I did the only thing I could think of.
With a burst of speed, I ran at the naked figure of Voldemort, tackling him roughly to the ground. I rolled quickly off of him and sprang to my feet with an agility I didn't know I possessed, knowing that I didn't have a lot of time before he struck back. I stepped hard on his wrist just as he was raising his wand, feeling the bones grate then snap under my weight.
"Expeliamus!" I shouted, sending his wand flying with a flick of my own wrist.
Voldemort howled with rage once more as his free arm lashed out and grasped my ankle, pulling my leg out from under me. I landed hard on my back as Voldemort clawed at me, his nails raking down my chest leaving long red gashes. Kicking my legs I managed to roll him off of me, marvelling briefly how strong I had become.
I knew that I couldn't kill him using my wand, but even if I couldn't use magic, I could still use it as a weapon. Just as Voldemort was rising, I launched myself at him and knocked him over once more, sitting on him as he struggled. I didn't really have a plan, but when you are in danger for your life, your body kicks in when your brain has momentarily shut down.
I clutched my wand with both hands and brought it down right where his heart was. Voldemort screamed in pain as he tried to push me off of him. But I wouldn't be moved that easily. I pushed my wand further into his chest until only a fraction of it could be seen.
Suddenly, a bright light flowed from the wound and my hands began to burn as I held onto my wand. Clambering away as I let go, I watched as the light consumed the skeletal figure that writhed in agony just as Draco had.
"How!" Voldemort screeched, his voice piercing my ears so that I had to cover them with my hands. "It's impossible!"
I stared, unable to believe myself what was happening. The light was so bright that it was illuminating most of the bluff we were on. I found myself moving towards Draco, who now lay whimpering softly as he huddled on the ground, his arms wrapped around his slender frame. I shifted so that I knelt near his shoulder, turning him over before I pulled him up. He instantly turned his face into my chest and huddled against me. My heart tightened.
Suddenly, the light that had been emanating from Voldemort shot into the sky in a huge column that cut through the clouds. Then nothing. Everything was dark once more and Voldemort's body was gone. Not even a trace of him remained. I knew he was dead. For good this time.
I turned my attention to the pale teen in my arms.
"...Draco?"
There was no reply.
"Draco?" I tried again, louder this time.
Still no answer.
"Come on, you can't be dead. I know you aren't." I said, gently shaking him. "Voldemort's dead. You're safe now."
Draco lay there in my arms still silent, but his breathing became more noticeable.
I smiled tiredly. "You know, for an all powerful Malfoy, you're being a big baby."
That did it.
Draco stirred, but didn't open his eyes or pull away from me. "...Harry...?"
I nodded. "I'm here. Can you walk?"
Draco paused, then nodded. "I think so."
I pulled him up with me as I stood on unsteady legs, my arms still loosely holding him around the waist. He finally opened his eyes then, and I saw that they were a bit red and swollen, but looked fine otherwise. I guess whatever curse Voldemort was using on him stopped when I tackled him, I thought as I checked the rest of him over. He was banged up in a few places and he looked a bit dazed from hitting his head on the stone, but it was nothing that Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix.
When I was sure that he could stand on his own without falling over, I stepped back and surveyed the area. I saw students and teachers on the field below fighting the remaining Death Eaters that hadn't escaped, making quick work of them. It seemed as though now that their Lord was dead, they no longer had that much power. A fact for which I was glad.
"Harry?" Came Draco's soft voice.
Without turning I replied. "Yeah?"
A pause. "Where are you?"
I frowned. "Open your eyes Draco. I'm right here."
"I do have my eyes open and I can't see you." Draco whined.
Rolling my own eyes, I turned and faced the pale Slytherin once more. "What are you on abo-" I was silenced by the look on Draco's face. He was in fact standing there with his eyes open staring, it seemed, right at me. His hands were clenched at his side and his jaw was set in determination, his eyebrows furrowed.
I walked forwards, stopping just out of his reach, waiting to see if he was just playing a trick on me.
Draco bit his bottom lip and reached tentatively out towards me, his long fingers spread out. "Are you still there?" Another pause, then. "Harry? This isn't funny, I can't find you. Tell me where you are." A tear escaped and rolled down Draco's cheek. "...Please?"
