((No worries!!))

----

Albus Dumbledore was extremely dismayed to hear Harry's report, and sped things up a little for the walk to the infirmary. This was not good news, if students had started attacking each other on the orders of Death Eaters. There was no chance this was random, as it was Draco who had been the victim.

Draco was relieved to see Dumbledore. He'd begun to feel both chilled and sweaty, like one does when coming down with the flu, but obviously he didn't have that. His vision had begun going a little blurry, too, and there was an acidic taste at the back of his mouth.

"Thanks for coming, sir," he said as soon as the headmaster had reached his bedside. "I'm just feeling... a little weird. Cold and hot at the same time, like—"

"Like you had the flu?" Dumbledore replied.

"Yes, exactly," Draco said, startled. "How did you know?"

Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out his wand. "It's a common curse. Who was it who attacked you?"

"Crabbe and Goyle," Draco grumbled. "And Charles Morgan."

Dumbledore's eyebrows lifted towards his hairline. "Morgan? Indeed."

"Morgan's a Death Eater," Draco said, "I'm sure of it."

"I don't doubt it," Dumbledore replied. "Thank you, Draco, for the information." He wondered if perhaps the attack on young Draco Malfoy could be a reason for expulsion, and if that was a wise idea, turning Morgan loose on the Wizarding World. "For now, though, let's get this annoying curse off you, shall we?"

"Thanks," Draco said. Though his head had felt calmer having Dumbledore there, the flu-like symptoms had been increasing, to the point where he was now aching all over and could barely see clearly. He could see that Dumbledore had his wand out, and that he was moving it, but all he could see of the spell itself were little silver blobs. As soon as one of them came near his forehead, though, he began to feel better instantly. His sight cleared to the point where he saw distinct droplets of silver light basically dripping all over him, like water from a shower—only it passed through his clothes. He could feel where it landed on his skin, spreading warmth and painlessness.

"Feeling better?" Dumbledore asked a minute later.

Draco could only sigh with relief. "Yes, thanks," he said. "What did they use on me?"

"It's a moderately Dark spell," Dumbledore said, "which gives the victim the flu. It would be harmless except that it also weakens your magical defenses at the same time, meaning that the disease just keeps getting worse and worse. It develops into pneumonia first, usually, and then into tuberculosis, and finally the victim dies, apparently of natural causes, with fluid filling the lungs."

Draco shuddered at the fate he had just been rescued from. "Thanks," he said again, with another deep sigh of relief.

"You should rest up tomorrow," Dumbledore said. He turned to Harry, glancing in the boy's general direction to avoid making eye contact in case Lord Voldemort was listening in through the boy. "I've heard... nasty rumors about Dolores Umbridge's detentions, Harry. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

Rumors, indeed—while he hadn't been told any specifics, he knew most of the students who had already had detention with Dolores had been rather pale and upset the next day, and Dolores had looked annoyingly pleased with herself.

((Are you losing interest in the RP, or are you just too busy?))

(( I'm sorry >< I was away for a few days. School just started, so I've been a mix of busy with school, A ton of birthdays, and lazy Dx I didn't get a chance to tell you I would be away for a few days, sorry.

I've been tired after school and such >< Haven't really been doing much of anything, I'm really sorry. But it should be good now c: if I get really busy with work I'll let you know, I was getting settled into my first week of a new school and all, so now I'm accustom to it.))


Harry glanced over at Dumbledore, it figured he would be the one to know everything, he always knew everything so it wasn't a surprise. But this time he didn't want to lean on him to solve his 'problems' besides he was fine and didn't need help, but there was no way he could lie to the man after everything he had done for him, in a strange sort of way he was like a father to him, or at least a family member much like Hagrid was. What was he supposed to tell him? He didn't want to get into the details of the detention.

"I'm sure you're already know everything you need to know" He said. He wasn't lying and he wasn't exactly telling him what happened either, he was being indirect with his answer. Besides he could only imagine what Umbridge would do if she found out he had told, it seemed like she already had all intentions of taking over the school as it was, he didn't need to give her any more reasons.

((Glad to know! Welcome back. Hope school's been fun so far!))

