TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION
By Yih

Note: This has not been beta'd.

Warning: This is Slash.

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Chapter 5: Vigilance

"Watch your diagonal, Harry!" Remus Lupin exclaimed. "And for heaven's sake, use your legs to get the lazy horse to move. It's the morning, of course, he isn't going to want to trot and if you don't get at him he won't trot at all!"

Harry was concentrating on keeping his heels down, his body centered and balanced in the saddle, his posting not to high and coming from his thighs and not his stirrups that it seemed he had shifted to posting on the wrong lead. Shoot. He had thought he had worked that out already, but he guessed he still needed to check every once and a while. Signaling Vig to keep straight and not cut the corner, Harry used his inside leg to keep Vig from drifting to the center of the ring.

"Okay, that's enough of that. Change directions, Harry. I want you to get into your two pointe and get Vig to canter. Remember to keep the reins tight so he doesn't drop his head so much that it gets him off balance. Also don't lean so much forward. You only lean that much forward when you're getting yourself ready for a jump and only then when you're about to go over a jump. Okay, canter! You need to kick him harder than that. Be more aggressive!"

Harry tapped Vig with his outer leg and Vig obediently broke into a canter. Once the bay gelding was loping along easily, Harry concentrated on keeping his heels down so that his balance wasn't upset when Vig started to make a rather sharp turn. He tried to get Vig to take the turn a bit wider, but Remus had told him to concentrate more on his position rather than guiding his mount. That could come later as long as he didn't get into the habit of getting into the wrong position.

"That's good, very good. Now remember keep your weight to the inside and that'll help your balance. Don't lean too much, but lean a little to the inside when Vig starts to turn. Yes, yes that's it. Good job Harry. Now slow him down, and walk him. We can start cooling off now."

Harry nodded and said loudly even as he pulled the reins back, "Whoa Vig!"

"You did well," Remus commended as Harry pulled his feet out of the stirrups, swung his leg back and slid off for a neat dismount. "You're getting much better. I know it seems like the progress is slow, but you've made great strides in the five lessons that you've taken. I think that in the next lesson that I'll start you jumping if you're not too sore. You aren't, are you? Just the first two times you were really sore, right?"

"I'm still a little sore," Harry admitted honestly. "I'm still not used to working those muscles that you need for riding. It's getting better, and I hope that I can get to the point where I can have lessons more than twice a week."

"You will," Remus reassured him. "When you're not sore, we'll talk about setting you up with more lessons. Of course, I'll need to discuss time slots with Mr. Malfoy. But I don't think that it'll be a problem once your muscles start adjusting to it better."

"Thanks, Mr. Lupin."

"Please," Remus murmured, "call me Remus." He smiled affectionately at the young man. "I believe I've already mentioned it once?"

He had, but Harry found it difficult to address an adult not with the proper amount of respect. "You have, I just…"

"Have a hard time remembering?" Remus remarked gently.

Harry blushed and nodded.

"Well, try to. Being called a mister makes me think I've become an old man."

"You aren't!" Harry blurted.

Remus chuckled. "That's good to know." He gestured for Harry to follow him. "Let's cool off Vig here and get him in his stall and of course a few carrots for his lazy effort today."

-

"You're getting better."

Harry was so surprised that Draco wasn't saying anything derogatory that he almost dropped the cup of coffee that Draco had requested. "Thanks," he managed to get out without stammering overly much. "It's getting better since I'm not as sore in the legs."

"The riding muscles take a while to adjust once you start riding," Draco remarked. "I remembered when injured my arm back when I was little when I fell off after a double oxer combination, and I didn't ride for a month. Even though it was only a month, it took some adjusting. I imagine since you've never ridden before that it must be pretty darn painful."

"It is." Harry grimaced. "But it's worth it. The sensation of riding is amazing."

"I would agree," Draco murmured. "It is amazing. I miss it."

"I'm sorry," Harry responded sympathetically. "Is there anyway that you could ride even if it was only a little?"

"They're afraid that if they let me get on a horse, I'll over do it," Draco responded bitterly. "They don't trust me."

"Would you overdo it?" Harry inquired seriously.

Draco scowled. "No," he snapped. "I know that if I exhaust myself to that point, that that only makes my recovery that much longer in the taking. I want to get better faster not slower! I'm not an idiot. I know what I have to do to get better and I'm willing to do that, even if it means not riding for a little while."

"So you're okay with not riding?"

"I guess so," Draco muttered.

"You probably would overdo it," Harry stated softly. "Even if you know that you shouldn't get yourself exhausted, you might inadvertently do so. I think you don't know when to quit. When you aren't riding, it's easy to say that you'll stop when you feel tired. But when you are riding, I don't think that'll be the case. I mean, when I'm riding, even though I'm sore as hell I still want to continue. You love riding more than I do and are far more likely to get lost in it and you simply will push yourself beyond the exhaustion even though you are worn out. I think it's right that they don't let you ride."

