Chapter 14
'When moonlight crawls along the street, chasing away the summer heat, footsteps outside somewhere below, the world revolves, I let it go. The candy sweetness scent of you, it bathes my skin I'm stained by you, and all I have to do is hold you, there's a racing in my heart, I am barely touching you. Turn the lights down low, take it off, let me show, my love for you, insatiable. Turn me on, never stop, wanna taste every drop. My love for you insatiable. The moonlight plays upon your skin, a kiss that lingers takes me in. I fall asleep beside you, there are no words, there's only truth. Breathe in, breathe out, there is no sound. We move together up and down, we levitate, our bodies soar, our feet don't even touch the floor. And nobody knows you like I do, the world doesn't understand, but I grow stronger in your hands. We never sleep, we're always holdin' hands, kissin' for hours, talkin', makin' plans. I feel like a better man, just being in the same room. We never sleep there's just so much to do, too much to say, can't close my eyes when I'm with you. Insatiable the way I'm loving you. Turn the lights down low, take it off, let me show, my love for you, insatiable. Turn me on, never stop, wanna taste every drop. My love for you insatiable.' "Insatiable" Darren Hayes
The moment couldn't have been more perfect – they were alone in a room lit only by candles; it was the most romantic setting Harry could have imagined, and he wished it would never end. They broke apart eventually, but very reluctantly.
"Your cut – it's healed!" Draco said, awed. "That's amazing! I knew it would heal quickly, but wow, that's incredible!"
"Draco, earlier today, why did you stop me?"
"I didn't think you would want to if you knew... I still don't think I'm worthy."
"Not worthy? Draco, if there's someone not worthy in this room, it's me. You think that just because your father sired me, that erases six years of you saving my life while I was a total prat? Draco, I'm lucky you're still here."
"Okay, we're both lucky that we're here, and let's just leave it at that."
"Okay. Draco, I meant what I said earlier. That spell was amazing."
Draco was silent.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," Draco said, but he evaded Harry's eyes, and began picking up the materials from the spell.
"You're lying," Harry countered.
"Fine. Goyle is an idiot. He couldn't control his way out of a paper bag. I may have seemed powerful tonight, but I'm not. And I need to be for this. I have to summon my father, the most powerful man I know – and keep him under my power long enough to break the curse on you. I don't think I can do it. He taught me everything I know, and that's only a fraction of what he knows."
"Did he teach you the spell you did tonight?"
"Of course not. That's a very specific spell, constructed for exactly this purpose. That's why we could summon Goyle, despite the protective barriers on Hogwarts. He didn't Apparate – he didn't do anything. Part of the spell was just a more sophisticated version of the summoning charm we learned in fourth year Charms. It was constructed specifically for vampires, because they're the only being that you can summon without attracting attention – how much attention can mist attract, after all? No, if I had known this spell before, our lives would have been a lot easier lately."
"Exactly. You looked at that spell a day ago, and you mastered it. That gives you two advantages over your father. One, he doesn't know this spell, which makes it harder for him to block or resist. Two, you're powerful enough to read a complicated spell and do it flawlessly the next day."
"But, Harry, I'm so tired now. I can barely stand up."
And as Harry looked at him, he realized that Draco was considerably paler than usual, and he looked very weak and tired.
"Sit down, Draco," Harry said, suddenly very worried.
Draco didn't need to be told twice; he practically collapsed to the floor in Harry's arms.
"Draco, do I need to get Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked anxiously.
"No, I just need to sleep," he whispered, and closed his eyes.
Harry pulled off his robes, leaving only his pants and T-shirt, and he bunched it up and used it as a pillow for Draco, who was already soundly asleep.
Harry sat there for almost an hour, just watching Draco, praying that sleep really was all he needed. Finally, Harry couldn't stay awake any longer, and he laid down beside Draco, the candles still burning brightly in a protective circle around them.
Chapter 15
'And when you speak to me, I can't wait for the next word to fall out of your mouth, and when you close your eyes, I wonder what the thoughts look like you never let out. Ooooh, you make me wanna deny the world, deny the man I wanna be, deny the food that brings the energy I need, deny myself, my individuality. I have surrendered now, I only wonder how, sparks fly when our worlds collide, and I am falling at your feet. Stars shine so much brighter, you make me wanna sit right by and watch the world falling at your feet. And if losing myself means becoming a part of you, then I know I'm becoming something beautiful, too. You make me wanna be a better man, and when you walk into the room I feel the world dissolve, I fall at your feet, and when you look at me I swear the beating of my heart is about to cease. Sparks fly when our worlds collide, and I am falling at your feet. Stars shine so much brighter, you make me wanna sit right by and watch the world spin around.' "Falling at Your Feet" Darren Hayes
When Draco awoke, Harry was beside him, his head resting on Draco's chest, his shirt halfway up his torso, exposing his smooth, well-muscled stomach, and his hair tousled as ever.
Draco looked anxiously at his watch and sighed with relief – 6:30. They still had time to clean up and get back to their rooms before anyone else woke up. But Harry looked so peaceful and innocent that Draco hated to wake him. And as he looked at Harry lying there, he realized that this was the first night since this curse had started that he hadn't had nightmares – his own or Harry's. He was pretty sure that this meant that Harry hadn't had any nightmares either, which made Draco want to wake him even less, but they had to leave. It wouldn't do to have someone see them sneaking out of an empty classroom at 8:00 in the morning when they should be at breakfast. They couldn't afford to be seen together at all right now, it was too risky.
"Harry, we have to get up," he said softly. Harry jerked awake and looked around frantically for a second before his eyes came to rest on Draco.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked anxiously.
"Yeah, it was just a very advanced spell that takes a lot of power, so it drained my energy.
"It's 6:30 now, so we need to clean up and get back to our rooms before anyone notices we're gone."
"Too late," Harry muttered under his breath, but not softly enough to keep Draco from hearing. Draco whirled around to look at Harry.
"What?" he asked sharply. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing; it's just that Ron noticed me leaving to meet you that first night, and the second night, and last night."
"Did you tell him anything?" Draco asked, no longer angry so much as worried.
"No, I just told him that I couldn't tell him right now. But I am going to tell him after it's all over – after I'm cured, I mean."
"Okay." Draco blew out the candles, which had now burned down to half their size during the night. He quickly shoved everything into his bookbag, and turned to Harry.
"Ready?"
"Draco, are you mad at me?"
"No, Harry. I understand; Ron is your best friend, of course you have to tell him. And Hermione, too, of course. Just make sure they know that there was no poison involved." He looked over at Harry, and suddenly felt guilty. "We can talk about this later. We have to go now, okay?"
"Sure," Harry said coldly, and walked briskly from the classroom.
"Draco, it's good to see you again, my boy. I was worried something had happened when I came to your room and you weren't there. You never were an early morning person, but apparently you've changed." Lucius Malfoy's voice was pleasant enough, but his steel gray eyes were cold as ever.
"Father, I didn't... I wasn't expecting you so soon. Actually, I wasn't expecting you at all. I'm sorry, I was just in the library doing homework; it's due today, and I completely forgot about it."
"Of course." Lucius smiled coldly. "Regardless, you're here now, which is all that matters. You know the situation with the Potter boy, more clearly than anyone else, I suppose, so you must know that the transformation is almost complete. So we're going to stay at the Hog's Head until this blows over."
