Rescued

As the two students slept, Dumbledore and Snape had a little meeting. The Slytherin wanted justice for all that had happened and the headmaster wasn’t about to deny ht ont once more like he had in the past.

“Something has to be done this time, Albus. We can’t let your favored little Gryffindors get away with near murder,” he was seething and just barely holding onto his temper, “Too many have in the past.”

Dumbledore nodded and looked at his favorite professor with a pained expression, “You are quite right, Severus. But I would like Draco and Harry to have some say in the punishment we hand out. It’s only fair.”

The old man moved closer and gently laid a hand on his shoulder, “As it should have been in your case. I’m so sorry I didn’t realize…”

Severus closed his eyes and shook his head, sighing, “What’s in the past stays there, Albus. We can’t change certain things; that is most definitely one of them.”

The headmaster nodded once more and let out a long held breath, “Now we just wait for them to wake and we’ll summon them here.”

Draco was once again the first to wake. He spent the few moments watching the raven haired student sitting next to his bed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want him there, he just couldn’t figure out why the Great Harry Potter was being so nice to him. If what the other Gryffindors were telling him was the truth then Harry would never want to be friends with him of his own free will.

Harry began to stir and Draco visibly tensed, waiting for the cruel words he was sure to hear come out of the other’s mouth.

“Hey, how long have you been awake?” Harry mumbled sleepily. He was a bit too out of it to notice how tense the blonde was.

“O-only a few minutes…You don’t have to stay, I’ll be ok,” he waited for the other to get up and leave, but he never expected to hear what Harry was about to say.

The Gryffindor blinked and looked at him, “I already told you I’m not going anywhere and I have half a mind to go to the headmaster and demand he punish those morons I thought were my friends.”

Draco just stared at him, “But, they told me you would never be friends with me of your own volition and that I must have done something to you…..”

Harry sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Draco close, “They obviously don’t know me well then, do they? I am the one who followed you and saved you. Do you really think I would have if I didn’t care?” He was hoping that the blonde didn’t get too freaked about his confession

The Slytherin thought it over for a moment, “No, I don’t suppose you would. But you don’t have to do this just because you feel you have to.”

Draco felt the arms around him tense, “I don’t do things out of duty anymore and I thought you of all people would know that. I’m doing this because I want to,” he sighed. “Now, if you’re ready, our rooms have been prepared and we can go there as soon as Madame Pomfrey says you’re free to go.” When he nodded Harry called the Mediwitch in and she performed a diagnostic spell declaring him fit to leave the infirmary.

The two of them walked in silence to a portrait in the dungeons and Harry stopped in front of it. “Gillyweed,” he whispered and the painting swung open to reveal a large sitting room complete with a couch, coffee table, winged back chairs, book shelves lining one of the walls, an oriental rug and a giant fireplace. There was a tiny kitchenette and a door leading into what could only be the bedroom.

“Wow,” Draco breathed, “This is magnificent.”

The blonde moved further into the room and took everything in, running his hands over the spines of the books and looking wide-eyed at all the titles, “There’s more books in here about Defense than in the library,” he said softly.

Harry just watched him and let a small smile form on his lips; he was truly happy to see Draco so excited. He only spoke when after a few minutes the blonde hadn’t said anything else, “I believe the bedroom is through here,” he said walking toward the one door.

The Gryffindor opened it as Draco came up behind him and walked inside, blushing slightly when he saw two wardrobes but only one bed. Draco squeaked quietly and flushed as well. Harry noticed this and pulled him close, “We can change it to two beds if you would be more comfortable,” he took a deep breath and continued, “But it doesn’t bother me the way it is if you’re ok with it,” he finished softly.

The blonde looked over at him and blinked; could Harry Potter actually want to share a bed with him? He was most definitely confused, but refused to admit it, “Of course I’m ok with it, Harry,” he said just as softly.

Harry just nodded and noticed their trunks in the corner. He walked over to the wardrobes and opened the doors, smiling to himself. Draco noticed, “What are you smiling at?”

The raven haired boy laughed softly and looked over to him, “All our things have been moved and unpacked for us, most likely while we were in the Infirmary. Your things are in the one on the left and mine are in the one on the right…Funny, I sleep on the side of the bed that my wardrobe is on,” he said as his smile grew bigger.

Draco finally smiled back, “Same with mine. I never thought…” He stopped short, figuring if he continued he might wake up and this would have all been some sort of dream.

Harry moved closer and spoke softly, urging him to continue, “You never thought what?”

The blonde closed his eyes and chewed on his lip for a moment before answering, but when he did his voice was so quiet that Harry almost didn’t hear him, “I never thought I would be sharing a room with anyone, let alone someone I cared about, and I never thought it would be you.”

He blinked slowly and thought the words over for a minute, “Never thought you would care for me?” He was getting nervous; perhaps Draco only saw him as a friend and wouldn’t want anything more.

Draco sighed and gathered what little courage he had before continuing, “No, I’ve cared about you for some time now and in fact…” he sighed again, “I have to tell you something. I have feelings for you, more than…more than you might be willing to accept. I-I think I love you.” At that moment studying the rug beneath his feet seemed more interesting than looking up and seeing disgust on his friend’s face. He had a feeling he would be getting to know the pattern of said rug rather well.

If he had looked up he would have seen a range of emotions play across the other’s face, and none of them included disgust. First there was confusion, Harry couldn’t really understand what Draco was trying to say, followed by realization, he discovered his feelings were returned, then there was embarrassment, for being foolish enough to have had doubts, then resolution, he wasn’t going to let Draco get away.

Harry reached and hand out and brushed his fingers against Draco’s cheek, causing the other boy to look up with a surprised look on his face, “I love you too,” he whispered then pulled the blonde close and hugged him, pressing their lips together softly and chastely; there would be a time for passion and this wasn’t it. They had a meeting to go to.