Azalea

The Wolf Legacy:

Azure

Second of the wolf trilogy

Draco sat on the bed opposite to Harry's in the hospital wing watching the other boy's slow, even breathing. He noticed the way Harry's jet black hair fell over his eyes and lay gently atop his long lashes and framed his much too pale face.

Draco thought as he watched- Potter or Harry, whatever, Harry at least. He did save my life, he deserves that much. But why? Why would he save my life, much less masquerade around as Azimuth. Was he trying to learn about my father? About Voldemort? Even if he was, why was he so….nice? Nice isn't really the word. He was my…best friend when he was Azimuth. The Harry I know wouldn't bother to act so, sweet. Or playful or kind and so many other things.

Draco rambled about his thoughts, unable to discern his feelings towards the raven haired boy. He didn't know whether to be mad at him or grateful or used. Meanwhile Harry remained in a deep potion induced sleep while his body healed and fought the kimera toxins.

A soft noise drew Draco's attention away from his thoughts, beside Harry's bedside Pomphery checked Harry's condition and pulled the blankets farther up around him. She turned and regarded Draco with a sweet sympathetic look.

"You should be resting as well, Mr. Malfoy. He won't get any better with you just watching him like that and you'll wear yourself out, you're healing too remember?"

Draco nodded slowly, slipping back into his bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and closing his eyes feigning sleep as Pomphery slipped out of the room and returned to her office. When Draco heard her office door shut he opened his eyes, turning on his side and resumed watching once more.

A brilliant stream of light lancing in from the windows greeted Dumbledore as he slipped into the Hospital wing. Pomphery greeted him as he came in, a worried look upon her tired, drawn face.

"How is he, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked softly.

Pomphery shook her head, "He's lost so much blood and he ingested a lot of kimera toxin, too much. A drop would give a person the worst flu symptoms they've ever had but Harry's ingested much more than that. From what I could get from Malfoy he may have swallowed up to a full cup or more. It had already entered his blood steam for the most part when he arrived. There's a good chance he won't make it."

"My god," Dumbledore said in dismay, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair, "Is there nothing we can do?"

Pomphery chewed her lip and nervously adverted her eyes.

"Poppy! If there's anything you have to tell me! We have to try! He's our only hope you know that!"

"There's one thing…" Pomphery said softly, turning away from Dumbledore, "It's a very old ritual, to be done only as a last resort…life or death…it hasn't been preformed for almost a hundred years."

Dumbldore's eyes grew wide with understanding, "Blood, Flesh, Spirit and Soul." He whispered, "but who would risk it? You need two people and if it doesn't work they'll both die, if it does they'll both live but even if they live it's been documented that some went insane under its affects."

"It's the only thing." She replied softly.

"I'll do it." Came a soft voice.

Both Dumbledore and Pomphery turned to regard Draco leaning heavily upon the door frame leading to the bed whence he came.

"He saved my life, I owe him to at least try and save his. I would be dead now anyway without anyone caring any different. I will do it."

"Draco, you understand…you heard everything?" Pomphery asked softly.

Draco nodded and pressed himself up against the frame, standing as tall as he could, "Yes."

Dumbledore studied Draco intensely, after several apprehensive seconds he nodded and sucked in a deep breath, "We'll need to start right away, I'll get Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. I'll need you to push Draco's bed adjacent to Harry's and get the rest of the equipment we'll be needing ready."

Pomphery nodded and gently led Draco back to his bed, magically pushing the two beds side by side and helping Draco in after which she disappeared into her office and began gathering supplies. Ten to twenty minutes passed in chaotic confusion as Pomphery bustled back and forth and McGonagall and Snape poured over an archaic book, crumbling in their fingers with half tattered pages and stains lancing it's pages leaving colors of blood and potions past. Snape disappeared and returned with a cauldron and a bag full of supplies and began hurriedly mixing a potion. McGonagall had her hands full with practicing a spell of some complication. Hours passed as the potion stewed and simmered. The book was checked and rechecked to make sure everything was perfect. Finally the potion was poured into two separate vials, one taken by both Dumbledore and Snape who each stood by one boy.

"Draco," McGonagall instructed, "I'll need you to take Mr. Potter's hand. I'm going to transfigure you hands together after which you'll need to drink the potion Proffessor Snape has. Are you ready? Are you sure about this?"

Draco took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves and finally nodded, "Yes and yes." He said softly, reaching over and clasping Harry's limp, cool hand, his eyes widened slightly as he felt Harry unconsciously grip his hand.

