Part One: September

Chapter 6A

The Infirmary

It had been two days since Draco had tried to kill himself, and Black had been hurt, and neither of them had woken yet. Severus had hardly left the infirmary, except to teach classes. The students had learned to tread even more carefully around him these days, as he was quick to assign detentions and subtract house points, for anything he saw as an annoyance.

Ron was little better. He would spend all his free time bugging Madam Pomfrey about Draco's condition and sitting by Draco's bed, sharing space with Snape, while if not peacefully than certainly without much altercation.

Harry and Hermione were confused and worried, about both Sirius and Malfoy, but spent most of their time helping Ron out with his studies, which we was neglecting, and comforting younger Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who had been on the receiving end of Snape's fury. Harry spent his evenings with Ginny and Sirius in the infirmary, but left as soon as Snape returned from dinner.

He and Hermione really wished Sirius and Malfoy would awaken so things could go back to normal. The rest of the teaching staff, and especially Madam Pomfrey (who wanted her infirmary back) were pm the same wavelength as the Head Boy and Girl.

On the morning of the third day, things took a turn for the better. Severus and Ron had just finished picking at their breakfasts, when Sirius opened his eyes. Severus rushed over to Sirius' bed and said, "So you're finally awake, eh?"

Sirius smiled weakly and croaked, "Why Snape, I didn't know you cared."

Snape scowled and replied shortly, "I don't, but you are undeniably important to the cause."

"So you say, Snape. But we both know the truth."

"Oh, and what, pray tell, would that be?" Severus scowled.

"You only want me to get better so you can kill me yourself." Sirius smiled and winked to let Snape know that he was joking.

"Hmmph," snorted Severus. "I have a class to teach. So, if all you are going to do is insult me, I am going to go. I am sure Potter will be relieved to know that you are awake."

Sirius brightened at the mention of his godson, and for the first time noticed Harry's right hand man sitting by the bed next to his own. "Ron, what are you doing here? Is Harry all right?" Sirius asked, trying to get a look at the occupant of the next bed.

Ron smiled weakly and blushed. "Yeah, Harry is fine. I am here…um…visiting a friend. But I've got to go. Classes start soon, and I am sure Harry would like to know that you are awake. So, I am going to go now. See you later, Sirius, Professor," Ron stammered as he quickly made his way out of the infirmary, with only one glance back at Draco, lying so helplessly in his bed.

"Well," Sirius said, "why are you really here, Snape? It can't be because you are so concerned for my welfare."

Severus turned away from the bed to hide the sudden pained look in his eyes. "I told you. I wanted to make sure you would live through the next few days, so we can find out what Voldemort did to you."

"Oh, that makes sense I guess. Why don't you tell Albus to call a meeting for tomorrow night, and I will tell all then."

"Of course. Good-day Black. I am sure Poppy will be in soon and will be overjoyed that she has an awake patient to torture."

"Only you would call loving care torture, Snape," Sirius laughed.

Severus harrumphed and left the infirmary in a huff, his stiff black cloaks billowing behind him. Soon after he left, Harry, Hermione and Ron rushed into the infirmary and over to Sirius' bed. Well, Harry and Hermione rushed over to Sirius' bed, and Ron to the bed next to it.

"Sirius, thank god you are all right! I was afraid I was going to lose you for awhile there!" Harry exclaimed, wanting to throw himself into his godfather's arms, but knowing that it would probably only hurt him more.

Sirius, sensing Harry's needs, gingerly sat up and drew his beloved godson into a gentle but loving hug. "I would never leave you, Harry. Not if I could help it." He let Harry go and lay back down, his energy now mostly spent. He glanced over to Ron and found the redheaded boy concentrating fiercely on stroking the hand of the boy in the next bed. "Say, Harry, is that the Malfoy boy?" he asked.

"Yeah, he almost died," Harry said, shuddering in remembrance of the awful couple hours when they weren't sure whether Malfoy would make it. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey was the best in her field and saved him from almost certain death.