My heart tightened again at seeing Draco so helpless and I stepped forwards, wiping his tears away with my thumb. "I'm still here." I said in a low voice.
Draco uttered a cry of relief and I found myself suddenly enveloped in a tight hug. "Don't do that to me!" He cried as he clung to me, his fingers digging into my back.
"Draco..." His name was all I could say as I brought my own arms around him and gathered him close, not caring that the roughness of his shirt scraped against the wounds Voldemort left with his fingernails. "...What happened?"
I felt Draco shudder against me, then I heard his voice, small and nothing like he normally sounded. "...He... Crucious curse..."
Sympathy flowed through me as I held him for what seemed like hours as he cried silently into my neck, my hands gently rubbing his back. I couldn't imagine what Voldemort had done to take away Draco's sight, but I knew what it was like to be under the curse. I hoped that Madam Pomfrey could help him. Pulling away slightly I looked down at him, as he was just a bit shorter than me, and wiped his tears away once more.
"Why don't I get you up to Pomfrey so she can take a look at you?" I asked.
Draco sniffed. "What if she can't help?"
"She'll be able to," I replied, believing in my own words. "Come on."
I took hold of his hand and started to walk towards Hogwarts. We only got about twenty feet away when Draco stumbled and fell to the ground. I realised that he wouldn't make it without being able to see, even with me guiding him. While I helped him to his feet once more, I summoned my broom.
"Accio Firebolt." It didn't take long for it to come, and I grasped it with my free hand. "Draco, it's going to be a lot easier for me to get you back to the castle if we fly." I said.
"Fly?" Draco asked, sounding unsure.
I nodded before I realised that he couldn't see me. "Yeah. I summoned my broom."
"...Oh."
"I'll get on first, then you can get on in front of me okay?" I asked as I swung my leg over the broomstick, still holding Draco by the hand.
It took a bit of work, but when Draco was settled safely in front of me, his back settled against my chest, I kicked off. I flew slowly so that Draco wouldn't become scared, weaving my way through the wreckage the war had left. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never once since this misfortune happened, felt anything but caring towards Draco. It hadn't even occurred to me that I had been calling him by his first name. And just as strange, I found that I didn't mind in the least. It was like we were friends and always had been.
Wrapping one of my arms around Draco's waist, I pulled him a bit closer to me as I said in his ear. "We're almost there. I'm going to take us right up to the window so hold on."
Draco nodded and held on tighter to the broom with one hand as he clenched his other around mine. When I was level with the window, I kicked it with my foot until one of the students helping Madam Pomfrey opened it and let us in. As soon as I was on the stone floor I climbed off my broom and helped Draco off as well, maintaining my hold on his hand to let him know I was still there.
"Is Madam Pomfrey here?" I asked the student handing him my Firebolt which he put off to the side.
"Yes." The boy said motioning for us to follow him.
Draco followed stiffly behind me as I led him to a free bed. I put my hand on his back helping him to sit down. "Draco? I'm just going to get Pomfrey. Wait here and I'll be right back."
Immediately Draco gripped my hand tighter. "Don't go."
I sighed. "Draco, I'll be right back." "You won't leave?" He asked, his voice pleading and soft.
I reached out my hand and gently put it to his cheek. "No. I'm not going to leave you."
"What's wrong with him?" The medi-student asked, peering over my shoulder.
"Voldemort." I said through clenched teeth as I remembered what had happened not half an hour ago.
"...Oh." The boy said.
I turned to him. "Can you get Pomfrey for me?"
"She's with another student right now."
"Then tell her we'll wait for her." I replied.
The boy swallowed and put his chin in the air. "There are many more people that are more injured than Malfoy. She has to tend to them first."
"Just let her know that we're here." I all but growled at the boy, who in turn, nodded and scampered away.
Draco chuckled. "You sound like you're mad."
I sighed and closed my eyes, turning my attention back to the pale Slytherin. "I am."
Draco raised a hand to his chest and blinked, even though he couldn't see. "Why, what ever for?" He said in mock surprise.
I stumbled over the words. "I'm mad that...I'm mad that Voldemort hurt you."
I watched as Draco swallowed and looked up to where he thought I was. "Really?"
