Title: Unseen Threads

Author: mintapotter

Overview: Harry's seeing and hearing things he's not supposed to, and the unseen consequences could be higher then anyone expected.

SLASH! Guy/Guys! If you no likee, you no readee.

A/N: Thank you to Avalon Princess, Blue Lycan, and Moonlit Eyes!

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Chapter 2 – Sorrow

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And I have never felt

Quite this close to hell

- Hawksley Workman

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I felt the first emotion in weeks that wasn't false hope or complete sadness when I saw Mrs. Weasley's petrified face. I felt shame. I felt ill. I felt wretched and terrible and worthless all at the same time.

Somehow, in my completely fucked up life I had managed to kill my best friends Mother. My surrogate Mother, if you will. I felt myself chuckle a little, a sure sign that I had officially lost my mind. I had seen both of my Mothers die and had the cause in the both of they're deaths. No it wasn't intentional but I had a hand in it as much as the person who had cast the spell. This is the sort of thing that shouldn't logically ever happen, shouldn't even be thought about. But somehow, somehow, I had done it.

I just sat and let the crowds around me swell; they screamed and cried and yelled enough to show only a fraction of what I felt inside. Combined with the sweltering heat on the outside and the chill I felt in my veins I nearly convinced myself that I truly was in hell. I finally got up when I registered a voice in my mind, Ron's.

"I want to see who it is, I need to-"

"No Ron, you don't." He stared at me with wide open blue eyes, confused at my sudden change. I guess he thought I wasn't talking anymore or was in shock and didn't expect me to be up so soon. My voice was thin and very, very strained but I forced myself to keep a stony face and an impassive voice. I couldn't break down I front of him now, he'd know then. He'd ask and I wouldn't have the capacity to lie so I couldn't let myself feel anything. At least not for right now.

"You haven't had to see death and you shouldn't start now. It won't make you feel any better, trust me. Just don't, we need to get out of here anyways." Even Draco was watching me as I said this and a weird sort of silence followed. His Father was still standing beside him with a tight grip on his arm.

"We are leaving now Draco, come on." He stated simply and began to walk away as though expecting to walk along like some trained puppy. But Draco just stood there and watched me with an impassive face and without turning replied.

"No. I'm staying here."

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I knew how my Father would react. I already knew what would happen if I went with him now, knew what I'd get for any disobedience. I couldn't go with him now though; he was already pissed off to begin with. The fact that his 'client' wasn't returning was enough for him to thoroughly yell at me at home but me not listening was a felony.

I couldn't even watch him when I said it; I didn't have the strength to do it. I have been the weakest form of a person for so long that I almost forgot how to say no. but this was different, a real life person had died instead of me. I needed to stay here, I needed to be with these people and not hidden away at the Manor.

"Excuse me? I said we were leaving Draco, so get moving." My Father lowers his voice when angry rather than raising it, causing it to sound very cold and very menacing. A shiver ran down my back but I stood steely still and didn't move a muscle.

"If he wants to stay you can't make him leave. He needs to know what happened anyways, the Ministry of Magic will need to interrogate him as well." I looked up from my shoes and into Harry Potter's eyes. He had not only saved me but was defending me against my own Father. He wasn't even watching me though; he was checking Ron's reaction to this all too obviously.

Thankfully he was right though. The heavy cloaked Ministry of Magic Aurors and workers were already filtering down the street towards us, along with a very prominent man. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Never in my life had I been so happy to see a familiar face, albeit his. I knew from the moment he was on the scene that everything would be taken care of and I was safe. Safe for now.

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I know that Harry's protective of me and Hermione, I know this quite well. Sometimes he shows it as anger, but underneath we know he's just trying to protect us from whatever it is he thinks might cause us danger.

Now, after acknowledging this I must say that between me and Hermione we don't often listen to his advice. Sure, sometimes we tread a little more carefully but we're naturally snoopy people who have a deep need to know. About everything.

"No. I'm staying here." I was floored by Malfoy's response. Not only was he not going with his Father, we was going to stay with us? That little ferret could kiss his ass goodbye if he thought he'd be welcome to stay at all.