---

Albus suppressed a heavy sigh. The boy was at that age where he needed to prove that he didn't have to rely on anyone, and while he wanted to allow Harry Potter to make his own mistakes, he was sorely tempted to push him for information this time. But, he decided, this wasn't a matter of life and death. It was just Dolores being power-hungry and taking out her urges on helpless teenagers. Albus remembered her from her own days as a student; she'd been in Slytherin, and always kept her bullying to the students weaker, smaller, and younger than herself, afraid to actually have to fight someone her own level.

"Well, then," Albus said, rising to his feet with a little groan for his sore back. "I'll leave you in Harry's care, then, Draco. And if either of you find you need to talk to me, my current favorite sweets are Ice Mice." He nodded politely to Madam Pomfrey, who was hovering over her patient anxiously, and left.

After Madam Pomfrey had fussed a bit over him and finally left for her own office, Draco turned to Harry.

"Thanks," he said. He wanted to say more, to express the deep well of gratitude and love that was bubbling inside him, but he couldn't find the words. "I guess I owe you another one."

He reached out a hand which still felt weak and rested it on Harry's knee.

[[It has been c: I really like it~ Not missing High school as much as I thought I would xD It's just after doing nothing all summer, it's making me lazy after I get home and finish the work ><]]

Harry watched as Dumbledore left, he had a feeling he had upset him, or in the least not pleased him with his answer, but this wasn’t a matter in which he needed help. He would take the punishments she gave him and not give in, he wouldn’t let her win. He knew he wasn’t lying and soon enough that annoying women would as well, and then she would have to apologize to him for more than one thing.

Once Madam Pomfrey was done with Draco, he was relieved. At least now he was sure Draco was going to be fine, he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened, had he not decided to go look for him like he had. “You don’t owe me anything Draco” He said. He really didn’t feel like Draco did, besides saving people, or at least helping them seemed to be what he did, and none of them ever worried about repaying him. Well except for Ginny, she didn’t worry about repaying him but it was clear how grateful, she and all the other Weasleys’ were for what he had done.

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked. He would stay if Draco wanted him to, and leave if he wanted.

Draco looked up into Harry's open, honest face. "No," he said, in response to both statements. "I owe you. Magical debt -- or did Flitwick not teach the Gryffindors about that?"

He squeezed Harry's knee. "Don't go," he said, almost pleading. "At least stay until I've fallen asleep?"

Though he felt himself again, now that Dumbledore had removed the Dark curse, he was exhausted and still jittery from the fact of being attacked so easily. Dammit, he was a Slytherin -- No. He'd been a Slytherin, and was now a Gryffindor, and neither House would allow its members to be attacked from behind as he'd been.

As Draco fell asleep, he wondered if his Housemates would help him get revenge.

“I know what it is” He said. He knew what it was, but he didn’t like the idea of Draco being indebted to him in such a way, it probably meant sometime in the future something bad would end up happening to him, in order to ‘repay’ said debt.

“I’ll stay, don’t worry” He said. He wouldn’t leave in till he was asleep, and knowing him he would end up staying the whole night, just to make sure he was okay.

He smiled some as he looked at Draco sleeping; they were really going to have to do something to solve this problem fast. He would need to talk to Fred and George, and come up with some plan to scare the Slytherin’s so bad they wouldn’t think about attacking Draco again. Hell the whole Gryfindor house would probably jump at the chance to get back at the Slytherin's for everything they had done.

Draco awoke feeling like he'd just gotten over the flu - made sense, he thought. The infirmary was full of light, so he figured it was mid-morning. His wand lay on the bedside table next to him, and Draco found himself grabbing it reflexively and sitting up sharply. He needn't have worried, though: a close glance at the infirmary doors told him that they were well warded against anyone with intentions to harm. Not that they'd keep out someone who knew how to circumvent them by careful thinking, but they made him breathe more easily.

"You're awake?" Madam Pomfrey bustled over to him, rustling her robes fussily, shifting the potions on the table next to him to set down a large glass of something shimmery green. Draco nearly gagged at the sight of it. "You're to drink this all down and spend the day here. Dumbledore's orders, as well as Professor Snape's."

Draco started at that, and started even more when the large glass of shiny green liquid turned out to smell, as he'd feared, like something a cat would leave behind in the garden.