"What happened, and why is Ron so concerned. I thought he hated Malfoy," Sirius commented.

Hermione answered him. "Draco tried to kill himself. No one knows why, he didn't leave a note or anything. And as for Ron, well he's in love with Draco."

Sirius blinked in confusion. He had known Ron was gay, they had talked about it the summer before, when they had found out that Sirius was gay as well. But he had had no idea that Ron fancied Malfoy. But then, who was he to talk. He knew better than anyone that hatred sometimes masked deeper and much different feelings. "I see," was all Sirius said. "Well, I guess you had better all get to class."

"Yeah, we have Advanced Transfiguration today and Mcgonnagall—"

"Professor Mcgonnagall Harry," Hermione corrected.

"Yeah, Professor Mcgonnagall is going to teach us how to see what out Animagus form would be. I don't want to miss that. I hope I am a stag, like my father!" Harry exclaimed, causing Sirius to laugh.

"Well, I don't blame you. I still remember how amusing we all found that class to be. We had all already become Animagus, so we had to act surprised with the rest of the class during that lesson. Jamie and I had great laugh over that one," Sirius said, blinking back tears.

Harry's eyes looked suspiciously bright when he and Hermione dragged Ron out of the infirmary and down to the transfiguration classroom. They arrived just before start of class and quickly took their seats.

"Good-morning class," Mcgonnagall said. "Today I will be performing a simple spell on all of you to determine what form your Animagus would be, if you chose to learn how to become one and register with the Ministry."

The professor's announcement was met with happy cheers from the sixteen students, minus Draco Malfoy, in the Advanced Transfiguration class. "Miss Granger, would you be so kind as to go first?"

Hermione happily raced to the front of the class and waited patiently for her mentor to perform the charm. She felt a peculiar stirring and soon she felt like her body had shifted on the most fundamental level. Mcgonnagall held a mirror in front of the shifted student, and Hermione was pleased to see that she ahd transformed inot a very pretty raccoon, with a very bushy tail. The charm soon wore off, and Hermione practically skipped back to her seat.

"Did you see that? I was a raccoon! They some of the smartest creatures out there!" Harry and Ron smiled.

The rest of the class seemed go quickly as Blaise Zambini became a little red fox, Terry Boot became a small brown owl, Hannah Abbott became a gingam cat and then it was Ron's turn.

He made his way to the front of the class and waited for his transformation. He wasn't expecting anything majorly cool, maybe something like a cat or a bird or something. Mcgonnagall performed the charm and was soon lowering a mirror to let Ron see what he had become. He gasped in surprise and the class laughed when it came out a bark. Ron had transformed into a beautiful Irish Setter, all sleek and shiny.

When he was returned to his human state, he was grinning madly. "Wicked," he exclaimed as he took his seat. "Did you see me Harry! I was a dog! Just like Sirius!"

"Yeah, that's great Ron!" Harry exclaimed. He was very anxious; he wanted it to be his turn.

Finally Mcgonnagall called him up to the front and performed the charm on him. When the mirror lowered, Harry was expecting to see a white stag looking back, but what he saw shocked him. He could tell Mcgonnagall was shocked as well, as she had let out a small gasp at his transformation.

Looking back at Harry was by far the largest of the animals that had come out that day. He had a long golden body, with black feet and black hair. His eyes were a striking green and he had a silver scar above the left eye. Harry Potter had turned into a lion.

Part One: September

Chapter 6B

The Awakening

That night, after dinner, Ron Harry and Hermione went back up to the infirmary, anxious to tell Sirius about their Animagi forms. Sirius was pleased to know that Ron had turned into a dog, and figured he and Ron could have some good times running in the forest when Ron learned to be an Animagus.

"And I was a lion, Padfoot!" Harry exclaimed.

Sirius was shocked. "But—"

"Yeah, the only other known Animagus lion was Godric Gryffindor himself!" Hermione exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Harry yelled. "Hermione, why didn't you say something before now?"

