I'm really sorry for the extra-long wait. So many people have reviewed and I feel incredibly badly not having posted a new chapter in so long, especially because all of my chapters are so short. Anyway, thank you all for your wonderful reviews, and I hope I can continue to post more regularly from now on.
St. Brutus's Program for Incurably Homosexual Boys...
by AnonymousBystander
Chapter Ten - Dusk
When dawn arrived, she found a particularly odd scene in the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Odd scenes turned up in this wing of the castle nearly every day, but as the sun's fingers peered through the stained-glass windows, they saw a more peculiar scene than usual. Draco Malfoy, comatose, though healthier than his previously near-dead state, lay silently in the farthest back bed in the cavernous room. The thin linen curtains that were pulled around the bed were semi-transparent and looked ethereal, even ghostlike, shimmering in the air. The seat directly next to the bed was occupied by the form of Harry Potter, captured in an uneasy sleep, mumbling random words as they traversed his dreams. Next to him, Hermione Granger sat, dozing softly as her head dropped onto Harry's shoulder. The heavy shadow that had settled over the two of them was not merely emotional; Albus Dumbledore had walked into the room to catch sight of this scene, and now stood over the two sleeping on chairs, a solemn look of resignation on his face.
Dumbledore was used to being in the thick of things, in the center of everybody's attention. Though he had never quite liked being one of the most powerful wizards in the world (and thus, one of the most sought-after for advice), now he wished hat he were not merely a bystander in this situation. He wanted desperately for Harry and Draco's relationship to survive, but could not think of any way to help the situation; it was up to Harry and Draco themselves to fix the problem.
Little did the boys know, Dumbledore though solemnly, but their actions in the coming days and weeks would have vaster implications than they could possibly imagine. Harry and Draco were two of the most powerful young wizards of their generation; losing Draco would be a huge loss, and Dumbledore hoped that Harry realized how important it was that they stay together.
"This is about more than love," he whispered to himself. He hated seeing his students in this situation. Being the headmaster, most of the time he could fix any problem, confront any danger. But the most powerful danger - that of love - was the only one against which he had no power.
Shaking his head, Dumbledore left the room.
-------
Lucius loved people recognizing him. He loved it more than anything. And because of this, after the man standing behind the counter at the Hog's Head had seen his face and given him a room free of charge, he was in an exceedingly good mood. The money didn't matter; Lucius had enough money to buy twenty Hog's Heads without breaking a sweat - it was the principle that mattered.
With a flick of his wand, Lucius' luggage was hovering beside him as he walked up the rickety stairs towards the cold, grubby rooms he knew this place had. They were not fit for the dark Lord, but it was only the Hog's Head that was safe enough so he could stay there unnoticed.
Inserting his newly-taken key into the lock, Lucius pushed open the door and stepped inside. Yes, this would have to do; it would only be one night, if everything went according to plan. Lucius lay down on the bed for a moment, which creaked beneath his weight, then sat up. He would need to sleep well tonight to prepare for the next day; the spells he would perform were exceedingly difficult to do without anybody noticing. Though he was confident in his ability to perform the spells correctly, he was taking no chances. On his way back downstairs, he slipped the owner of the inn twenty galleons to not report any unusual sounds or goings-on. The man gulped stupidly at the sight of all of the gold, and then stammered a hurried, "Yes, m'lord. Whatever you say..."
Lucius smiled. It was almost time.
----
Harry woke with a start. The sun had risen, and judging by the angle of the light streaming through the open hospital wing's, it was nearly noon. Harry looked around. Hermione sat next to him, fast asleep, breathing quietly. Looking in the other direction, he saw that the curtain's to Draco's bed were closed. He half-wanted to open them up and look at Draco, but he knew this was a bad idea.
Instead, he decided that he needed to take a walk to sort things out. He stood up and stretched, then walked down the hospital wing, trying to make as little noise as possible as he opened and closed the heavy wooden door.
Harry didn't know where he was going, but it felt good to walk. The weight of his stress was overwhelming and as he wandered the familiar hallways, passing by doorways and memories of classes that seemed so distant and unimportant, but he felt better than when he was in the hospital room, so trapped up with all of his feelings and emotions.
Not realizing where he was, Harry stopped in front of a large painting of a bowl of fruit. Something stirred in his mind.
"You just tickle the pear..." said a voice in his head. It sounded like Fred or George.
He reached a finger up and tickled the pear. It began to laugh and squirm, and suddenly a bright green doorknob sat before him, waiting to be twisted. Harry reached up a hand and turned the knob, pushing the door open.
"HARRY POTTER, SIR!" said a loud, squeeky voice in the room. "WE DIDN'T KNOW YOU'D BE COMING TO SEE US, SIR! OH, HOW GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR!"
"Dobby...?"
