Stranger
Draco stood there, frozen by Harry's admission.
"Say something..." Harry whispered, his gaze on the floor; but when no sound came he glanced up to his pale lover's face. "Draco, please-"
"What do you want me to say, Harry?" Draco asked him. "What do people say when their lover tells them they died?"
Harry literally flinched under Draco's icy tones. "You don't know how many times I wanted to tell you-"
"No I don't. So how many times was there Harry? When I killed Voldermort? When we..." Draco could not make himself say it.
"This has been killing me, you have no idea how much it's costing me!"
Draco looked at him disbelievingly, his silver eyes flashing in anger.
"What it's costing you? I died! And just when did that bloody happen? "
Harry shook his head, and he looked away from Draco again.
"It doesn't matter, it's done now."
Draco emitted a low growl, before grasping Harry by the shoulders and launching him up and into the nearest wall.
"Oh it matters! Christ how can you say it doesn't!"
Harry struggled slightly, but Draco's grip might have been made of iron for all he budged.
"It won't change anything; everything that's happened is over! Draco you didn't actually die – I stopped it!"
Draco's face screwed up in confusion, his eyebrows burrowing together.
"I wasn't about to lose you again"
Harry defended, and Draco looked at him, his grip loosened on Harry, but he wore an odd expression on his face.
"I didn't die, because you stopped it..."
Harry just groaned in pain, but Draco stared at the letter again.
"You came back..." Draco whispered he turned back to Harry again; his face was haunted. "I died and you went back..."
Harry watched in hopelessly as realisation dawned on Draco's features and he knew his Veela had finally figured it out. Draco released him completely and the touch that had been so punishing, now gone left Harry bereft.
"Severus... His letter to you-"
Remembering Severus' warning about what would occur should Draco discover the truth, Harry opened his mouth in a attempt to at least clear Severus' name, to blame it perhaps on Hermione-
"Don't deny it. Who else could have brewed that potion? It wasn't you Harry, good god it wasn't you!"
"So it was Severus! Me and Severus we brewed the potion and we brought you back! Can't you just leave it at that?"
"NO" Draco almost howled, and tears flooded down his face. "NO I CAN'T 'JUST LEAVE IT'! DO YOU KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT SPELL!-"
"Oh believe me I do," Harry scoffed darkly, his emerald eyes flashing. "Since the day I saved you, all I've felt is its consequences but you know what I don't care!"
"You don't mean that" Draco said shaking his head. Harry didn't say anything. "Tell me, you didn't mean that!"
Harry snorted, his face was black with anger.
"You don't have a clue! Your never know what I went through" His eyes flashed to the letter on the floor. "Grieve for me, bury me – love again! That's what you told me! Do you have any idea how impossible that is!"
"I just wanted you-"
"To what? Have a normal life? How could I do that when it felt like my heart had been ripped out!"
Tears slid down Draco's face, but his eyes held a look of determination.
"Show me."
Harry looked at Draco shocked.
"What?"
Draco came up to him and captured Harry's face in his hands.
"Show me, Harry. Show me what happened..."
Harry looked at him trapped; his furious emerald eyes now looked frightened.
"Draco, please! I know I was wrong, ok! What I did it was wrong- but you can save me!"
Draco looked at Harry sadly, and Harry captured Draco's slim wrists in a crushing grip.
"You make me a good man, I can be a good man, I just need you by me"
Harry's voice was desperate whisper, and it ripped into Draco deeply. His Veela side wanted nothing more than to take his Mate into his arms and kiss all the pain away, to do anything that might help his mate; his human side however was stronger, and he had to see what had happened, who this man claiming to be his good and righteous Harry was... He barely recognised him.
"I need you to show me, I want to understand – no I need to understand"
Draco persisted, and he stared deep into his Mate's emerald eyes.
"I don't recognise you, Harry."
The shock and pain in his Mate's eyes was almost more than Draco could bear.
"You are not the Harry I fought for, the Harry I saved... The Harry I-"
"I saved you, I'm still that man Draco! He's here-"
"I love. You are not him, you're not even close."
It was as if he had taken a blade and struck deep into his Harry's gut, all the light seemed to fade from his emerald eyes, and he sank down against the wall. Draco just stood there, ignoring the screaming part of him that demanded he ought to sink to the floor before Harry there and then. He stood shakily, and slowly Harry's head rose up to look at him. Draco flinched at the hollowness of those eyes he loved so much; eyes that now looked dead, and lifeless.
"Are you saying you don't love me, anymore?"
Draco closed his eyes and grimaced. He knew full well the consequences such a action would have, if he had indeed fallen out of love with Harry, he'd be dead just after sunrise...
"I love 'my Harry'; I love him and I don't know where he's gone! I don't know you, Harry! This you now, in front of me – it's like I'm looking at a different person!"
One thing stopped Harry crumbling at this, and it was his fear for Draco.
"You can't afford to feel like that. I'm your Mate – you have to love me Draco!"
Draco nodded, and more tears filled his watery eyes.
"Show me, Harry please! Let me see this is you! That 'my Harry' is still here!"
Harry sighed, and finally nodded his head in defeat.
"I'm not proud of what I did, but losing you... It's like I'd died with you, inside."
Draco knelt down and slowly drew Harry into a kiss.
"You doing this for me, this is the Harry I know and we can get through this, but I need to know what I'm getting through."
Harry nodded, and slowly with his wand, pulled from his temple, silvery threads...
So sorry for the long gap but I got completely stuck after the previous chapter, so hopefully this chapter works, as always I hope you liked it and eagerly await your views on it!
Regards
Lisi the slayer