Epitome of a Soldier - What it is to be Necessary

Hi everyone :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed as always, I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed the previous chapter :) For those of you who enjoyed it enough to tell me so, I give you review replies:

PantiesAreOverrated
I know, I am mean to poor Harry, but it'll be worth it in the end :)

paganwoman
Sirius must be allowed an adjustment period unfortunately, and he makes a pest of himself until he has become adjusted.

polka dot
I'm neither going to encourage nor discourage the Pansy theory; all I'll say is interesting ^_^

thrnbrooke
That answer won't come until the end (though I'm sure you didn't expect me answer anyway XD).

dana_aeryn
*snickers* Pansy isn't smart enough! Oh man, I love that reason :D

SilentWatcher
I sympathise with your trouble of finding an interesting story; that's what led me to give up on fanfiction (reading it at least). I'm glad I was able to offer you a remedy ^_^

Snivelly
Yeah, Death Eaters are just really ungrateful, aren't they?
Oh, a scrapbook of Harry's firsts would be adorable! Not sure Draco would want to give the boy he loves something that doesn't cost a lot of money though XD

Dragon
A spoonful of drama helps the fluff go down :D Learned that from my frst ever full-length Harry Potter fic (which I'll never post here because it's terrible ^_^;). That was 27 chapters of nothing but fluff and, quite frankly, t'was boring as anything XD

Kuromei
I think Sirius and Remus staying sore after everything that happened last chapter would be terribly OOC, don't you? XD *hugs Kuromei-chan*

MewMew2
Unfortunately, vegeance won't be here for quite a few chapters yet; still have to find out who's doing it all.

Anna
Yes, someone finally tells me that they get why I had the anti-climatic Voldemort battle! It's not because I suck, it's because I wanted it that way! XD
The way Harry and Draco's relationship functions has more to do with the fact that Harry just doesn't really have an opinion on some things and so he therefore allows Draco to take the lead (at least one of them can then get what they want). So it's not that he's reliant on Draco to function, it's just that he prefers to let Dracfo make the decisions about things he doesn't care much about.

DTDY
The psychology of Sirius and Remus is a complicated thing indeed. I could explain what they're thinking now, but it would take up the entire chapter-length allowance to do so XD

Umm, just a warning that this chapter is somehwhat short (since to include everything I originally wanted to would've madew it ridiculouslt long, and cutting it off where this chapter ends was the best option). So apologies to those who like the really long chapters. Rest assured the next one is longer ^_^

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17th December 1997: Morning

The next time Harry woke, the sun was up and it was time for breakfast. However, Madam Pomfrey said he was still too fragile for food and so he was left alone as Draco left to eat in the Great Hall. The night had been pleasant and Harry had been comforted by his best friend's body beside him as he slept. It had made things seem less scary and intense. With his eyes closed, Harry found he could pretend that he was down in his dorm room, just spending a normal night with Draco and not recovering from being poisoned.

So, with Draco gone for a good few hours (there was still a full day of classes after all) and with nothing else to do, Harry had settled back down and promptly fallen asleep again. He had only been asleep for fifteen minutes or so, however, when he was pulled from it.

"Harry?" Sirius' voice came then and the youth in question tiredly blinked open his eyes to see his godfather and Remus standing just next to his bed. "Oh Merlin, Harry!" The man almost sobbed upon seeing the green of Harry's irises and a second later, the ill young man was clutched to his chest tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

It seemed to take a couple of seconds for the man's words to register in Harry's mind because it took him a moment to reply. "Why are you apologising?"

"For yesterday, for the day before that and the day before that, for everything." Sirius rambled and he continued to clutch his godson to him. "I'm sorry for the things I said, I'm sorry for the way I've treated you, I'm sorry I wasn't more understanding..."

"Sirius, calm down," Remus soothed gently, resting a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Give Harry some space, he's still very fragile at the moment."

