Hey, here's chapter two! Hope you guys like it. Thank you all for the reviews and adds so far! It's all insanely appreciated. Anyway, hope you enjoy you're latest update!
The quick figure ran through the halls, zooming past the gigantic windows, past the thousands of portraits, the small, traveling groups of students and teachers. His cloak flew behind him like wings to carry him to his anticipating destination. His emerald eyes shined with a glossy layer of glee, his feet tapping against the hall's echoing floors and stone stairs being the only noise besides the soft conversations he passed. His grin was growing at the wonderful rush his body felt as he created a wind around himself in his speed. Finally he screeched to a halt; he reached his destination.
"Harry, you're early." Hermione told him with a smile.
Harry lifted his hands to his hair, trying to calm its wind-rushed fashion. He walked up to Hermione and Ron, simpering, "'Lo, 'Mione."
She smiled sweetly, "Sorry for not waking you, but…everything's just been so…well…you know."
"Stressful." Ron pitched in.
Hermione nodded, "Harry…it's kind of…uhm…unlike you to be so…uhm…"
"Chipper." Ron interjected.
Hermione shot a look to the red-head, silencing him before continuing, "Well…I mean, you usually end up beating yourself up for…losses, even when in the grand scheme we win…I've just never seen you…ehm…recover so quickly. It's been only a week since the battle, after all."
Harry grinned, "Don't worry, 'Mione, I'm just…"
He looked away for a moment, gathering his thoughts before coming back, "You know…I don't have to end my sentences as 'if Voldemort doesn't kill me before then'…and…people seem a lot more peaceful and…I'm just…I'm just glad. I can almost be normal now."
"Harry Potter; normal, that'll be the day, eh?" Ron joked.
Hermione frowned but Harry laughed along with Ron, adding, "Yeah, that'll be the day."
Hermione's concern was clearly not vanquished, but she sighed and told him, "Well, if you find yourself in need of someone to talk to you, you know you can come to me or Ron."
Ron smiled, "Oh, come, 'Mione, the man knows he can come to his best mates!"
The curve of Harry's lips only broadened. This was life. This was beauty and magic and happiness. He liked this. The beauty was in the castle's renovations and peaceful aura. The magic that didn't need a wand; the constant chemistry between his two best friends that was completely denied or
unacknowledged childishly. His peers, teachers, even the school animals, Hagrid, everyone completely safe and sound to help him along to the rest of his journey in life. That was happiness.
"You kids can come in now." The nurse announced to the trio.
You see, Harry was in such a rush because this was the day that Draco Malfoy was well enough to return to his house and classes. Harry was eager to see Draco, ask him why Draco embraced him so coolly when he saw him last, ask him why he saved him, ask him if he forgave him for his father's murder, ask him to show him his kind, gentle side—his mystery. He was going to ask Draco to always look him in the eyes, so he would never have to forget their stormy look. He was going to ask if Draco wanted a book-carrier, if he wanted help in catching up on school work (although there were about three classes since the battle, dedicated mostly to praising Harry and explaining the Wizarding World's current conduct). He was eager to be Draco Malfoy's friend now. With all of the knowledge gained due to Pansy Parkinson's emotional melt-down he could hardly wait to see Draco's true colors. The colors that cared about Harry Potter, the ones that wished him every happiness. Oh, the suspense had killed him all week!
He walked in, finding that Hermione and Ron were still fighting by the entrance of the Hospital Wing, leaving him alone with Draco. Draco was sitting up in the hospital bed, his back resting in the swollen pillows as the soft breeze from outside pushed through his bleach-blonde hair. His stormy eyes locked with jade as Harry finally found his voice, "Draco, how are you feeling?"
Harry's anticipation grew as Draco's lashes lowered a bit, shadowing his foggy eyes, his plump but paled lips pressed together as his brows furrowed. Harry felt confusion wash over him as he identified this expression as a glare; one of Draco's brows perked upward as he replied coldly,
"My spine's likely been severed, I've got a headache like a mandrake's stuck in my ear, my eyes feel like they're bleeding and my entire body is in excruciating pain. Other than that, I'm dandy, Potter."
Harry was taken aback by his sudden change in character. Harry's heart ached, the last he had seen Draco was…
"You…you saved me. Thank you."
"Help me up, Harry."
"Thank you, Harry."
"I know you'd never use the killing curse on purpose, Harry. You're too good for that. I know it was a mistake. You don't have to apologize to me."
"I'm just…glad you're okay, Harry…"
"That's all I wanted…it's all I've wanted…"
"What's got your wand in a knot?" Harry sneered as nonchalant as humanly possible.
Draco was glowering at him, a mutiny shimmering in his gunmetal eyes as he stated simply, "You killed my father."
Harry's face paled, "You forgave me for that."
A thick silence fell upon them, creating a nearly palpable aura of discomfort. Draco looked away,
"What are you doing here anyway, Potter?"
Harry somewhat missed Draco calling him 'Harry' as he replied,
"I came to see you back."
