This is a wee more bloody then my last chapters but nothing horrible. No need for a rateings upper.
On to my usually formalities-
Disclaimer: *Singing* I own Harry Potter and if you believe I have some land in a Florida swamp that you'd might like to buy!
Thanky to nice betas:
Kimmi- Thank ye kindly ma'am
Sky chief- who left a nice review then decided to offer herself as a beta. Which I held her to. Bwa ha ha. :) Thanks.
The nice reviewing people:
Tsuyuno- Thank you for all the reviews and whether it was me or Petunia you were calling an evil Beeyatch I agree. lol. I'd love to kill off Malfoy but I don't think Harry would be too happy with that. :)
Anonymous- Thank you. I'm glad you liked the letter. I'm continuing as fast as I can. :D
RaevenWynter- I am sorry to inform you but your collection of guilt faeries, which you flung at me, were decapitated and eaten by my murder of crows. So sorry.
Yes it sucks that FFN took NC-17 down. It was the dumbest thing this web site has ever done. It doesn't effect my fics but they took down some really good ones that were in my favourites. Grrr Well I have to be careful or I'll go into a rant.
Any woo thanks for the groovy review
mistykasumi- I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the review and I shall write as fast as I can.
Draco Malfoy-N-Harry Potter- Yes Fanfic net has a history of screwing up as soon as you want to either post or leave a review. I'm glad you went through all the trouble to leave me one. : ) Of course I just left you hanging. Cliff hangers are fun and evil. Thanks for the review.
Portuguese-Girl- Good. I'm glad you found the last chappy funny. I love thick headed Ron. He's so fun to write. Yes Hermione must be the mature one or something horrible would happen to Ron. Thanks for the review especially the part about it being worshipped by millions. Very nice thing to say.
Londoncherry- Thank you. Writing the characters realistically is what I strive for the most. That and actually finishing a chapter quickly. (^_^) Hope you like this chapter too.
Nagini- Hey giant ferret is the best animal description of Draco. How can you hate Ronniekins!? He's so clueless it's endearing. lol Thanks for the great review.
Chireel- don't worry. I'm not planning on killing Draco off anytime soon. I continued as fast as I could I really did. Thank you for reviewing. :)
T'Maia- I am flattered. :) And since I got this review today you should be happy with the short wait for next the next chapter.
Tionne- Woo. Very coo long review! :) Yes more with Percy. Yay! Yes Ron does act like a two year old but he is adorable so its ok. Yep Ron read and took the letter but he's honest so he'll fess up to having it eventually.
See technically Draco woke up in the last chapter so that should be good enough for a while. Jk Pretty much all your questions will be answered in this chapter except Draco's reaction to Hermy and Ronniekins. And that's cool about the messenger thing. Hope I see you on sometime though I warn you the last conversation I had on it that sounded slightly intelligent was which Digimon could beat up which. :) Thanks for reviewing keep reading.
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Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to gash the skin; skin to strip, to plait, so nice to plait the strips, so nice, so red the drops that fall; blood so red, so red, so sweet; sweet screams, pretty screams, singing screams, scream your song, sing your screams......
Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World
*******
The ghost flew cautiously through walls, eyes darting about. He had to be careful, ever so careful. After his death, he had no wish to feel pain, much less the horrible pain the Malfoy mansion could cause to his form.
Giving a whole form shudder, he pushed through another wall and entered into a brightly light study. Two men occupied the room alongside... the ghost squinted slightly at the other as the aura (most ghosts could see them) rolled from the beast dark and thick like sludge. He floated in further, trying to ignore it.
"I do hope there is a reason for your interruption, spirit?" a harsh voice sounded to his translucent ears. Clancy hunched up slightly, like he was expecting a blow, more scared then irked about his name not being used.
Then he did something no self-respecting ghost would do to the living. He sank to the floor in a bow, sitting below the beast and Lucius Malfoy at the same level as the dumpy snivelling man, averting his eyes like a house elf. He felt disgusted with himself but didn't rise. He wasn't stupid.
"I've found your son," Clancy said, proud that at least his voice didn't quake in fear. There was no answer and he looked up quickly. Did he do that wrong? Was he supposed to address the beast?
"I..I- I mean, I've found his son...sir...er, Lord?...Master?"
The three in front of him ,the beast, the Malfoy and the cowering slug chuckled at his stuttering and he felt even more pathetic. His feelings were hardly mollified when, at a glance from the beast, the worm and the Malfoy were silenced like dogs.
"Have you now?" a voice hissed from the beast's mouth like a jet of steam. Clancy nodded, dumbfounded. "How excellent."
Lucius glanced at the beast. "If I may, Master?" he asked, his tone clipped and polite. The beast waved a hand towards Clancy.
"Of course, Lucius. Do enjoy yourself by interrogating the phantom." Red eyes gleamed in the fire light as the beast sat back in his chair watching his servant intently. The Malfoy turned to Clancy.
"So, ghost, you claim you have found my son." Clancy nodded eagerly.
"How wonderful that you happened to do this merely a day after I sent you to search for him." Clancy shrank back slightly, glee folding in on itself under the veiled meaning in Lucius's voice.
"But I did. On a train headed for Hogsmeade."
"Really. Again, it must be wonderful luck for him to be on the very train you were using to go to Hogsmeade. You never really had to look all that much, am I right?"
Clancy didn't nod or shake his head. He froze and would have gulped if he had saliva to do so. He felt a twinge of fear.
"Coincidence, I know, sir," Clancy said silently begging the man to believe him. "But it's true!"
"I see. My son was just sitting on the train beside you then?" Lucius crossed his arms and raised an elegant eyebrow. Clancy shook his head briskly and floated into the air a few feet.
"No, sir." he protested. "I met a young man on the train. The Weasley's youngest boy. He and his travel companions acted odd while boarding the train and I heard your surname in their conversation. This man separated from his friends and I, through subtle questioning, found out he was travelling with three other persons." Subtle questions and the fact that the man couldn't keep a secret, he added silently to himself.
"Get to the point," Lucius growled, no longer looking amused. "Why do I care who the Weasley vermin was travelling with?"
"Because, sir," Clancy squeaked "Like I said, I watched him enter the train, and he was with only two people. Two visible people that is. The other was invisible to wizards."
But not invisible to Clancy. His ghostly ability to see the auras of the living pierced through most magic, and he had clearly seen four auras. Clancy decided to keep that little fact to himself.
