A Change Of Seasons

With reluctance Harry made his way to the Hospital Wing only to be poked and prodded by a very unhappy Madam Pomfrey. Initionally his wounds hadn't felt that severe, however closer examination by the healer showed more then a few nasty things underneath his robes and shirt. She quickly healed him up, gave him some chocolate, and ordered him to lie down in one of the beds nearby and rest for a while, to Harry's immense dismay.

*So much for the speedy sendoff. Guess I have to make the best of it or she'll never let me leave* he thought glumly looking round the infirmary from his bedside. Suddenly his eyes fell on a bed a few over, and he realized it wasn't empty. Infact, the person in that bed happened to be none other then Draco Malfoy, and that more then anything else since he got there seemed to break him out of his gloomy state.

Forgetting Madam Pomfrey's forced advice to lie down, he got back up and walked over to Draco's bedside and looked down at him. He noticed that Madam Pomfrey had done a good job cleaning him up, you couldn't even tell he'd been injured so badly just a short while ago, but there was one thing she couldn't do apparently, and it was this thing that made Harry pull up a chair next to Draco's bed and stay there watching him.

*Even in your sleep you look tormented Draco, why? What could have happened to make you like this eh? Selfish prat you normally are, even you dont deserve to have this haunting look even in sleep....* Harry thoughts started, and he didn't even notice that he had thought of Malfoy by his first name.

Harry didn't even notice that Albus and Poppy were watching them from somewhere's acrost the room. Albus had come to talk to Poppy not that long before, and told her not to release Harry yet from the Hospital Wing, and not to interfere with him nor Draco unless need be. Though she didn't understand what the headmaster was doing by encouraging those two to be together, she realized in as they both watched the two of them that obviously something was going on, and Albus as usual, knew best. She more then agreed then to leave them be unless needed.

"They will be fine Poppy, trust me on this. I doubt you'll have much trouble from either of them this night, and keep them here as long as possible come morning. They both need this I believe." Albus said softly as they withdrew from the room.

"Of course I trust you Albus, when have I ever doubted your judgments?" Poppy snorted in mock disbelief. "Is there anything else I should know before you head off?" she said looking him over carefully.

Albus chuckled, Poppy had a strange way of being able to read his mind sometimes and he nodded to her. "Yes, Remus and Severus will be checking in on them at various times, allow them whatever they need. However, I do ask that you inform them not to intrude on the two unless they feel it nessaccery please."

Poppy nodded, "Of course Albus, I'll tell them. I take it those two have err...renewed their friendship?" she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Albus grinned and chuckled again while nodding. "And none too soon in my opinion. I dont know how much longer I could have taken of Severus walking round this school as he was. He was becoming positively unbearable I must say!"

Now it was Poppy's turn to grin as she replied, "Agreed. Sullen and sour as he normally is, it was becoming quite unpalatable. Smart move bringing Remus back when you did Albus, smart move indeed."

"Who can deny fate my dear woman eh?" he said eyes twinkling. "I'll stop by again." he said giving her a nod and left the infirmary.

Poppy watched as he left then turned her gaze back to the two boys. Whatever was going on she wouldn't interfere as promised, but she truely hoped Albus knew what he was doing. She didn't question his judgments, and had it been anyone else in the school she wouldn't dream of it, but this wasn't just two normal students. This was Potter and Malfoy, known enemies and between the two of them over the years, had kept her more then her fair share of busy. If Albus, Severus and Remus however saw something she didn't, then she wasn't going to go against the grain, and with that she turned and went back down the foyer to her office.

Harry meanwhile was still very much lost in his thoughts, so much so that he hadn't even realized Draco was beginning to regain consciousness. It wasn't until Draco smacked him that he broke out of those thoughts.

"Oww Malfoy, watch it will you?" Harry said rubbing his arm where Draco had struck him.

"Cripes Potter, wasn't on purpose, though I admit that sadly. Why the hell are you in the Slytherin dorms anyway?" Draco said yawning and stretching, only to mutter an oath when he realized how sore he felt. "Geez, I feel like I've been hit by a ton of bludgers."

Harry was a bit taken aback and said defensively, "I'm not in the Slytherin dorms you git, we are in the Hospital Wing. Dont you remember anything?"

Draco looked round in astonishment, Harry was right they certainly were in the infirmary and not the dorms. "How in Merlin's name did we get here then huh? Bet you had something to do with this Potter, so out with it!" Draco said sitting up an glaring at Harry.

Although it wasn't actually his fault what happened, indirectly he certainly felt responsible for Draco running off into the forest by himself, but Draco not remembering that was more then a bit strange to him. "Quit fooling round Malfoy. I'm sorry I said what I did earlier okay? I didn't mean for you to...."

"What do you mean Potter? What did you say or rather do to me to get me to end up in here?" Draco said slowly trying to keep his voice calm. Last thing he needed was to get Pomfrey in here with some sedation potion or something.

Harry sighed, it was no good keeping what happened a secret from Draco, it just would make it worse when he did remember what happened to him later on. "Basically I wanted to talk to you, cornered you after Herbology, some err...things were said, and you umm..." Harry really didn't know what Draco had done after that so he wasn't too sure how to say it.

"I did what? And what things were said?" Draco said keeping his voice cool and his gaze firmly on Harry's face. *Gods, does he have any clue how totally sexy he is when he's trying to hide something?* Draco suddenly thought, nearly blowing his trying-to-stay-cool reserve. Being this close to Harry all of a sudden, and more then alone apparently, was definitely not a good thing right now for him.

