Chapter 14

As always thank you for reading, please follow/favorite and review!

Harry lay in bed that night trying to understand all that had happened in the few hours he had been awake. His mind failed to wrap around the bluntness of that kiss and the endless questions brought on by Ron's behavior. As the moonlight crept across the walls, he lay there contemplating all that needed to be done and how he would go about it. He had faced so many challenges before but now he was unsure of what path was the right one for him. For so long it had been good or evil, light or darkness, life or death and while threats to his well-being still hung over him his mind was far more focused on the threats plaguing the ones dearest to him. He mulled over each possibility before sleep came like a dark horse and swept him into a fitful, dream-less sleep.

The next morning Harry awoke to the gentle sound of music flowing through the house. Someone was sitting at the piano playing a delicate tune. There was a tray of warm food on the nightstand next to him and a note:

Join us if you feel up to it. Call for me if you don't.

It was scribbled in the beautiful handwriting he knew very well belonged to his favorite blonde. Harry smiled at the note before easing himself to a sitting position and devouring his food. He still felt weak and exhausted but whatever potions it was Hermione had been giving him were working. Once finished with food he tried to pull himself to his feet only to fall again. The soft music stopped before continuing again as the door to his room opened.

"Need a hand?" George said coming to his side.

"Perhaps" he said.

George helped him back to bed, despite Harry's protests, before turning to leave., "I'll let him know you're awake."

Harry waited patiently as he descended the stairs. Immediately the music stopped and moments later Draco appeared in his doorway, out of breath and looking frantic.

"I'm not dying you know. There was no need to rush." He joked.

"Forgive me. It became a habit when you were..." Draco paused, running a hand through his hair, "Is everything alright?"

"I was hoping you'd help me with something." Harry said doing his best not to blush. Despite his ragged appearance, Draco was still as handsome as Harry remembered. Gone were the days of slicked back hair and tailored suits. His pale, blonde hair hung loosely in his face complimenting his slight stubble. He wore jeans and a white button down shirt that seemed to cling to his slender frame. Draco had always been lean, and in spite of Hermione's cooking, he still held to the skin and bones form he had become in Azkaban. It pulled at Harry's heart knowing that he had been there, he had seen him in such a state, and had done nothing to help him. He had witnessed Draco's mind, body, and spirit breaking and yet he had been far too involved with his agenda to help him.

"What can I do?" Draco replied.

"I'm back!" Hermione called from the front hall. She was surprised when Draco didn't make his usual appearance at the top of the stairs whenever she arrived back from somewhere. Ever since he had moved in she could never leave for more than an hour or so at a time for fear of coming back to the mess she had seen in Draco's first week at Grimmauld Place.

"Draco?" Hermione called softly. Upon coming in the front, she had heard whimpering coming from the staircase. She drew her wand and cautiously began her accent to the top floor of the house. It was there in the farthest corner she saw him: Draco curled as small as his frail body would allow, violently crying, as he begged for an unknown form to leave him alone. She searched the room to find that it was only the two of them.

"Draco?" she called again, more gentle this time, "Draco it's me, Hermione."

"'Mione!" Ron called from downstairs.

"Up here." She responded as gently as she could while still making sure he could hear her.

Ron came pounding up the stairs, wand at the ready, only stopping to take in the scene before him. "Bloody hell, what wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure, I think he thinks he's in Azkaban still, he thinks someone is hurting him."

Tucking his wand away, he crossed the room and forcefully pulled her to her feet by her arm. "Let him be. He'll sort it out."

Pulling herself from his grasp, "He needs our help Ron."

"He'll be fine. Let's go. Mum and Dad will be expecting us soon."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until he's alright." She stated matter-of-factly. "Help me get him down to his room."

"I'm not helping him anymore than I have too. We're already stuck with him thanks to Harry, that git."

Hermione spun around sharply, "Ronald I don't know what has gotten into you lately but I've had enough. Harry has his reasons for being away and whether you like it or not it is our responsibility to help Draco. Either help me or go away."

Ron was taken aback by her. Rarely did Hermione ever shout at him and rarely did she ever get this angry. I dawned on him that he might have crossed a line but he still couldn't bring himself to help her- no- help him.

"I'll see you in a bit then." He said turning to leave.

She put her bags on the floor before making her way down the hall to the stairs. As she drew near she could hear strange scratching and banging sounds. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Harry? Draco?" she called again from the stairs. As she neared Harry's room she was surprised to see a bright stream of light coming through the cracked door. She gently pushed the door open and smiled at the sigh before her. The room had been entirely rearranged with the furniture piled in the middle, the now silver curtains open, the windows cracked allowing a warm breeze to fill the room complimenting the bright morning sunshine. The three men were sitting on the bed animatedly talking about the next step in their plan.

"What do we have here?" She asked causing all the occupants to jump.

"Harry hated your décor." George stated trying to hide his amusement.

"That's not entirely true." Harry interjected, "I just couldn't handle all the gold and red anymore."

"He's says anymore like he's been looking at it for years when really he's only been awake a few days." George mused.

"Was this okay?" Draco asked hesitantly.

Hermione glanced around the room taking in the changes. If she ignored all the furniture in its haphazard pile the room looked quite lovely. The walls had been charmed an iridescent black which drew her eyes to the newly charmed ceiling. She stepped further into the room so she could take in just how captivating it really was. It had been charmed to look like a sky almanac. The ceiling showcased the stars, their patterns and alignments, with silver detailing highlighting the beautifully scrawled names. The whole sky rotated and moved in real time just as it would if one were to stare through a telescope. Pulling her eyes from the ceiling she took in the rest of the room. The floor was not a stark black wood as well as the furniture. Sliver details were spread throughout and the most notable difference was the now empty trunk sitting next to the door.

