Across The Veil
Chapter Four: Finally Across
As I fell down the seemingly perpetual pit, all of my by senses were lost to me. I was unable to distinguish even the basics – up from down, dark from light. It was all brought back to me, however, as I brusquely landed in a large pile of snow. Trying to orient myself, I sat up and brushed the white substance off, but was soon pushed under the snow once again when something heavy landed on top of me. I struggled, trying to free myself of the smothering weight. This proved to be futile, and I was beginning to panic slightly when I felt the thing move. I knew then that whatever it was, was alive.
I stilled for a moment, incapable of clearly processing the situation, but soon remember my voice. "GET THE HELL OFF ME!" I screamed, my voice muffled.
I heard it mutter quietly and scuttle off my head. I sat up slightly, gasping for breath and shaking my head. "What did you say?" I asked once I had unclogged my ears. By that time, I had figured out that the offender was Potter.
"I said," he began with a grunt, "that I was sorry. I need help though, I'm stuck."
"You bloody idiot, how do you think I can help you? I'm under you, remember?"
"Yes, I know that Malfoy, but there's snow covering everything but my head, and I can't move."
"Well, It's not like there is an exit down here," I said. Then I punched around the small air pocket surrounding me.
Bam!
"I thought you said there wasn't an exit?" Potter remarked sarcastically.
"Shut up," I groaned and cradled my hand. Whatever I hit, it most certainly wasn't snow. Sure enough, upon further examination of the snow walls, I found a handle. I pulled at it roughly and it gave way. The next thing I knew, I was falling again. This time though, I hit ground almost instantly.
I had expected Potter to feel empty space and fall right on top of me again, but nothing happened. With a shrug, I dusted the snow off myself and looked around. My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings – it was nearly an exact replica of the ministry.
As I waited for Potter to come, I noticed a hall and a sign that said 'Snow'. I assumed it was the walkway to where I had just come from. I crossed over to it, and proceeded down what looked to be a normal corridor. Further down, however, it began getting snowier and windier. I shivered and stopped. I couldn't see anything through the mass of white.
Giving up, I cried out. "Potter! Potter, where are you. Call out."
I stifled voice caught my attention, and I high stepped (the snow was now two and a half feet tall) towards it.
"Potter are you there?" I asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, I'm here. You got –," Potter stopped abruptly. I waited for a moment, but silence reigned. I began to panic. What if Potter dies? If he does, Weasel and Hermione will no doubt murder me, never mind the rest of his damn worshippers.
"Potter! Harry! Are you alright? Answer me!" My voice was urgent.
No response. I started to dig like mad, ignoring the biting cold in my haste. Soon, a black mop peppered with white snow was faintly visible. I picked up the pace, if that's possible, and pulled him up a bit. He was unconscious, but still breathing. My shoulders sagged in relief.
Taking only a small breath, I quickly assessed the situation. Right. Potter needs to wake up. I slapped his face, but he didn't respond. Leaning back, I rethought my plan. Maybe Potter was going into shock or something. Hypothermia. Der. I smacked myself for not thinking of that before.
Quickly, I took off my robe and wrapped it around his shoulders tightly. His eyes fluttered open minutes later.
"Potter, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Malfoy. Help me get out of here," Potter demanded.
"Well, if you are going to be so rude about it, maybe I won't help you."
"No. No. No. Malfoy. Please help me. Please."
"Yes, that's right; you beg me. Never tell me what to do. Never," I repeated to reinforce my point. I began digging away the snow with great difficulty, but had little success. I wouldn't get anywhere unless Potter helped me.
I gave him a pointed look, which he didn't catch. I sighed in exasperation.
"You know Potter, maybe if you helped a little, I could get you out faster."
"You know Malfoy," he said, mimicking me, "maybe if you shut up, you could get me out faster. Besides, I can't help. I am covered in snow."
He had a point. "Umm," I thought for a second. "Kick your legs about. It should loosen the snow." A triumphant look crossed my features.
Potter scowled, but started doing as I told him. 'Good boy.'
Finally, after a couple of strenuous minutes, the dunce was free. He stumbled to his feet before falling on his arse. I smirked.
"Be careful," I drawled, "the snow isn't very stable."
"Okay, whatever you say, Mum." I sneered at the name and he gave a quick laugh.
With much effort, Harry pushed himself to his feet. Once standing, he attempted to walk, dragging one foot at a time. Predictably, he tripped and tumbled over, again. He landed with a splat, right on top of me.
"Would you kindly move? If anyone's going to top, it's me."
Harry blushed and pushed himself off. In doing this though, he planted his hands on my stomach. I saw him turn a deep crimson before turning away.
"How do you get out of this place?" Harry mused, still not looking at me.
"Over this way." I noticed he hadn't moved. "Come on, it's kind of cold out here, if you didn't notice, and you still have my robes."
"Oh. Sorry." He took it off and handed it to me.
I led him over to the tunnel I had just come from. Luckily, my tracks were still there, despite the heavy downfall.
It seemed to take much longer to get back than it had coming in.
"Umm, Malfoy? We've passed this before. Are you sure you know where you're going?" Potter asked as he looked at the surroundings.
"Yes, I followed my trail from the walkway. I can't see it anymore, though. Perhaps we should walk nearer the walls."
And we did, trudging through deeper snow and searching for hidden exits. As we moved along, time passed slowly and white clouded my vision. How long we could keep at this, I wasn't sure.
"Malfoy," Potter moaned, "I'm starting to get really cold. I can barely feel me legs."
