tied to him ✔

chapter two

Harry groaned as his eyes slid open. It was dark, and he appeared to be in one of the all-too-familiar beds in the Hospital Wing, with slim arms wrapped around him. Instantly, he broke away from the and sat up, looking down to see Draco Malfoy lying next to him, snoring dolefully.

"Malfoy!" he hissed, ignoring the heat coursing through him at the close proximity. "Get up!"

"Who's dying?" Malfoy blurted as he jolted away, sitting up and looking blearily at the brunet next to him.

"You, if you don't move away from me right now!" Harry exclaimed, moving away the sheets and swinging his legs off the bed. At that moment, Madame Pomfrey rushed out of her office, switching on a light.

"Ah, Harry, I see you're awake!" Madame Pomfrey said. She was holding bandages in her arms. "And don't even think about getting out of that bed unless you want your abdomen ripped open again."

Immediately, Harry put his legs back on the bed.

"I have to change your bandages, so stay still for a little bit," she said. He let her pull up his shirt, trying to ignore how Malfoy stared unabashedly at his pale and scarred chest. She then gave them both a Blood Replenishing potion.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

Madame Pomfrey sighed. "I found some residue of some potion on your shirts, and we had Professor Slughorn test it. It turned out to be the Juramentum Dolor potion, otherwise known as the Oath of Pain."

Malfoy furrowed his eyebrows. "But we were making Veritaserum!"

Pomfrey nodded. "Yes, but the ingredients you mixed together created the possibility for the Juramentum Dolor. I believe all students are told to wear gloves with creating Veritaserum, so any of their DNA doesn't risk infecting the potion."

"You idiot!" Malfoy said. "This is what happens when you don't read the bloody board-"

"Not so fast, Mr. Malfoy," Pomfrey said. "The potion had to have had your DNA in it too to have an effect on you, as the Oath of Pain goes both ways."

"You were crying!" Harry recalled. "You had tears running down your face-"

"Thanks for the description, Potter," Malfoy said dryly.

"The point is that he did get his DNA in there so it wasn't only my fault!" Harry said stubbornly.

Pomfrey sighed. "No, the point is that you two can't be more than five feet away from each other without having your chests rip open."

"What?" Harry said, jaw hanging open in shock.

"You do know what the Oath of Pain entails, don't you?" Pomfrey asked. "I'm aware you learned about it in History of Magic."

Malfoy snorted. "As if anyone paid attention in that boring old class."

Looking as she was refraining from rolling her eyes, the old matron carried on. "The Oath of Pain was used as a punishment method a few hundred years ago to keep two enemies who despised each other together. The purpose was to drive them mad with fury until they inevitably left the other and died. And Harry, as you've ingested the potion you are much more affected by it than Draco is, so you must take extra care to stay by him!"

Harry sighed. "Of course, something like this happens. Harry Potter can't have a normal start to the year, oh no."

Malfoy ignored him. "When can we get rid of this?"

"Professor Slughorn is working on the antidote as we speak, but it will take at least a month before it will be complete, what with shipping over all the ingredients and such. I'm sorry, boys." The two of them groaned, imagining the horrific month that awaited them.

"What about our lessons-"

"What about Quidditch?" Harry asked desperately.

"Of course, you can't play Quidditch in your state, so you will have to sit out the matches in the meantime while your team makes do with a substitute, is what the Headmistress told me," Pomfrey turned to Malfoy. "You will be owled your new timetables sometime tomorrow, after you are done resting. In case they are delayed, McGonagall wanted to let you know that your first class will be Charms."

The reality of the situation sunk in, and Harry buried his head in his hands, wondering if it could get any worse.

It could, he found, as Pomfrey carried on.

"And you will be given your own room in the meantime, as well."

She walked away and Summoned some curtains so they could have some privacy, and Harry laid back down, his head hitting the pillows with a soft thump.

"Fuck," he said. "Fuck."

"That was a wonderful display of your wide range of vocabulary," Malfoy sneered.

"Oh, don't start," Harry groaned, turning to face the other way. Malfoy said nothing as he scooted over as far as he possibly could and fell asleep.

DRARRY DRARRY DRARRY

Harry woke once again to find Malfoy's arms twined around his waist, again. He tried to peel them off but squeaked when Malfoy drew him in closer and buried his face into the nape of Harry's neck.

"Don't trampoline on the sun right now," he mumbled, causing Harry to burst out laughing.

He felt as Malfoy slowly woke and sat up in their shared bed, rubbing his eyes.

Once again, a teacher entered the Hospital Wing, pushing back the curtains.

But this time, it was Deputy Headmistress Sprout.

"Come on boys, McGonagall needs to see you."

***
vote, comment, all the regular shizzle ;) tell me if you liked it because i want to heeeaaar <3

and uh, don't trampoline on the sun. ever