Disclaimer: Come on people, if you've gotten this far then you should know the drill by now.
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope you all like this chapter, and I hope to have the next one up within the next week and a half or so. Over that period of time, I'll also be going through the chapters and tweaking some things and correcting spelling errors. I'll also probably be adding some more detail to the story, so that the writing style will stay consistent with the next few chapters. I'd appreciate it if in your review you told me whether you liked this writing style or the simplier one more.
I'd also like to apologize if some of my facts in the last chapter seemed a bit odd, as I know they aren't actual facts. I don't know what I was on at that time, but oh well. I'll probably correct the last chapter so it makes a bit more since. Anyway, like I said, I hope you all like this chapter, I know you've waited long enough for it.
C. Night: I'm glad you liked the end of the previous chapter. I thought it was cute to, which is probably why I wrote it. Yes, I write the threatening notes Draco gets. Thanks.
Benjis VIP: Here's more. It wasn't as soon as you probably would have liked, but anyway. Thanks.
Dwadwadwa: Uh? Okay then.. Thanks for the review..
keygan: I'm glad you like. Thanks.
Princess of Mirrors: Yes, I know Harry is a bit to smart for his own good. However, as it says in my Author's note, I'm working on it. Anyway, I'm glad you like the story. Thanks.
fishnetfairy: Here you go then. Thanks.
Lo26: Thats okay. Thanks.
Just-some-girl1: Yeah, that probably would be funny, huh? Thanks.
I-like-chickens: Like I said before, its not all that soon, but oh well. Thanks.
Noriko M. Chijinu: Want an exclamation mark this time, do ya? Well, thanks!!!!! (Is that enough for ya?)
Zek Majiri: I'm glad your enjoying it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter to. Thanks.
Usually Immaculate Aristocrat: Heh, thanks.
Authoress: Wait no longer then. Thanks.
Shackled Lover: I'll try, thanks.
I'd like to give a special thanks to an anonymous reviewer, and I'm sure you all might want to too, as it was their review that reminded me to keep up my updates and got me in the mood to write the next chapter. Again, thanks!
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Past, Present, and Future.
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Part Twenty-Seven: Before Midnight.
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It was twenty to midnight when Draco was finally able to wrestle himself away from the nurse's stalking eye-- in other words when Madame Pomfery retired to her chambers. His eyes had been watching the clock for an entire hour before Madame Pomfery finally told him to get some rest, or she'd stay up and watch him the entire night until he did. Needless to say, the soft click of the infirmary door shutting was a relief. He cautiously pried an eye open and glanced around to be on the safe side.
All he could see were dark unmoving lumps and he soon opened both eyes. Taking a small breath, with his good arm, Draco lifted himself and scooted his back to the headboard of the bed. The magically enchanted clock that stood tall and proud across the room and gave off the only light in the room, read sixteen to midnight. He subconsciously scratched the flannel bed-wear and tiredly kicked the blankets from his legs. The smell of sterile sheets flooded his nostrils causing him to make a face. God how he hated hospitals. Of course, he hated classes even more.
Draco swung his legs from the bed, and stood, steading himself with his good hand against the nearby wall. Another wave of dizziness washed over him as he walked to his trunk at the end of his bed. He ignored it and softly said, "Open."
Soon the click of the lock could be heard as the trunk magically sprung to life. First he grabbed his own satin made bed-wear and placed them on his bed. He then took his wand from the invisible compartment on the inside of his trunk lid and placed it besides his bed-wear, remembering to close and lock his trunk afterwards. Draco looked to his bandaged arm to his pajamas and back again. This was going to be interesting.
First, Draco stripped of his flannel bottoms and slid the satin ones on. That was easy enough.
He then tried to raise his arm slightly and slide the shirt off of it like he had done with his other arm after unbuttoning it. It had sounded a lot better of an idea in his head then when he actually did it, because doing it caused a jolt of pain to run through his entire body. He cursed loudly.
He was about to try again when someone cleared their voice behind him. Draco turned, slightly surprised when he saw no one there. He narrowed his eyes and studied the air, reaching out like a blind child until he grabbed something silky. He pulled.
The cloak came tumbling off of Harry Potter and fell to the floor. Draco stared, barely noticing that Harry to, was wearing flannel, only it somehow fit him.
