"Draco? Where the bloody hell am I?"
Draco's eyes widened. Harry was awake. Harry was awake and talking to him.
"You-You're awake, you're finally awake!" He couldn't control himself and he pulled Harry into a tight embrace, burying his head in the crook of Harry's neck.
"Draco?"
"Yes?" he mumbled into Harry's skin
"You're hurting my ribs"
"Shit! I-I'm so sorry Harry!"
Draco immediately let go of Harry and gingerly slid off the hospital bed. He almost winced at the loss of Harry's body heat.
"Draco, what happened how did I end up here? I remember us fighting on the stairs, I remember kissing you then fighting again and now here I am"
"Do you remember what we were fighting about?"
Harry paused trying extremely hard to remember what had led up to waking up besides Draco Malfoy in the hospital. Suddenly all of the events that had transpired came crashing down on Harry. He remembered running into Draco on the stairs after two years of not knowing if he was dead or alive, they fought when he asked Draco if he was a Death Eater, then they had kissed, Harry had asked the question again and Draco had tried to push him aside then everything went black after that.
Draco knew that Harry remembered everything; he could see comprehension and understanding dawning in the green eyes that he had loved for so long. He had never been more terrified in all of his life. This was it Harry would hate him or try to get past it.
"I remember our fight, I remember you tried to push me aside, but I don't know what happened after that" Harry's voice was hollow, void of any emotion, it was impossible for Draco to know what was going on inside his head at this moment.
"You fell down 4 flights of stairs Harry"
"Oh, how?"
"When I tried to push you aside, I was so angry, so hurt, so confused, and I pushed too hard-" Draco's voice cracked. "I'm so so sorry Harry, I never meant for-I wish it had been me that had fallen down the stairs not you"
"How long have I been out for?"
"1 week and 4 days"
"Does anyone else know what happened?"
"Yes, I owled Weasley and Granger as soon as it happened, they have been here ever since it happened, they only just left yesterday to inform the rest of Weasley's family of what was going on. Dr. Edwards broke the news to us yesterday that you might never wake up"
Draco didn't know what to expect from Harry but it certainly wasn't what came next.
"Get out Malfoy" Harry's voice was deadly calm, cold as ice.
"Harry-"
"I said get out. For two years I wondered where the fuck you were! I hired private aurors to find you Draco, but you had disappeared! I didn't know if you were dead or alive and it killed me, then finally by some weird twist of fate we meet again and I end up begging you for the answer to one simple question before I conveniently fall down 4 flights of stairs. I suppose this in itself answers my question. You're a Death Eater and a Slytherin to the very core, you tried to kill me even though my side already won"
Draco felt his heart shatter and break into millions and millions of tiny pieces. Harry, his love, thought that he was a Death Eater and not only that but that he had tried to kill him. It was too much to take not after all he'd been through. It was the final straw. Harry was lost to him forever and he knew it. No amount of trying to win him back would ever work, especially not with Harry believing what he did. Draco decided to play along with Harry's suspicions, it was stupid he knew but Harry's words had cut him to the very core. Harry's words had broken him and nothing mattered to him anymore.
"You're right Potter. I pushed you down the fucking stairs. If you'll excuse me I have to be going. Goodbye Potter" Draco walked out of Harry's room, his cool façade slipping into place. He kept telling himself that all he had to do was make it home, and then he could finally let it loose. If Draco had bothered looking back he would have seen Harry shaking violently, sobs wracking his body as he cried into his pillow, gently fingering the chain around his neck, and breathing in the lingering scent of his lover that remained on the pillow.
**2 hours later**
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, may I have a word with you?"
"Dr. Edwards is something wrong?" Ron asked
"Yes and no. Harry is awake. He awoke yesterday morning. Mr. Malfoy spent the night in his room. When I checked up on them they looked quite comfortable and it seemed as though Harry was finally responding and he did respond. He is awake, but I am afraid Mr. Malfoy is gone, Mr. Potter won't tell me why and I am afraid that Mr. Potter is completely withdrawn. He barely speaks to anyone. He won't eat, nothing"
"I'll kill him!" Ron shouted. "I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT MALFOY WITH HIM!! HE ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE!"
Hermione shrank back. Ron was beyond furious. She had only seen him this angry once maybe twice and those times Voldemort was involved in the equation.
"Mr. Weasley, please keep your voice down. You may blame Mr. Malfoy for Mr. Potter's current state, but you may also thank him for managing something that neither you nor Miss Granger could, and that is the fact that Harry is awake. Might I remind you that he also managed to make your fiancée Harry's guardian in this situation so that his relatives could not hurt him"
"May I see him Dr. Edwards?" Hermione asked
"Yes"
"I'm coming with you"
Hermione turned and glared at her fiancée, her stare was like ice. Ron knew that he had crossed the line.
"No Ron you're not. You're staying here. The last thing Harry needs right now is you going in there in battle mode."
"Mione" Ron reached for her hand, but she slapped it away
"Do.Not.Touch.Me." Hermione's voice dripped with venom. "Excuse me Dr. Edwards"
With that Hermione left Ron and Dr. Edwards behind. Slowly she approached the door of room 433. Through the small window she could see Harry curled up in a fetal position facing the window. He looked so vulnerable and it was clear that a deep sadness weighed upon him.
