Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warning: The usual.
Authors Note: It's been over a year. I'm so ashamed, I can't even begin to tell you and even a busy life doesn't make up for this. Well, I'm here anyway. Not so much because I think anyone remembers the story, or me, but more because I feel I need closure over this. There was an unfortunate incident about a year ago. I finished this chapter at work, one night and saved it on a disc. I came home and the disc was broken. I could not fix it and it would not show me what I've done. I got pissed and gave up. This is of course, not an excuse, still. Just thought you should know that the story has not been forgotten until now. Well, by now, I don't remember too much of the story and when I read it through in order to write this last chapter, I was sometimes amazed that I wrote the things I wrote. This was both good and bad. Mostly, I think (hope) that I've grown somewhat as a writer. That is one of the reasons I need to finish this. And there are of course you people, whom I've disappointed by not updating. I am very sorry. But no more of this. On with the final chapter.
Chapter 19
"…woke up an hour ago…in shock…Mr. Malfoy…save him…Zabini's body…live…"
Fragments of hushed words entered Draco's unconscious minds. He could not put them together to make them into something that made any kind of sense. Everything was black and he found that his eyes would not open no matter how hard he tried to force them. His head was heavy as lead and he felt like he was sinking into the mattress.
Slowly, as his conscience returned, he felt that also the veil of heaviness was lifting somewhat. It was replaced by immense pain all over his body but he didn't mind. His eyes fluttered open and he tried to focus his vision on the rapidly swinging ceiling. Everything was a blur and he had to shut his eyes again for a little while.
"Mr. Malfoy! You're awake."
Madame Pomfrey was quickly by his side, feeling his pulse and poking him all over. He tried to bat away her hand but to no avail. They kept coming back, pressing down in different places of his body.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Malfoy? Please follow my finger with your eyes." she said as she moved her finger in front of him.
"I hurt…all over." was all Draco could manage as he followed her finger with his eyes.
"Good. I mean…that is normal. You have been through a rough time. Drink this. It should make you feel better." she pushed a vial of some bitter liquid to his lips and forced it down his throat. Directly after that she thrust a glass of water into his face. He was now sitting up, holding his head in one hand, rubbing his eyes with the other. He took the glass from the medi witch and drank a little.
Slowly, the happenings of the night, started to come back to him. Blaise, Harry being tied to that tree, his blood. Weasley hiding. Then blurry images until he came to the memory where he held Harry's lifeless body in his arms.
His head snapped up and he looked wildly at Madame Pomfrey.
"Where's Harry? Is he all right? What happened to him?"
Madame Pomfrey looked a bit taken aback by Draco's sudden outburst but she wasn't shocked about the questions, it seemed. She got a worried and sombre expression on her face as she stopped what she was doing and sat down on a chair, close to Draco.
Draco noticed for the first time since he was awake, that Dumbledore and Snape were in the room too. They kept out of the way for Pomfrey's examination and most like so as not to confuse Draco further. Now they came a little close too, but they let Madame Pomfrey talk.
"Mr. Potter is suffering from life threatening injuries. He was barely alive when we found the two of you. He had severe hypothermia and some very severe injuries. We have tried to heal them but whatever caused them was a very strong sort of magic and normal potions and spells don't work as fast as they should." she paused, contemplating what to say next, or rather, how to say it. She averted her eyes but Draco caught the tears that had clouded them anyway.
"We are not sure how long he will live this way." her voice was unstable and strained. It left an empty silence and Draco felt cold and void of emotion.
Dumbledore put his hand on Madame Pomfrey's shoulder and whispered something in her ear. She got up and left the room in a hurry, her hand covering her lips. Dumbledore sat down on the chair instead. Snape moved to stand right behind him. Both of them looked pale and had dark circles under their eyes, indicating they haven't gotten much, if any sleep during the night. Draco noticed that the wrinkles and folds in Snape's face were more tangible than he had ever seen before and Dumbledore had lost some of his magnificence as well as the little twinkle in his eyes and looked like a troubled old man. When he finally spoke, his voice was raspy and sounded weak.
