Disclaimer: The characters and places and stuff belong to JKR. But for now, they are at my mercy. *evil grin* I'll return them as soon as I'm finished…maybe.
Enfleurage: I know nothing about alcohol and how much somebody can drink before something bad happens. You're probably right about the whiskey thing, I didn't even think about it. However, I'm too lazy to change it, so…let's just say that Sev can really hold his liquor. *grin* Thanks!Lee Lee potter: Yes, they are.
RunningWithCoyotes: We'll learn more about Aidan in the future, nothing too big, just like bits and pieces of stuff. And I never came out and really said it, but I think of Draco as a bisexual in this fic. I'll probably elaborate more on that in the future as well. About Dean's parents, I got the idea of them owning a restaurant from another fic. I don't remember which one it is, though, sorry. The movie I described isn't real, as far as I know. I just started describing a movie, and I didn't notice until after the fact that it really fit the situation. I'm so dense sometimes lol I definitely think Remus can be frightening when he wants to be. And about Blaise, you never even get much of him (or her, does anyone really know) in JKR's books. Because of that, I like to use him in my fic because I learn more about how he is in my mind, you know?
TigerBlak: I preordered the book, but I don't know when I'll get it. I wonder if I'll get it the exact day it's out, or a few days later, or what. Maybe I should apply for a job in a bookstore? Thanks for the idea! *grin*
Thanks for the great reviews, everybody!
In this chapter: First Quidditch game of the season, an accident, and something that makes everybody happy
~~~
Chapter 20
October 13, 1997
A few days later was the day of the first Inter-House Quidditch match, Gryffindor against Hufflepuff. At breakfast that morning, Harry sat with the Quidditch team, as he usually did. This year the team consisted of Ron as Keeper; Ginny, Dennis Creevey, and fourth-year Samantha Niles as Chasers; Seamus and third-year David Sullivan as Beaters; and, of course, Harry as Captain and Seeker. Dean and Draco sat with the team that morning.
"You're looking slightly less miserable," Draco commented, wrapping an arm around Harry.
"Bring anything up, and I guarantee I'll look slightly more miserable," Harry warned him, though he leaned into his comfortable hold, pushing his plate away.
"Eat," Draco insisted, pulling the plate back. "Is your chest still hurting?" Harry nodded.
"The pain has lessened, though. A couple of days ago, the throbbing decreased by, like, half."
Near the end of breakfast, Sirius came and sat in the empty space on Harry's other side. Half the team had already left the Hall, so Sirius decided to come and talk to his godson.
"Morning, love," he greeted Harry. "Excited?"
"A bit," Harry replied, picking at his food.
"You didn't eat much."
"Not very hungry."
"Well, you'd better eat more during lunch and supper," Sirius warned him. "If you don't eat enough, you're not playing in the match." Harry's eyes widened at this, and he began to protest, but Sirius silenced him with a hand. "I mean it, Harry. You might pass out or something and fall off your broom. Remus and I are watching you, so make sure you eat."
"Whatever," Harry muttered. "I'll eat as much as I can before I'm not hungry anymore."
"And if that's not enough, by our standards, you're not playing. That's final, Harry." Sirius stood up, then bent over to kiss the top of Harry's head. "See you in class, love."
~~~
Harry made sure he ate enough at lunch and dinner that day, though he felt slightly sick before the match. Still, he pushed the sick feeling out of his mind and focused on the pep talk he was giving to his team.
"All right, everybody. It's the first game of the season, so let's show them what we're made of from the start. We have a great team this year, and I'll be damned if we don't deserve the Quidditch Cup. I'll try to make this a short game and a quick win. Remember those strategies we practiced. Now let's get out there and put all those hours of practice to use!"
The team went to stand in the tunnel until they were signaled to come out. While they waited, Ron glanced down at Harry, who was slightly pale and sweating.
"All right, Harry?" he asked. Harry nodded.
"Fine," he replied, taking a breath and resting a hand on his chest. "I'm fine... Oh, and Ginny? If something happens to me and I can't catch the Snitch, it's yours."
"Okay," Ginny agreed, though she was slightly confused as to why something would happen to Harry.
"Are you expecting something to happen?" Seamus wondered. "You look kind of pale, mate."
