Ordinary Light

I read a Muggle quote one time. It was on a piece of parchment that was left behind in potions one day. As far as I could tell, the second person’s handwriting was his. He was the one to write the quote, and it had been directed towards me. I knew this because they had been staring at me all through class. When they left it, I made no hesitation in picking it up. I read it over and over again. I didn’t even realise that I had taken it with me to my dorm, until I laid on my bed and read it again.

Something in me wanted to keep it and prove those words right. If my father found out that I was taking a Muggle quote to heart, he’d curse me within an inch of my life. This didn’t matter to me anymore.

When I got up the next morning, I folded the parchment up, and put it in my pocket. I kept it close to me from then on, taking it out whenever anybody would talk to me about Death Eaters, and knowing... knowing that somebody other than me knew I could be different. Weeks passed and I watched. Watched for something to prove myself to me... and him.

Then it happened. My father came to pay me a visit, but I knew something was up. My father never came to visit me at school. Sure enough, later that night, word came that he had disappeared. My house mates cheered in triumph and turned to me to see how I reacted. I did the only thing I could do: I scowled and cursed the first person I saw. Which happened to be Pansy. Before she let me feel her wrath, I slipped out of the common room and ran out of the castle.

I knew where my father had taken him and I’d be damned if I stayed safe in my dorm. This was my chance to prove myself. He’d see his words were right.

I Disapparated at the edge of Hogsmeade and my manor appeared before me. The windows were flickering with the candlelight inside, and shadows could be seen moving about. I quickened my footsteps to the door I used when I didn’t want anybody to know of my arrival. Inside, I crept through shadows and secret passages long since abandoned from my childhood, but clearly not forgotten.

After twenty long minutes, I came along the room of my father’s “business” meeting. I knew it was from the gut wrenching screams of pain that echoed in the passage I was in. I shivered even as my blood began to boil in anger. After pulling my hood up, I pushed a small square of the wall open and crawled through. Luckily, nobody noticed.

I was sickened to find that they were too engrossed in watching Voldemort torture the writhing soul on the floor. Even through the circle of men, I could see that it was his screams that I was hearing. My heart clenched painfully in my chest and that’s when I did possibly the bravest thing I have ever done in my entire life. Or quite possibly, the dumbest thing.

Without a thought, I pushed aside two men and ran to his body. I picked him up and ran out of the room. I assume that everybody was too shocked to do anything for a few moments. But then I heard Voldemort screaming in rage and people were running after me. Curses flew past my head, so I ducked into a hallway. Hoping that I would lose them, I went around corner after corner until I found another entrance to my secret passageways.

My muscles ached and my breath was hitching in my lungs but I pressed on. His surprisingly light weight getting heavier by the second. Another twenty long minutes of running and I finally made it to the door. Creeping quietly out, I saw a Death Eater check some bushes near me. He called out that there was nobody there and moved on. I smirked a congratulations to myself and brought him with me behind the bushes.

After lying him on the ground, I placed a repelling charm around us, and after having another thought, a silencing bubble as well. Then, I leaned over him to check his pulse. I breathed easier when I felt one. It was weak but it was there. Running my hands over his unconscious form, I checked for any injuries. He had broken his left arm in two places, his ankle, and two ribs.

I panicked a little when I remembered how much light would appear if I tried healing them. The repelling charms wouldn’t last long at all if I cast them. After careful consideration, I put a splint on his arm and ankle, and wrapped his chest. I then went and peered through the bushes. Dark forms could be seen, searching the large grounds of the manor. There was no stopping the fear that enveloped me when I realised that they could search all night. I had to get past the anti-Apparition barrier!

He moaned suddenly and I looked behind me to see him trying to sit up. I scrambled to him and gently pushed him back down. “Don’t move,” I ordered. “You’re hurt.”

“Who are you, and where are we?”

“We’re hiding in some bushes,” I answered, ignoring the first question.

“Oh. How did we get here?” he asked as he winced.

“I stole you.”

“You... stole me?” he asked slowly.

“Yes. I couldn’t very well have Voldemort torture you to death, could I?”

“I...” he stopped and groaned in pain. “It hurts. Can we go back to Hogwarts?”

