AN: After a review I recieved on one of my other stories, I decided to take the challenge and write this story.
It was a cold day in December, the ground was covered in a thin layer of frost, the windows of Hogwarts were covered in ice and the black lake near the school was frozen. It was the kind of weather that no one wanted to be out in, but Harry Potter was wrapped up in a wolly coat with a scarf around his neck as he walked down towards the lake.
The cold wind crawled under his skin and chilled him to the bone, as he pulled his coat tighter around him and he shivered. His breath escaped his mouth and he could see it in the air as it froze. He was walking carefully on the path towards the lake as he noticed some black ice and he could see the lake in the distance.
The black lake had never looked more beautiful than it did now and Harry smiled to himself as the snow and ice glistened. He knew he should've been with Professor Lupin as the older man had wanted to talk to him, but Harry wanted to be alone and clear his mind. Harry reached the lake eventually and he stood at the side of it wondering if it was stable, as he had always wanted ice skate.
He didn't have ice skates with him but he knew his shoes would slide across the ice just the same. Harry took a slow breath as he watched the lake which seemed stable and he put his right foot on the ice, then his left. He stood on the edge of the lake as he built up the courage to take a step.
Harry took a few steps on the ice and he sighed in relief as he realised the ice was stable, then he carried on walking across the lake. He began trying to slide across it in his shoes and he managed to slide for a few seconds before he almost fell flat on his face. He let out a laugh as he tried to slide again and that was when he heard a creaking.
Meanwhile Remus Lupin was walking down towards the black lake as he was searching for Harry and as he walked down the path, he could see the teen frozen in place on the lake, looking at the ice beneath his feet. Harry froze in place as he looked at the ice, he thought it was stable and he had been skating around on it for minutes now. He was so far away from the bank near the lake and he prayed that it had just been his imagination as he took a step in the direction of the bank. This time he heard a crack and his heart was in his throat as he turned to look around, he took another step, then the ice gave way, sending him plunging in to the cold frosty water.
As he sunk under the water, he moved his arms and legs as fast as he could, struggling to get to the surface again. Harry's head broke the surface and he gasped for breath, trying to find his voice. He wanted to call for help but there was nobody around and he was panicking as he was struggling to keep his head above the water. That was when Remus Luping looked at the lake again to see Harry in the water and he started running carefully down the long path towards the lake.
The nippy water flowed over the ice, and the water snapped at him like hundreds of piranhas. He did the only thing he could think of, and it was most definitely not the intelligent choice, he panicked. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest at an abnormally high speed as he gasped and spluttered while reaching his arms out.
The ice was too slippery to grab and the pieces that he could get a hold of, would just break off in his hands. Harry's body was going numb with the coldness, it was a horrid feeling, he never knew water could be so frigid and anguishing. He sunk under the water once more, feeling the cold water creeping under his skin and freezing his body. He tried to get to the surface again but was losing energy and he began splashing his arms and kicking his feet, forcing himself to the surface once more. He spluttered and gasped as he tried to shout but he couldn't.
The water was so cold and he couldn't hold his breath much longer and his mouth opened and he breathed in water, in a final choking rush. The water burned his throat and he tried to cough only making himself swallow more of the liquid. His vision was filling with little grey dots and it was becoming narrow, as he looked up to the light above the water once more before his vision faded to black.
"Harry!" Remus shouted at the top of his lungs.
Remus was running across the ice towards the hole not caring if the ice broke underneath him, the only thing he cared about was getting to Harry. As he arrived at the hole, he yanked off his own coat and shoes, then acting on instinct, he took a breath. Remus dived in to the water in a perfect dive, his fingers went in first followed by the rest of his body. He could see Harry's lifeless form once he was under the water, he noticed little bubbles of air floating out of Harry's open mouth and he began swimming down towards him.
Remus's heart was in a vice as he swam closer and as he reached Harry, he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist. Harry's lifeless form moved with the water as Remus started swimming upwards, his muscles were starting to ache and Remus felt the cold water crawling under his skin.
Remus could see the surface just barely through the murky water and he tightened his grip on his student, as he kicked his legs faster as his lungs started burning for air. When Remus broke the surface he gasped for breath and pulled Harry up beside him as he moved towards the ice.
Remus managed to get a good grip on the unconscious wizard as he pushed him up on to the ice and Remus moved his feet to keep himself afloat. Remus was breathing heavily as he grabbed on to the ice as he shivered and he somehow managed to climb out of the lake.