"Mr. Malfoy…Draco, we need to ask you a few question about the happenings of…last night." his eyes were looking carefully into Draco's own, trying to determine if Draco was up for this task.
"Is that okay with you, Draco?" Snape spoke for the first time. His voice was soft and his features matched it perfectly, concern radiating from his whole being. Draco nodded.
This was followed by silence. Dumbledore hesitated in asking the first question. He didn't want it to bee too bold but there was no other way. He needed to know what had happened. He took a breath and looked Draco in the eye and started talking.
"There are a lot of things going on in a big school such as this. I'm sure you'll agree with me on that. As a headmaster, I need to maintain calm and order in this school but I cannot see or know anything. I do however, know than you might think." He gave Draco a pointed look and Draco could have sworn he saw a pale shadow of that twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. It was gone as soon as it came and Dumbledore started talking again.
"I know about you and Harry. I do not know all the details. I just know that the two of you…haven't been as inimical to each other, as of late."
Draco's head snapped up and he looked dumbstruck for a moment. The initial shock wore off quickly and a slightly pained look crossed his face before he looked down onto his sheets again and his feelings from the headmaster and his teacher.
"I would like for you to tell me what exactly your relationship was with Harry before this incident." Dumbledore gave Draco an exploring look, trying to detect hidden feelings in the boy but Draco was still facing his sheets.
It was obvious to Draco that Dumbledore thought that he had led Harry into some sort of a trap. Why else would he be interested in the nature of their relationship. He wanted to know if Draco had led Harry to believe that there was more between them that there really was and that he had used this against Harry which ultimately almost resulted in his death.
Draco could not think about this concept. While he understood that Dumbledore didn't trust his motives, it still hurt. He loved Harry. He knew that the fact that Harry was now…in the state he was in, was his fault. Had he only kept his paws under control, this would never have happened. At the same time, something in him was happy he didn't control them as he should have. He knew that even though he wished Harry hadn't been hurt, he would never have been as happy as he had been with Harry. Harry had to survive this. If Harry died, he knew he would die too. After all that has happened, he was not ready to lose Harry. And he wouldn't.
"My feelings for him are genuine, professor." he lifted his head and met the headmaster's eyes head on.
Dumbledore smiled briefly and nodded. Snape looked shocked but he was doing a very good job of concealing it. It was obvious that he and Dumbledore had not discussed this side of the happenings of the previous night.
"I am sorry, Draco. I had to ask, I hope you understand. Now I would like for you to tell me what had happened last night. I know this is hard for you, but you must understand that a student is dead and another one is dying and a third one is severely shocked from what he had seen. He couldn't give us many details but from what we've heard so far, you were involved in this."
Draco was very tired all of a sudden. He didn't want to answer more questions and he was definitely not ready to talk about what had happened. Harry's life was in danger and all he wanted was to see him. He wanted to tell him that he could not die and he wanted to do something. He had to save Harry. He didn't know how but he had to do something. Telling about what had happened felt highly unnecessary to him. Harry came first. He understood the headmaster's point of view but he didn't much care for it.
"I'll tell you, but only if I get too see Harry afterwards."
Snape looked like he was going to protest. Say something about Draco being too weak for that sort of thing. When he saw Draco's eyes, lined with unshed tears, he closed his mouth and looked at Dumbledore. The headmaster didn't look back at him. Instead, he gave Draco an appreciative look and nodded.
"Naturally."
Draco took a deep breath and started telling their tale. He didn't leave out anything. Snape had moved to sit on his bed. The gesture proved to be highly encouraging for Draco, who didn't know what would happen now, that the secret about the wolves was out. He didn't think about it too much. The words spilled from his lips and he found that he felt relieved after telling a long kept secret that had felt like a burden to him for so long.
Harry looked pale. Too pale. He had bruises over his face and his hair had lost its natural lustre. It was still wild and unruly and Draco found himself wishing he could touch it and put some of it in place. A cloud of healing spells surrounded his thin body. Draco had not seen the likes of it. The spells around him had a bluish colour. Draco dared not touch him, lest he'd do something wrong. It didn't stop him from wanting to, though. He felt that he needed to do it, to let Harry know that he was here and that he needed him.
