FIC: A Christmas in St Mungo’s [Harry/Draco - R]
Title: A Christmas in St Mungo’s
Author/Artist: indyonblue
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Prompt: How can the holidays be happy when the man you love is in a bed at St Mungo's? Let's find out. By fantasyfiend09
Word Count/Art Medium: ~3,960
Rating: R
Contains: None
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Many thanks to E for pre-reading and encouragement, also to O for beta duties. To the prompter: I hope you enjoy this - I certainly enjoyed writing it! Thanks to the mods for running the fest once again and for their patience!
Summary: With Draco in St Mungo’s, Harry decides to bring Christmas to him.
Harry made his way through the crowded Leaky Cauldron, drink held high above his head. Some of his friends were dancing, despite the lack of a dance floor, and George and Angelina’s dancing was as energetic as ever. It was Christmas Eve and there was a new tradition that everyone who had one, wore a Molly Christmas jumper. The heavy wool combined with alcohol and the heat of the pub left a lot of flushed faces. George tried a particularly difficult move and succeeded in bringing down the holly garlands Tom had strung up across the ceiling. Harry eventually found a corner to sit in and watched everyone else celebrate Christmas Eve, sipping on his Firewhisky.
Hermione, flushed and heavily pregnant, came over and sat down next to him. “Oh Merlin, it’s still only 9pm.”
“I guess it’s hard to enjoy yourself when you’re pregnant and not drinking?”
She smiled at Harry. “It’s ok. I just get really tired in the evenings. I may have to go home and leave Ron to it.”
“Do you think that’s wise? He may not make it home.”
They both watched as Ron, talking Quidditch with Charlie and Oliver, finished his pint and immediately called Tom for another one.
Hermione shrugged. “I don’t mind. His brothers will look after him. Plus, it’s one of the last times he’ll be able to do this for a while anyway.”
“True.” Harry fell silent and went back to watching the crowd. Hermione reached out her hand and touched his arm.
“Draco’s going to be ok, Harry.”
“I know he is. He was fine when I left this afternoon. Just grumpy about missing out on tonight. But…oh never mind.”
“No, come on, tell me.”
Harry took a sip of his drink. “Well, it’s just that this was our first Christmas together. We’d planned it all out. Christmas was quiet and serious when he was growing up, so he wanted everything to be fun and a bit over the top. He was like a child about it. But now he has to spend it in hospital.”
“Harry, you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself here. Why not go back and sit with Draco for a bit longer?”
“Visiting hours are over, otherwise I do.”
Hermione smiled. “You know, Harry, I thought you of all people would realise there’s a way around everything.”
They sat in silence, Hermione rubbing slow circles over her stomach. Harry watched his friends, their partners here with them, and could not stop thinking of Draco alone in the hospital. He knocked back the rest of his drink and stood up, grabbing his coat and scarf. “You know, you’re right, Hermione, as usual. See you tomorrow at the Burrow?”
“Definitely.” She stood up and kissed his cheek. “If he’s awake, say hi to Draco for me.”
Harry grinned and skirted around the edges of the pub to the door, trying to leave before anyone spotted him.
The cold, fresh air was pleasant after the stuffiness of the pub and Harry decided to walk to St Mungo’s. He buttoned up his coat, wrapped his scarf around his neck and set off. The streets were busy with people making their way between pubs, many of them singing and wearing fluffy reindeer antlers or large, sparkly earrings.
He chose the quieter roads, making his way past locked shops and hidden squares. He paused outside a plain, red-brick building. It was a church, though you’d only know it from the sign outside. It looked more like an old warehouse than a church, and it didn’t match the buildings surrounding it, yet it fitted in somehow. The church was quiet, dimly lit inside and Harry knew it would be peaceful to sit there. In a few hours, it would be echoing with the sounds of the midnight carol service he and Draco had planned to go to.
A group of revellers turned into the road where Harry was stood, and he set off for the hospital again, not wanting to get caught up in any drunken conversations.
Harry arrived at the dilapidated department store and faced the dummies that were the entrance to St Mungo’s. “I’m here to see Draco Malfoy.” He always felt vaguely stupid talking to a dummy and wondered that the staff hadn’t come up with a better solution yet.
The dummy slowly shook its head and Harry realised it wasn’t going to let him in after visiting hours. He swore and stood in the street, stamping his feet a little to try and warm up, trying to think of a way to get past the dummy. He wished he’d brought his Invisibility Cloak but the days when he felt like he had to carry it everywhere with him were long gone. It was now folded up neatly at the bottom of a drawer and he wasn’t going to go back for it. Besides, he didn’t know if the Cloak would work here. He stopped and took out his wand.
“The things I do for you, Draco,” he said, before pointing his wand at his hand. “Furnunculus!”
Boils started to appear rapidly on his hand and Harry winced as he felt them starting to grow on his arm too. If he’d realised how painful they’d be, he may have stuck with something milder - like a full body bind. Harry lifted his arm to show the dummy. “Look, I need medical attention.”
