;;

Now… see why I hid? points at reviews

I wondered what kind of response that chapter would get ;;

Oh, and Duo learned to do some of this stuff during Preventers' training

Chapter 21

Duo snapped out of his shock quickly and was at Heero's bedside before the others could blink. Trowa was moving to Quatre, who was whimpering and staring at Heero's prone body with wide eyes.

"C'mon baby," Duo pleaded quietly. "Come back to me…" Maneuvering himself to sit on Heero's hips he began doing CPR, alternating pumping Heero's chest and breathing into his mouth.

With his four comrades unable to do so, Wufei took charge. He turned to the two wizards that were still watching the scene in shock.

"Harry, go find McGonagall and Pomfrey."

"Don't bring them here!" Duo called while pumping. "Get a bed ready!" He breathed into Heero again.

"Take McGonagall to the Infirmary and have Pomfrey prepare a bed for Heero, all right?"

"Got it!" Harry affirmed, and ran back out of the room, and up the stairs. Ron watched Wufei, waiting for his own task. They both glanced up as they heard voices and footsteps outside in the Common Room and stairwell.

"Ron, I want you to clear a path and open that portrait. Duo and I are going to be running, so make sure everybody's out of the way," he ordered. Ron nodded and rushed out without a word, and Wufei went to feel for a pulse on Heero.

When Ron appeared in the Common Room, Hermione immediately began firing questions at him.

"Ron! What's going on? Where was Harry going? Who was yelling? Where are the boys? I would think they'd be awake after that racket. Ron, what are you doing?"

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted, exasperated. "Not now! Help me clear a path to the portrait!" When Hermione opened her mouth to protest, Ron cut her off. "Don't ask, just DO it!"

Looking hurt for a few moments, Hermione nodded and set off to help Ron. The redhead began pushing loiterers out of the way and deeper into the Common Room.

"Hey!" Seamus protested, shaking Ron off. "What're ya doing?"

"Don't ask, just move!"

Ron's second outburst had a better reaction, as the others weren't used to the fiery redhead shouting orders. With Hermione's calmer assistance, people were moving out of the way, but were still grumbling complaints.

Ignoring it for now, Ron ran to the portrait. "Open up!"

"My my, aren't we pushy," the Fat Lady murmured sleepily.

"OPEN THE HELL UP!" he hollered, growing impatient.

The Fat Lady gasped, but opened anyway. Ron knew he'd have quite a bit of explaining and apologizing to do later. "Stay open," he told her. "For your own good!"

A huff was his only answer, and he ran back to the Common Room in time to see Ginny blinking sleepily. And standing directly in front the stairwell where the boys were going to emerge.

"Ginny!" She looked at him and smiled, but any further warnings were cut off by a frantic call.

"HE'S BREATHING! MOVE!"

Ron's eyes widened and he dove forward, shoving his sister out of the way just as blurs he knew to be Wufei and Duo carrying Heero shot out of their room, ran up the staircase and were out the portrait hole. All the people in the room blinked after them.

Moments later, Trowa appeared supporting a strained-looking Quatre. A glare from the tall brunette prevented any questions as they followed the path of Wufei and Duo – although much more slowly.

"Ron… what just happened?" whispered a dazed looking Ginny.

Ron wasn't sure what to tell her.

It took barely a minute to reach the Infirmary, and Duo was extremely relieved that he hadn't tripped on the staircases and that Wufei hadn't gotten lost. He was also relieved that Heero was still breathing, even though it was very faint. All murderous thoughts about Zabini had vanished – he would deal with that bastard later. Heero was his priority right now.

He laid him on a bed as instructed by Pomfrey – Harry and McGonagall hadn't arrived yet.

"What happened?" Pomfrey demanded, casting spells on Heero.

"He was sick last night, and when we woke up this morning he wasn't breathing," Wufei answered. Duo was busy watching Pomfrey, and checking Heero's vitals repeatedly.

"I believe this may have something to do with your visit last night," she said to Duo, who snorted.

"Well, yeah, I already figured that out," he said darkly, gesturing to his head. Pomfrey nodded – she'd seen that the moment he'd entered the room, but he'd been too preoccupied with Heero to let her do anything about it.

Madam Pomfrey cast another revealing spell, trying to discern the source of Heero's condition. "I have potions prepared that will grow your hair back, Mr. Maxwell, not to worry. It's Mr. Yuy who may have a problem." She frowned.

"Find anything?" Wufei asked.

"I think he's suffering from an incorrectly brewed potion, and I'm fairly certain that the original potion was meant to make him throw up insects or some such thing," she explained. "However I'm not sure how to counteract it…" Wufei frowned, about to respond when the door behind them opened.

Harry, McGonagall and Dumbledore entered, and Harry paled at the sight of them already there. "Oh, I'm sorry! I had a hard time finding them!"

Wufei did not respond and turned to Duo. Duo hadn't even noticed them enter.

"No no NO! Keep breathing, damnit! C'mon… FUCK!" he hollered when Heero's chest didn't rise. He was on top of Heero in seconds, repeating his earlier motions.

Madam Pomfrey sputtered and her jaw dropped. "M… Mr. Maxwell! Kissing him is not about to heal him!" She reached out to touch Duo, but was stopped by Wufei.

"What Duo is doing is keeping Heero alive. If you can't help him, find someone who can!"

"St. Mungo's," Dumbledore announced, moving over to the infirmary fire. Wufei watched him, curious, as Duo breathed into Heero once more.

"Yes!" Duo cheered. Heero's chest rose and fell once again. He hopped off Heero and glanced around. Professor McGonagall gasped.

"Mr. Maxwell… your hair!"

Duo waved a hand dismissively. "Zabini. I'll deal with him later. Where are Heero and I going?"

