Disclaimer: I regret to say that everything about Harry Potter belongs to the talented author JK Rowling. There are some original characters and they belong to me: they include Shawn and Pixie as a couple and a mention of Yumiko and Chris, two OCs from the first story. All general story notes as mentioned in the first chapter apply to the story. Other miscellaneous OCs for this story include Luka Craydon well as the main characters' and the OCs' kids.
Warning and Story note for this chapter: lots of Draco/Harry love and lovely family moments and there will be more OCs as well.
3/8/2013: So busy with TAFE. But I managed to write this chapter in between my readings. I have decided that there will be 1 more chapter to be completed and then finished with an epilogue to wrap up the arc which spanned over three stories including this one :) Although depending on the direction the next chapter will take, I will see whether I can be wrong and one more will be added. I feel so satisfied that this revamped reversion turned out to be much better than I expected. Read on and please leave a review when you can, they are much appreciated!
Unforgettable Memories
Chapter Ten: We Will Be Okay
Rating: PG-13
Ron paced along the corridor as he awaited news of his friends. He looked at the three closed doors before him, each accompanied with a large viewing double-sided mirrored window that allowed the outsiders to see the patients within without them aware of their presence.
The master dragon handler looked through the first window on his left. He saw Shawn and Pixie inside with a Healer beside them, checking the vitals of her patient with her wand. The bespectacled Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was laying in bed with an IV tube inserted in his arm while his wife was by his bedside on a chair. Ron approached the Healer when she exited the room.
"You must be Mr. Ron Weasley. I'm Healer Starwings."
"Pleased to meet you. How is Shawn?" he asked.
"Your friend is lucky that he has a strong body at his age. The Cruciatus curse can have adverse effects if exposed for too many times. He's physically weakened but nothing dangerous to cause alarm bells. I just administered some more strength potions and he'll be under watch for a day just to be sure he's not experiencing any side effects. But I'm pretty sure he'll be just fine."
"And my other friend, how is she?"
At this, the Healer's face softened and her eyes turned a bit sad.
"She's fine but I can't say the same for her emotional state. She told me what happened after she was given a strange potion. I took some magical swabs in her mouth and managed to obtain a tiny sample of the said potion. It was a forbidden and illegal mind-controlling potion. The name is horrible to speak of and it was banned by the Ministry for good reason...imagine that you are under the Imperius curse, imprinted with a voice that tells what to do and you can only witness your deeds consciously without any control over your body...now I have to present my findings to the Minister to organize more search raids to ensure that substances like she took must never be consumed by other wizarding folks..."
"Bloody Hell..."
"I kept assuring her that she didn't have the true intent to do the things she did...but..." Healer Starwings looked through the window, her face filled with sympathy, "Only her loved ones can dispel the darkness threatening to overtake her. Are there any visitors they'll be expecting?"
"Probably just their children and a few of our friends, I guess, but I won't know until they're here."
"Very well. Visitors are welcome to come in, but only in small groups. My colleagues should be done with your other friends soon and you can visit them too. Please don't hesitate to call any of us should something happen, Mr. Weasley."
"Thanks for that."
After watching Healer Starwings walk away to the head office, Ron focused his attention back to the window. Pixie was looking very despondent as she stroked her husband's hand in hers. The redheaded man knew she still felt extremely guilty over the hurt she inflicted on her family and friends even though her actions weren't truly of her own will. He observed as Pixie tried to shy away from Shawn. But he quickly wrapped her in his arms, kissing her forehead and hugging her close as she broke down against him.
"They'll be okay..." Ron tried not to think too deeply about should a similar situation happened to him and Hermione. He would've been devastated...the idea of Hermione being forced to do unspeakable deeds under someone's control would've broken her... "No...don't think about it anymore...Charlie...where's Charlie..."