The dummy nodded and beckoned Harry in. He walked into the reception and quickly made his way to the toilet to get rid of the boils. In the ten minutes it had taken him to get into a cubicle, they had grown to the size of golf balls and were spreading a deep, painful ache through his hand and arm. Harry hoped that after this, he’d manage somehow to get to see Draco.
He made his way unseen to the third floor, had just reached Draco’s room and was stopped by Hazel, Draco’s grey-haired nurse, as he was about to enter.
“Mr Potter, what are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to check on Draco before going home.”
“Visiting hours are over as you well know considering I had to chase you out earlier.” She looked at him with some sympathy. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come back tomorrow. Draco will be asleep now anyway.”
“Please,” Harry gave her his best big-eyed look. “Please, Hazel. I won’t wake him. I just want to sit with him for a while.”
Hazel glanced around - the corridor was empty apart from the two of them. “Okay, but just for a little while. And if anyone catches you, I knew nothing about it.”
Harry impulsively kissed her cheek. “Thank you. I won’t be a bother, I swear.”
She smiled and carried on down the corridor. Harry opened the door and quietly slipped into the darkened room. Draco lay in the narrow bed, his hair silvery in the moonlight. Harry approached the bed and looked down. Healer Curran had explained that there wasn’t any lasting damage, Draco had to stay in for observation, just to make sure there wouldn’t be any further side effects. Draco had been horrified at the thought of Christmas in hospital, and both he and Harry had tried to persuade the Healer that Draco would be fine at home. But the Healer was adamant - it was an unknown, volatile mix of liquids and potions, there was no way Draco was leaving the hospital without his say-so. Draco had spent his time thinking of creative ways to get revenge on George for coming up with the recipe that had landed him in hospital.
Draco’s eyes were closed, his forehead faintly creased. Harry reached out and smoothed his hand over Draco’s forehead. The crease faded, as though Harry had erased it away.
Looking around, Harry spotted the chair, back in its place in the corner. He lifted it and carried it over to where he liked to sit, between Draco and the window. He took off his coat and scarf and sat down in the chair with a sigh. Harry closed his eyes, comforted by the familiar sound of Draco’s breathing.
A cough from Draco woke Harry with a start. Yawning, he looked out of the window. It was black outside, but beyond that, Harry had no idea what time it was. He stood up to stretch out his back and paced around the small room.
Harry pulled open a drawer and picked through Draco’s things stored there. He lifted out a heavy pocket watch, a large M intricately engraved on the front. The silver timepiece had been in the Malfoy family for generations, handed down from father to son. Flipping up the lid, Harry glanced at the time and realised it was Christmas Day.
He took in the plain walls and the medicinal smell and was saddened by the fact that this was where Draco would spend Christmas. Harry thought for a few minutes and smiled - if Hazel would help him, Draco could still get the Christmas he wanted, just on a smaller scale.
He left the room, pausing to make sure the door closed silently behind him, and went to find Hazel. She was sat at her desk at the entrance to the ward, holding a cup of tea in both hands.
“What are you still doing here? I thought you’d left hours ago.”
“Sorry, I dozed off.”
“Well, at least nobody caught you. You’re going home now, yes?”
“Not yet.” Harry smiled at her eye roll. “The thing is, we’d planned this huge Christmas and now it’s not going to happen. But I really want to do something for Draco and, well, I need some help.”
Hazel sighed. “Harry, I’m sorry but...”
“Please?”
She looked at his earnest face and shook her head. “You are going to get me sacked, you know? What do you need?”
“I won’t let you be fired. All I need are a few decorations. Tinsel, fairy lights, mistletoe, stuff like that. I just want to brighten up his room a little. Oh, and I need to send an owl. The hospital has some doesn’t it?”
“Is that all? The decorations I can do, I’ll get on to Mr Kennelly about that, though we may have to steal some from the other wards. I don’t know about the owl though, Harry. They are meant to be for emergencies only. I could sneak you into the staff lounge and you could do a firecall though. Or use the Floo.”
“Brilliant. Thanks, Hazel. I owe you one.”
“You owe me more than one.” She quickly scribbled something down onto a piece of parchment and sent it flying off to the caretaker on duty. “Mr Kennelly should be here soon. Do you want to use the fire now?”
“Yes, please. And I promise you the best chocolates Honeydukes has to offer.”
“You definitely know the way to a woman’s heart, Harry.”
The dawn came slowly. Harry watched the sun rise, bathing the few clouds that were there in oranges, reds and pinks. It seemed to hang in the horizon before moving higher, turning the sky into a blue that promised a bright but cold day. The frost was thick on the roofs, looking almost like a light dusting of snow. Everything in the room was ready and Harry sat in his chair by Draco’s bed, waiting impatiently for him to wake up. Draco was usually a light sleeper but his Healer had given him a sleeping potion.
Finally, Draco started to stir. He opened his eyes and rolled his head towards the window. It seemed to take a while but he finally registered Harry sitting next to his bed.
“Harry? What are you doing here?” Draco’s voice was roughened with sleep.