The blonde man pursed his lips, looking exasperated. Clancy knew that, if he still had the ability, he would be sweating bullets.
He fingered the arm hanging from his belt and willed his voice to go on.
"When I was questioning him, I found he knew the fourth person was there. That means his...Um, friend wasn't hiding your son."
The Malfoy looked slightly interested though he hid it well.
"And?" he prompted.
"The Weasley let out a few more slips and I had my suspicions about who he was with. I left and looked in on his companions." Clancy paused hoping that would give his news a dramatic flair. The look on the Malfoy's face showed the man didn't appreciate the effort.
"Your son was there, beside Harry Potter. I know it. "
Clancy stopped, not sure if he should go on. Lucius looked sceptical and the beast looked amused by his idiotic ramblings. The only one who seemed to not have listened was the worm with the unpleasant aura who looked very bored.
Clancy scowled. They would all see he was right. They had to. Besides, who could mistake Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Beast's Bane, the Thorn in the Dark One's Side? And, of course, Lucius' offspring wasn't hard to miss, what with the pale hair and fair skin that seemed to run in the family.
"Why, Clancy, you idiotic ghost, would my son be riding in a train with Harry Potter?" Lucius asked his voice rising in anger at the end of his question.
Clancy shrugged, blinking his eyes in a way he hoped would show innocence. "I don't know."
Perhaps he should have done more reconnaissance, but he really didn't care. He was anxious to receive the reward the Dark Lord had offered to his ghost spies. Some unknown magic he'd never heard of when he was alive.
He shrugged again. They had never told him to apprehend the runaway Malfoy child.
"Perhaps he's crossed over to Potter's side." He couldn't help but say it maliciously, hoping to wound the elder Malfoy. How had he gotten wrapped up in such things? Clancy considered himself to have been a rather good accountant when he was alive. Now, in death, he was a Death Eater's lackey.
Lucius glared at Clancy and the ghost shied away again.
"Or perhaps he was captured for being a Death Eater," Clancy babbled. "I'm sure there could be many different reasons," he added quickly.
Malfoy's pupils were pinpricks of dark ice and the red fire of his aura seared into Clancey's non-human eyes.
"And that's all you know?" Malfoy asked.
Clancy nodded.
"That's everything I saw. They're heading for Hogwarts and should be there by now."
The situation wasn't looking well for him. If only he had crossed over to whatever it was one crossed over to at death. Then he wouldn't have gotten wrapped up in these stories of power. After all, what power could he possibly get?
Lucius' aura was tinted with black and the beast's eyes glittered in amusement as he watched the spectacle before him.
Lucius nodded. "Very well."
Clancy felt a chill rise up his spine with a terror he never felt alive or dead. The look on the Malfoy's face gave Clancy the feeling he was utterly, utterly fuc-
"Et Bellum in vacuo."
Lucius flicked his wand in the direction of the ghost. A hard crystal surrounded the ghost and then shrunk, trapping him like a insect in sap. Lucius grabbed the crystal before the spell lost momentum and fell to the floor. He held the crystal up to the light. It twinkled and glinted, filled with its claimed spirit. The white cloud inside pulsated, straining to escape its prison.
Lucius looked completely in control, his grey eyes cold and neutral. The only change in his demeanour was a stiffened stance and a tightening of his jaw.
For a second, he looked as if he was about to place the orb gently on the table. Instead, he snarled and hurled the crystal and the ghost against the hearth. There was a burst of light and a sudden scream filled the room as the crystal shattered and consumed the spirit within in a flash of white hot fire. With a hiss and a faint smell of decay the fire roared back to orange flame.
"Lucius," a reptilian voice chided. The blonde man turned to his master, head bowed like a dog caught soiling the carpet.
"You really should control yourself. A spirit that can be used to spy is a valuable commodity." Voldemort didn't seem all that upset, just slightly amused.
Lucius nodded.
"Good." The Dark Lord gave a harsh smile spread to tight over his jaw bone.
"Shall I make preparations to retrieve Draco?" Lucius asked. He wanted his heir, the empty-headed blonde, back under his roof.
The young idiot. Running as the Aurors came. Did he think he had joined up with Harry Potter now? The ghost's taunt weighed on his mind. It wouldn't look good for him if Draco had defected.
"Of course," Voldemort nodded. "We mustn't let one of our own slip away. Have one of our ministry spies go to Hogwarts and 'claim' him."
The word "claim" made Wormtail shiver slightly. The ringing scream of the evaporating ghost still clung to his ears but he ignored it to stare blankly at his hand and listen to the conversation around him.
Lucius nodded and bowed to the Dark Lord, turning to leave the heavily draped study of his manor
"Oh, and Lucius…" The blonde man turned back to the beast lounging in the green velvet chair.
"Master?"
The beast's red eyes flashed. "If your son has turned, be prepared to kill him."
"Of course, Master." Lucius nodded once and walked out through the study door.
********
Snape stood glaring at Hermione as she pulled herself up from the cold, stone floor. She matched his gaze and was unhappy to learn he had not shrunk since the school year ended. He looked exactly the same as the last time she had seen him lurking in the corner at their graduation ceremony. The white scar that ran down his face tried to blend in with his skin but failed. It was even more pale then the unmarred skin of the dungeon-confined teacher.
At the beginning of Hermione's sixth year, the man had been confined to the hospital wing after appearing on Hogwarts grounds a bloody mess. Hiding under an invisibility cloak with Ron and Harry, she had heard about his exposure as a spy among the Death Eaters. Luckily for Snape, he had escaped with only a few visible scars. He hadn't taught the rest of that year or their seventh while he recuperated. Hermione had almost started to feel pity for him, until she ran into him (Not literally that time.) and he let forth a few typically scathing remarks. After that, she decided not to feel pity for a man who certainly didn't want it.
"Well?" Snape hissed, pulling her out of her memories. "I am waiting for an answer. I distinctly remember you and the rest of your Gryffindor brats graduating, against my better judgment, so you have no business here, especially in the middle of summer. I hope you have an extraordinarily good reason and do not force me to call the authorities."
Hermione opened her mouth and had every intention of explaining the current situation, but she was cold and tired and slightly hungry. So instead of keeping a cool head, she said, in as harsh a voice as she could muster, "I bet it really kills you that I'm not a student and you can't take away points. Now all you can do is give idle threats."
