A/N: Hello! I am bringing you the newest chapter for Unwavering Love! I hope you continue to enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it :).
Rousing himself from his stupor, he nodded and helped Harry lie down, grabbing a chair and bringing it over to his bedside. "Go to sleep. I'll make sure I'll stay here until you fall asleep."
Reassured, Harry slipped down under the covers, figuring he might have trouble falling asleep. However, within seconds of touching his pillow, he was fast asleep.
Reaching forward, Draco grabbed Harry's hand, entwining their fingers together. A soft smile played around his lips. Seeing Harry drift off into a peaceful, undisturbed sleep made his heart feel at ease, although he felt as tired as the sleeping figure before him. Feeling their connection, he felt his heart slowing down little by little, settling into a proper rhythm. Joining his right hand with his left hand, he gently held Harry's hand between his, copying the motion Harry had done before with him. While gently running the pad of his thumb over his mate's skin on the back of his hand, the motion simultaneously soothed him. He was glad to know Harry seemed to recall more and more about the past, yet it pained him that it had to happen in such a violent way. Wishing fervently for his mate to not experience such a nightmare again, he leaned down, while raising his hands upwards, raising Harry's hand with it. Putting his forehead against his own slender, pale fingers, he hoped the memories of happier times would flood his dreams.
Closing his own eyes, he slumped forward against the bed, Harry's hand still clasped in his own. His forehead touched the bed, and the events of that day washed over him, its turmoil carrying him away. With a final caress over his mate's hand, he let sleep drag him down in a fitful sleep, the haunting images pursuing him everywhere.
The sunlight pestering his eyelids woke him from a heavy, deep sleep. Opening groggy eyes, Harry blinked at the onslaught of light, trying to raise his hand to rub his eyes. However, as he tried to, he noticed that his left hand was left unmoveable, stuck in a warm confinement. Glancing to his left with bleary eyes, he first noticed the blond hair spilled over the bed. Blinking, he glanced downwards, seeing his hand clasped tightly in Draco's. The events of the day before flooded into his brain, making his heart speed up. Forcing it to slow down, he moved his gaze back to the mass of silky hair, a stark contrast on the dark of the sheets.
Grateful that he stayed with him all night, Harry didn't have the heart to pull his hand away, instead opting to sink back into the bed, his mind alert. Thinking back on the previous day, he mulled over his dream, no, his reality, in his head. Ending up kidnapped by someone was never something he imagined possible. Having someone to come and save him seemed even more of an impossibility. Frowning, he focussed on that final thought. Obviously, Draco had come to save him. The other teen even said so himself. Besides, even his dream, or flashback, seemed to indicate such. The desperation and anxiety in the blond's eyes seemed to border on madness in that split-second before the other person at the scene turned around and injured him. What had been the reason for Draco to look like that? As if his own life seemed about ready to end? Why had he been kidnapped in the first place? Why was he here, and why at an Elf's place? The puzzle pieces still didn't line up properly, and the feeling of being in the dark still left him feeling quite helpless.
However, he vowed he would gather more information today. The moment Draco opened his eyes, Harry would be on his case, asking him about it. As Draco was still very much slumped over the bed, it would definitely not be anytime soon. Wincing slightly as he watched the awkward and seemingly painful position the other teen was in, he wished there was a way for him to feel more comfortable. As Draco's features were facing away from him, he was unable to gauge the look on his face. Turning slightly and gently to his side, he was fascinated by Draco's appearance. Due to his hair falling away from the back of his head, his ears were in full view. Seeing them from up close for the first time, he was tempted to touch them.
Silently lifting his right hand, he carefully brought it nearer to Draco's person. Not wanting to wake him up, he carefully brushed aside some stray hairs. With the flesh fully visible, he took a moment to appraise its shape and otherworldliness. Being unable to contain himself, he gently touched the tip of Draco's ear, its soft and warm skin pliant under his fingers. Even though the ears looked pointy, they were soft and round to the touch. His fingers inadvertently touched the blond hair, the fine strands brushing against his skin. Hand moving upwards, he softly stroked the locks, its silky texture making it feel like it wasn't even there. The motion was oddly calming, and he slowly sunk back into the dregs of sleep.
