Disclaimer: Come on people, if you've gotten this far then you should know the drill by now.
A/N: Alright. . Well. . I have a plot bunny skipping through my head, on what I'm going to do in the next two parts (after this) so do review so I can post the next chapter. Anyway, I'd like to point out that it will be useless to point out any spelling errors in speech in the first part of this chapter, as I put them there on purpose. Regardless of that, please do correct me if you really feel the need to. . By the way, just to let you all know I'm not stupid, most of those words were by accident or typing errors that my spell check didn't see. . I do know the difference between Sense, and Since. By the way, thanks to all of the lovely people who took time in reviewing, even if I've been a little slow updating.
Cailin Malafe: [buzzer noise] ERR! Wrong. . Sorry, you've used up all of your guesses now. Just kidding. . Anyway, you are wrong, but thanks for trying to guess. And thanks for the review!
Stevie: lol, right. . You just go on believing that Rachey. . And thanks for the review -- and compliments.
Shadafakup: Gives Draco Cookie. Mm. . Right, This ff I may update a lot. . But other's I don't. Anyway, I hope you like this flash back just as much. Thanks!
Morrisa Lilith Raine: That's for me to know, and you to never find out. Mwahahahaha. . Anyway, you'll find out soon enough. Thanks!
Cutieangel: Awwww! Thanks!
Usually Immaculate Aristocrat: I did try. . A little. . Anyway, you shouldn't nit pick! Heh. . And what about Dickens? Thanks!
Noriko M. Chijinu: Hmph. . Then you might not be to happy at how I left this one. . Thanks!
AoiHyou: You'd be surprised at how surprisingly close your guess was. . About someone already being dead. . Anyway, me no tell more. [It wasn't that close, but closer then I thought anyone was going to really get. .] Hm. . Oh well. Thanks!
Lo26: I'm glad you liked. And sadly, they won't be getting together, together, for atleast three more parts (one more chapter and a half.) Anyway, thanks for the review!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Past, Present, and Future.
.
.
.
.
Part Thirteen: More Memories.
.
.
.
.
Draco strode into his room fuming. How dare Potter try to comfort me. .
In all reality, Draco was more or less pissed with himself for letting Harry comfort him, but he'd never admit that freely. Draco kicked at his couch angrily and hurriedly went to his room. It was damn time he threw that heart away and took control of his own life again, along with his fears. Even if its only temporarily. . chimed in that annoying little voice.
Draco ignored it.
When he pushed open the door, a horrid smell greeted him. It smelt like rotting fish only ten times worse. He put his hand to his nose and mouth, coughing violently as he looked to where he had placed the heart. Apparently the thing had been protected by some sort of magic to repel any spells or charms Draco tried to cast on it and in the end, decay at a rate ten times faster then normal.
In place of the heart was a pile of dust crawling with maggots and other retched bugs.
Draco just stood there for a moment, staring at the way they crawled, almost slithering over his sheets and each other. Subconsciously Draco was backing out of the room as his eyes wandered to the floor. It was littered with different sorts of bugs, not only maggots. Then to top it all off, some sort of millipede tried crawling up his leg and he stomped down on it angrily, hurriedly leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.
Draco loathed bugs. It was probably because of the bad run-in he had had with an enlarged version of a centipede when he had been younger.
Draco angrily slammed his fist against the door in anger, immediately regretting it as hot pain surged through his fist and arm.
"Shit!"
He cradled his arm to his chest and tenderly prodded his bloody knuckles. He pulled out his wand and said a quick healing spell, watching as the blood literally began to disappear back into the wound and as the skin sealed as it was before.
The adrenaline was still running through him however.. He was pissed. He was pissed at himself, at his father, at Harry, and at her.
He walked over to the couch and heavily sat down, massaging his temples, trying not to remember what he had so carefully kept locked away. However, one doesn't always have control over their memories..
Draco was lost. He was calling out into the night, searching for her.
He remembered this night well. They had been wandering through his mother's gardens after supper, and they had purposely on accident wandered into the one garden he was always forbidden from. The garden that held the night and never let go.