Draco looked back to him, "I can take care of myself."
Harry scowled; every word that slipped from the blonde's lips was dripping with distain and loathing. It was an ugly sound, one Harry hated as much as the screech of nails on blackboards. He shook his head a little to brush a slip of charcoal hair out of his eyes, telling Draco,
"I know that. I was just trying to help or be nice or something. It's called being civil, you might want to look into it. I hear society likes it a lot."
Draco's face darkened further if possible, he looked like a white tiger about to pounce on its much-awaited prey. He stated simply in return,
"You have no right to speak to me in such a way. I didn't kill your parents."
Harry snapped defensively, "Your mother's not dead!"
"She might as well be!"
"While she's still with health?!"
"Not while she's without him!"
They stared silently at each other again. Draco finally told him,
"Leave."
"Why do you hate me so much?!" Harry fought.
Draco looked away, "I don't have to answer to the likes of you."
Harry's blood was boiling and firing up into his head. He could feel his teeth gritting, his fists clenching. Today was supposed to be a day that Harry celebrated love, magic, happiness and beauty, the safety of his friends and family and his new found friendship within Draco Malfoy! Instead Draco's forgiving, gentle persona from only last week had been replaced by this cold mask. Harry growled from
somewhere in his chest and turned on his heel to storm out the door. His hand was on the door handle when he heard a mumble. Harry turned his back, barking, "What?!"
He was met with Draco's stormy eyes again, but they had that weak, hunted look as they did the week prior.
"Nevermind." Draco muttered softly.
Harry sighed, "S-sorry, what? What did you say?"
"Just get out."
"Draco-"
"Just get out!"
"Ugh! Fine!" Harry yelled as he turned around again and stormed out of the hospital wing, past the fighting brunette and red-head, towards the great hall.
It wasn't long before Harry heard Hermione's gentle voice calling after him, asking, "What's wrong, Harry? Slow down, we can't catch up!"
He reluctantly made his feet stop by their nearly empty table. He looked to his hands balled into fists so tight that his knuckles shown as white as Draco's feathery hair. He snarled,
"That right snob! He's a nasty prick and we should be hexing his bed to fall apart in his nasty-vomit-green room right now!"
He heard the smile in Ron's voice as he backed up, "Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Yeah!"
Hermione glared to Ron, then to Harry and implored, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Harry turned to her and explained, "He's being a prat again…dunno what happened, it's as if he doesn't remember seeing me last week or anything…"
"Well…maybe he doesn't. Maybe it's a side-effect of all the medicating potions and stuff. Plus, he just lost his father, he's in a rough spot." Hermione tried to reason.
Harry looked away from her; she didn't get it. This wasn't how today was supposed to start. It wasn't supposed to be frustrating or confusing. Not like every other day of his life, this was supposed to be only happiness and relief. He released his fists and muttered,
"I just…I mean…you saw the way he acted with me last week…" Harry turned to look her in the eyes, "I just sort of hoped…that…I might get to know him better now."
Hermione sighed, "You know, Harry…sometimes…sometimes in our lives there are just…constants. Draco Malfoy…will always be a jerk, Harry."
Harry looked to her from the corner of his eyes, nearly wincing at her choice of words. She continued, "Ron and I will always be here for you, Harry. That's a constant, just like Draco Malfoy. He will always have that undying, childish loathing for you. He's just…not part of our destiny, Harry."
"Destiny?" Harry inquired.
"Ron, you, me…Voldemort, Dumbledore and…everyone…I mean, it just seems like we were bound to find each other. Like it was fate…Draco Malfoy has a different fate, Harry. One that's not entwined with any of ours." Hermione explained.
Harry frowned, "I don't know, Herm. I don't think it's that simple. I don't think you can say "it will be" or "it won't be" when it comes to people…"
Hermione's eyes told him she was not wavering in her opinions, so he sighed and told the two, "You know…I'm not really hungry, I'm just gonna go take a walk for now."
Ron nodded as did Hermione and he successfully made it out of the Great Hall without hesitation. He descended moving stairs and narrow halls until he found himself near the lake. He finally slowed his pace once his racing thoughts calmed and comprehended where he was. He looked to the tranquil waters and wondered if the glassy look was so restful because the war was finally over. Harry hadn't tried thinking about the war. He tried not to think about the people he failed to save. He tried not to think about the weapons he could have used, all of the mistakes he could have corrected. It was the past now and there was nothing he could do about it. He simply wanted to start moving on. His wish to move on, though, was halted by Draco's egotistical attitude. Why did he have to talk to Harry that way? What was he trying to hide? Harry found it odd that his brain accused Draco immediately of hiding. Perhaps this was Draco's true self. Perhaps he had nothing else to offer Harry.
"That's because you don't know the real Draco Malfoy! You never saw how he cried or how he screamed and writhed in pain! You never saw when he tried to protect your pride, your side of the story, your fate! You never saw him being kind or gentle, you never saw how broken he was because you were too distracted with the charade he put on to cover up all the pain!"
