A Dark Time For The Light

7

There were two beds pushed together in the small room, but as the dawn rose, the weak light fell on a blond head and a dark sharing a pillow. Draco was spooned around Harry his arm around his waist, trying not to touch the sore bits as Harry lay on his good side. He still hurt all over. Both wore slight smiles as they slept.

The ward outside the door was coming to life. There was a polite tap on the door and the Nurse entered. Harry blinked awake and grinned at her. Draco didn’t stir. She quietly checked his blood pressure and removed his drips. “I’ll need to come back in a short while to change your dressings. Now would be a good time to take a shower if you want one”. Before she left, she said, “I know it’s a bit early, but you have a visitor. She says she has to get back to Manchester”, she whispered. Harry nodded, “Show her in”.

Moira poked her head around the door, “Sorry it’s so early, Harry. Can I come in a sec?”. He grinned at her and nodded, then laid a finger over his lips as he glanced at the other bed. She tip-toed in carrying several bags. “I thought you’d need some clothes. I think yours were totalled in the accident”. Harry chuckled softly, “It took them more than an hour to pick my jeans out of my leg. Thanks, Moira”.

She turned to look at the sleeping blond. She raised her eyebrows, “My God, Harry. He’s beautiful. Well worth crying over, I’d say”, she winked at him and tipped her head for a better look at Draco, “So this is your aristocrat. You have good taste”, she grinned at his beaming smile, then came over to him, “I must get back to Manch. Got a shift at 2, but ring me, okay, if you need me again. Send me a letter sometime, let us know how you’re getting on”. They embraced and she left.

Harry rifled through the bags. Undies, socks, t-shirts, a couple of pairs of jeans, a sweater, a sweatshirt with a hood a fleece jacket and two checked shirts. He giggled as he saw them. One pale maroon with a gold check. The other deep forest green, criss-crossed with a silver-grey check. Draco heard the rustling and woke up, “What’re you laughin’ at love?”, he smiled at Harry. He laid the green and silver shirt on the bed, “Moira brought me some clothes. When she showed me the report in the Prophet about you and Ginny running away, I just left. I had nothing except what I stood up in. I didn’t even go back to the flat. I just clocked off and disappeared”.

Draco leaned up on one elbow and Harry moved slowly into Draco’s welcoming arms flinching and hissing in pain as he lay down again. Draco could see the greening of bruising across his lover’s shoulder and down his back and side and held him gently. He leant over his Harry and gazed into his eyes. “We’ll have to get you more glasses. Did you lose them in the accident?”. Harry giggled, “Haven’t needed them for over a year now. Got my eyes lasered a while back with my Christmas bonus the other year”, he grinned, “I can see how gorgeous you are now, right from the moment I open my eyes”.

The blond felt his eyes tear, he bit his lower lip and shook his head, clearly baffled. “Muggle medicine can be cool, Dragon. It cost me a few bob, like, but it was a treat. I can see you as clearly as you can see me”. He watched, mesmerised as Draco lowered his mouth to Harry’s and claimed him. His own lips parted on a sigh and they drank from each other like parched desert travellers finding an oasis.

They pulled apart at a deferential knock on the door. Draco flicked a sheet over Harry. He was still clothed but adjusted himself and curled around his lover. Harry called, “Enter”, slightly choked, his face red. The nurse took in the flushed faces. “Doctor will be here in a few moments, boys. Please be ready to receive him”, she grinned and exited.

Draco was curled on the other bed his hand holding Harry’s as the Doctor breezed in, followed by a group of students. He slowly let go of Harry’s hand and his gaze, rolling off the bed and fluidly pulling it away from Harry’s, allowing the group access. He sat cross-legged on his bed and watched.

The doctor thoroughly examined Harry and asked pertinent questions of his students. Receiving intelligent replies. Draco could feel his eyes fill. He’d seriously underestimated Muggles and Muggle-borns until the start of his relationship with Harry in the Upper Sixth at Hogwart’s. It was a case of ‘love me, love my friends’ with Harry. And he had definitely come to love Hermione for her enquiring mind and sharp wit. His feelings for Ron were still unsure. They still got on each other’s nerves with Harry running interference for them. But now, he watched these students learning their craft and was quietly amazed.

The doctor ruffled Harry’s hair after a brief interview and declared him fit for going home, so long as he was taken in a car. He looked at Harry’s records, “Manchester, eh?. What were you doing down here in London?”, he asked, his eyes twinkling. Harry looked over at his Dragon. “I came to meet my partner. We’d been separated for a while and I took a bit of annual leave. I’d like us to continue our little holiday if we can”.