"Stop whining, Potter. It really is quite irritating," I told him. Grabbing my wand, I attempted to cast a basic heating charm…nothing. Did magic not work here? The thought made me anxious.
"Lumos," I shouted, and light flooded around us. Okay, magic works. Maybe something was blocking heating spells. I frowned and tried once more, this time limiting the magic to myself instead of us both. Surprisingly, it grew warm.
"Potter," I yelled over to him. He was a ways ahead of me. "Cast a warming charm on yourself."
Harry gave me a confused look, but did as I said. A shocked expression crossed his face. I guess it worked.
Minutes later, I couldn't help but notice the sweat dripping off Potter's face. I rolled my eyes. The idiot can't even cast a heating charm properly.
"Hot?" I asked sarcastically.
"How, do I turn this thing down?"
"Just state how hot you want it."
"Oh." He blinked stupidly and I heard him mutter something. Watching intently, I saw him slump in relief. "Thanks. I guess I owe you one."
"I think that after all I've done, you owe me more than one."
We didn't talk after that, and I grew to like the silence. Of course, Potter had to open his mouth and disturb my peace.
"Malfoy," he said slowly, "we may be here for a while, and we will have to help each out sometimes."
"Your point?" I questioned.
"Well, I was wondering if I could call you Draco. It makes more sense, really, and you can call me Harry."
I looked at him, shocked. "No, I only let my friends call me Draco. As I recall, you turned down my friendship."
"What did you expect? For Merlin's sake, you insulted the first person who was half way decent to me!" I could tell he was furious now. "All, I asked was to call you by your first name. I wasn't asking to be your friend, I just want some civility! Is that so much to ask?" By that time Potter was screaming and advancing on me.
I looked at him with wide eyes. "Fine, I will call you…Ha – Harry." I stumbled over his name.
"Thank you, " he said and backed away. Once more, the uncoordinated idiot tripped. Almost instinctively, I reached out and caught him. As I pulled him away, however, I saw a sharp pole sticking up through the snow. We had seen a few of them before, but hadn't paid them much thought. My heart quickened as the gravity of the situation became apparent. That thing could have impaled him!
"Sorry, I have been such a klutz all day. I just can't seem to maneuver very well in all of this snow. Well an. ." He was babbling.
"Look," I cut him off and showed him the pointed towards the pole. He grew silent, giving me a bewildered glance.
"That's where you would've fallen. It would have sliced right through you chest." I touched his shirt lightly, my eyes glazing. "Right through your heart." I shook my head and looked up at him. "You would have been dead, you know."
I stumbled backwards and I braced myself for the cold, wet impact that was sure to come. It didn't. Malfoy…Draco…caught me.
"Sorry, I have been such a klutz all day. I just can't seem to maneuver very well in all of this snow. Well an. ."
"Look," he said abruptly, interrupting my pitiful attempt at an apology. I followed his gaze, and my eyes landed on a slightly pointed metal pole sticking out of the snow; right where I would have fallen. Merlin, what if he hadn't caught me? I might've died. Then what would happen to the wizarding world? I became slightly nauseous as I imagined the terrible answer. There wouldn't be a wizarding world, not like it is now anyway. Voldemort would destroy everything, and there wouldn't be a soul who could stop it. It would be horrible.
" That's where you would've fallen. It would have sliced right through you chest." He touched my chest gingerly. "Right through your heart." He looked a bit faraway, but the lost look soon passed. "You would have been dead, you know."
I do know. I know I would have died. And I know that Draco saved me…again.
"Harry, are you alright? Harry?" I guess I was silent for too long, because Draco actually looked concerned. A warm feeling grew in my stomach, and a wave of happiness flooded over me.
"Thank you so much. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for caring." I paused. "And thank you for calling me Harry." In my excitement, I threw my arms around his neck. Damn Gryffindor impulsiveness.
"Eww, Potter. Get off me," Draco shouted. I did, my face growing redder by the second. "Merlin, Potter. What was that all about?" He brushed himself off, looking faintly disgusted. "Geeze. You've thought you were my boyfriend or something."
I backed off and gave him an odd look. The way he had said that last part, the part about the boyfriend, caught my attention. It was almost as if… "You are bisexual! I didn't think Hermione was telling the truth. She must've…"
"She told you? I can't believe her." Draco's wide eyes narrowed suddenly. "Who else did she tell? Huh? Because if she told that Weasel, I'll…I'll kill her!"
I frowned and bristled at his nickname for Ron. "Calm down. She just told me. Not that it matters much. You probably couldn't hurt her much more if you tried." I began to walk forward again, but Malfoy pulled me back, confused. I sighed. "It's obvious she's been seeing you, and after you spoke with her tonight at the ball she looked nothing short of devastated. Besides, she's been sneaking out all the time. It's not that hard to put two and two together, especially when it concerns one of my best friends." We started walking again.
"Well, perhaps you aren't as dumb as I thought," Draco said. Up ahead, a walkway began to appear, but Draco didn't seem to notice. "Yes, she was sneaking out with me, and she was happy to see me at that. Just before we left though, I told her that I didn't want to be with her any longer." He looked almost remorseful, but soon his cold mask was firmly in place, once more.
"Of course," the blonde boy drawled "she couldn't be anything but crushed, having been exposed to my Malfoy charm." I rolled my eyes as we approached the walkway. Draco began to run towards it. "By the way," he yelled over his shoulder, "I'm not bisexual. I'm gay."
My eyes popped and I ran after him. As I ran though, I caught sight of a shadowed person out of the corner of my eye, and a shiver raced down my spine. My pace quickened.
Hope you like this chapter.