Not wanting to further intrude on their private moment together, Ron turned to the next room. Charles was sitting on the bed as the Healer who comforted him ran her wand over his body to check for any injuries. The teenager looked fine physically save for his bandaged hands that had been scraped by the sharp rocks. But upon seeing the haunted weariness and raging turmoil boiling in his young silver eyes, it made Ron's heart ache for his apprentice. Charles had practically came close to death as well as nearly losing his fathers and it made him look older than his years. Even though Lucius had already done unforgivable deeds, it amazed him that Charles had the capacity to go beyond the surface to discern the grandfather he never met until now...Ron couldn't imagine the anguish for Draco would really feel the full impact of Lucius's death...Harry would be spared somewhat since he hadn't been up close to witness it...and Charles...like his father, he had seen Lucius die before him and would likely blame himself for it...
"Charlie doesn't need any more trauma to hurt his spirit..." Ron knew of the boy's backstory on how he activated his wandless magic from Harry and Draco. He prayed that he would be in right state of mind before the trip was due. No, he and his sons would be willing to wait if Charles wasn't ready and he would tell him that as soon as they were out of St. Mungo's, "Hang in there, kid..."
Ron watched the Healer give him something to drink before tucking him in the sheets. He was about to check on the last window when he heard pounding footfalls coming from behind him.
"Ron! Honey!"
Ron turned around and found Hermione jogging up to him with their children and Raymond and Ramona behind them. He clasped his wife in his arms, kissing her forehead soothingly.
"Neville told us everything," Hermione kissed her husband back, her dark eyes brimming with worry and concern, "Ray and Mona wanted to come along with us...the poor dears want to see their parents."
"Daddy and Mum! Are they okay, Uncle Ron?" Ramona whimpered as she hugged the redheaded man tightly, "Where are they? And Charlie...oh Merlin, is he alright? And...and Uncle Draco and Uncle Harry?!"
Ron clasped the anxious girl's shoulders to stop her worried babbling.
"Hush, Mona. Your mum and dad are fine," Ron soothed, "They're still checking over the others right now. Do you and Ray want to visit your parents now? It'll be a while before we can see the others."
"Come on, sis...let's take Uncle Ron's suggestion and see mum and dad first," Raymond took his sister's hand.
"Then can we see Charlie next?" his twin asked in a small voice, squeezing his hand a bit more tightly.
"Sure, sis," Raymond led Ramona to the door and opened it.
Ron and Hermione moved to the window to watch the family coming together. Raymond was tightly hugging Shawn while Ramona was trembling in Pixie's arms, embracing her mother like she never wanted to let go. Pixie's face was wet as she held her daughter close and kissed her forehead. Before long, Shawn slowly sat up with his son's help before gathering his children and wife in a huge group hug.
"They'll be fine, Ron," Hermione stroked her husband's arm, "They're on the mend..."
"Mummy...will Charlie be okay again?" Christie asked softly, clearly worried for her friend.
"Come on, little sis. You know how far Charlie has come," Jack said to Christie, trying to keep his bravado up, "He'll get through this, you'll see..."
"You must be young Charlie's visitors...sorry to keep you all waiting, dears," the Weasley family turned to see the Healer that tended to Charlie exiting the door. She had kind features that would belong to a mother and her doe eyes were filled with warmth, "Healer Brightflore, at your service."
"How's our friend, ma'am?" Jason asked the Healer.
"Charlie is fine, dears, just some scrapes on his hands. But..." she turned to the window. Charles was currently sleeping...yet he had a troubled expression on his face, "He has faced terrible things no young person should ever experience...it will take some time but I'm sure with love and support from you all and his loved ones will help lessen the pain within him...I've just have him a light sleeping draught so that he could sleep peacefully for a while...the poor dear...but no amount of the best potions and medicine could heal the wounds of the heart..."
"What about Harry and Draco, Healer Brightflore? They...they took the worst..." Ron shivered when he recalled how he found his friends. Harry...still, pale and barely breathing...and Draco...his elvish stature stained in blood and blemished with unsightly wounds. Hermione looked up at him worriedly and clasped his hand.
"Rest assured that my colleagues are doing their best to help your friends...oh...here they come now," Healer Brightflore approached the two Healers leaving the third room, "How are the patients doing? I have a large group of worried visitors, Granheire and Firense."