"Excuse me? I said we were leaving Draco, so get moving." His Father was pissed, really pissed. I can say I didn't really care though; Draco deserved whatever was coming to him. He always did.

"If he wants to stay you can't make him leave. He needs to know what happened anyways, the Ministry of Magic will need to interrogate him as well." Harry somehow always manages to surprise us with his actions. I can't believe that he's defending Malfoy, even under these circumstances. I was ready to invite Malfoy to leave but I finally got my chance to see the person, whoever it was that died. Harry, Malfoy Jr. and Sr. were all watching Dumbledore come down the street so I slipped away from them a second to see the woman. Hermione was consoling some poor girl who had watched it all happen and was in hysterics on the curb so she didn't notice me leave.

The crowd didn't notice me at first, didn't acknowledge me as anyone special. But for some reason as I got closer to the center they started casting looks my way and the whispering started too. I tried to ignore them but by the time I reached the edge a group of Ministry workers actually held me back. Specifically me.

"Sorry, you can't enter this area son." A kindly Auror held me back ad tried to push me away and back into the crowd. His partner and him shared a look at me and continued to push me away. The whispering was worse now, everyone was turning to look at me, and some people were even pointing. But I knew this Auror, he knew my Father from work. His name was… Morrison?

"Morrison? What's going on, why is everyone?" He shook his head and looked down and away from my eyes when I caught them. He was hiding something, I was the only specific person there he didn't want to see the body. But what could possibly be under there that I shouldn't see?

I stepped away for a moment as the thought formed in my mind. Someone I know. A friend, and acquaintance, and student, and… family member? No, I wouldn't even think like that, they were all away from here at the time; I hadn't seen any of them.

My stepping back made the Auror think that I wasn't going to try and look so in his split second of letting his guard down I darted past and gasped.

Someone had covered the body on the ground with a pristine white lace cloth, but it was just barely too small. Red haired streaked with some grey peaked out the end and I instantly knew who it was.

My Mother. Mum.

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Dumbledore walked straight up to me in the crowds, they parted to let him through without pausing to think. He was flanked by more Ministry officials and commanded respect by his simple presence. He looked oddly out of place out here on the street, he was wearing light blue robes and had obviously been in a well cooled office only moments ago.

"Harry, I've recently been alerted of what happened back at 4 Privet Drive and would like to ask you some questions about it but now this…" he waved his hand and sighed at the street, "this must be taken care of first. I was told on the way here of who the deceased is and I must inform you Harry-"

"I already know Professor. I saw. Just don't say anything right now, Ron's-" I whirled around to here an anguished cry from within the crowd and instantly knew who it was.

Ron.

I ran inside the crowd to find him, console him, restrain him need be and all the people around me just parted in near silence.

Ron stood before me with a hand covering his mouth, tears in his eyes not even forming yet. I could tell what he was feeling, it was grief beyond tears. He turned away from the body ever so slowly and what felt like hours later removed his hand.

"You saved. Draco Malfoy. For my Mother?" he was whispering and the tears were already forming in my eyes. This was a fact I already knew, something I would never get over. But in all the years I've known Ron he has been happy for me, sad for me, jealous, cheerful and pissed off. But never truly angry. And for some completely unknown reason he wouldn't start now. His voice wasn't accusatory but just stating a fact.

"He… I'll kill him. I swear, I am going to kill him." He walked past me and when I reached out to grab his arm he already flinched away from the touch and out of my grasp.

Draco was facing him now with his Father behind him and completely trapped. In one direction was Ron who I didn't doubt for a moment who think twice about strangling him and on his other side was his Father; no doubt ready to punish him suitably at home. Draco didn't move away or flinch, he just looked away.

"RON! DON'T…"

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I heard Harry cry out for me and didn't care at all.

Draco Malfoy has ruined near everything in my life, but he was not getting away with this. His life had been traded for my Mothers and he wasn't going to live to enjoy it.

"Malfoy you killed my Mother and I am going to kill you." My own voice sounded distant to me and cold as ice. His eyes widened for only a second before becoming clouded with some feeling. He now knew who he had killed and it wasn't my problem about how he felt.

He had been warned.

