Bloom

“Quit moping.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “I’m not.”

“You are.” Blaise stood from his spot on the plush, green couch in the Room of Requirement, and walked over to the chair Draco was sitting in. He fluidly slid into his best friend’s lap, facing him. His knees rested on either side of Draco’s hips. “He’ll be back tomorrow.” He pushed a kiss onto Draco’s neck.

Draco tilted his head to the side, giving him more access, and closed his eyes. Ever since Ron’s -and Potter’s and Grangers, evidently- departure, Blaise had been extra attentive. Or possibly it was just the timing of Draco and Ron allowing Blaise into their “relationship” and now he was just pleased to have access to Draco’s body again.

“Am I not enough?” Blaise murmured close to his ear, before finding a spot to bite, and gently suck.

“Fuck…” Draco groaned, shifting underneath him, but kept himself reigned in. He grabbed tightly at Blaise’s waist. “You’re plenty,” he growled, then gave a small push at his waist, silently telling him to back off. Blaise pulled away, eyeing him curiously. Draco rarely told him to stop. “Let’s wait,” Draco whispered, “Until he gets back.”

Blaise groaned impatiently and rocked his hips with a smirk. “Really?” he inquired, “What if I just-” he cut off when Draco grabbed his throat but did not lose his smirk.

“We’re waiting,” Draco repeated firmly, and squeezed tighter, “Or have I not given you enough?” he released his grip fiercely, smirking as he did so.

Taking a quivering breath, Blaise said, “Yes. Of course. But…” he dared to rock his hips a few times more, and Draco clenched his jaw, “I always want more. Especially from you.”

“Stop it,” Draco growled, digging his fingers hard into Blaise’s waist, potentially bruising him.

“Fine,” Blaise sighed, but remained seated where he was. Draco rested his arms on the rests of the chair, drumming his fingers on them. “Where do you think he went?”

“Dunno,” Draco replied, feeling Blaise’s hands at the bottom of his shirt, “Probably couldn’t tell us even if he wanted to.”

“You think he would?” Blaise asked curiously, his fingers now going up Draco’s sides. If anyone was more insatiable than Ron, it was Blaise. If Draco had a few drinks, they could go for hours, and Blaise could still be ready for more.

“I don’t know,” Draco said honestly, “But…we don’t talk about stuff like that.”

“Against your rules?” Blaise asked cheekily, “How come I don’t have any rules?”

“Do you want some?” Draco replied, tilting his head, considering.

Blaise shrugged, now trailing his hands along Draco’s chest. “Depends on what they are. So…the other day…”

“Yeah?”

“Before Ron left. What were you guys talking about, the whole ‘is there something you want to say’ thing?” Blaise did not meet his eye as he asked this, fingering Draco’s tie.

“Oh,” Draco answered, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, “That’s…the whole relationship idea…it’s kind of…well we said if there’s still some feelings after all these detentions, that we’d find a way to be together. But…if one of us says I love you to the other one, then…we’d be together then.”

“You two haven’t said that at all?” Blaise asked.

“No. Not those exact words.” Draco eyed him, trying to figure out how he felt.

“So you’re not officially together?”

“No.”

“What about me?”

“I’m always with you,” Draco replied with a smile, “Aren’t I?” Blaise lowered to kiss him with gentle force. “Always mine,” Draco whispered, cradling Blaise’s chin to keep his mouth close, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Blaise replied heavily, “I just…sometimes it feels like you like him more.”

With only a moment of pause, Draco shook his head. “No. I adore Ron, and I like him a lot, and I do think about a future there, if possible. If we work for it. But you are there, too. You’re always there.” He kissed him. “That’s a given, Blaise. That’s why I don’t say it out loud so much. But I should, so…I’m sorry you had to question anything.”

“It’s okay,” Blaise whispered, “I just get jealous.”

“Don’t. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

They sat for a few minutes more. Kissing and touching. Confirming. Draco felt a bit guilty, for having to pause before telling Blaise he enjoyed him more. He knew it was true, but he had had to think for a moment. He most likely enjoyed them both equally. Ron was just…Ron. He was a whole other experience next to Blaise, different yet somehow similar. New. Dangerous. Forbidden.

“We should get to dinner,” Draco finally said, worried that if they continued, he wouldn’t be able to resist throwing Blaise down.

“No,” Blaise replied against Draco’s neck, “Why? I want to stay here.”

“If we stay here, I’m shagging you until you can’t walk,” Draco answered, starting to stand, forcing Blaise to slide off his lap.

“Good,” Blaise retorted with a sly giggle, pressing his lips against Draco’s, and grabbing for his belt, “Go ahead.”