"None of that," said Madam Pomfrey sharply, as Draco made choking noises. "It smells a lot worse than it tastes. If you don't drink it yourself, I'll have to force it down your throat."

Draco hastily pinched his nostrils together and gulped it down quickly. She was right - it didn't taste that bad at all. Rather like some kind of citrus fruit.

"There, see?" Madam Pomfrey said. "I'll bring you a tray of food in a few minutes, and then you're to lie down and rest."

Draco obediently ate the food she brought him, then lay back, thinking fiercely about the best way to get back at the Slytherins. Eye for an eye, he wondered, or do them one better? It would take a lot of careful planning to get back at someone like Morgan, and a good deal of wandpower. Crabbe and Goyle would be easy: Draco would be satisfied by a few Leg Locker curses or a Putrefy Curse on their underwear in public. Something slapstick and embarrassing, as they were really too stupid to do anything more than follow the nearest big bully who offered them a chance to be mean.

Draco dozed and planned on and off for the rest of the morning, wondering when or if anyone would pay him a visit.

Harry yawned some as he headed towards the infirmary, he would have stayed down there all night, if Madam Pomfrey hadn’t shooed him off, and told him he needed to go back up to his dorm because he wasn’t sick or injured. Though that had given him a bit of time to talk to Fred and George who were game for pranking/revenge on the Slytherin’s whatever you wanted to call it, they were interested in helping, which he knew they would be. It seemed like just about everyone was game, except for Hermione who had a lot of doubts about it, and told them that wasn’t the way they should handle things. Something about Violence just creating more violence or something along those lines, but this was coming from the girl who had punched Draco in the face, and he was pretty sure, that counted as Violence.

Once he reached the infirmary, he smiled as he spotted Draco, well he was still alive so that meant things were okay “Feeling better?” he asked as he sat down in the chair next to the bed. “I would have stayed all night, but I kind of got kicked out” He said with a small laugh.

Draco grinned at Harry. It was good to see him. "Madam Pomfrey makes me think of those toys that sprout teeth and horns when you try to get too close. But she's okay, really."

He turned serious, and asked tentatively, "Did... did you tell the others what had happened?"

"I know what you mean, but she's only like that because she cares" He said. He knew she only kicked him out because she wanted to make sure they both got the proper rest they needed, more Draco then him though. Harry had spent so many nights in the infirmary over the years he was glad for once, it wasn't him injured sitting in a bed, not that he wanted anyone else to be their either.

"Not the whole story really, but we all pretty much agree that we need to do something about this, we need to REALLY scare them, which is why I turned to Fred and George no one better to go to for such a purpose" He said.

"Fred and George?" exclaimed Draco. "That's great! What sort of ideas did they have? I was thinking something pretty embarrassing for Morgan in particular, but he's actually rather dangerous. Crabbe and Goyle won't be difficult... they're really stupid." He snorted with remembered disdain for Crabbe and Goyle's massive idiocy.

"How many Gryffindors are on board?" he asked.

"Trust me I know how easy Crabbe and Goyle are... in our second year..." He said but trailed off. Wait that would mean telling Draco the whole story about the Polyjuice potion, sneaking into the Slytherin common room, thinking he was the heir of Slytherin "Uh, don't get mad about this" He said. He wasn't going to get out of the story. "We kind of slipped some, sleeping potion into some cupcakes, and er Hermione made a polyjuice potion, and you know lets just say it was me and Ron you were talking to for a while, not them" He said.

"Pretty much everyone except Hermione who feels like it won't solve anything" He siad

Draco's jaw dropped. "So that's what happened," he said. He laughed. "I remember that! I thought Crabbe and Goyle had gotten suddenly intelligent, the way they were actually asking questions. It was you and Weas—Ron? Hilarious."

He wasn't surprised to hear that Hermione had been able to make Polyjuice Potion as a second year, but that made him consider an entire new range of revenges.

"Hm," he said, going back to considering revenge. "I think we should do something in the Great Hall—something where they actually won't know it's us, or where it can be seen as just another Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry thing. Pity the Quidditch season isn't on, or we'd be able to use that. But I definitely think we'll need a cover, to avoid more retaliation." Draco was still Slytherin enough to want to be able to get away with mischief without being caught, or even suspected.

