Summer Rain

Chapter 19

Harry screwed up his face in concentration and grunted with exertion as he took the final few steps forward with a walking frame and then flopped back into his wheelchair with a sigh of relief. His t-shirt was soaked with perspiration, and beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead and into his eyes.

"That's it, baby! You're doing so well! You went further today than you have any other day!" Draco enthused and clapped his hands.

"Fuck off with the positive shit, Draco. I'm not in the mood," Harry snapped, and opened the bottle of water his physiotherapist handed him and took a long gulp.

"Alright, fine. How about this?" Draco shrugged. "Bloody physios! Working you so fucking hard! How dare they? Stalking around with their bloody walking frames like they own the place and trying to get poor, innocent Harry's to walk when they are in shit moods. You're doing a piss poor job, and you should already be running to the other side of the room by now! It's been three fucking weeks and you're still out of breath only walking a few steps! Who cares if your knee was practically crushed? It's not anymore! You're Harry Potter, you should be able to walk properly on it already. Who need physiotherapy when you're Harry Potter? Utter bollocks! Useless, the lot of them!" Draco ranted and then stooped down to Harry's level. "That better, baby? Negative enough for you?" Harry snorted and shook his head, pushing Draco away but laughing at his boyfriend's antics despite himself.

"Yes, thank you." Harry smirked. Draco had gone with Harry to every physiotherapy session he had. Harry was progressing well, and had been overly positive since being moved to the rehabilitation ward and had been putting mind, body and soul into gaining strength in his knee and was determined to be walking independently again as soon as possible.

Over the last few days, however, Harry's enthusiasm had been waning and his mood was bordering on being depressive. He requested that he have no visitors but Draco, and for the second morning running had tried to get out of his physiotherapy session, but after some very smooth talking and illicit promises of what he would do to Harry when he was better again, Draco had eventually convinced him into going.

"Can we go back to my room now?" Harry asked the physiotherapist. "I stink and I want a shower."

"Sure, Harry," she answered with a smile. "Right to wheel him back on your own Draco?"

"Of course," Draco said haughtily as he took his place behind Harry and started wheeling him back to his room. "You know, I'm seriously considering putting in a complaint with the hospital management." Harry pulled a face, confused.

"What? Why?" Harry asked and turned to look up at Draco.

"I have issues with all these men and women putting their hands all over your wet, soapy, naked arse," Draco stated with a sniff. Harry laughed.

"They're nurses, honey. That's their job," Harry answered with a shake of his head.

"No, that's my job!" Draco insisted.

"Well, when you're confident enough to bathe a rehabilitating coma patient with abdominal surgical wounds and a reconstructed knee who can't even hold the soap long enough to wash his bits, then we'll talk about your bathing skills." Harry gripped the arms of the wheelchair as Draco whipped it around a corner with a screech of the wheels, as he had gotten into a habit of doing.

"No, there will be no talk. I fully intend to prove my skills by actions when you get out of this place." Draco grinned down at Harry who blushed when a young nurses' aid walked by.

"You horny bugger," Harry mumbled, though placed a discreet hand over his own lap as they arrived at his room.

"Bloody right," Draco cried. "I'm tempted to suck you off right here!"

"Draco!" Harry gasped but found himself laughing nervously.

"What?" Draco asked innocently as he buzzed for a nurse to come help Harry shower. "You'd love it."

"Yeah, I would," Harry agreed reluctantly and heaved a deep sigh. Draco pulled a chair over and set it in front of Harry and sat down, taking Harry's hands into his.

"Want to talk about it?" Draco asked gently.

"I'm alright, baby," Harry reassured him and leaned in for a kiss. "I'm just tired... so tired." Draco knew Harry didn't just mean physical tiredness. The whole incident had been a trial for everyone, but for Harry it was so much worse and he had been trying so hard. It was understandable for things to be beginning to take their toll.

"Morning Harry!" A nurse appeared in the doorway. "We're a bit light on staff at the moment, do you mind waiting for about fifteen or twenty minutes for your shower?"

"No, that's fine," Harry answered with a smile. "Thanks." The nurse nodded and left.

"Are you finally realising the seriousness of what happened to you?" Draco stroked the palms of Harry's hands with his thumbs and Harry dropped his gaze to look at them.

"I'm not in denial, Draco. I'm well aware of what happened to me and I'm dealing with it like I've dealt with all the shit in my life." Harry pulled one hand away and rubbed his eyes tiredly with it.

"Then what is it, babe?" Draco coaxed. "You're down and I want to make you feel better."

"I've told you before what you can do to make me feel better," Harry reminded him and gave Draco a small smile. Draco drew in a long breath and let it out slowly.

"This is about Australia again, isn't it?"

"I want to do this with you. But you keep changing the subject. It's not just this empty idea I've gotten into my head," Harry insisted. "I've come to accept that my life is just never going to be easy and no one can tell what's waiting around the corner. Nearly everything I've done has been for a reason or for someone else; I'm ready to do something just for the fucking hell of it and I want to do it with you. Whatever that 'something' is is irrelevant but if we make that 'something' moving to Australia, then I can make you happy at the same time and that is the most important thing to me, baby. If you tell me you don't want to do this, then I'll drop the whole thing and won't ever mention it again. But..."