It was then that Draco knew Blaise was only screwing with him. Making the buildup even more tense. Pissing Draco off on purpose because he knew the shag would be completely worth it. Especially after having to wait for Ron, who would also be in for it.

“Blaise,” Draco grumbled from deep inside his gut, grabbing his chin with a deadly grip. Blaise was smart enough to look a bit startled and swallowed heavily as he stared at Draco with innocent, twinkling eyes. “If you don’t knock it off, I’m only going to let you watch.” He looked him up and down, squeezing harder, determined to leave a bruise. A mark of disobedience. “Is that what you want?”

"Can I watch you touch yourself?" Blaise asked salaciously. 

Draco's mind instantly surged with memories of the times he had straddled Blaise, stroking his cock right in front of his face, while Blaise struggled not to touch himself. He could be a bit kinky that way. 

"No," Draco murmured, "You'd have to watch me fuck Ron. Without touching yourself."

“No,” Blaise whimpered. He let out a petulant whine. “I can’t help it. I want you.”

“Try,” Draco growled. Then smirked smugly as he finally let go, his hand and fingers had left behind marks, plum-colored against his best friend’s caramel skin.

“Ass,” Blaise muttered, rubbing his jaw, but looking sheepish.

Draco shrugged. “Well,” he said, “Let’s go.”

In the cool, draftiness of the castle, their desires were easily put on hold, aside from when Draco occasionally glanced at Blaise just to see the marks his fingers had left behind. Then he would get a tingling in his gut.

At dinner, just as Draco was about to take a bite of his food, the mail arrived. Surprisingly, an owl landed in front of him, nearly knocking over his glass of water. Draco took the letter from it.

“Who’s that from?” Blaise asked as the owl took flight once again.

“Dunno,” Draco replied, examining the parchment before unfolding it.

Draco,

I got hurt while I was away, I’m at St. Mungo’s right now. I’m being transferred over to Hogwarts infirmary late tonight. I don’t think I’ll be at detention tomorrow. I’ll talk to you soon. Don’t risk visiting me.

R

Draco and Blaise exchanged a glance -Blaise had been reading over his shoulder-, and they immediately stood in unison and headed for the entrance hall. Once there, they placed themselves behind the hourglasses for privacy.

“He got hurt?” Blaise asked, grabbing the letter. They read it again. “Well…this probably got here pretty fast. Does it say later tonight or late tonight?”

“Late,” Draco replied, taking the letter back from him, “Fucking hell. I hope he’s okay.”

When he looked up, he was startled to see that Blaise looked deeply concerned. His eyebrows were knitted with concern, and he was chewing on his bottom lip. Draco put a hand on his arm.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Wha- well…he’s hurt,” Blaise stammered, “I’m worried. I…” he folded his arms over his chest and sighed, “You know…Ron…he’s…he’s so good. Bad things happening to him just doesn’t feel fair. What’s he ever done?”

That was true. Draco felt the same way. It wasn’t fair when bad things happened to good people. But he was so focused on the fact that Blaise was this concerned for Ron. Evidently, he had fallen for him pretty quickly. Draco couldn’t blame him for that, he had fallen quickly as well. Ron’s charm had pulled Draco in so swiftly and then his sweetness and sensuality had made him stay.

“We’ll go see him,” Draco assured his best friend, “Okay? Let’s go back to the dorm for a while then we can see if he’s here yet in a bit.”

Somewhere near 11:30, Draco and Blaise decided to take off. Once they reached the second floor, they knew Ron must have arrived, as they saw Potter, Granger, and the Weasley girl all walking up another staircase. Draco and Blaise quickly pressed themselves against a wall to avoid being seen, and then slowly made their way to the hospital wing. Blaise peered through the window on the door.

“Yeah, he’s there,” he whispered, “Looks like no one else is.”

“Good,” Draco said in relief. “Let’s go.”

Blaise slowly and quietly opened the door, and they crept in, pushing the swinging door shut so it would not continue to creak. Ron, laying in the bed at the very end of the row, looked up at them and groaned.

“I told you not to come,” he said, but did not sound angry. He sounded hoarse, and tired. “But I’m glad you did.” His head dropped back down onto the pillow.

Draco and Blaise strode over quickly, and as they approached, saw that Ron’s torso was bare, and heavily bandaged on the left side. There was also a large bandage on his neck. His face was littered with three large gashes, and several small cuts. His chest was the same; angry, red large and small cuts prominent against his pale skin. Both of his wrists were also wrapped up, cuts all up and down his arms where they were uncovered.

“What the hell happened?” Blaise asked, sitting on the bed.