"I knew I saw your head floating in Hogsmaed that day. Where'd you get it? Those things are suppose to be incredibly rare," Said Draco motioning to the cloak.
"Somewhere," was all Harry said before bending over and picking it up. Straightening, Harry arched an eyebrow at Draco. "And, why, may I ask didn't you just use your wand?"
Draco looked to the shirt hanging off of his cast and looked back at Harry. "I couldn't find it," he lied, feeling stupid that the thought had never dawned on him.
Harry arched his eyebrow further and motioned behind him to the bed. "Isn't that it right there?"
Draco scowled, not looking behind him, and stiffly said, "Did you come for something Potter?"
Harry hid a smile, pushing his glasses up with his index finger, and said, "Its ten to midnight. I wanted to make sure you were awake."
"Well, obviously, I am. Now, if you'd let me continue dressing.."
Harry smirked, "Don't let me stop you, Malfoy."
Draco made a face and turned, hastily grabbing his wand from the pile of blankets on his bed. He mumbled something under his breath and pointed his wand at his pajama shirt, magically switching it for the flannel garment hanging from his arm. He then continued to dress, turning to Harry as he did the last button with his right hand, having minor difficulty.
Harry had never noticed it before, but Draco was left handed.
The raven-haired Gryffindor stepped closer to Draco and batted his hand away, quickly doing the button for him. "There, now come on."
Draco felt the familiar flush creep upon his face as Harry turned and walked to the infirmary door, his invisibility cloak draped over his arm, causing his shoulder to disappear completely. He hastily tucked his wand in the elastic waist band of his pajama pants and followed him, quietly shutting the oak infirmary door behind him.
The two traveled down the winding stairway in silence, the only noise besides the familiar groans and moans of the castle being the rustling of their pajama pants. The lack of conversation between the two left Draco to confront the thoughts and emotions he had been trying to hide from the entire day. He didn't know what to expect when they arrived at the Great Hall, and that left him to a feeling of confusion and dread. What if Sully herself showed?
Draco quietly shook such thoughts from his mind, reminding himself that she was dead. He sighed, studying the floor boards as they walked. After a few more moments of silence, in a soft voice Draco said, "So, Potter, how long have you been here? Since the end of school?"
Harry chose to ignore Draco's question as he asked one of his own. "Do you know what's funny, Malfoy?"
"Mm, what?"
Annoyance was apparent in Harry's voice as he said, "I never thought you to be one for small talk."
Draco scowled slightly, "I was just trying to make conversation."
The awkward silence that had existed since they had left the infirmary settled around them once more. As the pair traveled through another dark corridor, Draco found the familiar snores of the surrounding portraits comforting and he relaxed visibly, though the feeling didn't last long. He glanced at the raven-haired Gryffindor besides him out of the corner of his eyes, only to find he too, seemed troubled. It was a bit unnerving really.
Harry had been the one consistent thing through the whole ordeal besides the threatening letters, and had been the one to help Draco stay strong during the entire thing. Seeing Harry, who had appeared to change quite a bit since the let out of school, afraid or troubled, made Draco slightly afraid himself.
He was about to ask Harry what was wrong when the two came to an abrupt stop. Draco looked up from the floor to see the huge frames of the Great Hall's oak doors looming before them.
"We're here," Said Harry softly.
Draco smirked. "Thank you mister obvious."
Somehow, the old bantering-routine he and Harry had shared for so long comforted Draco slightly, and Harry seemed to notice this as instead of making a direct response, he said, "It's one to midnight. Shall we go in?"
Draco swallowed nervously and nodded, "Mm-hm.."
Harry reached up and pushed the giant door open, Draco trailing behind.
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Part Twenty-Eight: Old friends..?
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When Draco stepped into the Great Hall, the atmosphere definitely seemed to shift. The air in the room seemed icier.. Detached.
Harry seemed to sense it to, as he anxiously glanced at Draco before taking another step forward. Draco followed, his eyes scanning the large room. Everything seemed normal enough. His eyes drifted up to the ceiling. The sky was a clear blueish purple, the stars shining brightly within the darkness. A smile filtered across his face and he lowered his head, looking to Harry.
"So now what?"
Harry shrugged, his eyes meeting Draco's, "How should I know?"
Draco's smile shifted into a slight smirk. "Your suppose to be the smart one, remember?"
The raven-haired boy lifted an eyebrow, "Since when?"
