Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to get this out. I've been dealing with horrible insomnia, then the New York Renaissance Faire happened, and thanks to *that*, I got the sunburn from Hell. It still hurts to move, but it's more bearable now, so I was finally able to sit and finish this part. The next couple parts may be a little more slowly, but I'm going to try and finish up as much of this as possible before school starts again. Thanks for reading! :)
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Harry was practically twitching by the time Remus and Draco came back to the Hospital wing. "Where's Ron?" he wondered, pacing as much as Draco would allow him. "I want to get out of here."
"That desperate to get away from us?" Harry turned, and saw Hermione, Ron, and Neville in the doorway.
"You know it's not *that*, 'Mione. I just...." Harry sighed. "Well, we'll lock you in here for a few days and see how *you* feel about it."
Ron stepped forward. "Here's your things, Harry." He studied his friend carefully. "Take care, Harry, and we'll be seeing you, first opportunity."
"I didn't expect anything else." Nodding to Hermione and Neville, Harry took a couple steps back. "We need to be going now. Where's that Portkey?"
Remus held up a quill. "It'll activate in a minute, so gather 'round."
Draco reached out and laid a finger on the quill. Harry reached towards it, but found himself flinching back. Draco looked at the near-panic on Harry's face. "Harry?"
"I-it's silly, really. I shouldn't be afraid. Remus would never let me come to harm." Wincing, Harry touched the quill with the least amount of contact possible. A look of concern appeared on Draco's face, but as Harry had closed his eyes, he never saw it.
Harry felt the pull, sensed the changing scenery. When the sense of motion stopped, Harry stood there, afraid to open his eyes, his mind replaying the different unpleasant places the 'keys had brought him over the years. He was terrified that he would not see a house when he opened his eyes, but a dark graveyard, a bolt of green lightning striking out to strike down those around him....
A hand on his arm made Harry gasp, and his eyes flew open to see Remus' concerned face hovering in front of him. "Harry?" he asked, brushing back the boy's bangs. "What's wrong? Talk to me."
Harry focused on his breathing for a moment, fighting down the panic that had surged. "I...I thought...I...that...." He stopped, tried to force coherency. "I really hate Portkeys," he finally said, and his expression prevented Remus and Draco from arguing. "I...I think I'd like to be alone for a bit, get some sleep."
Draco looked ready to protest, but Remus jumped in. "That might be a good idea, Harry. You know where your room is, and everything should be arranged. Draco's going to be sleeping in there with you-is that all right?"
"Sure." Harry's voice sounded dulled with exhaustion. "Just...let me go to bed."
"I'll be waking you up for dinner, you know."
"I know." Harry gave Remus a brief hug. "Thanks," he whispered, before going off down the hall.
Remus waited until he heard the door to Harry's room close before turning to Draco. "Do you have any idea what that was about?" he asked, concerned for Harry.
Draco bit his lip. "I think I have an idea," he said slowly. "It was during that whole Triwizard fiasco-you weren't there. The third task...it ended with an unexpected Portkey. Harry and Cedric left together...but only Harry came back alive. I really don't think that anyone except Dumbledore and perhaps Sirius ever knew the real story of what had happened, but it was obvious that it had affected Harry greatly. Other than that...well, there were rumors...but Harry and I weren't exactly what you'd call 'friends,' so I really can't tell you anything more."
Remus looked down the hall, as if he could see Harry through the walls. "I feel like we've failed him," he whispered, eyes filling with tears. "None of us could be there when he needed us. And then, when Sirius died...I gave into my own grief, and forgot about the boy who had just become my ward. How much of this could've been prevented?" He sighed. "Did I do the right thing, bringing him home?"
Draco placed a hand on Remus' shoulder. "*I* think so," he stated firmly. "I don't think that Hogwarts was what he needed...and the two of you need each other. You did the right thing."
"And you." Remus looked closely at Draco. "You say you love him, but you know he does not return your love. Will you be content, loving him and getting nothing back? Will you be able to not pressure him, to not force Harry into situations he might not be able to resist simply because he's vulnerable? Or are you just going to end up hurting him as well?"
"Remus." Draco stood taller and braced himself. "I got angry when Harry's friends implied similar things. But...I owe you honestly and plain speech. Yes, I love Harry. And, while I hope that he will someday love me as well, I am willing to have his friendship, willing to just be happy that he is alive and recovering. If Harry finds it in him to love someone that is not me...I will be hurt, yes, but I want Harry to be happy, even if it isn't me that makes him happy. He *deserves* happiness. I would never pressure Harry, or force him to choose, or do anything of the sort. For the first time in a long time, I think, his body and mind are completely his own-I will do nothing to threaten that." He eyed Remus. "Is that good enough for you?"