Remus was dreading the outcome of the situation as he lifted Harry up in to his arms, using his aching leg muscles to support him. He quickly but carefully walked across the frozen lake, praying the ice would hold the both of them until he reached the bank. Harry was a dead weight in his arms as Remus walked towards safety and he finally reached the land as he walked up the bank to the flat ground.
Remus put his hand behind Harry's head as he lowered him quickly but gently to the ground and then he fell to his knees beside his student. Harry's eyes were glazed over and unfocused, his skin was pale and cold and his mouth hung open as Remus looked down at him.
"Harry? Harry can you hear me?" Remus asked frantically.
With no response Remus quickly leant down towards Harry's pale face and he held his ear above his mouth and nose, checking to see if he was breathing. After a few seconds he didn't feel or hear anything and he felt his heart stop. Remus moved back from leaning down and put two fingers under Harry's jaw on his neck looking for a pulse.
When he felt a faint beat under his fingertips he sighed in relief, but the fear in his gut was still there and then he looked at Harry. Remus parted Harry's lips as he did a finger sweep of his student's mouth, his lips were blue and without hesitating Remus hunched over Harry's face, tilted his head back, opening his airway, held back his forehead and pinched his nose closed with his thumb and forefinger.
"Breathe Harry, come on breathe," Remus murmured.
Remus took a breath and held Harry's chin, before sealing Harry's wet lips with his own. Remus exhaled a breath in to the young wizards lungs and his cheeks puffed out, then he sat back on his knees as he watched Harry's chest rise and fall. Remus leant down and pinched his nose, then blew another breath in to Harry's unmoving body. Harry's chest rose and fell then he was motionless again and Remus scowered his mind for his muggle first aid training as there was nothing he could do with his wand that would help Harry.
"Stay with me Harry, come on breathe," Remus urged.
Remus then leaned down once more to Harry's pale face as he coninued with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and as he prayed that Harry would breathe on his own. Water suddenly trickled from the sides of Harry's mouth and he coughed up a stream of water, then Remus rolled him on to his side quickly, not wanting him to choke. Then after a moment Harry lay still again and Remus pulled him back on to his back then he checked if he was breathing again, but he wasn't which made Remus's gut churn.
"Breathe Harry, breathe!" Remus roared through clenched teeth.
Remus leant down once more and it was almost a few minutes of breathing for his student until he sighed and felt the tears stinging in his eyes. He fought against them and took a deep breath, pinched Harry's nose and then gave him a breath. He felt his tears from his eyes fall on to Harry's face and he let his lips linger on Harry's, forcing all the air he had in his own lungs in to his.
At that moment though Harry felt air go in to his burning lungs, he felt a warm sensation on his lips but it went away after a second and he felt something warm land on his face. His chest jerked unexpectedly and then he felt the need to cough. He could hear heavy breathing near him and he could hear a voice that sounded very familiar, then he felt pressure on his nose and on his chin.
"Breathe Harry, come on, don't bloody do this to me, come on Harry," Remus pleaded his voice breaking.
Then Harry heard a rough but gentle voice, then the warm sensation was on his lips again and he felt air being forced in to him. Harry suddenly coughed in to Remus's mouth, which made the older man pull back, then water spewed past Harry's lips, before he dragged in a ragged gasp that hitched over droplets of water. He coughed and spluttered, struggling to get the lake water out of his lungs. Remus instantly turned him on to his side, facing away from him and he put his hand on his back and patted it.
"Just breathe in and out Harry," Remus told him.
Remus sighed in relief, as he smiled from ear to ear, he wiped his red eyes and ran his hand through his soaking wet hair. Relief spread through him like a wild fire as he heard his student coughing loudly and choking on the water he had took in to his lungs.
It was only seconds later when Harry regained consciousness and he felt the hand on his back disappear then land on his head, ruffling his hair slightly. Harry groaned as his eyebrows knitted together, then he slowly opened his eyes, every object was blurred and as he blinked the unfocused concerned face of Remus Lupin filled his vision.
"Harry? Harry," Remus said, tapping the young wizard's face.
"P-professor Lupin?" Harry asked, breathing heavily as he shivered.
Remus pulled Harry in to a hug as he wrapped his strong arms around him and then Harry wrapped his arms around his professor which made him feel safe. Remus laughed as he patted his student's back and then he moved back and looked at Harry as he thanked the gods that he didn't believe in for letting his student live.
Thanks for reading guys. I hope you all enjoyed it, if not I apologise and I hope it wasn't too OOC. Anyway please review as I love knowing what you all think and it is much appreciated :)