Harry moved to sit on the edge of Draco’s bed and held the mistletoe Mr Kennelly had managed to find over Draco’s head.
“Merry Christmas, Draco. I thought I’d bring it to you.” Harry leaned down and kissed Draco gently. He sat upright and helped Draco adjust his pillows so he could sit up too. Once he was comfortable, Draco looked at the room Harry had decorated.
The miniature Christmas tree adorned the bedside cabinet, with red tinsel wrapped around it. The metal bedstead had green tinsel entwined through the bars and the window was decorated with fake snow pictures. Above Draco’s head, pinned to the wall were the singing and dancing fairy lights that Mr Kennelly had found in the back of a cupboard. Apparently, everyone had found them too annoying so they’d been put away and forgotten. A quick revitalisation charm had brought them back to their sparkling selves.
“What do you think?”
“Well, they’re not as tasteful as mine would have been. But I suppose they will do.”
“Listen, I didn’t have a whole lot of choice at 3am on Christmas Day. Be grateful you got this much.”
Draco twisted and looked at the dancing fairies that lit up the room. “I do like the lights though.” He turned back to Harry and smiled. “Thank you, Harry. This is amazing, really.”
Harry laughed and leaned forward for another kiss, stopping when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Healer Curran came in, carrying a jar of ointment and Draco’s medical notes. “Ah, Mr Malfoy, how are we feeling today?”
“Better. At least the burns seem to have healed nicely.” He scratched his chest. “But I’m still itchy.”
“That does seem to be one of the side effects, unfortunately.” The Healer made his own examination. “Mr Potter, I trust you slept well last night?”
“Er, yes, very well thank you.”
Healer Curran looked up and smiled at Harry. “I find I’m much more comfortable if I transfigure the chair. Just for future reference.”
“Oh, I didn’t… I mean…”
The Healer put up his hand to silence Harry. “It’s okay, Mr Potter, I understand. You and Miss Griffin were not to know I was sleeping in the staff lounge early this morning.” He finished his examination and made a few notes on the chart. “You are recovering nicely. I should think you will be able to go home tomorrow. This ointment is to help relieve your itchiness. And maybe in future, stay away from any unknown recipes, hmm?”
“Definitely.”
“Well, we’re done. I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you are. Merry Christmas, gentlemen.”
He left the room and Harry swung his legs up onto the bed and wriggled himself closer to Draco. Draco sighed, shifting himself down the bed a little so he could rest his head on Harry’s shoulder.
“I ruined Christmas, didn’t I?”
“No, absolutely not. I’ve asked Molly to send some food over, which she was more than happy to do. Your mother’s going to stop by later as well. I’m going to spend the day with you here, we can do our presents and see everyone properly when you get home.”
“You spoke to Molly at three in the morning?”
“Well, no. I Flooed there and left a note. She sent a note back with Pig saying that was fine.”
“Oh, okay, then.”
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the fairy lights sing Christmas songs and watching the day slowly brighten up. Harry was running his thumb backwards and forwards across Draco’s hand and Harry felt Draco kiss his neck softly. Draco pulled Harry’s face to his and kissed him, slowly and deliberately. Harry let himself sink into the kiss, feeling Draco’s soft lips against his, tasting the coffee Hazel had brought them both earlier.
Draco groaned and lay back on the bed, rubbing his shoulders around in an effort to relieve the itching.
“Let me,” Harry said, putting a hand on Draco to still him. Draco sat up again and Harry knelt behind him. He undid the ties on Draco’s gown, planting a kiss on his neck, before picking up the jar. He smoothed the thick, cool ointment onto Draco’s back and Draco moaned in relief.
“That feels so much better already. I wonder what’s in it?”
Harry looked at the jar and read off the list of ingredients. “Mainly juniper, cloves and essence of dittany. A few other bits too.” He took a sniff of the contents. “It smells quite nice.”
He spread more onto the itchy spots, using both hands to make sure every one of them was covered. “Lie down, Draco, and I can do your front.”
He took particular care on Draco’s chest, slowly moving his hand lower. Harry moved further down Draco’s body, sliding his thumbs along the join of Draco’s thighs. In the flimsy hospital gown, it was easy to see the reaction Draco was having to Harry’s care. He made his way down Draco’s legs, stroking and caressing. He ran his hand up the bottom of Draco’s feet, laughing when Draco glared at him, raising his eyebrow.
“Not the feet!”
“Sorry, forgot there for a moment.”
Harry worked his way back up Draco’s body, this time using his hands and mouth. When he was back where he started, Draco tried to flip Harry over onto his back, stopping when Harry made a funny, high-pitched sound.
“Did you just squeak?”
“No! Saviours of the wizarding world do not squeak.”
“I’m sure you did. There was a definite squeak-like noise.”
Harry shook his head. “You were imagining it. Anyway, you forgot we were in a single bed, didn’t you?”
Draco raised his head and looked over. Harry had one foot on the floor. “Oh, sorry. Well, as you’re up, you might as well get naked and we can do this properly.