"What? Dad, you can't do that!" he cried. Then, realizing that that might sound suspicious, he added, "This is the opportunity of a lifetime! Harry Potter becoming a vampire and terrorizing the school – this is history in the making! And I'm not in any danger either, Dad. I have a mental connection with him, and I've learned how to manipulate his thoughts without him even knowing it! Come on, Dad, you can't take this away from me! This is my chance to prove myself to everyone, you, the Dark Lord, everyone at school who's underestimated me, everyone. It could be my coming-of-age; I am 17, after all, and I should be becoming a Death Eater soon. This could be – "
"Silence, Draco! You do as I tell you, and from now on, you will address me as 'sir'. Do you understand? Now go get your things and we'll leave. The excuse is that you've recently come down with the flu, and I'm taking you back to the Mansion to recover. I've already notified Dumbledore. Now, move!"
"Yes, Fa – sir," Draco said icily, but there was defeat in his voice.
Draco slowly collected his things, his mind racing. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all. This way he wouldn't have to waste all of his energy summoning his father all the way from Malfoy Mansion. Harry could use one of the secret passages he seemed to know so well and easily get to the Hog's Head. They could do the ritual late at night so that he could set up while his father was asleep, and then he would have his full energy to concentrate on making his father reverse the curse, and then they could Apparate out of the room. They wouldn't be able to Apparate to Hogwarts, of course, but they could get to the outskirts of Hogwarts, which would give them a head start on his father. And once they were in Hogwarts, all they would have to do was get to Dumbledore, tell him the whole story, and everything would be fine. In fact, this would actually be a lot easier than their alternative, which was to summon Lucius from Malfoy Mansion all the way to Hogwarts, which would be exhausting, and then try to control him.
"Harry, change of – "
"Draco! Hurry up! I want to get out of here before the others come back from breakfast!"
"Yes, father," Draco called impatiently.
"What did you say?" Lucius roared.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."
"Just hurry up!" he barked.
"Draco, what's going on?"
"There's been a small change of plans. I don't have time to get into it right now, but I'll talk to you soon. Don't worry, everything is fine. I'll talk to you soon!"
He cut off the connection and raced down the stairs.
They walked to the edge of the school grounds and then Apparated to the Hog's Head.
"I'm going to stay at the bar and talk with a few acquaintances for a short while. You go to the room and stay there. It won't do to have people seeing you running around playing when you're supposed to be deathly ill."
Draco was about to protest that he didn't 'play', he merely amused himself at Zonko's, but he took one look at his father and thought better of it.
Ten minutes later, safe in the solitude of the room he would be sharing with his father, Draco called Harry and explained the new plan.
"Are you sure? It just seems like there are too many things that aren't under our control this way. Like your father could stay out all night drinking with his buddies and decide to come back at the same time I happen to be arriving."
"I'll tell you if he isn't up here at 10:00 and we'll abort the plan."
"If he pulled you out of school, then he thinks the transformation's almost complete. What if I get summoned and bitten again instead? What if that's why he's here personally – because he's going to finish me off?"
"What could we do to prevent that even if I was there with you?" Draco snapped, getting irritated.
"We could be in a protective circle."
"Then make a circle of your own and stay inside it until I tell you to leave! Harry, it'll work, goddamn it! Quit overanalyzing and just be prepared for it!" He started to break the connection, but Harry stopped him.
"What am I going to do after I get out of Hogwarts? How do I get in your room? Even if I could get through the locked door, I won't be inside the circle, and your father could wake up and hex me."
"Harry, you huge prat! First of all, you could get through the door with no problem. Even if I didn't leave it unlocked for you, which I would if we needed the door, you could use 'Alohamora'. But none of that matters because once you're out of Hogwarts, you can Apparate into the room!"
"Not everyone knows how to Apparate, Draco. It's not exactly a common skill for underage wizards, you know."
"Yes, and I also know that you're not exactly a common underage wizard, and I know that you do know how to Apparate."
"Oh. How did you know I could -- "
"I can read your mind, remember?"
"Oh, yeah."
"It will work, Harry. Have I let you down since this whole thing started? Even once?"
"Well, there was the time you fell asleep in the library..."
"Harry! You know what I mean! Have I ever been wrong about anything important this whole time?"
"No." Harry sighed deeply. "You're right, Draco. I trust you."
"Okay, then. I have some preparations to make, so I'll talk to you later. Oh, and if you don't hear from me earlier, leave Hogwarts at 10:30, okay?"
"Okay." Harry didn't ask why he might not hear from Draco – he didn't really want to know. Something felt very wrong with this plan, and it worried him.
"Harry?" Harry jumped and glanced around.
It was Saturday, and everyone else was outside enjoying one of the first warm days of spring. But Ron had entered the dorm again without Harry even noticing.
"Harry, what's up? It's like you went somewhere else. You were still here physically, but, I don't know... I guess it was just me." Ron sat down beside Harry on his bed. "So, do you want to talk yet?"
"Draco, I must give you credit. You are far more intelligent than I ever hoped. It's such a shame that you chose to use your talents this way."
"I don't understand, sir," Draco said, staring up at his father.
"The Death Eaters may not be the most competent group, but for every single plan to crumble in front of our eyes is just too suspicious. We've known for a long time that it was someone on the inside, and Wormtail caught you snooping several times in a row, so I was forced to consider you a suspect. We devised a new plan to test your loyalties, to see if it was really you. Honestly, Draco, did you really think that we would perform such an advanced telepathic spell and not monitor it at all?"
"Who's been monitoring it? Voldemort?" Draco couldn't resist asking.
"Don't be silly, boy. You and the Potter boy are nuisances, certainly, but the Dark Lord can't be troubled with the likes of you. So, I volunteered. Thank god, I couldn't hear all of your thoughts; I heard everything when you two were in each other's minds, talking or just observing dreams and memories, but nothing else. Really, Draco, I just don't understand. Where did I go wrong?"
"Can you hear this? FUCK YOU, DAD!!!" Draco thought, loud and clear.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Harry's voice jumped into Draco's head, and suddenly Draco felt the power of his father's mind in his, pushing Harry out.
"Well, we can't have that, can we? Finite Incantatem," he growled. Draco was silent for a moment, wondering if his father's spell had worked or not. He didn't feel any different, but that didn't necessarily mean anything, and he didn't dare try to communicate with Harry. If it hadn't worked, he wanted to keep it that way without his father's knowledge.
"Now, we've got a lot of work to do before tonight," Lucius said with a cold smile.
Chapter 16
'I wanted to be like you, I wanted everything, so I tried to be like you, and I got swept away. I didn't know that it was so cold, and you needed someone to show you the way. So I took your hand and we figured out that when the tide comes I'd take you away. If you want to, I can save you, I can take you away from here, so lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cares. I'm sinking slowly, so hurry hold me, your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on. Please can you tell me, so I can finally see where you go when you're gone. If you want to, I can save you, I can take you away from here, so lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cares.' "All You Wanted" Michelle Branch
"Harry, what just happened?" Ron was staring at Harry, bewildered. They had been discussing when exactly Harry's two days were up (Harry maintained he had until midnight, but Ron said before dinner), and Harry had suddenly gone ghostly pale and stopped talking in the middle of his sentence, doing his far-away look again. He sat there in silence for a minute, and then he gasped and suddenly he was back.
"Harry?" Ron was suddenly very worried; it was like Harry had gone into a trance.
Harry thought for a long moment and then said quietly, "I think my two days just went up, Ron. Go get Hermione, and we'll talk."
"Harry, I can't believe you didn't tell us! Did you really think we would think differently of you? Harry, you're our best friend – no matter what."
"Good, because there's more. A lot more, actually, but we won't get into all of that now. So, Draco's been helping me, and we performed the first part of the spell last night, and all that's left is the part with Draco's father, but he came to get Draco this morning, supposedly because he wants Draco to be safe from me. Draco was planning to carry on, and have me go through the Honeydukes passage and do the spell in their room. But then just about ten minutes ago, he said really loudly, 'Can you hear this? Fuck you, Dad!' and when I tried to find out what was going on, somebody pushed me out of his mind."