Healer Firense stepped forward with a solemn look on his face, his amber eyes glinting seriously, "I won't lie to you, both Masters Draco and Harry have been hit with Dark spells...very powerful ones..."
Ron stiffened in dread while Hermione gasped sharply. Christie whimpered in the twins' tight embrace.
"Those spells were fueled with strong hatred and unshakeable intent to hurt but we have managed to heal those wounds quickly and there have been no complications in their conditions so far...strong people, they are..." Healer Firense turned to his Healer Granheire, a slender young man with wise deep blue eyes that seemed to shimmer in violet under the lights, "We are most fortunate to have Granheire today. He specialises in maladies and injuries inflicted by Dark Magic."
"Master Draco was hit by a Sectumsempra curse as Mrs. Livinsky informed us. This was no standard Dark spell found in any texts. This has a unique signature...whoever created this spell had an advanced level of magic to conjure it..." Ron and Hermione looked at each other uncomfortably before the Healer continued speaking, "We were really concerned that his wounds wouldn't heal even with our strongest healing spells. But fortunately, we eventually able to close them permanently with essence of Dittany. It should leave minimal scarring but my main concern will be that Master Draco might experience minor bouts of pain should he be under a lot of stress or if he relives in the memory where he got those grievous wounds. But in the meantime, we have given him a blood transfusion to replace the blood he lost and he should be fine for now."
"And Uncle Harry? Is he okay?" Christie broke away from her brothers.
"Master Harry is most fortunate to survive. It appears that his heart was directly attacked by an induced Dark piercing curse hence its incantation. Its origins are unknown to us but all I know is that the spell can only be broken with its counter curse which he is most fortunate to have experienced. If he was left in this broken state any longer, he would've died from suffocation and his heart could never be resuscitated..." at this, Christie whimpered and her eyes brimmed with tears. Sensing the girl's distress, the Healer moved to wipe away her tears, "Although Master Harry will have some scars bearing his heart, he is in no more danger and he doesn't seem to suffer from any brain damage. He is just short of breath so we gave him an oxygen mask to put him back on track. We also administered him a dose of a light sleeping draught so that his body can start to recover in his sleep. They'll both be fine, my dear."
"You're all welcome to visit them now. I recall that Master Draco is up now...it'll take a while for young Charlie and Master Harry to wake. Now if you'll excuse us, please."
The Weasleys thanked the Healers for their hard work before they went on their way to take care of the other patients in the other wards. Ron quickly checked through the third window where Harry and Draco were in. True to Healer Firense's words, Draco was already up and sitting on his side of the double sized hospital bed, his pale muscled torso wrapped in bandages. He looked anxious as he continued to gaze at his husband while grasping his still hand. Harry looked quite pitiful and frail. He would've looked dead if it weren't for the fogs of breath visible within the oxygen mask and the steady movements of his bare chest fitted with magical pulse readers to monitor his heartbeat.
"Kids, why don't you keep Charlie company? I'm sure he would want to see some friendly faces when he wakes up," Ron said, gesturing to the middle room.
"Yeah...let's do that. After all, he'll be lost without us around," Jason said good-naturedly as he led his siblings inside.
"I'll firecall the others before checking on Shawn, Pixie and their kids," Hermione offered. She patted his arm, "You go ahead and see Harry and Draco."
"Will do, Hermione. Don't take too long."
"Harry..." Draco whispered as his large hand gripped the slack tanned fingers.
The two Healers had tended well to his wounds but he could still feel them aching under the itchy bandages. He had been told that he would experience the pain from time to time. But right now, his attention was intensely focused on his unconscious husband. Harry had suffered greatly as he did and he would've died if he hadn't chanted the counter curse on time. The younger man had been given a sleeping draught to give his body rest and to allow it to heal. But the blonde man felt anxious and scared of the tiny possibility bothering the back of his mind that his lion wouldn't wake...he longed to see those bright emerald gems look up to him and the lazy smile he always gave upon greeting. He felt like if he didn't see those signs, then Harry would be far from reach...and it frightened him to the core.