I sat down on the bed, hooking my right leg over my left as I faced him. "Draco, no matter how rotten you've been to me over the past years, I never really wanted to see you hurt. I don't want to see anyone get hurt..."
Draco turned to face the sound of my voice and spoke softly. "Harry..."
I stopped him. "No. Don't say anything that might ruin the moment. Let's just enjoy the fact that while you're momentarily blind, you're still alive, and we're not yelling at each other. For once."
Draco laughed, lifting my heart unexpectedly. "I wish I could see the look on your face right now Potter. All teary eyed and worried."
I laughed shortly. "Who said anything about crying and being worried? And by the way you great git, you've just ruined the moment."
Draco waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Whatever. You are so worried about me. I can tell."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, finding that I enjoyed talking to Draco. Actually talking to him, and not yelling or insulting. "How do you figure that?"
Draco leaned in towards me, surprisingly accurate in his aim, and replied in a low voice. "I know because of the way that you looked at me just as I was attacked. I know because of the way that you held me after..." He paused, then added in a hoarse tone. "...I know because of the way that you haven't let go of my hand once since I told you I couldn't see."
My heart sped up as Draco lent away from me, his sliver eyes seeming to look straight at me, but not really. I was about to answer when the student from before came to a stop on the other side of the bed.
"Madam Pomfrey is on her way." He said, eyeing the two of us.
I nodded once and he left us as quickly as before.
"It won't be long now until you've got your sight back," I said. "Then you'll be able to see just how NOT worried I am about you."
Draco laughed again. "Nice try Harry, but I can tell by the sound of your voice that you're lying."
Again I didn't have the chance to reply as Pomfrey herself came to a halt where the student had been.
"What seems to be the problem here?" She asked in her usual brisk tone.
"I'm blind." Draco answered her, quickly and to the point, though his sightless eyes never left me.
"Blind? How? What happened?" Pomfrey asked coming around to our side of the hospital bed. "Let me see."
Draco turned his face towards her and replied. "I was on guard duty when Voldemort attacked. He killed Angie... and used the Crucio curse on me..." Suddenly Draco froze, his throat swallowing as he tried to finish speaking.
I noticed this and picked up the rest. "He had Draco by the throat and was choking him when I got there. He threw Draco to the ground and he hit his head on a rock..." I stopped as Pomfrey gasped and felt behind Draco's head for the bump, then continued. "... Voldemort used some sort of curse on him, I don't know which one. I got Voldemort's wand away from him, then killed him-"
Madam Pomfrey turned a startled gaze at me. "You...you killed Voldemort?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"How!"
I shrugged. "I stabbed him with my wand and he sort of... well he sort of blew up I guess."
Madam Pomfrey forgot about Draco for a moment to stare open mouthed at me, her eyes huge as saucers. "Wha... ho...that...wouldn't...you... oh Merlin!"
Draco laughed and muttered. "For a teacher she sure has an excellent way with words."
That snapped her back to herself and she slapped him upside the head. "Watch it young man." She warned.
Draco raised a hand to his skull. "Hey! That hurt!"
I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, Voldemort is dead, the war is over, and Draco is somehow blind. Can you help him?"
"I'll need a few things first. I'll be right back" The Medi-witch replied tersely.
Draco gripped my hand tightly as she walked away, and I could tell that he was scared.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.
Draco laughed weakly this time. "I don't know. I've never been really good with this hospital stuff."
"But you were fine up until a moment ago." I replied.
"Yeah, only because I forgot where I was." Draco said, biting his bottom lip.
"You do that an awful lot Draco." I said.
Draco looked confused. "Do what an awful lot?"
For reasons unknown, I reached up and touched his bottom lip lightly with my index finger. "Bite your lip." I replied.
"Oh..." He said. "I always do that when I'm nervous."
"Always?" I asked, trying to keep his mind off of the situation.
Draco nodded. "Yeah. Ever since I was little. My mother told me to stop cause it was un-Malfoy like to bite your lip. But I never was one to do what I was told."
I laughed quietly. "No. No you're definitely not one to do what you're told."
Draco's laughter joined in with mine, and we simply sat there for a little while until he asked. "So what happened to Bryson and Zach?"