"You unpacked." She said, a small smile crossing her face. "Harry, how? You aren't strong enough to do magic yet."

"They did most of it. I just sort of laid here like and invalid and directed them."

"He did manage to get up and take a proper shower." George explained.

It was then that Hermione actually looked at Harry. His long hair was brushed and pulled back into a long ponytail with one of his black ribbons. He had black trousers and a black button down shirt on with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. Had it not been for the bandages still covering his arms and the ghost still in his gaze she wouldn't have known a difference between the past and present Harry.

"You look like your old self!" Hermione said joyfully.

"Almost." Harry added.

"I might actually like the pony tail now. Sort of works on you." George said. "Adds a bit of mystery."

"I've always liked it." Draco said in a not so subtle murmur.

"As long as you don't start calling him 'Daddy' we're good." George stated with mock horror.

But it was with real horror that Draco stood and exited the room, his face flush and hands shaking.

"George," Hermione chastised, "you know you can't do that. He… he still has nightmares about him." She said looking over her shoulder to ensure he hadn't heard her. "If I'm going to be leaving you need to be careful not to set him off. He was doing well for a while before Harry came back and all things considered he still is. That being said he's still fragile."

Having been so wrapped up in Draco's departure both had failed to notice the colour drain from Harry's face as a horrified look overtook his previously joyful expression.

His mind jumped to the cold, dark room he had been many months prior. Though he was sitting in the comfort of his bed, directly in a sunbeam, he felt cold as bone chilling shiver rushed over him. He couldn't stop as his body trembled over and over again. His vision blurred to an all-consuming darkness and a ringing grew louder and louder in his ears.

"Shall we play?" Blaise's voice crooned in his ear.

"No! Please!" Harry wept unable to pull himself from his own mind. "No!"

He felt like he couldn't breathe, a sharp pain in his side halting his every breathe, pain tearing through him with every gasp for air. He couldn't hear beyond the ringing, couldn't see beyond the darkness, all he could feel was the pressure of a body on him as he thrashed about.

"No! No, please!" He whined tears pouring from his eyes. He choked and gasped for the elusive air his lungs so desperately called for. "No!" he screamed again, the only phrase he could managed to articulate. He felt hands on him, grabbing him, holding him down.

"No more! Please!" he pleaded, "Please Zambini!" Another scream tore through him as he remembered the feeling of the knife cutting into his bone. "Please!" He pleaded again.

And as suddenly as they came the feelings left; leaving him with only the slightest understanding of the voices calling out to him.

"Harry? Harry, please, you're safe. Oh please, Harry listen to me." Hermione begged. It was then she heard an entirely different set of screams coarse through the home.

Draco sat at the long, empty table a now cold cup of tea in one hand, the other stretched out on the table before him. He stared at the black marking, bile rising in his throat, before hastily pulling the sleeve of his shirt down to cover it once more. He swiped the traitorous tear that fell down his cheek, intent on not allowing himself the comfort of crying. Harry's screams had torn through the house freezing him where he stood. He had been entirely lost in his memory of Azkaban before Hermione pulled him free of it. He hated seeing that look of sympathy on her face, she knew what fears haunted him, and he hated worrying her even more than he already did. He felt even worse having to leave at the slightest mention of his father, he hadn't had those feelings the first time George had made the joke, why was this time any different?

Hermione had hastily rushed him to the dining room for a cup of tea as George forced a sleeping drought down Harry's throat. Even now as the house sat silent, it occupants afraid to make the slightest sound, he could still hear Harry's words ring in his ears.

"He called out Blaise's name" he said to the empty room. The sinking feeling returned to his stomach as he realized that Blaise Zambini, his longtime friend, had been one of the men who tortured Harry, his Harry, to the brink of death. He felt betrayed and over taken with anger and suddenly, without a moments thought, he threw the tea cup against the wall shattering it into dozens of tiny fragments. Now he understood why Hermione did it, it was a liberating feeling, in an odd sort of way. He heard a soft padding of feet come around the corner and he knew Hermione had come to check on him.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said not turning to face her.

"It's alright accidents happen." She said before removing her wand from her pocket. "Repairo. Scorgify."

"What happened to no magic?" He asked still unable to look at her.

"With a belly this big its rather hard to get off the ground these days. I've made an exception or two. Speaking of, could you help me? My trunk is a bit too heavy for me to carry."

Cautiously he turned to meet her gaze, he was surprised to find that rather than the worried yet tender look she often had after he had one of his 'moments' her face was wrought with tension and sadness. "Hermione, what is it?"

"I afraid." She said allowing her strong barrier to fall. "I'm so afraid."

It was Hermione's turn to weep, her head in her hands, as she let loose all the fear and tension she had been holding back throughout the months. It brought him comfort knowing that she could allow herself to be weak around him and let him see that she wasn't always the Gryffindor Princess he had believed her to be all these years. Pulling her to him, he comforted her the way a brother would comfort a sister, with gentle understanding and ease. She had grown to be like a sister to him and he hoped that one day the sentiment might be shared between them.

They stood like that for a long moment before a gentle knock on the door drew their attention.

"That must be Fleur" she said swiping away the last remaining tears.

"I'll go get your trunk," he added before leaving the room.