Running With the Monster
Chapter One: Help Is Around the Corner
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Harry Potter. I'm poor, so don't sue. I can only dream that anyone in the HP universe is gay. This story is totally fictional, and my idea. But it was inspired by a scene is the television show, The 4400, and the movie, Wasted. I don't own those either. And the title and lyrics are from a song by Coldplay.
Warnings: This story will have slash in it. In the form of the couple: Harry and Draco. There are VERY MANY references to drug use in this story. It's the very bases of it. If that offends you or you feel as though you wont be able to read it, don't!
Summary: AU. Almost a year after graduation, Draco goes searching for Harry. When he finds him, Draco realizes that he may not be able to take the Boy-Who-Lived back. With memories over-whelming him, is Draco ready to help Harry face his demons?
Final Note: This is a story I'm not very sure about. I'm hoping that it does well. I will be working on it and Skirt for rest of the summer. Enjoy.
Draco Malfoy drove carefully down the street. The buildings became more and more neglected as he drove deeper into the heart of the neighborhood. He could see the silhouette of the parking garage and hoped the man he was looking for was there.
As he parked the expensive SUV he couldn't help but search the many faces for one familiar to him. He sighed with relief when he saw the familiar black haired form hunched over a guitar, strumming out meaningless cords.
After turning off the engine and getting out, Draco grabbed the blankets and food he had brought along with him. He pressed the 'lock' button and stuffed his keys into the innermost pocket of his jacket before heading toward the familiar man.
"Leo?" Draco called out, his voice calm. When he got no response he tried again, "Harry?"
"Oh my head, just won't stop achin', I'm sat here lickin' my wounds," the voice of the dark haired man was raspy as he sang, "I'm shattered, but it really doesn't matter, cased my rescue, is gonna be here soon."
The song was a familiar one to Draco. He had heard it many times in coffee shops but it seemed to take on a new meaning as Harry sung it while sitting in the cold.
The blonde sat next to the scraggly looking man cautiously. He wasn't sure if the seat, which looked like it had been taken from an old vehicle of some sort, could withstand the extra weight.
Harry knew he should be shocked at Draco's presence but couldn't bring himself to be. He knew that once he fell from grace in the wizarding world that someone would have to take his place. It was ironic though that his schoolyard enemy would grow a hero complex.
"I don't know why you are here," Harry mumbled as he snuggled into the blankets Draco draped around him.
"I'm not quite sure either. But I am and I come bearing food, drinks, and warm blankets," Draco replied, shocked when Harry nestled closely to him.
"Just hold me for a few minutes," Harry murmured, eyes falling shut.
Draco tightened his embrace on the fallen hero. Looking around at the shallow faces of the others around them, he could only wonder how Harry fell this far. He pushed a few stray locks behind the other man's ear, noticing how innocent he looked while relaxed.
Watching the fire in front of them, Draco let his mind wonder to how he found himself in this position.
Thirteen Months Prior
Draco walked into the lavatory, expecting it to be empty because most students didn't like the dampness of the dungeons, but he could see feet covered in worn sneakers in one of the stalls.
He moved to do his business, trying to ignore the sniffling sounds. He could hear the distinct sound of something tapping on glass and found himself curious as to what the unknown party was doing in the stall.
After a few moments the stall door opened and a very familiar individual exited from it. Draco felt a smirk make its way to his face, "Potter, fancy meeting you here in the dungeons."
"Bugger off Malfoy," Harry replied, moving to the sink. Cupping some of the water in his hands, he brought it to his face to rinse out his mouth.
"I'm being serious Potter. What are you doing in the dungeon lav?"
Harry scoffed, still sniffling slightly, "And I'm being serious Malfoy. Why do you care what lavatory I use?"
"I just feel the need to point out that all your 'Do-Gooder' friends would never be caught down here."
"Yeah, well, who really cares about them either?" Harry questioned, not really looking at Draco, but at his own reflection in the mirror.
"I would think that you do. Considering the fact that they are your friends."
"Well you think wrong. Maybe it's escaped your notice but I don't exactly hang around with the 'Do-Gooders' anymore," Harry stated, rubbing his nose with the sleeve of his hooded sweater. He turned away from the mirror and started towards the door.
