My Last Breath

Haley stood in the doorway pale and wet. She was shivering noticeably in her rain-soaked clothes. Her golden blonde hair lay lifeless and wet around her face hiding it from view.

"Oh my God, Haley, what happened?" Harry said as Draco put an arm around her and urged her into the room.

"I walked," she replied softly.

"Walked? From the Hotel? Haley, that's like four miles from here," Harry said with a shocked expression as Haley nodded. Draco led the way into the living room and sat Haley gently on the couch. Harry grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Haley, what happened?" Draco asked softly.

"He's gone."

"Who's gone?"

"Ron. He left." Haley looked up at the two men before her. Tears were running steadily down her cheeks. Draco reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. In an instant, Haley lost control and fell sobbing into his arms. "It's all my fault! I should have told him sooner."

"Shh, it's not your fault," Draco said as he gave Harry a questioning look.

"What did he say to you?" Harry asked as he bent down in front of her.

"Just that he didn't think he could ever love a Malfoy. And he mumbled some things about betrayal." She may have said more but neither Harry nor Draco understood it through the sobs.

"Haley, why don't you stay here tonight and I'll find Ron and talk to him in the morning," Harry said. Haley nodded into Draco's shoulder and tried to dry her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'll make you a room."

"You'll what? Harry, there's only one bedroom in here," Draco said with child-like interest.

Without a word, Harry started to dig in his pockets. He pulled out a plain black Muggle marker. He beckoned for the others to follow as he walked into the hallway. The three of them crammed into the tiny hallway.

Draco and Haley watched with bated breath as Harry opened the marker, and started to draw on the wall. "What the hell are you doing?" Draco asked.

"Just watch," Harry said as he continued to draw what turned out to be a door. He leaned back to look at his work. With a smile he leaned forward again and added a doorknob. Then he recapped the marker and put it back into his pocket.

"Harry, I think you've gone mad. How is this going to help anything?" Draco asked with a slight laugh.

"Do you remember what we were talking about right before Haley knocked?" Draco nodded. "Well, I don't need a wand to do magic. Watch."

Harry then closed his eyes and waved his hand across the door he had drawn. He muttered a few words that neither Draco nor Haley could hear. The door glowed for a second and then Haley gasped. A real door had appeared before them in the tiny hallway. Harry reached out and turned the knob. The door opened into a spacious room. A large bed stood in the center and a dresser sat under a window, which looked out over the street.

"Sorry, Haley, I forget to add a bathroom," Harry said.

"Holy crap, Harry! How did you do that?" Haley said. It seemed her sadness was forgotten for the moment.

Harry shrugged in reply. "You should get some sleep. I promise that I'll sort this out in the morning," he said with a small smile. The look on their faces was quite funny.

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A moment later, Harry and Draco were standing in the hallway, staring at the door to Haley's room. Harry was no longer tired. Instead he was feeling something he hadn't felt in years. It had been a long time since he had used magic and it felt good.

He turned to Draco with a grin on his face. "Want to see some more?"

Before Draco could reply, Harry grabbed his wrist and dragged him into his bedroom, closing the door softly behind them. For the next hour, Draco watched in shock as Harry transfigured almost everything in his bedroom. Before long, both men were gripping their sides from laughter.

Soon, the laughter faded and a comfortable silence began to fill the room. Harry lay on his back on the bed. He felt strangely aware of his body. Snape had told him once that magic can have that effect on a person. Harry smiled at the memories that accompanied that thought.

Harry felt Draco move next to him and he turned on his side. Draco's stormy eyes were boring into him and he shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. There were only a few times that Harry could remember seeing them so full of life. Only this time it wasn't hate causing it.

"That was amazing, Harry. Where'd you learn to do that?" Draco asked to break the silence.

"Snape taught me during seventh year," Harry replied with a shrug.

"Snape?! How did you survive that? I would have thought he'd kill you!" Draco said with a laugh that lit up his face.

"It's hard to explain. Let's just say we settled our differences in light of the approaching war."

Draco's responding laugh was cut short by a yawn. A comfortable silence fell over them once more. Draco marveled at how odd it was to be lying next to Harry Potter. How strange that he was feeling calm for the first time in his life. Both men fell asleep almost instantly.

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Harry was the first to wake the next morning. It took a few seconds for him to remember where he was and whom he was with. Sometime during the night, Harry and Draco had tangled together. Harry very slowly lifted Draco's arm off his chest and slipped from the bed. He grabbed a pen and a slip of paper and stepped out onto the balcony.

Harry took a deep breath and sat down. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out and lit one before setting his mind to the letter. He scribbled a note to Ron asking him to meet him later that day and then set it aside to wait for an owl.

Harry's mind began to wander, as it so often did. He closed his eyes and let the memories flood his mind.

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Draco rolled over and opened his eyes. His vision focused on Harry who looked like he was asleep. He took a deep breath and smiled at the scent that filled his nose. What am I doing? I'm smelling Harry Potter's bed?!? He sat up and ran his hands over his face, wishing away his invading thoughts.

Draco continued to watch Harry as an owl swooped down and Harry attached a letter to its leg. He stood and stepped across the room to join Harry when the raven-haired man suddenly stood and swung around, nearly knocking Draco off his feet. Harry grabbed him around the waist to prevent the fall.

Both men stayed completely still as their eyes locked. Draco noticed how much life there was in those emerald eyes. Has that always been there? He couldn't remember.

"Sorry," Harry said, breaking the silence. He let go of Draco and stepped back. "I didn't know you were standing right there."

"Next time I'll announce my presence, Potter," Draco replied scathingly before wincing at his rudeness. "Sorry, I really need to work on controlling my mouth."

Harry nodded his agreement before looking away, off into the sky. "I need to change. I'm meeting Ron for lunch." And with that said, he strode around Draco and disappeared into the bathroom.