A/N: This is just a little something I wrote after going to the midnight premiere of Deathly Hallows part 1—basically what I think (-cough- wish) would have happened if Snape had actually written the countercurse to sectumsempra in that book, and if Harry hadn't been such a hard-hearted little twit. (-coughbecauseit'sallHarry'sfaultcough-) x3 I may expand this into another fic, one with chapters and all that good stuff, but that will require incentive, so... not sure. For now, though, it's just a oneshot. Be sure to review if you want more. :3
Warnings: Umm... spoilers, although it's a bit late to warn against that xD and one or two curse words.
Disclaimer: Oy, come on people, it's not like you don't already know that I don't own Harry Potter.
Draco slammed the bathroom door shut behind him. He gripped each side of the nearest sink, staring at his reflection. He was a bloody mess. He lowered his bloodshot eyes and splashed water into his face. Groaning, he rubbed his hands over his face.
"I can't do this... I can't..." His head thumped against the mirror as he slumped forward. His body shook with uncontrollable sobs. Then, from the corner of his eyes, he caught a flash of color in the edge of the mirror. He whirled around, groping for his wand. His free hand clenched into a fist as he caught sight of Potter, lingering uncertainly in the shadows.
"Get out," he hissed, wincing a bit when his voice cracked and revealed his moment of weakness. He swiped at his face.
Harry, eyes flashing with uncertainty, took a cautious step forward. "He's making you kill Dumbledore, isn't he?" he whispered.
Draco gritted his teeth. "Confringo!"
Potter dropped to the floor. The curse zipped past him and the wall behind him exploded in flames. He raised his own wand. "Expelliarmus!"
Draco blocked the spell. "Always the weak curses, eh Potter?" he spat. "Expulso!"
"Protego!" Harry scrambled to his feet, panting as he glowered at Draco. "I know what you did. You hexed Katie. She could have died. You poisoned Ron, all for a dark wizard who has you so scared, you have to do what he tells you. You're his puppet, Malfoy!"
Something inside Draco, something dark, snapped, and he screeched out the first word that came to mind. "Crucio!"
In a flash, Harry was writhing on the floor, the sounds of his screams reverberating through the bathroom. Draco's eyes widened and he jerked his wand, breaking off the curse. Harry lied there, panting, as Draco released a strangled cry. What am I doing? What have I become?
Distracted, he didn't notice Potter raise his wand until it was too late to block his spell. "Sectumsempra!"
"A-Augh...!" Draco's back hit the hard linoleum floor. The effects of the curse, which he had never even heard used before, sliced into him like a dagger. He jerked and spasmed, gasping and crying out at different intervals. The blinding pain washed over him in waves; when he lifted his hand from his side, his fingers came away bloody.
"Shit!" Vague and distant, the sound of Potter struggling over reached Draco's ears. "Oh God, oh God, oh God..." Draco flinched as Harry lifted his wand over Draco's body and began to murmur under his breath, his words inaudible to Draco's pounding ears. He sucked in a shuddering breath as the blood flowed back into his body, his wounds healing as broken flesh came together. The pain ebbed to a dull throbbing. He opened his mouth to spit hateful words at Potter's stricken face, but the only sound that came out was a choked sob. And then he was crying.
Harry ran his fingers through his hair, cringing nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what the spell did, I—"
"This isn't about your bloody ignorance, Potter!" Draco struggled into a sitting position, angrily wiping his sleeve across his face, ashamed to be showing such weakness in front of his worst enemy. He pushed himself to his feet, frowning when Harry rose as well. Draco's frown deepened when he saw Potter's legs tremble. He turned away, massaging his temples and trying to keep more tears from falling.
"Mal—Draco—"
"Go. Get... out." He bit his lip, hearing the waver in his voice. He stiffened as two arms snaked around his chest from behind. A hug.
Under most circumstances, Draco would have ripped Potter's arms away and hexed him before he could bat an eye. But he was so tired of being anxious, worried, angry, sad...
He let Harry slowly turn him around so that they were chest-to-chest, still wrapped in the hug.
"You don't have to do it," Harry whispered, his lips brushing against Draco's ear.
Draco's forehead dropped onto Harry's shoulder. "He'll kill me."
There was a short pause on Harry's end. Then, "Dumbledore won't let that happen."
Draco stepped out of the hug, meeting Harry's gaze for an instant before squeezing his eyes shut. "I've been trying to bloody kill him for the past six months—!"
"He's not the kind of person who would be mad about that!" Harry protested.
Draco slumped against the wall. "It's too late."
He wasn't prepared when Harry's fingers flicked out and grasped his wrist. "What are you—" He fell silent as Harry whipped his sleeve back to reveal Draco's newly taken dark mark.
Tears sprang to Draco's eyes. He snatched his arm from Potter's grip, seeming to re-enter his own mind as he did so. What was he doing? What was this? He and... Potter?
"Just... just stay away from me!" Draco snatched his sweater from the floor and ran out, leaving Potter standing in the middle of the bathroom.