Title: "Mask"

Author: Lyla Hayden

Rating: Mature, "R", "M", whatever. Warnings are; slash, gore, the usual nasties but nothing too graphic.

Pairing: HP/DM, what else?

Summary: When one bears a mask to become someone else, sometimes that mask becomes who you are, despite all your true thoughts and feelings. Such a mask cannot be shed easily and often times it takes another to rip its roots out. Harry's mask has deep roots, but the one who helps him remove them is the one he would least expect.

A/N: Er…Hi? Heh…Sorry my updates are so sporadic. I'm really trying. Also, Sebastian is my own character…If he sounds like anyone from the actual story, it's unintentional. I'm trying to make my explanations blend a bit more with the story, but I'm not very good at things like that…heh…I am trying, though. Getting better. I'll try to throw in some more twists, but as of right now, I can't think of any, sorry. Anyway, onto the story! n.n And thanks to all my reviewers and readers!

"Mask"

Part Nine:

"Dream"

Sheets shifted softly, Harry twisting in the itchy wrappings. Sitting up, he began to pull them off as fast as he could. He looked down at himself when he'd finished and found to be covered in dried blood and other substances with no wounds to be found.

Draco grabbed Harry and pulled him back down, snuggling into the Gryffindor's chest. For a moment, Harry lay frozen as his mind tried to catch up on the events that had occurred. Rain and lightning…Draco…flames…

Harry sat up, prying the sleeping boy's arms off. A new set of clothes had been set near the end of the bed and Harry slipped them on. Pulling back the curtains to the bed, he wandered through the infirmary until Madam Pomfrey spotted him.

"Mister Potter! Good, you're awake. Wait…Where are your bandages?" Harry looked back at the bed silently. "Oh dear me…It seems Albus was correct in saying you would be completely healed in no time at all." The mediwitch shook her head slowly.

"Albus?" Harry asked, his voice as hoarse as Remus' the night after the full moon. The woman nodded softly and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "Where…Why…" Harry started to cough, bending over to stay balanced.

"Sh, sh. Go lay back down. He's most likely still here. You can see him in the morning. It is well after one am, so you can wait. Mister Potter, that boy over there hasn't left this room since he brought you here. At least wait until he wakes up."

Harry wandered back over to the bed and tossed all the used bandages onto the floor before crawling back into bed with the blonde. Draco whimpered softly and turned over on his side, away from Harry. He rested his head down and slowly closed his eyes. A tiredness he hadn't felt in a long time crept over him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort let out an inhuman scream and fell to the ground, his flesh turning into liquid. His innards melted away, leaving the ground stained with the red and peach fluid, only to be joined by the bones. The fluid hardened before catching on fire, leaving no trace of a person to be found. The wands they had become so accustomed to using left black splotches on the half-dead grass.

The fighting around him started without delay. Voldemort's followers sought revenge or power. The Light side sought to either protect themselves, revenge fallen comrades, or to protect Harry, who stood numb.

A flash of blue drew the boy's emerald gaze. Draco stood maybe ten feet from where Voldemort had fallen, by far the closest anyone would get. He stood spouting off an inhuman amount of curses and counter-curses, while his masked opponent did the same.

One of the many curses sent Draco's opponent's Death Eater mask flying away in small chunks. Lucius Malfoy snarled angrily and said, "Avada Ked-"

"Avada Kedavra!" Draco finished. The blonde oppressor fell with a gasping shriek, falling beside another figure; the body of Draco's previous adversary. Harry watched in shock as Draco plucked the wands up from the bodies of his parents and set the bodies on flame.

After a moment's thought, Draco tossed in their wands. "Sakar. Mother. Father." It took only a few minutes for the wizard's fire to consume the couple. Draco wandered off in a sort of trance, casting random curses at Death Eaters around him.

A hoarse shout called Harry's attention. He spun to find Albus facing nearly a dozen Death Eaters. Surely he will die, Harry's subconscious told him. The resilient fighter spun around and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Not just any smoke, but a smoke with sleeping gas embedded in it.

A moist hand gripped his shoulder and Harry turned to meet the gaze of Remus. His hand was covered in blood, though it appeared to be from someone else. "Harry, it's time to go home."

'No,' Harry wanted to say. 'It's not over yet. There's still fighting going on and I have to help.' But he said nothing and let himself be led away by the werewolf in a silent self-torture.

A faint voice broke through Harry's dream and his eyes flew open. Draco looked worriedly at him. "Bad dream?" he whispered softly. Harry nodded silently. "Madam Pomfrey said you wanted to go see Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, I did." Draco moved to get up, but Harry pulled him back down. When Draco opened his mouth to protest, Harry covered it with his own. Moments later, the doors burst open and the pair leapt apart. Shouting announced the entrance of Ron and Hermione.

"-has six parts, Ron! You can't hope to finish it all by tomorrow!" Hermione yelled, placing her fists on her hips as she stood next to the curtained bed. "Don't you look at me like that, Ronald Weasley! You know I'm right! Just say 'hello, hope you get better' and then get back to your studies! He's going to be fine so there's no point in fussing over him now."

"But 'Mione…" The brunette opened her mouth to argue, but snapped her mouth shut when she heard Harry laugh. "Harry!" Ron pulled back the curtain, his face pulling drastic changes from joyous to confused to pissed.

"Hey, Ron. Hermione." Harry jumped from the bed, climbing over Draco in the process.

"What's he doing here?" Ron yelled, pointed furiously at the blonde. "And in your bed…with you!" Harry rested a hand on the fuming boy's shoulder and turned to Hermione.

"Where's Albus?"

"He's with Professor Snape," she answered. "Why do you n-" Trailing off, she sighed. Harry had already walked by her. "Malfoy, why doesn't he have any bandages on? I thought he was really hurt."

"Being civil with me, are you?" Draco sneered, standing up to stretch languidly, oddly resembling a cat. "He wasn't hurt as badly as we had thought. Harry can tell you the rest." He pushed alongside the two, making his way to the door.

"Where do you think you're going, ferret-boy! I'm not through talking to you," Ron screamed to the blonde's back as he turned to go. Lingering in the doorway, Draco turned just slightly to look at them.

"Following Harry."

-To Be Continued

A/N: Heh…I had another dream sequence that I wanted to put in after this, but I wanted to have…well, actually, I don't think I want that dream in here…Hehe…I'm special. (Peace sign) Yeah, anyways…I have decided not to end the story so soon. I'm pestering my friends for ideas on how to continue this, but I have a few ideas. Now…back to watching King Arthur for the millionth time. (Purr) Review?