Symphony of Sorrow
By: Dragons Love Their Lions
Rating: R
Length: Novel-length, at the moment.
Warnings: Slash, violence, some rather queasy imagery, and definitely a lot of cursing. If you don't like, then don't read this story. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I write scenes in great detail, particularly if they contain blood and/or gore. And this story will be rather graphic. So, if you don't think you can handle it, then don't read it. Don't flame me to complain. This is your one warning.
Summary: Draco Malfoy, a Curse-Breaker? That was Harry's first thought as he looked up at the blonde man that sat in a chair beside his hospital bed. He also wondered why he hadn't heard about it. When a curse is detected that caused Harry to be the victim of a horrible accident, Draco Malfoy is assigned to find out what it is that is afflicting the young man, and exorcize it. While Harry struggles with feelings that he had thought forgotten, Draco begins to see just why he loved the green-eyed boy in the first place. But in a world still filled with suspicion and doubt, will the two ever see eye-to-eye again? Some one is determined to see the two meet an untimely demise, and when Draco suddenly disappears, Harry knows something is wrong. The only one who can help him? Ginny Weasley. She seems to know something that she isn't letting on. But will it be too late? And will Harry ever be able to tell Draco that he still loves him?
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters therein. I only own the plot to this story, so please, don't sue! JKR, did you hear that?
The chill of the winter wind made him shiver as he walked hurriedly down the street to his flat in London, eager to get out of the cold and in front of his fireplace. His breath was like smoke in the air, and snow lay sprinkled in his unruly black hair. Emerald eyes were weary from an entire day of studying, and he had no desire to do any more of it that night.
Harry James Potter, now twenty-one and an Auror trainee for the Ministry of Magic, was having a bad day. Since the fall of Voldemort, he'd been working hard to show others that he was not a saint to anyone anymore. Being an Auror was enough work to keep his mind from drifting into the past. So many had been lost...
Percy Weasley had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had finally reconciled with his family and had become an important asset to the Order's cause. On the night of the final battle, Voldemort had shown up at the Ministry, and of the seven witches and wizards killed, he had been the first. That had been three years ago, and still it was Ron's motivation as he also trained to become an Auror.
Among others that had died that night, one only was burned into Harry's mind. The Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, the most powerful supporter of Lord Voldemort, dead at the hands of his only son. It was no Avada Kedavra that had taken the proud pure-blood's life; no, Draco had seen to it that his father had suffered. A variation of the Cruciatus curse, it kept the soul from leaving the body until the caster deemed it fit to let the victim die. Lucius had killed his wife with it, and Draco had gotten his revenge. It was the most horrible death Harry could imagine, but he had already known Draco would do it. Draco had told him, and had trusted Harry to let him kill Lucius, and Harry had agreed.
Three years, four months, and five days since that fateful night. And every day of it, Harry had tried to forget that pain on the elder Malfoy's face and the look of triumph and satisfaction on Draco's.
But he could never forget. So many things he could force from his mind, but never that. It was ingrained in his memory for eternity.
Harry unlocked the door to his flat, stepping inside and shutting the door quickly. Out of habit, he turned and locked it, then took off his coat, hung it on the coat rack, and went into the kitchen to get a cup of hot chocolate. The house-elf had already tended to the fire, and, cup of hot chocolate in his hand, Harry threw himself down in his favorite armchair by the fireplace.
The flames danced in his emerald eyes, as he sipped his drink. Slowly, his eyelids drooped shut, and he dropped off to sleep. The cup of hot cocoa slipped from his hand and fell to the floor, the mug shattering and staining the carpet. The candle on the table beside him fell over as he moved his arm.
Harry slept on.
"We have a burn victim, Dr. Granger! Third-degree on the neck and arms!" a frantic blonde witch screeched. She looked ready to have a panic attack; it had been her first time on the field.
Hermione Granger, head Mediwitch of the Burns division of St. Mungo's, nodded. "Do you know their name?" she asked, anxious. Hermione grew nervous as the witch hesitated, not meeting her eyes.
"Um...Dr. Granger, it's...it's Harry Potter." she stammered, head down. Hermione's face when pale, her eyes wide.
"Where's Deana?" she demanded. The woman pointed down the hall, and Hermione was gone in the blink of an eye.
Several doctors had crowded into the emergency area, all speaking in hushed voices about Harry's condition. Hermione pushed through all of them, dread filling her heart. She gasped and nearly started sobbing when she saw him.
His face, she was thankful, was untouched, but from the middle of his neck to his stomach, the skin was burnt nearly to the point of disrepair. Blood and liquified, jelly-like skin made a mess of his previously unblemished body. Hermione wanted to vomit and cry, but she knew neither would help the best friend who was like a brother to her.