Harry grinned and kicked his trainers off. He’d just started to lift the hem of his jumper when they heard voices outside the door. They waited, hardly daring to breathe. They could hear the conversation and then the sound of footsteps moving away.
“I think we may have to do this quietly.” Harry said, his voice muffled as he took off his jumper. Draco agreed as he hooked a finger into Harry’s belt loop and pulled him forward.
“What would Hazel think of us if she heard?” he asked, his hands unbuttoning Harry’s jeans.
Harry pulled off his trousers and underwear together and got back onto the bed. He slid his hands under Draco’s gown, feeling the slippery-smooth skin and Harry took off the hospital gown that was now getting in the way, adding it to the pile of clothes on the floor.
They lay on their sides, face to face, Harry thinking that maybe they should lock the door. He thought about getting his wand, but then Draco reached down and gripped him firmly before starting long, slow strokes. Harry forgot all about the unlocked door. Nobody could make him throb like Draco. Ginny couldn’t, nor Charlie, nor any of the forgotten one night stands. It was all Draco, and only him. Harry took hold of Draco, noticing his light grey eyes turn a shade or two darker.
Harry wanted to make this last, make it like one of their Saturday afternoons they spend in bed. But the occasional voices outside their room, as well as the narrow bed, reminded him they were not at home.
They gathered pace, their skin sticky with the mix of sweat and ointment. The strong, spicy smell of the salve surrounded them. Their kisses became more desperate, their quiet pleas lost in incoherency. Draco stiffened and his release spilt over Harry’s hand and seconds later, Harry did the same.
Draco had his eyes closed, and Harry watched the flush slowly fade away, turning Draco’s skin from pink back to white. Harry rolled onto his back and picked up his wand from the chair, cleaning them both up. Draco propped his head up with his hand and Harry rolled over onto his stomach, crossing his arms under his head.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” he said as Draco traced his fingertips across Harry’s back. Draco leaned forward and kissed Harry’s shoulder, feeling him shiver.
“Maybe we should get up,” Draco said. “Hazel would be appalled if she found us like this. You’ll probably get banned.”
“I know. And Molly will probably be sending the food round soon. But…” the long night caught up with Harry and he yawned. “I’m just so comfy.
Draco lay down and rested his hand on Harry’s back. “Ten minutes, and then we’ll get up.”
Hermione’s “Arthur, I really think we should knock first,” woke them from their dozing. Draco managed to throw the sheet over them before the whole Weasley family with Hermione and Blaise burst into the room, carrying large dishes of food.
“Mum, I think you can take Harry’s present back, it looks like he’s already got his,” George shouted. Molly was last into the room and stopped in shock.
“Harry! Draco! What… why…”
“Blimey, she’s lost for words. That’s a first,” Bill said. Ron covered his eyes and fled the room, bumping into the door on his way out. Fleur and Ginny were giggling, turning as red as Harry.
Hazel came rushing into the room. “Draco, I’m so sor- oh my Gods.”
She didn’t know where to look, her eyes darting everywhere but always returning to Harry and Draco on the bed. She finally turned her back to them. “I’m so sorry. I’d planned to knock and see if you were decent, I mean dressed and ready for visitors, before letting them in. But I had to help one of the Healers and your family arrived before I came back and, well…never mind, it’s done. I’d better go and see…I’ll just go and check on you later, shall I?”
Hazel hurried out of the room, her hand pressed to her cheek. Molly pushed the rest of them out of the room. “Everyone out! Come on, go. George, just put the turkey down there.” She managed to avoid looking at Harry and Draco, focusing on the lights above the bed. “We thought we’d join you for lunch, so get dressed and…”
“Let us know when it’s safe to come back in,” Blaise said, winking at them.
In the same amount of noise and chaos they’d entered, everyone left. Harry groaned and pulled the sheet up over his head. “I cannot believe that just happened.”
Draco tugged down the sheet. “At least it wasn’t my mother.” He looked at Harry’s red face. “Has this never happened to you before? Not even in Hogwarts?”
Harry shook his head. “I know the Room of Requirements was used quite a bit. And most people remembered to lock their doors.”
Draco looked amazed. “And that stopped you? In Slytherin, it was a game to hunt out people who were having sex. We used to stand outside the door and sing Celestina Warbeck songs to put them off.”
“And yet another reason to confirm I was right to ask not to go into Slytherin House.”
Draco patted Harry’s arse. The smell of the roasted turkey was filling the room. “Come on, I’m starving and that turkey smells delicious. Please tell me you’ve brought me some clothes, because I do not want to spend my Christmas in a gaping hospital gown.”
“Why not? I think the hospital gown is very fetching on you.” Harry stood up and, picking up a bag from next to the chair, threw it at Draco.
“It’s undignified.” Draco opened the bag and took out his favourite black jumper. Draco smiled and stood up, walking over to where Harry was pulling on his jeans. Draco caught Harry by the shoulders. “Thank you, really, for doing this.”
Harry smiled. “Happy Christmas, Draco.”
Draco pulled Harry forward into a deep kiss, slow and deliberate. “Happy Christmas, Harry.”
