Close Enough

Ch 12 Harry’s Secret


Harry suddenly sat bolt upright, clutching his chest, taking in a deep raspy gasp of air, eyes wide. He sat staring dead at the wall in front of him for a good minute before he moved beyond his deep breathing. Draco sat frozen watching Harry after his sudden movement, however before he could say or do anything the other boy did. Taking his hand away from his chest, Harry pulled on a bracelet around his wrist saying something softly in what Draco recognized as parseltongue. Once this was done Harry gently lay back on the bed closing his eyes tightly.
Reaching out a hand, Draco touched Harry’s arm softly, “Harry, I’m supposed to give you this when you wake up. Madam Pomfrey told me to make sure you took it, but once you do I can take you back to the dorms.” As soon as he finished this sentence the infirmary doors swung open, and a flurry of black came swirling into the room. Draco looked up into the extremely concerned face of his godfather, “Sev? What are you doing here?”
Without even looking at Draco, Severus hurried to the side of Harry’s bed taking up Harry’s hand in his squeezing it tightly, “Harry?” at his name his eye’s fluttered open slowly, “How many were there this time?” as he asked this Harry closed his eyes again shaking his head slightly from side to side. Severus finally looked up at Draco and narrowed his eyes slightly, “Draco? What happened?” Draco proceeded to spill the story as a short quick version to the professor glancing between Harry and Severus many times as he spoke. At the end of the story he noticed the pleading look that Harry was giving his godfather.
“Sev, what’s wrong with him?” he asked softly watching Harry stare at Severus. At the question Severus looked down into Harry’s eyes, frowning deeply for a moment before he spoke.
“You held it in didn’t you? That’s why you’re here and they aren’t?” Severus sighed at the small nod that Harry gave him. “You have to let it out Harry. The longer you hold it in the more painful it’s going to get and you know it.” Harry’s eyes flicked to Draco quickly and back to Severus. “You won’t hurt him, just like you won’t hurt me.” Draco looked at Severus extremely confused, but it was nothing compared to the confused look that Harry was giving him.
“Sev what are you talking about? Why would he hurt us?” Draco asked softly.
Severus ignored him, “Harry, don’t worry about what it means right now, just trust me, alright? Now let it out.” Harry closed his eyes gripping the bed covers tightly in his hands, “Draco, step back.” Severus looked straight into his eyes and stepped back from the bed himself, Draco complied with a small nod.
“Sev, what is….” Draco began but stopped when Harry’s skin began to glow. First softly, like a kitchen light but slowly increasing until it was a dazzling bright gold that permeated every corner and shadow in the room. After a few seconds the light retreated back into Harry’s body and held there for a second before it exploded out into the room. Severus and Draco both took a couple stumbled steps backwards, before Sev ran back toward the bed taking up Harry’s hand again.
“Harry, you need to take the potion now.” Severus looked up at Draco holding his hand out, Draco placed the vile of potion in his hand. Uncorking the vile he tilted Harry’s head back he poured the potion down his throat, rubbing it softly with his thumb encouraging him to swallow. “That’s my boy.” Setting the now empty vile on the table Severus sat in the chair next to Harry’s bed looking across the now still form to where Draco sat, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.
“What was that?” Draco looked from the slightly pale face of his intended to that of his godfather. “What the hell was that?!?”
“Cord and the boys should be back by now.” Severus leaned forward resting his elbows on Harry’s bed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. “Go tell her to come here, take the boys down to your dorm. Once there call Dobby to bring some food there for Harry, he’ll know why.”
“Sev, tell me what the…” Severus stopped him mid question with a wave of his hand.
“I will explain when Cord and I bring him back to the dorm. Now go.” The voice was hard, and demanded no questioning the instruction. So Draco stood with one last look at his intended and he left quickly.

Draco arrived in the entrance hall just as Cord and the rest of Harry’s friends came through the doors. They were carrying a few bags and chatting merrily. When Cord caught sight of Draco coming down the stairs she called out to him,
“Hey Draco. Have you seen Harry? We got him a few presents.” She said with a big smile on her face, which faded as she reached a close enough proximity to the blonde to see his face clearly. “What’s wrong?”
“Something happened to Harry today, he’s in the hospital wing. You’re supposed to go up there, Severus says he needs you.” Looking to the rest of the group which had fallen in behind Cord. “I’m to take you to his room and call for food.” Looking back at Cord again Draco noticed the sad look in her eyes as she handed over the bag in her hand to Dex.
“We’ll be back soon guys.” She sighed heavily as she turned to go up the stairs. Draco caught her arm before she could make it up more than one step.
“What’s wrong with him?” Draco asked looking pleadingly into Cord’s eyes.
“I’m sure Severus said that he would tell you when we get to the rooms, just go call for food and wait for us. It won’t be but a few minutes I’m sure, and Harry will be hungry.” With that she climbed the stairs to the hospital wing. After watching her retreating back for a minute, Draco turned to the group before him. He motioned for them to follow him and led them to the dorm that he and Harry shared, completely perplexed as to what the hell just happened.