She felt quite taken aback at herself, but Snape seemed unfazed. Hermione had the feeling she wasn't the only student to ever sass him after graduation. Still, she felt both a bit ashamed and a bit proud and wished Ron had been there.
"I'm afraid, Miss Granger," Snape said, even colder than she, "that no one is impressed with blatant disregard for authority. Would you kindly tell me your reason for being here?"
She actually felt relieved that he wasn't offended. She blinked once before answering. "Sir, it's about Malfoy."
The Potions Master raised an eyebrow, demonstrating a detached sense of interest. "Lucius? What trouble is the man causing now?"
"No, sir," Hermione said, after she figured out what Snape meant. "I meant... um, little Malfoy."
Amusement flickered in Snape's black eyes.
"Draco? I doubt he'd appreciate being called 'little Malfoy.' What is it about him that you find so pressing?"
"Malfoy, sir... Draco's very sick, sir. Very sick. It's like... like blood poisoning …"
Hermione gestured as she tried to figure out what she meant. This seemed to be one of those times when she would panic and forgot everything. Like how to light a fire when her best friends were about to be strangled. The words she wanted to use were slipping from her mind. Snape kept his eyes on her, a look of general dislike plastered on his face, but he seemed to be waiting for the explanation. She stopped, hoping to clear her mind and start over again.
"Hermione!"
Ron rushed around a corner, coming up to her drawing in gasping breaths.
"I looked and I couldn't find… Oh." His eyes fell on Snape and he went silent. The older man glared at them.
"I should have known that Weasley would be here as well. Am I also to assume Mr Potter is here?"
Ron nodded, chest still heaving.
"He should be at the hospital wing with Malfoy," he blurted .
"And again I ask, Ms. Granger, since you are no use for information, what is the problem with Draco?"
Hermione ignored Ron's death glare at the Potions Master and shook her head to free up her thoughts. She knew the name and the symptoms. It finally came to her, right as Snape opened his mouth to snap again.
"Aegerinse," she said coolly.
Snape's obsidian eyes widened. "Pardon?"
Ron gave a confused look, not understanding what Hermione was going on about.
"The symptoms are all there. It's a poisoning of magic in the blood."
"I know what Aegerinse is, Ms. Granger. How?"
"He has the Dark Mark..."
Snape was already off down the hall towards the hospitable wing, not waiting for Hermione to finish her sentence, his face so white the scar disappeared from view.
"We need to get Dumbledore," Hermione said, grabbing Snape's sleeve before he got too far. He jerked away from her with a gaze one usually reserved for garden slugs.
"Albus is undoubtedly already on his way to the infirmary. I suggest we quit wasting time and make our way there also while Draco still has a chance."
He gave her a slight glare as if testing her to see if she would be bullied. "Do try to keep your head, girl."
A million thoughts raced through Hermione's head. A thousand insults here and a thousand curses there. How dare he treat her in such a way? She was an adult now. She was entitled to a certain level of respect.
It was Ron who kept her from doing anything rash. He took her arm, and in those few seconds Snape walked away. Hermione clenched her teeth, the anger draining. She started after the man.
"He's right. Come on, Ron. Lets go."
********
Harry stared dully at Draco. He had arrived in the Hospital wing to find that Madam Pomfrey was away in France and Ginny had been put in charge of the infirmary. She was so shocked to see Harry with Malfoy that she stood just gaping as Harry placed Draco on a bed. She snapped out of it though when she got a good look at Malfoy. Harry could hardly blame her.
The faded black robe Draco wore hung like drapery from a frame so thin Harry found it painful to look at. Purple streaks assaulted closed eyes and his pale skin was sallow and clammy instead of the usual milky. When Ginny looked at Draco's wrist, her frightened gasp quickened through the room. She bent her head over him, wand in hand, and started what Harry recognized as a diagnosis spell.
"Harry." A warm voice from behind him made him start and turn. Dumbledore lay a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and sat himself on the bed beside him.
"What brings you here?" The older man asked, eyes moving to look sadly at Draco's prone form. Harry gave a head shake. He understood the man had already a vague idea of what was happening.
"I couldn't let Draco die on me. Not if I can help him," Harry said mournfully, wanting to drop his gaze to his feet. The headmaster nodded.
"Of course."
Harry gave a slight look of surprise, wondering whether Dumbledore had already known about his relationship with Draco, was very good at hiding his surprise, or was too old to be surprised anymore. Or maybe none of the above.
At this point he didn't think he really cared.
"Can you help him?" Harry asked.
"I don't know." The man shook his head unhappily. "An Aegerinse can be a tricky thing to fix."
At Harry's surprised glance, he shook his head again. "It's a blood poisoning with the use of uncontrolled magic, usually dark, in a body. In this case, the uncompleted mark's magic is leaking out of the pattern it was meant for, doing things it should not be doing."
Harry nodded, thinking he understood, but he couldn't be sure. This was more of a Hermione thing, wasn't it?
"I thought maybe it was like a booby trap left by You Know Who, so people didn't think they could change their minds during the ceremony."
"Call him Voldemort, Harry," Dumbledore chided gently. "And it may very well be just that."
"Though I wouldn't put it past him, it would be very unlikely anyone could ever leave during a ceremony anyway. Frankly, I'm curious how Draco got away at all."
Snape's voice came quiet and snidely from in front of them. Harry looked up to see the Potions Master standing in the doorway with Ron and Hermione looking in behind him.
Snape seemed more interested in Draco then in glaring at Harry. Dumbledore stood, but Harry remained seated, moving his gaze to the floor.
"Severus."
Dumbledore stood up to greet the Potions Master. "I was hoping to have your perspective on this matter."
He gave a nod to both Hermione and Ron before beckoning all three to come over.
"Ms. Weasley, yours too."
Ginny looked up from where she plainly thought she had been standing inconspicuously and walked over, looking nervous. They stood in a half moon, giving the headmaster their attention.
"Although one must work quickly against a magic poisoning, I would like to know how you ended up with Mr. Malfoy. I though you were at your Aunt and Uncle's."
At this question, Dumbledore looked very interested. Harry relaxed a bit. At least Dumbledore didn't seem to know everything, which was a relief.
"Yes, Potter," Snape said with a sneer. He was standing back, aloofly making sure he wasn't too near Ginny. "Was it a grandiose capture that has Draco in your presence?"
Harry shook his head. "No! He came to me at the Dursley's. He wanted help." I think, he added silently.
