Treasure each other in the recognition that we do not know how
long we shall have each other.--Joshua Loth Liebman
By noon Draco had decided what he was going to do. It wasn't some great, romantic plan. Simply put, he was going to show Harry that he wasn't going to give up on them so easily. He was going to find Harry and convince them that this relationship would make them strong, not weak. He hadn't talked with Dumbledore, deciding what to do in his own.
He ran up the stairs to Gryfindorr tower, taking them two at a time. He was in a panic. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones. It seemed an eternity before he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. He shouted the password and she swung open. A moment later he was finally in the Common Room. Harry was no where to be seen. He ran to the dorms, skidding to a stop at the sight that greeted him. Sirius was sitting there; Harry cradled in his lap. Harry wasn't moving. This frightened Draco more than anything possibly could have.
"Sirius, what happened to Harry?" His voice shook with fear.
Sirius' voice wasn't much different. "I don't know. We have to get him to the Hospital Wing."
Together the two levitated him and floated him to the Hospital Wing. Once there, they called for Madam Pomfrey to look Harry over. As soon as she started her exam, Sirius went for Dumbledore.
Draco watched Madame Pomfrey with a cautious eye. He was scared. This was plain to see. What if he was too late? What if Harry… he couldn't even finish the thought. What if he lost the boy he loved before he could even tell him? Before they could fix things between them. Was this how it was going to end? With a fight? Would the last words they ever spoke to each other be ones of anger? Draco was terrified that was how the relationship would end.
By now Madam Pomfrey had finished and Sirius had returned, Dumbledore beside him.
"So Poppy, what seems to be the matter with him?"
"Nothing. Physically anyway. Whatever is wrong is in his own mind. He seems to be in a self-induced coma of sorts. And as he brought this on himself, the only way out is for him to decide to wake up."
"What if he doesn't?" This was Draco, the fear once again evident in his voice.
"If he doesn't decide to wake up then he will eventually wither away and die. His body will shut down and after enough organs do so, he will succumb to death."
Sirius and Draco looked shocked. Dumbledore and Pomfrey looked saddened. They each mumbled what sounded like an apology before leaving the other two to their grief.
To Sirius, it felt like he was losing a part of himself. It felt like he was losing a son. Over the past year, Harry had become a son to him, and, had he been given the chance, he would have adopted the boy immediately. It felt like he was losing James all over again. This pain also brought with it the memories of James and Lily, which still haunted him. He had failed them. He had sworn to them that he would love their son. He did. He swore he would protect him. He had failed.
To Draco it also felt like he was losing a part of himself. The best part. He was losing his lover. He knew that he may only be fifteen, but he would never love someone as much as he did Harry. No one would ever make him feel this way again. He was losing his best friend. He had never had many friends, and Harry had been the first person to truly care about him. He was losing his soul mate. The one person put on Earth just for him. And it hurt. He could feel the pain ripping him apart inside. It felt like someone had ripped open his chest, yanked out his heart, stomped on it, shredded it, pissed on it, and stuck it back in his chest. This was a pain he had never felt before.
It was hours later. Sirius had long ago fell asleep at Harry's bedside, clutching his hand in hopes it would convey how much he really loved his godson, even though he had never told him.
Draco sat on Harry's other side. Both men had refused to leave Harry's bedside. Draco sat, clutching his other hand. It had been torture to hide his true emotions from Sirius all afternoon. Now he was finally free to let the tears he had been holding at bay free. The drops slid down his cheeks, falling onto their clasped hands. And for the first time since Draco was a small child, he prayed. He prayed to anyone that would listen to him. He prayed that Harry would come back, so Draco could make everything okay again. If Harry came back, it would all be okay.
"Please Harry," Draco whispered, "please come back to me. I need you here, I really do. I don't think I can do this without you, so please don't make me try. I love you. Just please, please come back. Come back to me. Come back to Sirius. We both love you so much. I promise Harry, if you come back, you will be loved. I'll take care of your heart. I'll make sure it doesn't get bruised or torn. Just come back and give me your heart. I'll love you my whole life."
Author's Note: Sorry that took so long. Please see 14 for news
on the next installment. Please, please, please review!!!
