I ran down the corridor, hanging a hard left at the Ballerina's portrait and stopping in front of the portrait of Julius Caesar. "Password?" The gentlemen in the picture asked as I bent to catch my breath.

"Thespis," I wheezed as I clutched the stitch in my side. He looked at me with disdain as I half limped past him and into the narrow hall way lined with doors. The hallway had been created for our school to use as practice rooms instead of dormitories as they had been originally intended. There was something about artists being very private in their rehearsing that made the heads change the rooms' purpose, I had no idea what they meant by that. I snorted at myself for that one. "Come on, Bri, where are you?" I whispered as I slowly walked down the hallway listening for his voice.

The hall seemed empty, except for one room at the end where a guitar could be heard, but Brian didn't play guitar. Plus, there was nothing I'd rather do less than walk into that room. Guitar players and I have a bad history.

As I was just about to turn around and walk out of the hallway I heard a loud curse come from the room next to me. Immediately I knew the voice to be Brian's, without hesitation I opened the door. "Brian?"

"Get out!" He shouted without even looking in my direction.

"Brian, what the hell?" I asked as I took in the state of the room around us. The chair was turned over on its side, sheet music scattered on the floor, and blood was running down Brian's face and hands.

"It's nothing." He stood up strongly, but as he turned away I heard a soft sob escape from his mouth.

"What happened?" I asked again, this time softly.

"I fell." He shrugged, dropping to the floor to pick up the music and to hide from me.

"Bull shit."

"Nope." He shrugged again.

"Brian, I'm not an idiot." I said angrily.

"I never said you were."

"So you expect me to believe that you 'fell' and the bookshelf hit you on your way down?" I was yelling now, truly pissed. I even used air quotes.

"Don't," He seethed.

"No, you don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. And you're not allowed to say you fell. We both know that's a lie."

"You want me to tell you that I got the shit beaten out of me by the Slytherin goonies?" He screamed, immediately I stopped my assault, "You want me to tell you that they threatened to kill him if I didn't break up with Blaise and never speak to him again? Fine, I'll tell you."

"Brian," I started.

"No, Gwendolyn, I can't right now." He was crying for real now, not the pathetic child like tears, but the tears that come silently without so much as a breath and stream down your face unable to be wiped away. I knew these kinds of tears, I'd shed them.

"Then don't." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him. He broke then, sobbing like a child, and it broke my heart to watch it. For a long time he stayed there in my arms, broken and bleeding, without saying a word. Shaking in my arms as he fell apart at the seams, my heart broke for him. Brian didn't cry, not in real life, he was strong and always full of positivity. "It's okay," I murmured in hopes of convincing myself that I really was.

"I can't Lyn," He sniffed once the sobs had quieted, "I can't not be with him, but I can't be with him."

I hushed him, then took a big breath, "Brian, we need to talk to someone."

"Who?" He scoffed like I'd suggested that we become prostitutes.

"Severus," I answered in all seriousness, "He can take care of this. They're his guys, he'll make sure neither of you get hurt."

"What if he can't?" He murmured, the tears had stopped for real now, but he hadn't quit shaking. We sat with our backs to the wall as we stared at the other in thought.

"He can." I nodded, "I swear."

Brian didn't say anything for a long time. He continued staring at the wall opposite us. I took his hand in mine, a symbol of the comradery between us; he only held mine limply unable to feel. The bleeding above his left eye had grown worse, and was now gushing; I took out my wand to fix it. "Don't bother," He said finally, "It's some spell, you can't heal it with magic. I tried." His eyes filled with tears again, but he didn't dare let them fall, instead he turned away from me and looked out the small window that opened towards the black lake. "Do you ever wonder if it's worth it?" He asked.

"If what's worth it?" I replied.

"All of it." He shrugged, still looking out the window.

"It's worth it," I answered immediately "Everything."

He laughed without humor, "Maybe."