"Can I touch him?" he asked, looking hopefully at Madame Pomfrey.
"Yes, you may. But not for long. It disturbs the spell to some extent. If you touch him for long it could lessen the effects of it. And it would not be too good for you either to expose yourself to such magic when you do not need it."
Draco sat down on a chair close to Harry's bed and put his hand inside the cloud of spells that surrounded him. It was pleasantly warm inside and when he touched Harry's hand, he didn't feel the coldness of life slowly leaving the boy he loved; instead it was warm and soft in his own hand. He let his fingers caress Harry's own and squeezed them slightly.
Madame Pomfrey hesitated a little before she withdrew to the front of the Hospital Wing where Weasley was lying. Draco was silently thankful for this as he didn't want to have her watchful eyes on him while he was with Harry. This moment was sacred for him and he didn't want to share it with anyone but Harry. Dumbledore and Snape had left the Hospital Wing, no doubt to discuss what Draco had told them.
Harry's arms were full of cuts from the threads, as well as other bruises. He could not see much of them but what he saw made him want to take Harry in his arms and somehow just make him feel all better. Fear was rising in him as he thought about the fact that Harry was in fact, fighting for his life on this bed, under these spells. His fingers tightened around Harry's own. His other hand went to caress away some of Harry's hair from his forehead. His lips had a sickly bluish colour and they were covered with tiny red wounds from where his teeth had dug into them.
"Hey…" Draco said softly, not knowing what to say. The words were on his tongue but he wasn't sure how to put them.
"It's…it's me…Draco." He felt slightly foolish for talking to an unconscious person but he tried hard not to think about it. It was enervating not to get an answer, not knowing for sure if Harry even heard him.
"I just…Harry, you have to hear me. You have to get better, you hear me?" he was starting to get a little more comfortable talking to Harry this way, trying not to be so aware of the fact that he wasn't getting back answers. He wished, Harry would open his eyes and tell him that this was all just a bad joke and that he was really all right.
"You have to…because…because I'm not sure I can go on if you're not here. And…and because you just have to. You know, I can't believe you're doing this to me. Why couldn't you just keep your eyes open?" a feeling of desperation started to creep up to him and he clutched Harry's hand even tighter and his caresses became less gentle and more frantic. His voice was also becoming more strained and he felt a lump building in his throat, his vision getting blurrier by the second.
"I love you, Harry…I meant it when I said that and I hope that you know that I do." He whispered softly, moving inside the cloud to kiss Harry's temple gently then withdrawing as he heard Madame Pomfrey's steps, getting closer.
"I think you should get back to bed now, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco nodded and let go of Harry's hand. He rose from his chance and with a last glance at him; he retreated to his own bed, further down in the Hospital Wing.
You have to get better.
Everything was white around him. He couldn't see anything. There was white everywhere. He felt warm and safe where he was. Warm and comfortable. Just like the moments before you wake up from a pleasant dream. Only, he knew he was not dreaming.
As his eyes opened, the whiteness continued, but now he could make out different shades of white, different shapes, moving all around in a pleasant flow.
Slowly as he came to, he realized that this was a place he was not familiar with. For a moment he panicked as he realized that everything around him was white. There were trees and there was sky and birds, all in white. It was beautiful and the word that came to him was 'innocence': But it couldn't be right. One didn't just wake up to a place, all in white, void of all other colours.
He stood up and inspected his surroundings. He was lying on soft grass that was also white. White flowers smelled deliciously and reminded him of the roses his mother kept at the manor.
There was a river not too far from where he was lying. White, just like milk. This was starting to creep him out a little bit but what unsettled him most was that he didn't actually care as much as he should have. It all seemed so natural. Somehow, even though he knew there should not be places such as this, it all felt like it was a sight he witnessed every day.
He sat up. There were people moving around all over the place. No one seemed to see him, nor did they seem to see each other. They weren't speaking to each other and they didn't even look at each other. This was what unsettled him the most. He also found that he was actually not colour-blind. He could see the colour of their skin and hair. Some of them had vivid red hair and that was what convinced him.