"Come on, you lazy arse. Wake up already. I don't care if they gave you a bloody sleeping potion," Draco groused grouchily yet his eyes filled with desperate tears, "I'll...I'll leave your bollocks hanging if you don't wake up this instant!"
"I wish you hadn't said that when I walked in," Draco quickly swiped his tears away in embarrassment upon the new presence. He turned to see Ron shivering in amused disgust as he dragged a spare chair to Draco's side and sat on it, "Reminds me of the times 'Mione sends me to sleep on the couch when I do something stupid."
"Ron..." Draco nodded tersely in greeting at the redheaded dragon handler.
"Harry's fine, mate. He'll wake up soon," Ron said confidently. He faltered slightly when he saw Draco's face pulled into a forlorn look.
"I know but...I thought he would be fine after I said the counter curse...then he would wake up and..." Draco swallowed to soothe his aching throat, "...I'd really know that he's really alive..."
The two men fell into a heavy silence, save for the spell still reading Harry's heartbeat in rhythmic beeps and the muffled breaths in Harry's mask. Draco leaned down and kissed Harry's forehead, feeling the lightly scabbed skin against his lips...at least it didn't feel cold...
"Charlie...how's Charlie?" Draco asked as he settled to comb Harry's hair while he sat back against the headboard.
"He only just scraped his hands from holding onto the rocks for too long, but otherwise he's fine. He's asleep too but my kids just went inside to keep him company in case he wakes," the former Gryffindor informed his companion.
"That's good..."
"Oh and by the way, here are your wands..." Ron reached into his robes and placed the wands on Draco's bedside table, "Thought that you might wonder where they were..."
"Thanks, I really appreciate that..."
Just then, Draco's attention was alerted when he felt a minute squeeze on his hand clasping his. He turned back to Harry in time to see his eyes flutter open and his breaths becoming stronger and more audible.
"D-Dray...dragon..." Harry whispered as his lips upturned slightly, "You're okay..."
"Harry...lion!" Draco hovered over his husband as he kissed everywhere on the other man's face that wasn't covered by the mask. Ron politely turned away, letting the two men have their moment.
"You weren't really going to give me blue balls if I didn't wake sooner, were you?" Harry's voice held some exhaustion yet it hinted some wry humor.
"You heard that?"
"D-Dray...I can still...hear you, you know...well...bits of it, especially about the bollocks part..." Harry weakly chuckled at the miffed look on his husband's face, "I did want to wake up but my body refuses to listen..."
"You're still a lazy arse..." Draco tried to stay annoyed but failed when a small smile wormed onto his lips. He was very much relieved that his beloved lion was finally awake.
Harry's eyes twinkled when he made out Ron in his line of blurred vision, easily spotting his bright red hair. The dragon handler had moved to sit on Harry's side of the bed.
"Good to see you, Harry," Ron gently bumped his fist onto Harry's shoulder in greeting, an identical relieved grin present on his tired face.
"And Charlie...is he-"
"Fine, Harry. He just had a few scratches...he's unharmed," Ron reassured his best friend, "My kids are keeping him company right now."
Just then, three solid knocks rapped on the door. Ron went to answer it while letting his friends share a tender moment together. He found the Head Auror and his two colleagues standing before him. Their robes were stained and dusty from climbing the mountains and their faces had strong traces of solemn seriousness and exhaustion combined.
"Please excuse us for interrupting your visit, Mr. Weasley, but we would like to speak with Mr. Draco Malfoy-Potter."
"Yes...what is it?" Draco kept his hold on Harry as he looked up.
The Head Auror approached the bed, his head slightly bowed in respect. He had sharp eagle amber eyes and a pursed grimace on his face.
"I am Auror Tedmarks. These are my colleagues, Aurors Campbell and Grahame. I do not wish to cause such untimely stressful inconvenience to you and your family's recovery but we duly need to discuss about Lucius Malfoy..."
Ron warily glanced at the former Slytherin whose eyes hardened and his grip on Harry's hand tightened. Harry seemed to sense the same thing as he looked up at his husband. From his perspective, he saw the minute clench in the sharp jaw. The atmosphere escalated with tension and the Aurors knew that they had to quickly deliver what was needed to be said before their departure.