I couldn't tear my eyes away from my best friend for the longest time. There was something about this whole situation that made me want to hunt down those ass holes and murder them myself, but there was something else about the way Brian looked that made me stay. Something told me that if I left him it would be the last time I'd see him. "Let me at least try to stop the bleeding." I said, desperate to do something for him.

He said nothing as I ripped off the bottom strip of my t-shirt off to use as a bandage. I slowly wrapped the fabric around his head as tightly as I could, hoping that it was enough to stop the bleeding. It wasn't.

"Get up." I commanded, he either ignored me or didn't hear me. Either way, he didn't stand. "Brian, stand up." Still he ignored me. "Stand up, Bri." I nudged him with my sneaker.

"What's the point?" His words were slurring.

"How long have you been in here?" I asked, glancing down at my watch, it was a quarter after nine.

"A while." He shrugged.

"How long Brian?" I was yelling again.

"A little after six." His slur was worse.

"You've been in here, bleeding, for over three hours?" I shrieked.

"Has it been that long?"

"Get up, we need to go." I ordered, grabbing one of his arms and putting it around my shoulder. I hauled him up to a standing position and nearly fell from his weight. I practically dragged him out into the hallway and past the portrait screaming for help. My wand was of no use now, as levitation wasn't my strong suit, and there was no way that I could get him to Severus' office without killing him. "Someone help!" I screamed again. As I dragged him down the corridor, I thought I heard footsteps. "Hey!" I shouted, nearly buckling under the weight, "Hey, please! Help!" The footsteps came closer.

"Gwen?" It was Harry.

"Oh thank God, help me."

"What happened?" He asked quickly as he took Brian's other arm and took most of his weight.

"Some guys beat him up, and he's been bleeding like that for over three hours, and I have to get him to Severus." I was crying now, trying to move as quickly as I could.

"Why Snape?" He asked, "Madame Pomfrey's a healer."

"We can't use magic." I replied, we were so close to Severus' classroom. "Almost there Bri," He groaned in response.

"Who did this?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." I cried, as I felt Brian's head fall, "No, come on Bri, stay awake. You have to stay awake."

"Get Snape, I can carry him the rest of the way." Harry nodded, getting a better grip on my friend as I ran towards Severus' room.

"Severus?" I shouted as I opened the door. "Severus!" I yelled again. Running towards the door that led to his chambers I banged on it as hard as I could, "Sev! I need your help!" I was close to sobbing until the door opened to reveal the man without his usual billowing robes on.

"Gwendolyn, what's wrong?" He asked, taking in my state of obvious distress.

"It's Brian. He got beaten up by your students and I can't heal his wounds with magic. He's been bleeding for hours and now he's almost passed out. Help him, please." I sobbed, unable to control myself any longer.

"Where is he?" Severus asked, striding past me and into his class room just as Harry dragged him into the classroom. "Shit," he whispered, taking in Brian's appearance. "Put him on that table Potter, and then take Gwendolyn out of here."

"No, I can't leave him." I cried hysterically, "I can help you."

"Potter, get her out." Severus grunted through his teeth as he worked his magic on Brian, literally.

Harry grabbed my hand and began to lead me out of the room. "Let go of me." I jerked my hand from Harrys grasp and started to run back towards Brian.

"Potter!" Severus shouted.

I felt Harrys strong arms wrap around my waist and begin to carry me from the room and into the hallway. "No," I fought, but Harry was too strong. By the time my feet were on the floor again the door had been shut.

"Gwen," Harry said trying to soothe me, "It's okay, he'll be fine."

"No he won't" I shouted, trying to get around Harry and to the door but failing miserably. "He needs me."

"He needs Snape." Harry replied. I broke down then, worse than what I'd already done. My legs could no longer support my weight and I fell to my knees so hard that it would surely leave bruises. But the pain was good, it distracted my mind. I couldn't breathe as the sobs wracked my body. The only thing I felt was pain, pain and grief. Those feelings were soon accompanied by warm arms wrapping themselves around me, quieting my sobs as my head fell onto Harry's chest. "It's okay."