"Hello there Sleeping Beauty"
Harry turned and smiled weakly at his best friend
"Hello Mione"
"How are you feeling?"
"Like shit"
"We were all so worried about you Harry. Ron is out in the waiting room, he's cooling off at the moment. Dr. Edwards informed us that Draco was here earlier but that he left suddenly. Harry, what happened?"
Harry sighed and Hermione saw a tear slide down his cheek. "Harry please tell me what happened"
Hermione moved closer to her best friend, embracing him. It wasn't long before Harry broke down sobbing in Hermione's arms.
"It was awful Mione. I was awful. I accused him of being a Death Eater, and I told him that he had tried to kill me on purpose. You should have seen the look on his face, like I had ripped his heart out of his chest, by the time I realized how badly I had fucked up and what exactly I had done he was gone"
"What did you say when he accused him?"
"He agreed with me, he played along with my fucked up accusations and walked out of the room and probably out of my life forever. I've lost him all over again! We could have worked through this, I know we could have. I could have forgiven his betrayal, he could have forgiven my harsh words, but now it's gone, all gone" Sobs wracked Harry's body once more.
"Harry there are some things I need to tell you"
"Like what?"
"First and foremost Draco isn't a Death Eater Harry. He showed me his arms, there is not one mark on them. Secondly what happened was a horrible accident. The night that Ron and I arrived Draco broke down Harry and I knew that he still loved you just as much as you loved him. Lastly, thanks to Draco you are not only awake but the Dursleys are out of your life forever"
"Why? How?"
"There was a moment when the possibility of you waking up was not good Harry, Dr. Edwards wanted to call in your true blood relatives, but Draco went to them and I don't know how, but he managed to get them to relinquish any ties to you. He had the Dursleys sign a legal document stating that all decisions made regarding you were in my hands"
"Oh God Mione, what have I done?"
"Maybe you can still sit down and figure all of this out with him. He still hasn't managed to explain where he was for two years, but I honestly don't think that it was somewhere bad"
"How can you say that there's still a chance Mione? There's too much damage done, too much irreparable damage"
"I don't believe that Harry. There will never be anyone for you but Draco, I knew it the night the three of us studied together and I know it now just as there will never be anyone for Draco but you"
"How do you know?"
"It's fate Harry, it's fate"
Harry sighed. "I'm tired"
"I'll let you get some rest as long as you promise me that if you fall asleep you will not wait more than a week to wake up again"
Harry smiled "I promise"
Hermione quietly left Harry's room and headed for the waiting room, but upon entering she noticed that her fiancée wasn't there.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?" The desk nurse responded
"Do you know where Mr. Weasley went?"
"I'm not sure, he asked for Mr. Malfoy's address and then left"
"Please, please tell me that you did not give him Draco's address"
The nurse blushed. "Well Mr. Weasley can be quite charming, he's quite handsome and
I-"
Hermione snapped. "Mr. Weasley has a fiancée! ME! Now give me Draco's address as well or I will have your job! You-you tart!!"
The desk nurse was clearly not only embarrassed but frightened as well. Too frightened to deny Hermione Draco's address. Soon Hermione was hailing a taxi and giving them the address to Draco's flat. She hoped and prayed that Draco would still be alive when she got there.
**Back in Harry's Room**
"Here is your dinner Mr. Potter"
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry"
The nurse grimaced. "Mr. Potter, you have got to eat. You have to get your strength back if you want to get out of here soon"
"I have nothing to go back to"
"I don't think that's true Mr. Potter"
"Do you know where Ron and Hermione are?"
"It's quite strange Mr. Potter first Mr. Weasley charmed the desk nurse into giving him Mr. Malfoy's address, upon hearing this Miss Granger nearly lost it and it appears she followed Mr. Weasley to Mr. Malfoy's"
"WHAT?!?! OH GOD!! You have to let me out of here! NOW!!"
"Mr. Potter please calm down!"
"Miss, You don't understand!! He'll kill him!! Please, I am begging you, you have to let me out of here!"
"Mr. Potter, I can't let you leave here, I'm sorry"
"Dammit! You are as stubborn as Madame Pomfrey!"
"That's because she is my grandmother"
"What?"
"I said Madame Pomfrey is my grandmother. I know who you are Mr. Potter, I know who your friends are and I know who Draco Malfoy is as well. You and your friends fought out on the battlefield against Voldemort. Draco fought alongside you, you just didn't know it"
Harry was shocked. "What?!?!"
"Mr. Potter, I have witnessed nearly everything that has been going on regarding you for over a week now. I have been able to piece together some of the puzzle, I know that you and Mr. Malfoy had not seen each other for quite some time, I also know that at Hogwarts you both were very much in love with each other, you still are from what I have seen, but it seems you know nothing about Draco's life after you left him at the Astronomy Tower, would you like to know?"
"Yes, God yes."