Draco flushed as he heard his love speak. The students separated so they could look at each other. “Take care, boys”, the doctor intoned and turned to Draco. “A couple of days bed-rest and your partner will be fine again. Expect the bruises to look a bit ghastly. They’ll hurt a bit, too. Look after him”, he signed the chart at the foot of Harry’s bed and swept out along with his entourage.

Harry slid from his bed and locked the door. He turned to Draco, his eyes narrowing, “I need a shower. Care to help?. Then you need to call Alastor for me”. He held a hand out. Hypnotised, Draco took it and allowed himself to be led into the tiny shower room adjoining the room. Harry adjusted the flow, stripping his pyjama bottoms off and stepping under the water, then met Draco’s eyes. Saw them dripping want.

With his good hand he beckoned his lover under the water. Draco groaned as he undressed, his gaze fixed to Harry’s. Licking his lips, his cock as hard as iron he stepped under the water and took his lover into his arms, their mouths meshing in the warm water, their hardnesses rubbing together, breaths gasping, whispers, soft moans as they found each other, kissed, touched. It didn’t last, both so urgent, so wanting.

They touched foreheads giggling at their mutual embarassment. Harry murmured, “Next time, I’ll last longer, I promise”. Draco chuckled, “In case you hadn’t noticed, Harry mine, I was only a heartbeat behind you”. They washed each other, kissed plenty, dried off. Shortly afterwards the nurse returned to change all of the dressings and left them. Draco leaned over to kiss his beloved and Harry, beaming, put on the green and grey shirt with his new jeans, wincing as tight cloth met road-burned flesh. He managed the shirt and Draco helped with the buttons, kissing the bare skin before it was hidden from view. Harry giggled. Dressing had never been so damn erotic before.

When Alastor arrived they were sitting on the edge of one of the beds, Harry’s legs slung across Draco’s lap, his good arm around his beloved Dragon, kissing him hard. A polite cough brought them round. Two flushed faces met the Auror’s stare. “C’mon, Boys, let’s make you safe. Are you ready?. There’s a short trip on the Tube. How are you feeling Harry?”. Harry quelled the answer, “Actually, fucking amazing”, for, “All right, sir, a bit battered but I’m on the mend. Yes, let’s go”.

He climbed to his feet and Draco held him. Harry looked up at his lover, “When did you get so tall?”, and gently butted his lover’s shoulder with his head. The party made their stately way from the ward. The nurses pressing Harry’s prescription into his hands as he left. He thanked them and smiled. The tall blond gathered Harry to him and the three left. As they left, more than one of the nurses was heard to remark, (Including Matt, the only male nurse on the ward), “God, those two are hot, check out the blond”. Another voice, “Oh, I dunno, the brunet has his own, erm, appeal”. The ward staff watched them leave.

In less than an hour Harry was tipping into Ron’s burly arms, fuck the aches and pains, he ran his fingers through Ron’s long red hair and kissed him full on the mouth. Then Ron caught sight of Malfoy, hanging back looking distinctly nervous, chewing his lip. Ron could think of any number of snide remarks he might make, but he had done quite a bit of growing up since the War and after his talk with his sister realised Malfoy wasn’t the same git who had plagued him all through School. They gazed at each other for a long moment. Ron moved forward extending his hand and grinning, “Welcome to the Underground, Malfoy. Come on in”. Draco took it and smiled shyly back, “Thanks, Ron, and please, it’s Draco. I’m not proud of carrying this name any more”. Draco blinked a couple of times and Ron relented, pulling Draco into his arms. “Let’s at least call a truce, Draco. For Harry’s sake”.

They pulled apart. Ron grinned, “It’s probably not what you’re used to, I’m afraid. It’s a bit rough and ready down here. We’re running out of quiet corners for billets, but I’m sure we can find you two something. Unfortunately, Ginny and ‘Mione have the honeymoon suite”. Draco whispered, “She’s here?. How is she?. Gin and I talked to a counsellor at her College and the news wasn’t good”. Ron perched on the edge of a table and sagged, “She’s withdrawing off drugs, it’s not nice, but she’s insisted on isolation. To be honest, I’m a bit worried about her all that way away, but she insisted”. Harry had joined the conversation. “Will she let us see her?”.

Ron shook his head, “Not yet. I think she’s a bit embarrassed by the state she’s in. She reckons this stage of cold turkey lasts about four days and she’s been here nearly three. You may have to wait a bit. Still, good to see you both. Let’s find you somewhere to kip”. He set off at a smart clip out of the canteen. Draco called, “Hang on a minute, Ron. Harry’s only just out of hospital”. Ron turned, “Sorry, Harry”, and slowed down.