"No, I'm not expecting anything," Harry said, now a bit irritated. "I'm saying that just in case."
As soon as Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air, Dennis grabbed it and began to speed towards the goal. Harry listened to Colin Creevey, the announcer, while he looked around for the Snitch.
"Creevey has the Quaffle, and he passes it to Weasley-- No! Fitch-Fletchley knocks it from Weasley's hold, and Hufflepuff is in possession. But wait! Fitch-Fletchley is hit by a Bludger--he's okay!--and the Quaffle's falling... Niles catches it and heads for the goal. Gryffindor scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!"
Harry began to fly around the pitch, scanning for the Snitch. Suddenly, as he flew past the crowd, he made eye contact with Severus, who was sitting with the other teachers. Harry kept contact for a moment, but then inhaled sharply in pain, pressing a hand to his chest. He closed his eyes for a second, and when he slowly opened them again, his vision was blurry.
Oh, God, not now... Harry thought to himself, blinking his eyes until they were in focus again. He saw a flash of long, red hair coming towards him.
"Ginny!" he called, becoming increasingly light-headed. "You...Snitch..."
That was all he managed to get out before he felt himself falling.
~~~
"Something's wrong with Harry," Remus said, suddenly, from his seat next to Sirius and in front of Severus. "Look, Siri, I think his chest is hurting again, and he's going pale."
As soon as they saw Harry's body go limp and drop from the broom, every single teacher, and several students, had their wands out to levitate him before he hit the ground, but they were too late.
Sirius and Remus were the first to get to him, along with Poppy. They all knelt down around him, and Remus carefully turned him over onto his back. Harry was unconscious, his face deathly pale, and his breathing was shallow. One arm was bent at an unnatural angle, and blood dripped from his nose. A rather large bruise was forming on his forehead.
Poppy conjured a stretcher, and the three of them took Harry up to the hospital wing. Sirius and Remus stood back while Poppy did her work, and they weren't surprised when Draco came into the infirmary, looking extremely worried.
"Is he all right?"
"His arm and his nose are broken," Poppy reported. "And I think he may have a concussion." She looked at Sirius and Remus. "I'd say it's about time to keep him in here for a while. He fell because he fainted, and he fainted because he's ill. Very ill." Harry's godfathers nodded their agreement. Draco gave them a curious look.
"Draco, we all agreed that the situation with Harry is serious," Remus explained. "You saw: he was even too weak to stay on his broom today. He needs to stay up here for a while, until he starts sleeping better and eating more."
Not saying a word, Draco went to sit next to Harry on the bed, after Poppy healed his arm and nose. Draco slowly lifted the right sleeve of Harry's Quidditch uniform, then sighed with relief and dropped it. Then he lifted the left sleeve, and all color drained from his face. He picked up Harry's arm to examine it, then dropped it to his lap. Draco reached a hand over to touch Harry's cheek and push his hair back from his face.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco whispered. "God, Harry, you're my best friend. I can't stand seeing you so upset and doing that to yourself..."
"Draco?" Sirius said, softly. Draco looked up at him with tears in his eyes and explained in a quiet voice.
"New scars on his wrists."
~~~
After the match was finished, the rest of the winning Gryffindor team came to the infirmary to inquire after their captain. They wanted to visit, but Poppy refused.
"As I'm sure you all have noticed, Mr. Potter has been ill," she told them. "He now has a concussion, as well. He will be staying here for a few days, at the very least. Now leave."
Sirius, Remus, and Draco were allowed to stay, and, of course, Albus. Harry had awoken shortly after being moved into a private room, and he was still quite alert. Albus asked everyone else to excuse them while he and Harry talked.
"You've given us all quite a scare," Albus told Harry, gently. "Everyone has been worried about you."
"Not everyone..." Harry whispered, his eyes shining with tears. Albus gave him a small smile.
"He has been concerned, Harry, though he chooses not to reveal it. Now, this pain you've been having, in your chest? Am I right in assuming that you know what it's from?"
"Kind of," Harry replied. "A Soul Bond?" Albus nodded. "But I don't really know anything about it."
