I do not own anything, please don't take what is left. Thanks to my beta writer, Valerian candidate, for putting up with me. All the mistakes are mine.
"Sectum..." Harry started to incant the spell but Hermione's warning - of using the Half-Blood Prince's spells without knowing what they do first, rang in his ear; prevented him from completing the incantation.
Harry shook his head, clearing his thoughts and started to send yet another stunner at Malfoy.
He had intended to try out the spells from the book in the Room of Requirement before using them, but he hadn't anticipating having an all-out duel with Malfoy.
He knew the dangers of using information from an unknown source; considering the information that Riddle's diary provided ended up hurting him in the end, but it was so nice understanding potions and having the answers that Hermione usually provided.
He didn't realize that with his hesitation over which spell to use, he was now wide open.
Within the moments that it took for Harry to change his mind about which spell to cast, Malfoy had regained his position and with a desperate voice, cried out "Avada Kedavra!"
It took less time for Malfoy to cast the Unforgivable curse for Harry to realize that he had no way to dodge the spell.
Harry's eyes met Malfoy's and was surprised to see the triumphant smirk was quickly disintegrating into horror as they both realized that the killing curse was about to hit Harry straight on.
Hermione's tear stained face flashed through Harry's mind right before the green jet of light hit him straight in the chest. After that, all he felt was pain. Harry vaguely thought that he heard Malfoy scream, "NO!" but he wasn't sure as the pain was everywhere and nowhere, all at once. He couldn't even scream, as the pain was all consuming. His vision turned dark.
Harry wasn't sure for how long the pain lasted but when it subsided he found that his thoughts flew through his brain at warp speed.
Hermione was right that I shouldn't have been so focused on Malfoy this year. Poor Hermione, she will be devastated to hear about my death. Merlin, I wish I could see her smiling face again. Why is that so important to me? Well, she is my best friend. She knows everything about me and still wants what is best for me. I would be crazy to not want her around me all the time. And I do want her around me all the time, I cannot even imagine a life without her around me. I hate that she will eventually get a boyfriend. They would never love her as much as I do. Love her? Wait a minute...Am I in love with my best friend? Yes, maybe, I don't know? Is it even important now that I am dead?
Slowly the world started to come back to Harry and his thoughts became more cognizant.
Am I dead? No, I don't think I am. Is that my heartbeat? Yes, it is my heartbeat! I am alive. I don't know how, but, go me!
Harry concentrated on his heartbeat, slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings and the noises coming from around the destroyed bathroom as his vision came back to him. The first thing that Harry really noticed was that although he could feel his heartbeat and his lungs pulling in oxygen, he couldn't move. He was on his back looking up at the bathroom's ceiling and he couldn't even blink his eyes as the dust from the ceiling came floating down.
The second thing he noticed was the sounds of sobbing and retching coming from the other side of the bathroom. Sounds of which were coming closer.
"No! Potter, you were supposed to move! You were supposed to curse me, kill me. I am the one who is supposed to die. You are supposed to defeat the Dark Lord and live till you're older than Dumbledore" sobbed Malfoy as, Harry assumed by the noises, slowly made his way across the rubble to where Harry was. What surprised Harry was that Draco sounded like someone who had lost everything.
"What in the blue blazes is happening in here?" came the voice of Harry's least favorite professor from somewhere behind Draco. Snape sounded like he was in a worst mood than ever, having obviously come to break up Harry and Malfoy's duel.
Harry knew the moment that Snape fully registered the scene before him because there was a sudden intake of breath. It must look like he was dead by Malfoy's wand and by all accounts he should be. And then there were a quick successions of spells that Harry deduced were for privacy and not for the calling of help, as the distant, but, hearable sounds of the castle suddenly stopped.
"Draco, what have you done?" Snape asked softly, not betraying any emotion that Harry could deduce.
"I kil...," Draco started to say before once again retching sounds filled the ruined bathroom.
"You used the killing curse?" Snape asked in that same soft voice. "You are proficient with it?"
"Yeah, this summer, my father taught me, made me..."Draco responded in broken sentences, still sounding broken before gagging again.
Harry still couldn't move but could visualize Snape nod as Malfoy continued to throw up.