“Um,” Ron replied slowly, taking a deep breath, “It was a defense hex, or something. I…I was…” his eyes cast downward. Draco knew he couldn’t tell them. “Well,” he said finally, “I was looking for something. And I found it. But…there were defenses on it. I opened this box, and it was filled with a bunch of broken glass, and it all just shot out at me. I ducked away from it but a little too late.”

“Fucking hell, Ron,” Draco murmured, sitting on his other side. “You…” he didn’t even know what to say.

“Are you going to be okay?” Blaise asked, taking one of his hands, then putting it down, and leaning down to kiss him slowly, caressing the side of his face carefully. When he pulled away he left his hand there.

“Yeah,” Ron replied, sitting up onto his elbows. He seemed a bit confused about Blaise’s concern. “I’ll be fine. Hermione had some stuff in her bag that stopped all the bleeding, and they got me to St. Mungo’s. I got blood replenishing potions right away. I’ll be okay.” He smiled softly.

“Good,” Draco said with a breath of relief, “Blaise has been a wreck.”

“I have not!” he argued, but the concern was still in his eyes.

There was a small bout of silence, then Ron reached out and put his hand on the side of Blaise’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He winced as he lowered his arm, then laid back on the pillow, going very pale in the face.

“What’s wrong?” Blaise asked instantly, getting to his feet.

“Just hurts,” Ron muttered, and took a deep, shuddering breath, “This one,” he gestured to his neck, “It was the worst, and they had the hardest time stopping it from bleeding.” He let out a pained groan as he shifted on the bed. "It was so scary. I got really dizzy, and nauseous. I couldn't breathe I just felt like I was choking." He voice trembled now. "I...I knew I was dying. But then...I woke up in the hospital." 

Draco eyed Ron from the top of his head to his waist, where the blanket began to cover his lower body. Ron stared back at him, and seemed to know exactly what Draco was about to say next. His eyes begged him not to ask. 

“Why did you have to open the box?” Draco asked.

“I didn’t have to,” Ron replied, “We…we were all over, you know, where we were looking. I found it. I opened it.” But he was talking quickly and looked nervous.

“Did you just…” Draco said slowly, standing up, “Did you just lie to me?”

Blaise looked between them anxiously. Ron sighed.

“I knew you’d take it the wrong way,” he said, pleading, “I was with Harry…he opened it.” He then turned his head to the side, facing out the window. His hands gripped the blanket tightly.

A hot ball of anger rolled around inside Draco’s chest. “You blocked him, didn’t you?” he asked. Ron did not turn back, which was enough of an answer. “Ron…” Draco felt exasperated now, on top of the anger at Ron’s stupid, stupid, unworthy best friend. How had he let Ron do that? “You could have died!” Draco had a sinking feeling that Ron had been helping Potter on a mission to find horcruxes. Any defense on a horcrux would be deadly.

“Don’t yell at me,” Ron whispered, turning back to face him, and slowly trying to sit up. Blaise moved his pillows, propping them so he could rest against them. “I’m sorry, but…” He looked over at Blaise for a moment, then back to Draco, “Wouldn’t you protect each other? It’s no different just because you don’t like Harry. He’s still my best friend.” His bottom lip quivered.

“Yeah, well, we’re still allowed to be upset,” Blaise said, sitting back down on the bed, facing the injured Gryffindor, “You can’t just sacrifice yourself like that and let us wonder what happened to you.”

Draco still said nothing. He was upset. But he also knew what Ron had said was fair. He exhaled heavily through his nose and took his seat back on the bed as well, scooting as close to Ron as he could. He reached up and stroked Ron’s face with his thumb.

“No more,” he said gruffly, “No more jumping in front of hexes. No more protecting people who don’t protect you. Your life is important, Ron. Okay? I can’t…” he stopped talking when he felt a tightness in his throat, then swallowed and continued, “No more. Understood? You protect yourself.”

“Okay,” Ron whispered, his eyes glistening, magnified as they welled with tears, “I’m sorry.” Draco’s heart ached. “Do you hate me?”

“No,” Draco replied, he tried to smile, but it wasn’t working, “I just wish you understood how much you deserve. How much good you deserve.”

“Like you?” Ron responded quietly.

Draco lowered his hand. “You want me?” he murmured. Ron nodded, a tear escaping his eye. “Then you need to be around to have me.”

“Okay,” Ron said softly. Then he looked over at Blaise. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Blaise replied, “I’m glad you’re okay. Are you okay? Do you need anything? I could get you some better blankets, I mean these are just- oh, or your pillows. Those are awful. I’ll-”

“No,” Ron said quickly, “No. These are all fine.”

“Absolutely not,” Blaise scoffed, and he leaned over and kissed Ron softly, then pull away, and then immediately went back to his lips, kissing him with more force this time. Ron responded with a desperate hopefulness. When Blaise pulled away, he stood from the bed. “I’ll be back.”