"Why would he come to you?' Snape asked, curious suspicion evident in his voice
"We…" Harry started slowly, unsure exactly what to say. He wondered briefly if he should lie. Ron and Hermione would probably go along with it. The thing was, he didn't want to lie anymore. He'd lied about Draco when they were together and he lied to himself when they broke up. He didn't want to do it anymore. Besides, Dumbledore seemed to know and Harry was sure the man wouldn't appreciate his lies. Harry took a calming breath.
"We... were intimate. Dating. Together."
That wasn't so hard. Ginny's eyes had gone wide in surprise and Hermione had a bemused look. He took another small breath.
"That's why he knew to come to the Dursleys."
Snape raised an eyebrow but gave no more evidence of his shock and dismay. But then, one does not spy among Death Eaters and get out alive, if one shows one's emotions.
"Is that so?"
"You got a problem with that?" Ron pushed past Hermione to glare at Snape.
Harry almost smiled. It was nice to see Ron wasn't holding a grudge. Or if he was, it was against Snape and not him.
Snape glared at Ron. "I would think Draco would have better taste than to choose someone so repugnant as Potter."
"You shou-" Ron started to cuss at the Potions Master but Hermione covered his mouth with both her hands.
"Quiet, Ron," she scolded.
He said something muffled before rolling his eyes and finally shutting up. Hermione took her hands away and wiped them on her robe.
She looked the group over. "I think the whys and hows of Harry and Malfoy getting together are all moot points. Shouldn't we be working on a way to save Malfoy?"
"Well said, Hermione," Dumbledore said, with a nod. "A petty squabble will help us little."
He sent a glare at both Ron and Snape. Ginny raised her hand, still looking nervous.
"Yes, Miss Weasley? You are allowed to speak without raising your hand."
Ginny dropped her hand quickly. "Oh. Thank you. Can I give Malfoy some potions?"
Snape quirked an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something. Ginny flushed but got a determined glint in her eyes.
"I meant, may I go give him his medicine? It won't interfere with any spells you'll use later. Just to help his body stay alive longer. Unless you'd rather someone else take over…" she trailed off.
"I am sure you know what you are doing," said the white-haired man. "Poppy trusted you enough to leave you in charge."
Ginny didn't look too reassured by that but gave a nod at his approval. Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Severus, may I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course."
The two men pulled away from the groups and began talking in whispers. Hermione looked at them interested and Ron glared at Snape. Harry slid down off the bed to stand near Draco's bed, watching Ginny hopefully. She saw him and gave a weak smile.
"Don't worry, Harry. I'll make sure he's fine," she said, but didn't look too confident, biting her lip as she pulled a bottle out of a cupboard.
Ron wandered over, looking slightly interested before resting a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Snape's a git, ok, Harry?" he said, not looking too confident either.
Harry smiled back. Ron was more upset by Snape's remark then Harry had been. Ginny's movement made him look over at her and Draco. She had pulled the sleeve up on his good arm and poured a few drops of potion on it. With a flick of her wand, the liquid was absorbed. Draco's body convulsed and Harry gave a strangled yell. Ginny looked up sharply and Ron grabbed his arm before he tried to grab Draco.
"It's not hurting him, Harry. He's too out of it. It's just this potion taking effect." she told him.
He relaxed and Ron dropped his arm. Ginny ran a finger over the skin and did another spell, which flashed green light. She shook her head, appalled.
"Damn." She looked up, biting her lower lip, her pale eyes troubled. "Ron, hand me the green bottle marked Black Sun."
Snape looked up from his conversation with Dumbledore, his eyes bright in surprise. "Do you really think that's necessary, Ms. Weasley?"
She looked up grimly. "For sure."
"That is a very harsh potion," he answered, stepping towards her. He looked ready to argue.
"I know, but look at this." She repeated her diagnostic spell, recreating the green light. "The magic is wreaking havoc. It's created an Aegerinse, as I'm sure you know by now. It's a really strong one. He has what looks like a fever on the outside, but inside his marrow, blood and heart are literally trying to freeze."
She looked up at the potions master, a desperate gleam in her eyes. "I just started training to be a mediwitch. I have no other ideas. I don't know. Do you know anything better?"
"No, I do not…" Snape answered, an unpleased look on his face. "It seems there is really no other choice."
Ginny sighed with relief.
Ron passed the green bottle gingerly to his sister under Snape's watchful eye. She carefully did the same as she had for the last potion, pouring a thin trail over the vein, using a spell to stop it from leaking off. Then she tightly re-stoppered the bottle and handed it back to Ron.
Harry looked at the potion that was causing so much uproar. It was a clear yellow and look pretty harmless. However, seeing how careful Ginny was not to get it on her wand or hand, he figured it wasn't as harmless as it looked.
The blonde's body convulsed again. Harry bit down hard, stopping himself from crying out.
"His marrow, blood and heart are literally trying to freeze." Ginny's words echoed mercilessly in his head. All the times he had called Draco a cold bastard, either affectionately or to hurt him, came back to him. The black magic was actually making that come true.
Dumbledore turned his blue eyes towards the potion master, the rest of the rooms' occupants doing the same. "Severus, You seem to have more knowledge when it comes to this situation. Have you ever seen this happen to another Death Eater?"
Snape shook his head. "Never. To my knowledge, it has never happened before. It must have been pure chance. The spell was stopped before the dark magic could latch on. He was lucky enough that it wasn't strong enough to kill him."
Harry swallowed hard and looked towards the dark haired man. "Can you fix him?"
Snape locked gazes with Harry. "No. There is nothing I can do. He would have to get Voldemort to finish the spell."
The man looked miserable at having to say it but Harry felt worse. He felt faint and tears came to his eyes. He was going to lose Draco. He could do nothing.
'Get Voldemort to finish it.' Harry might actually have considered somehow getting Draco to Voldemort if Draco hadn't so adamantly refused. No, that wasn't a option. Harry rocked on his feet, ready to fall over.
A memory surged up in Harry's mind. "I love you," he murmured into the soft, blonde hair.
If Draco died, he'd die too.
"Perhaps, I would be able to help," Dumbledore said, making Harry snap his head up.
Snape looked aghast.
"Albus, you can't possibly be suggesting you are going to finish the spell," Snape yelped. "The force alone could kill you."