It wasn't the type of night that seemed to glitter with the moon's rays, or the type that seemed to hug you gently in its embrace while the stars twinkled. No, it was the type of night that seemed to be strangling you.. Tearing at your clothes, your skin, your very being. The type of night that hid under little boys and girls beds and in their closets, just waiting for the right moment to devour the children.
Jagged thorns were sticking Draco endlessly as he tried to fight his way through them, never ceasing to call her name. He was nearly five, but scared out of his wits. He had never wanted something so badly as for the thorns, the bushes, and the trees to just disappear, revealing her hiding place and the moon.
He strained his ears and could hear her laughter in the distance. He called out again, running desperately towards the sound. She had to be there, she had to be there to save him. He was only four, nearly five, and he needed her. He had never needed his parents-- not really anyway. Maybe it was because they had never seemed to need him. They never held him when he was sick, or kissed away his pain. . They always had been able to pay someone else to do it.
When on the other hand, she was different. She needed him to kiss away the pain, to chance away her fears and to make her feel better when she was ill. Some how Draco knew that -- even at the time, when he was just four. She needed him, and he needed her.
That's what kept him running. The night never ceased though.
The garden seemed to continue forever, and without knowing it, Draco fought his way to a clearing. He took a few unsure steps and looked up at the looming weeping willow. The branches were tangled, pointing this way and that, the leaves covering them a deep brownish black color. An invisible wind played with Draco's hair and the leaves seemed to reach out, trying to grab him and choke him.
Draco pulled back, trying to flee.. and that's when he heard her.
There were crimson colored roses that circled the tree, the first dab of color he had seen in the garden at all, really. They were so red, his first thought was they had been dipped in blood. Outside of that, a mote circled the roses and the tree, full with calm water. He didn't know how deep it was as the water was black. Not the murky black or brown, when there's a lot of mud, but a pitch, ebony, black.
She was sitting besides it on an over sized stone, tossing pebbles into the mote. She looked so out of place in the garden, where everything was a shade of black or deep brown and instead, her skin was pale, nearly the color of the moon; with the same sort of glow.
Draco approached her, "I was wooking for you. We's need to get back before Mother and Father finds us. They'd have a fit. ."
She however ignored Draco, tossing another pebble into the waters, causing it to ripple violently. Draco sat on the ground besides her, and suddenly the garden didn't seem so scary. Not with her there.
Draco thought a moment before asking, "Why did you run?"
"Sometimes ya just need to run. Mother says that all the time." Said the little girl with confidence.
Draco, however, was confused. "I fought your mother was dead?"
"Not that mother silly!" Said the little girl, looking at him and grinning.
Draco blinked. "What mother then?"
"'Oy, never mind. Your such a boy!"
"Well your such a girl!" Replied Draco in a taunting manor.
The girl smiled and brushed some of her silk black hair out of her eyes, looking at him. "I could say the same for you if I's wanted."
Draco pouted and the girl reached into the water, splashing it up at his face. Draco retaliated by pushing her playfully, causing her to fall into the water. She screamed out in surprise, trying to hold onto the rock as her frail body went under the tide.
Draco yelled out for help and grabbed her hands, trying to pull her up, trying to pull her from the water. She looked at him frantically, screaming out for help, but laughing at the same time. Her eyes were wide with fear as the cold water engulfed her shoulders, her grip slipping from sweat and cold at the same time. Draco watched in fright as something white began rising from the water. It was thin, and long, and it had over a dozen fins, or rather legs, and was swimming directly towards her, less then a foot under the top of the mote.
Just as it was nearly close enough to pull her under, someone grabbed Draco's shoulder's from behind and pulled him back, pulling her up with him. Both of the children were panting heavily, one soaked, but this didn't seem to matter as Draco's father stared down at them coldly.
"What have I told you about this garden?" His tone of voice scared Draco that night, more then the giant centipede, more then the thorns and the dark, and more then nearly loosing his only, and closest friend.
That had been the first night his father had ever punished him other then groundings. .
