Harry And Draco Chronicles

Chapter 12: Regaining Strength

Harry remained on the floor of the living room for some time, neither uttering a word nor moving. His eyes stayed fixed on the blond lying on their sofa. His gaze then traveled along Draco's body, as he carefully examined the young man's tattered clothes and thin physique.

He had avoided looking directly at Draco's face, ever since he first caught sight of the fresh gash across his cheek. But now he forced himself to gaze down upon it, and stare at the skin that was once smooth and perfect. He leaned forward and glanced at the spider web of small scars that ran along the side of Draco's face.

When he had finally seen enough, he pulled away and brought his hands to his mouth. Not a single sound escaped his lips as the tears began to trickle down his face. He closed his eyes when Sirius' hand landed on his shoulder and gave it squeeze.

"I know it upsets you to see him like this," said Sirius, "but I assure you that he'll--"

"I'm not upset," Harry muttered. He then quickly glanced up at Sirius and added, "I mean, it hurts me to see him in this condition, but I'm just happy that...he's alive." He reached for his shoulder and curled his fingers around Sirius' wrist. "I didn't tell anyone this, but I once overheard the Slytherins talking about how Draco had died. So, it's a relief to see him here."

Sirius draped his arm around Harry's back and pulled him into his body. Harry rested his head against Sirius' chest and listened to the steady rhythmic thumping of the man's heart, which differed from his own rapid heartbeats.

"They said his father killed him," Harry continued. "Or tried to." He stopped talking at that moment, as it had now become difficult to do so.

"Malfoy would do something like that," Sirius muttered, although it was more to himself than to Harry. "And to think he made that big fuss about him disap--" He lowered his head and looked down at Harry, as if he suddenly realized he was sitting beside him. He placed his hand on top of Harry's head and lowered his voice, which lost the spite that had been there when talking about Lucius. "Why don't you bring him upstairs and get him cleaned off?"

Harry leaned forward and observed Draco's weakened condition with alert eyes. "He seems a little out of it. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. I think he might be a little dazed from the beating he got." Sirius stood up and cast a shadow over Draco. "I'm guessing it was several men who attacked him. Look at his fingers," he said lifting Draco's limp hand. "His knuckles are all swollen, which means he tried to defend himself." An approving smile now crossed his face. "But his eyes look pretty disturbing. Looks like he got hit in the face with an object and not a fist--"

Just then, Harry reached for Sirius' hand and gave it a squeeze to prevent the man from uttering any more details about Draco's assault. Sirius glanced down at him with an apologetic expression glimmering in his eyes. He finally lifted the bowl of water and rag he had used to clean off Draco's wounds and brought it to the kitchen.

"He'll be alright," he said as he poured the water into the sink. "He just needs some food and a little rest. I'll visit the Ministry's doctor to see if he could give me a spell to repair his ribs. And I'll try to get something for his cuts as well."

"Just make sure you don't mention Draco's name," said Harry.

"Of course I won't. Anyways, Simon never butts into people's private affairs. He'll probably just think I'm getting the stuff for an informant."

When Sirius had gone, Harry remained seated on the floor, gazing at Draco. He reached for Draco's face, although tentatively at first, and gently touched his forehead. After several light caresses along his skin, Draco began to move in his sleep.

"Draco?" he asked in a whispered voice, when he saw the other man's eyes suddenly flutter open. "Can you hear me Draco?" His heart pounded when Draco turned and stared at him - as best he could through swollen eyes, of course. Harry held his breath for a moment as he waited for Draco to speak or acknowledge him. But that wish never occurred; Draco immediately closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Harry sat back in his heels, and continued to watch him. His heart still fluttered with excitement over the prospect of talking to Draco once more. But after fifteen minutes, he gave up all hope that the other man would awake. He finally reached for his wand and pointed it at him. "Imperious," he uttered. Draco's body then floated up in the air and was led to the upstairs bathroom.

***********************

Harry's eyes suddenly snapped open as a flood of light drifted in through the window of the guest bedroom. He blinked several times as he cursed himself for drifting off to sleep for those few precious moments. Although his body begged for slumber, he forced himself to stay awake. The thought of Draco waking up while he was asleep fueled him to fight off his drowsiness. That incident would have disappointed him greatly, as he had been eagerly waiting for it all night. He looked back at the bed; the other young man was fast sleep.

