A/N: I am so sorry it took me so long ot update. I had such a bad case of writer's block. I would stare at the computer screen for an hour and have nothing done. I am so soooooooooorry.
Disclaimer: Oh, well, it's time for the most depressing part of the intro. I don't own any of it. Nothing but the plot. Sighs
Thank You's:
Amila: No Neville does not have the scar. I don't like him enough to give him a mark of a powerful wizard.
Mon2: Thank you.
MoonLightKiss: Yay! I have a good story. :D
Lampshadesrgreat: Don't feel dumb. I do the same things all the time.
Lo26: You came back to me! You haven't reviewed in a while. I will take your advice (out of fear for my life) and I will NOT kill Harry. And your spelling/grammer is fine. Love and hugs.
Moonfairyhime: I didn't take it offensively. And the comment thing don't worry I'm easily confused.
Elinsaa: Yes they can cure Harry but they don't find out until later chapters.
I got lots of reviews! Happiness!!!!
Summary: Tell truth. I don't have clue what I'm doing in this chapter. Just bare with me.
OKIE DOKIE!!!! Here we go.
Inside Their Bones AloneOctober 15, the leaves were falling the grass was dying and Draco found himself in the Hospital Wing. Things were so different. In the short time Harry had been in a coma, the school had fallen apart. Nothing made sense. At least not to Draco.
He had barely left Harry's side the whole time. Everyone was telling to get him to let go of Harry. They were acting like he would actually die. But then again no one knew what he was doing. But still, it was hurting so bad. And they way everyone would treat him, others, themselves, it was even worse.
His watch flashed four o'clock. The door opened and the four o'clock foursome marched in. The foursome being Lily, James, Sirius, Remus.
They all looked the same as any other day. Lily wearing her green uniform, as she worked at St. Mungo's. James and Sirius in their usual black uniform with the Auror sign embroidered on the right shoulder. And Remus in his maroon robes.
They all wore the same expressions. Lily a stressed and grieving look. James had a irritated look. Sirius made a tired look. And Remus tried on the optimistic look, which always failed.
They all had the same introductory verse. Lily said, "Draco, you should eat more". James said, "Are you okay?". Sirius said, "Your hair looks dim these days." And then Remus' was, "You weren't at class today."
But there was something different today. Something Draco couldn't quite out. The way they carried themselves was all wrong. Lily, who usually wailed in calmly and delicately, walked with a stride with the intention to kill. James, who always had a confident walk, looked like he was some squirmish child. Sirius lacked his cocky step. But Remus had the most definite change. He walked with a stoop, holding his right wrist in his hand, while dragging his feet.
Everyone sat in their usual places. Lily on Harry's bed end. James in the seat across from Draco. Sirius sat on the floor by Lily's feet. And Remus sat by Draco. For a moment a t least. Close to immediately after Remus sat down, he stood mumbling about headaches and papers.
Usually the other three would have tried to convince him to stay but today they merely nodded at him with a light smile. Remus tried to smile back, but as soon as he was a stepping stone away from achieving a smile, he turned and ran out.
The tension that followed after Remus shut the door was enormous. It was almost oppressing. The adults seemed to be looking every which way except at each other. The silence was deafening. And Draco was afraid to break it. He simply stared at Harry hoping someone would say something. But No one did. They sat there on their usual seats and stared at nothing.
Four o'seven. Madam Pomfrey came in and opened the window, and gave the four of them a sad smile. And then dodged back into her office.
Lily, James, and Sirius seemed to have a pretty good idea of how the day worked too, because the second Madam Pomfrey shut the door Lily nudged Sirius with her foot.
"Is he okay?" She whispered to him. Sirius looked up at her and whispered back, "I don't know. He hasn't talked to me in a while."
James looked at them, "He's showing his signs of...", "Don't say it, James. We were so close to getting over that. Don't bring it back." Sirius scolded.
"You saw the red stain on his sleeve." James said back to him.
"Maybe something else happened." Sirius said.
"What? Do you think he was painting in his class?." Lily asked.
"He is a defense against dark arts teacher. Maybe something happened." Sirius defended.
"If his cuts were inflicted by something else his wound wouldn't have had time to leak to his robes. He's quick to heal only if he doesn't hurt himself. The werewolf hates it when he hurts himself. You know that." Lily argued.
Sirius was quiet. And so were the others.
"I hoped with Marie, he would stop, even when,... when Harry left.
Draco wanted to yell he's not going anywhere. He's staying here. But he didn't want to raise hopes. It was impossible to imagine finding a cure for Harry. So Draco was silent.
James stood and walked over to the door and looked out.
"Dumbledore isn't coming." He said.
Draco looked at his watch. The time was four twenty. Dumbledore should've walked through the door exactly one minute ago.
"He knows what Remus is doing. He knows we're trying to figure out what to do. He knows everything." Sirius said.
"Why won't he help us any more?" James asked.
"He never helped us anyway. The only way he could help us was to make us help ourselves. And that was never any help." Lily said mournfully.
"What am I going to do? I don't want him to do all the things he used to." Sirius put his head in his hands.
