This will probably be very short... like, 2 chapters. 3 at the most. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but then I realized that I'm skipping a lot of time between scenes, and I'd rather skip time between chapters than scenes. ^_^ Just a warning, not a happy ending.
by: Shamera K. Tsukishirou
"Have you ever heard of the Crystal Heart?"
Harry stopped in his cutting, turning surprised green eyes to the person standing beside him and leaning against the sink. Draco looked pale, especially dressed in a dark grey shirt and blue jeans. The blonde man wasn't looking at Harry, instead staring out the kitchen window at the bright sunlight in their back lawn. It was a beautiful day, and all the curtains had been drawn in an effort to allow the cheeriness that permeated outside to seep into the house.
Harry returned to chopping the vegetables, wondering why Draco had asked that.
"Yes," he replied, "it's supposed to bring happiness to whoever owns it."
There was a slight silence only interrupted by the sounds outside and Harry's rhythmic chopping before Draco mused, "Is that so?"
"Why are you so interested? Did the doctors say something?"
After graduation, Harry had taken up a job at the Ministry, but not as an Auror like everyone had expected, but settled nicely into the Department of Magical Artifacts. His skill and talent with uncovering magic in an item had been amazing enough that he was allowed to tamper with much more powerful items than normal people. Harry had been engrossed with the legend of the Crystal Heart once; having heard the numerous stories about the love and happiness it embodied, and had searched for the artifact for months.
But the truth that he found out about it made him slightly nauseous.
Draco watched carefully as Harry's fingers grew slightly clumsy, and grabbed the knife away just as Harry's grip on it slipped. The clumsiness told Draco that the raven haired man was uncomfortable with the subject, and he wondered why that was.
Draco had changed drastically through the last few years of school. He and Harry had started dating halfway into seventh year, and their relationship had continued in a comfortable level until they finally decided to live together. Although they weren't married, both were more than happy with their current status. Draco had become the Auror that had been expected of Harry, and had gained the respect and command within the Ministry, allowing the general public hate for the Malfoy family to be washed away through the years.
But it was within the last year that Draco had been sent on an assignment to catch renegade Death Eaters when he had gotten hit with an unknown curse, one that had baffled the mediwizards and muggle doctors alike. It wasn't a curse to kill him. On the contrary, he was quite healthy even eight months after he had been hit by the curse. Instead, the curse seemed to eat through his emotions, his feelings about everything. He felt numb most of the time, unable to feel happiness or despair. But Draco's bigger fear at the continued loss of his emotions was that one day he would wake up and not love Harry anymore. That he would not be able to feel anything at all, as even that fear was dim and vague in the back of his mind. Draco took refuge in writing down every feeling he experienced, as he didn't want to lose the memories of it either.
"The doctors," Draco snorted, "are all dimwitted. But yes, they did suggest (very strongly) that possessing this gem would heal me."
Harry was quiet through this, staring at his half-cut vegetables as Draco placed the knife down.
"I just wondered… if you have it in one of the Ministry's storages."
"No…" Harry smiled sadly, and turned to Draco. "The Ministry doesn't have it."
The past few months had been hard for the both of them, and Draco knew he had to be patient before Harry would spill any information. It was becoming easier lately with the loss of his anger, and his despair.
He reached out with a hand to gently stroke Harry's cheek, when those amazing green eyes stared into his own. "It'll be alright." He stated, although without much conviction. "The doctors said that if we find the Crystal Heart… I'll be cured. Any everything will be back to normal again."
"But a heart must be pure…" Harry sighed. "And in this day and age…"
"You seem to know a lot about the Crystal Heart."
"I do." He contemplated about revealing the information. "I've seen it before."
Draco was going to ask where and how Harry had seen it before, but the doorbell chime rang before he could get the question out, and he looked on quietly as Harry wiped his hands on a nearby dishtowel and went to answer the door.
"How are the two of you doing?" Hermione asked as he hugged Harry tightly, feeling that her best friend needed all the comfort he could get. His weariness and exhaustion was nearly tangible despite the bright weather, even though he didn't seem to be neglecting his own needs.