"St. Mungo's is the wizard hospital," Harry explained. "They can cure anything curable."

"Okay, fine, we'll go there," Duo said, laying a hand on Heero's arm.

"Oh no, Mr. Maxwell," McGonagall argued, shaking her head. "You aren't going anywhere."

"Sorry, but I go where Heero goes," Duo said with conviction, daring her to argue with her. Unfortunately for her, she didn't realize warning signs when she saw them.

"Mr. Maxwell, this is not a debate!"

"WHO THE FUCK IS DEBATING?!" Duo exploded. "HEERO'S DYING AND HE ISN'T GOING ANYPLACE WITHOUT ME IF THEY CAN'T EVEN DO CPR!"

While McGonagall and Duo argued, Wufei kept an eye on Dumbledore, who seemed to be conversing with the fireplace. Upon further inspection, Wufei realized with a start that there was a man's head in the fire.

"Damnit Trowa, get him out of here!" Duo shouted. Wufei turned to the door and saw Trowa and Quatre standing there – Quatre's face was set in a grimace.

"He wanted to come," Trowa responded coolly. Duo growled but went back to taking care of Heero, apparently done arguing with McGonagall, who was red in the face and looked very annoyed.

Dumbledore turned back to face the group suddenly, drawing eyes to him. "I have made arrangements with St. Mungo's, and they are perfectly capable of taking care of Mr. Yuy. I requested that a Muggle-born mediwizard familiar with CPR be present, and they plan to accommodate, Mr. Maxwell."

"I want to go," Duo hissed.

"You are not able to go, Mr. Maxwell."

"Duo," Quatre murmured feebly. "Trust him."

Duo's hand tightened around Heero's wrist, and a pained look crossed his face. He leaned in and kissed Heero's forehead. "Don't you dare leave me," he whispered to the softly breathing boy. Duo stepped back abruptly.

Dumbledore stepped forward, waved his wand while muttering an incantation, placed a hand on Heero's arm and they both disappeared. Duo's breath hitched and he shut his eyes. Quatre moved away from Trowa's hold and stumbled to Duo, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Duo remained motionless.

Professor McGonagall looked sadly at the once-braided boy

"Madam Pomfrey," Quatre said softly. The pain that had been etched in his features had lessened, now they he was no longer in close proximity to Heero. "Could you get some hair growth potions for Duo?"

"Of course, dear. Accidents like this do happen, and I have some in stock," she said softly. She turned and went into her makeshift office, emerging with a tray of bottles labeled 'hair regrowth'.

Duo took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Any signs of his outbreak or moment of weakness were now gone. He approached Pomfrey slowly. "How much do I need?" he asked in a lifeless tone.

"Well," Madam Pomfrey said, considering. "A sip should give you Mr. Winner's hair length."

Duo nodded, grabbed two bottles and downed them before Pomfrey could protest. The results were immediate, as stubble began showing on his scalp.

"Okay guys," Duo murmured. He looked down at the floor for a few moments, and when he looked back up his eyes were flashing. "Let's go to the Great Hall."

Nobody bothered to object, as it would have had no effect. The four remaining pilots and Harry left Madam Pomfrey, and Wufei led the way to the Great Hall. Quatre had a hand on Trowa's arm for support, and they followed Duo and Harry. Harry glanced at Duo out of the corner of his eye, unnerved by the emotionless mask on his face.

Once they arrived at the Great Hall, Duo's hair was almost Quatre's length, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Heero's.

Wufei threw open the Great Hall doors and Duo set out immediately towards the Slytherin table. When he spotted Blaise, the stocky boy's sneer set Duo's blood on fire. Before he realized it, Duo was running across the room. He dove over the Slytherin table, knocked Blaise from his seat and started to throttle him.

The two gorillas that had been seated next to Blaise stood and went to help him. They each grabbed one of Duo's arms, and pulling as hard as they could, they wrenched the brunette off of the stunned Slytherin. Duo's hair was still growing, and was now the length of Wufei's.

An animalistic roar came from Duo's throat, and with a quick twist and snap Duo was free, lifting Blaise from the floor and ramming him into the wall.

The two large boys that had wrenched Duo off moved forward to stop him again, but were stopped by Wufei and Trowa, who had appeared from nowhere. A crowd was beginning to form around the group, and Harry appeared supporting Quatre.

"Duo, don't kill him! You'll get sent away!"

"Death's too good for him," Duo hissed back.

"What the hell's your problem?!" Blaise demanded, voice raspy because of the hold Duo had on his throat. "All I did was make him puke bugs!"

"BUGS?!" Duo cried hysterically. "Bugs?! You think I'd be here THROTTLING you if your Potion had made him spew BUGS?! Hell NO! You fucking MORON! You did the damn thing WRONG and now he's at some fucking HOSPITAL!"

Blaise looked shocked, and Duo growled. He drew back a fist, cracking it against Blaise's skull. Blaise cried out in pain, and Duo released him. The stocky Slytherin sank to the floor.

"I warned you!" Duo hissed. "I told you not to mess with me! You'd better watch yourself, because you will pay for harming Heero. And God help you if he dies."

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" roared a voice that sounded over the other voices. Silence overtook the room and the crowd parted as an enraged Professor Snape made his way into the center of the ruckus, followed by a large, burly man who only looked generally interested.

"Mr. Maxwell!" Snape hissed, looking down at the whimpering Blaise. "What in the hell have you got to say for yourself?"

Duo shrugged, all the rage he'd been emanating suddenly gone. He flipped his hair over his shoulder.

"Anybody got scissors? I can't stand not having bangs."

….;; Duo's such a strange one.

And… Heero's not quite out of the woods yet!!

And… not that you could tell… Heero's my favorite character ; I love his yellow shoes! Hee!

A/n: ….Wee!