The moment I reached him I punched him swiftly across the face and from there all the anger and hatred towards him took over. I just pummeled every inch of him that lay before me. I saw the crimson blood on his fair skin and didn't care, I could hear the bones snapping and breaking but didn't think of how he felt. His blood was literally on my hands and I didn't care at all. All I wanted was for him to die and if this was how it was going to happen then so be it. His Father didn't step in and a number of people around me didn't even try. Harry did though and I don't even remember punching him but I know I did.

It was Dumbledore who moments later got me off of him with a well placed hex before I stopped. He didn't once punch me back or defend himself; he knew he was responsible. This made me glad and I smiled but instantly knew how wrong that had been. His nose had cracked loudly under one of my fists and now red blood gushed out of it and streamed down his face. His hands were smeared with it and covered his face; his eyes were squeezed shut in pain but some tears ran out of them and mingled with the blood as well. But for all the pain I put him through he didn't once fight back, scream, yell or whimper.

I was wrong.

My Mother died and it shouldn't have been him. It shouldn't have been anybody.

He felt accountable and he felt awful about it. He was taking the beating because he thought he deserved it. But he really didn't. And I knew he hadn't orchestrated this or actually committed the act. He was just a pawn in it, and he wasn't responsible.

The grin that had spread on my face only a moment ago felt evil and appallingly wicked. It was wiped off and I started to finally cry. I sobbed and sobbed and couldn't stop, someone made me walk into a room but the tears filled my eyes so I couldn't see. I didn't hear a single word spoken to me; I barely felt the arms that held me.

This is what it felt like for Harry. This is what he went through, but it couldn't be nearly as dreadful as this. Nothing could.

I would never, never, see me Mother alive again. She wouldn't see me off to Hogwarts this year or the next; she wouldn't be at graduation or my wedding or see and of my children. She wasn't around anymore; she wouldn't be there at all.

She was incomparably gone. And I couldn't stand it.

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Most of the remaining Weasley family had somehow been rounded up without anyone saying a word to them about Mrs. Weasley's death. They entered the tiny wood paneled room in the 'Spiders Web Inn' without any knowledge of why they had been called in.

Everyone was still talking about the days events; they had heard there had been a murder committed in broad daylight but the culprit hadn't been caught. Then they saw Ron sobbing but no matter who spoke to him he wouldn't acknowledge them or stop to speak. He just cried into his hands while Hermione tried her best to console him. I don't think he would notice if she left but I didn't tell her that, I wanted her to think she was doing something to make him feel better. I knew it was an impossible task to make it 'all better' but didn't have the heart to say it.

Ron's sobbing considerably sobered the crowd though; his whole family and the Order members present were on alert about what could cause this sorrow in him. He abruptly stopped though and stared out to the opposite wall without speaking. Everyone but me tried to talk him out of it but he just stared blankly out of his red rimmed eyes and then looked away.

"Harry what's wrong with Ron? What's gotten into him, what's the matter?" Everyone pressed the question on me but I felt oddly out of place with them. Fred and George took to whispering in a corner and Bill and Charlie conversed together against the window as well. They all gave me sympathetic looks that stung to have to take. I didn't deserve them.

I didn't belong here anymore.

They took my silence as sorrow as well and tried to console me but I flinched if anyone touched me and wouldn't say a word. If they knew I had had a hand in killing their Mother they would be slapping me instead of hugging me.

I didn't belong here anymore.

The one person I watched the whole time in that stuffy little room was Malfoy.

He was curled into a ball on the farthest couch from the doorway but wasn't making a sound. At every breath he winced just a little and his nose and eyes were already very puffy. I would be astonished if just his ribs and nose had been cracked in the beating he took. His eyes were blissfully closed however and all the blood cleaned off and stopped with a few whispered spells from Dumbledore. As the Weasley family and Order members filtered in they each to a look at him in turn but I always signaled them away from him before they had time to open their mouths.

He didn't deserve to be berated by them, and after they knew about their Mother he shouldn't be the one to be blamed.

I was responsible. I didn't belong here anymore.

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I didn't know what to do when they took me into the hotel but the pain took over that decision quite quickly. Each breath was painful and my entire face felt bruised. My split lip stung and bled a little as well so I concentrated on the metallic taste of blood instead of my surroundings.