Sirius flinched away from Harry then as if the stoic youth had smacked him or something. He swept his eyes over his godson, checking that he hadn't accidently caused any damage before pulling the young man into a more sedate embrace. "I thought we were going to lose you." He murmured into the head of dark hair. "After only just getting you back, I thought I was going to lose you again."

"I am not so easy to get rid of." Harry murmured, not meaning his comment to be taken as any more than what it was; a statement of fact.

Sirius seemed rather amused by it though and he gave a light, slightly quivering laugh. "That's the spirit." He encouraged, giving his godson's shoulders a squeeze.

Harry ignored the squeeze completely and flickered his gaze onto Remus. "Are there any suspects yet?"

The disposition of both men seemed to darken then. "No, not yet." The Potions professor sighed, sounding both angry and disappointed with that fact.

"None of the house-elves were put up to it so whoever's responsible did it when in the Great Hall." Sirius revealed. "Do you remember seeing anything? Did you notice anyone acting suspiciously?"

"I saw nothing," Harry murmured. "Except for a student dropping their fork..." He paused then and both of the adults thought for a moment that the youth had a suspicion he was about to speak. However, Harry eventually ended his sentence with a mere, "no doubt it was just a coincidence."

That seemed to be enough for Sirius and Remus and they moved the conversation onto more relaxed and less taxing subjects Harry, however, only half listened to it as his mind was elsewhere, thinking on what had happened, lingering on a nagging little niggle which continued to make itself known at the back of his mind.

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17th December 1997: Midday

The next time Harry got visitors was when lunch time rolled around. Draco returned but he was not alone and instead was in the company of not only Hermione but Ron as well. Harry watched them approach silently from his bed, privately glad they had arrived then as it was a distraction from the lunch Madam Pomfrey had recommended/ordered he eat.

"Oh Harry, thank Merlin you're all right!" Hermione gasped as she rushed over to him. For a moment it seemed as if she was about to embrace him but she restrained herself and settled for instead looking at the young man with anxious eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Ill." Was Harry's answer to that.

"You should ask Madam Pomfrey if she's got anything to help with that." Ron suggested as Draco passed both Gryffindors by in favour of perching on the edge of the bed beside his fellow Slytherin.

"I will not ask that woman for anything."

"Have Black and Lupin come to see you yet?" Draco quickly asked, not wanting a huge debate on the subject of Madam Pomfrey to arise.

Harry gave a single nod in answer.

"Did you ask them whether there are any suspects yet?" The blond continued to press.

"They suspect no one." Harry murmured. "However, the house-elves have been questioned and none of them were ordered to plant the spoon which suggests that it was done during the meal rather than before."

"So it was a Slytherin." Ron guessed then. "Can't say I'm surprised, who else was it going to be?"

"If you want to stay, I suggest you shut up." Draco warned with a glare in the ginger haired young man's direction before he returned his attention to Harry. "Did anyone see anything?"

"I do not know if students are being questioned."

"The only ones who might've seen anything would be other Slytherins and they're not gonna snitch on one of their own when the victim is they guy who killed their boss." Ron spoke up again.

"Not every Slytherin supported the Dark Lord." Draco pointed out, clearly trying to keep his tone controlled.

"Well I suppose you would know, considering you were one of those who did."

Draco stood up then, a hard look on his face, but before he could start yelling or anything of the sort, Harry's voice broke through to them both. "If you continue to argue then you will leave; I have no patience for such small-minded views."

"Honestly Ron," Hermione said with a quiet anger. "Can't you control what you say for even ten minutes?" As Ron immediately looked sheepish, the girl turned her attention back to Harry. "We really only came to check you were all right, so would you like us to go now?"

"I think, perhaps, that would be best and maybe return when my spirit has lightened." Harry agreed.

"All right then, we'll see you tomorrow." She smiled before turning, grabbing Ron's arm and leading him away.

Now left alone, Draco sat himself back down on the bed beside Harry, curling an arm around the smaller form. "I know you said you still feel ill, but are you feeling better than you were when I left you this morning?"

"I feel very much the same as I did this morning."

