What Sarah Says

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Harry/Draco

A/n: Oh it has been a while hasn't it? I've just dug this up from the dark reassess of my hard drive and figured it was worth posting. Not too sure how I feel about this one- mostly the ending- as always all mistakes are mine please point them out so I can fix them and I am always grateful for feedback!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything had just happened too damn fast- he'd just reacted and now-now he looked down at the pale boy lying on the wet floor.

Harry couldn't breathe. Draco was bleeding, the water he lay in turned red- and Harry couldn't breathe. He just stood and watched the red spread across the floor, and watched Draco heaving chest, grey eyes wide.

Harry forced himself to move, to do something other than watch Draco die. This shouldn't be happening- he'd just been trying to protect himself- what the hell had he done?

He knelt in water at Draco's side. His hands shook, as he lifted Draco shoulders out of the cold red water. The worst of the damage was high on Draco's chest- that's where most of the blood was coming from.

Harry pulled his robed over his head. His mind raced. He needed to stop the damn bleeding- so much blood, and it wasn't stopping. Harry dragged Draco's limp body close to his, Draco's back to his chest, and pressed his robes hard against the other boy's chest- anything to make it stop.

"Please, just let him not die- not like this," Harry thought, he'd focused so hard on the task at hand that he almost didn't notice Draco move.

He'd turned his head in Harry's neck, and closed his eyes the long lashes brushing tan skin, "Let me go," said Draco speaking very carefully his words deliberate.

Harry's head snapped up, "What are you crazy? I'm trying to save you- I just- there's so much blood- and-"

"Shhh- it's okay- let me go it would be better that way- for you- for me-"

Harry looked down at Draco. He didn't know what to say- what could he say to that?

They were quite.

"No," said Harry.

"No?"

"No- I'm not going to let you die- just no- absolutely fucking no-you have to be okay- you're just- you just have to be okay-okay? You can't die- you just can't."

"I didn't know it was your choice," said Draco into his neck, his eyes still closed, "and I think you're fighting a losing battle."

"Then shut up and let me keep fighting," Harry snapped.

Draco laughed a little, winced, and leaned into Harry letting him take his weight. Harry kept the pressure steady- and started to think Draco had been right, he had no idea what to do- but if he didn't do something Draco would die.

Panic started to take hold again- his mind racing trying to find something- anything that might help.

"You were right- by the way. For whatever it matters," said Draco.

"Huh? I was right? About what?"

"About me."

"What about you?" asked Harry.

"God- you really aren't very intelligent are you?" said Draco annoyed, "haven't you been stalking me all year trying to figure out if I'm up to something? And here I am telling you- yes Potter you were right- again. The evil Malfoy is up to something- how unexpected."

"You're- wait are you trying to distract me? You are aren't you- damn it Draco- you are going to die."

"I've realized. But maybe Potter this isn't exactly the worst way to go- I can think of a lot worse ways to die then in the arms of pretty boy-hopelessly trying to save your life- can't you?"

"You- what? You think I'm pretty- what the- why are you telling me this."

Draco turned and looked up at Harry. His eyes a cool and clear grey, a small sad smile pulled at his lips, "because I'm dying- why not?"

"I told you before you can't die right now. I'm not going to let you-"

Draco cut him off, "I don't blame you- we can make it look like suicide it you want."

"NO! No one dying. Not today, not right now, you can't die Malfoy you just can't."

"So you've said, is there any reason in particular that it is completely necessary for me to keep breathing?"

His voice was fading. Draco was almost out of time- and he didn't seem to concerned with this. His head tilted back against Harry's shoulder, his blond hair wet and streaked with red, he reclined in Harry's arms- like this is where he wanted to be, not like he was in the arms of his long time school rival bleeding out on a bathroom floor.

"Can you do something for me?" asked Draco, voice a whisper.

"Yes-" Harry answered immediately without thinking, "anything."

"Anything? You should be more careful what you say Potter- so trusting. Kiss me."

"What?"

"I said kiss me Potter."

Harry was still him mouth open, and looked at Draco. He was dying. Harry couldn't do anything- Draco was going to die, in this bathroom in his arms, right now- and it was going to be his fault-all his fault.

He kissed Draco.

He pulled the boy so close, and held him tight and warm against him and kissed him. A kiss full on pain, and anguish, apology and frustration. Draco matched him, for as long as he could, lip on lip moving and full of good bye. Harry kissed Draco.

That's when he heard it. There were footsteps in the hall. Harry screamed. His voice reverberated off the walls and echoed back at him- the footsteps came faster, pounding towards the normally unused girl's bathroom.

Harry didn't stop- even when he voice started to give and then the door swung open. Snape stood silhouetted in the door, his dark robes swirled around his legs.

And then things moved so fast- a blur of colors and motion and words and Harry felt that while everything around him blurred and sped up - he wasn't moving at all.

