Harry was sitting stretched out on the bed reading Quidditch Weekly when the talking wall flashed up some words. He looked up and read the message.
{Can we come in? It's Ron and Hermione. Madam Pomfrey says it's time you had visitors.}
The idea of letting people through the door filled Harry with the same trepidation as it had done when Madam Pomfrey had been in, but he was also over the moon that his friends had come to see him. As usual he found himself conflicted. He had spoken to Ron and Hermione through the wall every day, but it was not easy to have conversations in six-inch high letters where everyone could see, especially when your predicament was a secret to all but a select few. Draco had spoken to several of the Slytherins the same way keeping up the pretence that being locked in isolation with Harry Potter was the worst experience known to man.
[Are you okay?] came from Draco's direction.
He was having a soak in the bath, something of which he seemed inordinately fond, but Harry heard the water splash as his lover sat up and asked his question.
[Fine,] he told Draco as calmly as he could manage, [Ron and Hermione just asked to come in.]
[Are you sure you're up to visitors?] came the overprotective response and the water splashed again.
[We can't stay in here forever,] Harry replied. [Relax. You finish your bath and I'll let them in. Just don't prance out of the bathroom stark naked.]
[Potter,] Draco said pointedly, [no matter what your fantasies, I have no intention of streaking for your friends.]
Harry laughed and climbed off the bed. He lent into the bathroom where his lover was up to his neck in suds, blew Draco a kiss and then closed the door. Walking to the talking wall he touched the activation stone.
"Hi, it's Harry," he said and the words wrote on the wall under the other message, "give me five minutes and then ask Madam Pomfrey to let you in."
{Great,} came the response, {see you soon.}
Once that was settled Harry wandered over to the summoning alcove.
"Tea and cake for four, please," he said politely.
A table, a teapot, four cups and saucers, a pile of plates and a two-layer tray of cakes appeared almost instantly.
"Thank you," Harry said with a half smile.
Draco and he had discovered over their time in the room that when Dumbledore had told them to ask the alcove nicely for things, he had not been using a turn of phrase. Only once had Draco demanded something from it without a please or thank you and rather than a cheese sandwich and a glass of milk, he had ended up with a milk sandwich and a glass of cheese. Since then they had both taken great care to be polite to the alcove and not hurt its feelings.
Once the niceties had been sorted out, Harry returned to the bed where he sat down and crossed his legs. He had been practising keeping his mental barriers in place for two days now and he was feeling quite optimistic. The only problem was, he had never tried without Draco right by his side when there was anyone in the room.
Using the door as a point of focus he brought his shields up to the point where it looked completely normal.
[You're getting good at that,] Draco commented from the other room.
When Harry played with his mental protection his soulmate always seemed to know, and Draco sounded quite proud of him.
[Thanks,] Harry replied with a smile, [I hope it lasts.]
YOU ARE READING
Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)
Fanfiction(Drarry) Harry Potter is about to enter his seventh year, and things are not quite what he expected. He is no longer the angry boy who watched his world fall apart at the end of his fifth year, but neither has he completely found his place yet. He i...