**The end**
Author/Artist: indyonblue
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Prompt: How can the holidays be happy when the man you love is in a bed at St Mungo's? Let's find out. By fantasyfiend09
Word Count/Art Medium: ~3,960
Rating: R
Contains: None
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Many thanks to E for pre-reading and encouragement, also to O for beta duties. To the prompter: I hope you enjoy this - I certainly enjoyed writing it! Thanks to the mods for running the fest once again and for their patience!
Summary: With Draco in St Mungo’s, Harry decides to bring Christmas to him.
Harry made his way through the crowded Leaky Cauldron, drink held high above his head. Some of his friends were dancing, despite the lack of a dance floor, and George and Angelina’s dancing was as energetic as ever. It was Christmas Eve and there was a new tradition that everyone who had one, wore a Molly Christmas jumper. The heavy wool combined with alcohol and the heat of the pub left a lot of flushed faces. George tried a particularly difficult move and succeeded in bringing down the holly garlands Tom had strung up across the ceiling. Harry eventually found a corner to sit in and watched everyone else celebrate Christmas Eve, sipping on his Firewhisky.
Hermione, flushed and heavily pregnant, came over and sat down next to him. “Oh Merlin, it’s still only 9pm.”
“I guess it’s hard to enjoy yourself when you’re pregnant and not drinking?”
She smiled at Harry. “It’s ok. I just get really tired in the evenings. I may have to go home and leave Ron to it.”
“Do you think that’s wise? He may not make it home.”
They both watched as Ron, talking Quidditch with Charlie and Oliver, finished his pint and immediately called Tom for another one.
Hermione shrugged. “I don’t mind. His brothers will look after him. Plus, it’s one of the last times he’ll be able to do this for a while anyway.”
“True.” Harry fell silent and went back to watching the crowd. Hermione reached out her hand and touched his arm.
“Draco’s going to be ok, Harry.”
“I know he is. He was fine when I left this afternoon. Just grumpy about missing out on tonight. But…oh never mind.”
“No, come on, tell me.”
Harry took a sip of his drink. “Well, it’s just that this was our first Christmas together. We’d planned it all out. Christmas was quiet and serious when he was growing up, so he wanted everything to be fun and a bit over the top. He was like a child about it. But now he has to spend it in hospital.”
“Harry, you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself here. Why not go back and sit with Draco for a bit longer?”
“Visiting hours are over, otherwise I do.”
Hermione smiled. “You know, Harry, I thought you of all people would realise there’s a way around everything.”
They sat in silence, Hermione rubbing slow circles over her stomach. Harry watched his friends, their partners here with them, and could not stop thinking of Draco alone in the hospital. He knocked back the rest of his drink and stood up, grabbing his coat and scarf. “You know, you’re right, Hermione, as usual. See you tomorrow at the Burrow?”
“Definitely.” She stood up and kissed his cheek. “If he’s awake, say hi to Draco for me.”
Harry grinned and skirted around the edges of the pub to the door, trying to leave before anyone spotted him.
The cold, fresh air was pleasant after the stuffiness of the pub and Harry decided to walk to St Mungo’s. He buttoned up his coat, wrapped his scarf around his neck and set off. The streets were busy with people making their way between pubs, many of them singing and wearing fluffy reindeer antlers or large, sparkly earrings.
He chose the quieter roads, making his way past locked shops and hidden squares. He paused outside a plain, red-brick building. It was a church, though you’d only know it from the sign outside. It looked more like an old warehouse than a church, and it didn’t match the buildings surrounding it, yet it fitted in somehow. The church was quiet, dimly lit inside and Harry knew it would be peaceful to sit there. In a few hours, it would be echoing with the sounds of the midnight carol service he and Draco had planned to go to.
A group of revellers turned into the road where Harry was stood, and he set off for the hospital again, not wanting to get caught up in any drunken conversations.
Harry arrived at the dilapidated department store and faced the dummies that were the entrance to St Mungo’s. “I’m here to see Draco Malfoy.” He always felt vaguely stupid talking to a dummy and wondered that the staff hadn’t come up with a better solution yet.
The dummy slowly shook its head and Harry realised it wasn’t going to let him in after visiting hours. He swore and stood in the street, stamping his feet a little to try and warm up, trying to think of a way to get past the dummy. He wished he’d brought his Invisibility Cloak but the days when he felt like he had to carry it everywhere with him were long gone. It was now folded up neatly at the bottom of a drawer and he wasn’t going to go back for it. Besides, he didn’t know if the Cloak would work here. He stopped and took out his wand.
“The things I do for you, Draco,” he said, before pointing his wand at his hand. “Furnunculus!”
Boils started to appear rapidly on his hand and Harry winced as he felt them starting to grow on his arm too. If he’d realised how painful they’d be, he may have stuck with something milder - like a full body bind. Harry lifted his arm to show the dummy. “Look, I need medical attention.”