"They ran when I got there." I replied, absently watching as Draco brushed away a strand of hair from his eyes, his pale hands dirty, leaving smears of mud on his cheek.
"That's what I told them to do when Voldemort was choking me." Draco said, annoyance entering his voice.
I nodded. "I figured that you told them that," I said as I wiped away the mud that was on his face, reassuring him when he jumped at my touch. "You had mud on your face."
Draco blushed suddenly. "Oh..." He waited a moment then asked. "How did you know where I was?"
I figured that he should be asking that particular question right about that time and I smiled, thankful for once that he couldn't see me do it. "I have...had... a connection with Voldemort. I knew where he was, so I went there. I wasn't expecting to see you being held captive."
"So you came charging over to kill him, or die yourself, and you ended up saving my life." Draco said simply.
I nodded, as it was an involuntary reaction, and replied. "I guess so. Though to tell you the truth, I thought I was going to my death."
Draco was about to answer to that when Pomfrey returned.
"Okay. Now Draco, I need you to let go of Harry's hand and looked straight ahead." She said with a smile that only I could see as she set down a tray of assorted medical supplies. When Draco complied, she took his face in her hands and looked closely into his eyes. "Now, keep still."
"What are you doing?" Draco asked, worried.
"Examining your eyes, now be quiet." Madam Pomfrey said tartly.
Draco shut his mouth and pursed his lips. I hid my own smile as I watched Pomfrey muttering under her breath. Once she was done looking into Draco's eyes, she brought out her wand and said. "Lumos."
The tip of the wand glowed brightly and I blinked, squinting at the light she was now pointing at Draco's silver eyes.
"Can you see this?" She asked, passing the wand back and forth in front of Draco's eyes, that never once shyed away from the bright light.
Draco shook his head. "No, what are you doing?" He asked.
"Hmm..." Was her only response as she extinguished that light and set her wand on the table beside the bed where the supplies were.
I didn't pay attention to what she was mixing as I was too busy watching Draco for any signs of strain or discomfort. He seemed fine enough, though his hand was twitching slightly near my knee.
"All right Mr. Malfoy, I need you to drink this up." She took hold of his hand and placed a small glass in it. Draco lifted the concoction to his nose, which wrinkled at the smell.
"Eww! What is this stuff?" He asked holding the glass away from him like it was a disease.
Putting her hands on her hips, Madam Pomfrey replied. "Mr. Malfoy, I simply do not have the patience to stand here while you debate whether or not you want help getting your sight back. Now drink!"
Draco swallowed and lifted the stuff to his mouth, pinching his nose shut with his free hand. It took him three tries to get it all down. "That was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!"
Madam Pomfrey ignored him as she took the empty glass and set it on the table, watching out of the corner of her eye as Draco sat on the bed and tapped his fingers on the mattress.
"Was that supposed to do something?" Draco asked, voicing the question that was going through my mind as well.
"It will take a little while until it takes effect Mr. Malfoy, so I suggest that you get some rest, after you've cleaned up a bit first." She turned to me. "Make sure that he does. I don't want him terrorising my hospital wing."
"How am I going to clean up or terrorise when I can't see?" Draco demanded hotly.
I nodded. "I will."
She nodded in return than left us, moving onto the next person in need of help.
I turned to Draco once more and picked up his hand again. "You should do what she says." "I don't want to." Draco pouted, though he yawned.
"What? You don't want to get the twenty pounds of mud off of you and get some sleep?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.
"I can't do it if I can't see what I'm doing, so I may as well just sit here and let that crappy potion of hers do it's work." Draco replied taking his hand out of mine and crossing his arms.
Rolling my eyes, I pintched the bridge of my nose and asked. "Please? Just do it. For me?"
Draco's sightless eyes looked at me for a moment, then he nodded, his shoulders slumping. "Fine. I guess I smell pretty bad."
"Kinda." I replied as I stood, pulling him up with me. I led him across the room and into one of the lavatories, stopping him at the edge of the sink. I reached out for a wash cloth and turned on the hot water. Once the cloth was drenched through, I warned him that it was coming and gently wiped his face clean. To my surprise he didn't complain or pull away, just stood there with his eyes closed. It didn't take long to get the rest of the mud off his hands and arms, or his hair, which I which I rinsed under the tap. Telling him to towel his hair dry I went back out into the hospital wing to the cuboard that held the extra pajamas.
