Draco sets his book on the coffee table, sits in the armchair next to the fireplace as Blaise turns in his spot.
"Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"
"Oh," Draco's eyes light up. "I was wondering if you wanted to go back to the Tower."
Blaise makes a face and laughs at Draco's. "Never thought I'd ever hear that come out of your mouth."
"Right, yes," Draco clears his throat. "I meant if you thought it was time to move back to our dormitories in the Tower. And are you not supposed to be in detention?"
"I thought I'd skip today. I doubt Weasley is there, with all the Granger commotion and whatnot," Blaise shrugs. "And if you think you're not going to faint or lash out with magic or anything of the sort, sure. We can go back."
"No. I feel perfectly capable of going through my daily routine. Although, I could go with still having meals in the dorm."
"Agreed," Blaise sighs as he jumps on his bed. "What a drag to have to sit at our designated House table. There are only four of us in this year. It's embarrassing and unnecessary."
"Who are the other two? I have never seen them before."
"Some transfers," Blaise waves his hand uninterestedly. "From another school."
"Which one?"
"And why do you assume I know that?"
"Because you are you. And you happen to like interfering in other people's business. Which means you know exactly who they are and where they come from."
Blaise rolls his eyes at the pointed look he gets from his best friend and exhales loudly. "They're from Deuxmür." He lazily rolls his eyes to Draco when he doesn't hear a respond and catches him staring hard. "What?"
"Deuxmür? That penalty prison in southern France?"
"Yes, dear."
"What are they doing here?"
"Got out early with good behavior," Blaise flourishes his hand. "They're twins. Turns out the Wizengamot tried them for attempted arsenal after their mother wouldn't let them attend a regular private school. Apparently one of their wands got traced back to the Fiendfyre but both denied having anything to do with it, so they locked them up."
Draco perks his brows for a split second. "Harsh."
"Tell me about it. No, they plead innocent all the way through the trials and even went as far as taking Veratiserum. The scene and way the evidence was presented doesn't add up, though."
"I bet they are glad to be out of there. Father once told me that Deuxmür is almost as bad as Azkaban, that the only difference was that the Dementors at the Deuxmür actually had faces."
Blaise shivers.
"About what happened," Draco starts, but he's interrupted by a knock at the door and a timid voice breaking through it.
"Um, Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco's eyes squint to Blaise. "What is it?"
"Um, there's someone waiting for you in the Common Room."
"A guest?"
"Um, no," the voice sounds confused. "A student."
A student, Draco mouths to Blaise, who shrugs.
"Who is it?"
"Um," the voice shakes. "It's...Harry Potter, sir."
*******
"All I'm saying is, maybe they're not as bad as we thought they were."
"Have you gone mad," Hermione laughs humorlessly. "We are speaking about the same people?"
"Yes..."
"The ones who sided with Harry's mortal enemy? The ones who killed with no remorse? The ones who took, captured, tortured..."
"Alright, that's enough," Ron snaps. "Settle down, yeah? I'm not telling you to go on picnics with them. I'm letting you know I've had conversations with them and they're just regular kids like us."
"Kids with a criminal record."
"Hermione!"
The bushy haired girl sighs, sits back down in her spot next to Ron. "I'm sorry. You know I'm usually opened minded. But when it comes to them, I just can't help but feel scared."
"The great Hermione Granger, scared?" Ron scoffs. "Please."
The Gryffindor girl smiles. "I really did miss you, for however long I was gone."
She pulls Ron into her and hugs him tightly, sighing when he rubs her back.
"Oh, sorry, did I interrupt something?"
Ron snaps back at record pace, his eyes wide at the voice that rings through the Common Room entrance. Blaise is standing there with an expressionless gaze, his eyes trained on Ron.
"No, not...not at all. What did...Could I...Did you need something?"
"I didn't need anything," Blaise drawls, moving forward and taking a curtain tassle and flinging it. "Nothing at all."
"Well, then why are you here?"
"Just wanted to let you lot know," Blaise rolls his eyes lazily to Ron, who swallows. "Boy Wonder made a spectacular entrance."
Hermione's eyes widen. "Harry? Harry showed up? Where?"
"He's in the Infirmary."
She doesn't waste time in getting up and running out, forgetting completely about Ron and definitely forgetting about Blaise.
"The least you could do was give me some disclosures."
Ron's eyebrows stitch together. "What?"