"Are you sure it wasn't Draco?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"I'm positive. Believe me, over the past week I've gotten really familiar with Draco's way of pushing me out of his mind, and I can stop him. But this person was much too powerful for me to even try to fight, and when I felt his mind, it was evil. Pure evil."
"Voldemort?" Ron guessed.
"No, I would have felt that in my scar. I think it was Lucius. I think he found out about Draco helping me, and he's here to put a stop to it."
"Have you tried contacting Draco since this happened?" Hermione inquired. Harry shook his head. "I think you should. Maybe it was all just a mistake or something. We should make sure before we go charging in and blowing Draco's cover."
Harry reached out with his mind, just trying to sense Draco's mind, not even talk to him. He thought he felt Draco's mind, but all he got was a small glimmer. If that really was Draco's mind he was sensing, it was heavily blocked.
"I can't reach him."
Hermione and Ron looked at Harry, surprised to see that he was near tears.
"Harry, is there something you're not telling us?" Ron asked.
'Just that not only am I Draco's friend, I'm in love with him, too, and now he might die because of me,' Harry thought miserably, but he only shook his head.
"No, I just feel so horrible about all of this. All Draco was trying to do was help me, and now he's in danger."
"Harry, did you ever consider that maybe ..." Hermione broke off, looking scared.
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe Draco was lying to you," Ron finished for her. "Maybe he hasn't really been protecting you for Dumbledore. Maybe he was counting on your trusting nature, and your fear of being killed if anyone else found out. Maybe this 'kidnapping' thing is just a hoax, a way for them to get to you."
"Then why would he do the spell last night? Why would he erase what they had already done? I was fully under their control; they could've bitten me three times no problem, and without Draco I wouldn't have even known what happened until it was too late."
"Maybe it was to deepen the pain – give you a taste of betrayal to make it even worse," Ron suggested, but even he was beginning to lack conviction.
"Then why not do it last night? I was there because I trusted Draco, I would've been under their control, and it would have been so easy. Why lure me out of school? They can't even be sure I'll come this time. It's just so illogical for them not to have done it last night if Draco was part of it. So, we can do this together, or I can do this alone," Harry finished irritably.
"We don't have time to verify Draco's story with Dumbledore, because if we do, we'll spend hours explaining, and we won't finish this in time. I think Draco's in trouble, and I won't waste any more time."
"Alright. We need a plan, then," Hermione said.
"Draco, really, I don't understand. I mean, it's bad enough that you're working against the Dark Lord, but to fall in love with the number one enemy? Draco, I ... I don't even know what to say."
"What about you, Dad? How long have you been a vampire?"
"Two weeks. The Dark Lord needed someone powerful to infect the Potter boy."
"So you volunteered, of course. That's a new level of evil even for you, Dad. And putting a tap on my mind? Really, I didn't think even you were capable of that!"
"Don't lecture me, Draco. I may not agree with what you've done – in fact, you disgust me, but you're still my son, and you will treat me with respect."
"Go to hell."
Lucius slapped Draco hard across the face, and blood began trickling down Draco's chin from his split lip.
"Set up your circle," Lucius commanded.
"Why? Aren't you just going to kill us anyway?"
"Of course not. What use would you be then? No, the original plan stands. I'll finish the boy's transformation, and then since you two care so deeply about each other, you can be his first. Victim, that is," Lucius said with a wicked smile. "It will be the Dark Lord's greatest triumph – the Potter boy going around terrorizing everyone, and my son with him. At least there's a way for you to redeem yourself from this terrible fiasco you've created. Of course, he'll be starving for blood, so I can't guarantee that he won't kill you. Actually, he may die before he even realizes he's a vampire. Most humans are too weak to handle the change. It takes a very powerful wizard to become a vampire. But if he dies, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. We'll simply move on to you.
"You know, I'm still amazed at your audacity in this whole matter. Did you really think that you could control me? I made you the wizard you are today, which is hardly something I can say I'm proud of. But seriously, Draco, summoning spell or not, you're no match for me," Lucius taunted Draco as he slowly set up the candles.
"Okay, guys, I'll meet you up there. It's room 19. Be careful, okay?"
"Harry, what are you talking about? Why would you get there first?"
"I'm Apparating," Harry explained, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and the words had barely left his mouth and he was gone.
"When did he learn to Apparate?" Ron asked, staring dumbfounded after Harry.
Harry appeared in the middle of the circle just as Draco set down the last candle. Harry's eyes darted around the room, taking everything in. He immediately yanked Draco into the circle.
"Start the spell!"
Lucius laughed. "You silly child! He has no power over me, and neither do you." He strode over to the circle, grabbed Draco's arm, and yanked him out, throwing him halfway across the room. Harry started to run over to him, but thought better of it.
"Oh, Harry, do you really think that circle means anything? Let's quit playing around. Come drink – you know you want to. Can't you feel the evil in your blood? It's your destiny, Harry. We all know that's what the prophecy said – that you would be the most powerful Dark wizard in the entire world. This is the first step to your future – embrace your destiny."
"Go to hell!"
Lucius laughed. "Maybe you two are right for each other, after all. You and Draco are rather similar – you could have made such good friends, so powerful, a team to rival the Dark Lord. But instead you corrupted my son, took him over to the other side, and made him betray his own flesh and blood. And for that, Harry, you will pay. You will pay with blood, the blood of all of your friends, your family, and everyone you've spent so long trying to protect. Come to me."
Harry walked slowly out of the circle and over to Lucius.
"Good. Now drink."
"Why don't you? How about some holy water?" Harry looked straight into Lucius' eyes and pulled a water bottle from his robes and threw it straight into his eyes.
Lucius howled and cringed away from Harry, who immediately rushed over to Draco.
"I'm fine," Draco said as Harry bent over him. "He's bluffing about the circle. He can't go inside it. He thought he would be able to, and it would work to his advantage, enhance his power, but he was wrong. If we get back there and stay in it we'll be safer."
Harry grabbed Draco's arm and slung it over his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. Lucius was beginning to recover, and they had to hurry.
"Can you still do the spell?" Harry whispered anxiously.
"Yeah."
Draco pulled a piece of parchment from his robes, skimmed over it, and began reading.
"Obedezca comandanes alames. Consuma." Draco's voice rang through the room, echoing with power.
It was obvious that Lucius was fighting the spell, and he was beginning to win.
"Harry, I can't keep it up," Draco whispered.
Without even knowing why, Harry reached over and grabbed Draco's hand. The second they touched, Harry felt a huge jolt of power run through him, and Draco nearly fell over from the rush of power that ran through him.
"Drink, now," he commanded.
Harry grabbed the dagger by his feet and handed it to Draco, who cut a small slit on Harry's wrist with his free hand. By then Lucius had reached them and as Harry held out his wrist, Lucius bent and drank.
Hermione and Ron stopped in the doorway and watched the scene before them unfold. Harry grabbed Draco's hand and even where she was standing, Hermione could feel a burst of power, and for a second, their clasped hands glowed a light blue.
"I'm definitely getting the feeling that Harry didn't tell us everything," Ron whispered to Hermione as they watched.
When Draco finally commanded Lucius to stop drinking, Hermione walked forward.
"Well, we're here, if that even means anything," Ron said lightly, but there was a slightly bitter undercurrent in his voice.
"What do we do now?" Harry asked.
"Now we kill him," Draco said, pulling a wooden stake from his bag.
"Draco, you can't be serious! He's your father!" Hermione said, looking over at Lucius, who was sitting on the bed, still under Draco's control.
"No, he's not my father. He's a demon inhabiting my father's body. A demon that tried to kill Harry. Do you really want him running around as a vampire?"