"I am not that old, Severus," Dumbledore said, looking almost offended and giving Snape a look as if he were an insolent child. "Besides, we have no choice. I promised to protect all my students, past and present, and any innocent person who comes to Hogwarts for help, no matter what circumstances. Draco is both. Have you forgotten that?"
The end of the statement must have meant something to him for Snape looked ashamed for a moment. It quickly disappeared behind a stoic look. Harry took a deep breath, hope fluttering in him. If that could work…
"Isn't that dark magic?" Hermione asked, looking lost. "Can you do it?"
"The headmaster can do it. Don't be stupid, girl," Snape snapped. "The problem is the repercussions."
"Problems that won't arise, Severus. If you do not accept dark magic into you heart, it can have no hold over you."
"But..."
"Severus." The tone was stern.
Snape glared, then looked over at Draco. His hard face softened ever so slightly and he shook his head.
"Very well, Albus," he grated out as he turned back towards Dumbledore. "Since you are set on it and it should save Draco, I will instruct you on all I know of the spell."
The two men pulled off into the corner and Hermione, looking curious, followed them. Harry sat down heavily on a bed and Ron sat beside him.
"See, Harry. It'll be all right," Ron said kindly, not looking at all as if he believed his own words.
Harry nodded. He had to believe Draco would live and be alright and open his eyes. Harry didn't think anything past that. He leaned against Ron's shoulder, hoping it would all be ok.
******
Hermione shook her head in astonishment, heavy brown locks swaying with the motion. Neither of the men had shooed her away when she came over to listen, so she had assumed she was, if not welcome, at least tolerated.
Snape went quietly through the procedure, looking slightly ill. Hermione's nose turned up at the thought of this spell being performed on herself. She was never one for self-mutilation, (She didn't even have pierced ears.) and she couldn't imagine these sicko people who would actually let a man cut their arm.
The magic part was even more disturbing. They used blood bonding and other tricks she'd only read about in books from the restricted section. She could help but wonder how Snape knew so much of the procedure. How far up in the chain of command was he before they had found him out?
"As for the actual words of the spell..." Snape glared at Hermione. "Ms. Granger, please move away."
She glared back, matching his fiery look with an icy one of her own. "I don't see why I can't stay."
"This doesn't concern you," Snape replied.
"How could this not concern me? Besides, it's not like I'm planning on starting my own evil neo-Death Eaters group or anything."
Dumbledore sighed. "Severus, I think…" Hermione didn't get to find out who the Headmaster agreed with because Snape interrupted the man.
"Headmaster, the fewer who know how to perform a spell like this the better. I'm sure Ms. Granger wouldn't use the knowledge to harm. Nevertheless, I'd prefer telling only you how to do the spell."
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Very well. Hermione, dear, if you don't mind..."
She got the hint and nodded, sliding from the corner to the middle of the room.
She took her eyes off the men as they bent close together and trained her eyes on Harry and Ron instead. Harry looked like he had fallen asleep against Ron's shoulder.
She walked closer, watching carefully. Even in sleep Harry didn't look his usual peaceful self. She turned from his troubled face toward that of Malfoy. He looked worse than Harry, with waxy skin that was stretched too tightly against his bones. He looked more dead than alive.
Ginny bustled about between the beds, once bumping her legs against Ron's knee but not bothering to stop. She was looking the part of a trained nurse, leaving Hermione wondering how many lessons the red headed teen had received. She seemed to know what she was doing.
Hermione looked between Harry and Malfoy. Harry had said dating. Did they call each other boyfriend? 'Intimate'? When had that happened? Did they go on dates? Hermione had so many questions she wanted to ask Harry, or even Malfoy if he would answer. She hated having unanswered questions. She hoped this would be over soon.
"Granger."
Hermione almost leaped up screaming as Snape's silky voice came from over her shoulder. She turned to him, clenching her teeth, hoping he hadn't noticed how much he had surprised her.
"Yes?"
"I'm done. We're almost ready to start."
"I'll tell Ron and Harry."
She walked over to the bed with Snape close behind her. She shook Ron's shoulder gently, making him look up.
"It's almost time for him to start."
Ron poked Harry. "Wake up, mate. Time to wake up again, Harry."
Harry's green eyes snapped open, with a bit of sleepy mugginess still clouding them. "It's starting?"
"Yep. Sorry to wake you up." Ron said, standing and pulling Harry with him.
"He'd want to be awake for it." Hermione said, matter of factly.
"Mr. Potter, will be needed to help anyway," Snape said. "As will you three." He gestured to Ginny, Ron and Hermione.
"How?" Hermione asked, confused. She thought they only needed two people for the ceremony. That's what Snape had said when she was allowed to listen. Why would he change his mind now?
"Not for the actual spell, Granger," he said, giving her his version of the evil eye. "The four of you will have to hold Draco down."
"Hold him down!" Ron repeated, appalled. Ginny mirrored the look and Harry's face went three shades whiter.
"Yes," Snape said, not looking all that well himself save for an evil glint in his eye. "Getting the mark all at once is a very painful procedure, but in this case the process has been drawn out and will be all the more painful since the Headmaster is not used to doing such… macabre tasks. Compare a guillotine severing your neck to forty-five hits with a blunt axe. And I'm quite sure that Nick was intoxicated at the time."
Snape gave a smile that was more angry then anything else, as Harry looked about ready to faint. Hermione felt a flash of anger towards the Potions Master. He was being horribly cruel to Harry and he knew it.
"That's enough information, Professor," Hermione returned coldly.
Snape blinked, looking startled out of his description. Maybe he didn't realize what he was doing. He gave them a sneer.
"Then wait beside Mr. Malfoy, children, as I finish instructing the Headmaster." He turned, without bothering to give them a backwards glance.
"I hate him!" Ginny growled, standing beside the head of Draco's bed. Her lips were twisted into a tight scowl and her eyebrows were drawn low. The air around her hung hotly as the usually reserved girl glared daggers. Ron gave his sister a look.
"Doesn't everybody?"
He patted Harry's arm, giving his friend a smile, perhaps in an attempt to say "buck up."
Harry nodded vaguely, seeming almost dead to the world. Hermione bit her lip, worry blossoming for the man. What would happen if Malfoy did die? Would Harry just dry up and blow away? How could he have loved someone so much and neither Ron nor Hermione had known about it? She could think back now upon dozens of conversations with Harry where she should have pressed more, forced him to tell her what was going on.