Their eyes were void of all emotion except one. They all looked like they were searching for something. They were mumbling to themselves. This scared Draco a little. Suddenly the whole place seemed that much more sterile and unpleasant. It seemed like a fake sort of heaven. He didn't understand how he had gotten here. What was he supposed to do here?
He walked around for a while, watching his white surroundings, searching for a way out. He tried talking to some of the people but it was as if he didn't even exist in their world. They didn't seem to see him. This scared him a little but he kept trying to figure out hwy he was here to begin with. He had the distinct feeling that there was a purpose for all of this.
Finally, he sat down on a bench by lake and started to watch the white frogs as they jumped around in the water. They looked so lively. To his utter amazement, the animals in this world were far from being as apathetic as the people. They seemed quiet happy with being where they were. There were some wild ducks there too, teaching their little ones how to swim. Draco found himself smiling as the smallest one kept picking fights with its older siblings. It was peaceful and cute.
Then something caught his eyes on the other side of the lake. Someone with their back turned to him, was sitting on a swing, singing softly. The water brought the song to his ears and he listened intently.
He recognized the voice. When he looked closer, he recognized the unruly mess of hair too. His heart skipped a beat. He stood up suddenly, scaring both frogs and ducks away.
"Harry!" he wanted to scream but somehow his voice wasn't obeying him. It came out as a whisper. He tried it again.
"Harry!" this time it was slightly louder but it still wasn't loud enough. No matter how hard he tried, his voice wasn't louder than normal.
He gave up shouting and tried to find a way to cross the lake. It would take far too long to try and get around it. He had to cross it. The other shore was quite far away from where he was standing now, which meant, swimming was not an option.
As luck would have it, he found a canoe of sorts, not too far from where he was sitting. He wasn't sure it would hold but so long as it took him halfway through the lake, he would be able to swim the rest of the way. He sat in it and started to paddle.
To his utter relief, the canoe wasn't leaking in any place and he made it across soon enough. His arms were hurting a bit but he wasn't thinking about that. Mentally, he was willing Harry to sit where he was until he got there.
Harry's singing got stronger and louder the closer he got and finally on shore, he could even make out the words. He placed the canoe on the shore, where he would find it, should he need it again. Then he started running toward Harry, shouting his name. But the boy didn't seem to hear him.
Fear washed over him. What if Harry wouldn't be able to see him? Just like all those other people around them who were mumbling to themselves. What if Harry had become one of them?
He was now standing in front of Harry. He stopped dead in his tracks. Harry could not see him. His fears had come true. He just stood there crestfallen, looking into Harry's beautifully relaxed face. Harry's song began again and he listened to it.
"Cold dreams, tear my heart in two
Wherever you are, I only want you
Softly, as the wind blows,
I whisper your name
Why then, do I feel
This silhouette of shame?
I wake up at night
In the shadows of this illusion,
Where are you when I need you,
My sweet delusion?
Cold dreams, tear my heart in two
Wherever you'll fly, I'll always follow you."
Harry's song awoke something in Draco and just as Harry started to sing again, he closed the short distance between them and wrapped his arms around the singing boy.
Harry's song died in his throat and he became rigid in Draco's arms. He didn't fight the embrace but he wasn't participating in it either. Draco let go of him and stepped back.
Harry was watching him intently, keeping quiet. Draco wasn't sure what to think about this. It was obvious that Harry could see him now but he wasn't sure this was a good thing. Sure, in a way it was but if Harry saw him, then why wasn't he saying anything? Why was he standing there with that blank look on his face?
"Who are you?"
Draco wasn't sure he was hearing right. This was definitely not the sort of response he was expecting from Harry. What the hell was going on? Didn't Harry recognize him? Why did things have to be this weird and complicated in this white place?
"It's me, Draco. Don't you remember me?" he reached out and took Harry's hand in his own. Harry just stared at him and then at their hands. He wasn't returning Draco's touch but he didn't fight it either. He was just…staring. It made Draco a little frustrated but he pushed those feelings away, thinking it would be more prolific to keep talking in a calm manner. Maybe he could trigger Harry's memory in some way.
