Title: A Waltz of Days Past
Writer: Silver Sun Chime
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter. Trust me, the books would be very different if I did. Ex.: Someone would be obsessed with volleyball… like me!
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron
Warning(s): Homosexual Relationships, Strong Language, Mentions of Rape, and Sensuality
Summary: Four years after the fall of Voldemort, Harry Potter seemingly is living the perfect life. He is to be wed to his long-time crush Cho Chang, and has a large amount of Quidditch contracts in his possession. But when formal archenemy Draco Malfoy shows up at his doorstep battered and bruised, Harry realizes how empty his life is, and how it could improve.
Note: I'm soooooooooooo sorry this took so long to come out. I've been really busy. And now there's a guy who's really, really depressed who wants me to be his girlfriend, even though I just wanna be a good friend. Not to mention even though I DO like to write, I hate having to sit still and type. Basically what I do is write a few paragraphs and then I go practice my volleyball serve/spike/bump. In case you haven't noticed, I love volleyball. It's my favorite sport. But you probably don't really care…
Thank You(s): JadeDragon – I'm such a great writer, aren't I? I know. I am. Lol. Anyway, thanks for pointing out that Chang is Cho's LAST name. I'm kinda like an airhead… yeah. You probably already know that by now… Scrat with a G - ::sigh:: I'm not that smart!!! I didn't know!!! I don't even like Cho Chang! Aishiteru Tenshi – That's… scary. ::inches away from reviewer:: See? Here's the next chapter… So there is no need to… hunt me down. But… thanks for the review. HeartoftheDragon – Cute? Well, I suppose the first chapter is cute. But the chapters where Harry and Draco spend time together will be so much cuter. Trust me. ^_~ Orange Lester – Of course I'm going to make a second chapter; this is it(well, duh…)! I'm still young (think 13-16), so my grammar sucks. I'm really pretending to be mature… and smart. You get a cookie for being the first person to add my (excellent) story to their favorite authors list. ::hands reviewer a cookie:: Ryllis – You'll find out what happened to Blaise and Draco in detail later on in the story. Kimmy –Why would you be mean? I totally agree with you! I HATE the fact that Harry likes Cho Chang in the books. It should be Draco he likes, damn it! It's just necessary for the two of them to be together in the beginning of the story. mistykasumi – Okay, okay! Here's your next chapter! Marie McBride– Here's a cookie for being the second person to add me to their favorite authors list! melovinharrypotter – Oooooooh… an ego boost! ^______________________^ Thank you!!!
Chapter Two: Lonesome Day
The darkness, for ordinary young children, is inevitably a most terrifying experience. When engulfed in the dark, one becomes blinded, unable to observe their surroundings. And for a child, losing the ability of acknowledging the occurrences around them is devastating and tremendously frightening. In the dark, no one can confidently assume they are safe.
But for young Draco Malfoy, the dark constantly served as a form of comfort. When in the dark, Draco could escape the pressures the daylight seemed to always bring. He could unleash his true personality, not the façade his father created. Draco could dream of a hopeful, successful future, where he had complete control over his life.
The time of day Draco looked forward to the most undoubtedly was night, the only time he could sort out his thoughts and emotions. All day he mimicked his father, a most tiring task. He repeated opinions Lucius openly uttered, and made sure he appeared one hundred percent prideful, and confident in his pureblood status. All the while, Draco's spirit died bit by bit from the imprisonment, yearning to freely exist. If there were no night, no darkness, Draco would diminish into a soulless being, almost as though the Dementor's Kiss had been preformed upon him.
Unfortunately, Draco had the most inconvenient habit of losing everything important to him. To begin with, the catastrophic fall of respect and admiration all Slytherins ever had for him, all because of a certain famous wizard, Harry Potter. And, ironically, soon after his cruel, cold reputation had been damaged, the essentially unimaginable break-up of the two finally occurred due to a severe misunderstanding. Depression forever haunted Draco ever since that wretched moment, taunting him of a life the blond had so willingly given up all for love – a wasted, foolish, teenage love.
Eventually, all Draco had left was his struggling family. The only two people he could rely on were an uncaring, bitchy mother, and a sadistic, heartless Death Eater for a father. Sadly, because of their negative attitude towards the world in general, the Slytherin's increasing void for a heart, continued to expand, darkening his soul and heart--his very being.
So it came as no surprise to the practically lifeless boy that his so-called parents betrayed him. His pitch-black world seemed to darken to the extent it became nothingness, as Lucius and Narcissa inhumanly forced their son to watch the last desperate attempt to defeat Harry Potter. If there was any justice left in the world, Voldemort would have died from the first blow he received during the fight, but, alas, justice had long since disappeared from the face of the Earth, and The Boy who Lived was on the brink of utter, vile defeat.
