sesheta66 | Too Late for Love - Part 4 (H/D, PG-13)

Title: Too Late for Love - Part 4
Author:

sesheta_66
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 1100
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco
Summary: Draco hopes it's not too late.
Challenges: No prompt used this time, but it continues what started with

awdt and

slythindor100's prompts.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

Click here to start at the beginning.

Too Late For Love - Part 4

Draco arrived in the main reception area at St Mungo's to find a swarm of media. He pushed his way through and asked where Harry's room was. The receptionist laughed.

"Yeah right. Wait with the rest of the vultures," she said and turned away.

"Perhaps you don't realise who I am," Draco said with all the patience he could muster. "Let's try again. I'm Draco Malfoy, and I would appreciate if you would direct me to the room in which my long-term boyfriend, Harry Potter, is currently being cared for."

She looked up, her face conveying recognition, then sneered. "I heard you two broke up. It was in all the papers." She stood up and leaned over the counter, invading Draco's personal space. "No way in Hades am I letting you or anyone else near Auror Potter." Then she sat down, turned her chair away and pointedly ignored him.

Draco was impressed, despite himself. Rarely did Mungo's take security seriously. Which made what he had to do ever-so-slightly distasteful. But, needs must. He pulled out his wand, but before he had a chance to cast an Imperius, he heard his name.

"Draco!" He wheeled round to see Granger of all people. Great. Not the person he wanted to have catch him throwing an Unforgivable. Not to mention, she probably knew Harry didn't want to have anything to do with him any more. "Where have you been? I would have thought -- despite recent events -- that you'd have been here as soon as you heard."

Draco looked at the guard witch who had turned back to face him. He lifted his brows and gave her a sneer to match her earlier one. She merely shrugged. Oh, she was good.

"Actually, Granger, I did come as soon as I heard. Pansy only just told me, and I Apparated right over." Draco motioned to the witch at the counter. "This lovely lady was showing me how much security has improved since last Harry stayed here." Then he winked at the witch. He was about to see Harry, and truth be told, he was pleased that this woman was on the case.

"I'll take you to him," Granger said, forgetting all about whatever she had been doing. Draco was grateful it was she, with the cooler head of the two, that found him, and not the weasel. He'd been only too pleased when Harry had left Draco.

"Thank you." He followed her to Harry's room, where said weasel was keeping vigil.

"About bloody time!" he said by way of greeting to Draco. "I thought you were proving me right after all these years."

"He only just found out, Ronald."

"Really?" the weasel asked, sounding suspicious. "I know Harry never changed his emergency contact, so I thought the Ministry would have got through to you, even if you turned away my owl."

"You sent me an owl?"

"Of course we did," Granger said, patting Draco on the arm. "Harry would have wanted us to."

"Not likely," Draco said, giving her a sceptical look. The three of them laughed softly.

"Well, he wouldn't want anyone fussing," she said, "but he'd want you here when he woke up."

Draco wasn't so sure. "I didn't receive any owls." He decided not to bother telling them that he'd prevented them from delivering to his place after Harry stood him up. He looked at Harry lying quietly in the bed. "Pansy just told me now."

"Oh." The weasel seemed mollified. "Well, you're here now; that's all that matters."

Draco, too shocked for words, made his way to Harry's side and held his hand. As non-responsive as Harry was, it was wonderful to touch him again. It had been so long, and Draco missed that, probably the most.

"Don't tell me, Potter. You ran in to save the world again, your own safety be damned." He gave Harry's hand a squeeze. "As usual."

Weasley snorted. "He does that a lot. Fortunately, I was close behind him, so I was able to take out the bloke and bring Harry here."

"The Healers say he'll be fine," Granger interjected. "But it may be another day before he comes round. He was hit hard, and they've given him some pretty strong potions to speed up the healing."

"Thanks for being there," Draco's shaky voice addressed Harry's best friend and partner. "And for bringing him back safely."

The weasel looked amost as shocked at Draco's words as Draco felt saying them.

"Where else would I be?" he said with a lift of his shoulders and a smile.

Granger touched Weasley's arm, and to Draco's amazement, he allowed himself to be led towards the door. "We'll leave you two alone then, yeah?"

Draco frowned and gave Weasley a questioning look. Weasley looked down at Harry, then back at Draco. "He had been looking forward to dinner all day," he told Draco. "He didn't tell me what you'd said in your note. All I know is that he was happier than I'd seen him in a long time."

Granger squeezed Weasley's hand. "I reckon I was wrong about you," he said to Draco. Then the two of them left Draco alone with Harry.

Draco decided to process later the fact that Weasley wanted him there, and had come as close to an apology as Draco would ever have expected. Perhaps with a bottle of Ogden's to keep him company. Recalling how he'd felt a mere hour ago, Draco revised his plan, deciding that a bottle of wine might be preferable.

Draco looked down at Harry's sleeping form. He watched Harry's heartbeat beneath the skin on his neck, and let Weasley's and Granger's words wash over him. Harry was going to be fine; he just had to sleep. And he had been looking forward to dinner with Draco.

Blinking back the burning in his eyes, Draco got up from his seat, pulled back the covers, toed off his shoes, and climbed into the bed. He curled up behind Harry, pulling him close, and basking in the warmth of the body he'd missed so much for so very long.

He nuzzled up to Harry's neck, breathing in his scent. Merlin, how Draco had longed to do this again. He'd been so stupid for so long. But not any more. Never again.

He pressed a soft kiss behind Harry's ear, a spot that never failed to turn Harry to mush. "I love you, Harry."

Part 5

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Too Late for Love - Part 4 (H/D, PG-13)

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