"We are going to need to move fast and get you out of the castle before anyone else knows," Snape said finally and Harry could hear Snape starting to pace around.
"No, the Dark Lord..." Draco choked out hoarsely.
"I know that killing Potter wasn't the task the Dark Lord sent you to do but he might be lenient knowing the Potter is dead. You and your family should be safe and I will complete your mission here in your stead. We do have to move now though, to prevent you from being thrown into Azkaban," Snape said reassuringly.
There was a moment of silence where Harry didn't know what was happening but he did hear footsteps coming closer to where he was lying.
Harry started to panic as he desperately tried to move anything, knowing that his wand was probably only a little ways away and perhaps he could protect himself with it. All that Harry accomplished with his struggling was twitching a finger and blinking his eyes once.
Suddenly Draco was in Harry's small field of vision and Harry instinctively held his breath, waiting for what he was sure to be his doom, because surely they would kill him now.
"No, I am not leaving," Draco said again, emotionless but more firmly this time as he stared down at Harry's unmoving body with an emotion that Harry could not place, swimming in his eyes.
"As for my mission, it doesn't matter." Draco said with broken but vicious tones, "My true mission was to fail. The Dark Lord just wanted to have a reason to torture my family more. All I have done this year is to try to keep them safe, but I, and I suspect the Dark Lord, have always known that I am not a killer. So, of course, I would fail at the end of this glorious mission. But torturing my family more without cause would perhaps sows seeds of discontent within the rest of the Death Eaters, so I am the sacrificial lamb. Or maybe the scapegoat would be more appropriate." Draco snorted
"I am truly not a loyal Death Eater and would be very happy if the Dark Lord would choke to death on his pudding."
Snape gasped and Harry would have gasped right along with him if he had control of his body.
The silence was deafening as Draco just stared at Harry as tears started running down his face. Snape didn't say a word for what seemed like hours to Harry.
"You love," Snape said slowly and simply, not quite a question but not quite a statement.
Harry could see Draco nod his acceptance of that statement.
"There is another way…"Snape said even slower and more cautiously than Harry thought possible, surprising Harry, because it meant that maybe, just maybe, that Snape really was on the Light's side.
At Snape's statement, Draco started to chuckle bitterly before saying, "No, there isn't, not for me at least. I am not strong enough to turn spy, like you, and besides there is no reason to try anymore."
Harry would have furrowed his brows at Draco's statement, not understanding really what was going on at this point and hoping that Snape would ask some questions.
Snape did respond but not in the way that Harry had hoped. Apparently some things were understood by the two snakes and they weren't going to enlighten him.
"Draco, don't think like that!" Snape exclaimed sounding very alarmed for the first time and for a reason that Harry couldn't figure out.
Very suddenly Draco spun out of Harry's field of vision and sent a full body curse at Snape. Due to the thud Harry heard a moment later, Harry reasoned that Draco hit his mark.
"I love and I loved so fiercely, Severus. You must at least, understand that. I never meant for this to happen. I know I did things that I should be ashamed of, but all I ever wanted was to be noticed," Draco practically bellowed at Snape before coming once again into Harry's limited field of vision.
Harry noticed that Draco wore a very odd expression and seemed alarmingly pale. He tried frantically to move his body though he didn't truly understand why he felt so panicked at this moment.
Draco raised his wand to his temple with that strange look on his face, and Harry finally realized why he felt so panicked. Draco was going to kill himself!
"Don't be a coward!" Snape cried out, "Live for your love, if you truly feel that way. Don't let your life be wasted."
"I already told, Severus." Draco replied in soft, tearful tones, "I am not strong like you are. I was never strong enough." Though he did take his wand away from his temple.
Draco knelt down next to Harry.
"You were always so strong. I never understood it, I never understood how you could accept a madman trying to kill you and still want to protect others. You were so radiant," Draco said softly, "I know that I have no right but I have always been a spoiled brat so at least I am consistent. All I have ever wanted was for you to look at me. I know you forgive far too easily, so please forgive me for everything I have done against you. "
Harry blinked his eyes again, still completely confused as what Draco was talking about. Also, he was a little annoyed that neither Draco or Snape checked to see if he was indeed dead, though he could understand why as he was hit with a curse that kills 99% of the people hit with it.
