Checkmate

Part III - Endgame - Chapter 18

"I'm sorry," said Draco, a raw sound like unshed tears in his voice.

Harry heard the tremor in Draco's voice and sat back, blinking, sorry himself, his heart too full of conflicting emotions and his thoughts too jumbled with things that needed to be said but that had to wait, to know what else to say now. He took refuge in remembering what he should be doing. He reached over Draco to pick up the cup of Reviving Potion Madam Pomfrey had filled earlier. "You need to drink this," he said, willing a calm neutrality into his tone. "It tastes terrible, but it helps a lot."

With one arm still around Draco's shoulders, Harry held the cup for Draco, tipping it just enough so that Draco could drink slowly. Draco's eyebrows went down in a frown at the taste, but he didn't argue.

However, Draco had only managed about half of the dose before the screens beside the bed were pushed hurriedly apart and Madam Pomfrey rushed in. "Is he . . . ?" she began, then she stopped mid-sentence in surprise, shocked not only to find her patient awake and sitting up, but Harry in bed with him. "Harry!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper. "What in the world . . . !?"

"I . . . I had to help him sit up," stammered Harry, thinking furiously and blushing, equally startled at being discovered in Draco's bed with his arm around the other boy. He'd completely forgotten about Madam Pomfrey and her Summoning Charm. "He woke up a minute ago," he explained hurriedly, "and . . . couldn't sit up by himself . . . to drink the Reviving Potion." Then Harry saw Draco watching him sidelong, under his lashes; saw the barest hint of an amused smile curl at one corner of Draco's mouth and his heart lightened so suddenly that he had to suppress an inclination to grin.

He took his arm out from around Draco and moved to let Draco lean back against the pillow. "I think he's okay now," he said hopefully, as Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers worriedly to Draco's wrist to check his pulse and tipped up Draco's chin to look into his eyes. "Isn't he?" he asked, watching intently for her confirmation.

"I'm completely at a loss to explain how, but yes, it would seem so," Madam Pomfrey said, the relief in her voice very audible. "Though I suspect he's going to be rather weak and need to stay in bed for a day or two," she added, fixing Draco with a stern but caring eye. "I don't mind saying you gave us quite a scare, young man."

"Yes, ma'am," said Draco in a very subdued tone, and he looked down contritely. "I'm sorry."

"Never mind being sorry," she scolded gently. "Just drink the rest of that potion now. It will help you get your strength back. Everything else can be sorted out in the morning." She motioned Harry to hand the cup of potion to Draco, but Harry ended up still having to help Draco hold the cup while he finished drinking it.

"I want to do a more thorough check with the Aurascope, but I think that can also wait until morning," said Madam Pomfrey to Harry as he handed her the empty cup. "And I want you," she said to Draco, "to try to get some sleep now."

Draco nodded and he turned to look at Harry, a silent appeal in his eyes.

"If you wake up and need anything," Madam Pomfrey went on, "we'll both be nearby to help. I'll be in my office and Harry just across the room."

"Don't make him go," said Draco softly, reaching out to lay one hand on Harry's arm as if to hold him there. He looked up at Madam Pomfrey. "I don't want to sleep alone."

Harry startled a little at the boldness of this request, and also turned to Madam Pomfrey. "I can put him to sleep," he volunteered, hoping to forestall her answer.

Madam Pomfrey hesitated a moment, looking from one boy to the other, then nodded at Harry, though her expression was frankly perplexed. "Go ahead and use the Sopire Diuturnus Spell, Harry. I want him to sleep through until late morning if possible." She watched while Harry gently helped Draco lie back down and saw their eyes meet with a look that she was at a loss to understand.