Remus nodded and smiled. "Exactly what I wanted to hear." He wiped away a few tears. "Now, what do you say we go and start dinner?"
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Harry was practically twitching by the time Remus and Draco came back to the Hospital wing. "Where's Ron?" he wondered, pacing as much as Draco would allow him. "I want to get out of here."
"That desperate to get away from us?" Harry turned, and saw Hermione, Ron, and Neville in the doorway.
"You know it's not *that*, 'Mione. I just...." Harry sighed. "Well, we'll lock you in here for a few days and see how *you* feel about it."
Ron stepped forward. "Here's your things, Harry." He studied his friend carefully. "Take care, Harry, and we'll be seeing you, first opportunity."
"I didn't expect anything else." Nodding to Hermione and Neville, Harry took a couple steps back. "We need to be going now. Where's that Portkey?"
Remus held up a quill. "It'll activate in a minute, so gather 'round."
Draco reached out and laid a finger on the quill. Harry reached towards it, but found himself flinching back. Draco looked at the near-panic on Harry's face. "Harry?"
"I-it's silly, really. I shouldn't be afraid. Remus would never let me come to harm." Wincing, Harry touched the quill with the least amount of contact possible. A look of concern appeared on Draco's face, but as Harry had closed his eyes, he never saw it.
Harry felt the pull, sensed the changing scenery. When the sense of motion stopped, Harry stood there, afraid to open his eyes, his mind replaying the different unpleasant places the 'keys had brought him over the years. He was terrified that he would not see a house when he opened his eyes, but a dark graveyard, a bolt of green lightning striking out to strike down those around him....
A hand on his arm made Harry gasp, and his eyes flew open to see Remus' concerned face hovering in front of him. "Harry?" he asked, brushing back the boy's bangs. "What's wrong? Talk to me."
Harry focused on his breathing for a moment, fighting down the panic that had surged. "I...I thought...I...that...." He stopped, tried to force coherency. "I really hate Portkeys," he finally said, and his expression prevented Remus and Draco from arguing. "I...I think I'd like to be alone for a bit, get some sleep."
Draco looked ready to protest, but Remus jumped in. "That might be a good idea, Harry. You know where your room is, and everything should be arranged. Draco's going to be sleeping in there with you-is that all right?"
"Sure." Harry's voice sounded dulled with exhaustion. "Just...let me go to bed."
"I'll be waking you up for dinner, you know."
"I know." Harry gave Remus a brief hug. "Thanks," he whispered, before going off down the hall.
Remus waited until he heard the door to Harry's room close before turning to Draco. "Do you have any idea what that was about?" he asked, concerned for Harry.
Draco bit his lip. "I think I have an idea," he said slowly. "It was during that whole Triwizard fiasco-you weren't there. The third task...it ended with an unexpected Portkey. Harry and Cedric left together...but only Harry came back alive. I really don't think that anyone except Dumbledore and perhaps Sirius ever knew the real story of what had happened, but it was obvious that it had affected Harry greatly. Other than that...well, there were rumors...but Harry and I weren't exactly what you'd call 'friends,' so I really can't tell you anything more."
Remus looked down the hall, as if he could see Harry through the walls. "I feel like we've failed him," he whispered, eyes filling with tears. "None of us could be there when he needed us. And then, when Sirius died...I gave into my own grief, and forgot about the boy who had just become my ward. How much of this could've been prevented?" He sighed. "Did I do the right thing, bringing him home?"
Draco placed a hand on Remus' shoulder. "*I* think so," he stated firmly. "I don't think that Hogwarts was what he needed...and the two of you need each other. You did the right thing."
"And you." Remus looked closely at Draco. "You say you love him, but you know he does not return your love. Will you be content, loving him and getting nothing back? Will you be able to not pressure him, to not force Harry into situations he might not be able to resist simply because he's vulnerable? Or are you just going to end up hurting him as well?"
"Remus." Draco stood taller and braced himself. "I got angry when Harry's friends implied similar things. But...I owe you honestly and plain speech. Yes, I love Harry. And, while I hope that he will someday love me as well, I am willing to have his friendship, willing to just be happy that he is alive and recovering. If Harry finds it in him to love someone that is not me...I will be hurt, yes, but I want Harry to be happy, even if it isn't me that makes him happy. He *deserves* happiness. I would never pressure Harry, or force him to choose, or do anything of the sort. For the first time in a long time, I think, his body and mind are completely his own-I will do nothing to threaten that." He eyed Remus. "Is that good enough for you?"
Remus nodded and smiled. "Exactly what I wanted to hear." He wiped away a few tears. "Now, what do you say we go and start dinner?"
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