Snape surged into the room, and there'd been shouting and Harry'd only said, "Just don't let him die- please just don't let him die- I don't care just don't let him die."

Snape didn't.

His methods far more effective than trying to stop the bleeding with a robe and Harry watched the wounds start to stitch themselves back together. The bleeding stopped; and Snape pulled himself up to his full and impressive height and rounded on Harry.

"You-" he hissed, beetle black eye narrowed to slits, before he could continue Draco spoke.

"It wasn't him you know," he muttered his grey eyes barely open his breathing heavy and labored, "it wasn't him."

Snape wasted no more time, he glared hard and Harry and lifted Draco out of the inch or so of now deep red water turned on his heel and swept from the room the door swinging wildly behind him.

Harry stood hands slack at his sides, cold, wet and covered in Draco's blood. His first coherent thought was that god did he hope Draco would be okay, his second was HA! I was right- that git is up to something and the third; bloody fucking hell I kissed the ferret- willingly.

It was extremely late when Harry managed to sneak down to the hospital wing- today felt like it had been at least a week long. It was hard to believe that it had only been this morning he'd eaten breakfast in the great hall with Ron and Hermione like a normal person. Ron had eaten enough to feed a small army- Hermione had been buried in a book and Harry's biggest worry had been his potions homework and what Malfoy was up to.

And now that had all been turned sideways and Harry suddenly found that he didn't care about what Malfoy was up to in the slightest- all that mattered was that he kept breathing.

It had been a long time since Harry found the hospital wing at night to be an eerie place- he'd spend far too many nights here for the long shadowed room to still spook him. Moon light poured in the tall windows lining one wall and allowing him to easily pick his way across the room. Draco lay in the only occupied bed in the middle of the room. Harry approached slowly, eyes on the cracked door of Madame Pomfry's office.

"Muffliato" He whispered. He stood next to Draco's bed- he was asleep.

Grey eyes opened, Draco's gaze steady.

"Why am I not surprised to see you," he said somewhat fondly.

Harry sat on the edge of the bed, "you didn't die," he said.

Draco smile ruefully, "I didn't die."

"I'm glad."

"Well that makes one of us," said Draco.

Harry's brow creased, "what?"

Draco shook his head, corn silk hair spreading across his pillow, "nothing, don't worry yourself over it Potter."

There was a beat of silence, "I kissed you," said Harry.

Draco laughed. Threw his head back and laughed, "Yes, you did."

"Only because you told me to and you were dying," said Harry defensively, "but then you didn't die."

"Well, you did say you would do anything I asked- and I'm pretty sure I was the only one convinced that I was dying. You seemed to think you were going to save me."

"And you're up to something."

Draco's smile fell, "I did say that didn't I- you know it really would have been best for the both of us if you'd just let me die- the whole situation was perfect- I would get out of what I have to do- you won't have to deal with the aftermath and I wouldn't cause problems for my family since it wouldn't have been my fault I died. Really- now it just going to be a mess."

"What is?"

"Well I can't exactly tell you can I- I'd get in far too much trouble for it's worth," Draco brushed his bangs from his eyes, "but I will tell you this- when Dumbledore asks you to leave the castle with him you need to do three things. First tell him it's a bad night and that any other night would be better- if that doesn't work and it won't- find a way to warn your order that something is happening- and thirdly tell your D.A to keep all students in their dorms- that's important- I don't want anyone to die."

"What?"

"That's all I'm telling you Potter- and if you tell anyone I'll lie and they will believe me. Take what I can give you."

Harry nodded, "okay."

"Good."

Harry stood, "I should go back- I'm glad you're alive and- well thanks for the heads up I guess..."

"Not a problem,"

He turned to go, "Hold on a second-"

Harry turned back to Draco, who'd pulled himself up, "Yeah?" asked Harry.

And then Draco kissed him- quick and hard and then pushed him away, "Go to bed Potter."

And Harry stood dumbstruck, before walking dazed towards the door while Draco settled back in the narrow bed.

That had been so long ago- so much had changed in the year following. And Now Harry was once again trying to save Draco's life- Ron screamed for him to just leave him but he refused- he couldn't- Draco wasn't allowed to die.

And when they tumbled to the floor in a mess of limbs, he pulled him close and whispered to him, "I thought I told you, you weren't allowed to die."

And Draco clung tightly to him, "I didn't know I needed your permission- but I'll keep that in mind."

They stood and before Harry rushed off to try and save the world for the last time, he looked Draco right in the eyes, "you had better be alive when this is done or I will never forgive you-"

And Draco pushed on his shoulder, "I'll do my best not to die in your absence- now go save us all."

Harry pulled him close, just to hold him- and turned and walked away. Leaving Draco standing in the middle of the hall, very determined not to die anytime soon. And after the battle- when everyone stood in shock Harry found Draco,

"You didn't die," he said.

"You told me not too."