Apologize
Rating: T
Summary: Post-war Hogwarts. Draco had helped the Order of the Phoenix in winning the war by poisoning Bellatrix Lestrange and killing Fenrir Greyback. Consequently, with Harry, Ron and Hermione declining to take seventh year education, he had become Head Boy. Things were rather smooth and calm, and Draco enjoyed himself greatly (though nevertheless faced some problems), when one day, he started bleeding uncontrollably and that's where our story starts… Three-chapter Drinny fanfic.
Compliance: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Timeline: Post-war Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all places, persons and other things mentioned in it, are the properties of J.K. Rowling and her publishers.
Chapter 1 Realization
I'm holding on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground
I'm hearin what you say but I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
-OneRepublic, Apologize
Draco woke up from his sleep, only to see, to his horror, his arm covered in blood, and his sheets more so. His Mediwizard instinct quickly kicking in, the Hogwarts Head Boy, well-trained in medical sciences during the dark days, carefully examined his own arm. Has he been attacked? Has he got some sort of mysterious illness? Much to his surprise, there weren't even a cut or a scar for all he knew… The blood was, like, leaking out from inside out of no reason at all.
Draco silently thought, shit. He had truly never seen anything like what he's experiencing right now. There wasn't a trace of exterior damage; nor had he ever heard of a spell or incantation that can make one bleed like this, not even Dark magic… He tried several quite advanced healing spells but none worked; he tried taking one of Snape's patented Healing Potions but still he bled.
"Shit, shit, shit." Draco whispered to himself. He had used a blood-replenishing charm to keep his arm working and to prevent himself from losing blood, but the harsh truth is that, though he's not losing any blood, quite a big portion of the floor of his Head Boy's room is now covered in his own blood, and the trend is rapidly expanding to the whole of his room.
Now, what can he do? Finding Madam Pomfrey won't really be an option, since he's fairly certain that Pomfrey isn't any more skilled in healing than he is, and most definitely worse than him when it came into the realms of Dark and obscure magical damage. The only way to solve this, is to find Snape. Maybe this is one of the fucking original curses of old Snape, just like Sectumsempra and Levicorpus… Or maybe Snape would know what to do with the damn situation. Draco, with a wipe of his wand, Scourgified all the blood stains away, and used a glamour charm to temporarily hide his situation until he gets to Snape's office. It's so damn hard to get to the old bastard's office ever since he stepped into the Headmaster position after the late McGonagall died in the final battle, thought Draco.
But wherever he is, Draco needed to find him… And so to the Headmaster's office, Draco went.
0
Draco found himself standing in front of the gargoyles after ten minutes spent climbing the stairs.
"Dragonkin," happened to be the password. As he muttered the word, the gargoyles leapt forward to present a spiral staircase leading to Snape's office. Draco preyed that Snape is, as usual, staying up late. And he was right.
Severus Snape was sitting in the Headmaster's chair, fiddling with his Potions kit. Different colored liquids were bubbling in the many cauldrons laying on the working table beside him. Indeed the man was a Potions legend, Draco mused to himself, much like Dumbledore. Too nerdy and mysterious.
The Headmaster didn't even turn as he spoke softly, "Draco, what brought you here at this time of the day?" His face was with a slight trace of concern, but nevertheless remained perfectly calm.
"Well, I don't exactly know myself. I'd wanted you to see what it is." Draco responded as he began to remove the glamour charm, flicking his wand as he spoke. Snape sighed impatiently, muttering under his breath a curse that must have been one of his own creation, causing all the potions to suddenly freeze and stop bubbling. He then turned and asked, slightly amused, "Well, what is it that the talented Malfoy kin can't understand?"
"This." Draco said simply as he revealed his bloody arm.
Snape looked at it for a split second, as if he cannot understand either. Then he gasped silently and murmured, "I believe you have performed a blood-replenishing charm?"
"Yes."
"And I believe, after your standard examination of a situation like this, you have found no cause of the bleeding?"
