter certainly wasn't there out of desire and that he hadn't shown up to be with him.

Draco finally sighed and called, "Potter, your stench is wafting over here."

The footsteps started and moved closer to him. It took him all his willpower not to look up.

"Malfoy," Potter greeted with his arms crossed. He put a stack of notes on the bed, "There."

Draco rummaged through them, seeing this time how neat and organized they actually are. They also smelt of Potter. It was like he could identify every inch the Gryffindor had touched.

Through all of this, the latter didn't move.

Draco could sense the tension on him and it traveled through his own body. He swallowed, wanting Potter to stay, wanting to be able to see around him.

But not like this…

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Draco asked, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the papers.

"You still can't look at me," Potter answered simply.

"I've already said why."

"I don't believe you."

"Lucky I don't need you to." He looked up without thinking, wanting to defy the raven as he had always been able to.

As soon as he did he didn't just regain some brightness, he got radiance. Potter looked tired but somehow more… human than he ever had seemed to Draco. He didn't look like a hero or an enemy. There was an incredible beauty in his simplicity. In that moment he seemed accessible somehow. As if Draco was seeing him for the first time as someone new.

Potter frowned at him and shuffled slightly. "You don't look well," he admitted.

"I'm not here for my enjoyment."

He couldn't keep his eyes off of him, and it seemed like Potter wasn't keen to break the contact either. The gaze they shared was so intense, Draco felt the heat spread through every part of his body, rising in his throat until his breath came out of his mouth.

Potter moved closer to the bed, his knees touching the sheets as he looked down at Draco. Their hearts merged.

Potter's voice came out as a whisper. "What's wrong with you?"

Draco maintained the same volume for fear of breaking the moment and the feeling of belonging. "I thought you didn't care."

Potter opened his mouth but closed it slowly, keeping his deep emerald eyes firmly locked with Draco's. The Slytherin felt how Potter's heartbeat changed, slowed down to a deep but calm rhythm. He watched how the Gryffindor blinked deeply, and how his cheeks dipped when he bit on them.

He felt more than heard it when Potter said, "I don't want you to die."

Draco breathed deeply, willing himself to stay normal. "Who said I was?"

"No one," Potter replied, "It just feels like you are."

They looked at each other for what felt like forever. Draco was searching Potter's eyes and all he could see there was a form of fear that he could only identify as sincere. The only other time the Gryffindor had looked at him like that was at the Manor, silently pleading with him for help, security, reassurance, safety, something.

Draco wondered what Potter was wishing for at that moment.

"I-" he started uncertainly, watching intently how Potter's eyelashes moved when he blinked. "I'm not planning on dying," he said earnestly.

Potter's head tilted slightly to the side, making a stray lock fall onto his forehead.

Draco felt Potter's hand fluttering over the bedsheets, like he didn't realize he was doing it but reached for him nonetheless. How the Slytherin longed to move his arm up, take his hand and admit it all to him. The proximity, the scent, it was all clouding his mind, intoxicating him slowly.

Potter's gaze followed Draco's, seeing how his own body had moved forward. He frowned, not moving his hand away, and whispered softly, "Malfoy, what is going on?"

The uncertainty and trembling in Potter's voice broke something in Draco. It was so light, anyone else might not have noticed but Draco felt it tenfold. He hated seeing his mate so lost, so confused. Mostly, he couldn't understand it. As attuned as he was to him, he couldn't truly imagine what it was like for him.

Looking him deep in the eye, Draco whispered back, "I don't know."

Definitely shorter but I'm very deep in family meetings and social gatherings at the moment! Will try to develop it more next chapter!

Please let me know what you think xxx