Veritas Vos Liberabit [Drarry Fanfiction]

Expecto Patronum

They barely made it on the last train. Without any muggle money Harry had to cast some Confundus charm on the station employee, and then they jumped the turnstile. Malfoy looked sickly and his arm started bleeding again as they rushed into a half-empty train car.

The people looked at them funny and Harry could understand that they were quite a sight with blood covering their clothes and scratches on their faces and hands.

"Hold on, Malfoy, I cannot use magic in front of so many muggles," he whispered to the blonde who clenched his teeth and tried not to faint.

The events of their lucky escape were still replaying in his head, Williamson must have been bewitched or it wasn't the Auror after all. They were not a bad team, he and Malfoy when their wands were not pointed at each other. They fought together in the same rhythm, the choice of spell was completely different, but the way both of them had some inexplicable understanding what to do next was exhilarating. Maybe if they got into the Auror training together they might make a nice team.

It was past midnight when they neared the Grimmauld Place, Harry half-dragged Malfoy to the building. Once they were inside he cast all the protective spells he needed and hurried to the parlor to assist the Slytherin with his injuries. He Accioed some Essence of Dittany and Blood Replenishing Potion and fed them to Draco.

"Are you alright?" Harry shook him gently and the grey eyes opened slowly.

"I'm still in pain..." the blonde answered. "need the Poppy."

"Well, I don't have any," he said hotly, "Come on, let's get you changed, your clothes are soaked in blood..."

Harry reached out to unbutton his shirt but long fingers stopped him and Draco looked at him intently.

"Don't..." he whispered.

"Right... I am going to bring you a change of clothes or something," the Gryffindor stood up quickly and went up the stairs to fetch something to wear and stop thinking about shirtless Malfoy.

When he came back with the best flannel shirt he could find in his possession and a navy-blue Weasley sweater he saw that Draco asleep on the sofa, his long legs dangling off the side and a bloodied garment lying on the floor. Then Harry understood why he was so reluctant to show his chest: faint scars were stretching from his ribs to his collarbone.

I did this. It is my fault, he thought miserably, overwhelmed by guilt.

The blonde murmured something in his sleep and his body started to shiver. Blood Replenishing Potion could induce fever so Harry summoned a couple of blankets and covered him with them. He sat down on a Persian rug next to the settee and exhaled tiredly, it was an overwhelming day and he wanted to make sure everyone was okay.

Harry decided to cast a Patronus to notify Andromeda and Narcissa that they were fine, he pronounced the familiar incantation but something strange happened: instead of a silvery stag his wand produced some small animal, it looked like a coyote or a fox of some sort. He watched the creature bouncing around the drawing-room in a slight stupor. Whose Patronus was that? His gaze traveled to the sofa behind him and a blonde head buried under the covers.

Surely it can't be...

Harry tried to concentrate again on casting a stag but the animal was there, it was very odd, it was almost laughable how stupid he seemed to himself. He remembered how Tonks' Patronus turned to a wolf when she was in love with Remus. In love... Who was he in love with then? It can't have been Ginny, he liked her, he wanted things to work out with her, but Harry couldn't call it love. Did somebody put some love potion into his drink or food? It was insane to even think that. He got angry but decided to send the wretched spirit anyway whatever shape it might have been.