"Is that why you haven't touched your lunch?" The blond queried, noticing the still-full tray resting on Harry's lap.

"Yes."

"Eating some might make you feel better."

"It may also make me feel worse."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Always so optimistic." He grinned teasingly before his expression changed into his version of a cute pout. "Please eat something Harry, for me."

Harry looked to his friend. "Your expression is ridiculous."

Once again, the blond laughed. "I'm sure it was. Seriously though Harry," he sobered up then. "You really should try and eat something, especially if Madam Pomfrey wants you to."

Harry looked away from the blond then to stare off to the side. A light sigh eventually passed his lips before he took up the spoon and scooped up some of the light soup that was his lunch. He couldn't deny the slight spike of anxiety he felt at the initial insertion of the spoon into his mouth but when he tasted nothing but the soup, he instantly started to calm down. Although the soup was not unpleasant in taste, Harry didn't enjoy it as he swallowed thickly and felt the rush of warmth that travelled down his throat and settled in his stomach.

Somehow, the unpleasantness of eating seemed to fade considerably when a kiss was pressed to the side of his head before Draco whispered two simple words in his ear: "Good boy."

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18th December 1997: Evening

The night of the Yule Ball had arrived but instead of being with the rest of the school's population in the Great Hall, Draco and Harry were sat in the Infirmary with a Muggle chess board in between them (apparently Wizard Chest was not allowed in the Infirmary; neither youth knew why). They were, unsurprisingly, alone, even of Madam Pomfrey who was helping to supervise the ball and so everything was a little too quiet for Draco at least. Conversation was hard to start though, mostly because Harry was so hard to keep a conversation with. So, due to the silence, when the sound of opening doors broke the hush, it seemed incredibly loud and both young men glanced up to see who it was.

"Tore yourself away from all the fun then, Weasel?" He murmured, turning back to the chess board after seeing it was only Hermione and Ron entering.

"That's hardly any of your business considering we're not here to see you Malfoy." Ron returned easily, obviously mellowed out by the fact he had a very pretty Hermione walking beside him.

"We thought you might be a little bored all on your own up here." The girl revealed to Harry as she and her fellow Gryffindor came to a stop by the bed.

"Your concern is unnecessary." Harry replied simply as he reached out to the board and moved a piece. "Checkmate." He murmured.

Draco gave a sound of good-natured frustration. "I don't know why I ever taught you to play this." He grumbled lightly. "I'm not sure I can stomach another beating."

"I'll play." Ron offered confidently at that.

Draco gave the ginger haired Gryffindor a raised eyebrow. "You sure you want to Weasley? Harry's good."

"Good, it's been too long since I've had a decent challenge." The Gryffindor said confidently as he took the seat beside Harry's bed. "White or black?" He offered the sickly youth.

"I have no preference." Was Harry's quiet reply to that as he reorganised the pieces on the board.

"I'll take advantage of that generosity and pick white then."

"Ron, that's very unsportsman like." Hermione chided him lightly.

"It does not matter," Harry replied to that. "As I said, I have no preference."

"See," Ron said. "It's not unsportsman-like if the opponent doesn't care." And without further word, he turned his eyes onto the chessboard and began to contemplate his first move.

Draco and Hermione watched silently for a few minutes, seeing Ron make his first move which was almost instantly followed by Harry's. Then, as the Gryffindor began to think of his next move, Hermione turned her gaze onto Draco. "Is he really that good?" She asked quietly.

"Well, I'll put it like this," the blond said, his own eyes not straying from the board as he watched Ron make his second move and was once again followed by Harry's second almost immediately. "I've been playing chess ever since I can remember. It's been five months since I first taught Harry how to play. It's been four and a half months since the last time I won against him."

"He's only been playing for five months and he's already that good?"

"It's because he plans ahead, he can predict his opponent's moves almost precisely. If I thought Divination was at all possible, I'd think he was somehow seeing into the future."

"Maybe that's just because he's only ever played against you. Perhaps you simply have a predictable style that you're unaware of."