"I love you, Harry Potter! I know I have no right to these feelings. Don't worry though, I will not stay on this plane of existence without you and I am sure I will pay for my many mistakes." Draco declared without any gusto.
Harry's eyes practically popped out of his head at Draco's declaration. Harry struggled even harder to move, though he wasn't sure why. He did know that he didn't want Draco to kill himself.
"Please forgive me for this one more thing," Draco said even softer before leaning over Harry and kissing him on the lips.
Harry felt the warmth of Draco's lips and found them to be surprisingly not repugnant. Harry still couldn't move much but he knew that if he couldn't telegraph to Draco that he was alive, then Draco was going to go through with killing himself.
Hermione was right, I really do have a hero-issue. Oh well, I cannot move much but hopefully this will work.
Harry used every bit of straining muscle and focused on kissing Draco back. He managed to slightly move his lips against Draco's in the rhythm that Draco started.
Draco reared back in shock, eyes wide. Harry managed to raise one eyebrow in response.
"Harry!?" Draco exclaimed, seemingly not comprehending that Harry did in fact move.
Harry blinked twice in response, finding that he was slowly being able to move his body. Harry tried to find his voice but found that he still couldn't create any sound.
"How are you alive? I know I saw the curse hit you…in fact you can see where it hit, right there," Draco started questioning as he pointed to Harry's chest, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Harry was still working on breathing.
Draco eyes kept roving over Harry in awe of his survival and Harry had to roll his eyes as Draco seem to have lost his mind
You would think that Malfoy would understand that I am alive but not much beyond that. Come on Malfoy, get your brain in gear and get Madame Pomfrey. Harry thought as he started to get frustrated by his lack of ability to move or do anything.
"Draco, let me up. I know it is hard to comprehend the death of your loved one, especially when you are the cause of it, trust me, but you must let them go and do the best you can for them from this day on," Snape's voice came from behind still trying to placate Draco.
Snape's voice seemed to snap Draco out of his trance state and glance around quickly, looking completely unsure of what to do next.
"He's alive, Severus. I don't know how. What do I do now? He heard everything I have said! How do we fix this?" Draco responded in a tightly wound voice that was several octaves higher than his normal voice.
Harry started to panic at Draco's words and strained, what he hoped was his arm as he still couldn't feel most of his body, towards where he assumed his wand had fallen.
"What do you mean he is alive? No one survives the Death Curse," Snape started but had to amend his statement as Draco started to protest, "Potter did survive it once but I assure you it was more an ancient protection which his parents died to give him than any mystic power of a one Harry Potter. What I am telling you Draco is that it was a fluke that he survived it once and it is impossible for him to have survived it again."
"He MOVED, Professor." Draco protested.
"It must have been the rubble settling. Let me up and I will help you take care of this," Snape demanded quietly.
Draco turned and walked toward Severus, at least that is what Harry assumed as all he knew was that Draco left his line of sight.
Harry was still trying to move his body when all of a sudden the feeling of his arm came back. Pain flowed through the tips of his fingers, down his forearm and into his shoulder. Tears flowed down his cheeks as the pain didn't seem to be letting up. Harry kept gasping for breath as he wanted to scream but no sound came from him.
He tried to still as he heard two sets of footsteps approach where he lay but the pain was not letting up. It felt as though fire was shooting up and down his arm and he couldn't even move to curl around it.
"I understand the guilt, Draco, and it can do many things to your senses but Potter is dead," Snape pointedly told Draco.
"But, he isn't. He kissed me back," Draco retorted hotly obviously annoyed that Snape didn't believe him. "We need to get him to the infirmary."
Suddenly both Malfoy and Snape was in Harry's limited field of vision. Harry froze or at least stopped trying to move as he saw the shocked, horrified face of his most hated Professor.
Harry could see Snape's face quickly morphing into his normally closed off expression making Harry panic a little more even though the more he tried to move his arm the stronger the pain was. His eyes darted back and forth between his arm and their faces continuously.
"No, we cannot take him to the infirmary." Snape replied with an end to his voice.
Snape whipped out his wand suddenly and Harry was sure that it was going to be the end for him. His look of terror seemed to piss off Snape.