“When the Death Eaters stop searching for us. Just hang in there.”

He nodded but quickly decided against it and stopped. The beautiful orbs closed, his body shuddered, and he broke out into a sweat. I shuffled closer to him on my knees, transfigured a leaf into a cloth and pressed it against his head. I muttered nonsensical comfort words while I smoothed his hair.

Before I knew what was happening, he had reached up and pulled my hood down. His green eyes opened again and stared at my face. There was no surprise. Only confirmation, and a happiness that could have so many meanings. “Draco,” he whispered. A thrilling chill went through me, as I heard him speak my name for the first time. “I knew you’d come. You’re always here.”

I merely pulled my hood back up and continued smoothing his hair. A shout cut through the air and I panicked. Had they seen us? I took him into my arms and brought us further into the bushes. I couldn’t be sure but I think I hurt his broken ribs, as he took a shuddering breath and buried his head into my neck. But he made no further protestations, so I kept him close to my body.

Over the next couple hours, the Death Eaters continued their search and he had fallen asleep in my arms. Exhaustion overtook me and I barely managed to put up another spell around us so that it would wake me if anybody was near. With him still in my arms, I laid down and fell asleep.

***

As the sun was rising, I woke to fingertips tracing all the curves of my face. Without opening my eyes, I took his hand and placed the palm to my cheek and held it. “You’re up,” I whispered.

“So are you. I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“No,” I lied. “Don’t be sorry. I need to get up anyway. The sun is rising and we’ll be seen easily.”

I disentangled from his warm body and crawled to a good look out. He whimpered and I looked back. “Don’t leave me here. Please.”

My heart broke a thousand times at the sound of his voice. Those bastards had broken the strong man that he used to be, that he still could be. I hurriedly crawled back to him and brushed the fringe from his forehead.

“I’m not leaving you. I was just checking to see if they’re still looking for us,” I said quietly as I held his cheek in my hand. He leaned into it and placed his own hand on my cheek.

“Don’t worry,” I murmured. I tried to fight it. I really did, but there was a magical force drawing me to him. My eyes fluttered shut and our lips passed fleetingly over each other. “I’ll never leave you,” I breathed against his lips.

Another shuddering breath escaped him and played across my face, warming it forever. “I’ll be right back,” I promised. He nodded so I left to my previous destination, four feet away. After concluding that they were no where to be found I crawled back to him. “I can’t see anybody. Is my hood covering all my hair?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Malfoy hair,” I say and he understands. I take down the spells around us, pick him up and run stealthily from our hideout. He’s clinging tightly to my neck, burying his face in my shoulder. I can feel him trembling.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll get back to school. I promise.”

Just as I finish speaking, I feel a curse hit my back and I fall to the ground, dropping him in the process. Faintly, I hear him cry out as he hits the ground. But I’ve been hit by the Cruciatus and I know my own screams drowned out his. Still, even through my pain, only one thought ran through my head.

Please, don’t take him again! I haven’t had the chance to love him yet! Just let me love somebody, father!

Faintly, I heard somebody in front of me yelling out different hexes and curses at the Death Eaters. Not until the curse lifted, did I realise that he had his wand out and was still shouting things at the Death Eaters.

“Come on! Get up!” he yelled frantically. “We don’t have much further to go! Impedimenta!”

His frantic voice brought me back to myself and I picked him up again. I knew I couldn’t help throw curses; I had to save my energy to Apparate myself and him. I knew he understood this and he kept throwing back hexes and curses.

Come on legs! Twenty feet.... ten.... five.... GO! I Disapparated, hoping I wouldn’t splinch us. My wishes were granted as we reappeared outside the gates of Hogwarts. He sighed and pocketed his wand, lying his head back on my chest as I never stopped running.

“You should rest for a minute,” he said quietly. I shook my head. If I stopped now, I’d never get back up again. We weren’t safe until we got in the castle and under the watchful eye of Albus Dumbledore.

As we were finally reaching the front doors, they swung open and he was taken from my arms. Upon getting rid of my load, I began to fall forward in pain and exhaustion. Warm arms grabbed me, but I didn’t have a chance to see who it was as I fell into blackness.

***

Silence surrounded me and I made no effort to move; not even to open my eyes. “Is he up?” somebody whispered.

