Summer Rain

Chapter 10

Three days later Friday arrived, and it was the day that Hermione had invited Harry and 'a date' for dinner. Harry was obviously going to take Draco along, but was really anxious about Ron's reaction to that. It was also the day after Harry went back to work on his first night shift.

After their decision to give their relationship another go, Harry had insisted that Draco check out of his big, lonely hotel room and come and stay with him for a little while until some more permanent arrangements could be made. Draco had protested at first, still slightly insecure that Harry was going to realise he'd made a big mistake at any moment, but had eventually relented when Harry had pointed out that he wasn't going to let Draco leave until he was better anyway, so he may as well extend the stay a bit longer.

The last few days went by pretty uneventful, and they had just spent the time talking and getting to know each other all over again. Harry was revelling in Draco's presence, and couldn't shake the fuzzy, warm butterfly feeling in his stomach every time Draco smiled at him.

Draco was much better, and only really had a slight cough and a runny nose from his bout of the flu. It was eight in the morning and Harry was due back from work at any moment. Draco had decided to make Harry a nice breakfast to have before he went to bed, as Harry had indicated that he was usually ravenous after a full night of work.

Draco heard the keys in the lock just as he dumped a huge pile of scrambled eggs onto Harry's plate. Harry shuffled in to the apartment, chucked his backpack by the door and threw his keys, wallet and mobile phone on the dining table. "I hate you, Draco Malfoy," Harry grumbled and Draco's heart leapt up into his throat. This is it, Draco thought. He's finally realised!

"I --" Draco choked out as he looked up at Harry who looked like death warmed over.

"You made me sick! You gave me your bloody flu! I feel like shit," Harry whined. Draco almost laughed in relief but smacked his lips in sympathy and engulfed Harry in a hug.

"Aww, babe. I'm sorry!" Draco soothed and ran his fingers through the back of Harry's hair and kissed the top of his head. "That's one of the hazards of snogging a person with the flu. Have you been feeling like this all night at work?" Harry shook his head and sniffled as he plopped down into one of the dining chairs. He put his head down on his arms and closed his eyes.

"No, it just came on about two this morning. I couldn't come home; they were short staffed as it was," Harry replied. "Urgh, my head hurts so much!" Draco stepped up behind Harry and started lightly massaging Harry's head. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... don't stop!" Harry groaned. Draco laughed.

"Well, it's been a while since I heard that come from your lips," Draco commented cheekily. "Though it wasn't your head I was massaging."

"Uhnnghh, don't talk about sex," Harry whimpered. "Even my dick hurts."

"Why don't you have some breakfast then? I made you some bacon and scrambled eggs with lots of but --" Draco moved to the kitchen to fetch the plate.

"STOP!" Harry moaned. "Please don't talk about food either. Thank you for making me breakfast, sweetie, but if you bring that near me, you'll have a lot worse than dirty dishes to clean up," Harry warned.

"Um," Draco started as he hastily dumped Harry's breakfast into the rubbish bin to get it out of Harry's sight. "I think this is about the time that I remind you that vomit, from anyone but myself, makes me squeamish."

"S'ok, love. My hair doesn't need holding back, it's too short now," Harry joked weakly. "And you didn't need to remind me, I remember your slight phobia as clear as day. Oh, the food poisoning incident --"

"Oh god!" Draco groaned and hid his face in embarrassment.

"I distinctly remember hanging over the toilet thinking I was spewing up my liver for the tenth time that morning and desperately wanting some sort of comfort. But, where was my dear, loving boyfriend? He was standing next to me heaving into the sink!" Harry giggled.

"I don't usually get to the point where I puke myself, it just turns my stomach!" Draco cried indignantly. "But, my god, you were so sick that day. I felt terrible for not following you into the bathroom to comfort you each time like you always did when I was sick..."

"So, you decided to face your fear?" Harry smiled.

"Well, yeah!" Draco insisted. "I convinced myself I could do it, that it was fine because it was you and that made it alright." Harry laughed.

"Little did you know what you were walking into, hey? Your timing is impeccable, like the rest of you!" Harry snorted.

"I think I did well until you started choking!" Draco said defensively.

"You did well until I threw up on you, you mean?" Harry teased.

"That too," Draco admitted moodily and Harry smirked at him. "Hey! I wasn't even the one who poisoned you. That was all Weasley's doing. And I handled the diarrhoea like a pro!"