The dummy nodded and beckoned Harry in. He walked into the reception and quickly made his way to the toilet to get rid of the boils. In the ten minutes it had taken him to get into a cubicle, they had grown to the size of golf balls and were spreading a deep, painful ache through his hand and arm. Harry hoped that after this, he’d manage somehow to get to see Draco.
He made his way unseen to the third floor, had just reached Draco’s room and was stopped by Hazel, Draco’s grey-haired nurse, as he was about to enter.
“Mr Potter, what are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to check on Draco before going home.”
“Visiting hours are over as you well know considering I had to chase you out earlier.” She looked at him with some sympathy. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come back tomorrow. Draco will be asleep now anyway.”
“Please,” Harry gave her his best big-eyed look. “Please, Hazel. I won’t wake him. I just want to sit with him for a while.”
Hazel glanced around - the corridor was empty apart from the two of them. “Okay, but just for a little while. And if anyone catches you, I knew nothing about it.”
Harry impulsively kissed her cheek. “Thank you. I won’t be a bother, I swear.”
She smiled and carried on down the corridor. Harry opened the door and quietly slipped into the darkened room. Draco lay in the narrow bed, his hair silvery in the moonlight. Harry approached the bed and looked down. Healer Curran had explained that there wasn’t any lasting damage, Draco had to stay in for observation, just to make sure there wouldn’t be any further side effects. Draco had been horrified at the thought of Christmas in hospital, and both he and Harry had tried to persuade the Healer that Draco would be fine at home. But the Healer was adamant - it was an unknown, volatile mix of liquids and potions, there was no way Draco was leaving the hospital without his say-so. Draco had spent his time thinking of creative ways to get revenge on George for coming up with the recipe that had landed him in hospital.
Draco’s eyes were closed, his forehead faintly creased. Harry reached out and smoothed his hand over Draco’s forehead. The crease faded, as though Harry had erased it away.
Looking around, Harry spotted the chair, back in its place in the corner. He lifted it and carried it over to where he liked to sit, between Draco and the window. He took off his coat and scarf and sat down in the chair with a sigh. Harry closed his eyes, comforted by the familiar sound of Draco’s breathing.
A cough from Draco woke Harry with a start. Yawning, he looked out of the window. It was black outside, but beyond that, Harry had no idea what time it was. He stood up to stretch out his back and paced around the small room.
Harry pulled open a drawer and picked through Draco’s things stored there. He lifted out a heavy pocket watch, a large M intricately engraved on the front. The silver timepiece had been in the Malfoy family for generations, handed down from father to son. Flipping up the lid, Harry glanced at the time and realised it was Christmas Day.
He took in the plain walls and the medicinal smell and was saddened by the fact that this was where Draco would spend Christmas. Harry thought for a few minutes and smiled - if Hazel would help him, Draco could still get the Christmas he wanted, just on a smaller scale.
He left the room, pausing to make sure the door closed silently behind him, and went to find Hazel. She was sat at her desk at the entrance to the ward, holding a cup of tea in both hands.
“What are you still doing here? I thought you’d left hours ago.”
“Sorry, I dozed off.”
“Well, at least nobody caught you. You’re going home now, yes?”
“Not yet.” Harry smiled at her eye roll. “The thing is, we’d planned this huge Christmas and now it’s not going to happen. But I really want to do something for Draco and, well, I need some help.”
Hazel sighed. “Harry, I’m sorry but...”
“Please?”
She looked at his earnest face and shook her head. “You are going to get me sacked, you know? What do you need?”
“I won’t let you be fired. All I need are a few decorations. Tinsel, fairy lights, mistletoe, stuff like that. I just want to brighten up his room a little. Oh, and I need to send an owl. The hospital has some doesn’t it?”
“Is that all? The decorations I can do, I’ll get on to Mr Kennelly about that, though we may have to steal some from the other wards. I don’t know about the owl though, Harry. They are meant to be for emergencies only. I could sneak you into the staff lounge and you could do a firecall though. Or use the Floo.”
“Brilliant. Thanks, Hazel. I owe you one.”
“You owe me more than one.” She quickly scribbled something down onto a piece of parchment and sent it flying off to the caretaker on duty. “Mr Kennelly should be here soon. Do you want to use the fire now?”
“Yes, please. And I promise you the best chocolates Honeydukes has to offer.”
“You definitely know the way to a woman’s heart, Harry.”
The dawn came slowly. Harry watched the sun rise, bathing the few clouds that were there in oranges, reds and pinks. It seemed to hang in the horizon before moving higher, turning the sky into a blue that promised a bright but cold day. The frost was thick on the roofs, looking almost like a light dusting of snow. Everything in the room was ready and Harry sat in his chair by Draco’s bed, waiting impatiently for him to wake up. Draco was usually a light sleeper but his Healer had given him a sleeping potion.
Finally, Draco started to stir. He opened his eyes and rolled his head towards the window. It seemed to take a while but he finally registered Harry sitting next to his bed.
“Harry? What are you doing here?” Draco’s voice was roughened with sleep.
Harry moved to sit on the edge of Draco’s bed and held the mistletoe Mr Kennelly had managed to find over Draco’s head.