"No. I don't know who you are. Why are you touching me like that?"
Harry's question made Draco drop his hand. This was not heading in the direction he had hoped for. He was rapidly becoming more and more confused. Was this really Harry? He certainly looked like him but why wouldn't he recognize him?
"But it's me…Draco…we are…well…You really don't remember me?"
"No. I really don't. To tell the truth, I don't remember much at all." he looked a little confused now and he scratched his nose. Draco thought he looked adorable like that but at the same time, his words left him cold. Harry didn't remember him.
"What do you remember?"
"Well…nothing. I don't know who I am. I just know that…well it's more like a feeling. I just…well, I have to stay here until…someone comes to get me." he was fingering his white robe nervously, averting his green eyes, looking at the ground. Draco wasn't sure what to answer to that. Harry didn't recognize him. At the same time, Draco knew that neither he nor Harry could stay here. That left them with only one option.
"Well…I…I'm here now. I think you should come with me."
Harry gave him a funny look.
"I don't think so. I don't know you. I can't go with you."
"But you can! You're supposed to come with me. Back in the…real world, we're…we're together, Harry. We love each other!" Draco said, taking Harry's hand in his again. He was starting to become increasingly desperate again. They had to get out of here. Something was wrong with this place. There was something that he should say but he couldn't remember what it was. There was something he should do. Something was slipping away from him. Slowly at first and increasingly more now. They had to hurry up.
"What do you mean by "the real world"?" Harry looked dubious.
"I mean…well…It's not…This is not the…" Draco was becoming confused. He was no longer sure what he meant by "the real world", himself. It annoyed him and scared him at the same time. He was rapidly forgetting what he was supposed to do here, why he had come. He was doubting the existence of him and Harry. Or was that even his name? Yes. It had to be!
"Harry, we have to get out of here!" he pulled the boy by the hand, trying to move them toward the canoe.
"No! I told you, I'm not going with you! I'm waiting for someone!" Harry wouldn't budge. He pressed his heels down and prevented Draco from moving both of them.
That was the last drop for Draco. He stepped back to Harry and with one swift motion and he lifted the other boy into his arms, heading for the canoe. Harry fought him with all he had but Draco wouldn't let go. This was very important. He could feel all his memories disappear and he was now very aware of the problem. He focused very hard on his happiest memories. The ones with Harry. Up in the piano room, down by the lake, him kissing Harry for the first time in the infirmary. He wouldn't let these memories be stolen from him. His grip on Harry's struggling body tightened and he to the canoe, dropping him unceremoniously into it. Harry got out of the canoe as almost as soon as he landed in it, frustrating Draco even more.
"Harry, please! You have to understand that we have to leave this place now!" he said hurriedly as he approached the other boy so that he could force him into the canoe again.
"And you have to understand that I'm not going with you anywhere!"
Harry reminded Draco of a defiant child as he stood there with his hands clutched at his sides, staring at him with his green eyes. In any other situation he would have laughed at this and found it cute but in this current situation it just made him angry.
"Why not? You don't even know who you're waiting for. I'm telling you it's me and you just ignore it because 'you don't know me'!" his voice was heated now but he wasn't screaming.
"I know that I'll recognize the one who comes for me."
Draco had had enough of this. He stepped up to Harry and put his arms around the other boy and pressed his lips to Harry's own. The kiss was hurried and raw. Harry's lips were unresponsive under his own and he pried them open with his tongue, forcing his way into Harry's mouth. He was sure now. This was really Harry. He tasted like Harry and while he wasn't responding, he wasn't struggling either. Draco explored his mouth with his tongue quickly then withdrew.
Harry was staring at him with wide eyes. His lips were sinfully red from having been ravished so suddenly and his tongue dart out to unconsciously taste what remained of Draco there. His eyes left Draco's and he was staring at Draco's right side before he met his eyes again.
"Your right pocket is glowing" he informed.
Draco stared dumbly at Harry. What kind of response was that? What the hell was wrong with Harry? Aside from not remembering anything, that is. He looked at his right pocket anyway and to his utter disbelief, it really was glowing. He looked back at Harry, who looked about ready to make his escape while Draco inspected his glowing pocket.