"I am aware that you are related to him as his son, Mr. Draco. Even though Lucius was a convicted criminal, we offer our condolences for your loss. But we have an important matter to report upon. My colleagues and I just recovered his body as the foot of the mountains and you, your husband and son as well as Mr. Livinsky were the only people that witnessed Lucius before his death. Mr. Draco, we just want to-"
"Are you insinuating that my husband is to be unfairly punished when he was trying to save a friend who is dear to us?" a cold voice that didn't belong to either Ron and Draco interrupted the Auror.
Draco jumped in his skin when he realized that Harry was now sitting upright, the oxygen mask dangling around his throat. His pale face was filled with anger and his green eyes, though looking very exhausted, were dangerously sharp.
"Maybe this isn't the right time to be discussing this, gentlemen," Ron tried to intervene, not liking the stress building up on his companions' visages.
"You have a lot of explaining to do..." Harry growled, having to be held back by the dragon handler, "Why weren't we informed of his escape?! Did it take my friend's frantic call for help to finally notice that Lucius was gone?! My husband and son had to endure a lot of suffering in this little encounter! You have no idea how it feels!"
"Harry, please, my lion...calm down..." Draco soothed the younger man and rested his husband's on his bandaged shoulder, "Hush...it's okay..."
"Mr. Harry, my choice of words have made you misinterpret what we intended to say...indeed, in addition what we said about recovering Lucius's body, we came to offer our sincerest apologies for not coming to you sooner regarding Lucius's prison outbreak."
The Aurors' heads bent down towards them in apology.
"The minister and I have agreed to keep this whole incident under wraps...but it was a bad decision on my part as I didn't take into consideration that the wizarding press would want to know what was happening. It was inevitable that it would be leaked out and by then, we were still searching for Lucius. We had underestimated his abilities and cunning and that was what caused our delay in finding him...our words cannot express the shock of the pain and suffering you all went though...but..." Auror Tedmarks took a deep breath, "Since the unfortunate outcome is caused by my inability to oversee the bigger picture of Lucius's escape, please allow me to compensate in any way possible. All you need to do is ask."
"There are two things you can do for me, Tedmarks..."
"Name them."
Draco had a melancholy yet serious expression on his pale handsome face. His eyes burned in molten silver as he made his requests.
"Firstly, you will treat and handle my father's body with utmost care. I am aware of the many dark deeds he had done and he had hurt thousands in the name of the Dark Lord and pureblood supremacy...but he was the only family I had...I hated him to the core...but he redeemed himself in the end to save Charlie..." Draco swallowed the growing lump in his throat, "It's because of that one act of paternal instinct...I wish to give him a proper burial...to...at least...depart from this world with some dignity of the Malfoy family..."
"I understand...and the second request?"
"I don't want my family and friends to be hounded by the media over this incident. Give us the right of privacy to go through this tough period..." Draco gripped his husband's hand and laced their fingers together, "You will handle the newspapers and there will be no mention of our names. Is that perfectly clear?"
"It shall be done, Mr. Draco. I will oversee the arrangements for your father's body to be presentable for the formal identification and take full responsibility over the matter with the press. It's high time that a conference needs to be done..." he bowed his head again, his colleagues copying his gesture, "I shall inform you personally when the body is ready."
"Thank you..."
"Good night, gentlemen."
The three Aurors left the room. Ron looked back to the couple still locked in each other's arms. Feeling that they needed some much-needed time between themselves, the redheaded man also headed to the door.
"Hey...uhm...I'm going to check on the others and see what 'Mione is up to. You guys better rest up..."
Harry looked up gratefully to his best friend, "Thanks, Ron..."
"And, Draco?" Ron's blue eyes were filled with sympathy, "My condolences, mate..."
Draco felt his chest throbbing painfully...and he knew it wasn't because of his wounds. Ron's condolences made him face the harsh reality that his father was truly gone from the world of the living. The former Slytherin felt thankful that Ron didn't mention anything else about his deceased father. He locked eyes with him and mustered what he hoped was a sincere look of gratitude...he could feel the burn in the back of his watering eyes progressively getting worse...