Without a word, she set to work. She started off with basic spells to stop the bleeding and swelling of the revolting skin, then began the more advanced spells for skin repair. The magic required for such a job took a lot of energy, and Hermione tried her best to fight the fatigue as the skin slowly came back together. It would scar, but at least he would live, if she had anything to say about it at all.
Finally, her job was done, and she collapsed down into a chair beside Harry's bed, breathing heavily and head swimming. Deana came up and took his condition down on a notepad, giving Hermione an encouraging smile. Hermione returned it silently, holding Harry's hand and watching for him to open his eyes.
The entire Weasley family practically came running into Harry's room, to find a teary-eyed Hermione holding Harry's hand and watching his eyes. Ron nearly ran into everyone as he rushed forward to see his best friend and partner-in-crime. Even the twins were solemn.
"Will he be okay?" he asked her, anxious. Closing her eyes, she answered him as he hugged her.
"I...healed his burns, but as to when he'll wake up, I don't know. He's running a high fever, so he's in a coma-like state. If his fever lowers, he should wake up soon after." she explained. Turning to the group of familiar redheads, she smiled tiredly. "It's good to see you all again. Remus should be here soon, to check up on him." she said, glancing at Harry once more.
Draco was visiting his uncle Severus when he heard the news that Harry Potter's flat had burned to the ground, and Potter himself had been taken to St. Mungo's for treatment of third-degree burns.
Now he was being dragged bodily down the halls of the wizard hospital, as Severus searched for his wife. No one could believe it when Hermione had announced her engagement to Severus, but they were happily married now, and had been for two years. He had let her keep her last name, as Hermione Snape was a very unflattering name.
"Uncle Severus, unhand me!" Draco demanded, trying to pull free of the older man's grip. "This is ridiculous! You didn't have to drag me here to find Hermione, and you don't have to treat me like some child and control me anymore!" he said, in a raised voice. Without a glance at his nephew, Severus dropped his wrist and continued walking.
Draco glared and threw himself down in a chair in the waiting room. He heard Hermione greet Severus, rather loudly, and it annoyed him. What did he care if Potter was in the hospital? It wasn't as if they were on good terms.
"Draco?" Ginny's quiet voice said, from the hall. He glanced up at her, then back down to the floor.
"What is it, Weasel? I like to brood in peace, and you're in the way." he said, sneering. Ginny shook her head, almost like she pitied him.
"Severus said you didn't want to come. Why did you stay?" she asked him.
"For your information, Weaselette...I can go anywhere I want, and if I want to sit in the waiting room of a hospital and glare at people, I can damn well do it." he said. She just turned and he heard her heels click as she walked back down to Harry's room.
"His fever is down...he should wake up soon. I think it would be best if we all cleared out so he has some peace when he does." Hermione explained. Everyone filed out the door and out to the waiting room. Ginny stopped.
"Draco left. He was here, earlier." she said, looking around and seeing him nowhere.
"My nephew will come and go as he pleases. He does not care for anyone but himself." Snape said. Ron was happy.
"Well, I'm glad he left. I don't much fancy fighting in the hospital waiting room when Harry is hurt." he replied.
Harry was suddenly aware that he was awake. His eyelids felt so heavy...he could not even lift them. He heard the steady bleep of the heart monitor, and suddenly it hit him that he was in the hospital. What was going on?
Slowly, he pried his eyes open. Bright white light overtook his vision, and he blinked to let them adjust. "Fancy seeing you here, Potter. If I recall, the last time, I was the one in the bed and you were nowhere to be found." Draco's sneering voice said, from a chair beside the bed.
When Harry turned to look at him, memories assaulted his mind. Memories of silver-blue eyes, pale skin, so many nights together...-Harry was shocked at himself. Hadn't he forgotten all that? "What do you want, Malfoy?" he said, a little more harsh that he had intended. Draco gave him a serious look.
"It's simple, really. You see, Potter...I happen to be a Curse-Breaker for the Department of Mysteries. And, unfortunately for us both, I've just been informed that you've a curse on you that needs breaking. And so, here I am. You're my new assignment." Draco explained, in an angelic tone.
Harry was dumbfounded. "A curse? What kind of curse?" he questioned.
"Well, seeing as how your flat burned down and you're in the hospital, I'd say some sort of prolonged-homicide curse. The aura is black, so it's incredibly strong dark magick. And it's my job to figure out what it is, protect you until I can I can do that, and then break it." he said, matter-of-factly. Harry was surprised.
"Curse-Breaker, huh? Didn't see you as the type, Malfoy. You know, a job and all. I figured since you were the heir to pretty much the largest fortune in wizarding Britain, and since you've gotten your inheritance from your dead parents, you wouldn't need to work." Harry informed him. Draco looked offended. He went off ona long tangent about his job.
A/N: Leave me a review! They're always appreciated!