"That's… not all. What if... what if I kill someone... a Death Eater, and I... I know him?" Harry had paled considerably at saying that and avoided looking Hermione directly in the eyes.
"Er… anyone in particular?
Hermione gave a slight head shake. Hindsight was always 20/20. Could she have even helped Harry? She could barely keep her own relationships going. She might have destroyed their relationship before it started. She shook her head again. She'd never know.
"Is that sterilized?" Ginny asked, sharply waking Hermione out of her reverie. Snape and Dumbledore had made their way over to the bed. Snape held a sharp silver dagger in his hand. Hermione had honestly no idea where he'd gotten it from.
The potions master gave Ginny an icy look, not bothering to answer her query. Dumbledore stood himself beside Draco, wand held evenly over the pale body. Snape looked at the people surrounding the bed. "Are we all ready?"
There were a few nods and murmurs. Snape nodded and fixated a look on Harry. "Mr. Potter, are you alright?"
Hermione looked at Harry, startled by the slight trace of concern in Snape's voice. Most unusual from the man who seemed to hate Harry with a passion. It was no wonder though, looking at Harry. He still looked ready to faint or even keel over dead. His green eyes were watery and listless, his lips pulled tightly and worried. He wore a look tainted with horror. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and sent him a copy of Ron's "buck up" look. Harry nodded, tightening his jaw wilfully. He turned to face Snape, eyes now blazing, defiant and stubborn.
"I'm fine," he said, his voice surprisingly not hoarse but silky. He still didn't look fine, but Snape nodded coolly with acknowledgment, not pressing the matter.
Harry turned his new, hard look on Malfoy, giving Hermione the impression that he was going to hold onto the blonde's lifeline with claws and teeth if need be.
"Then let's begin." Snape's voice cut the air.
Hermione looked down at Malfoy, unsure what she should do. How did one prepare to hold down a body? Besides, Malfoy was unconscious. How much damage could he do? Well, she was about to find out, she supposed.
She decided to let her hands hang at her sides, tense and ready to grab a flailing leg. Ron did the same, now white under his freckles, and Ginny had re-spelled for diagnosis and was tucking her wand by Draco's head.
Harry had wrapped his hands gently around the blonde's right arm, not holding down, just touching. She turned, heart broken, to watch Snape. She shivered as he placed some sort of spell she didn't catch on the blade. It sounded dark enough, though.
Racing through her mind came all the stories about old medical procedures she had heard back at her Muggle school.
In those days, amputations were performed where the patient had a piece of wood to bite, where they drilled into the skulls of people infected with chicken pox to rid them of evil spirits hidden inside. She thought of old fashioned medicine with knives, with no magic or even Muggle anaesthetic.
Hermione shuddered as another thought hit her. She was about to witness a dark ceremony.
Shape held Malfoy's arm carefully, making a cut parallel to the other on his arm. Hermione closed her eyes, unable to actually watch a man cut into living flesh. Harry hissed sharply beside her making her teeth clench .
They had to keep silent so Dumbledore could concentrate. She peeked out of one chocolate brown eye and wished she hadn't. She fought the urge to shut her eyes and plug her ears like it was the scary part during a horror movie.
Fresh blood welled up, first in a tight line and then, as too much accumulated, spilling over, streaking down Malfoy's pale arm in dark red tears. Despite all this, Malfoy lay placidly while Harry grew more and more distressed.
Snape gave a nod to Dumbledore and stepped back, allowing the man room. Then the dark spell began.
She was amazed that such horrid, guttural words could come out of Dumbledore's mouth. They were hard and twisted, a distressing mix of Latin and some forgotten language.
"Ackorn nith et vox ad patres"
It was a short spell but it was repeated, chant-like, filling the room with a chill.
Dumbledore's voice was only a hoarse whisper and even that made Hermione want to run and cover her ears. How someone could revel in the dark arts, playing with spells darker and more twisted then this was beyond her.
At the tip of the headmaster's wand a tentacle of reddish power appeared. It went to the fresh blood like a hound after a rabbit, quivering in anticipation. It leaped to the cut and forced its way in. The pale skin bulged and Malfoy started kicking.
Hermione quickly realised she hadn't the upper body strength to hold Malfoy down and jumped on his leg a second before he kicked Dumbledore square in the face.
"Ackorn nith et vox ad patres"
The power that came out of Dumbledore's wand went white as it entered the body, rushing to the black residue of You Know Who's spell.
With a slight reaction to each other, it seemed that the two powers began a battle. Harry moaned when Malfoy's eyes slid open. The blonde looked awake but the dead look in his eyes showed that to be a false awakening.
But he began screaming as though he was awake. It might have been the dark magic's fight for survival, or maybe it was simply Draco Malfoy screaming as the harsh pain washed over him in waves.
The light tried to pull at the dark; the dark wormed its way back, growing large and cold. Malfoy bucked even harder and Harry threw all his weigh on Malfoy's right arm and torso while staring into his dead eyes, leaving Ron to help Ginny with the other side.
Dumbledore sweated, his eyes seeming to age in the struggle. He still chanted the spell, but his voice was weakening. Snape squeezed his shoulder supportively.
Tears leaked down Harry's face as he kept his hands hard against Malfoy's chest, pinning him down. Both Hermione and Ron were gasping for breath as the thin blonde's bucking became weaker and slackened slightly.
The only person who seemed unfazed was Ginny, who was now keeping a wand trained on both Malfoy's and Dumbledore's vitals. Even so, she shuddered as the screams still ringing loud and clear through the room, grew shrill and pleading.
Finally, just when Hermione thought she was about to retch, Dumbledore's wand slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
He leaned back against the chair, looking ready to collapse, thin hands shaking in his lap. Ginny pushed Ron aside to get to Draco. She worriedly took a reading with her wand before lightly touching his throat with a healing charm. She breathed a sigh of relief, then looked up at Dumbledore and paled.
"Oh Dumbledore, sir!" She rushed over to the old wizard to take a reading.
"Let me help you up." She put an arm under his shoulder and helped him over to a bed. He leaned against her, wheezing.
"You should rest, sir. You need to," the girl babbled.
He nodded, closing his eyes as soon as he hit the bed. Ginny immediately rushed over to the potion cabinet and rummaged through. Snape stood up taller, walking over to Ginny.
"I shall have the house elves make up his room. When it is ready, you can bring him there."
"I really think that he should…" Ginny started to protest but stopped when Snape gave her a look and turned his back on her.
"Fine."