Harry pulled back from the hug with a smile. "Better, actually. Draco says that he doctors have found a way to heal him- an artifact, in fact." His smile grew strained at the news. "And he's been so patient with me…" Harry sighed. "It feels like I'm the one who's sick, and not him. He's taking everything so calmly."
"And that's a bad sign." Hermione guessed, and watched as Harry nodded.
The heard Draco's footsteps coming from the kitchen, and Harry immediately smiled again, pushing up his new and stylish glasses that Draco had gotten for him. He hadn't wanted to give up on his glasses (as he had felt strange without them) so Draco had agreed for Harry not to use the vision correction potion as long as he was the one to choose the glasses- and for Harry to burn those old, thick, black-framed monstrosity that he had worn before.
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked suddenly as they both settled down on a couch opposite each other, with Draco perched at the arm of Harry's couch. The blonde boy greeted the brown-haired witch with a nod, and Hermione barely managed a polite smile in return. She visited them enough that she knew Draco wouldn't bother with further greeting.
"Oh, he's busy babysitting Amy." Hermione replied casually, realizing that she still hadn't given them what she had brought. "Oh! Here's the codegem that you needed, Harry." She dug in her pockets before coming up with a small black box, which opened to reveal a plain looking stone. "Professor Dumbledore said that it should help you with your newest assignment."
A codegem was something that most people who worked with magical artifacts needed, as they revealed the magic flow of whatever object they're connected with, letting the user understand where booby-traps were on that object.
"Thanks." Harry accepted the gem easily. "So how is Amy?"
"A hellion, of course."
When Hermione had suffered a miscarriage with her first child four years prior, she and Ron had decided that they would adopt a child instead, as Hermione had been more affected by the miscarriage than anyone had expected. Ron didn't want to risk his wife's mentality through another pregnancy, and had suggested that they adopt Amy, the child of Blaise and Parvati, whom had been died during the war with Voldemort. Amy was a stubborn child, but had been much loved after being accepted into the Weasley family. Harry went to see her as often as he could, as he could relate to her not only about being an orphan, but being adopted in such a large Weasley family suddenly as well.
"I'm glad that she's lively." Draco mused, watching Harry conjure up some tea. He loved watching Harry do magic, especially when it was wandless. It fascinated him like nothing else ever does, although it could be chalked up to the fact that he loved watching Harry in general.
"So am I. She's much too cynical for a child her age."
Hermione accepted a cup of tea from Harry graciously, and looked to Draco. "She's been worried about you, Draco. I think she has a crush on you."
"Well, then. She has good taste." Draco grinned as Harry elbowed him in the ribs to shush him.
"But she loves Harry as well and wants you to be happy."
Harry looked down as Draco's expression sobered, his pale hands resting lightly on Harry's shoulder as he admitted, "Happiness isn't exactly something I can feel as of the moment."
"But Harry said that the doctors found something…" Hermione glanced at Harry.
"They said that I could be cured with the Crystal Heart."
Hermione's eyes widened, and she stared at Draco in shock. She dared a glance at Harry, who was staring down into his cup impassively, allow his long, dark fringe to hide any expression he might have had on. Draco looked puzzled at her reaction, which could be why he had said that at all.
She set down her cup on the coffee table. "Is that what the doctors said?" she wanted to confirm.
"Yes." Draco tilted his head. "Why do people get quiet whenever I mention it?"
Seeing that Harry wasn't going to answer anytime soon, Hermione took the initiative, growing bolder when Harry excused himself into the kitchen. "Te Crystal Heart isn't something that's well known… in fact, I'm surprised that your doctors know about this. The only reason that I know is because I helped Harry research on it two years ago. The Ministry had assigned him to find out what the Crystal Heart is. All people knew was that it brings great happiness… and heals just about anything. The stone is legendary, and virtually unheard of."
"It doesn't explain why both you and Harry are so touchy about the subject."
