All Life Is Yours To Miss

Chapter 36

As soon as Winston has been sent back to Gryffindor Tower for dry clothes and a celebratory cup of hot chocolate, Draco practically runs up the stairs to the hospital wing, head full of nothing but sharing the victory with Harry.

Poppy shakes her head at his wet hair and clothes but disappears into her office without a word, leaving Draco to perch carefully on the edge of his chair and tell Harry everything. By the time he has finished, he is beginning to shiver and his cold, damp clothes are sticking to his skin all over, but it doesn't really matter.

"It was only a couple of inches, so there's still quite a way to go, but he did it," Draco says, pausing for breath for perhaps the first time in five minutes. He looks at Harry and realises that in his excitement he has forgotten to pick up the glass plaque. "Sorry," he says, leaning over and looking around for it.

"That's great news, but don't you think you need some dry clothes?" Harry says.

Draco freezes, turning slowly from his search to meet Harry's eyes. "Excuse me?"

Harry laughs. It's an odd sound, one that's scratchy and dry from disuse, but it's wonderful. "You'll catch your death," he says. "I'm surprised Poppy isn't already out here with the Pepper-Up."

"Never mind that, when did this happen?" Draco demands.

"About three o'clock this morning," Harry says and then stops, frowning, to clear his throat repeatedly. "It still feels a bit weird. I had a really odd dream, and when I woke up, I sort of spoke my thoughts out loud. You'll be pleased to know that my first words were 'good grief'."

Draco laughs, finding the shivers easier to ignore now that warmth is spreading effortlessly through his body. "And that's my influence, is it?"

"Well, I don't think I ever said it before this happened," Harry says easily. "Listening to a person talk for weeks on end has to make an impression on you, I suppose."

"It wasn't weeks on end," Draco says. "That makes it sound as though I was here the entire time, droning on and on."

Harry grins. Draco shivers. "It felt a bit like that sometimes," Harry admits. "Not the droning on part, but it was like... I'd fall asleep with you here and I'd wake up to you telling me that it was the next day. You don't know how much I appreciated that. When I couldn't even open my eyes, there was almost no way of knowing even if it was night or day. I was just drifting. You gave me a little bit of structure-something to hang my time on, if that makes sense..." Harry pauses and looks up at the ceiling. "Sorry. I'm embarrassing you, aren't I?"

"No," Draco says, even though his face is heating. "But you really don't need to appreciate anything. I put you here, and anyway, I think I needed someone to talk to as much as you needed a distraction."

Harry sighs. "I've been saying this in my head for weeks, and now I'm going to say it to you properly: this was just as much my fault as it was yours. I've had just as much time to think about it as you have-more, in fact-and I'm not interested in any of your guilt or self-loathing. And it wasn't just a distraction; I've actually enjoyed getting to know you and finding out that you aren't a complete dick, you just play at being one because you don't know what else to do."

Draco says nothing for a moment or two, watching the rise and fall of Harry's chest as he catches his breath. "Do you feel better now you've said that?" he asks.

"Yes, thank you," Harry says. "I've got plenty more where that came from, believe me."

"I do. Out of interest, how many times have you practised saying that to me?"

Grinning, Harry shakes his head. "Never you mind."

Draco heaves a dramatic sigh. "Alright, well, I suppose I'd better settle in for all those saved-up rants."