All Life Is Yours To Miss

Chapter 33

Something compels him to head straight for the hospital wing as soon as the club is over, and Harry's eyes widen comically at the sight of his sweater.

COLOUR, he says helpfully, turning his head on the pillow to face Draco.

"Don't start, I know it's weird," he sighs, lowering himself into his chair.

I LIKE IT.

"Oh," Draco says, surprised. "Well, thank you. I'm not sure what I think quite yet. It's Tuesday the sixth, by the way. I've just come from Duelling Club."

Harry nods. Of course, Draco remembers, he has a calendar and a clock on his bedside now-he's had them for over a week-but some habits are hard to break.

"Apparently, what the students really want is to see me duelling," he tells Harry. "I'm afraid I promised them that as soon as you were fully recovered, you and I would put on a demonstration for them."

Harry gives him an odd little smile. FINE. The smile turns into an all-out grin. BUT YOU SHOULD WATCH OUT.

"Are you threatening me?" Draco asks, lifting an eyebrow.

Harry says nothing, but tilts his head in a small shrug.

"I've been thinking about Ivy Baron," Draco says, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the edges of the glass plaque. "Do you remember me telling you that she wanted to be a teacher?"

Two blinks. Yes.

"I was against the idea at first, I have to admit, but she seems very serious about it. She's been helping me out at Duelling Club and she's so good with the little ones... and the big ones, at that. I'm wondering if McGonagall will let her support me in some of my normal classes during her free periods. I don't know if she'll even want to, but I think I want to help," Draco says, feeling curiously vulnerable as he waits for Harry's response.

SHE WILL, he says quickly.

"How do you know?"

SHE LOOKS UP TO YOU.

"How do you know that?"

Harry smiles. I CAN TELL. ITS A GOOD IDEA. ASK MCG.

"Ron's right-you are bossy," Draco says, and Harry offers a very creditable sneer in response. "I think I will, though. It can't hurt."

For several seconds there is silence between them, and Draco tries to remember what he used to do before he had a Harry to bounce ideas off. He thinks the job used to fall to Stanley, who is useful for all sorts of things but has never pretended to be an expert on teaching.

SO, Harry says.

"Mm?"

WHO WAS RIGHT.

Draco frowns. "Who was right about what?"

Harry's eyes lift briefly to the ceiling. DID ANYONE CARE, he asks, glancing pointedly at the Mark.

Draco follows his eyes and almost lets the plaque slide out of his hands as his breath catches in his chest. "I forgot," he whispers. "I forgot all about it."

TOLD YOU.

Draco stares hard at his bare forearms, heart racing with the realisation that at some point during Duelling Club, the Mark and all the self-loathing and anxiety associated with it have somehow slipped out of his head. He has no idea how that is even possible, but there is no way to argue with the evidence.

"No one said anything," he says, shaking his head in disbelief. "I didn't even notice anyone looking at it. All anyone seemed to care about was duelling and the fact that I was wearing green."

HA, Harry says, pulling a startled laugh from Draco.

"This is absolute madness, you know that, don't you?" he says, lifting a hand to push the hair out of his eyes.

UNDERRATED.

"What, madness?"

Harry nods.

Draco smiles, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. He wants just a moment for the revelation to sink in. It's just possible that the only person at Hogwarts who has an issue with the Mark these days is him. Of course, he isn't about to start waving it around in the middle of his classes, but the fact remains that he no longer has to hide, and that might just be fucking wonderful.

When he opens his eyes, Harry is staring at him impatiently.

SO WHAT DO I WIN, he says, face suddenly impossible to read.

"What do you mean?" Draco asks, even though he has a very good idea.

I WAS RIGHT, Harry points out. WHAT DO I GET.

"I don't know," Draco says. "What do you want?" Harry's eyes meet his and do not flit away for the longest time. Draco is terrified. "Well?" he prods in a hoarse whisper.

A STORY. ABOUT DRAGONS.

Draco grips the plaque tightly. "I don't know any stories about dragons."

MAKE ONE UP.

"Seriously?"

Harry nods, eyes sparkling with amusement.

Draco sighs, dredging his memory for anything he knows about dragons and wondering just how he ended up here. It's probably someone's fault. Probably Harry's.

"Alright," he says, looking out at the stars and hoping for the best. "Once upon a time..."