What If

As the blood vanished and the wound on Draco's hand healed into a slight white line, the blond boy came round again.

His head was still pounding, but he definitely felt better. As if the bleeding had stopped-

Wait! He really wasn't bleeding. What had happened?

He tried to open his mouth and say something, but he was still too weak. Only an unintelligible whimper left his dry lips. However suddenly a hand gripped his wrist as an answer.

"Draco? Are you okay?"

Draco sat up and saw a worried Harry Potter intently gazing at him. At first he was confused. He needed a moment to remember.

He was in the Death Eaters' headquarters. He lied to his father in order to save his sworn enemy. The boy to whom he snuck down. Yeah, now he remembered. The only thing he couldn't recall was that how the bleeding had stopped.

"I... What-"

"It's okay. I stopped it. The bleeding, I mean. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I guess. But... You? How did you stop it?"

"With the counter curse. You said it was Sectumsempra."

"But you don't know the counter curse. The last time-"

"The last time was different. I really didn't know the counter curse then. But after I saw what had I done to you, I decided to learn the spell. I didn't want another accident like that. I wouldn't bear it. Well, I hardly bear that, either."

Draco looked down awed at his hand. Where a couple of minutes ago a deep cut in his flesh had been pouring blood on his pale skin, now only a long white scar reminded of the wound.

"Well. Th... thank you, Potter. Harry." he stuttered.

"It was nothing. I wanted to thank you that you brought my wand. I'd never thought... I guess, it's a truce then?"

With that Harry hoisted his arm and reached out for Draco. The blond boy only hesitated for a split second, then grasped Harry's hand and shook it. He felt a strangely gratifing feeling spreading in his body, that made him smile wide.

Opposite him, Harry returned the grin, and felt his cheeks heating up.

"Now tell me who used Sectumsempra on you?" he asked.

"Me."

"What? You didn't want to... did you?"

"Merlin, Harry, no! I didn't want to kill myself! Just my father's drawer in which he locked your wand and Cloak, only opened if you gave it blood."

"But why did you use Sectumsempra? You could just cut yourself with a knife or... anything!"

"Do you think I didn't think about that too? There were no such things! No knife, no dagger, no scissors. And I didn't know any other spell."

"A simple cutting spell?"

Draco gave Harry a disdainful look. "Those spells don't work on human body."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That they won't cut human flesh. They are for chop food and potions ingredients. They were created to be harmless for humans. I know it by experience, so believe me."

Harry looked down sheepishly and fidgeted with the hem of his dirty T-shirt.

"Okay, it's my turn." Draco said abruptly. "What do you know about the potion with which he was revived the last time?"

"Er. I don't know much. It was already made when me and Cedric arrived to the graveyard. Wormtail only needed to put his father's bones, his own hand and my blood in it. Then he dropped his... body... into the cauldron, and then he-" Harry stopped shuddering.

"-he revived."

"Yes."

"I... It can't be true, can it? I killed him! They can't revive him! Please-" Harry started crying so abruptly that Draco was puzzled.

For a second he didn't know what to do. But then his hands moved instinctively on their own, and soon enough he find himself placing a reassurring arm on the shaking boy's shoulders.

"We will get out of here. We don't need to know the answer for all these 'what ifs'. We get out of here and they'll never be able to get your blood."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

***

When Draco stepped out in the corridor and closed the painting behind him, he felt guilty. He knew he must had told Harry about what he'd heard in his father's room. But he was so sad and devastated. He just couldn't bring himself to break the boy even more. He sighed and made his way back to his room under the Invisibility Cloak. It smelled like Harry, and for some unknown reason it made Draco feel warm and safe.

However in the back of his mind he was completely aware that he wasn't safe. And just to make it clear, when he reached his room, he saw the door was slightly opened.

"What the-" he asked dreading the answer.

Slowly he pushed in the heavy wooden door, the Cloak still on him, and saw his father standing in front of the window, gazing out at the dark, ink coloured clearing.

"Draco" the man said barely above a whisper, his voice cold as ice.

Draco didn't know what to do. His father realized that he'd stolen the Cloak. He was in grave danger. He thought about his possibilities, than turned around and slipped out of the room as quietly as possible. When he thought he was out of earshot, he started to run. He ran down all the stairs, down to the dungeons, and pressed his aching forearn to the familiar painting. This time the scratches indeed ripped open, and slowly blood started to leak of them.

But now he couldn't think of it. He fell into the dark room instantly when the burning flames stopped their usual dance around his body.

"Draco! What is it? You just left only a... I don't know. A couple of minutes ago. What happened-"

"Don't talk! Get your wand and get in here, under the Cloak!"

Harry didn't move immediately. He looked questioningly at Draco who was peering out under the Cloak.

"C'mon! I'll explain."

Harry surrendered. Clutched his wand and hid under the Cloak with Draco. The blond boy started to run instantly. Harry had to try hard to catch up with him, and not to let the Cloak fell off him.

"Where are we going? And why are we running? Draco-"

"Shhh! I'll explain."

Soon enough they reached the huge Entrance Hall, and Harry seemed to understand what was happening. All around the Hall Death Eaters were running in every direction.

"Where is he?"

"No idea. He has the Cloak."

"Probably he went down to visit Potter."

"I've been telling that he is a traitor!" they were all shouting.

"How do they know?" Harry asked Draco, who seemed to be frozen at the sight. "Draco?"

"Hmm. What?"

"Nevermind. Just keep moving. We want to get out of here, don't we?" he smiled at Draco's shaking back.

"Yeah, right."

The two boys - forgetting that they were wearing the Invisibility Cloak - hid behind a suit of armour and watched silently as the Death Eaters ran in the direction of the dungeons. Neither of them dared to breathe.

"Now!" Harry commanded. "We don't have much time. Soon they'll find out that you rescued me. We have to get as far as we can."

Draco nodded in agreement, however his legs didn't seem to obey his will. They stucked to the floor and wouldn't move. What if they catch us? What if they kill Harry? Or me? Or both...?

"Come on, Draco. We have to move!"

"I know! I just... I can't. What if they catch us? What if they catch you again, and torture you or kill you. I don't want you to be hurt ever again! I... I recognized that all these years that hatred I thought I was feeling, was... Well, it wasn't hatred at all. I cared for you. Back then, as much as I do now. And I don't want to lose you again. I know, I'm a coward. But... Harry, I'm scared. I'm scared because I will lose you. Either if the Death Eaters drag you away from me, either if I get you out of this place and you go away from me, but I will lose you." Draco said. By the time he finished, his voice was a mere whisper. He was so scared and devastated, he didn't even recognized what he'd just confessed to Harry. "I don't want to lose you. Because I lov-"

Draco could never finish that sentence, because Harry suddenly pressed his lips to his. At first Draco was shocked and immediately tensed up. But as he felt the smooth lips against his mouth, he couldn't help but calm down and melt into Harry's arms that now were wrapped tightly around his waist.

He was about to open his lips to let the boy's tounge in and explore his mouth, when a loud noise caused them to freeze.

"MALFOY! I'LL KILL YOU! BOTH YOU AND POTTER!"

"Where's Lucius?"

"TRAITOR!"

"LOCK THE GATE! NOW!"