Festina Tempus (Rewrite) -Harry Potter Fanfiction-

Chapter Nine : Fly Away

Draco was woken up by Harry rustling. Harry mumbled something and reached one of his little hands out. Holding shock still, Draco watched Harry as he rolled and slotted himself further into Draco's arms, grabbing Draco's bicep. Feeling possessed, Draco gently ran his fingers through Harry's hair, a sweet smile adorning his face to match Harry's contented one.

Draco let his head fall back on the armrest of the couch. The ceiling was a cream color with a smooth texture, and didn't budge under Draco's confused glare. There was an... odd feeling in his chest. It felt like it pulsed underneath his rib cage. His face scrunched up white he thought. He was almost repulsed by the pureness of it. It was... pleasant in a way he didn't quite understand, but was beginning to grasp.

He looked back down at Harry, realizing he had stopped stroking his hair. Resuming, Draco sighed. This wouldn't last much longer, he knew. Snape would have the potion ready before he realized it, and Harry would be back to normal, and then... he would be gone. This whole... this whole part of his life would be over.

The thought made him realize he desperately didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to go back to trading glares and insults with Harry. He didn't want to go back to being Malfoy and Potter. He enjoyed the cuddling, more than he thought he would with anyone else. Maybe it was because Harry was small and not a heavy weight on his chest. Or the way that Harry held on to him and smiled at him like he was... like Draco was his whole world.

Draco used his other hand to run gently across Harry's back. How different would this feel if Harry was back to normal? How heavy would he be? What length had his hair been? Draco knew he was taller than Harry, but he strangely couldn't recall much else. He knew he was thin, but he always wore baggy clothes so how thin was anyone's guess.

Harry winced. Draco stilled, and lifted his hand. Wondering if he had hurt him, Draco slowly lifted the back of Harry's shirt to look where his hand had been.

The skin was smooth and creamy. Draco frowned, thinking Harry must have been having a nightmare, but as he watched a misshapen dot appeared on Harry's back. It bloomed rapidly across Harry's back, a light purple bruise that was around the size of Draco's own palm.

Draco lowered Harry's shirt and stroked his hair. Closing his eyes and breathing heavily through his nose, Draco tried to control his rage so he didn't lash out against Harry. He focused on the rhythm of Harry's breathing, a steady rise and fall that had him calm in minutes. Harry shifted a little closer to him, somehow, making Draco smile just a little.

Draco leaned his head forward into Harry's hair. Again feeling like that aching emotion in his chest was controlling him, Draco kissed the top of Harry's head. Moving away, a hair caught in his nose and made him sneeze. Harry giggled, stretching his arms as he woke up. Draco wanted to sigh in disappointment. No more cuddles for now.

~~~

"Harry! Come here!" Draco called out, smiling when he heard the little footsteps thumping towards him. Harry had just gotten out of the shower after they had had breakfast, and his sopping hair hung around his ears and face.

Harry ran up to him, but didn't say anything. "I got something for you. But first, do you remember what Quidditch is?" Draco asked. This morning's memory questionnaire hadn't been promising, so Draco doubted it. Harry shook his head a moment later, looking a little sad. Draco wanted that expression gone, now.

"All the better! This time you'll learn from the best Quidditch player there is." Draco declared, making Harry giggle.

Draco handed Harry the slim package he had kept behind his back, watching with a smile as Harry set it on the table to unwrap it. A thin child-size broom was revealed. Harry's eyes glowed with awe.

"This is mine?" He asked.

"Of course," Draco responded quickly, heart aching. He likely didn't get many gifts as a kid...if any.

"How do I use it?"

To Draco's surprise, Harry got the concept almost before Draco had told him. Soon he was zooming around the room without any assistance. The practice broom had enchantments to ensure it didn't go above two meters, and the speed was limited as well.

His body seems to remember, even if his mind doesn't. Wondering if this would trigger any other memories, Draco forced himself to keep still on the couch as he watched Harry fly in circles around him. Harry was giggling madly, and soon shouts of "Faster! Faster!" filled the air.

Smiling -he had been doing that so much lately- Draco shook his head. "It doesn't go any faste-"

Suddenly the broom gave a hard shake, reminding Draco far too much of first year. Then Harry was almost touching the ceiling and going far faster than he had a moment ago.

Heart leaping into his chest, Draco cast cushioning charm after protection charm after lightweight charm and anything else he could think of.

But Harry was fine. He was rolling and diving and Harry was having the absolute best time of his life. Draco double-casted a few charms just in case, though, and let Harry fly for as much as it terrified him.

Eventually, lunch had appeared in the kitchen, and Harry came down immediately once Draco told him too. Draco was surprised and a little worried at how quickly Harry complied. He watched Harry sit and neatly eat his sandwich.

"You can go back to flying when you're done," Draco told him, worried Harry thought he was taking the broom away permanently. Harry gave him a bright smile, and bounded out of his seat once he had finished eating.

He heard Harry flying between rooms and hallways, wondering if there were other things his body remembered but his mind didn't. Maybe he could cast some first year spells, or knew how to play exploding snap.

Draco sat down on the couch to read, spending over an hour simply relaxing. He had almost forgotten about the Flying Fiend until Harry suddenly raced to his side, bouncing on the couch and elbowing Draco in the ribs in his haste. Harry snuggled into his side and fell asleep, likely exhausted from his flying. Draco smiled at him tenderly, one hand stroking his hair and the other flicking a few spells so that the book would float and turn its own pages.

An hour later, they were both sound asleep.

~~~

The sound of the floo woke Draco up, and Harry's scream launched him off the couch.

He fell onto the floor, something tangling his legs and his head knocking off the side of the table. Forehead throbbing, Draco stood up and stumbled, taking in the blurry scene and reaching for his wand. Three cloaked figures were a meter away from him. One stood by the floo, another next to them and their wand pointed at Draco. The final one was retreating away, holding a screaming and flailing Harry.

Death Eaters. His wand wasn't in his pocket. Panic overtook him so much he choked. Harry's screams pierced his ears. "LET ME GO! DRACO! DRAC-"

He launched himself at the one holding Harry, a green light entering his vision. The last thing he heard was Harry's crying before his own screams interrupted the sound. Distantly, he heard laughing and crying, but Draco was distracted by the pain that was consuming him. He clawed at his throat, writhing on the floor. The crying became louder.

The pain stopped, and Draco's chest heaved. He rolled, seeing Harry staring at him with tears streaming down his face. He reached out to Harry with a trembling arm, unable to move further. The one holding Harry vanished through the floo, the other following. The final one shook his head, before a red light was shot at him and his world went black.