"Again I am not sure of every detail of the story, but I am sure that I have enough to give you a clear picture. After you left Draco in the tower he apparently lost control. Professor Dumbledore found him. He was unconscious, and he had broken all the bones in his hands. He was bleeding and he kept mumbling that he was a fool, that he was sorry, and that he loved you. My grandmother thought that Draco was done for when Dumbledore brought him in, but Draco made it. He was released from the hospital wing the day before graduation, but he was still very much not himself. He didn't want to attend graduation or any of the festivities and he asked Dumbledore to exempt him from them and he did. Lucius Malfoy came to retrieve his son early in the morning on the day that you all left"
"Do you know what happened after that?"
"Yes, and it's not pleasant, but I suppose you have to know. Apparently when Draco returned home his father had his initiation all set up. He was to become a Death Eater. Draco refused him and his father nearly killed him. Somehow he managed to apparate with the little strength that he had left. He apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and Severus Snape found him. It is still a miracle that he survived what his father subjected him to. My grandmother said that the number of times he was subjected to the Cruciatus curse would have killed anyone else, but not Draco. He was unconscious for quite some time, but he made it. Again my grandmother said that he did nothing but call out for you and declare his love for you. When he came to and was released from the hospital wing Draco went to see Dumbledore. He joined your side Harry. He snuck around gathering information, he risked his life everyday to make sure you won, to make sure that you survived. You were able to surprise Voldemort and defeat him because Draco risked his life over and over again to make sure that you were always one step ahead. He thought that only Severus Snape and Dumbledore knew of his participation, but my grandmother saw him sneaking around the castle late at night sometimes and she knew that he was up to something. One night she followed him and she heard him talking with Snape and was able to figure out exactly what he was doing. After the final battle Draco left the wizarding world. No one had seen him, no one knew where he was, until now that is"
Harry was crying. Draco, his beautiful lover, had nearly died for him so many times. Yes he had betrayed him, but he had made up for it nearly giving his life for him much more than once, and what had he done? He had paid him back with harsh words and bitterness. Harry looked at Madame Pomfrey's granddaughter.
"You have to let me out of here, please, I'm begging you. I said some horrible things to Draco, and I have to take them all back before he disappears out of my life forever. Nevermind that Ron and Hermione are either on their way to his flat or there already and he may not make it out of that confrontation alive"
"Alright, I'll help you, but if you get caught you don't know me"
"Agreed, thank you!" Harry hugged the nurse.
"Good Luck Harry, make things right"
"I promise I'll try Miss.."
"Just call me Gemma, Harry"
"Thank you Gemma"
"Well then lets get you out of here and back where you belong"
**Draco's Flat**
Draco was curled up in the corner of his room, there was not one light on in his apartment. He had returned home and the minute that he opened the door he had lost control. He felt like he was back in the Astronomy Tower, because he had reacted the same way. He had overturned his desk, punched the walls, yelled, screamed, and destroyed everything in his path, including himself. Now he was huddled in the corner of his room, he was bleeding, he was broken. Draco knew that there would be no Dumbledore to come to his rescue this time, but he didn't care. He wanted to die, to wither away right there, huddled in the darkened corner of his bedroom. He had lost everything, Harry hated him, Harry thought that he was a Death Eater and had tried to kill him. Life was meaningless, the emptiness that had lived in him for two years finally consumed him and he could see no point in going on with his life. He didn't know how long he sat there but he heard someone entering his flat.
"Malfoy, are you in here?" Draco groaned. Somehow Weasley had managed to figure out where he lived. Maybe if he was quiet Weasley would go away and let him wither up and die in peace.
"Malfoy? Answer me dammit!" Draco stayed quiet. He heard Weasley's footsteps approaching his bedroom and he tried to breath shallow so that Weasley wouldn't hear him, but apparently he hadn't started breathing shallowly soon enough.
"Lumos" Ron whispered. He had to find Malfoy, he had to know what had happened. Finally he saw a small figure tucked away in the corner.
"Malfoy, we need to talk"
"Sod off Weasel"
"What the hell did you do to Harry at the hospital?"
"I said sod off"
Ron walked up to Draco, he had every intention of tearing him to pieces, but when he reached him he saw that Draco had already punished himself.
"Malfoy, oh my God, what have you done to yourself?" Draco was bleeding he wasn't sure from where, he was cut up, and bathed in his own blood.
"Leave me alone Weasley, let me bleed to death in peace"
Ron reached down and picked Malfoy up and placed him on his bed. He turned the light on and was shocked to see the full impact of what Draco had done to himself.
"Jesus Malfoy, why in the hell did you do this to yourself?"
Draco didn't answer him, he just stared at the ceiling. He didn't want to talk, not to Weasley not to anybody.
"Ron?" Both men groaned, Hermione had tracked them down. Ron wondered how he was going to explain this to his fiancée, but he pushed that thought aside. They needed to help Draco.
"Mione, in here quick! It's Malfoy!"
Hermione ran into Draco's bedroom and was speechless. Ron was standing next to Draco, who was lying on the bed covered in blood.
"OH MY GOD! RON WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!?!"
"ME?!?! I DIDN'T DO A BLOODY THING TO HIM! I FOUND HIM LIKE THIS!!"
Ron couldn't believe that Hermione, his own fiancée, the woman that he loved more than anything would think that he would have stooped so low.
"Calm down Granger, I did this to myself. Weasley found me."
"Draco, why would you do this to yourself?"
