Somnio Salvus DRARRY

Chapter 23

Draco frowned. 'What if we've already been spotted?'

'We haven't. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement always seems to know straight away if I break a law. We'd be swamped with owls by now if anyone had seen us. Pity, really,' he added wistfully. 'If there's one thing we could really do with it's an owl.'

'I don't know...I think I'd prefer a Portkey to the Great Hall in time for breakfast. His stomach growled in agreement and they both laughed, but suddenly Harry's face froze and he pointed at the sky.

'Oh, hell!' he exclaimed. 'Looks like I spoke too soon. This could be from the Ministry, to tell us that we're under arrest, or at least expelled.'

'I don't think so,' replied Draco, squinting up at the bright sky. 'It looks like a school owl.'

Sure enough, as the bird flapped its way towards Harry, the Hogwarts crest came into view, on the back of the letter it was carrying. Draco extended his arm for the owl to land on, and Harry opened the letter.

'It's from Lupin!' he exclaimed.

'Lupin? The werewolf?' replied Draco fearfully.

'Yes...but don't say it like that! He's on our side,' scolded Harry. 'Listen to this...

Dear Harry,

Ron has just informed us that you left the castle in the middle of the night. We can only assume that you have gone to find Draco. If this note reaches you before you find him, STAY WHERE YOU ARE. We are sending out more Aurors to look for you. PLEASE don't go walking into Voldemort's hands. If you know where Draco is we can recover him but leave it to the professionals. If you can, let us know where you are by return owl and we will come and get you. Don't do anything stupid. Hope you're alright,

Remus Lupin...'

Harry looked at Draco sheepishly. 'Oops. Too late...' he giggled.

Draco grinned, taking the letter from him and turning it blank side up. 'I don't suppose you've got a quill?' he asked doubtfully. Harry was dressed only in a shirt and jeans, having left his mutilated cloak dangling from the hotel window. He didn't look as if he had any useful stationery concealed about his person. However, he shifted uncomfortably at Draco's query, before reaching inside his shirt and producing a swan-feather quill.

Draco stared in surprise, recognising it immediately. 'You've been carrying that around with you? You are just too cute for words,' he said in disbelief.

Harry blushed. 'I just brought it for luck,' he muttered. 'Anyway it's no good to us - we haven't got any ink,' he added, trying to divert the conversation away from his own sentimentality.

Draco winked at him and groped in his pocket, withdrawing a small glass bottle. Harry caught a glimpse of an all-too-familiar logo on the label.

'I don't believe you...you stole the ink-bottle from the hotel room?' gasped Harry.

'I didn't steal it! Look...it says complimentary right there. They expect you to take them! I got the toiletries, too. I would have had the bathrobes if we hadn't been travelling light.'

'In a race against time to escape with our lives...you stopped to steal the soap?'

'I'm a Slytherin! I'm resourceful, okay? Now do you want to write this letter or shall I do it?'

Harry gave him an exasperated look, then chuckled in spite of himself, shaking his head as he accepted the bottle. He scrawled a note to Lupin, giving a rough estimate of their position and reassurances that they were both perfectly fine, then he folded it and gave it to the owl. He stroked its head and it hooted softly, taking off and soaring northwards as Harry and Draco watched.