"No it's not." I cried, my body once again shaking so violently in way that I didn't think possible.

"Snape will make it okay." He said as he pulled me away from his chest to look into my eyes, "Snape, although an ass hat at times, is brilliant and if he can't help your friend then no one can." He almost had me convinced.

"Promise?" I asked pitifully

"Swear." He replied. I started crying again, more from emotional trauma than anything else. Harry sensed that I just needed to cry and sat silently, rubbing soothing circles on my back, allowing me to do just that. After a while, my sobs turned to quiet sniffs, and I was able to sit up without Harrys help. We sat silently for a while; he looked at me as if he wanted to say something but stayed silent.

"Thank you." I smiled weakly, using my jacket sleeve to wipe my tears. "I didn't mean to get so," I started but just shrugged in finish "God, I'm a mess"

"What happened, Gwen?" Harry asked, ignoring my thanks and attempt at a joke.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "He said that some Slytherins threatened to kill Blaise if they didn't break up, and that was after they hit him."

"Who?" He asked again.

"Do you think if I knew I'd be here?" I sighed; I started to cry again, this time angrily. Harry pulled me into his chest again, letting me cry again over something I had no control over. "I can't lose him." I sobbed, "He's all I have left."

"What about Malfoy?" Harry countered.

"What about him?" I replied, "It's an arranged marriage. No matter how great it is today ten years from now he'll have a mistress, and a drinking problem, and I'll be all alone with his kid at home."

"You can't really think that." He sighed.

"How can I not?" I cried again. "I'll end up like my parents with Brian, Harry, if he dies I might as well just off myself to."

"Hey," Harry grabbed my chin between his fingers, forcing me to look into his bright green eyes, "You will not off yourself, and you are not alone. There's me, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and all of your friends from school. There's no way that you would be alone."

"Promise?" I asked, my sobs quieted for the moment.

"I swear." He replied, whipping a stray tear from my cheek. I looked into Harry's eyes and saw that he meant every word he said. In the silence that followed, neither of us said anything. I nuzzled my head against Harry's shoulder, remembering Arthur but not in a sad way. Harry's gesture although kind and sweet, seemed to be one made out of concern and not laced with ulterior motives. "And Gwen?" He asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

"Yeah?" I sniffed, not looking away from the wall opposite us.

"I don't think Malfoy would ever get a mistress." He said.

"What?"

"I've seen the way he looks at you." Harry simplified. "I don't think you'd ever be alone with him, Gwendolyn."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"He loves you." He shrugged, confusing me even more

I hate them all. Right?

GHDM

It had been an hour.

Now, I had never been one to get frustrated over a girl being late, living with my mother I'd grown accustomed to it, but for some reason I could sense that something wasn't right. I shot Blaise a farewell nod as I headed out of the dormitory and towards the common room exit.

In my mind I ticked off the various places that Doll might be. The library was out of the question, she had no clue how to get there. I seriously considered checking the hospital wing, but decided to use that as a last resort. Before I could even think of another place she might be, I heard voices sobs coming from Snape's classroom. I rounded the corner only to find my fiancé snuggled in the arms of none other than Harry Potter.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Potter?" I spat, grabbing my wand from my pocket and pointing it at the boy who stood up with his hands in defense.

"I was just helping Gwen, Malfoy." He replied through clenched teeth.

"By molesting her?" I growled, exaggerating just a tad.

"By comforting her." Potter corrected me snarkily.

"Drake?" Doll asked, giving me a look I'd never seen before. I paused for a minute to look at her tear stained cheeks and the blood on her shirt.

"What happened?" I growled again at scar head, pointing my wand back toward his chest.

"I found her screaming for help, dragging some guy covered in blood through the corridor. Thanks to you and your goonies, he got the shit beaten out of him. Way to go." Potter seethed.

"What?" I asked, appalled that anyone would think me or my friends capable of such a thing, well most of my friends.