"Well, I just remembered on our way up. I've been trying to think all day about why Professor Mcgonnagall was so shocked at your transformation. And now I know, and I told you."

Harry sat in shock for a few minutes, and then said, "What do you think this means, Sirius?"

"I don't know, but I think you need to go see Dumbledore," Sirius said as all of a sudden, a very surprising visitor flew into the window.

"Fawkes!" Harry exclaimed as Dumbledore's phoenix rested his head on Harry's knees and dropped a slim letter at his feet. Harry knelt down and picked up the letter. He opened it and read aloud, "Harry, please come to my office as soon as you are done talking with Sirius. Bring Ron and Hermione if you'd liked. Signed, Albus Dumbledore."

"Well, he must want to discuss what's going on," Hermione said. "We'd better go, Harry."

Harry glanced down at Fawkes and stroked his head gently. "Umm, Hermione, would you mind if I went alone?"

Hermione looked a little hurt, but said, "Of course not Harry."

"It's just that, well, I think this is something I need to do on my own."

"No, I understand harry. I would like to spend some time with Neville anyway. I've hardly seen him these past few days."

"Thanks, Hermione. And if you see Ginny, tell her what's happening, and I that I will explain it all later." Harry said. He gave Sirius a hug, said a quick good-bye to Ron, and was on his way to Dumbledore's office, Fawkes perched on his shoulder.

Hermione left a few moments later, and Sirius, wanting to give Ron and his love some privacy announced that he felt awfully grimy and headed for the bathroom.

Ron barely noticed when Sirius and his friends left, and while he was intrigued by Harry's Animagus form, it was as if when he was in the same room as Draco, everything seemed less important than Draco getting better. Ron picked up one of Draco's listless hands in his own and was stroking soft circles on the thumb, when Draco's eyes opened.

Draco's first conscious thought was, I must be in heaven. He stared at Ron in shock. Why was the man he loved, but who seemed to loathe him, being so kind and gentle? "Ron," he whispered, "what are you doing here?"

"DRACO! You're awake! Thank god!" Ron cried, blinking back tears of joy from his eyes. "Why did you do it, Draco? Why would you want to kill yourself?"

"I think I succeeded, because there is no way that you would be here if I were alive. This must be heaven," Draco whispered.

Ron gave a short bark of laughter. "No, Draco. You are not dead, thank god! Madam Pomfrey was able to save you. But why would you do it?"

Draco looked away. He didn't really want to tell Ron that the reason he ahd not wanted to live anymore was because Ron hated him, but he didn't know what to say. So, for the first time in a long time, Draco told the truth. "Because you hate me. I couldn't live with the fact that you would never love me. It hurt too much."

Ron's mouth dropped open and he didn't try to stop the tears this time. "Oh, Draco! I am so sorry for all I've ever done or said to you! I have always loved you, ever since we were children. I thought it was you who hated me, and I was too blinded by my hurt that I struck out at you. Can you forgive me?"

"But you said I was unloveable, and that you could never love a Malfoy!"

"You heard that?" Ron asked softly. Draco shook his head yes. "I didn't mean it. I was confused; but Harry helped me to see that I really did love you. I think about you all the time, even in my dreams. And I always have to be near you in a room, even if it is while we are fighting. I am sorry that I hurt you, Draco. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can. I love you Ron. I have loved you ever since you saved me from that bully when we were five years old. My father made me stop being your friend, and I was too much of a coward to disobey him. But I am done living by his rules, Ron. I want to be with you, if that's what you want too."

Ron smiled down at the delicate, fragile boy in the bed. He didn't know how to answer in words, so he let his actions speak for him. He lowered his head and gently placed his lips over Draco's. He was about to press into Draco's mouth, when Draco pulled away and started to scream.

Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and don't you all just hate me for leaving it here? I guess I just have a sadistic sense of humor! The next chapter probably won't be out until after Christmas, as I still have a lot to do to get ready. But in the next chapter look for: true confessions, Snape and Sirius goodness, and more Ginny, Neville and Blaise. Have a happy holiday everyone!!