分卷阅读25（2 / 2）

“Present.” Draco swallowed. He couldn’t hold Potter’s gaze any longer so he stared at the threads connecting them, the array a blooming display of magnetic forces. Potter looked down, following Draco’s gaze. He spread his hand on Draco’s chest. The warmth of Potter’s touch almost burned him. A brief pause, and Potter looked up into Draco’s eyes and Draco wasn’t sure who said, “Future?”

They stood there so close, staring at each other with inexplicable anticipation. Draco realized he was leaning, closing the gap between them, physically, emotionally, he’d never dreamed of being that close to Harry Potter in his life. Potter’s eyes fluttered, and Draco thought Maybe.

“Harry,” he whispered.

Potter’s eyes shot open. “Is that a plant?” he breathed and pushed Draco away, rushing to the corner of the room near a large window. “Is it inquollis anicorpus?”

“I don’t know,” Draco acknowledged. “Give me a moment while the blood rushes back to my brain.”

Potter’s eyes darted to Draco’s crotch. He flushed and turned back toward the window. Was he embarrassed? Ashamed? Potter’s form seemed tense as he stood appraising the tall, leafy flora. “We have to get back for the ransom drop.”

“Not if we convince Zivantus to fix this mess!”

“You must know by now we can’t do that! We can’t change anything. Don’t you see?” Potter pointed to the large potted plant. It was nearly as tall as him. “We were always meant to come back and take it. It’s why this mess happens in the first place. If we don’t, you and I will cease to exist.”

Draco sighed. “You’re right.” He was at least still strong enough to admit he was losing the battle between reason and whatever in Salazar’s name took over his mind when Potter looked at him like he’d done moments before. “Grab the bloody thing and let’s go. We’ll have to get out from under these wards to apparate and use the Timepiece.”

Potter cast an advanced Levitation Charm on the plant and followed Draco to the parlour doorway.

“Where do you think you’re going with that?” Zivantus had come back from his office and stood with his wand raised at the far side of the room.

“Harry, go!” Draco shouted.

Zivantus threw a litany of spells at them and Draco rushed to block each of them. One got through and hit Potter in the leg, sending him tumbling sideways into the cocktail trolley. Draco faked a Bat-Bogey Hex and then came at Zivantus with an Incarcerous Spell. The force of it threw the other man against the wall. He fell to the ground, wrapped in thick, black rope, unmoving. “Harry,” Draco didn’t take his eyes off Zivantus. “Are you alright?”

A groan was the only response.

“Was that a Stinging Jinx?” Draco discerned Zivantus was at least concussed, if not completely knocked unconscious. “Well?” he turned and scanned the broken bar cart. Among broken bottles and split cherrywood, Potter sat up and sighed.

“Yes. And it feels just lovely soaked in Ogden’s.”

Draco rushed to help him up and ushered them out of the house. As they made their way to the border of the property and the end of the wards, they heard a commotion back at the house and an alarm sounded. “Come on,” Potter yelled, and ran with a slight limp, clutching the plant in his arms. The last thought Draco had before they disapparated was how ridiculous Potter looked in that purple coat, stains covering his clothes, with a leafy, green plant towering over him.

“This isn’t the Ashtyl,” Malfoy frowned. Harry rolled his eyes. “Where did you take us?”

Harry explained, “I figured we shouldn’t go back to the hotel, in case someone sees us. This is the alley outside that nightclub down the street.” Malfoy nodded. Harry set down the inquollis anicorpus and drew his wand to spell himself clean. Malfoy shot out a hand and stopped him. The touch sent a jolt through him and the memory of their almost kiss flashed in his mind.