Lying very still, Draco breathed out slowly as he felt a hand brush up against the strands of his hair next to his ear, before tentative fingers met his skin. The shift in weight had woken him from his slumber, and now he didn't want to startle Harry into pulling back. The warm fingers caressed his ear for a bit, before touching his scalp, stroking his hair. Closing his eyes contentedly, he enjoyed the sensation of nails lightly scratching against the top of his head, sending a shiver down his spine. Slowly, the motion got more sluggish, before stopping altogether.
Opening his eyes, Draco waited tentatively, ears perked. When soft breathing was all that registered, he turned his head around slowly, wincing as his strained muscles were stretched the opposite way. Rubbing his neck absentmindedly, he noticed the awkward tilt of Harry's head, along with the hand which rested near Draco's own face. Pushing himself up and away from the matrass, he rolled his shoulders, working out the kinks. Standing up, he gently readjusted Harry's head on the pillow, pulling up the covers as well.
Glancing outside, he noticed the sun was well on its way to rising, the orange glow flooding the room. Glancing at Harry for the last time, he turned around and opened the door softly, before letting it fall closed behind him.
Walking down the stairs, he thought of what Harry would like to eat. Considering the fact his mate hadn't eaten since the day before, it was possible he was famished. However, eating something heavy might have quite the opposite effect. Deciding he should make some porridge, he walked into the kitchen and went about making some for Harry and himself.
Walking up the stairs with hot food in his hands made him quicken his steps, until finally he reached Harry's room. Nudging it open with his foot, he peeked inside to find Harry fast asleep still. Smiling softly, he walked inside, closing the door with his shoulder. Walking towards the bedside table, he gently put the bowls in his hand down. In doing so, he apparently woke the dark-haired teen up, as he stirred in his bed. Standing stock-still, eyes riveted, Draco looked on as his mate awoke, eyes fluttering against the light in the room.
As Harry regained consciousness, his head turned, eyes swivelling in Draco's direction. Blinking, he silently looked at the blond for several seconds. Draco softly smiled down at him, voice low as he asked: "Would you like something to eat? There's some porridge, if you'd like."
Groggily sitting up, Harry nodded. "Thank you." As Draco handed him his meal, he thought back to the evening before. Even though mentally he was still far away, the physical needs of his body roused him into lifting the spoon to his mouth, chewing silently as he mulled over his recollection. After waking up that morning, he had fallen back asleep. However, as the clouds lifted over his head, he recalled the one thing he wanted, needed, to do. Putting his spoon back in the bowl temporarily, he turned towards Draco seated in the chair next to his bed. "Draco, there's something I had been wanting to ask you. Is that all right?"
Putting down his own spoon, Draco faced Harry, brows raised. "Of course. What is it you'd like to ask?"
Licking his lips, Harry took a breath, collecting his thoughts. "Well, seeing as I don't want to trouble you too much… I was wondering whether or not there was a library nearby. If possible, I'd like to read up on my condition. Is that possible?"
Blinking, Draco looked at him, lost for words. After putting himself together, he nodded shortly. "Of course. I think we ought to have some books on that subject ourselves. Would you like me to bring some for you?"
And here was the tricky bit. Inhaling sharply, Harry gathered his thoughts. "I appreciate your kindness. However, I feel like I'd like to roam a bit as well. Sitting still, reading, is not really something I'd be comfortable with. Besides, it would be interesting to see what libraries are like here. I'd like to see it." Trying to put it as softly as possible, he tried to steer Draco the way he wanted it to. He hoped it didn't sound too forced, as if he was pressuring the blond into conforming to his will. Besides, he was genuinely curious as to how libraries were organised here. He could barely recall the libraries back at home. Being made into a personal manservant of the Dursleys didn't leave much room for exploration.
Draco gnawed on his bottom lip, trying to find an answer. Realistically, there was no reason to deny Harry access. There was nothing in the library which could be potentially harmful, yet there was some part of him which seemed reluctant. In a last, feeble attempt to try and keep Harry in bed, he tried to talk into Harry's guilt. "Are you sure you're fit to get up? Astral said it would be best to get some rest as well. I don't know whether or not she'd appreciate you getting up and about too much…" Trailing off, he looked at Harry from the underside of his bangs.
