Dear Mr. Potter

Chapter Fifty-Four

He had had to fight tooth and nail with Madame Pomfrey, but he had won and it was worth it. Harry stood in his gazebo and not in the infirmary. He considered it his, even if it was in Draco's private garden. But then, none of this was really theirs. Just borrowed until they finished school.

"The fuck, Potter!"

Harry looked out into the garden and saw Draco slamming the door. His face was flushed and there were faint silver splashes on his cheeks as he stormed down the small path.

"I go to find you and they tell me you are gone. Gone! The hell possessed you to leave the hospital wing? Oh wait, I forgot! Saint Potter can do what ever he wishes. No one denies the Hero, even if he is injured and ill!"

Draco stepped up onto the raised floor of the small shelter and crowded Harry back.

"I'm feeling okay. Except for the soreness. But the more I move around, the better it seems to feel," Harry said quietly.

"And, oh look, Potty seems to also think he is immune to the cold!" Draco said nastily, looking down on Harry's simple shirt and trousers.

"The bandages are warm enough. I feel like a mummy." Harry held up his arms, which were wrapped in three places with gauze.

"Speaking of bandages, Potter. What the hell possessed your obviously overworked mind to go into the Forest? For kicks? Getting bored now that the Dark Lord is no longer around to chase you?"

Harry continued to look up into silver eyes that were only a foot away from him. He was actually grateful that Draco was so close because he was starting to feel the chill and Draco in his anger was generating quite an amount of heat.

"I heard someone calling for help. I didn't think they were that far in. Once I got in there though he moved and I stupidly followed him deeper in. They were smart enough to cover his scent with one of our school robes or I wouldn't have gotten so close." Harry's voice was utterly calm. Draco on the other hand was anything but.

"Yes. Stupid. You actually got it right, wonder boy. That was incredibly stupid!" Draco spun away and stomped to the other side.

"How did you know, Draco?" Harry asked. "How did you know that I had gone in there and needed help?"

"Because, idiot. You played the perfect Little Red Riding Hood and left your basket. I saw it sitting there at the edge and just knew you had done something classically stupid!" Draco looked out over the snow-covered lawn. "I had no idea what you had gotten yourself into until I heard-," Draco broke off and turned completely away.

Harry stepped closer. "Until what, Draco?" he put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "What did you hear?"

Draco spun fast and knocked Harry's hand off. He was snarling and his eyes were beginning to slit. Harry took a step back.

"You! I heard you. You were screaming! And then you were begging them to stop! That's when I knew that you had fulfilled your stupid acts quota for the day!" Draco turned back around to place his hands on the edge of the half wall. Harry watched his back heaving as he breathed hard.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly. "Thank you for saving me."

"Oh, really? You're thanking me?" Draco said sarcastically. "Oh my, the great Harry Potter is thanking me for saving him. Why, I shall have to write this in my journal as a red letter day!" Draco turned back and stalked towards Harry. He backed the smaller man into the solid wall in the back. Grabbing Harry's shirt he leaned in close until they were eye to eye.

"You want to thank me, Harry?" he said low. "Then stop being a prick and make my heroics mean something. Dump the disease and live for more than a day!"