Chapter 1

The last thing Harry expected was to find himself alive – and much less, in a bed in the hospital wing.

'Mr Potter?' he recognised the voice as Madam Pomfrey. 'We started to worry, considering sending you off to St Mungo's if you didn't wake within the next day. After all – that was a terrible fall you had.'

'No-' he moaned.

'What?' she stopped.

'No! No!' Harry sat up and groaned. 'I should be dead. It's impossible to survive that high of a fall.'

'Well, I daresay you're lucky to be alive, Mr Potter,' she said handing him his glasses. 'I always warn you to be more careful when playing Quidditch each time you come here needing to be patched up. Horrible game, if you ask me.'

Harry stopped. 'Quidditch?'

'Don't you remember?" she asked 'You were hit be a bludger in the back of the head and then fell several hundred feet in the Quidditch match against Gryffindor.'

'I beg your pardon?' Harry's eyes widened.

'I suppose you don't.'

'Perhaps you better help me out because the last time I checked I was in Gryffindor and I was in no Quidditch match.'

'Oh dear,' she said.

'Yeah.'

'What's the last thing you remember?'

Harry gulped wondering if he should tell her. 'I really don't think I should say.'

'I can't help you if you don't tell me,' she said. 'Or would you rather talk to Professor Snape. He's your Head of House.'

'You're out of your mind!' he declared. 'Snape hates me!'

She laughed. 'Dear boy, he's you're adoptive father. I assure you, he doesn't hate you.'

'You're either a really bad liar or it's a nightmare come true.'

'Oh, no, Mr Potter,' she smiled. 'I'm afraid it's all true.'

'But what happened to my parents? They were fine in my – er – other life. They aren't dead are they?'

'No, though, I don't think it's my place to tell you, dear,' she said nervously. 'Let me just call down Professor Snape.'

'But-'

'I promise, Mr Potter, he won't be angry with you.'

Harry looked at her nervously. 'I know, but can you tell him? I don't think I can.'

She looked at him sadly. 'Of course.'

Snape walked in several minutes later, pulling Harry from his thoughts. He was the familiar Potions Master walking towards him. Madam Pomfrey hurried past the bed and up to Snape, stopping him from approaching Harry further.

'Something's happened to Mr Potter.'

'Is he all right? He looks OK.'

'He's perfectly well, but perhaps we should take this to my office before you talk to Harry.'

There was a silence. 'All right.'

They past the bed where Harry sat and Harry looked down at his hands again. He heard the door close and he waited.

He sighed and looked around the room. He looked over to the bedside table and saw a green and grey Quidditch uniform and a black broom standing against it. He picked it up and examined it a bit closer. Inscribed on the side of the broom was 'Lightning Bolt 2005'. He ran his hand over the finely polished black wood but stopped when he found a rough patch. He saw nothing until he tilted it into the light. Finely carved, just under the hilt, was Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

And his heart stopped.

The door opened to Madam Pomfrey's office and she and Professor Snape walked out. They walked over to him but he didn't bother to look up. His hands were shaking and he stopped breathing.

'Mr Potter?'

He gasped.

'Are you all right?' asked Madam Pomfrey.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up.

'Mr Potter?'

'What is this?' he asked.

'Your broom?'

'No!' he pointed to the carving near the end of his broom. 'This!'

They looked at the inscription.

'Oh dear...' came Madam Pomfrey's whisper.

'Poppy, could you leave us?' asked Snape and she nodded and left.

He say in the chair next to Harry's bed. 'Tell me about your life in Gryffindor, please. Then maybe I can fill in all that's different here.'

He looked up at the professor. 'Are you - am I really - did you adopt me?'

'Yes, Harry.'

'Why?' asked Harry. 'Are my parents OK?'

'They're - in prison, Harry,' he said sadly. 'Your parents were never the best parents.'

'What do you mean? I don't understand.'

'Then I suppose there are more differences than just school-life, but home-life, as well,' Snape sighed. 'You're father is a very sick man. We always supposed he had this oddity about him, even at school.

'And your mother is just as disturbed.

'Your father sexually molested and raped you when he was drunk and you mother beat you.'

'Fucking hell!' cried Harry.

'I found you crying in your bedroom as you furiously tried to clean the blood off with the old pair of pyjamas you were wearing. I then took you with me to St Mungo's so they could take care of you while I went to the Ministry to tell them of what happened. Your parents were immediately arrested and sent to prison.'