I kept my eyes blissfully closed for quite some time before I was formally addressed and forced to open them.

"Draco? Draco if you can hear me please open your eyes." Dumbledore's was slow, low and soothing so I opened my eyes without a second thought. I wish I hadn't.

The entire Weasley family and some other unknown faces all stared at me and it took every ounce of pride I have to not close my eyes again and pretend to faint. Their eyes were already accusatory and rightly so. Ron was in a state of shock and I was badly beaten up so I suppose they all thought I had corrupted him or hexed him or something. Harry and Ron were the only one's not watching unsurprisingly. Harry was staring down at his shoes with his shaggy black hair completely covering his eyes. Draco watched two tears fall from within however and splatter onto the worn floorboards. Ron was staring at the opposite wall without any look but grief. Hermione held him but stared maliciously at me.

"Not to be a bother Professor-"

"-But shouldn't we wait until Mum comes? I mean if it's important?"

Fred, (or was it George?) finished the sentence that ruined all semblance of normalcy in the room.

Ron turned ever so slowly and stared at them, incredulous and then achingly slowly lowered his head to his hands and started to sob again. Hermione's eyes were leaking now as well, she had been amazing at not crying out on the street. Harry raised his tear stained face and managed a watery smile.

"Dumbledore should you or I?" Dumbledore turned to him and gave him the saddest smile in the world, shaking his head.

"You my dear young man shouldn't have to-"

"Oh, but I do." He said, rising from his seat. "Um, I have no idea how to put this but-"

"Don't even say it."

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It was chaos. Everyone broke down the moment the words were out of Charlie's mouth; they all put two and two together and realized that the murder hadn't been so random after all. It hadn't been a 'somebody', it had been their Mother, their wife.

Everyone was crying or refusing to believe it but mostly they all accepted it inside even though no words were specifically said.

I knew I didn't belong here. I deserved to be yelled at, told to leave and thrown forcefully from the room but nobody turned on me even after Dumbledore told them how it had happened. I just sat on the couch Draco was curled into and watched. I was a bystander in a family tragedy and felt so out of place I wish I were anywhere but here.

"I'm sorry. I'm really truly sorry, I just…"

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I spoke out suddenly but broke off unexpectedly in the middle of my sentence as my strained voice gave out. I looked away desperately and stared at the dark wood wall beside the couch, willing myself not to cry. I could not cry, it was like begging for sympathy. I deserved none and surely wasn't about to ask for any.

This was an apology for being the reason for killing their Mother and I couldn't finish it properly for God's sakes! After a few blinks I turned back towards the room to a most depressing sight.

My Father has an uncanny power in arriving in the most inappropriate moments and this was one of them. He walked into the room of sobbing Weasley's and snorted. He actually turned his nose up at them. I couldn't believe it, I knew first hand how malicious he was but I was amazed to see that he actually had no heart left at all.

"Draco. We are leaving. Now." He was cold and crisp with his movements and words and stared into my eyes with his identical cold grey ones, forcing me to leave with his sheer will. But I wouldn't budge.

Harry caught my eyes again, his deep green ones rimmed with pink bore into mine. He seemed to be the only one with enough wits left to notice the fear in my eyes. I couldn't hide it when all my guards were down. He knew I couldn't go back to Malfoy Manor with my Father but didn't quite know why.

"No. I shouldn't stay here, I'm sorry for intruding but Father, I can't go with you. I won't. Not anymore." His whole face flashed anger for a moment but that resided and was kept in a little bank inside his head, to be used against me later.

"No Malfoy. You really should go. Just leave. Now." Ron looked up at me and I couldn't hold his gaze without collapsing on the floor and begging for forgiveness. I looked up at the ceiling and started to walk away.

"I'll leave here. Father I am not coming with you thou-" for a moment as I began to whisk past my Father in the doorway his hand darted up to grab my wrist or strike me and I flinched just a minute amount. Only he and I knew it, but he still had control over me. I just walked out and knew he was following close behind, knew I was going back home.

I knew what was coming. I deserve it as much as I deserved to be beaten by Ron. I am a weak, pathetic person and deserve it now. I had a chance to break away and blew it with one tiny flinch.

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