He got up from the chair that had been his bed for that long night and stretched his tired limbs. He placed his hand on his back and kneaded his sore muscles. His gaze flittered towards the window as the warm rays of the morning sun hit his skin. He then opened the small window and climbed onto the balcony.

The neighborhood was calm during that early hour, and Harry peacefully watched as a young boy delivered the newspaper on his bike. As the sun rose, it blanketed the once gray sky with pigments of yellow. But even that beautiful sight could not keep him on that balcony for long. He climbed through the window once more and settled himself back into his seat.

Harry leaned forward in his chair and gazed at Draco. Although the small corner guest room was relatively dark, he was able to see the other man's face quite well. He noticed that Draco's eyes were no longer swollen. Perhaps it was Sirius' doing, he thought. He vaguely recalled his godfather coming into the room in the wee hours of the night; but his memory was hazy on what had actually transpired. He reached over and lightly touched Draco's arm, causing him to stir in his sleep.

Sitting back in his chair, Harry lowered his head. He kept his eyes steady on the patchwork pattern of the rug beneath his feet, as his mind flooded with thoughts of the man sleeping so soundly a few feet from him. He raised his head when he heard rustling coming from the bed, but resumed his inclined position when he realized Draco had merely rolled over. The room was quiet except for Draco's occasional loud sighs, which caused Harry to look up each time.

Completely preoccupied with watching Draco, Harry didn't even glance to his right when he heard the bedroom door creak. Those sounds were soon accompanied by heavy footsteps upon the wood floor. He closed his eyes when he felt a warm hand graze along his back.

"How are you doing?" Sirius asked. Unlike the previous night, his voice now sounded groggy and tired; a renowned night owl, Sirius was not accustomed to being up so early. But he had important matters to deal with at the Ministry that morning.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I'm all right. I just wish I could talk to him."

Sirius got down on one knee so he could be eye level with him. He placed his hand under Harry's chin and redirected his gaze. "You look like hell," he said as his eyes roamed Harry's face. "Why don't you get some sleep?" He was about to lift Harry out of the chair, but the young man moved away.

"I'm just a little tired, but I'll be fine."

Sirius kept his hand on him. "I can stay home with you if you want. I could just owl my report to the Ministry instead of presenting it."

Harry shook his head. "No, it's okay."

"But you should get some sleep." He placed his hand on top of Harry's head and ruffled his hair even more so. "I'll try not to be late coming home tonight. I should be back by early evening."

Harry only nodded. He turned his attention back to Draco the moment Sirius walked out of the room. He glanced down at his watch, and decided he would take a short nap if Draco did not awake within the next fifteen minutes. He then spent the next few moments drumming his fingers against the arm of the wooden chair. When that time had finally expired, Harry succumbed to his stupor and closed his eyes.

*********************

Draco slowly opened his eyes and glanced around the room. A feeling of calm and relaxation filled his body, instead of the cold that usually greeted him in the mornings, as he struggled to shield himself with his small blanket from the draft of the factory. He had actually awoken many times during the night, but not from fear that one of the other squatters could be checking his pockets for his daily bounty; he opened his eyes to glance at Harry - only when he heard the other boy snoring, of course. But other than that, his night had been incredibly restful.

But he suddenly felt nauseous when he attempted to sit up on the bed. He had felt this same way when Harry attempted to give him a bath the following night; he even remembered vomiting on himself when he was about to be placed in the tub. This was an embarrassing episode indeed, and ultimately forced him to feign sleep rather than face his former lover.

He glanced over at Harry, whose head was lowered. Draco attempted to smile, but the cut on the side of his mouth prevented him from doing so. Working through the dizziness that he was still feeling, he finally mustered the strength to sit up. Finding a comfortable position, he rested his head against the headboard and kept his gaze fixed on Harry, as he silently willed him to lift his head.

Harry eventually drifted out of his daze and glanced up at him. His awakening must have startled Harry because he moved back in his seat. They then continued to stare at one another in silence for several more minutes.

"Have you been up long?" Harry finally asked.