"Isn't it obvious?" was Draco's only response
"He still loves you Draco"
Draco flinched. "No he doesn't, he thinks I tried to kill him. He hates me, he will never forgive me for what happened, not ever, no matter how much I deluded myself into thinking that maybe he could forgive all that was between us"
"Mione can I have a word with you in the other room?"
"Not now Ron, we need to heal him first"
"Right, let's do it then"
Hermione pulled out her wand and begin performing some of the healing spells she had learned. She figured they would be enough to heal the broken bones in Draco's hands and close some of the wounds he had inflicted on himself.
"Thanks Granger"
"Draco, maybe we should take you to the hospital"
"No. I'm not going back there, I'm sure your spells will work fine. I'm tired and I need to sleep"
"Fine, but Ron and I are staying here until we make sure that you are okay"
Ron looked at Hermione in disbelief. "What about Harry?"
"Harry's awake Ron. He's doing much better physically, but he and Draco need to sort things out and he can't do that if Draco is dead"
"Fine" was Ron's only response, he didn't want to argue, he and his fiancée already had enough to discuss without adding one more thing to the list.
"We'll be in the living room Draco, if you need anything please ask one of us"
"I don't need a babysitter Granger"
"No what you and Harry need is a huge kick in the ass, because obviously you are both too damned stubborn to see what is right in front of you. We're staying Draco, get over it"
"I'm only doing this for Harry, Malfoy" were Ron's parting words as he and Hermione went into the living.
They were both met with a horrible scene. Draco had overturned his desk and pretty much anything else that he could. His furniture, papers and other belongings were strewn about. There were holes the walls and traces of blood splattered on them.
"Shit" was Ron's only response.
"Let's start putting some of this back together" Ron nodded in agreement and he and Hermione pulled out their wands and began to put Draco's living room back in order.
"Mione?"
"What do you want Ron?"
"Don't you think we should talk?"
"Well Ron where should we start? Should we begin with the part where you yelled at me in the hospital, not once Ron, but twice for things that I could not control? Better yet we could start at the part where you flirted with the nurse, even if it was just to get Draco's address."
Hermione was angry and there was venom dripping from her voice. Ron turned around and could see the fury in her eyes. He wanted things to be okay, but he was hurt as well. Hermione had accused him of nearly killing Malfoy.
"I don't know, why don't you pick, my suggestion is we start at the part where you accused me of almost killing Malfoy"
"You had already beat the hell out of him once Ron. The only reason you stopped is because I was crying because when I was yelling and begging you to stop it wasn't doing a damn bit of good, what in the hell did you expect me to think?"
"I don't know Hermione, but it wasn't that. I thought you had more faith in me than that"
"Perhaps if you had behaved in a more appropriate manner through all of this I wouldn't be wondering about my faith in you either"
Ron's heart dropped out of his chest. He knew that Hermione was right, but what she had just said it was like a knife to his heart.
"Thanks a lot Hermione, want to stick another knife in my heart and twist it around?"
"No, I don't but, how many knives have you stuck in my heart and twisted around through all of this Ron? How many? Did you think it was fun to have to pull you off Malfoy. I thought you were going to kill him. For a moment I saw you being dragged off to muggle prison or even Azkaban. Then you yell at me and try to blame me for allowing Draco to stay with Harry, and then finally flirting with some tart to get an address. I never in a million years thought you would betray me that way, never"
"It was harmless Mione, all I wanted was Malfoy's address. It didn't mean anything"
"Well it meant a lot to me Ron"
Hermione turned away from him; she did not want him to see the tears forming in her eyes. She would not cry in front of him.
Ron knew that Hermione was hanging on by a thread; he knew that she was fighting off tears. It hurt him so badly to know that he was partially if not nearly completely responsible for it.
"Mione, I-"
"Don't Ron, not now, not here. Let's deal with this first because quite honestly right now I can't deal with us"
Ron gulped. This was not good, but he nodded his agreement and they finished cleaning up Draco's living room in silence. Just as they were finishing they heard the lock to Draco's door click open. Both drew their wands ready for whatever was coming through the door. Their mouths dropped when they saw who it was.
"Harry?"
"Where's Draco?" was his only response
"Harry, what in the bloody hell are you doing out of the hospital?" Ron could not believe his best friend was standing there in front of him.
"I snuck out with a little help, now where is Draco?"
"Harry, he's in his bedroom, but first we need to tell you what happened. How he was when Ron found him"
Harry nodded. He knew that whatever Hermione had to tell him was going to be less than pleasant, but he also wanted to let his two best friends know about what Gemma told them.
"Fine, I have some stuff to tell you guys too"
The three friends sat in the now clean living room and recounted their tales to each other. Ron and Hermione were shocked to hear how many times Draco risked his life to assure their victory over Voldemort and Harry couldn't hold back the tears when he heard of what Draco had done to himself.
"So what are you going to do Harry?" asked Ron
"I don't know, I mean, I know what I want but how de we overcome everything? Is it even possible?"
"I don't know Harry, but I do know the first step is to be here when Draco wakes up in the morning"
"You're right Mione, but I'd like to be alone with him when he wakes up tomorrow morning. You and Ron can stay at my place tonight, I promise I'll come get you guys if Draco gets worse or if I do"
"Alright mate, we'll be next door then"
Harry nodded and waited for morning to come.
