Chapter 39

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Harry hated this, but it's not as if he had much of a choice. He was going to ride with Hagrid and Draco was going to go with Lupin. It was obvious that Draco wasn't popular in this group and Harry thought that Lupin would be the safest bet. Harry walked over to Draco who was shrugging on a jacket— his jacket.


"How do you wear clothes like this all the time?" He asked, tugging at the t-shirt.


"It's comfortable."


"It's atrocious."


Harry rolled his eyes and smiled. "You're such a snob."


"Pretty sure it's called having taste."


"I didn't come over here to talk about clothes. I just need you to promise to be safe and to not do anything stupid."


"Ditto," Draco leaned in but Harry put his hand on his chest.


"You still look like me. It would be weird to kiss you."


Draco leaned back. "Right. Okay."


"I'm not a narcissist like you," Harry teased.


"Prat. Just for that," Draco grabbed the front of Harry's shirt and pulled him into a kiss.


Harry pulled back and grimaced. "It's that really what it feels like to kiss me? How do you stand it?"


"Do you really want me to answer that?"


Harry glared and Draco blew him a kiss.


"We've got to move while it's still dark," Mad-Eye said.


They all filed out of the house. Harry's and Draco's trunks were sent ahead and Harry let Hedwig fly with them. Harry climbed into the side-car of Hagrid's motorcycle and turned to look at everyone. It just hoped to Merlin that they were all going to make it out alive.


****


Draco climbed onto his broomstick with Lupin beside him on his own broomstick.


"Stay close," Lupin said. "Harry will kill me if anything happens to you."


Draco nodded. Lupin shot into the sky and Draco followed after. They stayed in a group until there was a flash of a spell. Someone yelled and broke away from the group.


"We're being ambushed! Spread out!" Mad-Eye yelled.


The group disbursed and Draco stayed close to Lupin. A spell hit Draco in the shoulder and he teetered on his broomstick. Lupin came up beside him and steadied him.


"Hold on. We're nearly there." Lupin said.


Draco nodded, using one hand to hold his bleeding shoulder and the other the keep ahold of his broom. There were at least ten deatheaters around them and Draco's stomach dropped at the idea of being caught. And among the group, he could have sworn that he saw his father. Though he didn't look for long, he wanted to make sure that Harry was still okay. He looked around and was relieved when he saw Harry and Hagrid up ahead. Draco wanted to follow them but Lupin led him farther east and it wasn't long until Draco lost sight of them. One deatheater decided to follow them, hitting Draco with a spell in the knee. He lost his balance and fell, his body flipping around to the point where Draco couldn't see anything but swirling darkness.


Then the world stopped turning and Draco was hanging onto Lupin's hand. Lupin hauled him onto the back of the broomstick and headed toward the ground. Draco turned his head and noticed that the deatheater was nowhere in sight. Lupin landed awkwardly onto someone's yard and Draco fell off onto his back. His body was aching and he bleeding to the point that the edges of his vision were going fuzzy.


Lupin helped Draco to his feet. "Come on. I can't heal you here. We've got to get to portkey."


Draco nodded and with Lupin's arm around his back, they were able to hobble into the house. A man and a woman that Draco didn't recognize had opened the door and were ushering them inside. The woman led them to a teapot that was in the middle of the kitchen table while the man ran outside to grab the broom. Draco and Lupin reached out and grabbed the teapot at the same time. Draco felt a rushing feeling, not unlike apparition, and the two landed in a field. Lupin helped Draco toward a tall dingy-looking home but they were stopped before they could walk into the door. It was Mr. Weasley.


He pointed his wand at Lupin. "When did I join the Order?"


"1996," Lupin said without hesitation—as if they had planned for this.


Mr. Weasley looked down at Draco and by the look on his face, Draco was sure that he was starting to change back into himself.


"What is Malfoy doing here?" He asked, looking back up at Lupin.


"Harry will explain. He needs help right now." Lupin pushed past Mr. Weasley and set Draco onto the couch. "Has anyone else gotten back?"


Mr. Weasley shook his head. "Not yet."


Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen with Ginny trailing behind her. Draco really wished he could disappear into the couch. He wished Harry was here to explain everything, it's not as if an explanation from him would convince anyone. Mrs. Weasley didn't say anything as she stopped in front of the couch. She pulled out her wand and Draco was afraid that she was going to hex him but she just started healing his wounds. Ginny walked over to her father and after whispering something in his ear, walked out of the room. More people landed outside and Lupin and Mr. Weasley ran out to see who it was.


"Thank you," Draco said, softly as the pain in his body started to decrease.


Mrs. Weasley looked surprised but then she smiled softly. "Of course."


Someone came running into the room and Draco was relieved when he saw that it was Harry.


"Is it actually you?" Draco asked, his voice hoarse.


Harry knelt next to the couch and pulled off Draco's fake glasses. "Of course it is. I don't think anyone else would run toward you."


Draco huffed out a laugh. "Prat."


Harry grinned and intertwined their fingers. "How do you feel?"


"Like a got hexed a bunch of times," Draco replied. "But I'll be fine."


"He's right," Mrs. Weasley said, lowering her wand. "I've closed up all the wounds. You just need to rest."


"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said.


She smiled and nodded before leaving them alone.


"She took you being here a lot better than I expected," Harry said.


Draco nodded. "I think it would have been different if I wasn't hurt."


"Probably," Harry smiled. "Your family doesn't exactly get along with the Weasleys."


"Not really, but I know how much they mean to you. I'll find a way to make it right between us."


Harry leaned in and kissed him softly. "Thank you. I love you."


"I love you too."

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