The Heart of the Matter (Harry/Draco)

Chapter Seven

While it was sunny and clear in London by the time Dumbledore showed up that afternoon with a Portkey, it was dreary and drizzling heavily in Scotland. Three horseless carriages were waiting for them when they arrived outside the gate to the grounds, parked between the two winged boars. A fair number of the Order had accompanied them, most of them trained Aurors; with the other Vanishing Cabinet still unaccounted for, while the other remained at Hogwarts there was still a risk of Death Eaters crashing the party and Dumbledore wasn't taking any chances.

Dumbledore instructed Potter and Draco to get under Potter's Invisibility Cloak immediately upon arrival, just in case. Potter obeyed immediately and Draco thought about making a nasty remark about how well trained Potter'd come, but he was distracted once again by how very close he was forced to stay to Potter when under the cloak. Potter and he were both as tall as many of the adults – taller than some – and squeezing them both under the cloak was no easy feat.

Every time the carriage hit a dip or lump in the road, Draco's thigh would bump against Potter's, knocking their knees and shoulders together. Potter said nothing and Draco, still seething from that morning, clamped his teeth shut and stared fixedly out the window. Kingsley Shacklebolt and some other Auror Draco didn't know sat across from them. Dumbledore sat on Harry's other side, humming quietly under his breath as the carriage jostled along up to the castle, pulling to a halt outside the stone staircase leading to the Entrance Hall.

Hogwarts sat before them like a barren and worn citadel. Scorch marks decorated the high stone walls, some with craters, some with rubble swept up against them, leaving a clear path in the middle for the party to walk through. There was no blood, though – no bodies, no evidence of who or what had passed through only a few nights ago. It had the aura of a forgotten battlefield where spirits lingered like chills. Draco felt like he was walking through a tomb.

Dumbledore made him and Potter stay underneath the cloak, 'Just in case', which was unfortunate, because Draco had frankly had quite enough close-contact with Potter in the last three days to last him three lifetimes. Draco wasn't even that tall, only half a head on Potter really, but even still they had to stoop as they walked, and their shoulders and elbows kept knocking together, much harder than was probably necessary. Both boys were wearing similar scowls to show just how much effort was going into the restraint not to snap at one another, once more under orders from the Headmaster to remain 'As invisible as humanly possible.'

McGonagall greeted them just inside the Entrance Hall with a severe look, flanked by more Order members. Draco sighed inwardly. He'd been hoping Snape would be here.

'Albus,' she said by way of greeting. Her eyes lingered on the space where Draco and Harry stood momentarily, and Draco tried without success to get an idea of what she was thinking.

The trip from the Entrance Hall to the main staircases of the castle was uneventful at first, an echo of quick footfalls and hushed breathing, tension hovering in the air around them. Just as the cold was beginning to get to Draco, a fiery pain stabbed at his arm, and Potter gave a sudden shout and collapsed.

Naturally, once Draco had thrown the cloak off them, everyone went to check on Potter first. He was kneeling on the floor and clutching his forehead with both hands, teeth grit and shoulders set, and spitting low, horrible hisses that chilled Draco to his core. Draco clamped his own teeth shut on his bottom lip and massaged his left forearm through the sleeve of his robes, not needing to look to know what had caused the pain.

Potter recoiled from the coddling, wincing and shaking his head, looking irate. 'I'm fine,' he insisted, his tone still hoarse and sibilant. McGonagall frowned and whispered something to Dumbledore, who shook his head. Draco was actually glad for Potter's melodramatic performance for once, because it seemed nobody had noticed the pain in his arm.