Close Enough

Ch 13 He\'s fine

Harry woke slowly, not opening his eyes. He could hear voices around him, sounding very jumbled together. Shifting slightly Harry found that he was in bed, and from the scent of his own shampoo on the pillow he gathered that it was his own. The more aware of his surroundings he became, the more clearly he could make out the voices.
“Stop worrying, he will be fine.” A cool female voice, which Harry recognized as Cord’s said.
“But he just let them…” that was Draco, Harry recognized his slight drawling inflection, but he was interrupted by yet another voice.
“He’s waking.” Harry smiled softly, knowing immediately who this was, Severus. Harry slowly opened his eyes, reaching a hand up to rub them slightly as he slowly sat up. Standing near the doorway were Cord, Severus, Draco, Dex, Lucas, and Loki. Upon seeing Harry open his eyes they all came further into the room, Dex, Lucas, and Loki all took up seats on Draco’s bed looking at Harry. Cord came to sit near him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders with a slight squeeze. Severus and Draco however stayed at the foot of the bed, both with deep frowns on their faces. Harry leaned into Cord slightly resting his head on her shoulder. After a long silence Draco was the first to speak.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “You look like hell.”
Harry chuckled softly, “Thanks Malfoy, but I feel alright.” He looked over at the rest of his friends perched on Draco’s bed. “How did today go? Do we have the gig?”
“Yup, next Saturday at 9 we hit the stage.” Loki said with a smile.
“Yea, so you better rest up, HJ. You’ll need your strength if you plan on having a big show like last time.” Lucas continued. Draco couldn’t believe what was happening, Harry got beaten up, pushed down the stairs, had a fight with Raw Magic, and now his friends were just talking to him as if it wasn’t anything at all. Draco looked from face to face in the room, when he looked at Dex he found him looking back. While the rest of the group chatted about the gig, Dex stood and moved toward the door keeping eye contact with Draco and gesturing for him to follow.

Draco followed Dex out into the hall and back to the common room. Once there he sat down in one of the chairs by the fire, looking at Draco with slight amusement written on his face.
“You alright, Draco? You seem a little, weird.” He said once Draco was seated in the chair across from him. Dex chuckled slightly when he saw Draco’s eyes widen. “I swear you that Harry is fine. Mr. Severus explained everything to you; it is just a part of who he is. Mind you if it were me, I’d have my ‘friends’ blown up by now.” He looked a little more seriously now, “He could you know… blow them up I mean. That’s why he holds the magic in.”
Draco narrowed his eyes a little then looked into the fire, “Is there anything that you don’t know about him?” he asked softly, seemingly almost to himself.
“Quite a bit actually. As Mr. Severus said, he’s a very special guy. I doubt anyone could ever know everything about him, even he doesn’t know everything bout himself.” Dex shrugged looking at Draco interestedly as he continued, “Draco, Harry is definitely one of a kind. He is the only one to fight and win against Voldie, he can harbor and control Raw Magic, and he is the only one of his Creature mix in recorded history. Just those things alone would make him special but he is much more than that; he plays a mean guitar, he can draw, paint, sculpt, sketch anything he wants, he could write a song for anyone in any mood. He can sing better and sweeter then anyone I’ve ever met. He’s trustworthy, honest, loyal, kind, sweet, cunning, a little sneaky when he wants to be, a hell of a dancer. But do I presume that I know everything about him? Never. He and I have been pretty good friends for over a year now, but almost every time I’m with him I find out something new.” Dex sighed softly and looked into the fire, “I know that you are his intended, Draco. Cord told me. I won’t doubt your intelligence and try to tell you that I don’t have feelings for him, because I know that you know that I do. I will also tell you that you are probably the luckiest man alive to be destined to be with him forever. However I will caution you, he is not as strong as everyone thinks that he is. Physically he is probably stronger and can take more punishment than most, but mentally and emotionally it is definitely not so.”
Draco sat listening to Harry’s friend make his little speech. ‘It was such a waste of my time planning on how to get close to Harry’s friends, they are just a wealth of information and never seem to shut up. All I have to do is listen, maybe ask the right questions, and I’ll get all the information I need to get Harry.’ After the speech was over Draco nodded once, “Thank you.” As if on cue Loki, Lucas, and Severus walked into the room.
“Come on Dex, we’re out of here for the night. Mom is putting lil’ raven to sleep.” Loki called out as he and Lucas reached the door. “Night Draco, Severus.” Loki waved a goodbye followed by Lucas doing the same. Dex stood and mumbled a good night vaguely then exited as well.
Once they had left Draco stood and stretched looking over at his godfather, “Is she really putting him to sleep?”
“No. But as I’m sure Madam Pomfrey told you, he will be tired and sore for the next few days. He needs his rest.” He paused, “Cordalina will be staying here again tonight, just in case.” After a quick hug to his godson Severus quickly left too.

Harry sat against the headboard with his eyes closed while he argued with Cord. “Cord, I’m fine. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Harry JAMES POTTER! It is not fine!! We weren’t even gone for 4 hours and you get attacked, by your former best friends no less!” with a deep sigh Cord pinched the bridge of her nose firmly, “Harry, you need to feel safe here, and I know that things like this are why you don’t feel that way.” She moved to be sitting directly in front of Harry, “Look at me.” Harry opened his eyes looking directly into Cords. “I know you won’t fight back Harry, I know, but you can’t do this to yourself. It is going to take weeks for you to heal and you know it. You took a beating in every way that it is possible, you absorbed and held more magic than anyone does in their lifetime, and it was caused by people who used to care about you. You need to defend yourself next time! I know that you have been training with the twins on a nearly daily basis. You have mastered how many different forms of self defense? You were able to master most every weapon in less then a day! And yet you refuse to use your training?!? Why?? Why bother learning if you aren’t going to help yourself, if you aren’t going to keep these things from happening?!” She finished looking exasperated.
Harry sighed, “The only thing I have worth defending is the only things I have left to give. I have one innocence left Cord, one purity. I will protect that to the point of no return.” Harry reached a hand out and put it gently on Cord’s cheek, “Bumps and bruises heal, and you know damn well that my magic won’t let me die from something as trivial as that. You also know that I don’t want anymore of my friend’s blood on my hands. I refuse to cause it, Cord. They make their choices, be it to ignore me like everyone else or push me down the stairs, and I make mine. And mine are to be true to myself, and not hurt those I once loved, even if they don’t care anymore.” Harry leaned forward giving Cord a soft kiss on the cheek before climbing off the bed and leaving the room.
Harry didn’t notice, but as he crossed the hall to the bathroom he passed a particular blond who was leaning against the wall outside their bedroom. Once Harry closed the door of the bathroom, Draco entered the bedroom to find Cord sitting on Harry’s bed watching the door. She gave a crooked smile when Draco entered the room.
“So…”
“So that whole thing with the Weasel, that’s why he’s uncomfortable here? That’s why he doesn’t feel safe?” Draco asked as he sat next to Cord. She just nodded and then put her head in her hands.