'H-how old was I?'

'Only eight,' said Snape. 'You were in hospital for several weeks in which time I was fighting for custody over you.'

'Really?' asked Harry shyly. 'You did that for me?'

'Of course. Why?'

'It's just hard to believe. The other you - hates me,' said Harry. 'You think I'm this rich little shit, you hate my father, though I can't blame you. You like to take the piss out of me, especially during lessons...'

'Well, I do hate your father, but I'd never do something so low as to make a fool out of you, especially during lessons,' he said. 'You've lived with me for nearly ten years. I love you like a son.'

Harry looked down, embarrassed, but smiled, nevertheless. 'Thank you, sir.'

'Call me Sev. Both you and Draco do so.'

'About Draco Malfoy...'

'Not right now,' interupted Severus. 'Right now I want you to tell me about your other life.'

Harry sighed. 'Er - I grew up being ignored by my parents and bullied by other kids in grammar school. I never had any friends. Even at Hogwarts. I went to Hogwarts and stuck to my studies. Urm - I joined the Quidditch team my second year. I was Seeker. Ron Weasley used to be a friend of mine, until I realised he was using me to be his Seeker for Quidditch. All he thought about was Quidditch as he was the Quidditch Captain. He had this "Holier than Thou" sense about him. Telling everyone on the team how to do their fucking job when he was a shitty Keeper.

'Malfoy offered his hand in friendship our first year and I now wish that I hadn't refused it.. I fell deeper in to depression. Especially these few past months. I made Outstanding on all my OWLS, but it didn't help.

'I hated eveything about my life. My family. My friends. Me. I never felt there was a meaning to life. Others believed in some superior being and I didn't. In fact, if I did believe, I'd hate him for doing this to me. I came here to Hogwarts and continued to get picked on by Malfoy and his little Slytherin gang. The other Professor Snape mercilessly teased me every chance that awoke. And my best and only friend was suddenly no longer a friend, but just as much a rival to me as Malfoy was. I can't - remember a single happy moment in my life. I hated myself more than I hated Malfoy and Weasley combined. In fact, I understood what Malfoy went through. Picking on me, hating me. His home-life isn't all that dissimilar to mine. I pitied us both, but at least - he had friends, and I noticed that he smiled and laughed - something I haven't done since before my father started his job as a Hit Wizard. Mum was an Auror, but then became an Unspeakable. They didn't have time to come home and visit. I never saw them - hell, I started to forget what their faces looked like.

'I committed suicide by jumping off the Astronomy Tower. The thing is - I'm not dead, in fact, I'm not even in the right life,' Harry finished.

There was silence for a moment. Neither knew what to say of do. Another few moments passed before Snape spoke up.

'Perhaps - I could counsel you,' he said with a sad gaze at Harry. 'Lift some weight off of your shoulders.'

'I don't think so...'

'Don't be silly. Even if it's only to visit you can come by my office every night, if you like. I'm used to you stopping by quite often.'

Harry smiled. 'Actually, that would be nice,' he looked back down as his racing broom, again running his fingers over his and Draco Malfoy's name.

'You met Draco your first summer with me. As his godfather, and potions master, I taught him potions. You grew up together. Were there for each other, especially when Draco began to change.'

'Change, sir?' asked Harry. 'What do you mean?'

'Draco's a Veela. You do know what a Veela is, don't you?'

'Of course. I didn't take Advanced Care of Magical Creatures and read more than a quarter of the library just because I was bored.'

'I didn't know. I was just making sure,' said Severus.

'I'm sorry, but yes, I know,' said Harry. 'Though they had more on female Veelas than male.'

'No, there's nor much to male Veelas other than thry're sex-craved.'

'So,' Harry drawled. 'I'm his mate?'

'Yes,' Severus nodded. 'You'll have to ask Draco for the details, I don't get into sexual affairs.'

Harry looked back down at his broom and took a deep breath, his lungs aching only slightly.

'Harry...' started Severus. 'There's actaully something I must know...'

'Sev!' the hospital wing door suddenly burst open. 'Why didn't you get me?'

Draco Malfoy stalked through the doors to find the Potions Master and his lover sitting comfortable in the corner of the room. He started to walk up to them when Severus stood, stopping Draco.

'Uncle Sev?' Draco looked up at his godfather clearly confused.

'I need to speak with you before you talk to Harry,' said the Potions Master as he ushered Draco towards the other side of the room.