"You're not mad? More over you're laughing..." He said. He thought that Draco would be mad about the situation, after all what they had done was kind of wrong, but it was pretty obvious why anyone would think Draco was the Heir of Slytherin. "Although I have to admit, walking around with all that extra eight, I don't know how he does it" He said. He was glad he was pretty skinny and stayed that way even if he ate a lot, that extra weight was a pain to carry around.

"Well we can worry about all the details later, when you're a hundred percent better" He said. There was a lot they needed to work through, especially so the plan went as planned and they didn't get caught or in trouble for it. "Even if it does end up somehow causing more retaliation, at least they know we won't just sit down and let them get away with everything" He said

"No, I'm not mad," Draco replied, still giggling a little. "A lot changed in the last few weeks, so looking back to second year is like looking into someone else's memories."

He sighed as Harry suggested waiting until he was better. "You're probably right. But Madam Pomfrey said I should be free to leave tomorrow morning, so it's just today that I'll be stuck in the infirmary." Another sigh. "I'm BORED. I wish I was up in my room. Maybe I can convince her that I can go back to my room -- it's nice and quiet there. And safe." And we could maybe spend some quality private time together.

"Just don't mention this to Hermione, she still has bad memories of being turned into a cat" he said with a laugh. He remembered how embarrassed she had been because of that, he found it funny but he wouldn't admit that to her. "That's true, but things have changed for the best" He said.

"Heh, I could sneak you out, I'm already considered a big rule breaker what's a few more?" He asked with a laugh. Although he was going to have to go his class soon, unless he skipped them or something, which that didn't sound like that bad of an idea, but Hermione wouldn't approve of it, and he would end up landing himself in detention.

"No, Pomfrey would throw a fit," Draco said. "I'll probably just sleep through the afternoon." Sleeping actually felt like a really good idea. Though Harry hadn't been here long, he was feeling tired -- mostly because Harry was clearly so full of energy. It was exhausting, watching someone be so perky when one felt a bit miserable and tired.

Draco wondered, in that moment, what would happen to the two of them in the near future. He was feeling more comfortable about being public about their relationship, but apart from their homosexuality there were other things that would mark them out for comment and bullying. He remembered Rita Skeeter from last year, and how happy she'd been to get gossip on Harry. What would she make of their relationship? Of Draco's switching sides? Slytherin Prince hops the fence in more than one way, he thought, or Poofter Potter: Is the Boy-Who-Lived Actually the Boy-Who— Well. The thoughts weren't very pleasant, but fortunately Skeeter hadn't been publishing all summer. He wondered, idly, what had happened to her.

He realized he'd been staring at Harry blankly for several seconds, and shook his head. "Sorry," he said with a smile. "Feeling a little drowsy, I guess."

[[Crud, I'll respond tomorrow, sorry having to adjust to a different schedule now and I've been busier and more tired >< I'm reallyreally sorry <//3]]

[[We had a bad storm -___- Lost internet for a few days]]

“Since when do you care about teachers getting mad?” He asked with a laugh. He used to be worried about teachers getting mad at him, but he had a reputation as a rule breaker, because he broke rules to help people, so he had just learned to live with it honestly. But he knew what Draco said was right, she would throw a fit, and she only had his best interests in mind, so he would let it go “Huum, sleeping sounds better than going to class” he said with a laugh.

Harry looked at Draco, and realized he was staring at him, was he thinking about something? It appeared like it, but he wasn’t going to ask what it was, he would ask later when he was feeling a hundred percent better and up for talking “It’s fine, I should get going to class anyway” He said as he took a few steps closer to him “I’ll come back at lunch” He said with a smile. He debated bending down and giving him a kiss good bye, but he knew someone could walk in at any moment, and he didn’t want to over step the boundaries, after all Draco was still having some worries about it.

“Anyway get some rest, I’ll see you later” He said with a sort of half-smile.

((Meh, no worries -- glad you're still interested!))

---

Draco mumbled a goodbye, wishing Harry could have kissed him, but the infirmary was far too public. He could hear Pomfrey rustling about nearby.

