The Secret of the Malfoy Name

Chapter XXIV: Walking Beside You

09/26/1996
It was past midnight, Draco was sure of it. Harry had fallen asleep a long while before, not too long after Wormtail had taken their empty plates. How could he look so peaceful was beyond Draco’s comprehension. He probably thought someone would find them before it was too late, since Dumbledore and the rest had to be browsing all over the world for their beloved hero. They had left Hogwarts only two days ago, but it seemed an eternity!

The blonde pictured in his head the whole scene that had gone on at Hogwarts. First, the Weasel gets up in the morning to find an empty bed, he freaks, goes and finds Granger, who panics and they go straight to tell Dumbledore without even checking if he was just in the bathroom. The old bat sighs and paces around his office before he tells the whole staff about the disappearance of Harry Potter. Then, Snape says “Draco Malfoy is gone too.” And then, everyone would just assume he’d kidnapped Harry to take him to the Dark Lord.

Not that far from the truth, actually, he told himself. Though he came here on his own, I did hope he’d come with me, didn’t I. I wanted the “great hero” to help me save Hera and I sure got it. Now I remember why I never help people… if you do, you end up locked in a bloody dungeon awaiting death. WHY THE HELL DID YOU FOLLOW ME, HARRY?! Did you really want me that badly?

He looked at the brunette and remembered the tender words he had said the day before. Those full lips speaking in clumsy phrases how he truly felt about him, and he… he hadn’t said much in return, but it was obvious. It was the first time he felt something like that for anyone, and he wanted to tell him terribly.

That I’ll leave for later, he thought, what I ought to be doing now is figure out a way to get out of here.

He crawled his way to the wall and used it as support to get on his feet. He used all his strength to slide up, swallowing every shot of pain he got from his right leg when he tried to use it. He took one step to his side and moved slowly against the wall. If he wanted to get out of there he’d have to, at least, get used to the pain. His whimpers were probably what woke up Harry, who turned around to look at him and immediately got up from the floor.

‘What do you think you’re doing?!’, he screamed as he ran towards him.

‘I’m just checking if this wall isn’t just an illusion, but guess what? It’s not’, he said bitterly.

‘Draco, you can’t just try to walk with that leg of yours! Sit down.’

‘I was doing fine before…’

‘SIT DOWN!’, he yelled and the blonde complied annoyed.

Harry begun taking his trousers off hurriedly and Draco smirked.

‘You can’t get enough of me, can you?’, he laughed and Harry couldn’t help but grin.

‘It’s still pretty swollen…’, Harry said massaging his right knee. ‘What did you feel when you stepped with it?’

‘Like someone had put me under the Cruciatus curse.’

‘OK… grab your thigh firmly, close your eyes and clench your teeth.’

Draco did as he was told and begged to Merlin whatever Harry would do wouldn’t hurt too much. He felt his hands close right below his knee and pull roughly.

‘Ahh! You stupid fuck!’, Draco cried.

‘Sorry’, he said sympathetically. ‘Can you move it?’

‘Yes… but it still hurts like hell, and now it’s thanks to you’, he sneered.

‘Well, at least it’s something… just stay there for a while and then we’ll see if you can walk, alright?’, he said cuttingly and sat beside him.

Draco’s gaze fixed somewhere beyond the bars, though he wasn’t really looking anywhere but inwardly, his prior thoughts returning to him.

‘Do you truly think I’ll need to walk, after all?’, Draco asked. ‘Do you still have any hopes of getting out of here?’

‘Yes’, he answered not very convincingly. ‘They’re probably looking all over for us.’

‘For us or just for you?’

‘What are you talking about, Draco?’, Harry asked bewildered turning his head to face him.

‘Did you leave a note or something saying you were leaving at your own will with me, or is there the slightest probability that the whole school thinks I kidnapped you?’

Harry opened his mouth to speak and closed it again at the loss for words.

‘I’ll take that as a no…’

‘Since when do you care, anyway? If they’re able to find me, they’ll find you along with me and then everyone will know the truth.’

‘I don’t know how you manage to still have your hopes up. Either you’re very naïve or you just say it to yourself so you don’t lose your sanity.’

‘You know what? Maybe I am naïve. Maybe I keep living in a dream where, no matter what, everything turns out fine. But I’d rather be naïve and keep trying until it works, than give in to my doom. Yes, we may not get out of here, but in the meantime try to do something about it’, Harry said hotly. ‘That’s my philosophy and, for now, it has worked for me just fine. If you want to rot in this dungeon, by my guest, but I won’t be a part of it.’

‘What is wrong with you today?!’, Draco complained. ‘Calm down, will you?’

‘There’s nothing wrong with me. You, on the other hand…’

‘What? What have I done now?’

‘Nothing. You’re just acting very Malfoyish. All I’ve heard from you has been bitter remarks and I don’t like it.’

‘Maybe that’s because it’s still me! When exactly did I give you the idea that I wasn’t really like that? And I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but I’m not about to change.’

Harry shook his head in disbelief and got up, running a shaky hand through his ruffled black hair.

‘Harry…’, he started apologetically.

‘No… don’t. It’s not your fault…’

‘It isn’t? OK, now you’ve really lost me’, he smiled trying to smooth the air.

‘I just keep thinking about the circumstances we’ve been under… when you first kissed me, did you just do it because I had been there when you saved Hera? And now, are you just with me because we’re locked in a dungeon? It’s stupid, but I wonder what will happen if we get out of here.’

‘Come here, Harry’, he said as he outstretched his arm to pull him down in front of him. He looked straight into his emerald green eyes and smiled. ‘I like you. A lot, to be honest. You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel wanted, loved and needed all together and, if that’s what you’re so worried about, I care about you just as much as you do. I really don’t want to lose you, Harry, and I’d do anything to keep you with me, and I mean it. Hell, I even have a sour ass to prove it!’

Harry chuckled and he caressed his cheek lovingly. ‘I don’t really want you to change’, Harry said. ‘There’s a reason why I liked you before you exposed your true self.’

‘Good, because I didn’t want to lose my wits over you’, Draco grinned and the brunette hit him playfully on the stomach and kissed him. ‘So, are we walking or not?’

‘We’re walking’, Harry beamed and pulled Draco up from the armpits.

Draco put an arm around his shoulders and slowly they gave the first step together. He grimaced from the pain but didn’t complain. Having Harry with him gave him the strength to carry on until they reached the bars and stopped to rest.

‘So, how are you holding up?’

‘It’s doable. It’s a lot easier walking beside you than doing it alone.’

‘I’m glad you think that way, Draco. I really am…’

‘Just one more thing. If you even try to take me without any lube before we get out of here again, you’re carrying me. Understood?’