Harry was thus surprised when Snape turned and pointed the tip of his wand at Malfoy's heart.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked as confused as Harry was.
"Draco, I am sorry but with Potter alive I need to know exactly where you stand in this war," Snape replied.
"I don't know! What does it matter at the moment? All I know at this moment is that Harry is alive and looks to be in pain. We need to go get him help already!" Draco shouted back, glaring at Snape.
If Harry wasn't in so much pain he would have been impressed with Malfoy's ability to talk back at Snape while he had a wand on him.
"Tsch, I need to know because Potter has more enemies than you know. In fact, he has more enemies than I previously thought and if you are serious in wanting to save him we need to move fast. Now where do you stand?" Snape responded impatiently.
Harry furrowed his brows at Snape's words but was still unable to ask the questions that now bubbled in his mind. The excruciating pain in his arm was slowly dissipating and with it came feeling and the ability to move his fingers and arm.
"Stop moving, you dim witted boy," Snape grounded out as he waited for Draco's answer, "The more you move around the more likely you will hurt yourself worst."
"I…" Draco stuttered.
"I don't have time for uncertainty. Choose, now!" Snape snapped, even as he started to move his wand.
"I told you, I love him!" Draco quickly assured, blushing as he did so.
"Not good enough. Are you willing to be loyal to him for the rest of this war? Even if he doesn't return your feelings? Even if he continues to treat you as he always has, as an enemy? " Snape countered.
"I will love him till my dying day and I will be loyal to him until that time, from this moment forward." Draco replied with force.
Snape nodded, turned to point his wand at Harry and was surprised to find Draco's wand now pointed at his heart.
"What about you, Professor? How am I to know that you will protect Potter? You have been a spy for the whole war and I have heard all my life that you are the most loyal to the Dark Lord," Draco asked vehemently.
"I am loyal to Lily, the one person in this world who I have ever loved and on her death I promised myself that I would protect her son with my useless life," came Snape's immediate reply, "Now we have to get out of the castle before anyone notices us or notices that Potter is missing. He isn't safe here."
Harry's eyes bugged out with Snape's confession and heard himself gasp in surprise. Harry was even more surprised that his gasp was audible.
Snape looked down at Harry for a moment with an indecipherable expression before waving his wand at him.
As soon as the spell hit him, Harry again felt excruciating pain and saw black spots appear in his vision. His cry of pain came out very softly due to disconnect between his body and his mind.
"Bloody Hell!" Snape exclaimed.
"What?" Draco asked.
"Potter's magical core is damaged. I don't have time right now to do the tests to see if it is permanently damaged or just injured but until then we cannot use magic on Potter lest it injure him further," Snape explained roughly.
Snape quickly transfigured a broken stall door into a stretcher and placed a feather light charm on it.
"Get Potter onto that as I deal with the crowd that is surely gathered outside," Snape ordered as he strode to the bathroom door undoing the spells that had allowed them privacy for this long.
Draco clumsily picked Harry up from under his shoulders and half dragged him to where the stretcher was. The motion as well as the bumps along the way caused sounds of pain to fall from Harry's lips.
Harry couldn't hear what Snape was telling the students and teachers but he could hear the sharpness within his tones and knew that it would dismantle a crowd faster than anything else would. He couldn't really decide if he believed what Snape said or if he really should trust Malfoy so he continued to try to move in order to hopefully grab the attention of someone trustworthy before they kidnapped him and left the castle grounds.
Harry was therefore unhappy to see that Snape had managed to disperse the crowd and they started moving through the castle, with Draco pulling the stretcher along as Snape floated it with charms, following a path of dark staircases and hidden passageways.
Harry tried to call out and make noise but he felt himself losing energy with every try and started to lose time as suddenly they were walking across Hogwarts's grounds towards Hogsmeade.
"...we are going to have to do side-along disapperation to a safe house that I have never used but created just in case I had to disappear from both sides," Snape was telling Draco as Harry came to again.
"Won't that hurt Potter?" Draco asked seemingly without any worry that Snape would lead them into Voldemort's waiting arms.
"Yes, it will probably hurt him a lot but hopefully he will be safe for long enough to fully recover before we have to move again. It will also give us some time to plan our next moves," Snape said dismissively.