"I found Brian bleeding, and crying in a practice room. He said some of the Slytherin guys threatened to kill Blaise unless they broke up. So Bri dumped him, and then they beat the shit out of him." Doll walked into my chest, burying her head in it and began to sob.

"Is he okay?" I asked, thinking of the boy that had become my friend these past few weeks but also of my best friend who had no idea that his boyfriend lay bleeding in the potions classroom.

"Snape's been in there a while." Potter answered. "He'll come out once he's done."

I looked up at Potter, one of the few people on the planet who I hated more than anything else, and felt something other than total loathing. I felt respect. As I held my sobbing fiancé in my arms and looked up at the kid I'd bullied for the last seven years, I felt like the ass hole. Neither of us said anything to the other, but I knew that he knew what I wanted to say but was too stubborn to admit. I was thankful.

Suddenly, the door to the potions class room opened to reveal an even paler than usual bloodstained potions master. He looked exhausted and gazed at Gwendolyn sadly before nodding in my direction. "I did everything I could" He shrugged, immediately Doll's knees gave out, the only thing keeping her upright was me. "It'll be a while before he's better, but he'll live." Severus nodded again.

"He's alive?" Doll croaked, unable to believe her ears.

"He's very weak, but yes he's alive." Severus smiled at her.

"Oh Sev," She cried, throwing her arms around the older man and crying again. "Can I go see him?"

"He's sleeping." He replied.

"Please?" Doll looked at him with the same eyes that she always used on me and received a reluctant nod. She ran inside.

"Draco, Potter, a word?" Severus asked us after Gwen's departure. "I don't know who did this, but I want to find out tonight"

"She said it was a group of Slytherin boys." Potter said with a nod, "They threatened to kill Zambini if Brian didn't break up with him, and then they beat him up. At least that's what Gwen told me."

"Draco, figure it out." Snape seethed, "Potter, go get Madame Pomfrey and fill her in, then go find Dumbledore."

"Yes, sir." Harry nodded before turning to run down the corridor.

"Potter!" Severus called stopping the Gryffindor in his tracks, "Thank you." The other boy paused before nodding and resuming his task.

" Who do you think it was?" I asked quietly glancing back towards the door.

"Could have been anyone." Severus replied through clenched teeth, "They were definitely older; no first year could have done that kind of damage."

"It couldn't have been anyone of the quidditch team, we had tryouts at six." I said.

"He's been bleeding for a while; all they would have needed is a free twenty minutes." He replied.

"Crabbe, and Goyle, weren't at dinner." I whispered.

"They wouldn't have." Sev looked at me incredulously.

"Yes, they would." I seethed. "I'll kill them." I turned away from my uncle and began to storm up the corridor only to be stopped by him.

"Draco, stop acting like a child." He chastised me. "You have no evidence."

"I don't need any." I shrugged him off.

"Just wait." The older man said, I looked down at him. He looked exhausted. Covered in blood and sweat, I wondered how much this man had really done to save Brian.

"Did you really save him?" I asked.

"He's alive."

"That didn't answer my question." I stated.

"He's in a coma." Severus sighed, "He's alive, and he'll be okay, but he lost a lot of blood. I had to put him in a coma so his body could heal."

"So when his bodies okay just wake him up." I smiled reassuringly.

"It's not that simple, Draco. The body has to wake itself up. I can't do it."

"Why not?"

"If I were to wake him up now, there could be damage to his brain. The amount of blood that was lost can be easily replaced with potions and spells, but to prevent damage to the part of his brain that allows normal function, he has to wake himself up."

"And there's nothing we can do about that?" I whispered.

"No." He replied

I hate them all. Right?

GHDM

So it wasn't exactly the speedy update that I'd planned for, but hey I'm human. So I hope you all had a happy new year, and that you've enjoyed this chapter. I took a few liberties with this whole situation, so don't go crazy. I will update again as soon as I can. Have a happy day, and maybe leave a review if you're feeling it. Love and hugs!