"Thank you, Ron...it means a lot to me..."
Ron nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Harry observed his spouse. It hurt his heart greatly that Draco had to experience a great loss on this day. Lucius was his father, after all. His pale face was blank yet his lost silvery grey eyes were filled with such deep anguish and brimming with heavy tears.
"Dray..."
"Well, Father...I may have decided that I'll let you go with some dignity but that doesn't mean you have rightfully earned my forgiveness...you saved our son at the very last moment...but why did you suddenly have to leave it like that...leave me like that?!" Draco suddenly raged, his eyes burning and flashing like fire, "You were a fucking coward after all! How dare you run away and leave things so unresolved! I hate you, Father! I hate you!"
Draco scrunched his eyes shut as he doubled over and haggardly cried into his knees in a tight crouched position, uncaring of the throbbing aches in his chest. The tears he valiantly held back rained on the sterile sheets.
"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you, Father!" Draco screamed at the top of his lungs to the ceiling, startling Harry momentarily out of his skin at his fierce outburst. Breaking into softer sobs, he collapsed onto the bed, crying into the sheets.
Harry held back his own tears as he crawled over as close as he could and pulled the larger man into his arms. Draco gripped onto his husband in a mighty grip and sobbed into Harry's chest, feeling the gentle kisses pressed onto his hair. Harry allowed his own tears to fall, adorning the silken golden hair like dewdrops. He cried for his husband's suffering and the intense relief that they were still alive.
"Harry...Harry...Harry...please..." Draco gasped as he pressed his wet face against Harry's neck, "I don't know what I'll do without you and Charlie...don't leave me alone...don't leave me alone!"
"Dray...I'm here...Charlie's here..." Harry soothed the former Slytherin despite his tears, "Just...just as long as you make sure you won't leave me and Charlie behind too..."
At this, Draco dared to look up upon detecting the sadness present in Harry's voice. Harry's green eyes were swollen and red and his lips were trembling.
"When you were hit by the curse and...and...Charlie...oh Merlin...I was going to lose you both!" Harry hid his face in his hands, the slight wheezes in his gasping sobs growing more prominent as his anxiety built up, "So much blood! I couldn't do anything to help! I'm so useless! I said that I wouldn't let anything happen to you but I broke my word! I'm so sorry, my dragon! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..."
As Harry continued babbling his broken apologies, it became Draco's turn to bring comfort to his distraught lion. He pulled Harry close and cradled him against his chest while he hushed him with warm soothing coos and kissed his forehead. Harry eventually calmed down from his breakdown but he was starting to wheeze after crying for so hard. Draco carefully placed the mask back onto Harry's nose before laying him down back onto the bed. He towered over Harry and brushed his fringe away from his forehead.
"I was so scared, Dray...even more than we faced Voldemort," Harry said in a small voice, his tone slightly muffled by the mask, "You and Charlie mean the whole world to me..."
"I was too and the sentiments are the same..." Draco nodded and clasped their fingers together.
"You won't be alone in this..." Harry promised and squeezed his fingers on return, "Please...let me, Charlie and everyone else who care greatly about you help..."
Draco felt his heart beginning to mend and the dark twinge of self-solitude within his soul dissipate. He nodded and kissed away the tears on Harry's face, "I know...and I'm grateful for that..."
It was then the Potions professor noticed the younger man struggling to stay awake as his eyes kept on blinking and his breaths becoming slightly slower and relaxed.
"Rest, my beloved...sleep for a while...I'll be here when you wake..."
Harry nodded and closed his eyes. A small smile tugged the older wizard's lips despite the pain and stress that were to follow after their stay in St. Mungo's. Draco wasn't alone...he still had his family and friends with him. Draco laid down his side beside Harry, cradling him close and still holding onto his hand.
"Thank you, my lion..."