“Merry Christmas, Draco. I thought I’d bring it to you.” Harry leaned down and kissed Draco gently. He sat upright and helped Draco adjust his pillows so he could sit up too. Once he was comfortable, Draco looked at the room Harry had decorated.
The miniature Christmas tree adorned the bedside cabinet, with red tinsel wrapped around it. The metal bedstead had green tinsel entwined through the bars and the window was decorated with fake snow pictures. Above Draco’s head, pinned to the wall were the singing and dancing fairy lights that Mr Kennelly had found in the back of a cupboard. Apparently, everyone had found them too annoying so they’d been put away and forgotten. A quick revitalisation charm had brought them back to their sparkling selves.
“What do you think?”
“Well, they’re not as tasteful as mine would have been. But I suppose they will do.”
“Listen, I didn’t have a whole lot of choice at 3am on Christmas Day. Be grateful you got this much.”
Draco twisted and looked at the dancing fairies that lit up the room. “I do like the lights though.” He turned back to Harry and smiled. “Thank you, Harry. This is amazing, really.”
Harry laughed and leaned forward for another kiss, stopping when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Healer Curran came in, carrying a jar of ointment and Draco’s medical notes. “Ah, Mr Malfoy, how are we feeling today?”
“Better. At least the burns seem to have healed nicely.” He scratched his chest. “But I’m still itchy.”
“That does seem to be one of the side effects, unfortunately.” The Healer made his own examination. “Mr Potter, I trust you slept well last night?”
“Er, yes, very well thank you.”
Healer Curran looked up and smiled at Harry. “I find I’m much more comfortable if I transfigure the chair. Just for future reference.”
“Oh, I didn’t… I mean…”
The Healer put up his hand to silence Harry. “It’s okay, Mr Potter, I understand. You and Miss Griffin were not to know I was sleeping in the staff lounge early this morning.” He finished his examination and made a few notes on the chart. “You are recovering nicely. I should think you will be able to go home tomorrow. This ointment is to help relieve your itchiness. And maybe in future, stay away from any unknown recipes, hmm?”
“Definitely.”
“Well, we’re done. I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you are. Merry Christmas, gentlemen.”
He left the room and Harry swung his legs up onto the bed and wriggled himself closer to Draco. Draco sighed, shifting himself down the bed a little so he could rest his head on Harry’s shoulder.
“I ruined Christmas, didn’t I?”
“No, absolutely not. I’ve asked Molly to send some food over, which she was more than happy to do. Your mother’s going to stop by later as well. I’m going to spend the day with you here, we can do our presents and see everyone properly when you get home.”
“You spoke to Molly at three in the morning?”
“Well, no. I Flooed there and left a note. She sent a note back with Pig saying that was fine.”
“Oh, okay, then.”
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the fairy lights sing Christmas songs and watching the day slowly brighten up. Harry was running his thumb backwards and forwards across Draco’s hand and Harry felt Draco kiss his neck softly. Draco pulled Harry’s face to his and kissed him, slowly and deliberately. Harry let himself sink into the kiss, feeling Draco’s soft lips against his, tasting the coffee Hazel had brought them both earlier.
Draco groaned and lay back on the bed, rubbing his shoulders around in an effort to relieve the itching.
“Let me,” Harry said, putting a hand on Draco to still him. Draco sat up again and Harry knelt behind him. He undid the ties on Draco’s gown, planting a kiss on his neck, before picking up the jar. He smoothed the thick, cool ointment onto Draco’s back and Draco moaned in relief.
“That feels so much better already. I wonder what’s in it?”
Harry looked at the jar and read off the list of ingredients. “Mainly juniper, cloves and essence of dittany. A few other bits too.” He took a sniff of the contents. “It smells quite nice.”
He spread more onto the itchy spots, using both hands to make sure every one of them was covered. “Lie down, Draco, and I can do your front.”
He took particular care on Draco’s chest, slowly moving his hand lower. Harry moved further down Draco’s body, sliding his thumbs along the join of Draco’s thighs. In the flimsy hospital gown, it was easy to see the reaction Draco was having to Harry’s care. He made his way down Draco’s legs, stroking and caressing. He ran his hand up the bottom of Draco’s feet, laughing when Draco glared at him, raising his eyebrow.
“Not the feet!”
“Sorry, forgot there for a moment.”
Harry worked his way back up Draco’s body, this time using his hands and mouth. When he was back where he started, Draco tried to flip Harry over onto his back, stopping when Harry made a funny, high-pitched sound.
“Did you just squeak?”
“No! Saviours of the wizarding world do not squeak.”
“I’m sure you did. There was a definite squeak-like noise.”
Harry shook his head. “You were imagining it. Anyway, you forgot we were in a single bed, didn’t you?”
Draco raised his head and looked over. Harry had one foot on the floor. “Oh, sorry. Well, as you’re up, you might as well get naked and we can do this properly.