As Harry left, promising to return at lunch, Draco allowed his mind to wander where it would. He thought first of the circumstances that had landed him here, recovering from an artifical curse-induced flu. He was glad Harry and Dumbledore had managed to remove the spell so easily, but was still angry that it had even happened. In a flash of rage, he realized that he desperately wanted to publicly denounce Morgan, Crabbe, and Goyle -- in front of the Slytherins, and the Gryffindors. Everyone, for that matter. That meant the Great Hall. He thought, in sleepy but intense bursts, of covering all three of them in bright orange pustules... no, red and gold, make them flash red and gold. That would be nice.

He dozed the rest of the morning, his mind creating plans and discarding them the moment he was awake enough to realize how silly each was, or how impossible. As he dozed, he could feel himself recovering, his magic stores replenishing, and his mind sharpening each time he regained consciousness. When Harry came back, they could discuss some way to turn all the Slytherins red and gold in the Great Hall at dinner. He was pretty sure most of his House would be glad to help with a large-scale prank like that, and it was so broad that it could be dismissed as simple inter-house rivalry by both the teachers and the Slytherins. The three who'd attacked him couldn't even blame him for the retaliation, because Draco planned to actually not take part; after all, he was stuck up in the hospital wing with the flu, wasn't he? He wasn't going to be at dinner tonight -- or at least, not visibly.

Harry sighed some as he left the infirmary and headed towards the classroom, as soon as he got there, Hermione started talking right away. He kind of half zoned her out though; he couldn’t help but wonder what they were going to do, to make this entire thing stop they needed to do something big.

“How is he?” Hermione asked as she glanced at Harry.

Harry had only told a few people the full story and Ron and Hermione had been two of them, they deserved to know, besides Draco had never said to keep it a secret “He’s fine, recovering” he said. He couldn’t help but keep thinking about what would have happened if he didn’t show up, would someone else have walked by? Or would he have been left there all alone to die, there were so many what if’s that it was driving him crazy, but he had walked by, but what if next time he didn’t and the worst did happen.

He couldn’t help but shake the thought that, if he left Draco alone, and something happened he would feel like it was his fault, even though it wouldn’t be. “He should be back tomorrow, at least I think anyway” he said. He was pretty sure, but he didn’t exactly remember what Draco had said that Madam Pomfrey had said to him.

“That’s good, when he’s back we can figure out, how to deal with this in a civilized Manner, Harry” She said.

Harry sighed, figured she would say civilized, though she would eventually cave in and agree to their methods. Thankfully the day seemed to go by pretty fast, a lot faster than he had expected it to, he expected it to drag on and on because Draco wasn’t around but it had went fast, mostly because he was lost in his own thoughts about what they were going to do.

Once it was lunch time, he went back up to the infirmary, he wondered if Draco would even be awake, if he wasn’t Harry would just sit there at least he would keep his promise about coming to visit but he would feel bad if he woke up him.

Draco was sitting up, eager to talk, when Harry came in.

"Hey there," he said, a broad grin on his face. In the last half-hour he'd begun to really feel normal, and was impatient to talk to Harry. "How were classes? Did I miss anything interesting?" And before Harry could answer, he went on in an excited whisper, leaning forward, "I've got a great idea, but we'll probably need all of Gryffindor to agree to help."

"Hey" He said as he sat down in the chair near Draco's bed, at least he seemed almost a hundred percent better that was good "Someone seems like there in a good mood, is there a reason?" He asked with a laugh.

"Nothing... interesting happened in class" He said. If something had happened worth telling him he would have remembered, but for the most part classes were like they were everyday, you learned and you did work, nothing far beyond that.

"And what would this idea be?" He asked. Draco seemed really excited about it, so it had to be something pretty good "No worries they will agree to help, well minus Hermione, she's still stuck on solving it in a civilized Manner, she'll come around eventually though" He said

Draco beamed at Harry. "I think," he said triumphantly, "we should turn all the Slytherins bright red and gold in the Great Hall tonight. What do you think? That way, it's all the Slytherins, not just a few, and it's so much like a regular inter-House prank that not even the teachers will think it's related to me."

He grinned, waiting for Harry's response.