"Well, no. I wasn't all that crazy about him before he became a demon," Hermione said anxiously. "But still, shouldn't we ask someone?"
"Who? I'm his son!" Draco snapped.
"Perhaps me," a deep gravelly voice spoke from the doorway. Professor Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, and he looked quite angry.
Chapter 17
'I've got to be honest, I think you know, we're covered in lies and that's OK. There's somewhere beyond this, I know, but I hope I can find the words to say, never again, no, no, never again. 'Cause you're a god, and I am not, and I just thought that you would know. You're a god, and I am not, and I just thought I'd let you go. But I've been unable to put you down, I'm still learning things I ought to know by now. It's under the table so I need something more to show somehow.' "You're a God" Vertical Horizon
"All of you, wait downstairs for me. Draco, Harry, you can end the spell now."
They dropped each other's hands, which until now neither had realized that they were still holding, and the room seemed suddenly dim.
The four students walked down the stairs slowly, trying to listen to what was happening, but they needn't have worried. A few moments after they left the room, they heard a triumphant laugh, followed by a gasp of surprise, which was immediately followed by a shriek of agony.
Seconds later Dumbledore was walking down the stairs towards them.
"Professor, I'm sorry," Draco began, but Dumbledore silenced him with a look.
"Tomorrow. Right now, we are going through the Honeydukes passage and then to bed. We will deal with everything tomorrow."
"Draco?" Harry thought tentatively. It was 1:00 in the morning, and Harry couldn't sleep for worry. He wanted to talk to Draco, but he couldn't reach him. Mr. Malfoy must have done something to end the spell, Harry knew, but somehow he couldn't make himself believe it. He had thought that the bond that he and Draco had forged had run deeper than magic, but apparently not. He rolled over yet again, and finally he fell asleep.
The next day directly after dinner, they were all four summoned to Dumbledore's office.
"Explain yourselves," he said quietly.
So Draco started the tale, letting Harry fill in where it was needed. Hermione and Ron sat in silence, content to listen to the story and have the gaps filled in.
"And you two?" Dumbledore asked when Harry and Draco were finished.
"We really didn't do anything other than watch," Ron said honestly.
"Well, you are all lucky to be alive. That was powerful magic you were playing with and a very powerful vampire. But you are all safe, and you truly handled things very well. So, as long as this incident remains our secret, you will not be punished."
"Professor, if I may ask, how did you know where to find us, or even that we needed finding?" Harry asked timidly.
"Professor Lupin heard the three of you going down the secret passage, and informed me immediately. Thankfully, he managed to overhear what room, or I wouldn't have had a clue where to go once I got out of the passage. So, is everything finished – all of your spells and sneaking out? Can I trust you to go back to your rooms and behave?"
They nodded silently – this was the angriest any of them had ever seen Dumbledore. Harry had a feeling that it wasn't so much because they had broken the rules as because Dumbledore had been completely in the dark about it the whole time.
They walked out of Dumbledore's office in silence, and when Draco parted ways with them to go to his dorm, he didn't even say goodbye.
Immediately, Ron and Hermione began interrogating him.
"Harry, what else happened with Draco? There was totally something weird going on between the two of you!"
"Let's wait until we get back to Gryffindor Tower," Harry said resignedly.
When they had reached Gryffindor and given the Fat Lady the password, ignoring her incessant questions about where they had all been last night, they sat down by the fire.
Harry sighed.
"Okay, I know keeping you guys in the dark about this whole thing was wrong, and I'm sorry. I was scared that you would think I was evil, and be disgusted by me, and I'm ashamed for even thinking such a stupid thing. You guys are the best friends I could ever imagine. So, I'm going to tell you everything from now on, and to do that, I have to go back and tell you a few other things. At the sorting ceremony, the Hat tried to put me in Slytherin; it said I could do great things in there, but I refused."
"Harry, did you think we would think less of you because of that? Of course you would do wonderful in Slytherin; you're one of the most powerful, brilliant wizards I know, which is exactly what Slytherin looks for in students."
"There's more," Harry said quietly. "Do you remember last year in the Ministry of Magic when the prophecy about me was smashed, and I said no one knew what it said?"
They nodded.
"I lied. Dumbledore knew what it said. It said that there was a wizard that would grow to rival Voldemort's strength, and in the end, the wizard would either die by Voldemort's hand, or Voldemort would die by his. The prophecy gave certain characteristics about this wizard, such as his birthday and the fact that his parents were some of Voldemort's greatest opponents. The funny thing is, the prophecy didn't have a name attached to it, and according to Dumbledore, it could have been me or Neville. Voldemort thought that it was me, though, and when he attacked me as a baby, he sealed it. He chose me, so now I have to kill him or be killed by him."
"Oh, Harry, why didn't you tell us? I can't believe you spent an entire year dealing with that on your own!" Hermione cried. She jumped up and gave him a hug, tears in her eyes.
"Yeah, man, you could've told us. That's a lot to be carrying around on your shoulders."
"Thanks, guys, you're awesome," Harry said, tears in his own eyes.
"But there's still more." He took a deep breath, not sure he could do the rest of this.
"You know that Draco and I got to be good friends this past week, right?" They nodded, and Ron looked confused, but Hermione just looked, well, ready, he thought.
"Well, we got to be a little more than friends, actually. I kissed him. Twice."
Chapter 18
'I know you think that I shouldn't still love you, I'll tell you that. But if I didn't say it, well, I'd still have felt it, where's the sense in that? I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder, or return to where we were. Well I will go down with this ship, and I won't put my hands up and surrender. There will be no white flag above my door; I'm in love and always will be. I know I left too much mess and destruction to come back again, and I caused but nothing but trouble; I understand if you can't talk to me again. And if you live by the rules of "It's over", then I'm sure that that makes sense. And when we meet as I'm sure we will, all that was then will be there still, and I'll let it pass, and hold my tongue, and you will think that I've moved on. Well, I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender. There will be no white flag above my door; I'm in love and always will be.' "White Flag" Dido
Ron stared at Harry silently, as if waiting for the punch line. "You're joking, right?" he managed finally.
"I can be a Slytherin- wannabe, a vampire, and an evil-wizard-in-training-, and you guys are fine with it. But now that I'm in love with Malfoy ..." Harry's voice trailed off. He was trying to play it off, but it was hard to talk with such a huge lump in his throat.
"No, Harry, I'm fine with it. You're still the same brave, wonderful guy I've always known. I am always here for you, Harry," Hermione said, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Me, too, Harry, but Malfoy? I just don't understand." Ron shook his head slowly.
"That's because you don't know him. I know I've only been on speaking terms with him for about a week, but I was in his mind, too. And he risked his life for me – about a hundred times, actually. He's a great guy."
"Okay. Harry, anything you do, I'm behind you 100. Even if it's Malfoy."
"Thank you, guys," Harry said; he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"So, down to the really important stuff – when did you learn to Apparate?" Ron asked, and Harry had to laugh.
"Last year. I made Lupin teach me after ... after Sirius died."
"Harry, that's amazing! That's seventh year magic!" Ron said.
"So was that spell you and Draco did tonight, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "How did you do it?"
"I don't know. I just know that the spell exhausted Draco's power last night, and he was still weak, and his father was stronger than Goyle, and he was losing control, and I had to do something. It just felt like the most logical thing to do; he needed my power, and that was the easiest way to do it."
"It was amazing. I've never felt so much power. You must be exhausted."
"Actually, now that you mention it, I am. Do you guys mind if I go to bed?"
"No, we all should; it's late and we have classes tomorrow."
Ten minutes later, Harry was in bed and almost asleep. When Ron spoke, Harry wondered for a minute if he was dreaming.