Draco's eyes widened. Harry was awake. Harry was awake and talking to him.
"You-You're awake, you're finally awake!" He couldn't control himself and he pulled Harry into a tight embrace, burying his head in the crook of Harry's neck.
"Draco?"
"Yes?" he mumbled into Harry's skin
"You're hurting my ribs"
"Shit! I-I'm so sorry Harry!"
Draco immediately let go of Harry and gingerly slid off the hospital bed. He almost winced at the loss of Harry's body heat.
"Draco, what happened how did I end up here? I remember us fighting on the stairs, I remember kissing you then fighting again and now here I am"
"Do you remember what we were fighting about?"
Harry paused trying extremely hard to remember what had led up to waking up besides Draco Malfoy in the hospital. Suddenly all of the events that had transpired came crashing down on Harry. He remembered running into Draco on the stairs after two years of not knowing if he was dead or alive, they fought when he asked Draco if he was a Death Eater, then they had kissed, Harry had asked the question again and Draco had tried to push him aside then everything went black after that.
Draco knew that Harry remembered everything; he could see comprehension and understanding dawning in the green eyes that he had loved for so long. He had never been more terrified in all of his life. This was it Harry would hate him or try to get past it.
"I remember our fight, I remember you tried to push me aside, but I don't know what happened after that" Harry's voice was hollow, void of any emotion, it was impossible for Draco to know what was going on inside his head at this moment.
"You fell down 4 flights of stairs Harry"
"Oh, how?"
"When I tried to push you aside, I was so angry, so hurt, so confused, and I pushed too hard-" Draco's voice cracked. "I'm so so sorry Harry, I never meant for-I wish it had been me that had fallen down the stairs not you"
"How long have I been out for?"
"1 week and 4 days"
"Does anyone else know what happened?"
"Yes, I owled Weasley and Granger as soon as it happened, they have been here ever since it happened, they only just left yesterday to inform the rest of Weasley's family of what was going on. Dr. Edwards broke the news to us yesterday that you might never wake up"
Draco didn't know what to expect from Harry but it certainly wasn't what came next.
"Get out Malfoy" Harry's voice was deadly calm, cold as ice.
"Harry-"
"I said get out. For two years I wondered where the fuck you were! I hired private aurors to find you Draco, but you had disappeared! I didn't know if you were dead or alive and it killed me, then finally by some weird twist of fate we meet again and I end up begging you for the answer to one simple question before I conveniently fall down 4 flights of stairs. I suppose this in itself answers my question. You're a Death Eater and a Slytherin to the very core, you tried to kill me even though my side already won"
Draco felt his heart shatter and break into millions and millions of tiny pieces. Harry, his love, thought that he was a Death Eater and not only that but that he had tried to kill him. It was too much to take not after all he'd been through. It was the final straw. Harry was lost to him forever and he knew it. No amount of trying to win him back would ever work, especially not with Harry believing what he did. Draco decided to play along with Harry's suspicions, it was stupid he knew but Harry's words had cut him to the very core. Harry's words had broken him and nothing mattered to him anymore.
"You're right Potter. I pushed you down the fucking stairs. If you'll excuse me I have to be going. Goodbye Potter" Draco walked out of Harry's room, his cool façade slipping into place. He kept telling himself that all he had to do was make it home, and then he could finally let it loose. If Draco had bothered looking back he would have seen Harry shaking violently, sobs wracking his body as he cried into his pillow, gently fingering the chain around his neck, and breathing in the lingering scent of his lover that remained on the pillow.
**2 hours later**
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, may I have a word with you?"
"Dr. Edwards is something wrong?" Ron asked
"Yes and no. Harry is awake. He awoke yesterday morning. Mr. Malfoy spent the night in his room. When I checked up on them they looked quite comfortable and it seemed as though Harry was finally responding and he did respond. He is awake, but I am afraid Mr. Malfoy is gone, Mr. Potter won't tell me why and I am afraid that Mr. Potter is completely withdrawn. He barely speaks to anyone. He won't eat, nothing"
"I'll kill him!" Ron shouted. "I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT MALFOY WITH HIM!! HE ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE!"
Hermione shrank back. Ron was beyond furious. She had only seen him this angry once maybe twice and those times Voldemort was involved in the equation.
"Mr. Weasley, please keep your voice down. You may blame Mr. Malfoy for Mr. Potter's current state, but you may also thank him for managing something that neither you nor Miss Granger could, and that is the fact that Harry is awake. Might I remind you that he also managed to make your fiancée Harry's guardian in this situation so that his relatives could not hurt him"
"May I see him Dr. Edwards?" Hermione asked
"Yes"
"I'm coming with you"
Hermione turned and glared at her fiancée, her stare was like ice. Ron knew that he had crossed the line.
"No Ron you're not. You're staying here. The last thing Harry needs right now is you going in there in battle mode."
"Mione" Ron reached for her hand, but she slapped it away
"Do.Not.Touch.Me." Hermione's voice dripped with venom. "Excuse me Dr. Edwards"
With that Hermione left Ron and Dr. Edwards behind. Slowly she approached the door of room 433. Through the small window she could see Harry curled up in a fetal position facing the window. He looked so vulnerable and it was clear that a deep sadness weighed upon him.
