Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter, its characters and settings are the copyrighted works of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., her publishing companies and affiliates. No profit was made from the writing of this story nor was any malice intended in any way, shape or form to the author or the actors/actresses who so brilliantly have brought them to life.
Harry opened his eyes slightly, expecting the sunlight to enter his eyes but all he got was darkness. Total darkness.
"Can someone open the curtains please?" Harry asked politely in a choked voice.
Harry knew he was in the hospital wing since the bed was a little bit different. It was soft but still harder than the ones in Gryffindor Tower. After all, you don't spend one quarter of your school life in the hospital wing and not knowing the difference between a hospital bed and a dorm bed.
Harry heard someone crying in the corner and thought it sounded like Lavender.
"Hello?" Harry tried again.
"Oh, don't be such a drama queen, Miss Brown. It's only temporary."
"Madam Pomfrey?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"Can you please ask someone to open the curtains? It's a little too dark in here."
Before Madam Pomfrey could answer, Hermione's slightly shaky voice said, "Harry, you're blind."
When Harry opened his mouth in shock, Hermione quickly continued, "But it's only temporary, depending on how strong the blindness potion was."
"Blindness potion?" Harry asked, utterly confused.
Although he couldn't see anything, he knew Hermione was rolling her eyes at him for his ignorance.
"Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle used some blindness potion on you during Potions just now. Snape was furious of course. Took 200 points from Slytherin."
"Oh."
Great, Harry thought, now I'll be blind and vulnerable to Draco fucking Malfoy and his gang of slimy snakes. Harry brought his hand to his eyes and rubbed, hard.
"When will I be okay then?" he asked after a while.
Everybody went silent as nobody dared to answer his question, not even Madam Pomfrey. It was Ron who finally broke the uncomfortable silence hanging in the air.
"We don't know for sure, mate. Days, weeks, months, it could be anything. I'm sorry, Harry."
Harry closed his eyes in frustration although it wasn't much of a difference since he couldn't see anything anyway. He groaned out loud and thought: Why does everything have to happen to me? First I found out that I'm pregnant. Then Malfoy decided that I'm not good enough for him anymore. Now I'm blind.
"Harry, are you alright?"
"Sure, I'm perfectly fine," Harry's cheerful tone was strained. "I just love the total darkness and not being able to see any fucking thing. But the greatest perk of being blind is that I won't have to see all your faces filled with pity for me," Harry said in the same strained tone.
"No need to be sarcastic," Ron muttered under his breath but Harry caught the words.
"Sorry, it's just-" Harry sighed. "Just- Just leave me alone for now. I'm tired," Harry turned to the other side and turned his back to the Gryffindors.
There was another awkward silent and then, "Alright, Mr. Potter is tired. Off you go then, the lot of you. Come back tomorrow if you want."
Harry heard chairs being pulled back while people stood up and he wondered just how many Gryffindors were in the room just now. When Ron's grumbling slowly faded to nothing, Harry asked quietly, "Are they gone yet?"
"Yes, they're gone."
"Good."
"Harry, I'm going to check on the baby now. I couldn't do it just now because your friends were here."
"Ok."
Harry heard the footsteps coming closer and closer to him before stopping at his bedside. Expert hands lifted up his shirt and probed his stomach before saying a spell that caused his stomach to feel tingly and uncomfortable.
"Well?" Harry asked.
"Hmm… The baby is fine at the moment but we can't be sure whether it'll be affected by the potion or not," Madam Pomfrey said gravely.
"What! Are you saying that my child may be blinded because of this stupid potion?"
"Calm down, Harry. We're not sure yet but there is only a very small chance that that may happen."
"When can you be sure then?"
"About two months from now, when the baby is more developed. In the mean time, please rest."
Harry nodded stiffly.
"I will keep it no matter what…" Harry whispered to the empty room. After all, it's the only thing that Draco left you.
Draco couldn't sleep.
Draco liked to be special. He liked to be unique so instead of counting sheep like other people normally do, he was counting the number of ways possible to murder somebody.
Hang them, slash their throats, poison them, burn them, stuff their mouths with food until they suffocate, push them into the lake and let the giant squid take care of the rest, and fuck them so hard that they bleed to death…
Eww… I did not just think THAT! Draco reprimanded himself for the disgusting thought.
He was furious at what had happened that afternoon. The scene in the potions classroom kept on replaying before his eyes and Harry's agony filled scream was still ringing in his ears. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see Harry clutching his eyes in pain.
He couldn't fathom why the three idiots would do something like that to Harry. Draco Malfoy grew up in an evil family but contrary to popular belief, torturing people was not his favorite passtime. Doing something like that to Harry was just plain cruel and the poor guy just had a miscarriage.
He lost the child because you broke up with him when he told you he's pregnant.
"I was in shock!"
Nevertheless, it was your fault.
"How was I supposed to know that he'd fall?"
No, you can't possibly know that but there's no denying that you hurt him.
"Alright, alright! I hurt him! Just shut the hell up! I'm going to the hospital wing now to check on him. Happy now?" Draco yelled at his conscience, thankful for the fact that he had his own private suite.
"Ouch! What the fuck!" Harry cried out after banging his elbow against the bedside table for the fourth time that night.