Snape gave Malfoy one more look before stalking out. Ginny made a face after him and then busied herself giving the headmaster a potion. She watched, concerned, as he carefully drank the goblet that she held to his lips.
Hermione turned towards Harry, who had gone still paler. His hand still rested on Malfoy's chest and she watched it tremble. He was looking at the completed mark, eyes wide and misty.
Her heart broke and she wrapped her arms tightly around him. He slipped off the bed and into her hug, trembling harder. It was as if she caught a bird in her hand and felt its thudding heart. He shook against her. She stroked his hair.
"Shh, it's ok," she murmured.
"He should get some sleep," Ginny said, looking up from the bottles she was wiping with a cleansing spell. She gave a disapproving stare to both Ron and Hermione. It was a look that rivalled her mother's.
"When is the last time he slept? Or ate? He's worn out and if you aren't careful, he'll end up in here right beside Malfoy."
Hermione just nodded, not wanting to talk back. She knew when he slept last but it couldn't have been a good sleep. She was getting tired herself and Ron looked ready to fall over.
"Where should we go?"
Ginny stopped her cleaning and thought for a moment. "Gryffindor tower is clear. I'm staying in the room off the hospital wing. You should be able to make it there before you collapse."
She shook her head. "None of you three look very well."
Ron shot his sister a glare, which she tactfully ignored. "The fat lady doesn't need a password in the summer, so you can just get in."
"Ok." Hermione agreed that was the best sounding place to sleep.
"Good night," Ginny said.
Ron wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and Hermione wrapped one around his waist, leaving Harry to worry only about putting one foot in front of the other. He tried to stay on his feet but sagged in their arms.
Hermione figured he wasn't so much physically tired as mentally and emotionally drained. She still had a chill from the memory of the screaming and only this morning did she learn Malfoy could be likeable. And that Harry loved him.
Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around that. It still came like a slap of surprise. Harry loved Malfoy.
Harry and Malfoy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. She mused idly, her exhausted mind playing with weird, unnatural thoughts.
First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in a baby carriage. It was bizarre.
They finally made it to the tower and let themselves in under the uninterested eye of the Fat Lady. Once in the common room, Harry detached himself from Hermione and Ron and made his own way to the seventh year boy's dorm. Ron and Hermione followed wearily, ready to rush in if he looked about to faint or, in all likelihood, cry.
Harry reached the bed he had slept in seventh year and pulled the ruby curtains, blocking out the room.
"Harry…" Hermione started softly, crouching by the bed, with Ron looking unsure in the doorway.
"N-not right now, Herm." The man's shaky voice sounded hollow, as if he were on his death bed, small and pitiful. It was followed by the same voice starting a silencing charm before only quite came from behind the curtains.
Ron sat on his old bed beside Harry's with a thump. He stared, slightly hurt, past Hermione to the closed red curtains, his eyes still wide from the day's events.
"Bugger!" he said, summing up his whole range of feelings into that one word.
The mattress squeaked as Hermione sat beside him. She could feel her legs tremble as she pressed some weight upon them. She pulled up so her feet no longer touched the floor then turned to Ron.
"I think..." She drifted off. "Tomorrow. He'll talk to us tomorrow."
"Ron nodded faintly. "Yeah... maybe."
He swung his legs onto the bed, to lie with his head on the pillow. His face was more thoughtful than usual and a bit pained. It was the face of a man with too much to think about.
Hermione shook her head. Then again, didn't they all have too much to think about now? She swung her legs over as well, so she could lay by Ron.
"Are you ok, Hermy?" Ron asked her gently. She nodded, staring up at the bed's canopy.
"I think so. You?"
"I guess," he said, unsure. "Better then Harry."
"Yeah."
They fell into silence for what seemed like hours but was probably only about ten minutes. The silence was broken by Ron's yawn. Hermione turned to look at him, touching his arm to get his attention.
"We should go to sleep. It's late and it was a long, weird, stressful day."
"Wow," he said, almost wistfully. "Has it only been a day? Seems like months since breakfast."
"Yeah." Making conversation was hard. Was it because she was so tired or just greatly disturbed by the day's events?
She didn't want to go to the empty girls' dorm, but she really needed to sleep. She yawned at the thought of sleep.
Ron gave her a look, much akin to his mother's. Hermione smiled privately. Perhaps one of these days, when this whole mess was over, she'd tell him that.
"You're right Hermione. We should go to sleep."
"I know… Ron?" She closed her eyes for a second. This was going to be the most babyish thing she'd ever done. She never even asked her parents this.
"Yeah?"
"Can I stay by you tonight?"
She was aware how pitiful her words made her voice sound, but wasn't going to take them back. Ron gave her a relieved look.
"Yes."
"Thanks," she said, shyly.
This wouldn't be the first time she'd shared a bed with Ron. Of course, the other time was a campout in Harry's bed during his fifth year to help him with his nightmares. It was a bit different from inviting yourself to sleep in the same bed with just one person.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask," Ron said, finally.
Hermione gave a smile.
"Thanks," he added.
She nodded and murmured something incoherent, putting her head upon the pillow and snuggling close to the red head.
Tonight she would forget about any feelings, hidden, unreciprocated or other wise. She didn't want to be alone.
He hugged her and she closed her eyes tightly, feverishly wishing for no dreams tonight. She drifted off, listening to Ron's breathing and feeling the rise and fall of his chest beside her.
********
~
He was floating in a dark room with no walls or floor. It was swelteringly hot and sweat poured down his pale skin. A glowing light appeared and he turned to greet it as it came towards him. It was a platform, free standing, of smooth grey stone. He stepped upon it.
Curiously, in the centre of it was a sheet, draped around the obvious shape of a body. He stepped nearer, the intense heat lowering and a light breeze rushing across his body. The sheet rustled a bit in the wind, but not enough to mask the slow rise and fall of the body's breath. He reached down, holding his breath, and tore the cloth away.
It evaporated into nothingness but he could care less. Eyes stared up at him, hot with lust, greener then a liquid emerald.
He fell upon the body, kissing the wet lips with a fire, never taking his eyes off the green pools. He was kissed back, hard but not brutally, while hands caressed his skin.
"Love," the sweet voice moaned in his ear as the eyes closed in ecstasy.
They pressed their mouths together but this time something was wrong. Cold ice ran up his arm, invading his blood and hardening his veins.
