Chapter Fourteen; Dead or Alive.
Here we go...
That week was perfect for Harry.
He and Draco could finally be open about their relationship and it was amazing.
People still looked a little jealous of Draco when they held hands, or Harry kissed his cheek, but it was all worth it for the look on Snape's face everytime he saw them. Which wasn't very often since he tried to avoid them because of Harry's tendency to be extra affectionate towards Draco when he was around.
Harry had slept with Draco in the latters dorm on Friday and had woken up to green, silver, and sun kissed blond hair.
It had been one of the best feelings he had ever felt.
Harry loved it when he got to see Draco's hair curly in the morning and convinced him to keep it that way by sharing a shower with him.
Blaise had walked in the dorm (after Draco and Harry's shower with also just a towel around his waist) to find the two boys impersonating what they would like to think Celestina Warbeck performed her songs, which involved a lot of posh strutting and laughs.
Blaise, of course, had quickly joined in.
Harry was humming You Charmed the Heart Right Of Me as he sat in the Gryffindor common room, now Sunday afternoon, versing Ron at Wizard Chess.
He was losing the game, of course, but he still enjoyed playing.
It was also around two weeks until his birthday and he idly wondered what he was going to get...
"Can you stop humming Celestina bloody Warbeck for a moment, Harry? It's bad enough with mum..." Ron grumbled as Harry moved his pawn and shrugged, grinning.
"Well-"
He was cut off by Ron whooping as he took Harry's pawn and checkmated his King.
"Well, fuck!" Said Harry.
"Fifth time tonight, mate!" Said Ron happily, completely forgetting about Celestina bloody Warbeck.
Harry put his face in his hands and laughed.
"I'm so bad at this game, I don't know why I even-"
Harry was interrupted yet again by Hermione stepping through the portrait, a frown on her face as she bit her lip worriedly.
"Ron...Professor McGonagall is outside. She said she wants to talk to you. Ginny-Ginny's already there." She said, a little but unsteadily.
Ron got up and kissed Hermione's cheek before going out to see the Professor, the portrait closing softly behind him.
"Do you know what it's about?" Harry asked Hermione as she slowly sat down next to him on the couch.
She shook her head.
"No, but-but it can't be good. She looked crestfallen when she found me walking to Gryffindor Tower,"
She bit her lip again.
"I just-I just don't like how Ginny's there as well." Hermione finished, brown eyes bright with worry.
Harry nodded.
He didn't like it either.
They sat there in silence, staring at the fire, waiting for Ron to come back in.
When he did, he was pale-paler than he had ever been.
He had an arm around Ginny, who looked like she was trying desperately not to cry.
Hermione and Harry rushed over.
"What happened?" Hermione asked.
Ron shook his head, like he was trying to remember words and how to pronounce them.
"It's-" His voice broke and he bent his head down.
When he looked up, there were tears.
"It's G-George." He croaked out.
Harry's mouth dropped open and Hermione gathered Ginny and Ron a hug as they started to cry.
Harry rushed out and ran after McGonagall.
"Professor!" He shouted.
She stopped and-and did she just wipe away a tear when she turned around?
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"What's happened to George?" He asked and, to his ears, he sounded like a little kid.
McGonagall sighed and said slowly, as though carefully choosing her words as she went,
"George Weasley was found an hour ago, Harry. He-he committed suicide."
Harry stared in shock.
"H-How?" He rasped out.
"He-" This time she really did wipe away a tear. "He hung himself." She finished softly.
Harry's world spun and he was running back to the Gryffindor common room.
He burst through the portrait and slowly slid down the wall.
"No..." He whispered.
Tears started to stream down his face and soon Hermione was crying as well once Ron had managed to tell her.
That night was awful.
Molly and Arthur arrived a short while later. Told them they had not realised that George had been so depressed about Fred's death and if they had known they would've done something.
People were down in the Great Hall having dinner and so they weren't disturbed. Until Pansy had stepped through the portrait when they hadn't showed up for dinner after ten minutes and had gotten worried. She had walked in huffing until she'd seen all of them and, most of all, Hermione who she was now comforting.
Soon Draco and Blaise were there too, when Pansy hadn't returned to them.
Draco was holding Harry close, tears in his eyes as well, while Blaise was talking quietly with Arthur in the corner.
Draco rocked Harry back and forth as he cried, shushing him and softly whispering, "It's okay".
Soon people were arriving back from dinner but had obviously been told something since they didn't stop to bother the group.
Ginny was in Blaise's arms, now, and Ron had stopped crying and was glaring straight into the the roaring fire.
It was like that for a while, Molly in Arthur's arms as they both cried.
Harry stopped crying and just sniffed every so often, breathing in Draco's comforting scent.
Ginny stopped crying as well, but stayed in Blaise's warm and strong arms.
Molly and Arthur stopped. Eventually.
When the fire was just hot embers and the bell charmed midnight, everyone jumped.
Ginny decided to leave with her parents but Ron said he'd like to stay one more night.