He led them along a dark corridor, “We use the electricity as little as possible. It’s no use hiding out from the Death-Eaters, only to be busted by the Electricity Board”. He opened the door at the far end and went in, quickly gathering his clothes from around the floor. “Ron, this is your room. No”, as Harry divined what his friend was about. Ron stood straight. “Nah, I only nicked this one right at the start. As a singleton, I should be in the bunk-room. Policy, don’t you know”. Harry could tell when his best friend was prevaricating. “Ron”, he said softly, “What happened with you and Blaise?”.

Ron subsided to the mattress and buried his face in his hands, “He went back to his family. We didn’t fall out or anything, but after his Father was killed for being a ‘neutral’, he felt his place was with them. I get the odd letter from him via the Network and I manage the occasional reply, but I just couldn’t leave this place. I’m needed here. He wanted me to go with him but we both understood, you know, obligations and stuff, but fuck, I miss him so much. He left nearly ten months ago”. His shoulders shook in heart-wrenching sobs and instantly Harry was beside him. He took his friend into his arms and rocked him.

Draco sat to Ron’s other side and laid a gentle hand on the sobbing boy’s shoulder, then ran his hand along Ron’s arm and caught his hand, holding it between both of his squeezing gently. The only sound in the room was Ron’s heart breaking.

Eventually he sat up and rubbed his eyes retrieving his hands to do so. “Thanks....both of you. I haven’t cried like that since the night he left. You know, got to keep your act together and all that”, he sniffed. Draco murmured throatily, “You’ll see him again, Ron. I waited nearly two years to see Harry again. Likewise Ginny with Hermione. And here we all are. Damaged, hurt, injured, addicted, but here. If you love each other, then you’ll find each other again”.

Harry smiled, “Moira showed me a thing in the Prophet about Draco and Ginny running away, she covered for me and I was gone without having a clue where I was headed except ‘London’, but when the time’s right you’ll find each other again”. Ron glanced from one to the other and gave them a watery smile, “He still loves me. That I do know. I’ll wait. Meanwhile I’ll move into the dorm”. He refused all protests and stood, starting to scoop up his personal effects. Harry smiled, “Thanks, Ron. By the way. Do you still have those baggy shorts, ‘cos I could do with something loose on the old legs. These jeans hurt like buggery”.

They all laughed and Ron rummaged amongst his clothes, fishing out a pair of khaki board shorts and chucking them to his best mate, “They’re a bit skanky, could probably do with a wash, but you’re welcome to them”. With an armful of stuff he paused by the door, “Candles in there”, his head inclined towards an old filing cabinet, “Matches on top. You know you can’t use Magic here, don’t you?”, they both nodded at him. “Then I’ll leave you to it. Dinner about seven-ish”, he winked, “And I don’t expect to see either of you ‘til then”, then grinned and blew them a kiss, “See you later”, and left, throwing something over his shoulder. The key to the room.

Draco retrieved it and locked the door. There were two candles lit, casting a wan light around the space. He was glad he couldn’t see that clearly. In truth, this was severe culture shock for him, but he tried not to show it.

He turned to see Harry lying back beckoning him over, a wicked gleam in those green depths, a tongue running over his top lip. Draco breathed deep closing his eyes, then smiled sinking to the mattress and taking his Harry into his arms and kissing him senseless. Urgency informing their moves, in short order they were undressed desperation in every move, each touch. Draco trying so hard to be gentle with his injured love, but Harry was quickly beyond pain as he took his beloved deep inside him and begged him, “Harder. Faster. Fuck, don’t stop. Take me. Oh God Yesss”, and both reached hard and fast climaxes together. Bonelessly they lay in each other’s arms. Harry giggled, “Fuck. Love you, my Dragon. My own”. Draco’s laugh joined in until they both had tears in their eyes.

They lay side by side kissing and talking then sleeping for awhile until desire brought them both to the surface consuming each other’s mouths and Draco impaled himself deeply inside his beloved. Harry lying below him going spare, “Touch me babe”, he begged. Draco grinned, “No way. You taught me this. Now suffer”. He had Harry a total sweaty mess before he released him, then himself, losing consciousness for a while. He came round to Harry kissing him awake. He blushed. “Harry, I love you so much, but I can feel sleep creeping up again. D’you mind?”, this last on a yawn. Harry lowered Draco’s head to his shoulder and they held each other. He felt Draco relax against him, soft even breaths on his bare chest and played with his love’s soft blond hair shimmering slightly in the guttering candle-light, “I love you too, my sweet Dragon”, he murmured as his eyes closed, feeling happier than he had for nearly two long years.