-----
That's it. Hope you liked. Review if you want more. I know, not much happened in this chapter, but I got a lot out of my system. Trust me; there's more to come.
St. Brutus's Program for Incurably Homosexual Boys...
by AnonymousBystander
Chapter Ten - Dusk
When dawn arrived, she found a particularly odd scene in the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Odd scenes turned up in this wing of the castle nearly every day, but as the sun's fingers peered through the stained-glass windows, they saw a more peculiar scene than usual. Draco Malfoy, comatose, though healthier than his previously near-dead state, lay silently in the farthest back bed in the cavernous room. The thin linen curtains that were pulled around the bed were semi-transparent and looked ethereal, even ghostlike, shimmering in the air. The seat directly next to the bed was occupied by the form of Harry Potter, captured in an uneasy sleep, mumbling random words as they traversed his dreams. Next to him, Hermione Granger sat, dozing softly as her head dropped onto Harry's shoulder. The heavy shadow that had settled over the two of them was not merely emotional; Albus Dumbledore had walked into the room to catch sight of this scene, and now stood over the two sleeping on chairs, a solemn look of resignation on his face.
Dumbledore was used to being in the thick of things, in the center of everybody's attention. Though he had never quite liked being one of the most powerful wizards in the world (and thus, one of the most sought-after for advice), now he wished hat he were not merely a bystander in this situation. He wanted desperately for Harry and Draco's relationship to survive, but could not think of any way to help the situation; it was up to Harry and Draco themselves to fix the problem.
Little did the boys know, Dumbledore though solemnly, but their actions in the coming days and weeks would have vaster implications than they could possibly imagine. Harry and Draco were two of the most powerful young wizards of their generation; losing Draco would be a huge loss, and Dumbledore hoped that Harry realized how important it was that they stay together.
"This is about more than love," he whispered to himself. He hated seeing his students in this situation. Being the headmaster, most of the time he could fix any problem, confront any danger. But the most powerful danger - that of love - was the only one against which he had no power.
Shaking his head, Dumbledore left the room.
-------
Lucius loved people recognizing him. He loved it more than anything. And because of this, after the man standing behind the counter at the Hog's Head had seen his face and given him a room free of charge, he was in an exceedingly good mood. The money didn't matter; Lucius had enough money to buy twenty Hog's Heads without breaking a sweat - it was the principle that mattered.
With a flick of his wand, Lucius' luggage was hovering beside him as he walked up the rickety stairs towards the cold, grubby rooms he knew this place had. They were not fit for the dark Lord, but it was only the Hog's Head that was safe enough so he could stay there unnoticed.
Inserting his newly-taken key into the lock, Lucius pushed open the door and stepped inside. Yes, this would have to do; it would only be one night, if everything went according to plan. Lucius lay down on the bed for a moment, which creaked beneath his weight, then sat up. He would need to sleep well tonight to prepare for the next day; the spells he would perform were exceedingly difficult to do without anybody noticing. Though he was confident in his ability to perform the spells correctly, he was taking no chances. On his way back downstairs, he slipped the owner of the inn twenty galleons to not report any unusual sounds or goings-on. The man gulped stupidly at the sight of all of the gold, and then stammered a hurried, "Yes, m'lord. Whatever you say..."
Lucius smiled. It was almost time.
----
Harry woke with a start. The sun had risen, and judging by the angle of the light streaming through the open hospital wing's, it was nearly noon. Harry looked around. Hermione sat next to him, fast asleep, breathing quietly. Looking in the other direction, he saw that the curtain's to Draco's bed were closed. He half-wanted to open them up and look at Draco, but he knew this was a bad idea.
Instead, he decided that he needed to take a walk to sort things out. He stood up and stretched, then walked down the hospital wing, trying to make as little noise as possible as he opened and closed the heavy wooden door.
Harry didn't know where he was going, but it felt good to walk. The weight of his stress was overwhelming and as he wandered the familiar hallways, passing by doorways and memories of classes that seemed so distant and unimportant, but he felt better than when he was in the hospital room, so trapped up with all of his feelings and emotions.
Not realizing where he was, Harry stopped in front of a large painting of a bowl of fruit. Something stirred in his mind.
"You just tickle the pear..." said a voice in his head. It sounded like Fred or George.
He reached a finger up and tickled the pear. It began to laugh and squirm, and suddenly a bright green doorknob sat before him, waiting to be twisted. Harry reached up a hand and turned the knob, pushing the door open.
"HARRY POTTER, SIR!" said a loud, squeeky voice in the room. "WE DIDN'T KNOW YOU'D BE COMING TO SEE US, SIR! OH, HOW GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR!"
"Dobby...?"
-----
That's it. Hope you liked. Review if you want more. I know, not much happened in this chapter, but I got a lot out of my system. Trust me; there's more to come.