Harry crouched next to the blonde and pulled his wand out. He muttered the spell he remembered Snape saying last year and gently picked Draco up. He was unconscious and his breathing was shallow. Harry didn't know whether to take him to hospital wing or the Room of Requirement. He decided the second one and took him there. He set him on a bed that the room provided and sat on a couch.
"Harry?" He turned around and saw Hermione enter the room.
"Hi, Hermione," Harry said.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that it was Blaise," he growled. She sat next to him and studied the blonde.
"Was it the same spell you used on him last year?" she asked. He winced.
"Yes," he answered guiltily.
"None of this is your fault, Harry," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"How can you be so sure?" he asked. "It is almost identical to what I did to him last year."
"But you weren't the one to do it to him this year," she stated.
"Hermione, I feel so guilty for all those years," Harry said, turning to look at her. "His life was just as bad as mine, if not worse. His parents forced him to become a Deatheater, for all we know he was abused. He lived in the same house as Voldemort, for crying out loud! Now, his father have disowned him, his mother was killed, and his so-called friends abandoned him."
Hermione didn't say anything but simply nodded and patted his shoulder. Harry stood up and walked to the bed. He looked down at the Slytherin that had caused him so much misery the last six years of his life and couldn't see anyone but a broken boy who needed help.
"We are practically the same person," he muttered.
"Harry, don't forget this is the boy who has bullied you mercilessly for six years," Hermione said.
"Hermione," Harry began slowly. "We didn't give him a reason to stop. We didn't do anything but bully him back."
"Harry, we did nothing to deserve to be treated that way," Hermione answered. Harry shook his head and sighed.
"Hermione, he was raised to think of those who weren't his allies as beneath him," he told her. "He had no say in whether we were enemies or friends. I decided what we were all those years ago."
Hermione didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. What did you say to someone who suddenly defending the person had been their enemy for so long? She could only imagine what Ron would say to this and she knew it would involve a lot of cursing.
"Harry, what about me and Ron?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"If you are my true friend, you will support me," he said, then added bitterly. "No. Matter. What."
Hermione was shocked, to say the least. She shook her head and stood up.
"Goodnight, Harry," she said over her shoulder as she left. Harry sighed. This boy was getting him into a world of trouble. The boy who tortured him for years wasn't the same boy he had rescued. The boy laying on the bed was scared and broken. The boy he had seen for years was cocky and a bully.
Harry frowned. But maybe this was the real Draco Malfoy. The person behind the constant bullying and snide remarks. Harry sadly had to admit that this Draco was better but if Draco being a prat meant that Draco never had to deal with any of this pain again, then Harry would gladly put up with the stinging remarks for the rest of his life. Harry was deep in his thoughts and didn't notice the blonde's eyes open.
"Harry?" he asked. Harry was instantly by his side and concern filled his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Sore," Draco answered. He tried to sit up, wincing at the pain.
"Don't move to fast," Harry told him. Draco nodded and sat up slowly. Harry smiled slightly and Draco smiled back. Harry sat next to him and pulled his battered body into his arms. Draco cuddled into his chest and sighed contently. It felt better than Blaise's ever did.
"Harry?" Draco asked.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you doing this?" Draco asked. Harry thought for a moment and smiled.
"Because you've changed and I know that what've you done is something you regret," Harry answered. Draco didn't respond and remained deep in thought. Harry brushed his hair out of his eyes and chuckled lightly, remembering when Draco kept his hair slicked back.
"What are you thinking about?" Draco asked.
"You," was the reply. Draco blushed slightly and Harry couldn't help but smile, which he had been doing a lot of lately. More than ever had. Draco's stomach rumbled and Harry laughed while Draco's blush deepened. "Hungry?"
Draco nodded and they got to their feet. Wrapping a stable arm around the blonde's waist, Harry led him to the Great Hall. Draco hesitated outside the doors and Harry simply smiled, assuring him that everything is going to be alright.
*♥*
I felt so bad for leaving you at a cliffhanger! I'm so sorry! On a better note, Draco is alright! Yay!
And can I just say that I have 1,000+ folowers!! OMG!!!!!
Kisses!
-Tiger♥
