AUGUST 5

ANYONE POV:

Draco had been wavering in and out of consciousness for the past five days and Harry had not left his side.

Harry watched as the still body of Draco Malfoy that was laying in the hospital bed...when a thought occured to him, this was his fault.

"If I had told him right from the start, this never would've happened." Harry became lost in his thoughts.

Draco stirred in the bed then opened his silver-gray eyes and saw Harry sitting there, watching him with worry and...guilt?

"No, he has nothing to be guilty about," Draco told himself. "This was all my fault, not his. Besides, he..." Draco stopped himself from saying that Harry hated him...Harry had kissed him. Draco was confused beyond all reasonable thought. "Hey," he said, snapping Harry out of the daze he was in.

Harry's head jerked up. He was awake! "Hey! Thank god you're alright! You have no idea how worried I've been!"

Draco couldn't have heard that right. "You...you were?"

"Of course I was, Draco! Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"But...I thought you hated me," Draco replied dejectedly.

Harry sighed. "No, it's not that. I just...I refused to believe I was gay because I wasn't. I had had so many crushes in Hogwarts, all of them on girls, so I couldn't be gay. Right? But then I realized how much I liked you and I couldn't deal with it. I told myself that if forced myself to I hate you, it would make the feelings go away. I was wrong, I was so wrong. And I'm...I'm sorry, Draco. I'm sorry I did this to you. This never would've happened if it wasn't for me. How can you ever forgive me? I'm so sorry."

Harry was crying now and Draco sat up in his bed. He reached out his hand and wiped some of the tears from Harry's face. "Hey, it's alright. It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I didn't tell you. Come here," Draco said, patting the bed next to him. The whole 'almost dying' thing had given him a new perspective on things.

"So...I'm forgiven?"

"Only if I am," Draco replied. "Just one thing though..."

Harry looked up just in time to see Draco throw his arms around his neck and pull him into a brief kiss. Harry could feel Draco's bare arms against his neck and was surprised by the unevenness of the skin. He pulled back and grabbed one of Draco's wrists, turning it so the underside of Draco's arm could be clearly seen. Beautiful, porcelain skin was marred by countless scars. Draco turned his head away in shame.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered. Tears were now brimming in his eyes as well. He could imagine it. Now would come the rejection. Harry wouldn't want to have anything to do with him now that he knew Draco's dark secret.

"Dray," Harry breathed sadly. "If only I hadn't been so stupid! If I hadn't been too wrapped up in ignoring my own feelings. This is all my fault. I should've seen it. I could've stopped it." He turned Draco's face so he was looking at him. "You shouldn't be sorry. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I'm so sorry Dray." He pulled Draco into a tight hug.

Both boys finally gave into the emotions and feelings that swirled in their heads and began to sob into the embrace. They pulled apart a few minutes later.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, understand?" Harry said, half jokingly and half seriously.

Draco nodded. "I just...I thought no one cared. I thought you'd be happy I was dead, quite frankly."

"That's why you planned it for the 31st?" asked Harry, comprehension dawning on his face.

Draco nodded again. "I'm sorry."

"Okay, you're officially never allowed to say that sentence again." Both of them laughed.

Just then, an elderly looking Mediwitch walked into the room and, upon seeing Draco was awake, scurried about checking his vital signs and reactions and all other manner of things.