"Here, these are pajamas," I told him as I pressed them into his hands, "I'll close the door while you change."
Draco nodded.
I wasn't outside the washroom long when I heard a curse from the other side of the door. Shaking my head, I knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"
"No!" Draco whined.
Opening the door, I had to supress my laughter at the pale teen in front of me. He had managed to get the pants on, but the top was stuck around his armpits, one arm through and the other arm bent at the elbow. I guess I should have told him that it was a button up shirt, not that it would have made it any easier it seemed.
Walking up to him, I pulled the shirt off in one motion, ignoring the yelp of surprise Draco made. Undoing the snap buttons, I shook out the garment and said. "Turned around and hold your arms out." Once the shirt was on, I turned him and began to close the buttons. He was shiverng slightly as I did so, and I smiled.
"You know," I remarked as I rubbed his arms with my hands, "I would have never in my life thought that I would be helping a blind Draco Malfoy get dressed. Seems unreal."
Draco bristled. "What about me? How am I ever going to live down the fact that you saw me half naked?"
I rolled my eyes. "Draco, trust me, I took absolutely no pleasure in seeing your skinny little torso."
With that, I turned and led him back to the bed we had left, all the while Draco muttering about how he wasn't skinny, he just had a high metabolism. I grasped the edge of the blankets and tugged them down, sitting him on the bed once that was done. I watched him as he settled himself, laying on his back. I covered him with the blankets and brushed the hair from his forehead. "Now sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."
Draco nodded and closed his eyes, snuggling down into the mattress. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, and I made sure he was as I sat beside him on the bed. Letting go of his hand, which he had been holding onto loosely, I stretched and stood, making my way to the window.
Looking out, I saw that the sun had finally come out from behind the clouds, and the people below were milling about, cleaning up and helping those that needed it. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Turning, I looked into the eyes of Madam Pomfrey.
"Yes?" I asked.
"I need to have a word with you Harry." She said, and by the sound of her voice I knew that I wasn't going to like it.
"What about?"
"The potion that I gave young Malfoy should have brought his sight back right away, but as you can see..." She gestured to Draco, who now lay curled up on his side facing us. "It didn't."
"You said that it would take a while for it to work." I protested.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry Harry, but what Voldemort did seems irreversible. There's nothing I can do for him. His vision may come back eventually, but I can't say for certain. Until then he's just going to have to get used to not being able to see," she paused long enough to let those words sink in then added, "I've put a simple sleeping draft in with the potion so he should be asleep for a little while yet. Then I'll have a look at those burns of his."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "He'll be devastated."
Madam Pomfrey smiled at that, an action that confused me. "Yes, but he has you doesn't he?"
"Huh?" I asked, frowning.
"I noticed the way that you looked at him Harry. I noticed the moment you came in through the window." She replied, her smile growing. "I know that you care about him more than you let on, even if you two are mortal enemies," she paused, "and I know that you'll be the one to help him through this."
I felt suddenly angry at her presumption. "What makes you think that I want to help him, or that he'll let me?"
She simply smiled more widely, if a little sad, and answered. "That, my dear boy, you'll have to figure out for yourself."
She patted my cheek, then turned and left me by the window. I stared after her for a while, then made my way back to Draco's bed. I still wasn't happy with the fact that she had basically told me that Draco was my problem, but when I looked down at him, I found myself not caring. Draco had looked so helpess earlier, and it had touched a place in my heart. I knew that I would help him all that I could, for reasons best known to whomever gave them to me
Pulling a chair over I sat down and took Draco's hand in mine once more, an action that seemed instinctively normal now, and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep, my head resting near Draco's on the mattress that divided us.
-----
Author's Note:
(SOBS LOUDLY) Draco's blind for life! Evil wittle muse in my head! How dare you make Draco BLIND!
(coughs) Okay, so that was an over reaction if I ever heard one.
Please review and let me know if I should continue this little angsty fic or if I should just give it up and leave it like this and go back to writing fluff.
Thankie!