Enemies with Benefits - A Drarry Story

Butterflies and Broken Ribs

          The Great Hall was quickly filled with sleeping mats, and Harry marveled at its ability to fit all of Hogwarts's students. The headmaster announced that all students would be sleeping there, side by side, while the professor's searched the castle for any unwanted guests.

          Harry looked across the hall and made eye contact with Draco, both coming to a silent agreement. Harry turned to his friends.

          "Er—'Mione, I think I'll sleep away from everyone tonight. Got some thinking to do."

          "Harry—" Hermione spluttered as he turned back around without a second thought. "Al-alright then."

          He walked as near to the Slytherin side as he could, until he could slide his mat quietly over to Draco. Their hands brushed unintentionally as they lay down, too close for the other students not to notice under regular circumstances—but a mass murder running loose in the castle does tend to be a distractor.

          Draco was far from his friends as well, so the only other students around them were a few first-year Hufflepuffs who had fallen asleep as soon as their little heads had hit their pillows.

          Harry turned to him. "Well, this is unexpected."

          Draco chuckled softly. "Quite so." The smile faded quickly. "Harry, I have a feeling—something is going to happen. The Fat Lady, I mean... She's a nuisance, but she wouldn't lie about something like this."

          Harry shrugged. "Oh well, someone's trying to kill me. What's new?" Draco shoved him as he grinned.

          "I see your arm is better."

          "Why yes it is, thank you for noticing."

          Harry's eyes happened to fall upon two brunets in the cluster of Gryffindors. Seamus and Dean lay next to each other, fingers intertwined. His grin turned to a smirk. He grabbed Draco's shoulder and shook it softly. "You see them?"

          "Thomas and Finnigan?"

          "Totally bent for each other."

          "Oh, absolutely." They snickered quietly. When Harry finally looked up, their eyes met, and something strange fluttered in his stomach.

          Draco reached out his hand to brush away a strand of jet-black hair from his face, and the flutters gave way to a heartbeat that pounded in his ears.

          It was probably just because of Black.

         Yes. That was it.

. . . . .

          Screaming. Screaming.

          And then it was dark.

          When Harry stirred, he didn't have to open his eyes to know was lying in the Hospital Wing. 

          "Good thing the ground was so soft."

          "I thought he was dead for sure."

          "But he didn't even break his glasses."

          "That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

          When Harry finally found the strength to lift his eyelids, he noted the very muddy Gryffindor Quidditch team standing in front of his bed. Ron and Hermione were also there, standing beside him looking as though they'd just been flushed down one of Moaning Myrtle's toilets.

          Fred was the first to notice his newly conscious state. "Harry!" he exclaimed. "How're you feeling?"

          Harry frowned, attempting to sit up. He felt like he'd just been hit by a truck, not that he cared to tell them that. "What happened?"

          "You fell off," said Fred grimly. "Must have been... what, fifty feet?"

          "Oh, Harry..." Hermione, whose eyes were bloodshot, came around the bed to wrap her arms around him, regardless of the fact that her curly hair felt like a wet sponge. "We thought you'd died."

          "But the match? What happened?" Harry felt dread pool in his stomach.

          "We lost, Harry." Ron patted him on the back. "It's alright, mate. There had to be one time you didn't get the Snitch."

          The weight of what had happened was just beginning to sink in when the squeak of shoes running on wet floor suddenly pierced the air. Draco Malfoy had run in, his robes soaked with rain, and his beautiful blond hair dripping as it hung down with the weight of the water. It looked so— Harry didn't know how to finish the sentence. He was too focused on remembering how to breathe.

          "Oi, Malfoy, what're you doing here?" George jeered.

          Draco made eye contact with Harry. Later, Harry mouthed.

         The blond's gaze flicked back up to George. "Nothing, Weasel. I was just checking to make sure the Chosen One's still alive and well. You Gryffindorks are going against us soon— I can't have that happening before I get to beat him."

          "Shove off, Malfoy," growled Alicia Spinnet, who was still shaking from the rain.

          Malfoy turned around and left, but the rest of them didn't get to stay much longer before Madam Pomfrey finally realized that he was awake and shooed them out of the infirmary.