"I do want it, Harry," Draco finally admitted in a tiny voice. "I want it more than anything but I didn't want to pressure you into it."

"Are you ever going to learn to tell me what you want?" Harry asked curiously. "Because this isn't a healthy start to our relationship. I need you to be honest with me."

"If I had admitted to you that I have this unbelievable homesickness for Australia, you would have been played the heroic Gryffindor card and moved there for me even if you didn't want to, and that's not how I wanted it to be, Harry." Draco moved closer for a hug and Harry instinctively put his arms around his boyfriend.

"But why should you be the one to give everything up all the time?" Harry rationalised. "You already did that for me five years ago, and you've done it again for me now, but you aren't happy -"

"I am!" Draco insisted.

"No, sweetheart, you aren't. You just told me how homesick you are. That's not happy, that's just you trying to convince yourself you are." Harry kissed the top of Draco's head.

"I am happy to be back with you, Harry," Draco mumbled into Harry's chest.

"Oh, Draco, I know that! That's not the issue here," Harry insisted. "I just don't understand what more I can say to you to convince you that I want to move back with you. Do you not believe I am serious about this?"

"I don't doubt that you genuinely want to do this; I just..." Draco trailed off and sighed. He pulled back and looked into Harry's eyes. "I don't want you to regret it."

"I nearly died, Draco," Harry said seriously. "I have no more room for regrets and I am not willing to sit around any longer and just exist. What can I say to convince you?" Harry threw up his hands in frustration. Draco closed his eyes and bit his lip.

"Just tell me you love me," Draco whispered. "That's enough for me."

"I love you, Draco Malfoy," Harry declared without hesitation. "You're my reason for everything now, and I don't ever want you to forget that." Draco opened his eyes and swallowed the lump of emotions in his throat.

"I love you too, Harry," Draco choked out. "And nothing would make me happier than to take you home with me." Draco closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to Harry's.

o o o o o

Draco emerged from the visitors' toilet down the hall from Harry's room when a nurse tapped him on the shoulder. "Yes?" Draco asked.

"I know Harry has requested to have no visitors today, but there is gentleman at reception asking to see him. He's not someone who has visited Harry here before and he's quite insistent," she said with a shrug.

Fucking Lucas! Draco thought angrily. Harry told Remus to tell him not to come back again! "Harry is asleep. He had a rough physio session this morning," Draco said by way of trying to put her off from letting the visitor in.

"Perhaps you could come tell him yourself that Harry doesn't want to see anyone? He asked if he could speak to you if Harry wouldn't see him," the nurse suggested and Draco sighed in irritation.

"Alright, where is he?" Draco relented.

"Just at reception," she answered. "Come with me." Draco followed her back to the reception desk and when he looked up he came face to face with Arthur Weasley.

Draco started in shock and felt his mouth drop open. "Ahhh... ummm..." Draco stammered nervously. This was the first time he had faced this man since that awful night and Draco found himself unusually tongue-tied.

"Draco, I apologise for startling you. I know I am the last person you want or need here at the moment, but I just felt I needed to come and speak to you both." Mr Weasley tentatively approached Draco and held out his hand in greeting.

Draco looked down at Mr Weasley's hand for a moment and then looked back up at him without shaking his hand. "I, um... I don't think..." Draco floundered, and nervously realised he was frightened. He knew from what Ron had said, and from his own memories of what occurred that night that Mr Weasley hadn't been the instigator of the threats. But still, once bitten, twice scared shitless and Draco took an involuntary step back from Arthur Weasley.

"It's ok, Draco, I understand," Mr Weasley said softly.

"Harry's asleep!" Draco burst out. "He um, had a hard physiotherapy session today..."

"I'm happy to just say what I need to say to you, in that case," Mr Weasley offered. "It won't take long." Draco frowned. He didn't want to be put in this position of having to make Harry's decisions for him.

Harry had hardly mentioned the Weasleys since coming out of his coma. He had spoken very briefly about them about a week after he woke up and told Draco he was remembering parts of the argument a lot clearer, and his voice had been bitter so Draco hadn't pushed any further.

"No, it's not my place to speak to you," Draco said firmly and Mr Weasley nodded in understanding. "But I will wake him and ask him if he wants to see you. If he says no, I know that you will respect his wishes."

"That's all I ask, Draco," Mr Weasley said sadly. Draco nodded and turned on his heel and stalked down the corridor to Harry's room.

Harry was lying on his back, sleeping deeply. He had one hand splayed across his chest, and his other arm was flung across his face with his elbow covering his eyes. Harry had complained extensively about his room being too bright since he had gotten there. It amazed Draco how Harry could sleep so soundly in such unusual positions, but he figured Harry just must be so knackered that it didn't bother him.

Draco eased Harry's arm off his face stroked his cheek to rouse him. Harry snuffled lightly and rolled onto his side mumbling "No, m'not... s'Draco's turn..." Draco chuckled.