McGonagall nodded and quickly spoke the spell. Draco watched in horrid fascination as his flesh melded with Harry's and then the vial was at his lips. He choked it down quickly, trying desperately not to retch the vile fluid back up. Across from him Professor Dumbledore coaxed Harry to drink, massaging his throat gently with one hand and covering his mouth with the other to keep him from doing what Draco had wanted to.

A spasm ran through Draco's body as the potion took hold, a second later Harry's followed suit and the three teachers began chanting some strange spell in unison, tension and effort filling the air. Draco felt his mind loosing grip on his consciousness. Vaguely he felt a peculiar sensation between their two hands, he could feel Harry's weak heart beat flowing through his hand and arm and when it reach his own heart Draco realized that he wasn't just hearing Harry's heartbeat, their two hands had become one, they were sharing each others blood, they were becoming one…what had Dumbledore said? Blood, Flesh, Spirit and Soul….only spirit and soul remaining. Draco lost his grip on consciousness and slipped everything went black.

The darkness parted like a veil before Draco's hand and before him he saw a small boy standing surrounded by darkness. The boy's hair was dirty and much too long, it was a like a dark mop atop his head, the eyes that met his were hollow and lost, deep green pools with no bottoms. He wore a pair of tattered shorts, tied around his waist with twine and a shirt that was once white.

Draco slipped forward and stood in front of the boy, realizing that he was a child as well, he stared at his pale, small pudgy hands. He tasted the blood in his mouth from when his father had hit him for messing up, again.

"Hello." Draco said cautiously, holding out his hand.

The other boy regarded Draco's hand warily before taking it.

"My name's Draco." Draco said.

The boy cocked his head curiously, "Draco?"

Draco nodded, he tried to let go of the other boy's hand but he only gripped tighter.

"It's me," The boy said anxiously, "it's Harry."

Draco stared at the hallow eyed boy with shock, "What happened to you?"

Harry looked down at his baggy clothes and tugged them dejectedly, "This is how it always was with my aunt and uncle when I was little."

"I'm sorry." Draco said softly, squeezing Harry's hand gently.

"It's alright," Harry replied, studying Draco's face, "What happened to you? You look like you got beat up."

Draco felt himself color in shame and touched his face with his hand, feeling his swelled eye and cut lip, "My father doesn't like it when I mess up."

Harry's eyes widened and he gently touched Draco's face, "Your father does this to you? He beats you up?"

Draco nodded absently, looking away from Harry. Wondering if the other boy would laugh at him or make fun. Instead he pulled Draco to him and hugged him. Draco winced slightly in pain but returned the hug, grateful for the other boy's compassion or pity, whatever it was.

The air seemed to flicker and suddenly they were apart once more and Draco was grown once more, before him a great black wolf going up to Draco's waist stood regarding him intensely.

"Azimuth." Draco said softly, dropping to his knees and hugging his around the neck, burying his neck in Azimuth's fur. Azimuth wined softly and pulled away, dancing away and circling in front of Draco.

"You want me to join you?" Draco said, understanding without knowing why. He was about to say that he couldn't when suddenly he knew he could. So he changed and once the maddening pain from his change was complete he stood before Azimuth upon four pale colored paws.

Azimuth circled in joy and ran over to Draco, licking his face and nose. Draco felt the same giddiness fill him and he tackled Azimuth to the ground, nipping playfully at his ears. Azimuth quickly fought him down and finally got a loose bite on his throat, signaling his victory. He then bounded off of Draco, watching him happily, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Azure." Azimuth said

Draco cocked his head in confusion.

Azimuth pounced Draco, "You named me, I get to name you. Azure, like the color of your eyes."

Azure licked Azimuth's nose happily, "Azure is good."

Azimuth looked at Azure, "Be my mate?"

Azure startled up and paced away, he watched Azimuth from a distance, "Me your mate?"

Azimuth nodded in a very un-wolf like manner.

"Why?"

Azimuth cocked his head, "Because." he stated in a very wolf like manner.

Azure turned away and then he was human once more and a hand lay upon his shoulder. He turned to look at Harry, his hair haphazardly falling everywhere, his eyes imploring silently.

"Please, Draco? Be with me. I've wanted you for the longest time."

Draco looked into those emerald pools, "Is that why you saved me?"

Harry nodded, "That and everything else. I became Azimuth to get close to you, I remained Azimuth because it made you happy. I'm afraid my intentions weren't so pure when I started but then I saw how you really were, without the mask and the hatred."

"What were your intentions before?" Draco asked cautiously.

A look of embarrassment engulfed Harry's face, "Well, to be honest I just wanted in you pants originally."

Draco colored, "What makes now so different than your original intentions?"

"That's easy" Harry said softly, cupping Draco's cheek, "I fell in love with you."