Looking back at Draco sternly, Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "I feel fine, thank you very much. I could handle walking to the garden yesterday. I'm pretty certain I can handle a bit more than that today. Besides, there's nothing which is hurting me anymore. Furthermore, sitting in bed is not going to make me any better. Please." As he genuinely agreed with his last statement, he hoped Draco would feel his conviction as well. There was barely any time in his life where he could sit still, and as such, he would feel anxious when there were long periods of time where he had to. Obviously, such cases were really rare and he hadn't experienced it often, but already the need to do something was making his skin prickly. He was not used to lazing around, but well-adapted to a life full of activity and moving around.
Sighing, Draco hung his head in defeat. "Okay, then. After finishing the porridge, I will accompany you to the library. I'll be staying by your side, just in case something goes wrong, though. I don't want to see you in pain anymore." Nearly whispering that last bit, he grabbed his spoon again and finished his porridge, waiting for Harry to do the same as he got an affirmative answer. Standing up, he whisked the bowls to the kitchen. Waiting for Harry to follow him, they walked to the library in silence.
Standing in front of the doors to the library, he half-turned towards Harry, making sure his mate was still near and all right. Opening the door, he stepped through, holding it open for Harry so he could enter.
Rows upon rows of shelves were neatly lined up, the books it contained were organised neatly as well. There was no dust to be found, and few covers were worn. The ceiling was high, and the carvings along the wall intricate. There were a few desks, reading chairs and stands with lights on them around to be of use to whomever wanted to spend time there.
Waiting for Harry to finish expressing his awe, he smiled patiently, waving his arm inside dramatically. "Welcome to our humble library. There are all sorts of genres of book available, and you can look around later. However, I'll show you to the books which are of interest first." Closing the doors behind them, he waited for the dark-haired teen to follow him deeper into the room. Walking past several rows of shelves, he finally took a left, walking a bit before coming to a halt. Humming, he squinted his eyes together, searching for the books he, himself, had quite recently been immersed in. Though a few shelves were dedicated to the brain, there were only a few books that dealt with memory loss. Furthermore, most of the books simply contained spells and enchantments, with few actually providing other information. But, as memory loss was something even Elves couldn't handle perfectly, the three remaining books that were of use contained a lot of information.
Grabbing those three from the shelf, he turned to Harry, lifting them slightly. "These three books are the only books that contain information on head trauma and particularly memory loss. Is it all right if I bring them to the table over there? You can read them after you've looked around a bit." Knowing that Harry would be too distracted by the new room to get any reading done at first, telling him that he could take a look around seemed for the better. It would sate his curiosity, while making him feel familiar with his surroundings. Walking over to the aforementioned table, Draco seated himself in one of the chairs, his eyes fixated on the moving figure.
Harry was fascinated with the library. Though at first sight it seemed like any other library, there were some differences. For example, there were countless books and endless amounts of shelves that dealt with spells, potions and incantations, among other things. Surely, finding such books in the human world would end with them being burned for witchcraft. Furthermore, some of the covers proved to be very interesting, though he dared not touch any of them. Sometimes, it was better to leave things be. Luckily, the genres or content were written down on the shelves themselves, making it easier to search for books of a particular genre. Walking around some more, Harry kept an eye out for books on Elves. When he actually found it, he looked back to where Draco was sitting. Being in full view of Draco, there was no way he could quietly and sneakily read up on it.
Deciding to give up for now, mentally marking the place he was before, he walked back towards where Draco was, done with his investigation for now. Taking a seat opposite Draco's, he picked up one of the books, examining it. It was heavy and bound in leather, and as he opened it, it let out a noise which made Harry wonder whether or not he accidentally damaged it. However, with no choice but to move forward, he leaved through some of the book, before getting to the crux of the matter. Even though studying was never his thing, the content was riveting enough, keeping his attention.
Before long, hours had passed without Harry's knowing. The final book was in his hands, and it seemed like a whole new world had opened up to him. There was so much going on in the human brain that it seemed baffling that such an organ was responsible for so many things. It was a miracle as well that the impact didn't damage his sight permanently. He had asked Draco about it, as it seemed nigh impossible for him to have avoided such a grave injury.