Draco shook his head. He then watched as Harry lowered his gaze. Draco could surely sympathize with what he must have been feeling; he, too, was overcome with awkwardness over their sudden meeting.

There was yet another silence, which was only temporarily broken by the outside chatter of small children on their way to school. Draco's hand flickered to his face, as he began to touch the small bumps and abrasions that still remained on his skin. But other than those scars, his face felt normal.

"Sirius took care of those for you," Harry said. A smile spread on his lips then; he was probably thinking fondly of the good deed his godfather had done, thought Draco.

"But we couldn't get rid of those scars over there," continued Harry, as he pointed his finger at the right side of Draco's face. "I don't understand why they still remain."

Harry leaned forward in his seat and attempted to touch the side of Draco's face that he was referring to. Draco swiftly moved his head to the side. Harry's outstretched fingers, which were looking forward to grazing that skin once more, instantly recoiled as he sat back in his chair. A hurt and confused expression soon spread on his face. Draco only glanced back at him from the corner of his eye.

But the glum look soon disappeared from Harry's face. He sprang up from his seat and headed to the small dresser in the corner of the room. "You can wear these when you're ready to get out of bed," he said, placing his hand on the folded clothing that lay on top of the dresser.

Draco eyed the clothing carefully. He could clearly spot a pair of faded jeans and a flannel shirt. A grimace then began to form on his lips. Just then, he glanced down at his body and saw that he was dressed in cotton pajamas. His hands drifted down to his chest as he began to pull at the flimsy fabric of the shirt.

"Those are mine," Harry responded to the silent question Draco was thinking in his head. "I know these clothes aren't your taste, but it's the best I could do." He then lowered his head and chuckled to himself. "I considered giving you some of Sirius' stuff, but I knew they would slide right off your body because you're so..." He stopped talking the moment his gaze met Draco's.

Draco sunk further in the bed and pulled the covers to his chin. The expression on Harry's face when he saw his naked body the night before now flashed in his head. He soon grew ashamed of the waif-like shadow he had now become.

Harry remained quiet as he continued to stand by the dresser, his fingers anxiously fumbling with the buttons on the folded flannel shirt. But he glanced up and asked, "How are you doing? Are you feeling any better?"

"I guess." Draco's voice sounded rough and scratchy. He was surprised that such a sound could emanate from his mouth. Harry, too, must have been taken aback by it, as he stood still and continued to stare at him.

"I'll just put the clothes here," said Harry as he set them on the edge of the bed. "And once you feel better, I can take you to some of the shops and we can buy you some more."

"All of my things are custom made." The statement came out sounding so matter-of-fact that it caused the hopeful grin on Harry's face to disappear. But Draco failed to notice Harry's reaction, and reached for the clothes. He unfolded the shirt and pants, and inspected them with a careful eye. "Are these Muggle clothes?" he asked.

Harry sat on the corner of the bed and leaned against one of the bedposts. "They used to belong to my cousin Dudley. All of my clothes were his at one point."

"That would explain why they're so big."

"Well, they shrunk a bit cause I ran them in the wash a few times."

Draco's eyes moved stealthily from the garments to Harry and back again. He was about to make a flippant comment about the size of Harry's cousin, but kept quiet.

At that moment, the sunlight flooded into the room, enabling him a better view of his living quarters. The room was sparsely furnished, with the large canopy bed taking up most of the space.

"So, this is how Muggles live," Draco remarked as he glided his hand along the lumpy mattress; although nothing like the feathered mattress he enjoyed at Malfoy Manor, it had served its purpose of lulling him to sleep. But he still couldn't help but scrutinize it.

"You can stay here as long as you want," said Harry. "Nobody knows you're here, not even your parents."

Draco looked away. But from the corner of his eye, he could see Harry staring at him. He knew that look well, and before Harry had a chance to utter a word, he said, "I don't want to talk about it."

Harry continued to stare at him in silence. After several minutes of feeling the other man's eyes bore into him, Draco met Harry's gaze with a fierce glare of his own; he so hated feeling as though he was being analyzed.

The stare caused Harry to look down, but it did nothing to qualm his spirits. "Why don't you join me for breakfast downstairs after you get dressed?" he asked.