Charles slowly blinked his drowsy eyes open, wanting to know why he was hearing whispers around him in his room. He suddenly felt a sudden weight falling onto his chest and slender arms wrapped around his neck. The sweet scent of roses and peaches greeted his nose and he sank into relaxation as he hugged the warm being nestled in his arms.
"Mona? You guys? When...when did you all get here?" as he cradled Ramona close to him, his blurred vision made out the faded forms of his friends before he felt his glasses slip onto his nose, "Thanks, Ray...how are Auntie Pixie and Uncle Shawn?"
"Auntie Hermione's with them now, keeping them company," Raymond answered, "Mum will need some counseling to get over the traumas but otherwise, they're okay."
"Charlie! Thank God...you're awake...why did you have to run off and make me worried sick?!" the teenager's heart ached upon detecting the worry in her voice and feeling her trembling against his chest. He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head.
"You were a complete jerk!" Charles winced when he felt a punch on one of his arms circling his girlfriend. He looked up to see Christie in tears and a mild angry expression on her face. Her brothers gently pulled her back, "I hate you for making all of us scared!"
"Sis, it's okay...Charlie's fine...he's already been through a terrible incident..." Jason soothed her, "There was no need to hit him like that, you know."
"No, it's alright. I deserved it..." Charles shook his head, "Can you forgive me for rushing into danger without telling you of my intentions?"
"What's there to forgive when you went because you want to save your dads and Uncle Shawn..." Christie replied softly, "Your hands...do they hurt badly?"
"Dad will not likely let you handle the dragons for a while, mate," Jason commented as he inspected the bandaged hands, "Give it about a week and we'll see how it goes..."
"The trip...oh Merlin...what's Uncle Ron going to say about it?" Charles berated himself.
"Hey, focus on getting better first. Then we'll talk...you know that we and our dad won't go anywhere without you, mate," Jack reassured him.
"How are you feeling, buddy? What happened at the mountain?" Raymond asked.
"I..."
It was then the youth fully recalled what happened to him before...his fathers...they had been hurt badly...Uncle Shawn...and Auntie Pixie...and...Grandfather...falling...falling...
"Charlie? Charlie? What's the matter?"
Ramona lifted her head from her boyfriend's chest in alarm when she felt him shiver terribly. She gasped upon seeing the broken anguish on his handsome face as the tears relentlessly spilled from his eyes to splash onto the sheets. But what scared her was how blank and unfocused his silvery eyes were...
"My fault...it's all my fault! I couldn't save Grandfather!" Charles cried out suddenly as he gripped his hair in his fists and rocked back and forth. Raymond pulled his sister away to safety to prevent the larger frame from hitting her. The older Weasley twins quickly intervened to pull their younger friend into their embrace when he started to hit himself.
"Stop! Stop, Charlie! You're hurting yourself and you're scaring us!"
"Where's Daddy and Papa?! They're hurt because of me!"
"Oh no...he's starting to revert..." Jason frowned in concern the moment Charles said 'Daddy and Papa'. He knew that his friend was getting scared as he was caught up in the recent memories of the traumatic ordeal. He turned to his brother, "Jack, what should we do? How should we calm him down?"
"What's going on in here?" the group turned to the door to find Healer Brightflore standing with a surprised expression on her face. She raced to Jack's side, "What happened to Charles?"
"Daddy and Papa! Where are they?!" Charles screamed at the woman, his face pale and hysterical, stained with tears.
A knowing look flashed in her eyes before she took action. She securely wrapped the fidgeting boy in her arms and began speaking in a deep soothing voice.
"Hush, dear...your daddy and papa are safe. Listen to me. Your daddy and papa are just in the next room in bed. Yes, they were hurt but they are better now," the twins looked at the Healer in amazement, watching her soothe their troubled friend as he sobbed against her shoulder, "There, there...let it all out, Charles...that's it..."
Charles convulsed against her before breaking out into haggard gasps. The woman gently patted his back and massaged the back of his neck to further calm him down. Ramona looked on from her brother's arms as she observed his face. She sighed with relief to see the warmth returning into his eyes even though they were now swollen and red-rimmed.
"I want to see them...want to see them now...please..." Charles begged.