No. Harry knew there was a side he didn't know. There was something that impassioned Pansy Parkinson, there was something deep inside Draco Malfoy that warped a young girl into a tragic love that could only offer her heart break. Harry wanted to know what. The curiosity was eating away at him and he needed to know more, but he was scared to ask. He didn't want to investigate to find a dead end. He wouldn't be able to cope with that kind of disappointment. Not when there may be a friend in what was once an enemy. Not when there was hope in faithlessness, not when there may be light in darkness. He had to know if he had mistaken black for white, danger for safety, fear for bravery, pain for strength or hate for love. He needed to know, he needed answers.
"Are you okay?"
Harry looked behind him to see the young lady he had just been thinking of. He smiled sadly,
"Yeah. I'm fine."
She looked to the water and told him, "You know he's…small."
Harry cocked a brow, "Small?"
She smiled, "Yes…he really…uhm…only speaks when spoken to. At home, anyway."
She chuckled and added, "Because you know well enough that he loves starting scenes when you're around."
Harry breathed a laugh and agreed, "Yes, he's made that quite clear."
She laughed quietly for a moment before looking back at Harry and inquiring, "I think…you make him…want to…change."
Harry blushed lightly, "What do you mean?"
"I mean…I think…that maybe…he wants you to come and open him up." She connected her sad eyes with Harry's, explaining, "I think that he might really want you, Harry, to be the one who he reveals himself to."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Somehow I doubt that."
She sighed, "How long are you going to act like this?"
Harry wanted to snap some aggravated comeback, but at the desolate look in her face he found himself shoving his foot in his mouth. She told him,
"I know that he honors you with a type of respect that from a Malfoy…well…it's shocking. I know he cares a lot more about you than he's willing to show."
Harry looked away, trying to explain, "You know, Pansy…sometimes…there are…constants in our lives…people we're destined to be with and others we're…not."
Before he could complete his lazy lesson she told him, "I think we all meet people for a reason."
Harry's eyes widened a bit as he turned back to her and implored, "A reason?"
She nodded, telling him, "I think…that people come into our lives, bringing a lesson we must learn and we are somehow led to those who will help us most to grow…if we let them, and I think we teach them something as well. I think…I think Draco was destined to meet you, I think it was fate that made him hug you, that made him worry about you…I think you should keep trying to open him up, because if you can't…"
Harry waited in suspense as she laughed softly, finishing, "Well…if you can't help…the rest of us are fucked."
Harry was at first appalled by the girl's foul language, but she must have wanted to be taken seriously about it. He looked away again, mumbling, "What if…he decides he doesn't want my help."
She laughed, "I don't think you can see it, Harry, but he will never let me in."
Harry's chest contracted, his heart wrenching. He felt a great pity for the girl. She was enamored, infatuated with a cold, emotionally unavailable, stone statue. Harry wished Draco would simply open up to her, show her kindness and gentle love to ease her punctured, pained ego and heart. He asked softly,
"Are you asking me to do this for you?"
She smiled with sadly curved brows as she looked out at the water again. He followed her gaze, looking for something that may have grabbed her attention away. There wasn't anything to be seen, though. The sun was slowly setting over the watery horizon; it was a misty grey sky in which the sun could barely be spotted. It had rained a lot that week, explaining why the clouds were so portentous. Then it stuck Harry more clearly than Cedric's body hitting the ground. He realized why she was so ensnared by the sky and ocean; they were Draco's eyes. The metallic shine of great light crawling out onto the water, peeping out at spaces in between the gunmetal clouds, it screamed Draco Malfoy to her. It reminded her subtly and secretly of her undying love for him. A love that would never be returned. Harry's heart squirmed again when she returned her look to him and replied,
"I'm asking you to do this for him."
He felt ridiculous asking, but proceeded, "How will…how will I know when he opens up?"
She smiled sweetly again, "You'll know, Potter. There's this spark in his eyes, it's kind of misty, but it's poetic and inspiring. It's beautiful. His voice gets real soft, nearly silent and you find yourself straining to hear his words, but it's still a heart-wrenching melody when it escapes his lips. I think you'll find it as stunning as I do."
He simpered, "You really love him, don't you?"
She bowed her head a little, looking up from under her lashes as she simply said, "He startles me and makes my blood feel weird, but I like it. No one in the world could replace him. His aura excites me and his smile electrocutes me…without a wand or whisper…" Her teary eyes looked all the way into Harry's, "he leaves me spellbound."
Harry tried to smile, but he wasn't sure if he was as successful as he had hoped to be. She bowed her head again and muttered some parting words. Harry's head was pounding with more questions, but the first thing that splurred from him was, "Wait!"
She looked back to him from a few feet away as he finished, "I…I think you're wonderful too."
She clearly blushed, somewhat surprised by the small compliment. She smiled nervously, girlishly before bowing her head in thanks and walking away. Harry watched her back and hoped she would keep giving
him those uplifting pieces of information when he was in doubt. They reassured him that good was in everyone. After a war like the last, that was something he really needed.