"When two people have shown the potential for falling in love, sometimes a bonding of the soul occurs," Albus explained. "If one of the pair rejects the other, for whatever reason, then things become rather painful. The one who was rejected feels a throbbing in his heart like no other pain, and until the one who did the rejecting admits that he or she loves the other, then the one who was rejected feels twice the pain."
~~~
"So this whole time, I've been causing him physical pain?" Severus asked, quietly, after Albus explained to him the Soul Bond. "By rejecting him, I've been physically hurting him?"
"Yes. Normally, you would have the pain, as well. But if you haven't admitted that you love him, then he feels his share and your share of the pain." Albus's eyes twinkled. "And, as Harry has told me, the pain in his heart lessened a few days ago. Lessened by half, he said."
"And a few days ago, the pain in my heart appeared," Severus whispered, bringing his hand up to rest on his chest.
"The pain won't disappear until you accept him, Severus," Albus told him, gently. "You love each other; that much is obvious. Tell him you love him. If you wait too long, it may be too late."
"But Albus, it wouldn't be right for us to have a relationship in school," Severus sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"It would be in violation of no rules. As long as you're discreet and don't make a big show about it, there should be no problem."
"He'll be tormented by other students."
"He won't care, as long as he knows you love him."
"Damn you and your logic." Albus chuckled at Severus's defeated tone.
"Tell him you love him, Severus. He needs to hear it."
Severus was quiet for a moment as he sipped at a goblet of wine.
"How is he?" he asked, finally. "After that fall, I mean."
"In regards to the fall, he's fine," Albus responded. "He broke his arm and his nose, but Poppy fixed those easily. He has a slight concussion, but that will be fine. He's staying in the hospital wing for an undetermined amount of time, however. He has become quite ill. Until he gains more weight and starts sleeping better, he'll be more or less confined to the infirmary. Also..." Albus stopped, unsure about going any further.
"Also...?" Severus pressed.
"Draco looked at his wrists," Albus sighed. "He has a couple of new scars." Severus's face paled.
"He's been cutting again?"
"Apparently," Albus confirmed. "Though there are only two new ones, and they are over a week old. I asked Harry about them while he was awake, but he didn't want to talk about it." He changed the subject. "Severus, I think he'll be all right if you'll just talk to him. He keeps odd hours, and Poppy isn't giving him a sleeping draught tonight. Perhaps you could go in after she retires to her rooms." Severus nodded.
"Tonight, then."
~~~
Around midnight, the door to Harry's room opened slowly, and Severus crept in. He tried to be quiet, in case Harry was asleep.
He was. He lay on his bed, sleeping like a baby, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window.
Severus sat down in the chair next to Harry's bed and just stared at him for a moment.
"So beautiful," Severus whispered, barely even moving his lips. He reached a hand over to lightly caress Harry's cheek. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for hurting you, Harry."
As soon as he felt the touch on his cheek, Harry's eyes fluttered open. He looked at Severus in sleepy surprise.
"Is this a dream?" Harry murmured. Severus shook his head with a soft smile on his face.
"No, Harry, it's not a dream. But the past month has been a nightmare, probably worse for you."
"Why did you do that to me?" Harry whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"I thought I was doing what was best," Severus sighed, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "And all I did was cause you to hurt yourself and become sick and quite possibly hate me."
"I don't hate you," Harry protested, shaking his head. "Never hate you..."
He lifted a hand and touched Severus's cheek. Severus placed his hand over Harry's and turned his head a little, pressing his lips to Harry's palm.
"I'm sorry for hurting you," Severus whispered, moving to kneel next to the bed, so that he would be closer to Harry. "I never wanted to hurt you. I was only trying to do what I thought was best. But in the meantime, I was lying to you, to myself, and everyone around us."
"And what's the truth?" Harry drew in a breath, anticipating the answer.
"The truth is...I love you, Harry. God, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and it feels so good to tell you that."
Harry gave a content smile and intertwined his fingers with Severus's. After a moment, he let out a sigh of relief.
"It doesn't hurt anymore," he murmured, resting his hand on his chest.
"What doesn't hurt anymore?" Severus asked, not making the connection.
"My heart... It isn't broken anymore, it's whole again. Doesn't hurt anymore..."
With that, Harry promptly passed out again.