"Sirius," Lily said, tears forming in her eyes, "If Harry doesn't make it, and Remus doesn't get better, you may have to enroll him St. Mungo's again."
"NO! No, don't say that. They said if we enrolled him again... they said if we did he'd have to stay there. I can't do that. I-" Sirius was practically in tears.
"You have to. Can you imagine Marie going up in that environment? Having to run home to make sure her dad was okay? Can you?" Lily asked persistently, making Sirius look at her.
Sirius got up and ran out of the room, leaving the door open behind him. An invitation for James to follow him. Leaving Lily and Draco alone with of course a sleeping Harry.
"What's wrong with Remus?" Draco asked her.
"Nothing for you to waste your concern over." She said standing up. "Life will always go on rolling, so keep your eyes on the ball. Not anyone else's." She then left, and Draco looked at his watch again. Four forty-nine. The exact time she would've left.
Draco stared at the spot which she had previously owned and then at Harry's pale face.
'Keep your eyes on the ball.' The words echoed in Draco's head. 'Keep your eyes on the ball.'
"Keep your eyes on the ball." Draco murmured to Harry as he kissed his forehead. And ran out of the room to the library.
He ran non-stop through the halls. Dodging people and ghosts left and right. The closer he got to the library the faster he ran until he ran into Lewis Moon, a tall seventh year Ravenclaw boy, with semi-long brown hair, blue eyes, and a childish face.
Lewis looked at Draco and said "Library's closed." And then he walked off.
Draco looked at his watch and sighed. Five o'clock. Library closed early today, figures.
Hermione came around the corner and looked at Draco.
"Hi," She said readjusting her black shirt. That was all she wore these days black, nothing but black. She stared at him and then said, "I looked in the library, there was nothing, but Madame Pince said a new shipment should come soon. Kiya's looking in Diagon Alley for me. Until then, just breath. "
"We don't have that much time." Draco said.
"I know. We're working as hard as we can, Draco. I promise." Hermione tried to comfort, but she knew it wasn't working. Draco looked around and sighed.
"I'm going to dinner." He said and walked down to the Great Hall. He entered and looked for the people he would join today. Padme and Luna were in good conversation. Ron was talking with Dean and Ginny. Kiya was talking to... wait. No she wasn't. The person she usually talked to was gone.
"Keep your eye on the ball." He said turning out of the Great hall and running to Remus' office. He stopped outside the door to listen. And he listened for a long time.
"Remus," He heard, "Remus what's going on?" It was Sirius. He sounded desperate and scared. And as Remus replied he knew why. Remus sounded drugged as he said, "I'm fine. Everything is going great." Remus started to laugh a little as he said it.
"Remus, Remus baby c'mon. It's not okay. You have to stop this. For Marie."
Draco listened intently and heard the small sob as they slowly grew louder.
"Th-there's n-n-nothing w-wrong anym-mor-r-r-e!" Remus cried.
"Look at this."
Draco could only assume that Sirius had shown Remus his own cut.
And the sobs grew even louder. Draco stood holding a hand over his mouth. Trying not to breath to loud. Remus was suicidal when depressed. No not suicidal. Draco didn't know what he was. Unstable maybe. Draco didn't know.
"What happened to you?" Sirius asked. Remus sobbed and said, "I lost sight of the ball."
"There's no such ball that Lily talks of. Only the next minute."
Draco turned to leave. He ran and ran and ran. And ran into the Common Room, and up the twelve stairs to his room.
"There is no ball. There is no ball. There is no ball." He paced his room looking for something to focus on. The books? No, there's no answer in the books. He looked some more. The bed? No, there is no pleasure in the bed. Everything was getting hazy. Draco blinked and a tear slipped down his face.
He ran out of his room. And to the Hospital wing. He looked around. And spotted where Harry normally was.
"There is no ball. Only Harry." Draco whispered. He hurriedly walked over to Harry and kissed him on the lips. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of this." And Draco kissed Harry again and ran to the library. He knew it was closed, but he'd find a way to get in.
He arrived at the door at examined it. If the people at Hogwarts still did simple things for important thing it would make his life easier. Thank god. They didn't lock it. He entered and looked around. He found the usual books, the usual table, and chairs, but the unusual Hermione in the Library after hours. No wonder the door was unlocked.
"I thought you'd be here." Hermione said, "I started looking through the restricted section. So far I've found nothing. Grab a book and start looking."
Draco did as commanded. He grabbed 'Poisons and Cures, and all in between' and started reading.
There is no ball to focus on. All he could look forward to was the next minute, and the minute after that, and the one after that, and so forth. Maybe his minutes would lead him back to Harry.
A/N: Are you going to beat me up? Please don't. I'm sorry this is short this is where Draco really starts to research and I needed a stepping stone to help me. This was it. The theme 'Keep Your Eye on the Ball', popped out of nowhere it just made its way in there. I'm sorry in this chappie sucks, I'm trying. Lewis Moon will appear more frequently. I have major plans for him. And hope you all don't kill me. Please RR. Love and Hugs.
Love,
D. o. t. S.