“Blaise-” Ron started.

“I’m getting the damn pillows,” Blaise said firmly.

After he left, Draco eyed Ron again, taking in all the injuries. Ron avoided eye contact with him, the wet trail from his earlier tear still shiny on his right cheek. Draco finally sighed.

“Draco,” Ron whimpered, “I’m sorry. I know you’re mad-”

“I’m not mad at you,” Draco said, he smiled sadly at him, “I’m mad at the situation. I’m mad I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m mad that Potter didn’t protect you.” He scooted even closer to Ron and placed a hand on his unbandaged, bare side. “But I am not mad at you, okay?” He leaned forward, but only just slightly, as Ron met him the rest of the way, one of his hands going to the back of Draco’s neck, urgently holding him in place, not letting him back away. They remained locked at the mouth, lips moving frantically and fluidly, happy to be touching again. Draco let out a pleased groan, but refrained from letting his hands grope at Ron’s body, knowing he was in pain.

When they took a chance to part and catch their breath, Ron whispered, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” Draco replied as their foreheads rested together, each of them holding to the back of the others neck, “I don’t like it when you’re gone. When I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I don’t like it either,” Ron answered, “I don’t feel safe when I can’t tell you.” He pushed his mouth heatedly against Draco’s again, breathing heavily, “I’d rather have you know exactly what I’m doing,” he kissed him again, “All the time,” he gently bit Draco’s bottom lip.

Draco groaned in response, his fingers gripping tighter at the back of Ron’s neck. “Yeah?” he responded huskily, “You want more rules?” He was teasing, but felt Ron smile against his mouth, and heat rising in his cheeks, radiating on to Draco’s face. “You’re so precious.”

“Well,” Ron replied, pulling away and blinking his long eyelashes at him, “If I was yours, truly yours…you could give me all the rules you wanted.”

“Tease,” Draco replied. But they both felt the relief of them taunting each other. The tension had passed for now.

Ron smiled at him. “You’re really not mad at me?”

“Yes,” Draco replied, trying to sound soft, “I promise.” He smirked, rubbing Ron’s thigh over the top of the blanket. “I’m just upset that I can’t ravage you the way I’d planned.”

With a blush, Ron shrugged. “I think you can,” he said quietly, “I don’t mind it hurting.”

“Of course you don’t.”

They leaned back into each other, kissing much more passionately now. Draco’s hand could not stop itself from going under the blanket, teasingly rubbing his thigh, his fingers dancing lightly over the front of his pajamas. He felt Ron’s breathing grow ragged. Once it did, Draco pulled away, moving his hand. Ron whined his disapproval.

“Don’t worry, baby,” Draco cooed with a smirk, “You’ll get everything you want soon. Blaise is impatient, too.”

“Yeah?” Ron asked, a twinkle appearing in his eye.

“Mhmm,” Draco replied, “You have him wrapped around your finger already.”

 As if on cue, Blaise entered, holding a silky black pillow, and fluffy black blanket in his arms. He walked over to Ron’s bed. “These are much better,” he commented, replacing one of Ron’s pillows with the new one, and then laying the blanket over him.

Instantly melting into his bed, Ron smiled. “Okay,” he said in a small, amused voice, “You were right. These are good.”

Looking pleased with himself, Blaise leaned over and kissed Ron on the forehead. “I know,” he remarked, “You deserve to be comfortable.” When he pulled back, he smiled sadly. “You look exhausted.”

Draco nodded. “Let’s go,” he said, also leaning down to kiss Ron, “You get your rest. A lot of rest, okay? Did you get anything to help you sleep?”

“I’m tired enough,” Ron murmured, his eyes half closed, but then he winced, and his eyes opened again.

“Nothing for pain?” Blaise asked worriedly. When Ron shook his head, he frowned. “That’s not okay.” He whirled around, facing Madame Pomfrey’s office. Pulling out his wand, he muttered a few spells under his breath as he walked toward her door. The doorknob glowed orange for a few seconds, and when it stopped, Blaise twisted it and walked directly into her office.

“He doesn’t have to,” Ron mumbled from his bed.

“You’re his baby now,” Draco replied with a shrug, “He has mommy issues, let him take care of you.”

Ron smiled bashfully, and Blaise returned from the office, holding five identical vials. He opened one and handed it to Ron, who held his head up just enough to drink it, making a disgusted face afterwards.

“That’s awful,” he spat.

“Well, it will help,” Blaise replied with a chuckle, “Then you can actually sleep.”

Ron dropped his head again. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

After giving him one more kiss each, Draco and Blaise left the hospital wing. Both of them remained silent all the way to the dungeons, then Draco said,

“You like him.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“It’s cute.”