"Hello there Sleeping Beauty"
Harry turned and smiled weakly at his best friend
"Hello Mione"
"How are you feeling?"
"Like shit"
"We were all so worried about you Harry. Ron is out in the waiting room, he's cooling off at the moment. Dr. Edwards informed us that Draco was here earlier but that he left suddenly. Harry, what happened?"
Harry sighed and Hermione saw a tear slide down his cheek. "Harry please tell me what happened"
Hermione moved closer to her best friend, embracing him. It wasn't long before Harry broke down sobbing in Hermione's arms.
"It was awful Mione. I was awful. I accused him of being a Death Eater, and I told him that he had tried to kill me on purpose. You should have seen the look on his face, like I had ripped his heart out of his chest, by the time I realized how badly I had fucked up and what exactly I had done he was gone"
"What did you say when he accused him?"
"He agreed with me, he played along with my fucked up accusations and walked out of the room and probably out of my life forever. I've lost him all over again! We could have worked through this, I know we could have. I could have forgiven his betrayal, he could have forgiven my harsh words, but now it's gone, all gone" Sobs wracked Harry's body once more.
"Harry there are some things I need to tell you"
"Like what?"
"First and foremost Draco isn't a Death Eater Harry. He showed me his arms, there is not one mark on them. Secondly what happened was a horrible accident. The night that Ron and I arrived Draco broke down Harry and I knew that he still loved you just as much as you loved him. Lastly, thanks to Draco you are not only awake but the Dursleys are out of your life forever"
"Why? How?"
"There was a moment when the possibility of you waking up was not good Harry, Dr. Edwards wanted to call in your true blood relatives, but Draco went to them and I don't know how, but he managed to get them to relinquish any ties to you. He had the Dursleys sign a legal document stating that all decisions made regarding you were in my hands"
"Oh God Mione, what have I done?"
"Maybe you can still sit down and figure all of this out with him. He still hasn't managed to explain where he was for two years, but I honestly don't think that it was somewhere bad"
"How can you say that there's still a chance Mione? There's too much damage done, too much irreparable damage"
"I don't believe that Harry. There will never be anyone for you but Draco, I knew it the night the three of us studied together and I know it now just as there will never be anyone for Draco but you"
"How do you know?"
"It's fate Harry, it's fate"
Harry sighed. "I'm tired"
"I'll let you get some rest as long as you promise me that if you fall asleep you will not wait more than a week to wake up again"
Harry smiled "I promise"
Hermione quietly left Harry's room and headed for the waiting room, but upon entering she noticed that her fiancée wasn't there.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?" The desk nurse responded
"Do you know where Mr. Weasley went?"
"I'm not sure, he asked for Mr. Malfoy's address and then left"
"Please, please tell me that you did not give him Draco's address"
The nurse blushed. "Well Mr. Weasley can be quite charming, he's quite handsome and
I-"
Hermione snapped. "Mr. Weasley has a fiancée! ME! Now give me Draco's address as well or I will have your job! You-you tart!!"
The desk nurse was clearly not only embarrassed but frightened as well. Too frightened to deny Hermione Draco's address. Soon Hermione was hailing a taxi and giving them the address to Draco's flat. She hoped and prayed that Draco would still be alive when she got there.
**Back in Harry's Room**
"Here is your dinner Mr. Potter"
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry"
The nurse grimaced. "Mr. Potter, you have got to eat. You have to get your strength back if you want to get out of here soon"
"I have nothing to go back to"
"I don't think that's true Mr. Potter"
"Do you know where Ron and Hermione are?"
"It's quite strange Mr. Potter first Mr. Weasley charmed the desk nurse into giving him Mr. Malfoy's address, upon hearing this Miss Granger nearly lost it and it appears she followed Mr. Weasley to Mr. Malfoy's"
"WHAT?!?! OH GOD!! You have to let me out of here! NOW!!"
"Mr. Potter please calm down!"
"Miss, You don't understand!! He'll kill him!! Please, I am begging you, you have to let me out of here!"
"Mr. Potter, I can't let you leave here, I'm sorry"
"Dammit! You are as stubborn as Madame Pomfrey!"
"That's because she is my grandmother"
"What?"
"I said Madame Pomfrey is my grandmother. I know who you are Mr. Potter, I know who your friends are and I know who Draco Malfoy is as well. You and your friends fought out on the battlefield against Voldemort. Draco fought alongside you, you just didn't know it"
Harry was shocked. "What?!?!"
"Mr. Potter, I have witnessed nearly everything that has been going on regarding you for over a week now. I have been able to piece together some of the puzzle, I know that you and Mr. Malfoy had not seen each other for quite some time, I also know that at Hogwarts you both were very much in love with each other, you still are from what I have seen, but it seems you know nothing about Draco's life after you left him at the Astronomy Tower, would you like to know?"
"Yes, God yes."
"Again I am not sure of every detail of the story, but I am sure that I have enough to give you a clear picture. After you left Draco in the tower he apparently lost control. Professor Dumbledore found him. He was unconscious, and he had broken all the bones in his hands. He was bleeding and he kept mumbling that he was a fool, that he was sorry, and that he loved you. My grandmother thought that Draco was done for when Dumbledore brought him in, but Draco made it. He was released from the hospital wing the day before graduation, but he was still very much not himself. He didn't want to attend graduation or any of the festivities and he asked Dumbledore to exempt him from them and he did. Lucius Malfoy came to retrieve his son early in the morning on the day that you all left"
"Do you know what happened after that?"