"Harry, babe... wake up..." Draco bent down and kissed Harry's forehead.

"Mmmff... no... f'koff..." Harry groaned and tried to bury further under the covers.

"I need to talk to you about something, love," Draco said and perched on the edge of the bed. Harry opened his eyes blearily and looked up at Draco.

"What?" Harry asked with a tired frown. "You told me I could sleep as long as I wanted..." Harry accused.

"It's important, Harry, otherwise you know I wouldn't have woken you." Draco sucked on his bottom lip and thought about how to broach this. Straight to the point, Draco, he thought to himself. "Mr Weasley is here and he wants to talk to us." Harry's frown deepened.

"I don't want to see any of them..." Harry bit out.

"Harry, do you remember the full argument with them yet?"

"Mostly..." Harry snapped and then sighed when Draco just looked at him. "Alright, I don't remember anything about Mr Weasley being there. I don't even remember seeing him in the room. I only remember disjointed parts of arguing with Ginny and Mrs Weasley, nothing else."

"Mr Weasley wasn't the instigator in the threats, babe," Draco told Harry for the first time. "I realised that after Ron told me what his dad had said about your argument with them. The night of the threats, Mr Weasley stood back, like he had been railroaded into being there against his will."

"But he was still involved, Draco!" Harry snapped. "He didn't try to stop you going, even when he knew he didn't want to be involved."

"But he cares for you, baby," Draco said and rubbed Harry's arms soothingly. "You told me the night before your accident that you only wanted them to show some remorse for hurting you... Mr Weasley's done that." Harry closed his eyes and swallowed to wet his dry throat.

"Ok, I'll see him," Harry relented. Draco leaned over and hugged him.

"I'm proud of you, Harry," Draco told him. "Do you want a few moments to use the toilet and have a drink or something?" Harry shook his head.

"No, I want this over with," Harry said firmly. "I need some resolution."

o o o o o

Harry was propped up in bed on some pillows by the time Draco came back with Mr Weasley. His eyes followed his best friend's father into the room, but his face remained neutral and unreadable.

Draco chose to sit on the edge of Harry's bed about level with Harry's knees, while Mr Weasley sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Thank you for agreeing to talk to me, Harry," Mr Weasley started and Harry just nodded. "I'm so relieved to see you're ok. I felt ill when they told me about your accident."

"Why are you here, Mr Weasley?" Harry cut abruptly to the point.

"To apologise," Mr Weasley admitted. "I don't expect your forgiveness, but I want you to know that I have regretted my involvement in Molly and Ginny's... plan... since the day I heard Draco had disappeared." Draco felt Harry stiffen, but he was relieved Harry seemed to be trying to keep his temper in check.

"What else did you expect him to do?" Harry said through clenched teeth.

"I wish I could give you a clear answer, Harry, but I was quite intoxicated myself the night of Ron and Hermione's wedding. I don't wish to make excuses but I don't have a clear recollection of what was said that night. It's true that I didn't approve of your relationship with Draco back then, but if I had known what they were going to do to him and what the consequences would be, I would have tried everything I could to stop it. I knew Molly had been considering intervening in your relationship, but I never once suspected she would be capable of hurting you so much in the process." Harry's eyes narrowed slightly and he folded his arms and sat further back into his pillows.

"How do you feel about my relationship with Draco now?" Harry asked suspiciously and Draco felt his face flush slightly.

"I don't know the person he is now," Mr Weasley admitted with an apologetic glance to Draco. "I didn't truly know the person he was back then, either. My poor judgements were influenced by many outside factors, a significant history and a damagingly closed mind."

"Something of which we are all guilty of," Draco piped up and Harry gave him a funny look.

"You understand that I'm not ready to forgive what you all did to Draco and I, don't you?" Harry started and Mr Weasley hung his head and nodded slightly. "I have a lot of things I need to work through right now, and getting my physical strength back is priority and it's the subject of my whole focus at present. After that, making up for lost time with Draco will be the most important thing to me. I understand, and am grateful, that you weren't involved in carrying out this whole disaster, but you should have told me what had happened and why Draco left. You all continued to let me believe he left because of me, and that hurts so much. What hurts the most, however, is that because of you, your wife and your daughter, I might never have seen Draco again, and for that, I'm going to have to ask that you respect what I am about to ask of you, and give me what I need."

Mr Weasley looked up at Harry, resigned to what was about to come out of this strong young man's mouth and nodded again. "I don't want to speak to or hear from you, your wife or your daughter until I am ready to face you all again, which may not be for a very long time," Harry said softly and looked down at his hands, which were folded in his lap. Draco drew in a sharp breath and put a hand up to his mouth to stifle it.

"I understand, Harry." Mr Weasley stood up and placed his hand gently over Harry's clasped ones. "I hope that every ounce of happiness you have been deserving of your whole life comes to you. You are an amazing young man and you deserve all the love and respect in the world... of which I have no doubt Draco can offer you." Mr Weasley pulled back and merely nodded at Draco in farewell before leaving the room.

As soon as his footsteps faded into the distance, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry as Harry cried softly in a mixture of loss, sadness, relief and temporary resolution.