"Harry? I'm glad you're back."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm glad you're safe and talking to us again, and that you're happy. I'm even starting to get used to the whole Draco thing."
"Thanks, Ron," Harry said, but as he fell asleep, he wondered if there even was a 'Draco thing' anymore. He didn't even realize that it was the first time Ron had ever called him 'Draco' instead of 'Malfoy'.
"Harry, there's tons of juicy gossip floating around about Dumbledore busting you and Draco Malfoy dealing out illegal magic-enhancing Charms in Hogsmeade Saturday night. Is it true? And why wasn't I invited?" Ginny asked with a devilish grin. She had just sat down beside Harry at the breakfast table and her eyes were sparkling with mischief.
Harry stared glumly at his breakfast for a minute, barely even aware Ginny had spoken to him. Ron, however, was quick to set the story straight.
"Nothing happened, Ginny. Harry just hasn't been in the news lately, and somebody decided to stir up some trouble. Leave poor Harry alone. He's already stressed enough about tomorrow's Quidditch match."
At that, Harry looked up; he had completely forgotten about Quidditch. Draco, once again flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, walked into the Great Hall just as Harry looked up. He didn't even glance in the Gryffindor table's direction.
Chapter 19
Love is like war; easy to begin but very hard to stop. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic
"Okay, guys, we need to win this one if we want to win the Quidditch Cup. We can do it! We're the best team at Hogwarts. Right?" as Ron looked expectantly at his Gryffindor teammates, Harry thought again what a great Quidditch captain Ron made.
"Right!!" they echoed enthusiastically as they mounted their brooms.
The game was over minutes after it started. Harry hadn't told anyone, hadn't even really noticed it himself until that day, but not all traces of his vampirism were gone. Even after the curse had been reversed, his senses were still much sharper, and as a result he caught the snitch almost immediately. He was quite grateful, too; although he could tolerate the sun again, he still wasn't quite up to normal, and he had started to get a headache after only five minutes. Besides, he didn't think he could stand such a crowd of people for too much longer.
So, when all of the Gryffindors went back to Gryffindor Tower to celebrate, Harry managed to slip away under his Invisibility Cloak. He roamed the school aimlessly, and without even knowing it, he found himself at the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. He was just about to leave when a 7th year walked right past him and said the password, "Voldemort lives." Harry couldn't resist; he had to see Draco.
"Where's Harry?' Hermione whispered to Ron. She had lost him when they had all come into the Common Room, and an hour later, she still hadn't found him again.
"He didn't feel like being around people."
"You mean he went to look for Draco?"
"Yeah."
He found Draco's room easily and was rewarded with a view of Draco shirtless. He had obviously just finished showering – his long blond hair curled gently around his face, and he was rummaging through his bureau for a shirt. The room was otherwise deserted. Harry hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was crazy for doing this.
"Draco?"
Draco turned around slowly, telling himself that it was just his imagination, that it was Crabbe or Goyle's voice that he heard, and not Harry's. But instead, there was no one there, and then out of thin air, Harry appeared.
"Fuck, Harry! What the bloody hell is your fucking problem? I'm practically naked here, and you're sneaking up on me? After everything that's happened this week, you're lucky I didn't hex you the second you said something!"
"I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to scare – "
"You didn't scare me, you just pissed me off!" Draco snapped.
"Okay. You know, maybe I should just leave," Harry said quietly, waiting for Draco to stop him, but Draco's only response was to stare pointedly at the door. Harry left, glad the Invisibility Cloak hid his tears.
Chapter 20
'All I ever really wanted was to be the same. Equal treatment never ever comes, and there they go again. All I ever really wanted was to be like you; so perfect, so worthless. If I could take it all back think again I would. And now I found it, found I got it. I didn't want this. Somebody help me see. Now I feel it, feel that I've been there. I didn't need this. Somebody help me stand. And now I've told them, I didn't want this, I didn't need this. Would somebody help me breathe? Would somebody help me breathe? Would somebody help me?' "Breathe" Nickelback
After the near disastrous encounter the night before, Harry resolved not to talk to Draco ever again. He would forget the whole thing had ever happened, and life would go on. This resolve lasted until about halfway through breakfast when Hedwig delivered his mail.
'High Profile Wizard with Shady Connections Disappears:
Lucius Malfoy Missing in Action'
jumped out at Harry from the front page of the Daily Prophet.
"Lucius Malfoy, an openly declared Death Eater, checked into the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade with his son two days ago, and hasn't been seen since. According to people in the bar, around midnight on April 28, the last time Lucius was seen, a loud scream was heard, and the next day, neither Mr. Malfoy, nor his son Draco, were anywhere to be seen. I was able to find a witness from that night, Clare Goldbrooke, and she gave me some very interesting information.
'I was here the whole day, because I'm staying here while I wait to transfer to Hogwarts," Clare told me eagerly. "Anyway, Mr. Malfoy and his son came in very early, around 8:00 in the morning, and his son went up to the room. Mr. Malfoy stayed at the bar and talked with a couple of men, but all I could hear was something about a transformation. Late that afternoon, Mr. Malfoy went up to his room, and almost immediately he and his son started arguing. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was very obvious that they were fighting. After that, it was silent for several hours. Then, right around 11:00 there was a whole lot of noise – people shouting, bumps, and then two teenagers burst in here, the bar, I mean, and ran up the stairs to the Malfoys' room. Just seconds later, Headmaster Dumbledore walked in and followed them. A few seconds later, the two teenagers walked down into the bar, followed by Draco, and get this – Harry Potter.
'Then I heard the scream I told you about, and seconds later, Headmaster Dumbledore came downstairs. Then he said something about Zonko's or Honeyduke's or something, and they all walked out.'
"At press time, we had not been able to contact Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Professor Dumbledore, or the other two students mentioned, who have been identified as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, but look for more information in tomorrow's paper."
"Oh, shit."
Chapter 21
'I don't want you to give it all up, and leave your own life collecting dust. And I don't want you to feel sorry for me; you never gave us a chance to be. And I don't need you to be by my side to tell me that everything's all right. I just wanted you to tell me the truth; you know I'd do that for you. Why are you running away? Why are you running away? 'Cause I did enough to show you that I was willing to give and sacrifice. And I was the one who was lifting you up when you thought your life had had enough. And when I get close, you turn away. There's nothing that I can do or say. So now I need you to tell me the truth; you know I'd do that for you. So why are you running away? Why are you running away? Is it me, is it you? Nothing that I can do to make you change your mind. Is it me, is it you? Nothing that I can do? Is it a waste of time? So why are you running away? Why are you running away? What is it I've got to say? So why are you running away? To make you admit you're afraid, why are you running away?' "Why are you running away?" Hoobastank
"Professor Dumbledore, I don't really see that this is necessary. If you ask me, it's better if we all just stay away from each other so that we don't arouse suspicion," Draco said irritably. He, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all been pulled out of Transfiguration, their first class of the day, for a meeting with the Headmaster.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, but I didn't ask you, and it's too late, anyway. Apparently you don't read the Daily Prophet, because if you did, you would realize we've already aroused enough suspicion for a front page article."
"Oh." Draco sat down dejectedly.
"So, we're doing damage control. Our story is that Harry was kidnapped by Lucius, and Draco, who has been working for us all along, contacted me. Ron and Hermione managed to find out and went to Harry's rescue as well. However, Lucius was unhinged, and when I arrived, I was forced to duel with him to save all of you. That is all you are to tell anyone. No spells, no vampires, no Honeydukes passage, nothing but the bare facts. Understood?"
They all nodded.
"You may return to class."
"Draco, we need to talk," Harry said quietly. Hermione and Ron had gone ahead, leaving Harry and Draco alone.
"No, we really don't, Potter."