Harry looked down at his broom again. 'Why?' he heard the concern in Draco's voice. 'Is he all right? Are you all right, Harry?'

Harry looked up and saw the worry in Draco's sparkling silver eyes.

'Yes, I'm fine,' he answered. Severus nearly had to drag Draco away.

He listened to Draco's and Severus's low voices echoing through the infirmary. He couldn't hear what was being said except for when Draco started yelling. The booming of Draco's voice was rather intimidating, but it was nothing Harry wasn't used to hearing. Malfoy often taunted him, made fun of his appearance and his family, even though his father was perhaps the richest in the Wizarding World. He called his father a blood traitor and teased the Gryffindor Seeker for being a mix blood.

'But I'm not in Gryffindor anymore, am I?' Harry whispered to himself. Why had this happened? Why was he given a new life? He should be dead - dead and cold as the bottom of the Astronomy Tower in the dead of night. Harry took his left hand in to his right hand and flexed it. He felt his pale skin tighten over his knuckles and released. He looked down at the black broom and held it tightly in his hand, closing his eyes, listening as the voices of the Potions Master and his 'new' lover died. They walked up to him and Harry looked up.

'Harry?' Draco noticed the distraught look in Harry's green eyes.

'Why am I still alive?' he asked. He looked into Severus's eyes and asked again. 'Why am I still here - in this alternate universe? I should be dead.'

'You should be thankful that you're still alive.'

'Well, I'm not!' Harry threw the broom to the floor and stood from his bed, nearly falling flat on his face. 'I killed myself for a bloody reason and it didn't work like it was supposed to! I want to know what the fuck is going on!'

'Harry, please, calm yourself,' said Severus as he placed a hand on his shoulder. 'No one knows what's going on. Magic has an odd way of working.'

Harry felt ashamed of himself and looked over at Draco, his supposed Veela lover, and saw the anguish in the young man's eyes. Harry turned away from him and closed his eyes. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you.'

'It's all right, Harry. You're just releasing some pent up emotions.'

Harry lent against the bed and felt a wave of darkness flood before his open eyes. He nearly fell forward, but caught himself on the older man's arm.

'Perhaps you should sit down. You don't have that much energy.'

'Yeah,' Harry said through the pain of his laboured breathing. He sat down on the bed and leant his head tiredly against the headboard.

'Uncle Sev,' Draco started. 'Can I talk to Harry alone?'

'Actually, I have a class soon, so I should be going,' he explained. 'I'm sure Poppy will let you leave by tomorrow, but until then, get a good day's rest,' said Severus, and Harry expected him to leave, but instead, the older black haired man leant forward and placed a kiss on Harry's forehead.

'I'll stop by later tonight if I can.'

Harry was too astonished to even nod, but as he came to his senses, Severus was already gone.

'Harry?' he looked to his left and saw Draco's beautiful pale silver eyes staring back up at him.

'Yes?' Harry answered.

'It's true, isn't it? You're - you're different?' asked Draco who was clearly at a loss of words.

'From a different time period, yes. I have no idea what's happening.'

'And me - Sev told me we weren't even friend...' said Draco. 'Th - that I hated you.'

Harry nodded slowly. 'You would make it a daily event to take the piss out of me.'

'Why?' asked Draco sounding disgusted with himself.

Harry shrugged. 'It's just the way you were raised, Malfoy. You teased me because you were a pureblood...' Harry whispered. 'And I wasn't.'

'But, you're my mate, Harry...'

'I don't know, Malfoy!' said Harry. 'All I know is that you were a stuck up little arse that hated me. And I hated you.'

'I don't know what to say...' Draco said sadly.

'You don't need to say anything. I just need to keep telling myself that you're not the Draco Malfoy I know...'

'May I ask you another question?' asked Draco.

Harry nodded. 'Go ahead.'

'Why did you jump from the Astronomy Tower?'

Harry averted his eyes to the floor. 'There are pleanty of reasons. Too many to count.'

'Tell me,' said Draco.

'I don't want to...talk about it.'

'All right,' Draco sighed. 'But I have one more question...'

'Yes?'

'H-how do you feel about me? Considering how different I am from the other Draco, and also that I love you.'

Harry stuttered. 'Er - um - I don't know. You're a lot nicer, but - I don't know.'

Draco looked down at his hands before he grabbed Harry's left hand and stood up. He leant forward and placed a quick kiss on Harry's lips and left.

TBC