Draco watched the teen turn away. He had noticed that Harry had stopped hanging out with his normal friends and that said teen seemed to spend more time with some Slytherin acquaintances.
Harry moved quickly through the corridor. He was relieved that it was the weekend. It meant no classes to worry about.
Thinking back on the confrontation with Draco in the dungeons, Harry wondered if maybe the blonde knew what he was doing in the stall. He wondered if the blonde knew what it felt like to know the monster.
The monster, that's what Harry liked to call it. The monster called to him most of the time. And when it called, he had no choice but to answer, to go to the nearest lavatory or closet and hurry through the movements.
Harry could still remember his first run in with the monster. He was at a party over the summer and someone offered it to him. At the time Harry was depressed and needed to opportunity to forget about everything that was going on around him. And the monster seemed like the perfect solution.
He had never met anyone that died from the monster, but he knew that there was a change that he could. He knew that if he did too much or not enough or did anything wrong that he might not make it down.
Sometimes when he was in the tower he wasn't allowed to get the monster out. He knew that his fellow house-mates wouldn't know what to think. So the monster wasn't allowed in the tower.
And Harry hated it.
He moved outside and towards a secluded area far from the football game Dean was trying to coach and the series of couples that surrounded the lake. Taking a seat and letting his head fall back, he allowed himself to feel the monster moving through his veins.
"Thank Merlin," he whispered. The feeling that spread through him was wonderful.
Draco watched Harry from where he stood not four meters away. He could only imagine what was going through his rival's head.
Resolving to find out, he walked towards the lone teen and sat beside him in the shade. He waited to be acknowledged.
Harry sensed the presence before he heard it. He could tell who it was by the scent. He felt the heat pass between them. It was one of the warmer days there had been lately.
After a many silent minutes had passed he couldn't take it anymore. With the monster controlling him he started talking, "She would call me 'Leo', you know? She being my mum. She wrote me a letter that got sent to me on my birthday this year, It started out 'My Dearest Leo'. At first I didn't understand. I wondered if the letter got sent to the wrong person. But as I read on, she explained why she called me Leo. I never had a real nickname. Well aside from the one that you and your cronies gave me."
Draco couldn't imagine not having a nickname. He had many, most given to him by his dorm-mates, some by his family. He tuned back into Harry's rambling.
"My 'friends' as you like to call them aren't too happy with me, you know? They are actually quite angry with me. I defeated Tom and now I get thrown away," Harry kept his eyes closed, but his hands moved on the own accord, plucking cords on an invisible guitar, "Which explains how I got to where I am now. How I became friends with the monster. I don't pay for it using my parents' fortune. No, I could never do that. Do you want to know how I pay for it?"
Draco wasn't sure what the monster was, but he was sure that if he felt the need to find out, he would only have to ask one of his mates. And if one of his mates was supplying it, he could certainly guess how Harry was paying for it.
"It's not such a bad thing. I think that it may mess up my magic eventually. I'm not sure. But I don't think that it matters now. I mean I've completed my destiny. I'm just here on borrowed time now. It doesn't matter much anymore," Harry felt the need to conjure up his guitar, but was unsure as to weather or not he would be able to get it to him in one piece.
Draco watched as emotions played on Harry's face and felt his heart go out to the other teen.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after I graduate. I have enough money from the Ministry to live my life without ever working a day," Harry moved to where he was laying on the ground, his head turned and staring at the lake, "I don't think that I will live past the end of the year. I'm not sure if I want to."
Present
School ended less than two months later and Draco lost contact with Harry. But he did find out what the monster was.
He had been at his friend, Blaise's, house for a party. When he entered the restroom to relieve himself, he found three people in there. One asked him if he would like to take the monster for a ride.
He had already been with the monster, plenty times growing up. He could only wonder why Harry would get caught up in games with the monster.
But at the moment he wasn't worried about why Harry met said drug. He sighed as he felt the body next to him tense up, and was soon ripped from his grasp.
Harry started trying to free his body from the hold that his captor had on his but froze as the voice rang out, "What do you think you are doing, Arie?"
"He's just an old school mate, Caleb," Harry soon molded himself to Caleb's side, "He brought something for us to eat and drink. He also brought some blankets."
Caleb looked to where Harry was pointing and saw the items, "That doesn't explain why you were all over him."