"Yes, and it's not pleasant, but I suppose you have to know. Apparently when Draco returned home his father had his initiation all set up. He was to become a Death Eater. Draco refused him and his father nearly killed him. Somehow he managed to apparate with the little strength that he had left. He apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and Severus Snape found him. It is still a miracle that he survived what his father subjected him to. My grandmother said that the number of times he was subjected to the Cruciatus curse would have killed anyone else, but not Draco. He was unconscious for quite some time, but he made it. Again my grandmother said that he did nothing but call out for you and declare his love for you. When he came to and was released from the hospital wing Draco went to see Dumbledore. He joined your side Harry. He snuck around gathering information, he risked his life everyday to make sure you won, to make sure that you survived. You were able to surprise Voldemort and defeat him because Draco risked his life over and over again to make sure that you were always one step ahead. He thought that only Severus Snape and Dumbledore knew of his participation, but my grandmother saw him sneaking around the castle late at night sometimes and she knew that he was up to something. One night she followed him and she heard him talking with Snape and was able to figure out exactly what he was doing. After the final battle Draco left the wizarding world. No one had seen him, no one knew where he was, until now that is"
Harry was crying. Draco, his beautiful lover, had nearly died for him so many times. Yes he had betrayed him, but he had made up for it nearly giving his life for him much more than once, and what had he done? He had paid him back with harsh words and bitterness. Harry looked at Madame Pomfrey's granddaughter.
"You have to let me out of here, please, I'm begging you. I said some horrible things to Draco, and I have to take them all back before he disappears out of my life forever. Nevermind that Ron and Hermione are either on their way to his flat or there already and he may not make it out of that confrontation alive"
"Alright, I'll help you, but if you get caught you don't know me"
"Agreed, thank you!" Harry hugged the nurse.
"Good Luck Harry, make things right"
"I promise I'll try Miss.."
"Just call me Gemma, Harry"
"Thank you Gemma"
"Well then lets get you out of here and back where you belong"
**Draco's Flat**
Draco was curled up in the corner of his room, there was not one light on in his apartment. He had returned home and the minute that he opened the door he had lost control. He felt like he was back in the Astronomy Tower, because he had reacted the same way. He had overturned his desk, punched the walls, yelled, screamed, and destroyed everything in his path, including himself. Now he was huddled in the corner of his room, he was bleeding, he was broken. Draco knew that there would be no Dumbledore to come to his rescue this time, but he didn't care. He wanted to die, to wither away right there, huddled in the darkened corner of his bedroom. He had lost everything, Harry hated him, Harry thought that he was a Death Eater and had tried to kill him. Life was meaningless, the emptiness that had lived in him for two years finally consumed him and he could see no point in going on with his life. He didn't know how long he sat there but he heard someone entering his flat.
"Malfoy, are you in here?" Draco groaned. Somehow Weasley had managed to figure out where he lived. Maybe if he was quiet Weasley would go away and let him wither up and die in peace.
"Malfoy? Answer me dammit!" Draco stayed quiet. He heard Weasley's footsteps approaching his bedroom and he tried to breath shallow so that Weasley wouldn't hear him, but apparently he hadn't started breathing shallowly soon enough.
"Lumos" Ron whispered. He had to find Malfoy, he had to know what had happened. Finally he saw a small figure tucked away in the corner.
"Malfoy, we need to talk"
"Sod off Weasel"
"What the hell did you do to Harry at the hospital?"
"I said sod off"
Ron walked up to Draco, he had every intention of tearing him to pieces, but when he reached him he saw that Draco had already punished himself.
"Malfoy, oh my God, what have you done to yourself?" Draco was bleeding he wasn't sure from where, he was cut up, and bathed in his own blood.
"Leave me alone Weasley, let me bleed to death in peace"
Ron reached down and picked Malfoy up and placed him on his bed. He turned the light on and was shocked to see the full impact of what Draco had done to himself.
"Jesus Malfoy, why in the hell did you do this to yourself?"
Draco didn't answer him, he just stared at the ceiling. He didn't want to talk, not to Weasley not to anybody.
"Ron?" Both men groaned, Hermione had tracked them down. Ron wondered how he was going to explain this to his fiancée, but he pushed that thought aside. They needed to help Draco.
"Mione, in here quick! It's Malfoy!"
Hermione ran into Draco's bedroom and was speechless. Ron was standing next to Draco, who was lying on the bed covered in blood.
"OH MY GOD! RON WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!?!"
"ME?!?! I DIDN'T DO A BLOODY THING TO HIM! I FOUND HIM LIKE THIS!!"
Ron couldn't believe that Hermione, his own fiancée, the woman that he loved more than anything would think that he would have stooped so low.
"Calm down Granger, I did this to myself. Weasley found me."
"Draco, why would you do this to yourself?"