"For which I'm eternally grateful, my love," Harry chuckled. "I need a shower, and I need to go to bed. I promise I won't puke on you." Harry stood up and patted Draco on the head.

"Want some company?" Draco asked softly. In the three days they had been back together, they hadn't really broached the subject of sex, nor had any sort of intimate contact other than kissing, hugging and sharing a bed. At first, Draco hadn't felt up to it, and now Harry had taken ill, but Draco was getting eager to make up for lost time, though he didn't want to rush things either. Harry turned and frowned at him, but Draco couldn't read the meaning of the frown. "I just thought we could snuggle for a little while until you go to sleep," Draco explained hastily.

"I'd like that." Harry nodded and smiled. "I thought you meant you wanted to join me in the shower..." Draco flushed and looked down at his hands, "because I wouldn't be opposed to that either." Draco grinned and jumped up to join Harry quickly.

o o o o o

The pair had shared a lovely warm shower together and had snuggled in bed afterwards. It hadn't taken Harry long to fall asleep, after getting Draco to promise to wake him with plenty of time to get ready for dinner at Ron and Hermione's. Draco had been so warm and cosy in Harry's arms that he dozed off himself.

Draco woke later to find himself alone in the bed. He glanced at the digital clock on Harry's bedside table and found that he'd been asleep for about two and half hours and it was now 10.50am.

Draco felt the spot next to him in the bed and found it was stone cold, indicating that Harry had gotten up a while ago. Draco dragged himself out of his warm cocoon of covers and checked the bathroom. Harry wasn't there either.

Shrugging on his bathrobe as he went, Draco padded out to the main area of the apartment and found Harry curled up on the couch under a blanket watching television. Draco sat down next to Harry and stroked his cheek tenderly. "Trouble sleeping, babe?" Draco asked and Harry nodded. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked so cute snuggled up in the covers with just the top of your head sticking out. I couldn't bring myself to disturb you," Harry told him and rubbed his sore nose.

Draco just rolled his eyes with a smile; placed his palm over Harry's forehead "You're very warm. Maybe you should call in sick for work tonight and take a rain check on dinner."

"Yeah, I was considering that," Harry murmured and switched the television off with the remote control.

"Is it the flu that's making you have problems sleeping? Not... anything else?" Draco asked.

"Mostly the flu..." Harry trailed off and looked up at Draco, "maybe a bit of something on my mind."

"Oh, ok," Draco mumbled and bit his lip. Harry took his hand.

"It's not what you think. I promised you, this is what I want, ok?" Harry assured with a smile. "Do you still miss Australia?"

"Harry, I told you, I came back for you. It's irrelevant whether I miss it because going back is not an option now." Draco smiled and kissed the back of Harry's hand.

"What if it was an option?" Harry asked cryptically and Draco looked at him in confusion.

"It's not," Draco said firmly.

"What if you went back," Harry asked and Draco shook his head vigorously, "and I went with you?" Draco stilled.

"Huh?" Draco said ineloquently. He thought for a few moments before the head shaking started again. "NO, Harry. Your life is here."

"But what if I want to start afresh, with you, in a new place?" Harry suggested.

"You've already given up so much for me!" Draco cried.

"As you have for me!" Harry retorted. "Ouch, please don't make me yell. My throat hurts."

"Sorry," Draco mumbled feebly. "Harry, all your friends are here. Your goddaughter is here. You have a great job, a great apartment. Why would you want to pack it all up and move to the other side of the world?" Harry exhaled slowly.

"Because I said I wanted to give this another go, and I now realise that I want us to make a new life together completely, not just have you wedged into my old life. Yes, I have all those things you just mentioned, but now I also have you -- the most important part of all. Ron, Hermione and Melody are always going to be a huge part of my life, but we can visit each other all the time. As for the apartment and the job, well, we can get a new home over there and I've always considered moving in to muggle nursing, so why not?" Harry gave a shrug.

"Um, well, I, er... wow," Draco stuttered stupidly and Harry smiled. "No wonder you couldn't sleep."

"There is one condition though," Harry said softly and squeezed Draco's hand.

"What?" Draco asked warily with his eyes narrowed.

"You have to tell me who threatened you, Draco," Harry insisted. "I'm a big boy, I can handle it. We can't have secrets. I need to know who took you away from me otherwise it will eat me alive."

"Harry, it's going to break your heart," Draco said sadly.

"Please?" Harry asked again and Draco looked down into Harry's beautiful green eyes and swallowed heavily.