After hours of dueling, it finally occurred. The last attack, the moment of truth—Voldemort, on the verge of his demise, frantically cast one last spell, but one virtually unknown to the wizarding world. But in a burst of energy, adrenaline, he assumed, Draco broke free from his parents grasps. He bolted from his designated station and imprudently leapt in front of a very tired, weakened Harry Potter, in an effort to save his love.
The spell originally intended to affect Harry, did not murder nor harm Draco in any physical manner, though for quite some time, the blond assumed the worst had occurred. But, surprisingly, he awoke in a very familiar surrounding—complete darkness. At first, he was under the impression that death was a very, very bleak, and depressing place. But in a mixture of amazement and dread, Draco realized he had yet to succumb, a fact that disturbed him an incredible amount. He was not dead, but deserted in an endless emptiness.
And after four years, Draco had adapted to his isolation. But his love for darkness and night had long since disappeared. He had grown disgusted by his surroundings, and could barely stand opening his eyes, which would allow black to seep through everything. Each day was another discouraging experience. His cocky, prideful personality dissipated into the dark. His very survival seemed impossible, but, fortunately, through the bleak reality, came hope—in the shape of a necklace.
While Draco stumbled about in the darkness, he would tightly clasp the elegant chain. The necklace had been received as a present from the one person that meant the world to him—Harry. It was a rather gorgeous piece, two thin cords of silver braided together along with gold strings intertwined between the cords. Specks of diamonds were found scattered along the necklace artistically to add to the majestic value. The former Slytherin could unmistakably recall the exact details from the very moment the beautiful necklace was given to him.
Draco had been in his fifth year at the time, and life was picture-perfect. He and Harry had been together for six months, since the beginning of fourth year's summer vacation. And, the mentioned date had been their anniversary. It might have been a bit odd to celebrate every month they were together, but to the two boys every second they spent together was a miracle. A tradition had been developed between the Slytherin and Gryiffindor, so that each anniversary was celebrated with presents and romantic evenings. Every present became more priceless, the more anniversaries they spent together.
So, on their sixth anniversary, Harry handed Draco the velvet case, containing two identical necklaces. When Draco had asked why there were two, Harry had responded, " One's mine. Hermione found a spell you could cast on objects—it's a bonding spell. When we both touch our own necklace at the same time, we should be able to communicate to each other." Once Draco put on the necklace, he never took it off. The gift was too precious to him.
Sub-consciously, Draco wrapped his pale fingers around the sentimental item. He had never able to communicate with Harry after he had been forced into the enchanted nothingness. The blond assumed Harry had thrown out the necklace after the rough break-up. But sometimes, he could hear the faint whispering of his name echoing in the darkness, but Draco dismissed the sound declaring himself delirious. Being isolated in pure darkness can burden the mind with insanity. Draco considered it a miracle he had not started to see things… yet.
"I gotta get out of here… wherever here is," Draco hoarsely muttered. Being alone 24/7 for four years, his voice had been deemed meaningless. He only spoke when the pain of the loneliness grew too much to bear. Hearing a sound helped convince him that he hadn't died—that he was really alive. "I swear… if I could leave this place, I would change my ways!" Draco grasped his necklace tighter. "Damn you, Potter! It's all your fault! I fucking HATE you Potter!"
Draco collapsed to his knees; his entire body shook from the tears that rolled down his face. "I'll change! I swear, I'll change for you Potter… I love you dammit!" He squeezed his eyes closed. "You promised me you'd save me when I was in pain… so why aren't you here?"
Draco crouched close the ground*, his eyes still sealed shut, seeing the same darkness through his thin eyelids. His chest rose up and down, his breath hoarse because of the damage yelling had caused. He stayed still for a few minutes, allowing himself calm down. Outbursts happened daily for Draco. Blaming everything on Harry seemed to help keep his wavering sanity. But, he had never admitted love for the raven-haired man before during his fits.
Draco's breathing began to return to normal, as he began to experience the familiar feeling of acceptance, a common after-effect of the outbursts. The usual thoughts began to flutter through his mind. There is no way out. I'll never see Harry again. I won't be able to apologize… that's the way it's been for four fucking years. It's a miracle—or an ingenious form of torture—that I've been able to survive with out food OR water. But I'm stuck. I always will be. That's all there is to it. Eventually it'll end. I'll wither away, and everything—the pain, hate, and sadness—will go away—
Suddenly, Draco's inner thoughts became interrupted by a yellow light seeping through his eyelids. Surprised, he opened his eyes with a jolt. And sure enough, a blotch of beautiful, bright light appeared before his very eyes. Although extreme happiness began to consume all other thoughts, his eyes were adjusted to the dark, not the light, causing him to blink rapidly.
With his eyes opening and closing at an incredible rate, Draco stood, slowly starting to shift his feet towards the light. His fingers slid into shimmering light, followed by his pale arms, soon afterwards, his entire body slipped into the light.