"Since the beginning of this whole ordeal," stated Draco simply, turning his eyes back to the enchanted ceiling. He sighed, "Beautiful isn't it?"
Harry glanced up at the supposed sky, "Yeah.."
"I've always loved the stars," continued Draco. "They're always shining, no matter how dark it gets, or how cloudy. Maybe they can't always be seen, but they're always there. They never give into the darkness."
Draco could feel Harry's eyes leave the ceiling and turn to him. He looked over at him only to find his green eyes studying him intently. He swallowed, "What?"
Harry smiled slightly, only this time it looked sad, "Be like the stars, Draco."
Draco arched an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"
Harry's smile didn't falter, and in a soft voice he said, "Don't give in."
Draco was about to reply, when suddenly a noise sounded from over head, inturrupting him. It was the flapping of wings. Both men looked up, to see a great, black owl fly in from the rafters. Draco's eyes widened. The owl was huge. As the owl neared closer and closer, Draco felt himself subconsciously move closer to Harry. His arm brushed Harry's and a wave of relief surged through him, his eyes never leaving the owl. He could see its eyes flash in the moonlight, giving them the appearance of being red, as the owl swooped down further. For a moment Draco thought it was going to attack, and felt another wave of relief surge through him as the owl instead, pulled up at the last moment and dropped a red envelope before his feet.
Taking a glance at Harry, Draco knelt down and picked the envelope up as the owl flew over and through the rafters again. He glanced at Harry as he stood, and cautiously opened the envelope, quickly dropping it as it burned his fingers.
"Bugger!" Draco put his fingers in his mouth, blowing on them lightly in order to get them to stop burning. He looked over at Harry to find him snickering. Draco scowled slightly, "I'm sure you'd be laughing if the stupid thing burned you to, wouldn't you?"
Instead of replying, Harry reached up and grabbed Draco by the wrist, pulling his wand out at the same time, and said something under his breath, the tip of his wand, and Draco's fingers, glowing a light blue. He looked at Draco, tucking his wand away again and said, "There, better?"
Draco meant Harry's intense stare and said, "You didn't have to do that, you know.."
Harry smiled slightly, "I know."
The two stood like that for a few moments, Harry holding Draco by the wrist as they stared at each other, before Draco looked away, causing Harry to let go of his wrist.
"Err.. Yeah, anyway, let's try opening that again, shall we?"
Draco watched as Harry knelt down, wand in hand, and prodded the envelope with the tip of it. Draco smirked, "Wow Potter. Brilliant."
Harry didn't even look up, "Sod off Malfoy."
The raven-haired-Gryffindor prodded the envelope again, and Draco was surprised when it sprung to life, the envelope flying up to Harry's line of vision and opening its own flap. Harry quickly stood, the envelope following him as he took a step backwards.
Draco couldn't help but laugh at the look on Harry's face, "Why Potter, I believe it has a crush on you."
Again, Harry said, "Sod off Malfoy."
He raised his wand threateningly, and the envelope immediately stopped moving, turning to Draco at the sound of his voice as he said, "Now what?"
The envelope hissed, its flap forming some rude form of lip as it circled Draco's head once. It then flew back to Harry.
Draco scowled.
"I don't think it likes you very much," reasoned Harry with amusement apparent in his voice.
Draco's scowl deepened and he stiffly said, "I don't much care. How do we get the letter out of it?"
Harry shrugged, edging his wand tip closer to the envelope. It stuck out its flap, flying upwards and circling Harry's head. He hastily batted it away with his wand until it hovered before him again.
Draco smiled slightly, "Isn't much fun, is it?"
Harry gave Draco a pointed glare and went to prod it again, only this time instead of moving, the envelope dropped to the floor. It opened itself all of the way magically, a shrewd form of light flying from within the envelope, knocking Draco and Harry to their butts as a shrill whistle-like sound echoed from the Great Hall walls. The whistling dulled as the blueish-colored light began to form a distinct shape.
A distinct shape of a human.
Draco swallowed painfully, and looked up at it with awe as its legs, arms and head began to form. It wasn't long before the body of a child stood in front of them, etched by light. The little girl turned her glowing blue eyes to Draco.
She smiled and nodded at him. "Draygon."
Draco licked his lips and tried to keep his voice from cracking as in a soft voice, he said, "Sully."
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5 Reviews = Next 2 parts.