"Oh no you don't."
Draco grabbed Harry's hand before his other plunged into his right pocket, his fingers coming in contact with something solid and warm. He pulled it out and his eyes grew in astonishment. It was the glass ball he had purchased on that day in Hogsmeade. The one he took from Harry.
"I remember that thing." Harry breathed as he touched the glass ball with his free hand.
The glass ball was shifting colours rapidly and became very hot as they both touched it. Draco felt dizzy and suddenly everything dissolved into a blur. The only thing that existed was him, Harry and the glass ball and just a blur of whiteness all around them.
The two boys looked into each others eyes and Draco saw recognition in Harry's eyes. Harry's lips curved into a soft smile. Draco's head was spinning rapidly now and the whiteness turned into darkness and consumed everything except Harry's face. The last things he heard, or rather read off Harry's lips were the words:
I love you, Draco.
Then everything became black and disappeared.
Playful fingers were twined in his hair, caressing it softly. Someone's warm breath was making his neck tingle at regular intervals. The fingers moved from his hair to his cheeks, touching the ends of his eyelashes. It tickled, having them touched that way, but he didn't open his eyes. Slowly, the fingers moved on to the bridge of his nose and to his lips. They caressed him with utmost adoration and Draco knew instantly who was doing this to him. He smiled softly.
"You're awake, aren't you?" the precious voice whispered into his neck, holding a repressed laugh.
He opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to the side. Harry's face came in view and his smile widened. The other boy wasn't wearing his glasses and his eyes were as green and radiant as ever. He was smiling at Draco, happily and his fingers haven't stopped touching his lips.
Draco pressed a soft kiss against the fingers, lifting his own hand to touch Harry's own lips. As they came in contact with the warm skin, Draco went rigid. It was as if someone had poured cold water all over him. He could actually touch Harry! He had thought it was a dream and here he was actually feeling Harry's fingers against his lips and his own fingers against Harry's lips. This was not a dream!
"What's wrong, Draco?" Harry asked, moving his fingers to Draco's cheek instead.
"You're real!" Draco exclaimed, touching Harry's cheeks with both of his hands, sitting up a little.
"Yes." Harry answered, sounding confused.
"You're not…dying! Are you? You're okay aren't you! I mean, you look all right but…" Draco was rapidly becoming more and more excited and confused.
"No, I'm okay, Draco!" Harry said with a laugh, taking Draco's exploring hands into his own.
"Something happened…I was in that…place and then you came and I woke up and I was all right. Something happened there and…well, you save me." He finished, matching Draco's confused look.
"Really? So, this is real then? You're real and you're okay? Are you in pain? Because if you are then…" Draco could still not grasp the concept of Harry being there, beside him in a bed, looking healthy and normal.
"No, I'm all right. I promise." Harry pressed a calming kiss on the tip of Draco's nose, making Draco instantly much more relaxed. He could now really take in the fact that this was real.
"So then you're not going anywhere." He said, making sure.
"No, where would I go anyway? I'm right where I want to be." Harry smiled at him, caressing his cheeks once again. Draco slumped back on the bed, moving closer to Harry.
"But what happened? I mean…you were…Pomfrey said that you'd…"
"I know but as I told you, you came and got me." Draco put his arm around Harry, clutching his body closer to his own.
"Dumbledore said he had never heard of anything like this. He and Snape went off to do some research on this thing but I don't really care what happened. I already know enough." He smiled again and kissed Draco's neck.
Suddenly, a strange thought entered Draco's mind. The glass ball! His hand went to his pocket, resulting in nearly knocking Harry off the bed.
"Hey!" Harry yelled and grabbed Draco around the waist just in time before he could fall off the bed.
"Sorry." Draco said quickly before examining his pocket. It was empty. He was a little more careful as he checked his other pocket too but it was as empty as the previous one.
"What are you looking for?" Harry asked, looking slightly alarmed.
"The glass ball. It's gone." Draco said, examining both his pockets all over again.
