Dear Mr. Potter

Chapter Twenty-Three

His mouth was completely dry, like he had never had any liquid past his lips before. His whole body hurt, as if a hundred bludgers and their beaters had worked him over for a few hours. Harry tried working moisture into his mouth, but it was like swallowing sand.

"Harry?"

"..mio.." Harry's words stuck in his dry mouth. But he knew that had to have been Hermione calling him. He heard rustling near him.

"Draco, please. He's awake, I'm not going to hurt him."

Harry's brow furrowed. Draco was here? And he wasn't letting Hermione come to him? He tried opening his eyes and succeeded in blinding himself to the dying rays of sunlight as they came in through the window. Now why would they have faced him towards an open window with the sun right outside of it? Harry squinted and tried to block out the light and see what was happening.

"If you do not back up, Ms. Granger, I will not be responsible for his actions."

Snape? Snape was here too? They must be far enough away because he didn't feel anything. Just making out the shapes through the blazing light, Harry saw what he assumed were Draco and Snape both standing in the doorway of his makeshift room in the infirmary. He couldn't see Hermione, but he did see a bit of what might be red or purple hair over Snape's shoulder. It was hard to see colors with so much sun in his face.

"If my patient is awake then I do hope you will allow my entrance?" Madame Pomfrey's unmistakably annoyed voice was heard a bit further away.

"Of course, with my supervision. Draco, let her through."

Three shapes approached his bed, getting clearer and clearer, until they materialized into a dark potions teacher, an exasperated medi-witch and a bloody Draco.

Bloody?

"Mr. Potter? Have you rejoined us?"

Harry felt when the two other Indagos came close, more than he could see them. He felt the urge to hold out his arms to them and ask that they come lay down with him. The desire to please did not like being hurt and confused and badly wanted their reassurance. He fought it back with the reserves he had from who only knew where.

"Yeah, 'm here. Could you move the sun?" he rasped out.

"Of course," Pomfrey said and quickly spelled the shutters closed, leaving dark spots floating before Harry's eyes. "Now, would you like some water? I am sure that you must be parched."

Harry nodded and a glass of water appeared at his lips. He greedily drank it down, but all too soon the glass was taken away. Harry couldn't help the small sound of distress at the loss of the cool liquid. A growl was heard right next to him and Harry felt better.

"Mr. Malfoy, too much water will make him sick!"

"Draco, give her back her arm," Snape said coolly.

Harry turned his head to look and saw Draco give a fierce glare at the medi-witch, which was returned full force, except that the lady's eyes were definitely nowhere near meeting the blonde's. Draco released the arm that held the glass of water and Pomfrey moved away to set it down at a table towards the end of the bed. As his head turned to follow her movements, Harry's body reminded him how much pain he was in. Another growl was heard. It was definitely human sounding, but not something that a person would ever make normally in a lifetime.

"Yes, Draco, I can smell it." At the sound of Snape's voice, Harry's eyes turned to him. Snape was giving Draco an irritated look. Much like the look he would give a student who had just asked a question that's answer had just been covered. Black eyes looked down to Harry.