"Well, I'm not quite sure myself, as Astral didn't mention it. However, considering the fact that damage to any area of the brain is hard to heal, I really do think you were, for lack of a better word, lucky to have hit your head where you have. Otherwise, you really might have ended up being blind."
With the atmosphere getting grim, Harry had searched for a way to lighten the mood. "Well, at least it's amnesia. There's a chance I might regain my memories. In fact, I'm quite happy I recalled something yesterday. Although I'd much rather it not happen in a dream." Giving a lopsided grin, he tried to make light of recent events. However, that only had seemed to worsen Draco's mood, and they were back at a pensive silence. Before long, Harry had been absorbed in the book.
As time passed on, however, Draco had stood up, startling Harry into putting the book down. Looking questioningly at the blond, he wondered what the reason was for him to get up.
Smiling a bit apologetically, Draco brushed some lint off his trousers. "If you don't mind, I'll prepare something for us to eat. It's already past lunchtime after all."
Nodding, Harry smiled. "I'd love some, thank you. I'll just continue reading in the meanwhile."
After smiling a final time, Draco turned around and disappeared, the creaking of the door indicating he had left the room.
Waiting a few heartbeats longer, Harry got up as well, eyes and brows set. There was something he had set out to do.
Walking back towards the many shelves, it didn't take long for him to figure out where the books were again. Praying Draco would take a long time, his eyes skimmed over the many books, its endless titles a stream and blur of characters. However, as he thought of which book to get, with his limited time, there was something which caught his eye. Blinking, he wondered what drew him to that particular book. As his eyes skimmed the title, he frowned. It was written in a language that wasn't English. Yet, it seemed somehow familiar. Letting his eyes fall on each letter, he read it mentally. And when something clicked, he read it out loud. And as he did so, he had to take a step back.
How on earth had he managed to study a different language in the three months he had been here…? It seemed ludicrous. Walking back towards the shelf, he grabbed the book clad in leather. It was a dark, brown-ish red, and the leather felt comfortable in his palm. It seemed old, but cared for. Turning it over in his hand, he once more looked at the title of the book. 'Het Boek Der Elvenvolk'. Without knowing why, he knew this was the book containing the information he wanted. The title reverberated in his head, its meaning clear without him knowing why. Still standing, he opened the book, the first pages containing a short overview of the book. As the cover, this was written in the same, foreign language. Reading it was hard, but as he mumbled the words to himself, they made sense.
Deciding he would be best off reading about Elves in general, he skipped a few pages ahead, eyes glued to the pages. Whispering under his breath, his eyes flicked across the pages, the words rolling over his lips awkwardly, but recognisable. Reading about physical differences was interesting, but not what he was searching for. His eyes stopped, and his heart skipped a beat as the title 'Een Paar Voor Het Leven' appeared. The nagging feeling at the back of his head notified him that this was what he had been searching for. Lifting the book closer to his head, his nose was nearly pressed up against the pages in his greed to know more, to learn more about the world he was in and the person he was with. Words like 'band', 'partners', 'connectie' and 'onvoorwaardelijke liefde' flashed before his eyes, and his heart started thumping wildly in his chest as the realisation dawned on him.
Closing the book quickly and shoving it back in its usual place, Harry felt as if he had committed a heinous crime. Covering his mouth with his hands, his eyes widened, heart still racing. Everything Draco had said to him came rushing back. How he had searched for something important to him in the human world, how he had found it and brought it back home.
But most of all, his own feelings conveyed the irrevocable truth. Even as he had woken up in the hospital, he had felt safe, Draco's face lighting up like a halo, making his chest tighten at the time. That was their bond, wasn't it? The way it had felt so natural to be nestled up against the blond was because it was a usual occurrence, wasn't it? During his nightmare, or recollection, the voice in the back of his head had told him that it was the voice of his most beloved calling out to him, and that he had to return.
Staggering, he put out a hand to support himself against the shelves, head spinning. The evidence had been there all along. And with that realisation came vague images and memories, flashing by in a blur. Closing his eyes tightly, the scenes flashing before his eyes all contained his memories of Draco. However, as he had no idea when the memories had occurred, it was simply a jumbled mess of visages. As the images abated, his heart started to calm down, and he looked up to find Draco rushing towards him, a worried look on his face.