"You could have told me you get handsy with everyone," Blaise says calmly, twirling a book in his hands that he picked up from a high table.
"I don't get handsy with everyone."
"No," Blaise answers sweetly. "You just manhandle cute boys down the hallway and get drunk around them and almost kiss them. And then you go around hugging cute girls that snog you in the heat of the moment."
The Gryffindor frowns. "She's my friend."
He watches Blaise stop twirling the book and set it down gently, gulping as he watches him round the couch and stand right in front of him. "Am I your friend?"
"I would like to think so," Ron answers slowly. "Aren't you?"
"I think," Blaise says lowly. He leans down, getting close and personal with Ron, who shuffles backwards until his back meets the cushion and he has nowhere else to go. "You need to re-evaluate what friends actually are."
"I don't..."
Blaise slowly climbs into Ron's lap, smirks as his words die on his throat and tilts his head curiously. "I sure hope you don't go around snogging me now that we're friends."
Ron's mouth drops open in realization.
"Because I would enjoy it too much."
He gets off, makes sure to leave Ron looking after him as he walks out of the Common Room and down to the Infirmary where his best friend is waiting for the Buffoon of the Wizarding World to wake up.
*******
"It has only been an hour, Granger, how do you expect him to wake up from all that?"
Hermione frowns at Draco, turning to the doors to see Blaise walk through with a grimace on his face. She faces Draco once more and crosses her arms. "Harry is capable of more than you think."
"Yes, of course, we all know how powerful he is. However, his body has just been through more than the human body can handle, regardless of magical strength. He needs to rest. So if you will," Draco flourishes his hand towards the door.
"I'm not leaving," she says defensively. "Why don't you leave? You're irrelevant to Harry's health."
Draco smirks. "On the contrary. You will find I actually..."
"How about some biscuits," Headmistress McGonagall pops up from nowhere with a silver platter, startling Hermione. She glares at Draco as Hermione sighs and reaches for a sweet, pursing her lips when he just rolls his eyes and turns around to busy himself.
"Despite past occurrences, I do have to agree to let Mr. Malfoy stay in the Infirmary, as he is the one who found Mr. Potter."
"Wh-That's not even a thing!"
"And I also suggest you calm yourselves as there is also other patients that wish to recover in silence," she says with finality in her voice. Hermione cowers into herself, scowling.
"Now, Poppy, what is Mr. Potter's status?"
"Healthy, seemingly."
Draco scoffs from his little corner and turns, staring at Madame Pomfrey. "Healthy? Does he look healthy to you? He is clearly malnourished!"
He steps up to the boy on the bed, puts his hands on the edge. They itch to reach over and touch, he wants to touch his skin, to make sure he's here, that he's real. But he doesn't, and when he looks up he also ignores all the shocked looks he's receiving.
"He has not slept in days. He was most likely terrified of something, wherever he was. Has he got any broken bones?"
"No," Poppy Pomfrey answers immediately. "Just some badly healed ones, I'm guessing he tried to heal them himself. Did a pretty good job for a medically unpracticed wizard. I already gave him a doze of SkeleGrow so they can heal right."
"And what of him waking up?"
Hermione frowns over to Blaise. "I still don't understand your involvement in all of this."
Blaise breathes calmly. "I was the one who sat with your beloved to scan through half the library to find you. Draco was the one who actually found Potter and got you out. So unless you want to end up back where you came from, you need to do more than worry about my involvement in this. I suggest all that comes out of your mouth is thank you."
The Gryffindor's mouth falls open. "Professor..."
"He's right, Ms. Granger. While your disappearance, these young men worked day and night, restlessly, to help Mr. Weasley in finding you."
Hermione's eyes are livid, and she bites her tongue for a second before she opens her mouth again to fight back. Headmistress McGonagall lifts her hand.
"There has been enough fighting," she says softly. "What's important is that we live in harmony. And that we do it together. There is nothing stopping anyone from tearing us apart if we stand strong, like a union. And I hope you of all people remember what color your blood is, as you have seen enough of it to last a lifetime."
That is what gets Hermione to finally snap back into herself. She looks down at her hands. "I...I'm sorry, Professor."
"None of that," the Headmistress waves her hand dismissively. "Now, Mr. Potter is only allowed one visitor at a time, and you may only come during free periods or meal times. For the exception of Mr. Malfoy, who is deemed necessary to be present for the speedy recovery of Mr. Potter."