Once they had left, Hermione and Ron went upstairs-Ron was going to sleep in Hermione's bed-and Pansy and Blaise left with soft goodbyes and sorrys.
Draco offered to stay the night but Harry just said softly,
"No, no. I'll be fine. I promise. I love you."
Harry said this with a weak smile that Draco kissed soothingly before saying "I love you, too" and leaving.
Harry found he couldn't sleep that night.
Mad thoughts were running sprinting around his mind as the sadness that Draco had taken away came rushing back.
It's my fault.
I was there in war.
I could've saved Fred but I didn't.
Itsmyfaultitsmyfault.
Stupid.
Idiotidiotstupididiot.
Shouldhavesavedhim.
George is dead because of me.
Deaddiedead.
Both dead because of me.
Mememe.
Murdermurdermurder.
Georgedeadgeorgedeadgeorgedead.
dead.
MURDERER! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Harry sat up, breathing heavily.
He couldn't take it anymore, the guilt.
He needed...he needed...
An escape.
Harry stood up, grabbed what was needed, and turned on the spot.
He stumbled to the end of the dock and flopped down.
He pulled out his weed and paper before messily rolling a joint.
It was weird.
He had never done this without Draco.
Harry let out a bitter laugh and lit the joint with his wand.
Fred dead...
George dead...
Yourfaultyourfault...
Murdermurdermurder...
Harry had all his weed with him-and all his pills, the balls of water ones, green ones, blue ones, red etc.
So when the mad thoughts were still running around his mind after his third joint, he kept going.
Draco was woken up at five in the morning by a terrified Hermione. He groaned and sat up a little.
"Hermione?" He asked, dazed and rubbed his eyes to check again.
It was indeed Hermione.
Blaise was awake now, too.
"Draco! Thank goodness you're awake!" She said and Draco could see tears in her eyes.
"What is it?" He asked, panic rising at the sight of her wild eyes.
"It's Harry, we can't find him-"
Draco was out of bed and putting on a grey shirt before Hermione could say anymore. He didn't care that he was just in his boxers because it was Harry.
As he was pulling on jeans, Blaise was pulling on a jacket.
Hermione, blushing a little, said,
"We've been looking for him everywhere, we looked on the map, but he's not there."
Draco didn't need to ask what the map was, and it only worried him more because oh no.
"I should have stayed." Draco said quietly, his voice breaking at the end.
"What?" Asked Blaise and Hermione at the same time.
Draco hung his head in his hands and said again, a little bit more fiercely this time,
"I should have stayed with him last night!"
He slipped on some shoes and said,
"Wait for me in the Great hall, let a professor know what's happening if you haven't already."
Before they could reply, however, Draco turned on the spot.
He started running to the end of the dock as soon as he arrived. He could see Harry, but as he got closer, he got even more terrified.
Harry was lying down, small bags strewn around him along with remains of too many joints.
Draco wasn't thinking as he picked up the other boy and turned on the spot.
He arrived outside the infirmary.
Draco burst in yelling,
"Madame Pomfrey! Quickly! Madame Pomfrey!"
She burst through her portrait, wand at the ready in one hand while the other tied up her light pink dressing gown.
Draco lay Harry down on a bed near by and she set to work.
"H-He overdosed." He choked and only then, when he rubbed his face, did he realise that tears were slowly running down his red cheeks.
"We need to get him to St Mungo's. Now." Madame Pomfrey said sternly, still casting spell after spell.
"Now!" She repeated when Draco didn't move.
He nodded and sprinted out of the room, heart hammering in his chest as carried on to the Great Hall. Blaise, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy all stood up expectantly when he burst through the doors but Draco didn't stop to talk and didn't care that other students were staring-he carried on sprinting towards McGonagall.
"Professor!" He cried out as he reached her. "Madame Pomfrey! Infirmary! Harry needs to go to St Mungo's now!" He said.
The Professor had already gotten out of her seat and now she was sprinting towards the infirmary, Draco on her heels.
What happened next was in a blur; Madame Pomfrey saying and casting spells that Draco didn't understand, McGonagall sending a Patronus, several St Mungo doctors apparating in moments later, Draco trying to get through to see Harry, yelling at them to let me go with him, Madame Pomfrey telling Draco to calm down, Harry suddenly gone, along with the doctors.
Draco sank down to the cold hard floor, shaking.
Hermione was there a second later, wrapping warm arms around him as he cried into her shoulder. Draco held her close, just as tightly, because he needed something solid. Something that would never leave. Both of them needed it because oh god it hurt.
"It's all my fault..." He sobbed out.
"Shhh, of course it's not your fault Draco..."
'It is all my fault.'
'I should have stayed with him.'
Hours later, they sat in the Great Hall, which was completely empty since classes had now started.
Draco sat next to Pansy on one side of the table, and Hermione, Ron, and Blaise sat on the other.
Draco stared down at his hands, which were clenched around each other to stop them from shaking-making his knuckles go white.