"It was the Weasleys, Harry," Draco whispered. Harry stiffened and his mouth dropped open slightly. "Not all of them. It was only Molly, Arthur and Ginny. None of their sons knew, and that includes Ron." Harry was starting to breath deeply and his hands were shaking and Draco was a little frightened of how he would react. "Please don't blame them, Harry. They wanted you back with Ginny so much. They thought after everything you'd been through that it would be best for you to settle down with a nice girl to have children and live the easy life. They knew I wouldn't give you up easily, so they threatened me..." Draco was babbling helplessly and trying to dilute the seriousness of the situation to calm Harry's reaction.

It wasn't working.

Harry scrambled up from the couch and raced to the bathroom and started vomiting. He was hyperventilating, and his struggle for breath sent him choking and coughing over the toilet bowl. Draco raced after him and paused at the bathroom door.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!" Draco cursed to himself. He took a deep breath trying to pluck up the courage to enter. He gulped and stepped into the bathroom. By the time he got in, Harry was passed out on the floor in a small pool of his own vomit. He'd been sick all down the front of his pyjamas and was breathing shallowly. "STUPID BASTARD!" Draco berated himself for telling Harry.

Draco slapped a hand over his mouth at the sight of the vomit and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself. "Phew, it's ok, I can do this," Draco encouraged himself. After another deep breath, he shook himself and moved closer to Harry.

Adrenaline took over and prevented Draco from retching in response to the sight before him. He strode purposefully over to Harry and pulled him up into a sitting position, leaning Harry's head on his shoulder. He put a finger gently into Harry's mouth to clear out any vomit that may cause him to choke before grabbing a handful of toilet paper off the roll and starting to clean up Harry's face and neck with it. It sounded as though Harry could breathe a little easier in this position so Draco started patting his back gently to try and coax him awake.

Harry groaned and his eyes fluttered open. "Oh fuck, I feel like I've been run over by a train," he muttered and then glanced down at his chest and whimpered.

"Shhh, its ok, babe. We'll get you cleaned up," Draco murmured and Harry shifted next to him.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry Draco," Harry moaned. "You can just go through to the bedroom, I'll clean up. This must be awful for you."

"Quiet you, I'm fine," Draco insisted as he started to unbutton Harry's pyjama top. Harry suddenly went rigid and his eyes narrowed.

"I'm going to fucking kill them," Harry said lowly and glared into space like he was in a trance. "THEY RUINED MY FUCKING LIFE, THE ARSEHOLES! HOW DARE THEY DICTATE WHAT IS BEST FOR ME?! THEY TOOK YOU AWAY AND FACED ME THE NEXT MORNING WITH A SMILE ON THEIR FACES! THEY FUCKING COMFORTED ME WHEN I BROKE DOWN AND CRIED FOR YOU! THEY EVEN LET ME BELIEVE THEY WERE SEARCHING FOR YOU WITH ME! THEY FORCED YOU AWAY AND YOU NEARLY DIED! THEY TOLD ME I WAS LIKE A SON TO THEM! HOW COULD THEY FUCKING DO THAT TO ME?!" Harry screamed hoarsely, angry tears pouring down his cheeks.

Draco listened in horror was he worked surreptitiously to clean Harry up. Harry was sobbing deeply into Draco's chest making Draco's job difficult, but he proceeded the best he could, using a whole roll of toilet paper and a couple of towels in the process.

Close to half an hour later, just as Draco could feel his legs going to sleep, Harry's crying subsided into small whimpers and hiccuping. "I'm not really going to kill them," Harry whispered.

"I know," Draco said softly and rubbed Harry's back.

"I'm sorry I got puke on you," Harry mumbled. "I promised I wouldn't."

"I'll live," Draco answered and smiled, though Harry couldn't see it, he could only hear Draco's short answers.

"Are you angry with me?"

"Oh, baby, no. I'm not angry with you," Draco assured his boyfriend with a kiss to the top of his head. "I just hate seeing you so upset."

"I'm sorry. It just hurts so much; I feel so betrayed..." Harry sighed. "They're like family to me."

"Don't apologise, you silly bugger," Draco scolded. "You have every right to be that upset. Can you see why I didn't want to tell you?" Harry nodded.

"I... I don't want to deal with this right now. I'm going to go call in sick to work, and then I think I might crawl into bed and sleep for four weeks," Harry joked weakly and groaned as his aching muscles protested from sitting on the cold floor too long. "Will you call Hermione and tell them I'm sick and can't make dinner tonight? I don't want to see anyone at the moment." Draco nodded and helped Harry off the floor.