His emotions still running high, he wanted to laugh at how blind he had been. It was so obvious what they were, why he was here and why everything felt so right. As Draco lightly put his hands on Harry's shoulders, he inhaled sharply, finally being truly aware of the bond they had. Surely the blond had asked him a question, yet he was unable to hear it, let alone process it. Looking up with clear eyes, he asked with awe in his voice: "I'm your mate, aren't I?"
Blinking, Draco opened and closed his mouth, lost for words. He had come rushing when once more the spell went off, indicating that Harry was feeling agitated. When he had found him, he seemed quite composed again, so Draco had put his hands on his mate's shoulders, asking what was wrong and whether or not he was all right. He had never expected him to ask such a question instead. "I… Well, you see… That is…" Unable to find the right words, he fumbled about, before simply settling for a resigned nod. As he, himself, regained his composure, he looked around in the section where they were standing. Seeing the one book which was put back unevenly, it clicked in his head as well. "Did… Did you read the book?" Unsure as how to handle this situation, his heart thumped in his chest. He never figured Harry would put things together so quickly.
"Yes, yes I did." He seemed to say on a breath. "That, and I also started to remember you… Us. The time we spend together. The things we did. There's still a lot of context missing, though. But I do remember you." Feeling oddly emotional, Harry reached out his hand to touch Draco's cheek, eyes glistening with unshed tears. The grey eyes looking back at him seemed on the verge of tears themselves. Rubbing his thumb over the blond's cheek, there was only the feeling of rightness. It wasn't something he shouldn't do, something he should feel ashamed or embarrassed to do. And with that feeling, he took a step forward and drew Draco in his arms, embracing him tightly as his tears finally fell. Even if there were some parts still missing and horribly jumbled, the sense of security was his one and only certainty. It was the only thing he was unwaveringly convinced of.
Within seconds, Draco's hands encircled him and tightly pressed him against the other teen. He buried his face in Harry's neck, breathing out happily, chest constricting. He had almost forgotten the mental strength of his mate and his calmness in strained and stressful situations. Feeling blissful that Harry seemed to recall some things, he lightly ran his hands up and down the small of Harry's back, comforting him as the tears the teen was shedding embedded themselves in his shirt. The stress he didn't know he was holding in left his body, and he couldn't help but to shed some happy tears as well.
As several more moments passed, they pulled away from each other, smiling happily, wiping away their tears. Shuffling his foot awkwardly, Draco asked the question he wanted the answer to the most. "So, where do we go from here? I never wished to pressure you, nor did I expect you to remember so quickly… To be quite honest, I don't know how to deal with this situation…"
Laughing, Harry looked down, thinking himself. "To be fair, I don't know either. Like I said, what I remember are but bits and pieces of a whole. And besides you, I don't remember anything else yet, to be honest. So, if you don't mind, could you let me know from the start everything that happened to me, even the things and the people I don't remember?"
Biting his bottom lip, Draco thought hard on it. "If you think you're ready for it… It is, however, three months' worth of information, so I don't want to burden you with too much… In fact, Astral would probably bite my head off if she knew." Laughing awkwardly, he smiled a painful smile.
However, Harry would not be deterred. "Honestly, I don't care. I just want to know. If it all becomes too much, I'll be sure to say as much. Please, with this I feel like I can fill in the gaps that still linger. I just wish to live my life the way I had before."
And that was that. Leading Harry back to their seats where the food was waiting, he started from the very beginning.
"Well, as I had said before, I had come to the human world in order to meet my mate. As such, I left just before my birthday in June. While travelling, I…"
And so Draco talked for hours, sometimes being interrupted by Harry who wanted to know more, or who seemed to recall the things that happened. Dinner had come and gone without either of them noticing, and it was deep in the night before three months' worth of living a different life was over and done with.
A/N: Aaaaaand back to translation!
Een Paar Voor Het Leven - A Pair For Life
Band - Bond
Partners - Partners
Connectie - Connection
Onvoorwaardelijke liefde - Unconditional love
Finally Harry's memories are back to where they belong~! Mostly. And more importantly, the most precious memories are back! I already know what I'm going to cook up for next chapter, so I hope I can crank it out a little bit faster. Until next chapter!