"What glass ball?"
"The one I took from you in that gift shop." Draco got up and walked toward the little dresser where he knew the clothes he had worn the night before were being kept.
"Of course! It was glowing in you pocket!" Harry now understood what Draco was thinking and got out of bed as well, helping Draco search his clothes.
"It's not here." They said at the same time as the last piece of clothing had been searched too. The sat back down on the bed in silence. Draco was thinking about when he'd seen it last but he couldn't recall. It was always with him for some reason.
"You know, Hermione told me that she had read about that glass ball in some book. She said they don't know about how it works. She said it mostly just shows you things." Harry lay down on the bed, motioning for Draco to do the same. Draco did as Harry wished and put his arms around the other boy.
"That time in the gift shop, I saw Wolfie…well…you in it." Harry became very interested in the patterns on the blanket that covered them. His cheeks had a rosy colour and he was biting his bottom lip nervously. Draco smiled slyly at this.
"Why, Potter, I never knew I could make you blush like this, after all the wicked things we've done with each other."
Harry became even more embarrassed and shied away from Draco, his face now bright red, the redness reached all the way down his neck and disappeared behind his night shirt. Draco eyed him with a coy smile.
"You know, I would love to find out if you actually blush all over your body." He said as he advanced on Harry, pressing him into the mattress as he straddled the other boy's waist.
"Draco…I'm not sure…" his sentence died in his throat as Draco pressed his lips to Harry's own. Harry tried to push him off to enlighten him that they were in fact still in the Hospital Wing, which meant anyone could come in at any minute and see them, but Draco would have none of that. He reached out and yanked the curtains around the bed as he proceeded to kiss Harry with more force. His tongue found its way into Harry's mouth and soon, Harry found himself relaxing as his hands went to caress Draco's back, pressing the other boy into him.
"Errrrm…" someone cleared their throat on the other side of the curtain. The two boys froze in their actions and Draco jumped off Harry and sat by the far end of the bed. Harry lay back on the bed and pulled the covers over himself.
"Y-yes?" Harry said, his voice unsteady. Dumbledore pulled the curtain to the side and looked at the boys with that knowing twinkle in his eyes. Draco secretly though it was just a little uncanny.
Dumbledore looked like he was just about to say something but he closed his mouth and smiled at the two boys.
"I see the two of you are feeling better now." he said, avoiding to mention the fact that Harry was occupying Draco's bed and Draco was sitting by his foot. The boys nodded in response, not trusting their voices just yet.
"Well, I just thought I'd come by and see if the two of you were doing any better. Professor Snape and I are still searching for answers on Harry's miraculous recovery." he said, a little more seriously and not without relief and curiosity in his voice. This triggered Harry's tongue.
"Actually, professor, before I woke up, Draco and I were holding on to a glass ball of sorts in that…place. It was glowing and well…we think it might be what caused the whole thing." Harry said, hoping Dumbledore had more answers now that he knew about this detail.
"What sort of glass ball was it?"
"Well…we don't know what it's called but Hermione said it was some rare thing."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. Draco and Harry looked at each other, looking slightly nervous.
"You are not talking about the Globe of Desire, by chance?" Dumbledore said, looking quiet serious. Draco and Harry looked at him dumbly.
"Can I see this glass ball then?"
"Well, sir, I'm afraid that is impossible at this moment. We don't know where it is." Harry admitted, looking sheepishly at his headmaster.
"I was actually hoping that maybe you or Madame Pomfrey might have seen it." Draco said, looking hopeful.
"No, we have seen nothing of the sort. But it would certainly explain a lot of things. You see, the Globe of Desire is a very rare object. It takes a very powerful wizard to trigger its true powers and it grants one single desire and then it disappears. To the untrained eye, it would look like an ordinary glass ball and would only show things you desire, for instance, if you wish to eat a lemon drop, it would show you one. But on rare occasions, it can do unimaginable things. But only if it gets in the hands of a powerful wizard and if the wizard's desire is of the truest, purest kind. Which would explain you miraculous recovery, Harry." Dumbledore finished with a smile and the ever persistent twinkle in his eye.