Draco considered for a moment. But the rumble in his stomach answered the question for him. "Fine."

After a bit of a struggle - which was due in large part to him not wanting to leave the warm covers, than anything else - Draco finally managed to get out of bed. He looked down as he began to unbutton his nightshirt. "Please inform you house-elf that I like my eggs boiled for only a minute; I prefer if they're a little runny."

"We don't have a house-elf," Harry replied. "I'm going to be cooking."

Draco winced as he quickly glanced up at Harry. "You don't have servants?" Harry didn't answer him right away, but the embarrassed looked on his face told Draco the answer. "Who cleans for you then?"

Harry leaned against the dresser and averted his gaze. "Sirius and I kinda clean up after ourselves." He dared to glance back at Draco. "But you won't have to clean this room," he added quickly. "I know you're still weak."

"This should be an interesting stay," Draco muttered under his breath. He finally got the shirt off and was prepared to take off the pants, which already hung low on his hips, when he saw Harry staring at him once more. He followed the other man's gaze, which was now focused on the small trail of blond hair that began underneath his belly button.

"Do you mind leaving so I could get dressed?" Draco asked.

Harry looked up at him, as if shaken from a trance. "I'll just go and make your breakfast."

**************************

The aroma of food drifted into the room as Draco stood before the mirror, glancing in dismay at his new clothes. He pulled at the flannel shirt, which felt itchy against his skin. He much preferred the clothes he was wearing the night before.

He considered whether to make his exit from the room, when a loud noise soon rang throughout the house. He opened the door and looked down the hall, hoping Harry would be there to explain the disturbance. He crept to the staircase, when he saw Harry opening the front door.

"Stupid Muggle inventions," Draco said to himself, when it dawned on him the sound indicated someone was at the door. At his home, a voice would announce the identity of those standing before their gates; but these Muggles did not have the luxury of knowing beforehand who was waiting outside for them.

Draco was about to head back to his room, when he heard a female voice. He leaned over the railing and turned his head to the side so he could get a look at the young woman talking to Harry.

"I don't have any classes today," she said as she twirled her mousy brown hair around her finger. "I thought we could go see a movie or something."

Harry glanced over his shoulder, causing Draco to crouch down on the stairs. "I can't really do anything at the moment," he said. "I have company."

The girl leaned forward as she tried to look inside the house, but Harry moved in her way and prevented her from seeing anything. It was then quiet as neither one of them said anything to the other. Finally, after she tired of playing with her hair, the girl reached over and touched Harry.

"Well, you know where I live," she said as her dainty hand traveled to Harry's neck. "If you ever feel like going out somewhere, don't be afraid to ask me."

Harry remained quiet and rocked nervously on his heels, as her fingers flittered along his skin. "No problem," he finally uttered.

They continued to stare at one another for several more minutes. From the angle in which Harry was standing, Draco could see that there was a tinge of redness now developing in his cheeks. Draco was unable to hear what the girl said to him next, because she had lowered her voice to a whisper. But she eventually removed her hand from Harry's shoulder and walked away.

Draco crept upstairs when Harry closed the door and stepped back into the house. He stayed in the narrow hallway for several minutes, before descending the stairs and making his grand entrance into the kitchen.

He stood in the entryway and watched Harry in silence. His arms crossed against his chest, as he tried to adopt a calm appearance just in case Harry turned around and observed him. But Harry did not notice him and continued cooking. It wasn't until Draco began to drum his fingers against the wall that Harry finally took notice of his presence.

"Your breakfast is ready," Harry said as he waved the other man to the table, where a large plate awaited him. "We didn't have anymore eggs." He then lowered his voice as he muttered, "I guess Sirius must have eaten them for his breakfast."

Draco pulled back his chair and fell into it. "I heard eggs are good for a dog's coat," he said as he lazily glanced up at Harry.

Harry halted just as he was about to place a platter of bacon on the table and glanced back at him. He tried to decipher whether Draco was mocking his godfather. But Draco kept his face neutral as usual, not letting his intentions known. Harry gave up and set the food on the table. He then sat across from Draco and waited in anticipation for the man to start eating.

