Harry was lying in a bed in the hospital wing. His eyes were still closed, and his pulse was shallow. He gave no signs of waking, but a soft incantation of names, barely audible unless you were right beside him. 'Ron. Hermione. Padfoot. Headmaster. Remus.'

Remus was sitting with him. The children had ran up to the dormitories to see if they could find anything Harry might have left around that would give them a clue how to wake him up. Severus had transported a cauldron from his room, and was stirring at a potion. He had more faith in this, or in Harry finding his own way out, than the children finding something of use, but they had needed something to do.

Ron, Hermione and Draco burst into the hospital wing. Draco forced a piece of paper into Snape's hand

'Look at this.'

Severus took it, distractedly, but continued to stir the potion one-handed.

'Look at it!'

'I am. Do calm down. What am I looking at?'

'Why does he think he's going to die?'

'What?' Now they had Severus' attention.

'Why does Harry think he's going to die?'

'Why do you believe he feels that?'

'This is a will, Professor! A list of names and things he owes people.'

'He's fighting a war, many people have made arrangements. I certainly have ... Albus did.'

'This is different,' Hermione explained. 'It's not things, or money.'

'It's debts,' Ron finished. 'Why does he think he's not going to make it?'

'He hasn't told you?'

Hermione and Ron shook their heads. Draco shot back angrily, 'No. he hasn't. What is it?'

'I'd thank you to remember that I am still your Professor, Mr Malfoy.'

'Have you even looked at the list?'

Severus looked down. The parchment was folded and re-folded, as if it had been opened many times to add entries. It was, not coded, but almost unintelligible all the same. The letters and occasional word obviously meant something to Harry, but Severus could see no immediate pattern. Until he caught sight of his own initials.


AD
SB
CD
J+LP
RL – job. SB
DM – DE. DA
SS – MWPP. Pensieve.
HG – Since 1stYr. Head Girl. DA. MoM.
NL/LL – DA MoM
RW – Since 1stYr. DA. MoM
GW – CoS. DA MoM
D.A.

'Do you know what all of this means?' Snape asked.

'We have almost all the initials. Not necessarily what they mean,' Hermione said.

'This isn't mine to tell,' Snape murmured.

'Well Harry can't exactly tell us,' Draco snapped.

'Draco!' Remus called, now watching them in concern.

Severus sighed. What else could he do? He began the story, 'In the Ministry of Magic last year, Voldemort was looking for a prophecy, yes?'

'It broke,' Hermione answered.

'Correct. However, the prophecy in question was given personally to Dumbledore. At the end of your fifth year he informed Mr Potter what the prophecy said.'

'Prophecy's aren't necessarily accu...' Hermione began.

'This was a genuine prophecy,' Snape broke in. 'And it said, effectively, that Harry and Voldemort could not coexist. One would kill the other.'

He had said this so calmly that it took them a moment to absorb it. 'What!' Ron asked.

'Harry has the power to defeat Voldemort,' Snape summarised

Hermione understood now. 'He thinks he's going to die doing it. This is why he's been so strange all year.'

'All the DA stuff,' Ron added.

'He's been asking me about his parents,' Remus put in. 'And Sirius. As if he needed to know everything immediately.'

'It isn't just this year,' Draco realised. He addressed Severus, 'He wrote to you at the end of fifth year, right?'

'Yes.'

'You never thought that was strange? That he apologised to you? Or that he was suddenly trying to fix the house divide?' Draco was building to a crescendo. 'That he was friends with me out of the blue? That he decided, for no reason, that we all should go out on a date?'

'Draco, you can't seriously think that he's only going out with you to keep you on the right side?' Ron asked in disbelief.

'We hated each other for five years. He trusted me as soon as Professor Snape said it was fine. I was horrible to him. And then he's "in love with me". Why else do you think?'

'Ron. Hermione. Padfoot. Headmaster. Remus.'

'You should leave to get some sleep,' Snape told Draco. 'Everyone else has left.'

'You haven't.'

'I am staying to watch his heart rate. You are just watching him.'

'He didn't leave me when I was lying here. Hermione told me.'

'And every one of us informed him that it was foolish.'

'He still did it though.'

'He's unconscious, he doesn't know that you are here. I can call you as soon as he shows signs of waking up. He won't know that you weren't here.'

'I don't think...' Draco said uncertainly, 'I don't think that that's the point.'

'That's a very Gryffindor thing to say. He appears to be a bad influence on you.'

'Maybe that was what he was trying to do,' Draco whispered. He wrapped his fingers in the edges of Harry's quilt.

'Stop that,' Snape instructed, sharply. Draco stopped fiddling with the edges of the quilt. 'Not that.'

'What then?'

'Your bout of maudlin self-pity.'

'Professor...'

'This is why I thought this was a bad idea.' Draco looked at his Professor for an elaboration. 'It has nothing to do with ... affection.' Severus sounded uneasy even with that word but it needed to be said, 'Consider by which name he's calling Black.'

'I don't understand.'

'Don't be so close-minded.' Draco watched him, dumbly. 'Draco, that was not an insult, it was a suggestion. Very soon it will be an instruction, and then, yes, it may be an insult.'

Draco suddenly understood. He closed his eyes, blocking out the image of Harry's lips feverishly muttering names that weren't his.

Opening his mind to Harry's for the first time since their connection had been slammed shut with a scream, he heard nothing, and then everything. It was a cacophony of names and entreaties, yet still he heard nothing that resembled his own. He caught one – Padfoot. Not Sirius. Not close enough yet. He ignored everything but the slender thread that bound the two of them together. Drowned out all the noise that Harry had thrown into the foreground to protect them, even in his half-conscious state.

'Sirius. Ron. Hermione. Remus.'

'Professor'

'Draco.'

'Draco.'

The connection between them was ablaze again. Gryffindor fire, Draco thought wryly.

'Dragon-fire,' came the teasing answer. 'Love you. I knew you'd find me. Then: 'Though it took you long enough.'

Not even dignifying that with a response, Draco dragged Harry back to consciousness.

Back in the real world Harry's joking smile was gone. 'It's tonight.'

'What is?' Professor Snape gave half his attention to the words and the other to ascertaining whether all of Harry had came back. Eyes clear, speech not slurred.

'He wanted me out of it. The Ministry attack's just a diversion. They're attacking Hogwarts tonight.'

A/N 2: Thanks to all the reviews on the last few chapters. I had a horribly long day at work (I have a summer office job in the exciting world of data entry...), and you guys cheered me right up! (Oh, and I know what all the bits on the list mean if anyone wants it)

WritersPassion25: Lovely review, thank you so much! I'm sorry if the chapters aren't long enough, but most of me's just pleased that you want them longer. Kudos on reading everything all at once too. I've never done it, so I had no idea it would take 3 hours!

Serpent of Light: I've a mature writing style -/giggles in most immature way/-. Glad you liked the Star Wars bit. I was thinking for ages what they could go and see that was in cinemas when Harry should be in 7th year, and then it was so obvious! (I love Star Wars too.)

Karasu Yurei: That is my favourite mental-picture, ever, from a review. Glad both you and your roommate think its funny!

And thanks to Cithara, writingismything, angel of chaos, Rachy and crystal.