Draco shook his head at that. "No, that isn't it. It's because he's smart, so smart that he's thought of every possible situation and planned a counter attack for each one."

As if on cue, the soft voice of Harry interrupted them then. "Checkmate."

"What!" Ron cried, aghast, just as Draco and Hermione turned their attention back onto the players. "That's impossible! I've only made eight moves!" Indeed, barely any of the pieces on either side had been touched let alone moved.

"I told you he was good." Draco said, smirking as though it was himself who had just beaten the Gryffindor so badly.

"I want a rematch." Ron immediately demanded.

"As you wish." Harry murmured and reset the pieces.

As Ron and Harry began another game, Hermione and Draco resumed watching. However, not long passed before Hermione was speaking again.

"I wonder what his IQ is." She mused out loud.

"His what?" Draco asked with a light frown of confusion.

"It's a scale Muggles use to judge how smart a person is; the higher the number, the smarter you are. There are tests which are designed to score you an IQ, I'm sure I could get some from the library while I'm at home for Christmas but, do you think Harry would take them?" The girl enquired quietly so she wasn't over-heard.

"He might, he might not." The Malfoy shrugged carelessly. After all, why should he even be bothered with some sort of Muggle system?

"I might look into it then." Hermione murmured, mostly to herself.

Just then, Harry's soft voice spoke again. "Checkmate."

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19th December 1997: Morning

When the day came for the students to leave Hogwarts and return to their homes for Christmas, Harry was making a trip of his own though not nearly so far. Madam Pomfrey had finally deemed him fit enough to leave the Infirmary (something both the woman and young man had been relieved of) and so, with the help of Draco, he was making his way through the corridors of Hogwarts, down to the dungeons to settle back in their dorm room. With both Crabbe and Goyle returning to family members (those who weren't in Azkaban for Death Eater charges anyway), the two young men would have their dorm room completely to themselves which was something that could only help Harry's recovery. Bulstrode and Parkinson were also returning to the families they had left so Draco and Harry were to be pretty much left to themselves completely unless they dared to leave the dungeons.

Already that morning had Ron and Hermione said their goodbyes to them and wished a happy Christmas, or to Harry at least. The dark haired youth thought that the two Gryffindors were simply using him as an excuse to spend time together. What with Hermione being his friend and Ron being a sort of friend since the first Quidditch match of the year, both had a common interest in the Wizarding world's saviour and, despite going to the Yule Ball together, they were still ridiculously shy when it came to the other and they obviously felt they needed the excuse to be around each other. Harry thought it rather curious. Odd, but curious.

"Oh well," Draco sighed as he helped Harry along slowly. "It won't be the Christmas we were planning but I don't think it'll be worse for it."

"Your mother was disappointed." Harry murmured in reply, referring to the fact that he and Draco had originally planned to spend Christmas at Malfoy manor. However, Madam Pomfrey had deemed him too ill to travel as so they were stuck at Hogwarts.

"She'll get over it, I'm sure." The blond responded to that, not sounding in the least bothered. "In a way, I'm rather glad this is how things worked out. Means we get to spend more time together, just the two of us."

"We have spent the past two days in each other's company almost constantly."

"In the Infirmary though, hardly the nicest setting in the world. And besides, you were poorly. Now you're getting better, we aren't restricted to the activities of sleeping and playing chess. As soon as you're fit enough, I'm taking you outside so you can play in the snow."

"I am not a child."

"Everyone in Britain must play in the snow at least once in their lives," Draco declared as though to not was a punishable offence. "Most of us get it out of the way when we're young. You didn't have the opportunity, so you'll do it now."

"Do I do not get to have an opinion?"

"Not this time. This time, you will be a good boy and you will do what I say because I know what's best for you."

"Going outside and getting cold and wet is what is best for me?" Harry asked sceptically, though his protest was meaningless; he knew he'd give in and go outside whenever Draco made the decision that it was time to.

"Yes it is," the blond confirmed with a grin before leaning over and kissing Harry's cheek. "Because, after all, there's always warming up afterwards to look forward to."