Kiss me, Harry; Kill me, Harry
Chapter 12- Nightmare
Ron left the Hospital Wing on Monday morning with the great result of him and Hermione being friends again. As the three of them walked away from the Hospital Wing together, Luna came hurrying forwards to give Harry another note from Dumbledore. Harry thanked Luna and took it, actually looking forward to the meeting they would be having that night.
Harry was treasuring every single moment he had with Draco, and every moment with Dumbledore…but not in the same way, of course. Harry spent his moments with Draco snogging the Snake and trying not to think about what would happen if he didn't succeed in killing Dumbledore. He spent his moments with Dumbledore absorbing all the information about how to defeat You-Know-Who and trying to bond with the old man as if he were Harry's father.
As Harry entered Dumbledore's office that night, he was annoyed to find that Dumbledore was not its only occupant. One of Harry's least favorite teachers was there; Professor Trelawney. But she was soon ushered away as Harry and Dumbledore's session began.
Harry learned more about Tom Riddle's past, and dove into a memory about a lady, a cup and a House-Elf. But even after a short discussion with Dumbledore, Harry was confused as to what it all meant. Dumbledore however, refused to explain until Harry received the memory from Slughorn.
As Harry left the Headmaster's office that night, all he could think about was retrieving that memory. He had been spending lots of time which he could be trying to gain the memory with Draco instead… maybe he needed to try harder and see Draco less.
But as he thought this, even though it was only a thought, he felt his lips curve downwards. He might only have a limited number of days left with Draco and to stop spending time with him…
Harry was in a strange position. He had never known before someone close to him had died, and yet he had seen so many die… but this was different. He knew that someone was going to be dead by the end of the year. And yet, he didn't really feel it yet. It hadn't really hit him what that meant. He didn't comprehend that it was really going to happen… that it had to.
As Harry reached Gryffindor Tower, he went to bed without discussing any of what Dumbledore had said with Ron or Hermione. Instead, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep…
"Harry, I'm dead," came the eerie whispering voice of Draco Malfoy.
"How are you talking to me then?" Harry found himself asking.
"Oh, Dumbledore and I are both dead you see… both half dead. We can speak, but we cannot feel… it is as if our souls are gone, but our bodies still alive," Draco replied.
"Oh," Harry said, leaning in towards the pale boy who was even paler now. He kissed Draco, but Draco did not return the kiss. His lips were cold and motionless, as if Harry was kissing a corpse. Harry quickly brought his lips away from the blonde's.
"Kiss me back, Draco," Harry told the ghost-like figure.
"Oh I can't," Draco replied. "Because Harry, I cannot feel. I cannot love. I am half-dead, remember?"
"But Draco! I thought you said you loved me?" Harry replied, his voice rising in panic.
"But I am dead. We are dead," came Draco's voice. Suddenly, a figure that looked like Dumbledore, only paler and with large gaping sockets instead of eyes walked into the room.
"He's telling the truth Harry," Dumbledore said monotonously, his voice empty of emotion. "We are half dead. We cannot feel. Only speak and move."
"We are dead," Draco repeated.
"Gone from your life forever," Dumbledore added.
"We are dead, we are dead, we are dead," they began to chant. "WE ARE DEAD, WE ARE DEAD, WE ARE DEAD!" The chanting grew louder and louder, faster and faster. Harry covered his ears as the figures began to circle in on him, coming closer and closer…
Harry's eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly staring around. He was in his dormitory. There was no dead Dumbledore, or dead Draco around… everything was alright. It had just been a nightmare.
Harry checked his watch to see that it was five o' clock in the morning. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, he reluctantly climbed out of bed and got dressed. He did not leave the dormitory for breakfast however, waiting until someone else had gotten up. The dream had left him with a feeling so eerie that at the moment, he didn't think he could stand to go anywhere alone.
Once Ron was awake, Harry headed down to the Great Hall with him. As they were on the third floor corridor however, they found their path blocked by none other than Peeves.
"Hehehehe!" Peeves cackled when he saw them, "Ohh its Weaslebee and look who he's with! It's Potty wee Potter… Potty and Malfey naughty little boys, snogging in the corridors, making lots of noise!"
To Harry's horror and Ron's confusion, Peeves had started to sing the clever little song he had created when he had caught Harry and Draco snogging that night not so long ago. Peeves was now floating above them, doing little turns in the air as he repeated the song over and over again. Harry tried to drag Ron away, but Ron's feet seemed glued to the ground; he was trying to figure out what Peeve's was saying.
"Peeves?" Ron finally asked as Peeves replied with another cackle. "Harry didn't snog Draco and I don't think he ever will?" Ron said questioningly and then directed a confused gaze at Harry.
"Ohh, Potty didn't even tell his best friend all the naughty thinks he's been getting up to with that Slytherin… Wheeeeee!" Peeves suddenly added as he floated down the banister and away from them, still singing and cackling merrily.
"You didn't snog Malfoy, right Harry?" Ron added uncertainly as Peeves zoomed away.
"No… no, of course not!" Harry replied, but he couldn't help smiling a little. Ron heaved a tremendous sigh.
"I wonder what Peeves is on about then…"
"Yeah," Harry said, "Me too."
Then, together, the entered the Great Hall and sat down to begin breakfast.