Draco saw the bruising grip the bigger man had on Harry and decided to intervene, "I just found out my mum had died. Arie had told me long ago that if I ever needed someone to talk to that he was available. I came looking for him."
Caleb seemed to think this over and Harry watched with apprehension in his eyes. It was a long moment before the big brute said, "You need to leave. And if I ever find you around here again, you won't be so lucky."
Draco nodded before turning away from the site. Harry was turned and whispering into Caleb's ear.
He walked calmly back to his SUV and got in. He watched the forms that he knew were Harry and Caleb. Caleb had wrapped his arms around Harry in a hold that could only be described as possessive and Harry had bowed his head in a submissive form, still mumbling. Something he said must have made Caleb happy because a big smile broke out over the man's face and he led Harry away.
Draco drove back to his loft in silence. He tried not to think about what he had witnessed and the pain he felt when Harry was taken from his arms. After turning on the lights he closed the door firmly behind him and leaned against it.
He could see the light on his answering machine blinking. He sighed before pushing away from the metal door. Pressing the play button on the machine before moving to the kitchen, the background sounds of a busy street soon filled the loft.
"I don't know where you are but you better call me as soon as you get this message! You were supposed to be here at four to pick me up you arrogant git! Now I'm stuck here! Call me!"
Draco almost wanted to slap himself for forgetting to go pick up his neighbor from the airport. He hurriedly dialed her number on his cell before pressing the send button.
"I'm going to kill you Draco Malfoy!" came and aggravated voice of Tayla Benson.
"I know you are," Draco replied calmly, "I'm really sorry for forgetting."
"What were you doing?" Tayla asked, "I need to know your excuse before I tell you it wasn't good enough."
"I was visiting a friend."
"What friend?" Tayla's voice was wary, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"You know what friend," sighed Draco, defeated. Tayla was a counselor at a rehab clinic. That's how she met Draco. He was a patient there.
"I can't believe you! Do you know what that could do to your recovery?" Tayla's voice was outraged.
"I can't just leave him there! He might die!"
"Like he left you?" her voice was calm once more, "Was he alright?"
"As if you truly care, he looked bad. He's either trying to stop and suffering from withdraw or he is higher then he ever was," Draco replied. He moved through the kitchen and into the living room taking a seat on one of the couches. He turned on the news and muted it.
"I somehow doubt that he is trying to stop. Not with where he is living." Tayla stated quietly.
"There was a guy…" Draco's voice trailed off, "He was controlling of him, like he owned him or something."
"He just might. You know how it goes on the streets. Especially with those that are addicted to the monster."
"Yeah, I do know. I dealt with it," there was sadness in Draco's voice that would have been apparent to anyone.
"I know you have. And that's why you need to move on with your life and forget him," Tayla made a full circle with her argument.
"It's not that easy and you know it! We went through it together. And I need to get him out of there," Draco replied, determination covering the sadness.
"Sometimes it doesn't work that way," Tayla reminded him.
Draco sighed once more, looking out over the darkening city through his large windows, "It will this time."
"Let's meet tomorrow morning for coffee," Tayla stated, changing the subject quickly.
"Sure," Draco replied. The two friends talked for a few more minutes before hanging up.
Draco left the television on as he went into the bathroom to take a shower. He found himself singing the song that Harry had sung earlier in the night, feeling depression grip onto him.
He climbed into his big bed, twisting and turning until he was in a comfortable enough position to fall into sleep.
His dreams were plagued with memories of the month him and Harry had spent deep in drug induced states. Them attempting to purchase an apartment but getting refused by every place they looked at. Them both sharing their secrets about growing up and what caused them to decide to meet the monster.
The time that they tried to get clean played over and over again. The feeling of loss that over took him and caused him to beg for it all back. They both barely lasted a week without it.
Then there were memories of the first time he had used a needle to get the monster into him, the rush to the hospital after. He could still feel Harry's hands on his face and in his hair, murmuring about how sorry he was for being Draco into it all.
Draco remembered the moment that Harry walked away. The pain he felt in his heart was worse then anything the monster could bring along, worse then the pain of coming completely clean. He could still picture Harry exactly how he looked the moment he walked away. And it hurt, badly.