"I just need to have a quick work with my friend, Professor," Blaise smiles at the Headmistress when she turns to leave, holding Hermione's shoulder.
She whispers something quickly to Madame Pomfrey and walks out, Hermione only sparing a last glance over her shoulder before the doors fall shut.
Blaise turns to Draco, closes his eyes and exhales in relief.
His blond friend frowns. "Blaise?"
"Draco, I flipped my shit."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I established boundaries, and then I crossed them. It means I probably ruined everything, and...Salazar, is it hot in here?"
"Blaise?"
"Can these windows be opened? Merlin, it's hot as balls. Doesn't Madame Pomfrey know what cooling charms are?"
"Blaise, you need to breathe," Draco says calmly, standing up and walking around Harry's bed. "Calm down."
"I...can't. I can't. There's...too many people in here."
"Blaise," Draco says again, louder, and steps closer to his best friend.
The dark-skinned Slytherin frantically shakes his head and stumbles backward. "No. Draco, no."
"It will be fine, everything is alright. There is no need to panic."
"Draco," Blaise voice cracks. "Draco, I fucked up," he gasps.
"You are fine. Blaise. Blaise, look at me," he sighs through his nose and reaches forward, snaps his fingers in front of Blaise's face. "Look at me, you fool. You are going to calm down. You are going to breathe. And you are going to tell me exactly what happened that is causing you to have another attack."
Blaise just looks at Draco with wide eyes and a heaving chest.
"Now, breathe."
He nods, taking in a gulp of air.
"Do it again."
The dark-skinned Slytherin keeps breathing, watching Draco's worried face match his expressions, and he feels his tight chest loosening around his heart. His lungs don't feel like they're burning and he can see more clearly than he could a few minutes ago.
"Are you well? Or should I smack you sideways because you just gave me a fright?"
Blaise gives a weak laugh and drops his head on Draco's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"What happened?"
"I went to get Granger and Ron, like you told me to, and when I walked into the Common Room, they were hugging. I," Blaise shakes his head. "I saw red, everything was red, and I retreated back to my old ways."
Draco's eyes take on a sympathetic glint, concealed tightly underneath his stone exterior, but Blaise can see right through him. He knows Draco has seen what he can do to someone that pisses him off, someone that holds Blaise's heart and pisses him off. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Blaise sighs. "I didn't do anything. I just might have said a couple of things that may ruin any chance at us being friends."
Draco opens his mouth to say you are an idiot but Blaise shakes his head.
"Merlin, I'm lucky if he even talks to me again."
"Friend," Draco says softly. "I will only tell you this once because I know you will remember. You did not do anything wrong. You followed your heart for once in your life and you should be rejoicing. Merlin, Blaise! When was the last time you felt anything but fear?"
His friend scowls.
"Your actions are precedented. You acted accordingly. You saw a lad you fancy touching someone else and you did not like it. You could have told him, like a regular person, but Salazar knows we are far from normal," Draco laughs. "Hell, I bet he even enjoyed the show you gave him."
Blaise's eyebrows furrow. "Show? I didn't give..."
"Do not give me that bullocks," Draco rolls his eyes. "You prowled, we both know it."
There's a flush to his cheeks that makes him look darker and he looks away. "I hate you."
Draco laughs. "Now, while you were almost dying from nothing, he was most likely trying to find a way to get rid of the problem you gave him. Which he has probably found a solution to, in which case he should be coming through the doors any second now."
"Don't be ridiculous, he has Quidditch coaching this afternoon, there's no way he's skipping that."
"Mate," Draco says reasonably.
"And what is up with you? Shouldn't you be strictly forbidding this, and whatnot?" Blaise wraps his arms around himself. "You should be telling me how bad of an idea this is. How bad things happen and there's nothing we can do about it so we avoid having good things. So it won't..."
The doors to the Infirmary push open loudly, and while Draco turns around to check if Harry stirs, Blaise turns to find a very, very upset looking Ron stalking towards him with clenched fists.
"Uh...um, Draco," Blaise gulps.
Draco swats him away while he fixes a glass of water for the Gryffindor on the bed. "What?"
"There's...He's coming."
The blond Slytherin turns just in time to see Ron come to a halt in front of Blaise and take his arm. He spares Draco a glance. "I need him for a moment."
He shrugs. "Sure."
Blaise gapes at him in disbelief. "Traitor!"
"Sh," Draco grins. "You'll wake the sleeping troll."