I floated in and out of consciousness forever, drifting in my own muffled little galaxy. I felt like someone had draped a warm, damp towel over my face, and a scalding hot iron on my back. It left me groaning, and when I couldn't find the strength to groan, I mumbled incoherently.

I don't know how much time passed in my little plague of misery, but it wasn't short enough. Slowly, second by second, I started becoming aware, sounds becoming clearer. I could feel cottony-soft fabric under my hands, nails digging into the sheets. Sheets. I was in a bed. I groaned loudly, attempting to roll over onto my back- I could feel my arm enough now to know I was lying on my side. But as I tried to move, the burning sensation came back, and I couldn't flip onto my side again quick enough. The groan I let out was loud.

"Oh," A voice made its way into my mind, quiet and vaguely annoyed. "Come on, Brownie. Wakey, wakey."

"Be nice- She's had one hell of a night."

"I've had one hell of a night helping keep her from bleeding out. Where'd Malfoy run off to anyway? She's his girlfriend. Or whatever. Are they even an actual thing?"

"You know very bloody well where he is- Oh, watch out, her back is bleeding again." There was a sigh- And then I could feel something damp pressing into the space between my shoulders, both pleasant and painful at the same time. It took effort to pry my eyelids open, but thankfully the light was dim enough that it didn't cause me pain to look around.

"Oh, lookie. She's awake." My eyes followed the voice to the boy who sat by the bed I was in, arms crossed over his chest as he leant back in his chair. Brown eyes were narrowed, dark hair nearly falling into his eyes.

"Why are you here." I grumbled, burying my face into the pillow. It smelt good, and sent an ease through my shoulders. Theodore Nott rolled his eyes, letting the two front legs of his chair come to rest on the ground.

"Well, this is my dorm." He said, eyebrows raised. "Smarten up, Brownie. Idiocy isn't attractive on you."

"Your face isn't attractive on you." I snipped back, voice muffled by the fabric of the pillow. Theo let out a small snort, while the damp towel on my back was removed, sending my skin back into the burning heat I had been feeling. Bearable, I decided with a slow move of my shoulders, but definitely uncomfortable.

"This is why I don't touch Gryffindor girls. Too much bite, and not the fun kind. You sure we can't leave her be, Blaise? My ass is cramping from sitting for so long." Theo sighed, looking over to his friend as the dark skinned wizard crossed the room, setting the blood-stained towel by a bowl. Wait- Had he been pressing it on my back? Had he been touching my back?

My movements would have been quicker had I not been deterred by the sheets and pain in my back. I sat up quickly, gathering the sheets around myself in the meanwhile. At some point my shirt had been shed and I was left in the white bra I had put on the day- Two days?- before. I scowled as I stared at the two boys, not sure whether I was more angry or uncomfortable. Blaise's lips were pulled into a grimace, while Theo made a sound of annoyance.

"If you could please move in panic slower, as it took us forever to mend those nasty cat scratches you've gotten. You really don't need to reopen all of them."

"Where's Draco?" I said, my chest tight. He had found me the other night, gotten me away from the Carrows. I craved his presence sorely, and the fact that he wasn't hear upset me more than I would like to acknowledge. Thankfully Blaise was the one who answered, sparing me from Theo's snippy sentences.

"He had a meeting. He'll be back soon- If you could lie still though. The tissue around your back is still delicate, and I don't believe I'm capable enough to fix it if it splits." He said, before nodding quickly to Theo. "And neither is he, despite his claims."

"I would make a wonderful healer-"

"Piss off, Theo, you know you'd kill someone." Blaise snapped back, ignoring his friend when he made a very unkind hand gesture. I muffled my quick snort of laughter by holding the sheet up to my face. Blaise looked back to me, dark eyes unreadable. "Draco'll be back soon. In the mean time, is there anything I can get you? Water?"

"We promise it won't be poisoned." Theo added snakily. I stared at him mistrustfully before sighing, my dry throat getting the best of me.

"Water would be great." I said quietly, picking at the fabric of the sheets. While the under sheets were white, the coverlet was a rich dark green that told me Theo had been telling the truth- I was in the Slytherin boys' dorm. Which means I was probably in one of their bed's. Most likely Draco's. My cheeks flushed at the thought.