There was a flash of anguish in Harry's eyes when Draco called him 'Potter', but he covered it quickly.
"After today everyone is going to know that you're on our side, so it's not like you need to pretend to hate me anymore."
"Who's pretending?" Draco said icily, and quickened his pace, leaving Harry standing at the foot of the stairs, tears in his eyes.
Chapter 22
'Let's talk this over, it's not like we're dead. Was it something I did? Was it something You said? Don't leave me hanging in a city so dead, held up so high on such a breakable thread. You were all the things I thought I knew, and I thought we could be. You were everything, everything that I wanted. We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it. All of the memories, so close to me, just fade away. All this time you were pretending, so much for my happy ending. It's nice to know that you were there, thanks for acting like you cared, and making me feel like I was the only one. It's nice to know we had it all, thanks for watching as I fall, and letting me know we were done. You were everything, everything that I wanted. We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it. All of the memories, so close to me, just fade away. All this time you were pretending, so much for my happy ending.' "My Happy Ending" Avril Lavigne
Draco walked quickly, hoping Harry wouldn't follow him. Honestly, couldn't he take a hint? He couldn't stand it anymore; every single class, every meal, he was there, staring at Draco with those sad, hopeful eyes. And now everyone knew that something had happened, and they were all staring and whispering all the time. Without even thinking, Draco changed directions and headed for the Honeydukes passage.
Harry caught up with Ron and Hermione, who had waited for him several classrooms away, and they were on their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts when a voice spoke up.
"Are you Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger?"
They turned around to see a girl of about their age in Ravenclaw robes looking nervously at them.
"Yes, we are. I'm Harry, the psychotic Parseltongue, and these are my best friends, the dark wizards who helped me kill a man just this morning before breakfast, and we're about to go finish off his wife," Harry snapped angrily, and immediately regretted it.
The girl's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back and attempted a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, I guess I deserved that," she said softly.
"No, you didn't! Harry's just a huge prat!" Hermione said, glaring at Harry.
"She's right, I am a prat. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I've just had a bad day."
"Why would you say you deserved it?" Hermione asked curiously.
"You don't know who I am? I'm Clare Goldbrooke – I gave the interview to the Daily Prophet. I just came to apologize. I didn't realize he was a reporter. He had been in the bar the whole time, and he looked like he was my age, and he came up and just started talking to me, asking what I had seen and what I thought happened. I thought he was just curious. And he completely twisted everything I said to make it sound more interesting. I really am very sorry. I was horrified when I saw the article."
"It's okay. They would've printed the story anyway, so at least this way they had accurate information. Really, I'm just in a bad mood today; it's not your fault at all."
"Just ignore him," Ron said comfortingly. "We already do, bad mood or not, so we're used to it," he added with a smile. "Is today your first day?"
"Yes, I'm so excited!"
"Do you like it here so far? Aside from the occasional prats you encounter?" Ron said with a sideways glare at Harry.
Clare laughed. "Yeah, it's pretty cool so far. I'm really excited about classes – especially Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures; everyone says the teachers are excellent."
Harry sat in Defense Against the Dark Arts later that day, staring unseeingly at Professor Lupin as he listened to what they would need to know for their exams.
"Harry, help!"
Harry's head snapped up, and he looked wildly around the room, certain someone was playing a joke on him, not daring to hope that...
"Harry, it's me, Draco. I need your help."
"Harry, is there something wrong?" Professor Lupin asked gently.
"Yes, Professor, I think I'm going to be sick. May I go see Madam Pomfrey?"
"Yes, Harry," Professor Lupin said with a barely concealed sigh.
As Harry gathered his things, he caught Hermione's eye and mouthed, "Draco – in trouble."
Draco had been walking along the street to the Hog's Head when he had been ambushed. Goyle, Wormtail, and a Death Eater he couldn't identify, all dressed in cloaks that concealed their faces, had descended on him.
"Draco, my dear boy, you didn't really think that the Dark Lord would let such a traitor as you live, did you?" Goyle asked, his voice sending shivers down Draco's spine. Goyle may not have been very intelligent, but he was very cruel and vindictive.
"Your father was the Dark Lord's most treasured servant, and because of you, he's dead. Your own father, Draco; I just don't understand it."
"Well, I'd love to explain it to you, but I really should get back to school," Draco said coldly.
"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about school anymore," Wormtail said with a little giggle.
"We decided we don't want the Potter boy. At least not yet, anyway. First, you'll become a vampire, just like your father. After all, his power is in your blood, whether you accept it or not. Then, you will lure the Potter boy to us, and he'll come, because for some strange reason, he cares for you very deeply, that much is obvious. And you will sire him. A wonderful plan, isn't it?"
Draco called out to Harry then, not sure it would even work, but knowing he had to try. He sighed with relief when he heard Harry's voice inside his head once again.
"Where are you, Draco?"
"Outside Honeydukes. I think they're taking me to the Shrieking Shack."
"Who's they?"
"Goyle, Wormtail, and one other Death Eater. Wait, Harry, you're not planning to come after me, are you? When I said help, I meant tell Dumbledore, and he can come help me."
"Too late. I'm already halfway through the passage, and if I told Dumbledore, they might have killed you by the time we get there. Besides, if Dumbledore finds out that you left school willingly, you'll be in some deep shit. So, what the hell happened, anyway?"
"I snuck out of school, just to spend the day at Hogsmeade and have some fun, and the second I stepped outside, they were there. I'm sorry, Harry."
"It's fine. Listen, I'm going to try and get to the Shrieking Shack before you, okay?"
Harry Apparated in to the Shrieking Shack just in time. He had just taken up residence in a remote corner when the door burst open.
"But master, do we have to do it here?" Wormtail whined. "I nearly died the last time I was here."
"Shut up!" the third Death Eater roared, and Harry knew in an instant who it was. It was Voldemort – the pain in his scar never lied.
"If you don't quit complaining, I'll feed you to the Potter boy when he completes the transformation!" Wormtail was silent.
Draco entered next, followed by Goyle. Once they were all inside, Harry took a deep breath and threw off the Invisibility Cloak.
Voldemort started laughing, a cold, high-pitched laugh that sent chills down Draco's spine.
"Well done, boys. I suppose this means your mental connection is still intact. Lucius was always the most devoted, but not necessarily the most competent servant I had. But this works perfectly."
"No, it doesn't," Harry said coldly. "You needed Draco alone first for this to work. As it is, he's practically as strong as you, and now that I'm here, we're unbeatable. You've never even been able to overpower me alone. I've never been able to overpower you, either, though. So, I have a proposition. We both have something that the other wants, so I suggest a trade."
"I know what you want, but what could you possibly have that I want?"
"You forget so quickly? How unlike you. The prophecy. You give me Draco, and I give you the prophecy," Harry said calmly.
"Don't be silly, boy, that was destroyed in the Ministry of Magic the night Bella killed your mangy pet dog."
To anyone who didn't know him, the words would have appeared to have no effect on Harry, but Draco saw him tense, and felt the rage surging through Harry. Harry took a deep breath, knowing he had to stay calm; Voldemort was trying to bait him, and make him slip up.
"The physical copy was destroyed, yes. But the person who heard the prophecy the night it was made still lives. This person has kindly shared the prophecy with me. If you let Draco go, I will tell you."
"Am I to trust you?" Voldemort sneered. "How do I know that the second I release your lover, you won't make a run for it?"
"Where would I go?" Harry asked, his voice dripping with condescension. "You and your thugs are blocking the only exit. Besides, you want the Prophecy and we both know it. So cut the crap and let Draco go."
"Fine. Release him."
"But, master," Goyle protested.
"Do you want to join Lucius?" Voldemort snapped.