"Stupid, slimy, disgusting Slytherins. I wouldn't be in this state if not for them. I bet Malfoy is the mastermind. He must have told them about what happened that day. That git can't be sure if I've really lost the baby so he sent his 'friends'… Hah! Who's he trying to kid? They're just his friends because of his money…"
"-but how can anyone be so cruel? How can they try to kill their baby like that? How can-"
Harry stopped halfway when he heard footsteps, very soft ones. Harry thought it was Madam Pomfrey but as the footsteps got closer, he knew that it was not the kind nurse. This person sounded as if he or she was in a rush and Harry could only think of one person that would come at this hour.
"Malfoy! What the hell are you here for?"
Draco froze when Harry suddenly yelled at him. He had wished that Harry would be sleeping so he could just watch him sleep. Just then a thought crossed his mind, I thought Harry was blind. Draco couldn't just turn and run off like that so he did the only thing that came into his mind; he faked a voice.
"What Malfoy? This is no Malfoy, this is… Bippy, a house-elf," Draco said and immediately regretted it. It sounded so stupid, so wrong…
"Get lost, Malfoy! I know it's you! Came to kill me yourself after I'm blinded?"
Draco sighed. There was no point in pretending.
"Harry, listen-"
"Which part do you not understand, Malfoy? I said GET LOST!"
"Harry, be reasonable-"
"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?"
Draco groaned out loud. He turned around reluctantly and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the door with her hair slightly messed up.
Draco had to hide his smirk. That was the first time he ever saw the nurse appear less than perfect or decent.
"Get him out, Poppy," Harry said tiredly.
"You heard him, Mr. Malfoy. Please leave before I am forced to report this incident to the Headmaster."
"I'm the Head Boy!" Draco defended himself. "I have the right to check on my classmate if I want to."
"From what I can see, Mr. Malfoy, you are obviously exploiting your Head Boy's rights. I am also very much appalled by your defiance. Now, please leave," Madam Pomfrey said sternly.
"Fine!" snapped Draco as he turned to leave.
"Don't ever come back here, Malfoy!" Harry cried after the retreating figure.
"Arghh… I hate him…"
Madam Pomfrey chuckled lightly and said, "No you don't."
"Yes, I do," Harry said stubbornly.
"At least you think you do…" Madam Pomfrey said softly and left Harry alone.
Harry couldn't sleep that night.
The next morning was a beautiful one. Harry could hear the birds chirping; feel the breeze blow through the window. He could almost feel the sun on his skin and he would give anything right now to have his sight back.
"Damn Malfoy," Harry grumbled again.
Harry heard someone coming and he wondered who would come to visit him so early in the morning.
Hmm… Definitely a guy. Girls' steps are not that heavy. Harry thought to himself.
"Hi Harry!" Seamus' cheerful voice greeted Harry and Harry could help but smile at his endless energy.
"Morning Seamus."
"Sleep well last night?"
"Umm… Yeah…" Harry lied.
"Liar. You have dark circles under your eyes and you tell me you slept well last night? What nonsense! Harry, we lived together for the past six and a half years. You don't think I know you well enough to know that you're lying," said Seamus accusingly.
"Sorry…"
"It's alright. So, how do you feel today?"
"Fine, except this whole blind thing is starting to get on my nerves. I bumped into things more than five times last night. That's why I couldn't sleep…"
Harry was startled when he felt a warm hand covering his own. Although holding hands with Seamus was a little bit weird in Harry's opinion, he needed it now. He needed the comfort after the initial shock wore off.
"Seamus, what are you-?"
"Harry, you have to take care of yourself. You know, many people worry about you. Many people care about you and I'm one of them."
Seamus gave Harry's hand a tiny squeeze and Harry felt heat rising to his cheeks.
"I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be completely honest with me, ok?" Seamus asked.
Harry nodded towards the source of the voice since he could only count on his hearing now that he had lost his sight.
"What do you think of me?"
Harry paused to think for a while before saying, "I think you're a great guy, Seamus. I know it's kind of cliché to say this but you really are a great person. You're funny, loyal, brave, a great listener and not to mention very attractive. I'm happy to have you as my friend."
"So… No other feelings than…" Seamus asked, sounding rather disappointed.
Harry paused again before saying, "Yup. No other feelings."
"Oh…"
Harry was a little weirded out by Seamus asking this kind of questions but suddenly everything clicked together like a big piece of jigsaw puzzle.
"Oh, oh, OH…" he said as realization hit him square in the chest. "Oh my God, Seamus, I'm so sorry…"
"It's ok, Harry. I understand."
"Seamus, I love you, but only as a friend, as a brother. I could never feel that way about you. I'm sorry…" Harry said guiltily.
"No, really, I'm ok. I guess I'm just a little bit disappointed. So, are we still friends?"
"Of course! I won't want to lose such a good friend, right?" said Harry with a big grin plastered across his face.
"Right, me too. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, huh?"
"Yeah… Poppy said I can get out of here tomorrow."
"Bye Harry," Seamus said. "No matter if you love me as a brother or a lover, I will always love you…" he whispered softly.
A/N: Me again! AsI was saying in The Biggest Lie, I recently moved to Singapore which is very very very hot and humid... I'm studying in a girls' school now... Anyway, how do you like this story? I need your opinion! Please let me know because I got flamed lately and I'm very depressed now... Sigh...
A big thank you too my beta Ayane. Go read her stories under the pen name Blahnessmucho... and to all those who reviewed, thank you very much! I love reviews!
This chapter's question: What do you think of Singapore?
Till next time then...