"Thanks." I murmured, the water glass cool against my fingertips as Blaise passed it off to me. It felt heavy in my hands, and I wondered if I was just drained from the previous hours or if it was really just a heavy mug.

"You're welcome." Blaise said with a small nod. I sipped from it quietly, trying to ignore the awkward tension as Theo kicked his legs up on the end of the bed, arms laced behind his head. He watched me with a faint smirk, obviously amused about something. After a minute or two of this I set my water down, staring at him through narrowed eyes.

"What is it?" I snapped. He laughed, a harsh sounding one that nearly made me flinch at it's volume.

"You're just so obvious in your discomfort. Please. We don't bite," He said, smirking lazily. "Unless you ask, of course."

"Shut up." I said lowly, gripping my glass tighter to keep myself from throwing it at him. He shrugged innocently, swearing when Blaise slapped him over the back of the head- "What did I tell you about being polite-" when the door swung open a rather anxious figure walking through. He stopped though when he saw the three of us, looking equal amounts of relieved, annoyed and amused.

"Potter. You're awake." Draco sighed in relief, moving quickly to my side. His fingers laced with mine, squeezing gently as pressed a kiss to my temple.

"Awake and talking. I told you not to doubt our abilities." Theo chimed, pulling his legs off the bed. Blaise crossed his arms, staring at his friend with annoyance.

"All you did was sit and watch."

"But I sat and watched with passion."

"Get out, both of you." Draco's said, not looking away from me as he spoke. A small smile quirked at my lips. I heard Theo make to protest, but then Blaise's hand was on his arm and was pulling him away, the door shutting behind them with a loud slam and Theo's shout of "BUT MY WAND IS IN THERE."

"You have very questionable choices in friends." I said with an amused smile, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His lips twitched for a moment in amusement before his whole expression fell, changing into something serious.

"And you have questionable choices in life decisions- What did you think you were doing, getting caught like that? That was foolish- You could've been dead had we not broken in sooner."

"I just wanted a book, I would've gotten away had one of the Carrows not been hiding in the shadows-"

"You ended up chained to a wall and bleeding! Again, might I add." Draco sighed, his hand gently cupping the side of my face, thumb stroking my cheek. I closed my eyes at the contact, sighing peacefully. I could feel Draco's lips press to my forehead before he pulled away completely, weight disappearing from the bed.

"Turn around, if you please- Lie on your stomach. I want to see how the marks are coming along." He said quietly. With a soft groan I did as he requested, letting my head rest against the pillow. His hands were cold against my skin, and I tensed up as they came to rest on my sides, only to pull off the bandages that had been placed along the length of my back.

"How many are there?" I asked quietly, wincing as one bandage pulled at the skin.

"I'm not sure. Some are deeper than others, so as for how many times they hit you, I don't know." His voice was quiet as he worked, using the same concentration I was familiar with when it came to healing others. I buried my head in the pillow when I felt one pull especially hard, blood leaking down my back. Draco swore quietly, accio-ing a clean towel from one of the drawers, dipping it in water before pressing it onto my back.

"Easy, Potter- Try not to move your shoulders so much."

"Piss off." I mumbled sourly, clenching my eyes shut. Why did whip marks burn so much?

"You know you adore me." Draco quipped, and sneaking a peek out of the corner of my eye I could see him smirking even as he worked, lying out the new bandages neatly across my back. I sighed softly as he did so, fingers clenching into the sheets every now and then as he pressed them down onto my torn skin.

"Why can't you just use healing spells again?" I asked tiredly. I could feel Draco shrug from where he sat on the bed.

"They've got some kind of spell on the whips. They always want to have their punishments have a lasting effect, as I'm sure you know. I just wish I had been able to find you sooner. " He said quietly before we both fell silent. I could feel his hands working quietly on my back, gentle and cool. Every now and then his fingers would brush my shoulders, sending shivers down my spine. My eyes flew open when I felt his lips press gently to my left shoulder, barely brushing the skin before moving to the other one.

"Draco?" I asked, brows furrowed as I moved to look up- But then his lips were on mine, fingers gently cradling my face. His lips were gentle and very persuasive. It was with a faint smile that I gently turned my body around, fingers moving to fall behind his shoulders, pulling him down to me. His hands were gentle on me, firm but not hurtful, as he pulled me closer. They shook lightly, and it was with a faint frown that I pulled away, smoothing his hands out in mine.