Harry's eyes widened in fear as he could move his head enough to see that they were almost at the point where disapperation could happen.
"Please, d...," Harry whispered and was happy to find that his voice was audible, through his throat felt awful.
"Don't worry, Harry. We are almost off the grounds and can get to safety then we can tend to you properly," Draco said smiling down at him.
Harry was taken aback with how easily Malfoy could suddenly start addressing him as Harry. Harry also wanted to scream that he didn't want to leave the grounds and that smile did nothing to reassure him.
"Stop!" yelled a familiar voice which made Harry sigh in relief. He couldn't see Hermione he was sure that she had probably brought an army with her.
"Damn! Run towards the boundary!" Snape hissed at Draco before grabbing the makeshift stretcher himself and yanking it and Harry quickly towards the Hogwarts ground's border making Harry hiss with pain from the jostling.
Harry couldn't crane his neck around to see who was in pursuit of Snape and Draco but he could hear the sounds of running behind them. He mentally cheered the pursuers on hoping that they would catch up quickly.
Harry was thus very disappointed to feel Snape pass the boundary with him in tow. Snape swiveled the stretcher so in order to be able to reach Draco's arm, while holding on to Harry's, better.
Harry had a minute to notice that it looked like it was the Gryffindor D.A. members that were in pursuit and not any of the professors. He also saw that Hermione was the only one that was within any distance of them.
He felt Snape start to disparate and could feel the magic starting to gather around him, pulling him towards wherever Snape was going. Harry put all his energy and in a last ditch effort tried to move off the stretcher and escape, managing to slip off the stretcher and stretch his one good arm towards Hermione.
Snape started cursing as Harry started to move but Harry hadn't managed to dislodge Snape's grip. The pain of having magic used upon him started to make Harry's vision start to darken but he could swear that Hermione was almost within reach.
At the last possible second, as Harry felt himself being swallowed up, he thought that he felt Hermione's hand grasp his. He immediately closed his fingers around hers as he blacked out from the pain.
Voices swam around the hazy fog that Harry found himself in. He could almost make out shouts and angry words before they were once again obscured by the haze.
Slowly, Harry started to be aware of his surroundings. He could feel that he was lying on top of a bed and his wounds were bandaged. His whole body felt sore and had a deep ache in every muscle. On one hand, Harry was relieved that he could feel every part of his body, but on the other hand he wished for the pain to lessen.
He started to open his eyes but the immediate blast of color made him feel like he was about to be sick. His nauseating quick glance around the room did show him that he was in an unknown location with Snape and Draco. From that quick glance, he saw that both of them were on the other side of what looked to be a small one room cottage, talking rapidly but too quietly for him to hear.
The next time he tried to open his eyes, he was successful He briefly started to struggle to move, thinking that maybe he could try and escape but a firm, warm hand on his shoulder pressed him back down on the bed.
"Don't try to move yet. You are still very hurt and though I know you probably have a lot of questions you should try to rest," came the voice of the owner of the warm hand.
Harry immediately stopped struggling as Hermione's calm voice washed over him. He managed to quirk one of his eyebrows and somehow conveyed his confusion to her because she continued, "There is a lot to explain but I trust Professor Snape and what he has told me about the situation. Your job right now is the rest and recover. Please trust me, Harry."
"Of course I trust you, Hermione," Harry rasped in a whisper, feeling every syllable grate in his throat.
"Then know that you are safe, and that we will protect you with our lives" Hermione replied as she placed a cool washcloth on his brow and then threaded his hand with hers.
Harry had a million questions running through his mind but the pain of his injuries started to flare up causing him to whimper. He put up no protest when Draco brought over a potion, which Hermione helped him swallow.
Harry's last thought as he fell into a deep healing sleep was how his life seem to always twist and turn.
The End
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Please note that I am not planning to continue this story so if you would like to continue it and answer some of the questions that I feel I left open, please PM me.
Also, for anyone waiting for a new chapter of "Paw prints in the sand" I have not given up on it. I have simply re-written the chapter so many times my head spins when I look at it. I hopefully will get to post it sometime in the near future, though I am sad to admit that my tone might change...alas that is the price of waiting so long.