"Isn't it obvious?" was Draco's only response
"He still loves you Draco"
Draco flinched. "No he doesn't, he thinks I tried to kill him. He hates me, he will never forgive me for what happened, not ever, no matter how much I deluded myself into thinking that maybe he could forgive all that was between us"
"Mione can I have a word with you in the other room?"
"Not now Ron, we need to heal him first"
"Right, let's do it then"
Hermione pulled out her wand and begin performing some of the healing spells she had learned. She figured they would be enough to heal the broken bones in Draco's hands and close some of the wounds he had inflicted on himself.
"Thanks Granger"
"Draco, maybe we should take you to the hospital"
"No. I'm not going back there, I'm sure your spells will work fine. I'm tired and I need to sleep"
"Fine, but Ron and I are staying here until we make sure that you are okay"
Ron looked at Hermione in disbelief. "What about Harry?"
"Harry's awake Ron. He's doing much better physically, but he and Draco need to sort things out and he can't do that if Draco is dead"
"Fine" was Ron's only response, he didn't want to argue, he and his fiancée already had enough to discuss without adding one more thing to the list.
"We'll be in the living room Draco, if you need anything please ask one of us"
"I don't need a babysitter Granger"
"No what you and Harry need is a huge kick in the ass, because obviously you are both too damned stubborn to see what is right in front of you. We're staying Draco, get over it"
"I'm only doing this for Harry, Malfoy" were Ron's parting words as he and Hermione went into the living.
They were both met with a horrible scene. Draco had overturned his desk and pretty much anything else that he could. His furniture, papers and other belongings were strewn about. There were holes the walls and traces of blood splattered on them.
"Shit" was Ron's only response.
"Let's start putting some of this back together" Ron nodded in agreement and he and Hermione pulled out their wands and began to put Draco's living room back in order.
"Mione?"
"What do you want Ron?"
"Don't you think we should talk?"
"Well Ron where should we start? Should we begin with the part where you yelled at me in the hospital, not once Ron, but twice for things that I could not control? Better yet we could start at the part where you flirted with the nurse, even if it was just to get Draco's address."
Hermione was angry and there was venom dripping from her voice. Ron turned around and could see the fury in her eyes. He wanted things to be okay, but he was hurt as well. Hermione had accused him of nearly killing Malfoy.
"I don't know, why don't you pick, my suggestion is we start at the part where you accused me of almost killing Malfoy"
"You had already beat the hell out of him once Ron. The only reason you stopped is because I was crying because when I was yelling and begging you to stop it wasn't doing a damn bit of good, what in the hell did you expect me to think?"
"I don't know Hermione, but it wasn't that. I thought you had more faith in me than that"
"Perhaps if you had behaved in a more appropriate manner through all of this I wouldn't be wondering about my faith in you either"
Ron's heart dropped out of his chest. He knew that Hermione was right, but what she had just said it was like a knife to his heart.
"Thanks a lot Hermione, want to stick another knife in my heart and twist it around?"
"No, I don't but, how many knives have you stuck in my heart and twisted around through all of this Ron? How many? Did you think it was fun to have to pull you off Malfoy. I thought you were going to kill him. For a moment I saw you being dragged off to muggle prison or even Azkaban. Then you yell at me and try to blame me for allowing Draco to stay with Harry, and then finally flirting with some tart to get an address. I never in a million years thought you would betray me that way, never"
"It was harmless Mione, all I wanted was Malfoy's address. It didn't mean anything"
"Well it meant a lot to me Ron"
Hermione turned away from him; she did not want him to see the tears forming in her eyes. She would not cry in front of him.
Ron knew that Hermione was hanging on by a thread; he knew that she was fighting off tears. It hurt him so badly to know that he was partially if not nearly completely responsible for it.
"Mione, I-"
"Don't Ron, not now, not here. Let's deal with this first because quite honestly right now I can't deal with us"
Ron gulped. This was not good, but he nodded his agreement and they finished cleaning up Draco's living room in silence. Just as they were finishing they heard the lock to Draco's door click open. Both drew their wands ready for whatever was coming through the door. Their mouths dropped when they saw who it was.
"Harry?"
"Where's Draco?" was his only response
"Harry, what in the bloody hell are you doing out of the hospital?" Ron could not believe his best friend was standing there in front of him.
"I snuck out with a little help, now where is Draco?"
"Harry, he's in his bedroom, but first we need to tell you what happened. How he was when Ron found him"
Harry nodded. He knew that whatever Hermione had to tell him was going to be less than pleasant, but he also wanted to let his two best friends know about what Gemma told them.
"Fine, I have some stuff to tell you guys too"
The three friends sat in the now clean living room and recounted their tales to each other. Ron and Hermione were shocked to hear how many times Draco risked his life to assure their victory over Voldemort and Harry couldn't hold back the tears when he heard of what Draco had done to himself.
"So what are you going to do Harry?" asked Ron
"I don't know, I mean, I know what I want but how de we overcome everything? Is it even possible?"
"I don't know Harry, but I do know the first step is to be here when Draco wakes up in the morning"
"You're right Mione, but I'd like to be alone with him when he wakes up tomorrow morning. You and Ron can stay at my place tonight, I promise I'll come get you guys if Draco gets worse or if I do"
"Alright mate, we'll be next door then"
Harry nodded and waited for morning to come.