Draco sat back in his chair and let his hand hover over the various platters on the table. Although a dish of sausages lay before him, he reached for a piece of toast. He dropped the toast onto his plate and speared off a small corner with his knife. He turned his head to the side as he brought the morsel to his lips.

"I'll get some more eggs for you tonight," Harry said.

Draco glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Don't bother. I won't be staying here much longer." His hand then fluttered to the toast on his plate, as he began to poke holes through its soft center. "I'm feeling better already," he continued as he kept a steady gaze on Harry. "I think I might even be able to leave this afternoon."

"This afternoon?"

Draco pushed his plate away when he heard the anxiety in Harry's voice. "I don't see why not."

"But where would you go? Do you have other family members who--"

"Don't worry about it." Draco reached across the table and lightly touched Harry's hand. He then focused his attention back to his demolished piece of toast, all the while taking quick glances every now and then at Harry.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Harry asked in a small voice.

Draco didn't answer immediately and directed his gaze to the door. "Who was that girl you were talking to?" He looked back at Harry.

A smile crept onto Harry's lips, as he began to scratch his neck. "She's just a girl from the neighborhood. We hangout sometimes."

Draco grabbed the butter knife in front of him and tapped it lightly against the table. "Is she your little girlfriend?"

"No." Harry laughed nervously; but his hand still remained on his neck. "Why would I want a girlfriend? I'm not..."

The banging of the knife grew faster, until it suddenly ceased. Draco let the instrument slip from his fingers and didn't even flinch when it fell onto the floor. He suddenly jumped to his feet and lightly touched his forehead. "I think I'll go back to bed. I'm starting to get a headache."

He headed up the stairs slowly, but he never glanced over his shoulder. When he reached the second floor, he paused in front of the door for a moment. A smile crinkled onto his slips and he closed his eyes when he felt that familiar hand on his shoulder.

"Say you'll stay here for a couple more days," came the soft voice just behind him. "I don't think you're well yet. And...and...I would like to spend some more time with you."

Adopting a dispassionate expression on his face, Draco turned around and faced Harry. "I guess I could stay here awhile longer. If that's what you want."

"That's what I want."

Harry remained quiet and continued to glance at Draco. His gaze darted momentarily down the long hall as he bit down on his lower lip. He looked back at Draco and opened his mouth to say something; but he hesitated and kept quiet. There was heavy tension now looming in the small space between their bodies, until Harry broke that distance; he slowly approached Draco until they were only inches from one another.

Draco remained still. He could now hear Harry's rushed breathing as it jetted forth in deep puffs.

Harry then reached for Draco's arm. His let his fingers slowly roam along that familiar skin. His movements were slow and hesitant at first, but he soon regained his confidence and traced his hand along Draco's neck and collarbone. Draco made no reaction to these caresses and waited to see what Harry would do next.

Harry's hand trickled to Draco's waist, before finally wrapping around him and pulling him into a hug. "I really missed you," he whispered into Draco's ear."

Draco stayed pressed against the bedroom door as his arms hung to his sides. He felt Harry's warm lips move from his ear to his cheek. Harry then pulled away and looked him straight in the eye. Draco knew he was searching for his approval to advance, and kept his face expressionless. But Harry soon leaned forward once more and kissed him.

Draco winced and moved back, hitting his head against the door; Harry's lips had brushed up against the cut on the side of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

His hand immediately curled around Draco's chin, as his fingers hovered over the bruise near the other man's lips. Thinking Harry's fingers might inadvertently glide against this sensitive area on his face, Draco pulled away. But the action was not needed, as Harry's fingers landed on his cheek.

Harry kissed him once more, this time more mindful of where he let his lips wander. Draco closed his eyes just as Harry's arms encircled him and pulled him forward. He didn't respond to the kiss and allowed Harry to take the lead. But his eyes quickly flew open when he felt Harry's body press against his. He pushed Harry away.

"I need my rest," Draco muttered.

Harry's eyes remained closed, as his tongue flickered along his lips. But once he had stopped savoring the taste of Draco's mouth, he opened his eyes to face the harsh reality.

Draco opened his bedroom door and took a step inside. "I'll see you later." And when he saw Harry open his mouth to make a protest, he closed the door.