Goyle released Draco, who walked unsteadily over to Harry.
"Apparate to Honeydukes," Harry thought urgently at him, and the second Draco reached Harry, they were gone, disappearing into thin air.
Chapter 23
'Fumbling his confidence and wondering why the world has passed him by, hoping that he's meant for more than arguments and failed attempts to fly. We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside. Dreaming about Providence, and whether mice or men have second tries. Maybe we've been livin with our eyes half open, maybe we're bent and broken. We want more than this world's got to offer. We want more than the wars of our fathers, and everything inside screams for second life. We were meant to live for so much more. Have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside.' "Meant to Live" Switchfoot
"What's the prophecy?" Draco asked as they walked slowly through the Honeydukes tunnel.
"When I was born, a prophecy was made about me and Voldemort," Harry said tiredly.
"Yes, obviously. I meant what did it say?"
"Why should I tell you, Draco? You don't tell me anything. Like the fact that you can still hear my thoughts, but you saw fit to block me out of your head! What's up, Draco? Why do you hate me all of a sudden? I thought it was just an act. Or was that just to clear your conscience?"
Draco walked on in silence.
"Fine," Harry said and sighed. "What's going to happen to you? Where are you going to live?"
"At home," Draco said irritably.
"Is that really safe?"
"There are 20 different anti-entrance spells that not even Voldemort could break. I think I'm safe."
"What about your mother?"
"You mean is she evil? Do I have to kill her, too? No, she's just as happy that I am that he's dead. She works for Dumbledore, too."
"Oh."
"Listen, Harry, don't worry about me. I've lived just fine without you for 17 years, and I'll keep going the same way, so let's just end this now. I saved your life and now you've saved mine. We're even, and we're done, and the whole telepathy thing will be gone tonight – I have a counter charm. Then we can go back to normal."
"What is normal, Draco? You being evil, you helping me, what? I'm confused. Didn't everything that happened between us mean anything to you? Don't you care?"
"Look, Harry, you're not a vampire anymore, you won your Quidditch game, we're both safe and that's enough." He climbed quickly out of the statue of the one-eyed witch, and by the time Harry was out of the tunnel, Draco was nowhere to be seen.
"What if I don't want enough? What if I want more?" Harry whispered to no one.
Chapter 24
'I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears, and if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave, 'Cause your presence still lingers here, and it won't leave me alone. These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase. When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears, when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears, I'd hold your hand through all of these years, but you still have all of me. You used to captivate me by your resonating light, now I'm bound by the life you left behind. Your face it haunts, my once pleasant dreams, your voice it chased away all the sanity in me. These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real. There's just too much that time cannot erase. I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone, and though your still with me, I've been alone all along. When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears, when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears, I'd hold your hand through all of these years, but you still have all of me.' "My Immortal" Evanescence
Harry spent the next week talking and laughing with Hermione and Ron and ignoring Draco and everything that had happened. The school was still buzzing about the kidnapping of Harry, but Harry had finally learned how to just ignore everyone.
Draco, however, was completely new to being in the center of attention, at least in this way and he was so fed up with it that he had taken to hiding in the library every free moment he had, and more often than not, during his classes.
Harry, however, hadn't been in the library since his first night of vampire research So, on a blistering hot Tuesday when he had to go look up information on shape-shifting potions (Snape had assigned the class an enormous essay, which Harry was convinced was his punishment for still being alive), he wasn't at all worried about seeing Draco. In fact, it was the one place that he thought was sure to be a Draco-free zone.
He walked straight past Draco without even seeing him; he was intent on his homework quest. Since the Draco incident, Harry had thrown himself back into his life with a vengeance. He flew harder, studied harder, played harder, and laughed harder. His marks were incredible, he was even better at Quidditch, and he was more popular than ever. Everyone attributed it to the fact that he was glad to be alive after the close call with the kidnapping, everyone except Ron and Hermione, that is. They alone saw him each night by the fire, exhausted and heartbroken. They knew that this newfound enthusiasm was his way of pushing Draco out of his mind, but it obviously wasn't working very well. But during the day, to everyone else's eyes, Harry couldn't have been doing better. When he walked back out of the aisle ten minutes later, three books under his arm, and one already open in his hand, Draco couldn't resist.
"Harry," he said softly.
Harry looked up and for a second, his eyes filled with anguish, despair, and intense longing, but it was instantly replaced by a smile.
"Draco. I haven't seen you in a while. Good luck with exams next week," Harry said with a cheerful smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He turned to leave.
"Harry, wait," Draco said, despair creeping into his voice.
Harry turned slowly and sat down across from Draco.
"What's wrong, Draco?"
"How do you do it? Every time I walk into a room, everyone goes silent, and then they all start looking at me and whispering. The Slytherins all hate me and think I'm a traitor, and everyone else thinks I killed my father and Dumbledore is just covering for me."
"No, they don't," Harry started to protest, but Draco cut him off.
"Harry, I'm not an idiot. I've heard people saying -- I've had people tell me that to my face, Harry!"
"And I've had people tell me that I murdered Cedric, that I'm in league with Voldemort, that I shouldn't be allowed to go to Hogwarts because I'm a Parseltongue and that I'm a freak. Oh yeah, and that I'll become a dark wizard who's even more powerful than Voldemort," Harry said evenly. "You learn to deal with it." His voice softened as he looked at Draco. "Listen, I know it sucks right now, but it's not going to go away if you keep hiding from it. You have to go out and face it – show everyone that it doesn't bother you. You'll get used to it, and they'll get tired of it."
"Harry? I'm sorry. I didn't realize how horrible it must have been for you all these years."
"Don't worry about it. We should go; it's almost time for Care of Magical Creatures."
Draco grabbed his books, and he and Harry walked to class together in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.
The entire way there, no one said a thing to either of them, and Draco realized that it was the first time in a week that he had been able to walk through the halls without being followed by whispers and insinuations.
Chapter 25
'If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today? If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way? If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call? If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all? I never know what the future brings, but I know you are here with me now. We'll make it through and I hope you are the one I share my life with. I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand, if I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am? Is there any way that I can stay in your arms? If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed? If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head? If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life? I don't know why you're so far away, but I know that this much is true; we'll make it through, and I hope you are the one I share my life with. And I wish that you could be the one I die with, and I pray in you're the one I build my home with. I hope I love you all my life. 'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away, and I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today, ' cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right, and though I can't be with you tonight I know my heart is by your side. I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand, if I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am? Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?' "If you're not the one" Daniel Bedingfield
The next morning at breakfast, Harry received a note:
"Harry, I've got a problem. Meet me tonight at midnight in the classroom.
Draco"
There was no need to specify which classroom; Harry remembered their encounters there all too well. Harry went through the rest of his classes like a zombie, torn between worry about Draco's unnamed problem, and excitement and relief that Draco had turned to him for help.
"Have you ever heard of an American band named Hoobastank?" Draco asked when Harry walked in. He was seated on a desk, waiting for Harry. What's your problem?"
"I started it to get back at my father," Draco continued as if he hadn't heard Harry. "I bought a TV and a radio, and I started listening to Muggle music, mainly American, and watching American TV. But really, they have some good stuff. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Hoobastank."
"Malfoy, what are you talking about?" Harry demanded, beginning to lose patience. "What's your problem?"
"Harry, for once in your life, just shut up and listen to me, okay?"
Harry nodded, surprised by the passion in Draco's voice.
"The band I was talking about, Hoobastank? Their hit song is called The Reason. Beautiful lyrics, Harry, just beautiful. I've heard the song so many times that I have them memorized. 'I'm not a perfect person, there are many things I wish I didn't do, but I continue learning. I never meant to do those things to you, and so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know: I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be, a reason to start over new, and the reason is you." Draco spoke softly, and as he spoke, he stood up and walked slowly Harry until he was only inches away.