"Of course you can, dear," Healer Brightflore helped him up from the bed and led him to the door. She was puzzled when he suddenly stopped walking to look back at his girlfriend, "Charles?"
"Mona? I'm sorry...I'm sorry I scared you like that...my head...it's not in the right state of mind...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
The soft apologetic tone and the self-loathing in his tearful eyes made Ramona shake her head as she ran from her brother to hug him close. She kissed his cheeks and wiped away his tears.
"You were scared for Uncle Harry and Uncle Draco. Don't ever be sorry. I was so scared myself when I thought I wouldn't see Mum and Daddy again. Go to them, Charlie."
Charles nodded and squeezed her momentarily before following the Healer out of the room.
Harry was awake once more. Both men were sitting against the headboard. Harry's head found his comfortable perch on the blonde man's shoulder while the Flying Instructor tenderly grasped the slender larger hand in his.
"How are you feeling, lion?"
Harry looked up to his husband, "Much better..."
Draco splayed his hand on Harry's chest. The thumping against his palm was reassuring, "God...if I hadn't said the counter-curse sooner, you would...and...hearing Pixie saying your heart was slowing down...I..."
"You saved me..." Harry held his hand against his chest, chuckling bitterly to himself, "I should be the one who made sure you didn't get hurt..."
"Dad...Father?"
The two men perked upon hearing the lost meek voice and saw their son standing at the door. He was fidgeting on the spot, caught between wanting to go to them and not wanting to hurt them. Draco gave the youth his answer by spreading a free arm open invitingly. With a sob, Charles dove to his father's side and snuggled close to Draco and Harry as close as he could.
"I t-thought...I was gonna lose you both! And! And! Grandfather! I'm so sorry! I couldn't save him!" Charles cried, "You should hate me! It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"
"No, Charlie! Don't say things like that, my little dragon! I could never ever hate you for having such a loving and altruistic heart!" Draco shook his head and held the troubled teenager close. The young man trembled in his pale arms, his tears falling onto his father's bandaged torso, "Just like you chose to save Grandfather, he made the choice to save you..."
"Father...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Charles wept.
Harry joined in to comfort their son as he pressed his cheek against the messy dark hair similar to his own in his youth. They could feel the strength of their familial bond helping them to mend their wounds and scars to close. Charles eventually sagged against his fathers, his head sore and spinning yet his heart filled with relief that his fathers were alive and breathing.
"What happens now, Father?" Charles asked, his tone filled with some semblance of uncertainty and anxiety.
"The first thing I need to do once we get out is to contact my solicitor. There'll be a lot of things that will come our way...but I guess the most important priority is to arrange a funeral for your grandfather...and..." Draco paused, his eyes growing weary and tired, "And time for all of us to heal, I guess...are you still up for that dragon excursion trip with Ron and your friends?"
"I..." Charles lowered his eyes, "I honestly don't know...I feel so..."
The teenager grasped his chest. He was feeling a burning tornado of conflicting emotions within his heart and it made him feel dizzy just thinking about it.
"I feel so lost right now..." Charles finished with a whimper, "I don't want to leave you and Dad just yet..."
"We both feel the same way...and I'm sure Ron will understand, son," Harry brushed the youth's hair soothingly.
"Father..." Charles nuzzled against Draco and reached out to grasp Harry's hand, "Dad..."
"As long as you two are with me, I'm fine...we'll be fine...and..." Draco held his family close and his face looked apologetic, "I'm afraid that our weekend outing that I promised you both will just have to wait until much later...I'm sorry about that."
"Shush, dragon. It doesn't matter; we'll just have make up for lost time after we're sure we've gotten over this tough time..." Harry kissed Draco's collarbone, feeling his husband press his lips on his forehead.
"We'll be okay?" Charles asked, his hands never letting go of his fathers' and his silvery eyes wide and filled with hope.
Both men squeezed back, tired but reassuring and loving faces beaming softly at their son.
"In time, we will be..." Harry answered.
A small tranquil smile grew on the boy's haunted face and it was bright enough to match the hope in his softened silvery eyes...
To be continued...