Harry on the other hand watched as for a second, so brief he almost missed it, that strange expression he'd seen earlier pass over Draco's face. Brushing it off, he decided to tell him the truth, and without stammering this time, told him exactly what happened, and what was said after Herbology class.

Draco listened without saying a word. Though he really for the moment, couldn't remember saying those things, hearing it now from Harry's point of view made him almost blanche. What on earth had he been thinking to push away Harry's offer to talk? And to get so upset like that? Suddenly his head began to hurt, and he felt a bit dizzy so he quickly laid back down against the pillows, and suddenly everything came rushing back to him. The words, the anger, running off in the forest...everything right up until the wolves cornered him. And with those, other memories. Painful ones.

"Malfoy? Malfoy you allright? Do you want me to get Madam Pomfrey?" Harry said seeing Draco suddenly lie back against the pillows looking even more pale then he usually did. Hearing no response, he began to get up, only to find Draco's hand on his arm holding him there tightly.

"No. Dont." Draco said weakly. "Just. Stay. Please." Draco suddenly felt tired, so very tired. The memories were flooding back to him quickly, and the last thing he wanted was Pomfrey taking them away again, and he found himself starting to slip off into sleep again anyway.

Harry was more then concerned, but he sat back down in the chair next to Draco again, realizing that Draco still hadn't let go of his arm, and oddly enough Harry found it didn't bother him a'toll. He watched as Draco started to fall back to sleep, and very shortly he had indeed, fallen into a deep sleep. Draco's arm relaxed enough to let Harry's arm go, but Harry was too busy watching Draco's face to notice.

Once again, Draco even in sleep seemed so unhappy, so lost, and in a strange way that look seemed to tug at a part of Harry he'd closed off long ago. To a boy of his age, 'long ago' shouldn't seem so long, but Harry was by no means 'normal', and unfortunately the look from the sleeping form of Draco was one he'd experienced before. Every summer when he'd go home he knew the loneliness, the torment, the pain of being incarcerated basically at the Dursleys. He hadn't joked with Draco earlier when he'd told him he understood, and it was sad that Draco couldn't understand that because somehow he was beginning to realize they had alot more in common then either of them might have thought.

Gently brushing a strand of hair out of Draco's closed eyes, Harry's mind began to wander. *What are you doing to me Draco? How is it your so harsh and cold, yet you can look so vulnerable like this? Who's hurt you so much?* Harry yawned then and suddenly felt just as tired himself. It had been a long day, and he found now he could barely keep his own eyes open, infact he was too tired to even walk back to his own bed. Before he even realized it, his head was curled up in his arms, which conviently enough, were crossed over each other right next to Draco on the bed.

Harry and Draco felt like they were being pulled by dreams neither of them could control. Odd dreams, full of odd images. Of people and places neither of them knew, yet were strangely familiar in feeling. What they didn't know was that through some twist, each were experiencing the others dreams. And each of them were going to see things that would either drive them as far apart as possible...or bring them closer then they'd ever dreamed possible.

During the course of the night, several visitors came and went to the Hospital Wing, yet none of them dared wake the two sleeping forms they came to look at. Though Poppy wanted several times during the night to move them apart and give them sleeping draughts to end the look of anguish on each others faces, she had made her promise she wouldn't interfere.

Severus and Remus seemed to know perfectly well what was happening, and giving each other a nod seemed happy with what was taking place. They knew all too well that the 'dreams' the two boys were 'sharing' were all too important, and it had been their doing that they were experiencing this, unknown of course to Poppy.

Earlier that evening when Harry had first come to the infirmary and eaten his dinner, he couldnt have known that down in the kitchens waiting for the summons for food from the Hospital Wing waited the potions master. A small smile tugged at the corners of the sullen man as he heard the summons, and quickly as possible before it was sent up, poured some liquid from a tiny vial he'd been holding till then.

The potion was harmless really, and it could even only work if the two boys were close enough when they slept to have it work. Touch was by far, the best way to instigate this potion, and would have the greatest effects. It was called the Conmutation Potion which meant 'switching potion', and would effectively be able to 'switch over' Harry's dreams into Draco, and visa versa. Severus and Remus both hoped that this little switch might perhaps enable each boy to 'see' each other in a new light.

Satisfied that the potion was doing it's job, Severus and Remus left the infirmary silently. Albus had told them they could meddle, and Severus had wasted no time making sure that he would 'push' them rather then 'nudge'. If this potion didn't do the trick, nearly nothing would. Both men were also remembering just how much of a 'push' they'd needed so very long ago to admit their feelings, and how they had lost so much because they'd been so afraid of them. So much wasted time, so much had been unsaid back then.

They each seemed to know what the other was thinking and stopped short in the foyer. Neither of them knew who moved first, but suddenly they were both in each others arms, drawing strength just from the others touch. Words didn't need to be spoken, not anymore between these two men. They each gave a last glance towards the infirmary, confident they're plans would work out for the best, and without letting go of each other silently made their way towards the little room off the Gryffindor Tower that was the current residence of the DADA teacher. Neither of them ever seemed to care where they ended up, as long as it was together, and in each others loving embrace.

In the infirmary, the two boys that were the target of the potion of dreams seemed to find solace as well, for later on that night when Poppy went to check up on them, though she found the two boys in the same positions, she noticed one small change had taken place. Somehow during the course of their 'dreams', Harry and Draco had reached out for each other unknowingly, and each was holding the others hand, each with a look of peace finally on their faces.

Smiling to herself and drawing the curtains round the two boys, she softly began to hum a little tune, and went off to bed, certain in the fact that on this night she wasn't going to be needed again.

* * * * *

2002-02-20 2:09:57 AM