'I'm sorry that I hurt you, it's something I must live with every day, and all the pain I put you through, I wish that I could take it all away, and be the one who catches all your tears, that's why I need you to hear. I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be, a reason to start over new, and the reason is you.
'I'm not a perfect person, I never meant to do those things to you, and so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know, I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be, a reason to start over new, and the reason is you. I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know, a reason for all that I do, and the reason is you.'
"You're my reason, Harry," Draco said, and Harry stared at him, shocked.
Chapter 26
'Hope dangles on a string, like slow spinning redemption, winding in and winding out. The shine ahead has caught my eye, and roped me in so mesmerizing, it's so hypnotizing, I am captivated, I am vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right, I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along, and I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well, I am seeing in me now, the things you swore you saw yourself. So clear, like the diamond in your ring, cut to mirror your intention, oversized and overwhelmed, the shine of which has caught my eye, and rendered me so isolated so motivated I am certain now that I am vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right, I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along, and I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well, I am seeing in me now, the things you swore you saw yourself. So tired of the corners of your lips, part them and feel my finger tips, trace the moment for forever. Defense is paper thin, just one touch and I'd be in, too deep now to ever swim against the current. So let me slip away. So let me slip against the current. Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right, I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along, and I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well, I am seeing in me now, the things you swore you saw yourself. My hope dangles on a string like slow spinning redemption.' "Vindicated" Dashboard Confessional
"Our telepathy – it still works?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Harry. For everything. I was scared. You had an excuse – you were becoming a very powerful demon, and it was influencing you. I had no excuse, except that somewhere deep down, I've always felt this way about you. I thought you would get cured, and you would forget about me, so I wanted to end it before I got hurt. I'm sorry."
"What do you mean, the demon was influencing me? My feelings for you were all that kept the demon in me from taking complete control – like that time during Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"But when you kissed me, I could feel the demon growing stronger."
"Of course you did. The one thing demons hate above all else is love, so it fought for control every time I was around you. My feelings for you made me more human, less demon, and it had to fight that. Draco, believe me when I tell you that it was every bit me when I kissed you."
"Harry, I'm so sorry for everything. I've been such a jerk, I – "
"Shut up and kiss me already," Harry said.
Draco eagerly obeyed, and Harry wondered if he had died and gone to heaven. For two weeks he had dreamed of this moment, Draco in his arms, everything else fading away into nothingness.
Chapter 27
'You gotta leave me now, you gotta go along, you gotta chase a dream, one that's all your own before it slips away. When you're flying high, take my heart along. I'll be the harmony to every lonely song, but you'll learn to play. When you're soaring through the air, I'll be your solid ground. Take every chance you dare, I'll still be there when you come back down. I keep looking up, awaiting your return. My greatest fear will be that you will crash and burn and I won't feel your fire. I'll be the other hand that always holds a line connecting in between your sweet heart and mine. I'm strung out on that wire, And I'll be on the other end to hear you when you call. Angel you were born to fly, and if you get too high, I'll catch you when you fall. The memories, the sunshine every new day brings. I know the sky is calling, angel let me help you with your wings. When you're soaring through the air, I'll be your solid ground. Take every chance you dare, I'll still be there when you come back down.' "When you come back down" Nickel Creek
When Harry walked into the common room at 6:30, Ron was waiting for Harry, seated in a chair beside the fire, which had long ago dwindled to embers. One look told him everything he needed to know – Harry's eyes were bright with happiness, his lips were bright red, his cheeks were flushed, and his hair was even more tousled than usual.
"Hi," Ron said quietly.
"Hi," Harry replied, unable to suppress a grin.
"Malfoy's problem is solved?"
"Yeah."
"You kissed him and made it all better?"
Harry laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Good."
"Ron, thank you for being so cool about this."
"It's a bit easier to take now that we know he's not an evil git."
"Now he's just a run-of-the-mill git, right?"
"Only if he screws up this thing with you, and then I'll kill him. So, are you two going to be, uh, public with this, or what?"
"Well, we're not going to start snogging each other in crowded hallways, but we probably will hang out together."
"Okay. Cool. We better go up to bed; it's late."
"Goodnight, Ron," Harry said quietly when they reached their rooms.
"Night, Harry."
As Harry drifted off to sleep seconds later, he was almost positive he heard Ron muttering, "Right. Hanging out with Malfoy. I can do that. I think."
The next morning, Draco sat at the Gryffindor table with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Clare, who had taken to sitting at the Gryffindor table despite the fact that she was a Ravenclaw. Despite the fact that everyone now knew that Draco had been fighting Voldemort the whole time, all of the other Gryffindors still refused to sit anywhere near him. But much to everyone's surprise, they all got along quite well with Draco, and by the end of breakfast, they were laughing and talking like best friends.
By the weekend, it had been accepted by basically the whole school that both Draco and Clare were both integral parts of Harry Potter's gang. Draco had even been transferred to Gryffindor now that he was no longer undercover. No one but the six of them knew just how deeply Harry and Draco were connected, though. During the day they acted like best friends, but nothing more. As a result, they spent a lot of time sneaking out of their room to be together at night. That Friday night, they had decided that instead of the classroom, they would meet outside on the tallest Astronomy Tower. They always made sure that their departures were far enough apart so that if anyone other than Ron happened to wake up, they wouldn't suspect anything. For the first time, Harry was the one waiting for Draco. Draco sat down next to Harry, their backs resting against the stone wall of the Tower as they stared up at the stars, and turned to Harry to say something, but Harry put a finger on Draco's lips.
"Draco, why does this still work? Did your counter-spell not work? Is it Dark magic?"
"I don't know. I never tried to end it. I didn't lie to you, not really. I found a counter-spell, and I completely intended to use it. I knew what I felt; I knew long before you were sure, and I was sure it wouldn't work. So, I was determined to break every tie I had with you. I got the spell set up – circle of candles and everything, but I made the mistake of doing it in our classroom. Everything in there reminded me of you, and I thought of that morning when I woke up with you next to me, and I could feel you lying awake in bed, thinking about us. And I wanted more than anything to have you with me in the classroom to wake up like we did that morning, but I knew I couldn't. So, I settled for the next best thing – keeping you in my mind. Now that I think about it, I don't know if the spell would have even worked. Not because it's dark magic that's too powerful for us, but because I think it goes deeper. My father tried to end it, and it did end his involvement, I could tell. Otherwise, we would have felt it when Dumbledore... did whatever he did. So, it worked on him, but not on us. Why? I think because subconsciously, neither of us wanted it to end, and also because we're linked together. That night when we reversed the curse, when you grabbed my hand, do you remember a rush of power and a blue glow?"
Harry nodded.
"I asked Professor Dumbledore about it, and he said that when two powerful wizards or witches care about each other very deeply, they can share their powers with each other. They can create a bond deeper than ordinary spells, a bond that connects them permanently. This bond is usually created when one wizard is in danger of dying, and the other would give his life to prevent that. When you grabbed my hand that night, you were offering me all of the power you had to give; you offered your life, and we were connected. So, I don't think the spell would have worked even if I had tried it. But I did feel you slip further away from me each day. The first two or three days, it was strong – you were miserable. But as you got less miserable, I felt less and less of what you did. I could've still talked to you if I tried – I did – but you started to push me out of your mind, in more ways than one."
"I didn't get less miserable, Draco, I just went numb. Nothing mattered without you." He smiled in the dark. "You're my reason."
Draco laughed softly, and then did what they had both been waiting for all day. He kissed Harry, letting the past weeks of unhappiness and uncertainty fade away, and Harry became the only thing he could think about.