Hermione sighed, wondering how she was going to explain this one to Draco. "I'm not surprised that Harry hadn't told you about the Crystal Heart… it had been classified information when he worked on it… and now I don't think that he wanted any memories brought up. It took me a long time to actually get the story from Harry, and even so there are so many holes that I don't quiet understand it all. But he had a bad experience with the Crystal Heart. He saw something… that I don't think he was meant to see."
Draco risked a glance at the glass door that separated this room from the kitchen, watching as Harry busied himself about the counter with lunch. "He hasn't told me anything about it…"
"It was classified. And when the information could finally be revealed, you got sick. I don't think he wanted to burden you with the knowledge that had haunted him."
"But if he knew about the Crystal Heart… researched on its healing properties, then he should have added it as cure. He should have told me about it…" it bothered Draco that Harry had withheld a potential cure from him, especially when they were so desperate for a counter-curse.
"I don't think it ever crossed Harry's mind as a cure… and even if it did, the Crystal Heart is… hard to obtain."
"If Harry's seen it before, it can't be that hard to find. But he said that the Ministry doesn't have the Crystal Heart. I don't understand what it's supposed to be…"
Hermione smiled. "Harry's right. The Ministry doesn't have the Crystal Heart. People have the Crystal Heart. The gem is supposed to be a manifestation of love… symbolism, if you will."
"I don't even know how it looks like…"
"I don't either." Hermione's smile faltered. "Don't you think it's ironic that the incurable disease would be cured from the Crystal Heart? Love above all. That's so overrated."
"Actually, it would figure. Irony has always been shitty." Draco took a sip from his tea. "But if the Crystal Heart is so wonderful, why are you and Harry so worried about it?"
"We're not worried-"
"Yes, you are. What's so secretive about this, anyway?"
Hermione looked down. "That's not for me to tell."
It was night time before the subject came up again, as Draco stared up at the black ceiling, his head nested comfortably on his pillow. Grey eyes flickered as he heard Harry shut the door to the bathroom, and footsteps muffled by the thick carpeting.
There was a pause when Harry approached the bed.
"You're not going to finidh the book you were reading?" Harry asked casually, as he took off his glasses and set it on the drawer. Both of them were prone to nightmares, and often woke up only because of the shattering of something fragile they had accidentally knocked over.
"I think I'll save the happily ever after for tomorrow." Draco turned his head to look at Harry, eyes taking in the white cotton pajamas. It contrasted perfectly with Harry's tanned skin, the back of his neck sprinkled with freckles because of his prolonged exposure to the sun. His raven locks and hints of dark auburn highlights in it, which Draco could spend hours looking for. The pale man watched as Harry went through his nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. He would set his glasses on the drawer, run a hand through his ever messy hair, and then pick up a book to read before actually climbing into bed and getting under the covers. Draco watched as Harry stretched his legs into the coverlet, and reached to turn on the lamplight, and then turn off the overhead lights before sitting up against the headboard of the bed and charming the words of the book so it would be easier for him to read.
All of that was so normal that draco didn't want to interrupt, didn't want to disrupt the calm and normal procedures, and he wanted the question to wait another day.
But what if he couldn't wait another day?
"Harry?" Draco watched as those green eyes lifted from the book and looked at him, a smile ready on Harry's lips as he made a questioning noise in response.
"How did you find the Crystal Heart?"
The smile disappeared immediately, and Harry's eyes widened slightly before he relaxed and closed his book, remembering to dog-ear his page first. "I'm guessing that Hermione told you about the research that I had... What do you want to know?"
He had a million questions. "Everything you're willing to tell me."
Harry took his time to think up where to start talking, burrowing down into the blankets and into Draco's open arms. The lamplight was bright against the darkness of the room, casting long shadows in corners that made the atmosphere more surreal as Harry began his narrative.