Draco shook his head sadly as the memory's emotion slipped from his grasp. He sighed and looked towards the portrait hole as Andolf yelled for him from the other side. Draco stood and walked over it, and somehow, even before he swung it open, he knew who was waiting for him.
.
.
.
.
Part Fourteen: Lost and Found.
.
.
.
.
When Draco swung the portrait open, Harry meant him.
The raven haired boy had his arms crossed over his chest and he was staring at Andolf loathfully. "Potter." Said Draco coldly, Andolf swinging the portrait shut.
The wizard looked at Harry and bellowed, "EVIL IS AFOOT! DUCK! HIDE! UNDER COVER!"
Draco blinked and turned towards Andolf slightly, glancing back and forth from the wizard to Harry. "Right. The paragon of good, the famous boy-who-refuses-to-die, is suddenly evil. Mm.. Won't the dark lord be pleased."
Harry blinked and rose an eyebrow, "Paragon of good? Boy who refuses to die?"
Draco chose not to reply and instead, started calmly walking away, Andolf still shouting out insults at Harry as the raven haired boy made to follow Draco. What is wrong with that damn portrait?!
"Did I make you angry some how?" Asked Harry cautiously, side stepping with Draco.
Draco rolled his eyes and smirked, "Always such an inquisitive mind eh Potter?"
"I'm serious Malfoy."
"Well considering you've been being so damn smart lately, why don't you figure it out? Anyway, I don't need your charity work Potter. You can leave now."
Harry ignored the last comment and asked for the billionth time, "Who's threatening you Malfoy?"
Draco ignored him and hurriedly changed the subject.
"Why was Andolf calling you evil?" Asked Draco, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly, "Something your not telling me Potter?"
Draco was glad Harry accepted the change of subject and replied by saying, "Hell if I know."
"Precisely." Was Draco's only witty reply as the two began down the nearest fleet of stairs.
"Mm.. He's a portrait after Moody's heart.." Mumbled Harry half heartedly, Andolf still being heard yelling out such things as, 'Evil must die,' and 'Constant Vigilance'!
Draco rolled his eyes, "Moody as in that disgusting professor who turned me into a ferret?"
Harry smirked, jumping the last two steps as the stair case began to move. Draco hurriedly did the same. "You deserved it Malfoy, you deserved it. ."
"Yeah, right Potter. It was just another unjust crime against Malfoy's that can be added to the list." Said Draco indignantly.
Harry laughed cruelly, but while he was pushing his glasses up the ridge of his nose, it seemed very unconvincing. He asked with mock amusement, "Unjust?"
Draco scowled and was about to tell Harry where he could put his chummy-attitude, but Harry interrupted. .
"And you keep a list? God sakes Malfoy, you do have to much free time."
Draco smirked. "I'd like to think I spend my free time very wisely Potter."
"Doing what precisely?" Questioned Harry.
"Plotting ways to murder you."
Harry stopped and looked at Draco strangely and Draco flashed him a malicious smile and continued on his way.
Harry caught up in a few strides.
They walked for a minute in awkward silence before Draco stopped and turned to Harry. Harry did like wise. Draco shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, glancing once at the doorway.
Harry smirked.
"Well Potter, as much as I utterly enjoy having your company, I believe I can make it to the owlery on my own."
"Sending a letter then?"
"No Potter, I come up here frequently to brew potions."
"Wouldn't surprise me any. After all, Snape is your godfather.. God only knows he's contagious.. "
Draco scowled slightly and pointedly said, "Well that would make you infected to."
Harry's eyes widened comically, "Gods no."
Draco rolled his eyes and smirked, "Yes Potter, you've figured out my master plan. I've been setting myself up, knowing you wouldn't be able to resist helping someone in distress, only to infect you. ."
"A person in distress? More like a damsel. ." Said Harry with a smile. "Anyway, I think the owlery just found you Malfoy."
Huh?
Just then a black hawk landed lazily on Draco's shoulder and nipped at his ear. Draco hissed slightly, his blood running cold once his eyes meant the golden red eyes of the hawk's.
Gods, she's found me again. .
.
.
.
5 Reviews = Next 2 parts; Revised Chapter.