Draco and Harry were speechless. They could not believe the things Dumbledore was telling them. This meant that Draco had really saved Harry's life. What was more; he had done it with the power of their love.
Dumbledore took a step back to indicate that he was leaving now.
"I shall leave the two of you to talk things through. You will have to stay here for further examination so that we can make sure that everything is all right with you before we release you. And Harry, your friends wish to talk to you. Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger are quiet anxious about all that has happened to you." he said, before he walked away, dragging the curtain back around the bed.
"So…" Harry was the first to speak after Dumbledore's departure. He didn't get much further than that though. Both of them were still trying to wrap their minds around what Dumbledore had just told them.
"So…I guess I really must love you, huh?" Draco said, breaking the ice somewhat awkwardly. Harry looked at him with a surprised face.
"I guess, you really must." He said, exhaling at the same time.
"So the question is; do you love me back?" Draco asked with a grave expression. Harry smiled at him and threw the covers aside, moving over to Draco. He stopped when his nose was almost touching the other boy's own.
"What do you think?" he asked but he didn't wait for an answer as he closed his eyes and moved to kiss Draco on the lips. Harry moved closer and nestled between Draco's legs, wrapping his arms around his neck.
"Okay, so you love me and I love you. What about your friends? What about my father? What about Voldemort?" Draco asked, once they broke the kiss and Harry had rested his head on Draco's shoulder, playing with the buttons of his shirt as Draco caressed his back.
"What about them?" Harry asked, not looking up from Draco's buttons.
"Well my father won't exactly be overjoyed by the concept of us being together. He will most likely want to kill us both. Same with Voldemort and the other wolves. Your friends will probably join the hunt, sparing only you, their hero. I mean, we can hide this is that's what you want but the fact still remains that I killed Blaise and that ought to raise some questions among the wolves. Technically I am their new leader and if I say that I wish not to be asked about it, they obey me but I'm not sure I want to become their leader." Draco said, sighing as he finished his talk.
"So, don't. Draco, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I will always be by your side. I'm not worried about any of the other things, really. We have conquered so much together. I know that we will get through this together. How we get there is not important now. We just have to believe that we will and that at the end of all this, we will still have each other. And even if one of us dies, the other will never be alone. The other will always be there." Harry paused and looked up at Draco before he continued.
"If I die, I will always wait for you in that place Draco. And I know now, that you will do the same. And I promise you, I will never forget about you again. Because I love you." he fell silent and he smiled at Draco. The blond contemplated this for a moment, then he smiled back and hugged Harry closer to his chest. He kissed Harry one again on the mouth.
For once in his life, Draco was content. He wasn't anxious or afraid of what was to come. He knew that whatever there was in store for them, would come no matter how much he feared it and no matter how much he wanted to get away from it. As long as he was with Harry, they would get through it all together. Harry loved him and he loved Harry also. The rest didn't matter. Harry would always wait for him and he would always wait for Harry and that was what really mattered. He knew that they had lots of things ahead of them still, this was just the beginning of their tale, but he felt relaxed, knowing that they would face it all together.
The End
Authors Note: Well, that is the end. Finally after so long, I finished this. Firstly, I want to thank all of you people, who have read this story. Special thanks to you, who reviewed. It means a lot to me. I really hope that you liked how it ended. I didn't kill anyone. It was a real temptation to fight but I wanted the end to be hopeful. And to those of you, who still crave that angsty ending, read my one-shot "Far Away from the City of Angels". Actually, while you're at it, read both of my other one-shots. I'm curious as to what you think about them.
I would also like to thank my lovely beta, Shiry. This story would certainly not exist without her and thanks to this story, I met her. I can never express my gratitude toward her or the one who actually inspired me to begin writing a fanfic of my own. This person is Michael Serpent, a wonderful writer, who has passed on recently. I dedicate this final chapter to his memory. I will never be able to tell with words how much he has touched my life, even without knowing.
Thank you for putting up with me and thank you so much for having read this story. In the future, I will be focusing more on writing original stories and there's a link from here to fictionpress where you can read some of them, so you can read those too.
Much love unmei3