“I don’t know. It seems like he might,” a girl’s voice answered. I groaned mentally and flipped onto my side.

“Pansy, I’m not in the mood for your company. Get out of here,” I snapped.

“I... I’m not Pansy,” the girl stuttered. My eyes snapped open then and I looked at my visitors.

“Granger? Weasley? W... Why are you sitting beside my bed? Where’s Ha... Potter?”

“He’s over there,” Granger answered nervously.

“Then... why aren’t you with him?”

“Because...” Weasley spoke up hesitantly. “We just came to see how you were doing. Besides, Harry hasn’t woken up yet.”

“Oh. Well... why would you even want to see if I was alright? Aren’t you suspicious that I got hurt torturing some Mudblood?”

Granger bristled at the word but kept calm. “No. We know how you got hurt. You... brought Harry back from Malfoy manor.”

“How did you know?” I snapped. If this got around, my father would kill me without blinking. Not that he would before this happened, this would be his excuse.

“Well, Hermione and I were watching the Marauder’s Map this morning and saw you and Harry Apparate at the gates. We went for the Professors right away. And erm... I’m the one who carried you up here,” Weasley admitted, going a slight pink.

“Oh - thanks.”

“Why did you go after him, Draco?” Granger asked suddenly.

I turned to the window and looked at the setting sun. It was silent for a long while before I decided to say anything.

“Because I love him.”

Nothing more was said.

***

I was kept in the hospital wing a day longer than Harry because Pomfrey insisted that I had worn my body out so much that it needed to catch up before I started back into my stressful school life. I was kind of nervous to do so anyhow. Harry and I hadn’t seen each other in our two day duration of the hospital wing together. But on the third night, I woke to fingertips brushing the curves of my face again. When I opened my eyes, there was nothing there but the touch.

“Harry?”

My answer was retreating fingers, and a door opening and closing by itself. I never fell back to sleep.

As luck would have it, my first day back among people, I had no classes with the Gryffindors. Honestly, I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I didn’t even see Harry during meals. I’m still not sure if it was because he wasn’t there, or if it was because I never looked up.

After dinner, I waved off my goons, opting to go for a walk. As I look back on it, I have no idea where I went. All I know is that my feet didn’t carry me back to the dungeons until midnight. As I was passing the potions classroom, the door opened and someone literally ran into me, almost knocking me to the ground.

“Watch where you’re going!” I snapped irritably. The person helped me to stay standing, and I finally looked at who my accidental attacker was. “Harry!” I almost shouted with surprise. I glanced around. “I mean, Potter. It’s midnight, what are you doing down here?”

“Er... we had potions yesterday. Snape gave me a detention for being late and I just got done. I’m - I’m sorry for almost knocking you over.”

“It’s alright.”

We fell silent, content in just staring at each other. Again, I felt that force pulling me to him, and I only just managed to stop when I my arms were fully enveloping his waist. Looking around, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into a classroom that was never used. After shutting the door, I was struck by a sudden shyness that I’ve never experienced before. It definitely wasn’t something I liked.

I stared at him, helpless as to what to do next. He smiled at me. You know, one of those smiles that make your heart skip, and the butterflies go wild in your stomach. My knees went weak as he stepped up to me and put his hand on my cheek.

“Draco... do you think it’s reached you yet?”

I thought back to the short conversation on paper I had read months ago. The piece of paper that was still in my pocket.

Harry, I don’t think it’s very smart of you to try to pursue anything. His father is a Death Eater. For all we know, he could be one as well! He’s a Dark wizard. Please don’t do anything.

Haven’t you ever heard the quote by Ross Mueller, Hermione? There is no darkness. There are only those places that the light has not yet reached. I won’t do anything, Hermione. That is, until it reaches him, then I make no promises.

It was then, looking into Harry’s sparkling eyes, that I realised that he had meant for me to see that conversation. He knew I’d be smart enough to figure out who they were talking about. I thought that I should probably be mad, but I wasn’t.

I smiled at him. “Yes, Harry. It has reached me.”

I smiled again, because my light didn’t stop at the first touch. It encircled me, filled me, and it made love to me. Because my light wasn’t an ordinary light; my light was Harry.