Gnarled fingers wrapped around his arm, pulling him away from the eyes. He gave a slight struggle but the nails of the hand dug into his flesh, making icy drops of blood well up and freeze solid. He fell limp, allowing his to body to be slowly covered in frost and be pulled off of the white platform.
There was a scream of rage as he was almost off. Hands grabbed his other arm. He looked over into the green eyes, which burned more slowly than with lust, raging at the beast on his other arm and shamed that he would let this happen. Both sides tugged and he started to slide of the platform, taking the eyes with him.
"Let go. Let me die. You'll be safe here at least," he begged.
"NO!" Harry screamed, giving Draco's arm another wrench. "I'll save you. I promise."
He was about to fall into the dark when a stronger white force joined Harry. Both the black and the white side tugged at Draco. He screamed as he felt his body rip apart. The sound tore from his throat over and over again. His bones crackled and popped. Blood pooled around his bare feet and over Harry's hands. Neither side would leave him.
All was pain and his screams and blood. A mocking laughter filled his ears, turning into a cry of rage when Draco slipped from the cold and landed alone in a pool of warm blood, his blood. A hand caressed his face and he leaned into the soft touch.
Quietly it came. "Don't worry. It'll be alright."
Pain. Blood. Pain.
The laughter again.
~
Draco sat up, gasping for breath. His stomach lurched. He rushed up from the bed to the adjoining toilet. Flipping up the lid, he retched, spitting out liquid and bile.
He fell back, coughing, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It came back sticky from his moist lips but he could hardly feel disgusted by that now.
His insides felt horrible and on top of that he was confused. Why wasn't he dead? He could remember dying, couldn't he? It felt like bleeding without blood. He remembered that feeling, that fading in his body but also… but he could also remember… What? He closed his eyes.
Lords.
He could also remember Harry.
Harry had been there. He could see it Harry holding him, telling him it would be ok. Then a muggy picture of Draco screaming at the man. The whisper of "I promise" in his ear.
Harry had been brought into Draco's mess. What had Draco done? He had promised to stay away from Harry. He wavered, feeling dizzy. Harry had to be why he wasn't dead. That was just Harry's style. It was always Harry's style.
Another wave of nausea came and he was over the bowl, heaving up nothing. His strength ebbed and he couldn't even pull himself from leaning over the toilet, feeling like he was going to die.
Alone and without Harry.
He groaned.
"Are you all right?" A quiet voice asked.
For a millisecond, he thought it was Harry but, no, it was a female voice. He snapped his head around, hunching up his shoulders, preparing to defend himself from attack.
A girl stood in the doorway of the room, looking at him worriedly. Her shoulder length hair was tied in a messy tail, so long strips of hair fell in front of her brown eyes. She had a white dress that hung below her knees and white Muggle shoes with thick rubber soles and black check marks. Her flame red hair and many dark freckles identified her as a Weasley. Vivian or something.
"Can I help you?" she asked, holding her arms in a coaxing, "I'm not going to hurt you" manner.
He attempted a sneer, but from her continuing looks of sympathy, he guessed it must just seem like he would be ill again. Maybe he would, but not in front of her. All his instincts flared, identifying her as the enemy. She was a Weasley which meant good, making her the anti- whatever he was supposed to be.
"I can handle it myself, Weasley."
He was happy to see that even though he couldn't look condescending, his voice dripped with it. He stood up confidently. He swooned less then confidently as his vision went red.
"Oh!" was all he could utter. The Weasley slipped in quickly, catching his arms and holding him steady.
"It's ok. Its just the combination of the spell and the potions I had to give you to keep you alive," she informed him.
It wasn't ok. The world had a grey tinge, like someone had slipped thin cloth over his eyes. Darkness ate at the edge of his mind. He swayed, but she went with him, holding him on his feet and pushing him forward.
"Just a little bit more and you're back to your bed," she said, trying to be encouraging. Her voice sounded like shouts in a fog muffled by invisible barriers.
"I'm going to die."
"No, you're not."
He fell onto the offered bed, darkness claming his vision.
"You're going to have to sleep it off," she said, blankets covering his body, which, he now realised, was barely clothed.
"You'll be hungry when you wake up again. What do you want?"
I'm going to die, he realized, blocking her out. Without Harry.
"Harry?" she asked, surprised.
He must have said it out loud.
It didn't matter, he was going to die and he wasn't going to see Harry again.
"Ok, he'll be here when you…"
Her voice was ignored as he slipped deep into the dark awning of sleep. His mind buzzed. He could almost remember a dream
He could almost remember Harry.
********
Harry slipped out of his bed and passed the one that contained the entwined bodies of his best friends. He exited the dorm and then the common room. The fat lady said nothing, just emitted light snores. The Gryffindor's feet padded softly on the stone, making only a gentle slap-slap.
He felt torn inside. He felt as if he had swallowed a razor blade and it had slashed every thing on the way down, leaving him to bleed forever. Never to die, just to bleed.. He felt raw pain, a dark hurt radiating from his heart, a black molten lead. His face was a red, tear-stained mess, but he barely noticed.
He was on a mission.
Up a dark corridor. Down the set of stairs that sometimes wasn't there. Past the stone gargoyle that glared evilly, looking ready to kill him if necessary. Left past the portrait of the green-skinned Puck, who grinned impishly and winked as he passed. Down a short corridor and through a door under the archway.
Harry stared at the room. It was bare, probably never used for anything before Draco had found it and had dragged Harry there.
It had bare walls except for a faded tapestry with Hogwart's motto misspelled. The floor was dusty, covered in a new layer of grime which erased all of the couple's traipsing around the room. Of course, Harry didn't need to see foot prints to remember the many rendezvous. They were carved in stone.
He sat down on the floor. He could remember and almost imagine a soft layer of robes between him and the floor. With that memory came the more stabbing ones of his blonde lover. Sweetness and kisses all turned to ash and shit. All Harry's fault. Fuck him. Fuck him.
He let out a small cry, painful and short, before curling up to sleep.
********
End of chapter. Any weird freaky mistakes are mine and not my nice betas. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Woo
Push the button below and leave me a nice (Or mean I'm really not picky) review.
In the next Chapter there will be another flash back. This is not merely so I don't have to advance the plot.. Wait! I lie yes it is. There will be, mind you other stuff besides the flash back and Draco will stay awake long enough to have a conversation with someone. Not Harry mind you but someone. :D
Ta ta Goggled Monkey