Harry grinned and kicked his trainers off. He’d just started to lift the hem of his jumper when they heard voices outside the door. They waited, hardly daring to breathe. They could hear the conversation and then the sound of footsteps moving away.
“I think we may have to do this quietly.” Harry said, his voice muffled as he took off his jumper. Draco agreed as he hooked a finger into Harry’s belt loop and pulled him forward.
“What would Hazel think of us if she heard?” he asked, his hands unbuttoning Harry’s jeans.
Harry pulled off his trousers and underwear together and got back onto the bed. He slid his hands under Draco’s gown, feeling the slippery-smooth skin and Harry took off the hospital gown that was now getting in the way, adding it to the pile of clothes on the floor.
They lay on their sides, face to face, Harry thinking that maybe they should lock the door. He thought about getting his wand, but then Draco reached down and gripped him firmly before starting long, slow strokes. Harry forgot all about the unlocked door. Nobody could make him throb like Draco. Ginny couldn’t, nor Charlie, nor any of the forgotten one night stands. It was all Draco, and only him. Harry took hold of Draco, noticing his light grey eyes turn a shade or two darker.
Harry wanted to make this last, make it like one of their Saturday afternoons they spend in bed. But the occasional voices outside their room, as well as the narrow bed, reminded him they were not at home.
They gathered pace, their skin sticky with the mix of sweat and ointment. The strong, spicy smell of the salve surrounded them. Their kisses became more desperate, their quiet pleas lost in incoherency. Draco stiffened and his release spilt over Harry’s hand and seconds later, Harry did the same.
Draco had his eyes closed, and Harry watched the flush slowly fade away, turning Draco’s skin from pink back to white. Harry rolled onto his back and picked up his wand from the chair, cleaning them both up. Draco propped his head up with his hand and Harry rolled over onto his stomach, crossing his arms under his head.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” he said as Draco traced his fingertips across Harry’s back. Draco leaned forward and kissed Harry’s shoulder, feeling him shiver.
“Maybe we should get up,” Draco said. “Hazel would be appalled if she found us like this. You’ll probably get banned.”
“I know. And Molly will probably be sending the food round soon. But…” the long night caught up with Harry and he yawned. “I’m just so comfy.
Draco lay down and rested his hand on Harry’s back. “Ten minutes, and then we’ll get up.”
Hermione’s “Arthur, I really think we should knock first,” woke them from their dozing. Draco managed to throw the sheet over them before the whole Weasley family with Hermione and Blaise burst into the room, carrying large dishes of food.
“Mum, I think you can take Harry’s present back, it looks like he’s already got his,” George shouted. Molly was last into the room and stopped in shock.
“Harry! Draco! What… why…”
“Blimey, she’s lost for words. That’s a first,” Bill said. Ron covered his eyes and fled the room, bumping into the door on his way out. Fleur and Ginny were giggling, turning as red as Harry.
Hazel came rushing into the room. “Draco, I’m so sor- oh my Gods.”
She didn’t know where to look, her eyes darting everywhere but always returning to Harry and Draco on the bed. She finally turned her back to them. “I’m so sorry. I’d planned to knock and see if you were decent, I mean dressed and ready for visitors, before letting them in. But I had to help one of the Healers and your family arrived before I came back and, well…never mind, it’s done. I’d better go and see…I’ll just go and check on you later, shall I?”
Hazel hurried out of the room, her hand pressed to her cheek. Molly pushed the rest of them out of the room. “Everyone out! Come on, go. George, just put the turkey down there.” She managed to avoid looking at Harry and Draco, focusing on the lights above the bed. “We thought we’d join you for lunch, so get dressed and…”
“Let us know when it’s safe to come back in,” Blaise said, winking at them.
In the same amount of noise and chaos they’d entered, everyone left. Harry groaned and pulled the sheet up over his head. “I cannot believe that just happened.”
Draco tugged down the sheet. “At least it wasn’t my mother.” He looked at Harry’s red face. “Has this never happened to you before? Not even in Hogwarts?”
Harry shook his head. “I know the Room of Requirements was used quite a bit. And most people remembered to lock their doors.”
Draco looked amazed. “And that stopped you? In Slytherin, it was a game to hunt out people who were having sex. We used to stand outside the door and sing Celestina Warbeck songs to put them off.”
“And yet another reason to confirm I was right to ask not to go into Slytherin House.”
Draco patted Harry’s arse. The smell of the roasted turkey was filling the room. “Come on, I’m starving and that turkey smells delicious. Please tell me you’ve brought me some clothes, because I do not want to spend my Christmas in a gaping hospital gown.”
“Why not? I think the hospital gown is very fetching on you.” Harry stood up and, picking up a bag from next to the chair, threw it at Draco.
“It’s undignified.” Draco opened the bag and took out his favourite black jumper. Draco smiled and stood up, walking over to where Harry was pulling on his jeans. Draco caught Harry by the shoulders. “Thank you, really, for doing this.”
Harry smiled. “Happy Christmas, Draco.”
Draco pulled Harry forward into a deep kiss, slow and deliberate. “Happy Christmas, Harry.”
**The end**