He was all cried out. For now, at least.
Everyone was silent. Hermione was no longer crying as well and was now biting her thumb nails worriedly.
Ron was staring into space-he hadn't said or done anything for the past five hours. He just sat there. Pale as snow.
Blaise was bouncing his knee up and down, which Draco recognised as something the black boy did when he was anxious.
Pansy was grinding her teeth and had her quill, which she was scratching hard into the table, even though it repaired itself when she stopped for a mere moment.
They had been in the infirmary for an hour, and then moved here four hours ago.
Draco had cried in Hermione's arms, and she had cried with him. Then, when they had both stopped, she'd helped him up and they'd been told to wait until further news.
But that was so long ago, and Draco was getting more scared by the minute.
He stood up suddenly, making everyone jump and look up at him in surprise. Draco growled and kicked the table, making it move a little.
"I'm sick of this!" He said angrily.
"Draco, calm down." Said Pansy softly.
"No." Draco said darkly. "No, it's been five fuckng hours since they fucking left! Why haven't they fucking come back yet? What if-what if-he-" He couldn't finish the sentence and just like that; his face, which had been set to a snarl moments before, suddenly cracked and his shoulders sagged and tears were in his eyes.
He flopped back down and folded his arms on the table before laying his head down.
Draco didn't make any noise but the rest of the table saw his shoulders shaking and knew the blond was crying.
Pansy put a comforting arm around him and Hermione patted his arm.
"He'll be alright..." Said Ron softly.
Everyone jumped and Draco looked up with puffy red eyes and sniffed, it was the first time Ron had spoke since the night before.
As Draco looked up at him, face red and cheeks soaked with tears, Ron realised that Draco really did care and love Harry, and even though he already sort of knew this, he had never really believed it. Not until now.
"He's Harry. He loves you more than anything-he wouldn't let anything including him hurt you like that, Draco."
It was the first time Ron had called him by his first name to Draco and he managed a small, thankful smile for him.
That's when someone came bursting through the big wooden doors.
All five teenagers (Draco couldn't help but wish it was six) stood up expectantly.
A young woman, maybe in her twenty's, was walking towards them. She had hazel eyes and sun kissed skin with dark brown hair that was in a tight bun.
She smiled sadly at them.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Anderson." She said and shook each of their hands.
Draco sniffed and quickly wiped away the tears.
"You must be Mr. Malfoy." Anderson said softly.
He nodded stiffly.
"How is he?" He choked.
Anderson hesitated before speaking, as though choosing her words very carefully,
"Mr. Potter is...okay. For now."
They all let out a big sigh of relief, apart from Draco who knew how these things worked.
"But?" He said a little coldly.
Doctor Anderson bit her lip.
"But...Mr. Potter in under a severe coma. We don't have an estimate for how long he likely is going to be under the coma, but we haven't done any big tests yet."
Draco sat down heavily.
'Under a severe coma?'
He looked down at his feet, his jaw hardened.
"Thank you, Doctor Anderson." Said Hermione. "Do you mind if we speak outside for a moment..."
Draco drew his attention away from them.
"What are we supposed to do now?" He asked bluntly into the too loud silence.
"Wait." Blaise answered softly.
'But for how long?' Draco thought and it sounded like a pathetic whine in his head.
He knew he would wait forever if he had to, but he also knew that he would be in a lot of pain for a long time.
Even now, after five hours, thirty six minutes, and thirty seconds (now thirty one and counting) the itch to see Harry, and to enclose him in a hug was overwhelming.
Hermione came back in a few minutes later with more details.
"We'll be able to visit him, tomorrow. They're doing everything they can right now, but even wizards still haven't figured out how to break a coma, so, like Muggles also do, we have to just...wait."
"And do what, exactly?" Draco almost spat, but to him, he sounded like a five year old on the verge of a tantrum.
Hermione bit her lip.
"I don't know..." She whispered.
It seemed wrong to do anything, really, in Draco's eyes.
Anything without Harry just felt wrong.
Because if he couldn't see-
Because if he couldn't hear-
If he-
If he-
'Harry.'
Draco's heart lurched again and suddenly he was crying.
I'll never see his beautiful eyes again.
I'll never hear his perfect voice.
I'll never feel his kisses.
His hugs.
His hand in mine.
I'll never hear his laugh.
I'll never see his smile.
The last thought was unbearable and Draco let out a sob.
The blond bent his head down low and forgot that he cared what other people think as he slowly, slowly, let the world fall away around him and tear him apart.
A/N: Thank you for reading chapter fourteen! There will be a two week delay where I won't be able to post anything BuT it means I can write ahead more so I know where the story is going. Thank you for your reviews bookowl26 (even though it wasn't about the story-I think?) and sasuhinas fan! If you enjoyed this chapter, then please review and or favourite! They make me smile :3 Thanks again for reading, love all of youuus - Ritz. :)
Next chapter will be up as soon as possible.