Draco frowned, not liking to hear what Harry was saying even if what Harry was saying was right. It was about the same speech his father had given to him when he had told him that he wasn't going to be riding for a few months in hopes that a full rest would help him recover his waning strength.

"It's not like riding means anything to you," Draco snapped bitterly. "Riding was my life and the fact that I can't ride is…"

"I know," Harry interrupted with a soft and understanding voice. He placed his hand onto Draco's shoulder and the look in those green eyes were so earnest and sympathetic that whatever anger and frustration Draco had been feeling dissipated in an instant. "But we all want you to get better."

That's what Draco wanted too.

-

Harry always dreaded confronting Draco after Dr. Dumbledore had visited. It was never a good confrontation because the news was never as good as Draco expected it to be. Even though Harry knew that Draco was making good progress for someone in his situation, it still wasn't enough for Draco. Draco wanted more and wanted it faster than was possible.

Draco's expectation was always set too high and invariably he was disappointed. He braced himself for whatever bad mood that Draco might be in and knocked on the door. "Draco? It's Harry. I've got some snacks and drinks for you."

The cook was always trying to find ways to tempt Draco's flagging appetite. As the cook, Dobby, put it, if Draco didn't eat how was he ever supposed to get better? Harry had to admit that Dobby had a good point. And looking at what was on the tray that he was holding, Dobby was certainly going all out to try to find ways to get Draco to eat more.

"Come on in," Draco called out, and Harry didn't think that his voice sounded that disappointed, though there was really no way of telling until he saw Draco's face. Draco could hide what he was feeling from his voice, but his face was usually a good sign of what he was really feeling.

Harry entered the room, prepared for the worst and when he saw Draco's face he let out a mental sigh of relief. Draco actually didn't look much different from when he had left Draco a few hours ago. If anything, Draco almost looked better which meant the visit from Dumbledore must have gone very well. If that was the case, then Harry was excited for Draco.

"So what did Dumbledore say?" Harry inquired, trying not to sound too eager. "Was it good news?"

"Kind of," Draco muttered, reaching for a scone. "He said that I was progressing much better than I have been and he might even try to convince my father to let me ride in a month or so as long as it's only equitation and no jumping. But even if it's only equitation, I can work on my dressage and that would be a help."

"That's wonderful news!" Harry exclaimed, his face breaking out into an amazing smile of joy. "I didn't think you'd be able to ride for months!"

Draco frowned as he bit his scone. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Harry."

"I didn't mean it like that," Harry remarked hastily. "I just meant that…"

Draco's frown only increased. "I'm upset with you."

Harry's face fell.

"You know what that means…"

Harry nibbled his bottom lip.

"You have to kiss me."

Harry hesitated but when Draco's fingers curled around his wrist, Harry learned forward and softly brushed his lips against Draco's. "There," Harry remarked. "Satisfied now?"

Draco's eyes were gleaming, and Harry knew he wasn't going to like the answer that was going to come from out of Draco's mouth. "You call that a kiss?" Draco queried. Yup, Harry knew it, he didn't like what had come out of Draco's mouth. "That was chaste, like a brother would give to a sister."

"No sister," Harry retorted, "would ever kiss their brother on the lips."

Draco shrugged. "It's metaphorical."

"Regardless," Harry responded, "and you know I'm right."

Draco raised an eyebrow, but he neither confirmed nor denied Harry's statement. Instead, he pulled Harry toward him and captured Harry's lips in a fiercely possessive and passionate kiss that was aimed to make Harry go weak in the knees. Draco smiled smugly inside when he felt Harry begin to sag on him. What Dumbledore had told him this afternoon had made him happy, that he was recovering much better than he had previously been? The announcement had made him feel energized. It was this energy that he was using to snog the breath out of Harry.

And mmm… it was good to kiss his sweet, delectable, and naïve lips. It still struck Draco every time he did kiss Harry--- which was not often enough for his own liking, how Harry responded with such innocent trust. Just like he was doing now. Harry was opening up to him in such an unbelievable fashion. As a Malfoy, he could never do that, but he didn't mind if Harry wanted to do that. It was sweet and refreshing all at the same time.

When Draco finally felt it was time to part because he really needed to breath and he thought that Harry might like to get his breathe back as well, he smirked and said, "Now that's a kiss."

Harry blinked, his eyes still showing signs of being pulled from an incredible kiss. Draco grinned with pleasure that he had done this to Harry. Harry was just too adorable for words, and when he smiled he was really beautiful. He really ought to thank Hermione for finding Harry for him. Harry was a treasure.

And Harry was his.

-

Author's Note: I don't really know where I want to go with this story. I think that there may be a few chapters or maybe only one left. I mean, I've addressed the issue that I've wanted to CFS and that I think is a good thing. If any of you have any ideas, leave me a note and I'll think about the idea with much consideration. Also let me know (those who ride) how I did w/ the riding bit in the beginning with Remus. Thanks!