"Will you be ok, Harry?" Draco asked anxiously. "I'm worried about you. You sort of just went right from one extreme to the other. Maybe we should talk about this some more?"

"I can't do this just now, Draco. I need sleep, not a straight jacket," Harry muttered shakily.

o o o o o

Harry was feeling woozy and off-balance after his panic attack from Draco's confession, so Draco helped him have another quick shower and held him upright while he brushed his teeth before Harry had to call in sick to his work. After his call, Harry had climbed in to bed, burrowed right down in the covers, as though hiding from the world, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Draco had sat next to Harry on the bed for about half an hour, watching him sleep and contemplating Harry's suggestion to return to Australia with him and Harry's reaction to the identity of Draco's threateners. For one of the first times in his life, Draco had no immediate answer about what to do. It was obviously going to require more talks with Harry, but with Harry so poorly, Draco couldn't be certain when they would get a chance to discuss it again. As it was, Harry seemed to be reluctant to face the situation with the Weasleys, and after his violent reaction, Draco wasn't going to push it. Thank god he didn't ask me what they actually said to me, Draco thought.

With a soft sigh, Draco eased himself up off the bed so he wouldn't disturb Harry too much and made his way to the kitchen to call Hermione.

Draco flicked through Harry's address book to find Hermione and Ron's number. He came across Lucas's entry and discovered that, where there use to be a tiny red heart drawn next to his name, it had now been scribbled out. Draco's heart soared and he allowed himself a triumphant grin as he punched in the Hermione's phone number.

"Hello, Hermione speaking," Hermione answered the phone.

"Hermione, its Draco."

"Oh, hi. How's things?" Hermione asked. Harry hadn't spoken to either Hermione or Ron since he broke up with Lucas, but Draco could hear a definite iciness in her voice that certainly hadn't been present when she stayed with him the morning Harry broke up with Lucas.

"Ah, with Harry and me they are perfect. On a whole, though, things are a little messy but I really don't want to get into anything with you without Harry around. I'm sorry if that sounds rude, but it's only fair," Draco explained.

"Ok..." Hermione said warily. "So, why are you ringing?"

"We can't come to dinner tonight. Harry's caught my flu and he's not feeling well at all, so it's probably best if we just give it a miss tonight."

"What's going on, Draco? I believe that Harry is ill, but there is something else. Illness doesn't usually prevent Harry from coming over to us," Hermione said and Draco could hear the suspicion laced in her voice.

"I'm not going to get into it, Hermione. Not without Harry, and certainly not over the phone. Can you just accept mine and Harry's apologies for dinner and speak to Harry when he's feeling better? Trust me, he's not in much of a state right now to get into anything else deep, and he is too ill to be going out for dinner," Draco said curtly.

"Anything else?" Hermione pressed and Draco smacked his lips in annoyance.

"Did you just completely ignore what I said, or do you annoy people for a living?" Draco snapped rudely.

"I see you are feeling much better," Hermione retorted. "Much more like your old self."

"Oh please," Draco scoffed. "If you can't see that the reason I'm getting pissed is because I don't want Harry under any unnecessary stress while he sick, then I'm not even going to bother with this conversation!"

"Sorry Draco. I'm just worried about him," Hermione apologised.

"It's ok, I understand. But I'll take care of him and get him to contact you when he's ready and feeling better, alright?"

"Ok," Hermione agreed, but Draco wasn't convinced. "Tell him I hope he feels better."

Draco ended the call and snorted in slight annoyance. Hermione had not changed in all the years Draco had known her. Although he admitted she was a great friend to Harry, superb even, Draco felt she tried to bother herself too intimately with Harry's personal affairs.

Harry wasn't an inconsiderate person. He didn't deliberately fail to tell people private things to hurt them. He just -- like everyone -- had things that he didn't want to share with his friends occasionally, and Draco felt that Ron and Hermione should respect that. Something he knew that neither of them actually did. They would get annoyed or angry when they thought Harry was keeping things from them and a majority of the time he would feel guilty about not telling them and end up revealing his secrets anyway. Draco knew this weakness in Harry, and it bothered him that it appeared that still nothing was sacred in Harry's life. Draco just couldn't help feeling rather pissed off at Hermione trying to wheedle information about Harry from him.

Draco shook is head and rolled his eyes before returning to the bedroom to check on Harry.