Draco had never experienced quite an extreme rush in all of his existence. It wasn't adrenaline, no; it felt as if he was standing still, yet moving at the speed of light at the same time. Amidst the force of motion, all thoughts running through his head were one and the same—I'm free! I've escaped that maddening place!
And just as quickly as the rush began, it ended.
******
Draco lifted his eyelids slowly; they were so heavy it seemed as though he had been asleep for many years. He blinked several times to adjust his surroundings into focus. Opposite to the normal black, everything in this world was white. Draco silently coughed as he realized he was not breathing on his own. What the hell is this? The blond thought as he gripped a machine-attached tube* that entered his mouth. He rose from the white, slightly uncomfortable bed much like a sloth would, and began tugging on the tube, causing him to break into a fit of mute coughs. Giving up, Draco's eyes skimmed the room, stopping at a foreign object. It was a long pole, and at the top was a bag filled with a liquid, and a tube attached to a needle partway in a vein of his arm*. Draco's eyes then wandered to a door, just as a woman dressed in a white T-shirt and pants walked in.
The woman's eyes widened as she set her sight on Draco. Her mouth shaped an O, and her face paled in surprise.
"D-Dr. Ray!" bellowed the woman in a shocked tone of voice. In an instant a man dressed in white hurried into the room. His face changed in surprise, matching that of the lady's.
The supposed "Dr. Ray" rushed over to where Draco sat, showing an expression of delight.
"Absolutely amazing, I must admit. Oh, how much you've missed over these years! Here, we must remove these useless contraptions, am I right?" Draco simply stared at the man, dazed. But in an effort, he nodded his head. But not before the average Malfoy question popped into his head, Why am I letting muggles help me?
********
Over a period of a few months, Draco was back on his feet. They were incredibly unstable after remaining unused for four straight years, so walking was a bit of a challenge. But with the pride of a Malfoy, he proved the doctors and nurses wrong, However, to Draco's despair, the doctors wouldn't release him until he was in perfect condition.
During a physical therapy session, Draco became curious as to how he arrived in a muggle hospital. Dr. Hart, his PT doctor, eagerly explained.
"Incredibly strange really," Dr. Hart commented. " A couple of hiker's found you up on a hill—in the middle of a forest, just lying on the forest floor. They assumed you had fallen asleep, but you wouldn't budge. But you weren't asleep, for an unknown reason you were in a coma. Any idea of how you got there?"
Draco stood silent for several seconds, recalling the events that led to his entrapment. " No, I haven't a clue. Must have been hiking… maybe I slipped and fell on a piece of wood, or something to that degree." Draco quickly lied.
"No, I don't think so. Nothing that simple could render a person into such a degree of unconsciousness as a coma. You know, the people who brought you here, really good people you know, said you had a look of fear upon your face. Said that it looked like you were trapped or something."
"Really. Well, I've never been trapped… or anything like that." Draco commented rather coldly, ending the discussion.
A few weeks later, Draco was declared officially back to his normal health. He had just checked out of the hospital, when a thought occurred to him. He could finally see Harry. Oh, god. What if he hates me? What if he's in love… or married? To a woman? What if he died… or what if…
"No!" Draco huffed, interrupting his train of thought. "Harry is alive. I know it. And even if he doesn't want to see me, he's going to. We really need to sort of some differences… I'm coming Harry."
* - Okay, I had a really hard time w/ this. Because he was in complete darkness, I wasn't sure if there really could be a ground, but oh well, you know?
* - The machine-attached tube is a ventilator. In case you don't know, a ventilator helps you breathe in case of an emergency. People in a coma, people who are experiencing respiratory failure, airway blockage, and spinal cord injuries usual are hooked up to this machine. It works like this: A tube is attached to a machine that supplies oxygen through a plastic hose. The tube is then placed in your mouth or nose and through the trachea. From there the oxygen is sent through the system. When the tube is in your throat, it passes through the vocal chords, so you can't talk. And I really didn't know ANYTHING about this, until I looked it up on . Seriously.
* - The long pole thing with the bag full of liquid is an IV, or an intravenous line, is used to deliver medication, fluids, or nutrients into the body. Again, I've gotta give credit to the peeps at the Discovery Health website. If there was anything I got wrong involving the hospital please tell me. I'll probably go back and fix it.
A/N: Er… yeah. I hate the first two chapters because they just drag on and on… but I need to explain things. Oh hell. But I promise you it WILL get better!!! Yeah. I'm totally hyper right now. I gotta go running or something. I have In da Club stuck in my head. You know, by 50 Cent (He's sooooo hot!!!) I can't believe how long it's taken me to finish this chapter. I'm so lazy… not really. Just had a lot of other shit to deal with. School sucks (But gym is cool… so is English! Yay!) and volleyball practice takes up a lot of time. What can I say, I'm obsessed. But it's all good. And, to make my day, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!! I don't care if it's a flame, just please review!!! Now I gotta go watch Austin Powers in Goldmember! Lol! Peace out!