"All right now, class, today we will be reviewing the Accio spell. I will be observing how well you all perform today, there will be a test soon." Professor Flitwick gave a wave of his hand, and several voices cried out the same incantation. Harry sighed, and looked at the pink cushion before him.
"Accio." He said simply, waving his wand. The cushion remained still. Harry furrowed his brow. Normally, he would be able to do this with ease, in his sleep! Perhaps he got off on a faulty start.
"Accio." Harry repeated, a little more firmly. The little cushion still refused to budge an inch.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, catching her cushion in the palm of her hand. "Isn't this just a review?"
"Yeah!" He snapped. "Yeah, I guess I'm just a little off. Sorry." Harry apologised.
"You've been on edge ever since that last duel with Malfoy." She gazed at Harry worriedly.
"I just got knocked on the head a little hard, Hermione. It will probably wear off by the time the days over."
"If you still don't feel well check with Madam Pomfrey, okay?"
"I'll be fine." Harry reassured her. Hermione smiled, and moved onto her next cushion.
"Potter." Malfoy grabbed his attention next. Harry remained silent, there was no way he was just going to talk to himself out loud in class.
"Let me try." Harry shrugged, as if to agree, and said the incantation again, only Malfoy spoke in unison with him.
"Accio!"
The little cushion flew straight towards Harry, hitting him squarely in the face.
"Dwa-!" He exclaimed.
"Hey, you got it!" Hermione cheered.
"Yeah, I did." Harry held the cushion in bewilderment.
"All right, how did you know that would work?" Harry demanded later in the Room of Requirement. The room had taken the simple form of a small place, roomy enough to hold a red armchair in the center. It was the same chair in which Harry sat in now, prying answers from Malfoy.
"No idea. I just wanted to try something, and it worked, didn't it?" He boasted.
"We- That's true, but what made you think that the both of us had to say the incantation in the first place?"
"I told you Potter, I don't know."
"Like hell you don't."
"Can't you just accept that I'm telling the truth?!"
"And you've always been so kind to me previously." Harry countered sarcastically.
"I- But- UGH!" Malfoy went silent for a minute. "I just wanted to help." He mumbled softly. Harry felt a lump in his throat, maybe he'd been a little harsh. Wait, this was Malfoy he was talking about! Only his biggest rival/enemy since he started going to Hogwarts! And now he was talking about helping him?!
"Well..." Harry struggled for the words. "Thanks. Just don't try anything stupid next time." He felt he at least should thank the guy- no matter how sick it made Harry to his stomach. He felt something inside his chest, what was it? A mixture of gratitude and happiness?
"I'll try." Malfoy breathed. "Oh, and Potter?"
"What?"
"Could we go visit the real me sometime? It might help, you know, send me back 'home', figuratively."
Harry felt surprised at the question, but agreed nevertheless.
"Sure."
Harry made it back to the common room without raising any eyebrows and somehow was able to avoid any questions from Ron and Hermione. He decided to get started on the Potions homework he had. Writing an essay on the effects and how to brew a Befuddlement Draught proved to be a little easier than expected, with Malfoy whispering small tidbits of info in his ear.
"Normally the taker gets reckless, kind of like you."
Well, almost all of it was nice anyway.
"Sneezewort is one of the main ingredients, not wolfsbang."
It felt like Malfoy was right there in the common room, breathing down his neck with Potion smarts.
"How did you know this much on Potions?" Harry whispered.
"It's my best class, Snape favours me too so that might have something to do with it."
That figures. Harry thought. I should've guessed that much.
About half on hour later Harry set down his quill and now completed essay. Stretching, he yawned and got ready to hit the hay for the night. As he pulled a
pajama shirt over his head, a voice came from the doorway.
"So you are here." It was Ron.
"Where else would I be?" Harry replied without thinking.
"That's a good question. Where were you earlier, mate?" Ron strolled over to his bed beside Harry's, and sat on it.
"Er- I just went into the Room of Requirement, that's all. No one saw me." He added, seeing the look on Ron's face.
"The RoR? For what?"
"Practice. I wasn't doing too well earlier in Charms."
"Wasn't that a review cla-"
"Yes. Yes it was, Ron. Guess I just needed a little more time to get my head in the game."
"Oh." Ron surveyed Harry for a second longer, shook his head, and got ready for bed himself.
"Whatever you say, mate. Here's hoping tomorrows a new day." He mumbled. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, he wasn't quite sure how to tell Ron that Malfoy was speaking into his head yet, and didn't even know how to approach the subject.
"Where are you going now?" Ron pestered, as Harry got up to leave from the Great Hall the next morning.
"I'm just going to the hospital wing for a checkup. Be back before you know it." Harry stuffed a mouthful of toast into his mouth, setting down one of the many hallways of Hogwarts. He heard Ron sigh, very audibly, and Hermione telling him something about his well-being, which Ron protested by saying Harry was fine. Smiling, Harry turned to the corridor going to the hospital wing. He creaked open the door, and slipped inside.
"Potter? What are you doing here?" Madam Pomfrey questioned from a glass shelf containing various Potions and medicine.
"I, er, just came to visit."
"Visit who?"
"Malfoy."
He saw her eyes widen slightly, and she spoke in a lighter tone than before.
"Oh. Well, he's right at the end." Madam Pomfrey pointed to a bed concealed by curtains.
"Thanks." He strutted by the nurse, who stared at him shocked, as if she were trying to figure out a complex calculation in her head. Harry slipped in
through the curtains, and slightly hid behind them. Thankfully there were no other visitors in the wing, so Harry was in the clear to converse with Malfoy quietly.
"Now what?" He asked, gazing at the unconscious blonde boy before him.
"Er- I don't know. Maybe you have to touch me. Like, grab my hand or something."
"That's a little creepy, do I have to?"
"Do you ever want me to leave?" He had a fair point, Harry presumed, and reluctantly held Malfoy's hand. He hoped Madam Pomfrey was deep into her
medicine organizing work. This would be extremely hard to explain.
"Feel anything?" He whispered, starting to hate the seconds that passed by.
"I can feel your hand. You should lotion more, Potter."
Harry chuckled softly.
"Well you should wear hand warmers, yours are freezing." He felt heat rise into his cheeks.
"Not much I can do about it."
"So you don't have any sort of urge to leave my body? No light at the end of the tunnel, no pulling in your chest?"
"Nope. But jeez, do I need a shower."
Smiling, Harry gingerly let go of Malfoy's hand, letting it fall onto his chest. He felt Malfoy tense up in his head- or was that just an illusion? How could he feel...
Harry pushed the thought out of his mind.
"I'm cold again." Malfoy whined.
"What can I do about it?"
"Just stay, for a little longer, please? My hand is cold..."
"Wha- But, Malfoy," He protested, then sighed, taking his hand again. "Fine, but you owe me BIG time after this."
"I know. Thanks, Potter."
Harry wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, just sitting in silence, but soon it was time for classes to start, and Harry couldn't afford to be late,
especially with Umbridge. Madam Pomfrey gave him a wary look, but still smiled and said goodbye when he left. Half jogging, he was able to blend with the
crowd and get to Defense Against the Dark Arts a minute early, even. When he sat at his normal desk, and opened his textbook, he locked eyes with
Umbridge, who squinted at him. With her toad-like features, though, it made her look funny, and Harry stared at the page of his book to avoid laughing. Soon
the rest of the class arrived, as well as an utterly surprised Ron and Hermione, whom were still scratching their heads at how he got there so early. On the
bright side, he didn't feel as bad as he did the day before about having Malfoy occupying his brain 24/7. Perhaps he could deal with it until he left.
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