"I'm okay. Just a little shaken. When we broke in- You looked dead. Pale as a corpse, blood everywhere." His lips twitched up into a half-hearted smile, one of the bitterly amused. "I suppose I know what you felt like, now. At the Tonks's. It's not fun."

"You're not wrong." I said with a weak shrug, wincing as the bandages tightened over my back. Sigh. I looked over my shoulder glumly, trying to catch a glimpse. "I just got out of my last bandages too. Damnit."

Draco laughed lightly, leaning down and pressing his lips lightly to mine. "If it's any help, I think you look very sexy in bandages."

I rolled my eyes at that, muffling an amused snort by hiding my head in the pillow. "You're only saying that to be nice."

"I never say things to be nice." Draco said honestly, and I could feel his breath fan the skin of my cheek. I smiled slightly, looking up at him with blatant amusement. His gray eyes watched me with a deep fondness, and something else, something that made my insides tighten, and not in an unpleasant way.

"I suppose that's true." I granted, letting him brush away the hair that had fallen into my eyes. I hadn't been able to cut my own hair in months, which is why it fell much longer than I preferred to keep it. But his was longer as well, and it made me smile. The two of us, the unkempt protégés of the Order. What would Molly Weasley say?

"So since I'm seeing you now, does that mean I can't on Christmas? You did say only once a month, but I was so hoping to spend the holiday with you." I hummed idly, letting my fingers trace lightly along his jaw. His smirk was small, eyes rolling as he came to lie down fully beside me, head propped up on his hand.

"I don't know." He murmured, breath brushing the back of my hand. "I suppose we could bend the rules. Just this once."

"Just once?" I asked teasingly, managing only a small smile before he was kissing me again and I felt like life itself was pumping through my veins, warm and making my nerves spark. His hand was gentle as it came to rest on my side, skin soft on skin as his thumb gently brushed over my ribcage. Lips were a soft pull on mine as my fingers found their way into his hair, pulling him closer. 

Some people described love like a drug, one that blotted out everything. I found that to be false.

Everything seemed so much clearer when he held me close like this, every movement felt and every sigh replied to, my heart beating so quickly in my chest I thought it might remove itself. I was very aware of the fact that I didn't have a shirt on, and by way of traveling hands I was sure Draco was too, fingers gentle even when they weren't near the bandages that crossed my back.

A gentle sigh escaped my mouth as his lips trailed lightly down my neck, teasing and nipping at the skin just under my ear. A small smile pulled at my lips, fingers running lightly down the fabric of his t-shirt. I surprised myself a little when I realized how okay I was with this, how much I enjoyed being loved, and loving in return. With gentle hands I pulled his head back up to me, pressing our lips together again

"Potter," Draco's murmured was soft, barely fit in between moving lips. I smiled, humming a soft reply.   Draco pulled away from me, blonde hair falling into dark eyes. "We should stop."

I pulled back at that, brows furrowed. Ego bruise. I watched him carefully as I retracted my hands, searching for any hesitation or worry in the gray eyes I had come to love. I saw neither. "Why? I mean, if you're not comfortable or something, that's totally cool-"

"No- No, wait," Draco said quickly, catching my wrists before I could full pull them away from him, and looping them back around his neck, keeping me close. "It's not that- I am very comfortable, I assure you- But with your back, and the fact that my.. friends, could walk in at any movement, leaves me a little wary."

"Your points are annoyingly logical." I muttered, hiding my face in his shirt. His lips lightly brushed my forehead, his hands lightly coming to rest over my back. The pressure was mildly uncomfortable, but it was him and I wanted his arms around me, so I dealt with it. I thought about moving closer, but then maybe I would be pushing my luck.

"I apologize." He murmured with light amusement, his voice soft as he closed his eyes, and for the rest of the morning we simply rested.

_

"Your bed is so much more comfortable than mine." I said, staring up at the drapes with a quiet sigh. Draco rolled over, moving from lying on his back to his side so he could face me better, fingers intertwined with mine. He smirked lightly, toying with the silver ring on my finger.

"Perks of being a Slytherin."

"Oh, hush. I have a better common room though." I said with a sly grin, enjoying the way his eyes lit up slightly at the teasing remark.

"I doubt that."