"It was over three years ago, actually... before Hermione adopted Amy and when she really needed something to occupy her mind. The Ministry had given her leave because of everything that had happened to her. I had been assigned to find information on the Crystal Heart, because I had discovered its legend by accident. I had shown Hermione the parchment I found on it, and she was just as interested as me. The Ministry found out that I knew about it, and assigned me to uncover all the information about the Crystal Heart as I could. One of the people I had been assigned to interview was Joey Valasquez."
"The guy that you had been talking about? With that horrible wife?"
"He's the one. He was the great-grandson of one of the authors of the parchment that I had found, and I figured that he might have harbored some more information."
"Doesn't explain why you kept ranting about that shewd wife he had."
Harry smacked him lightly on the chest. "Am I going to tell this or not? Besides... I didn't really rant about her that much, did I?"
"Only all the time, love." Draco smirked as Harry hesitated. "But continue, please."
Harry rolled his eyes, but continued talking about how he got to befriend the person he was interviewing, and how he kept Hermione occupied with the research. he told about meeting Lisa Pendero, and how she spurned the love that Joey held for her. She was one of the more beautiful women that he had met, but she had a demeanor and heart colder than ice and harder than stone. He told about how she had gotten sick, and Joey had done his best to take care of her despite all the cutting remarks she gave him.
"I didn't know what I could do. Joey had given me enough hints that he knew exactly what the Crystal Heart was... and where to find it. But he wouldn't tell me anything directly. Hermione had already found out all there was to find about the Crystal Heart without seeing it herself. There was just too limited information on it. It felt like I was stuck in a dead end, only that there was a hidden doorway somewhere that I couldn't see."
Harry sighed, and Draco only tightened his embrace on the other man, feeling Harry's arms wrapping around his own waist. He waited patiently for Harry to gather those memories, knowing that he had never pried before because he knew that Harry's research was classified. But he remembered having felt extremely frustrated before because of that, because he had known that Harry had been burdened those months and not being able to pry.
"But in the end," Harry continued a few minutes later, allowing himself time to regain his composure. "The mediwizards declared that they couldn't head Lisa… and Joey had gotten desperate. And…" Harry's eyes grew distant. "I saw it."
"The Heart?"
"Yes… I don't know if I was meant to see it… but it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The Crystal Heart healed Lisa, of course… but she took it, and ran off with it."
"So she has the Crystal Heart?" Draco asked quietly. "We have to find her?"
"I doubt we can. I've looked… she's disappeared."
"We'll look harder for her now."
Harry shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. The Heart wouldn't respond to anyone if it was forcibly taken. If she wants to hide with the gem, she won't be found."
"Then we can ask Joey where she is."
"We can't do that either." Before Draco could ask why, Harry supplied, "He died."
It felt like all the doors had been slammed into his face before he even knew their existence. It was the least he could do to know what the Heart looked like, since he couldn't stop looking despite all the putdowns that Harry had given him in the last few moments.
"What… what does the Heart look like?"
Harry settled his head on Draco's chest, remembering things that he'd sworn never to forget. The beautiful red staining everything he could see, the shine and glimmer of the crystalline matter as it came into being. The look of love that Joey had given Lisa, and the beautiful deep red.
"It's… small." Harry started. "But big enough to fit snuggly into a person's palm. It's the deepest red, the color of hidden passion and love… and it shines brighter than the sun on a summer day. The crystal is perfectly cut… the embodiment of love."
"It sounds wonderful." Draco whispered, trying to envision it in his mind.
"It is." Harry confirmed. "It is. But… never mind." He trailed off and closed his eyes, leaving Draco awake to contemplate and process what Harry had said.
Authoress's Rambling: This is the first part of a two-parter. If anyone's read Demon Diary, I'm just taking the concept of the Crystal Heart from that and putting altering it a little to fit this story. If anyone thinks that Draco and Harry are OOC, you might be right. But Draco is losing his ability to feel, and Harry's been emotionally drained for eight months. That would make both of them pretty mellow, I'd imagine...
Anyway. After this story, I'm going back to working on my two long series that I've been putting off.. ^^;;
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