"None that I've heard of."
"Ah." Snape said simply and turned away. After a moment of silence and contemplation Snape instructed Draco to follow him into another chamber. Draco walked behind Snape as he wondered whether the Potions master had found anything.
"Sit." Snape told him. Draco sat down on one of the mahogany chairs.
For a moment, neither opened their lips. Draco could see Snape looking at the ground, concentrating on what seemed to be a search in his brain. Then Snape lifted his head and asked, staring straight into Draco's eyes, "Draco, have you ever made a promise, to yourself or otherwise, which you haven't fulfilled up to this day?"
Draco's a little shocked at the question but still thought about it. Then he answered slowly, "I suppose so… There are many promises I hadn't been able to keep, I think, but how could they be related to my strange symptom?"
Snape explained, "Well, many years ago, I had heard of something called Constellatory Magic. It's not made by wizards or other magical creatures, but by heaven, or the stars in the sky themselves. I didn't believe it then, but then today I see your case exactly the same as described in the book I read 40 or 50 years ago. I recount that it went like this, 'Thou shalt not break heavenly promises, or fear being punished through Constellatory means'. Draco, I think that it must have been one of your promises made to heaven, to the constellations, that you have broken."
Draco tried hard to remember any such promises.
Suddenly, he felt his heart sank.
Because the one promise he suddenly recalled is fairly impossible to achieve.
But despite his emotions, he kept his face perfectly, if not overly, blank and said to Snape, "Thank you, Professor." And walked out of the office.
0
(Flashback: 4 months ago)
Draco saw Pansy coming to the Slytherin table for dinner. It was the day before the New Year. Many students hadn't went home on the Christmas holidays this term because of the various festivities held at Hogwarts during the Christmas break.
The air was filled with a light mood; everyone was happy and anxious to welcome another year in their lives. Except Draco. Except Draco. He wasn't feeling anything about the New Year, or anything, because he's busy feeling guilty for what he's about to do. But he kept these thoughts away, and banished all restraints in his head on doing what he is going to do in the next few seconds. Instead, he turned his mind, firmly, onto what he had seen three days ago through the window of Three Broomsticks- the scene that he will never forget in his life. The scene of Harry Potter hugging and caressing his girlfriend- and Harry's ex-girlfriend, as a matter of fact. The scene of Harry Potter touching Ginny and kissing her. The scene of him being betrayed.
He set his mind very strongly. Then he grabbed Pansy by her hand, ignoring her startled cry, and kissed her fully on the lips.
He's not enjoying it, no he's not; he had thought that revenge would have come so sweet, but he found it to be more bitter than sweet. He can't ignore Ginny's hurt and confused look at the Gryffindor table turning into burning anger and outburst. He can't ignore her words, "Cheater", "Liar" and "Selfish bastard". He can't ignore the flaming red hair, the hair that he had craved to touch and hold in his hands flying out of the Great Hall with sobs in the background. He can't.
He contemplated about following Ginny out and apologize. But what help would it do? What is done is done, and the responsibility about what happened isn't exactly all his, so why bother? However, he's not exactly in the mood of looking at Pansy and talking to her right now. So instead, he walked away and strolled onto the Quidditch field.
Then Blaise was beside him after what seemed like a lifetime of doing nothing, just staring at the night sky. He asked, "Buddy, wanna make a wish? A resolution? A promise? After all, you ought to have lots to answer to after what happened today. And besides, today's New Year's Eve!"
Draco said nothing. After a pause, he stared directly in the night sky, and said, "One day, I'll apologize to her. One day, I'll reconcile with her. One day, I'll start over with her again and never leave her side."
Blaise patted him on the back and said, "Now that's a good resolution to make, Draco." Little did they know, how very much these words can influence Draco's life four months later.
A/N: Dun dun dun… Our little Draco faces a dilemma. Can he walk out of it, happy, accompanied and unharmed, or will he mess it up again and face the consequences?