"It's wonderful. There's these amazingly comfy couches, and a fireplace-"

"We have a fireplace."

"Yes, but it's not as good. Ours is warm and homey. And it's relaxed, and nice-"

"It sounds suffocating." Draco hummed, draping an arm over his face to block me out. I rolled my eyes at the dramatics, carefully sitting up. My back was stiff, and it look a little more effort than usual to rise, turning my head to look over at him with amusement.

"Oh ha. You're just jealous."

"Jealous of what? The only thing that could possibly lure me to the lion's den is you, and you're currently here in my bed. And topless, at that." He said, sly smirk just visible under his arm. He ignored my soft scoff of protest, laughing when I smacked his side.

"You ass!"

"You can't deny it."

"I'm in bandages! I was injured!"

"Still topless."

"So I may be, but if you don't curb that tongue of yours I'm gonna be out of your bed and down the hall."

"Still topless?"

"I'll steal one of your shirts."

"But you already did." He said, peeking at me from under his arm, smirk softening into an almost-smile. "That black one. With the rip. Don't think I didn't notice."

The pink was back in my cheeks as I pursed my lips. Damnit. "I'll steal another one."

"But you look much better in the black. I like you in it, much more than I like myself. And that," He hummed lightly, moving his arm to reach up, gently taking my wrist and pulling me down on top of him, "Is a very big compliment."

"You're so gracious." I said with a soft laugh, grinning when he did.

"It's one of my lesser-known qualities."

"Right, just like-" I began, interrupted when the door flew open, Theodore Nott barging in with a very large proclaimed, "I have come to retrieve my- Shit. Blaize! Blaize, they're being touchy-feely. I feel nauseous."

From below in the common room there was a laugh, then- "I told you not to go up there."

"Can we help you?" Draco asked, arching an eyebrow as he stared over at his friend with plain irritation. Theo scowled, not breaking eye contact with the paler Slytherin as he marched over, plucked his wand up from his own bed and then left the room, slamming it shut behind him. I hid my laugh in Draco's shoulder, enjoying the way he rolled his eyes and the way his chest moved with his own laughter.

"Bloody prat. As if he has any room to judge." He scoffed, rising carefully as to not jostle me. I gingerly moved my legs off of the bed, rising up to my feet with all the grace of a one-legged giraffe. I turned to see Draco watching me, gray eyes lit up with an interest that made my cheeks flush.

"Can you give me a shirt?" I hissed, rolling my eyes and chucking a pillow at him one when he only laughed. Rising from his bed he moved, pulling something out of the trunk- Then a soft dark fabric was in my arms, and I didn't hesitate to pull it over my head.

"Are all your clothes black?" I asked curiously, staring down at the shirt. Plain black. Of course. Draco came up behind me, carefully pulling the hair from under the collar of my shirt.

"Well, some are very very dark gray. You just have to squint a little."

 "I'm squinting and I'm not seeing it." I said, glancing down at the shirt with mock concentration. When  I felt Draco's finger tuck under my chin it was difficult to not smile, keeping my eyes wide and expression blank as he tilted my head up, making me look him in the eyes.

"I don't think you're looking hard enough." He hummed, gray eyes searching mine. My lips twitched, and I fought back the urge to smile.

"I think I'm seeing it now." I hummed lightly, leaning up and pressing my lips to his lightly. Soft and gentle against mine. Unyielding but not overpowering. Simply perfect. Pulling away Draco smiled at me gently.

"I thought you would."

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Sorry if that was a bit overload on the fluff. I just haven't gotten to write a lot of these two in the past while(Spare the reuinion chapter) and I really needed some good old fashioned happiness for the lovebirds(Accompanied by Theo and Blaise, naturally. I adore those two).

Also, you may have noticed this chapter is shorter than usual! That is because I wrote this in two days(Two!), and I'm leaving tomorrow for a camp and won't be back for a week and I really really wanted to give you guys something to read while I was away!

I truly hope you enjoyed the chapter!

It was only briefly editied, so if there are mistakes you have my apologies, I'll try and go over them when I get home.

Please fan, vote, comment, and/or send me a message to let me know what you think! I always love to hear.

(If the Draco/Lily ship is not your thing, I apologize, but they are so mine. Gah. Cuties.)

Luv ya,

-Lily