Author's Notes (PLEASE READ): The final regular chapter of this story has undergone some major revisions. Most importantly, the Epilogue has been deleted. It conflicted with my original planned plot, so it's gone. To the readers, I apologize profusely. However, there's a good reason for this major shift in the story. When I originally wrote the Epilogue, I deviated from my plan, which was supposed to be the foundation for my Sequel. So, in the interest of continuing this universe with a whole new story, I deleted the epilogue.

Now, the following "chapter" in this new layout of the fic is actually the second half of the last chapter, which has been split in half. It was the only way that I could manage the deletion of the Epilogue without risking messing up the rest of the fic. (I don't trust the site's system not to delete other parts of my fic if I just delete the Epilogue.) Please trust that it's all been done for a reason.

For now, sit back and enjoy!

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Chapter 18

Between Heaven and Hell

Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, the gargoyle jumped to the side, and he ran headlong into a lanky redhead.

"Ron, get out of my way."

"I don't think so."

Ron was standing with his head tilted back slightly, arms folded across his chest. He was wearing his nightshirt, with a pair of trousers thrown on underneath. Hermione was standing to the side, wrapped in a bathrobe, wringing her hands, but Ron didn't seem to be paying the slightest attention to her. "I don't know what really happened out there with you and Malfoy, but you come back after three weeks and you've gone over the edge or something! You won't tell us anything, you just disappear in the middle of the night and scare me half to death, and now you're going to do Merlin-Knows-What to save Malfoy… what the hell are we supposed to think? This obsession with Malfoy has got way out of hand!"

"It's not an obsession! He's my friend, and I've got to try to save him. Now let me through!" Harry tried to push past Ron, but Ron moved to block him.

"Ron, either you're going to let me pass, or I'll –"

"You'll what, Harry? You'll fight me?"

Hermione finally tried to move between them. "Harry! Ron! Stop, please!"

Harry shook her off, still glaring at Ron. "I will, if you don't stop being a stupid prat!"

"Harry, no! We're worried about you. What are you going to do with Malfoy? Talk to us!"

"Stay out of this, Hermione," Harry said coldly. "Ron, if you were lying down in the hospital wing, dying, I'd risk my life to save you, and I'm not going to do any less for Draco."

For an instant, Ron looked stunned, but then, his expression darkened. "Risk your life? You're going to risk your life for Draco Malfoy? What the fuck are you about to do?"

In contrast, Hermione eyes grew wide with fear. "Harry, what's Dumbledore planning? What's going on?"

"It's complicated –"

Ron grabbed Harry by the shirt and pulled him around to meet his stare. "I WON'T LET YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR DRACO-FUCKING-MALFOY!"

Harry wrenched his shirt free from Ron's grasp. For a long moment, they glared at each other, and then Harry steeled himself. "Just try and stop me." He took two steps forward, only to have Ron block him. A step to the side, and Ron gave him a shove backwards. By now, Harry's breath was whistling angrily through his nostrils. He had to get to Draco, and there was no way in hell Ron was going to stop him. He took one more step towards Ron, but this time, when Ron moved to shove him backwards, he ducked. Ron missed and overstepped, and in the split second while he was off-balance, Harry struck.

It was a hard right hook that caught Ron in the jaw. The second swing found Ron's nose with a sick cracking sound. Blood spurted everywhere as Ron staggered backwards, swearing loudly. Hermione was screaming at both of them, but Harry didn't care what she was saying anymore. He turned to walk away, but before he could take a step, he felt a fist connecting with the back of his head.

Harry stumbled forward and was only able to turn halfway around before a low blow caught him in the side. Rage welled up in him, and before he could formulate the thought, he'd spun around, head down, and charged into Ron. They collided with the wall and fell to the ground together in a tangle of flying fists, kicking feet, and swinging elbows.

Blood was getting everywhere from Ron's nose, but Harry didn't care. Right now, the very fact that Ron was bleeding only spurred him on more. Hermione yelling at him to stop added to the furious elation. He didn't know how he ended up on top of Ron, straddling his hips, but in that momentary advantage, he had seized Ron by the shirt and was shaking him furiously. "You don't understand anything! He almost died for me because he loved me! So I'm going to save him and YOU'RE NOT GONNA STOP ME!"

Suddenly, someone grabbed him by the collar, pulled him backwards, and hauled him to his feet. He was spun around roughly and found himself looking into the scowling face of Severus Snape. A dozen thoughts ran through Harry's head. I'm going to lose a million points from Gryffindor. Detention for a month. No, the rest of the year. When the hell did Snape get back? I thought he was gone. Awful timing. He's going to waste even more time, lecturing me about fighting... detentions, gutting horned toads by hand.

Snape stared at him, then cast a quick glance aside at Ron, who was struggling to his feet and clutching his stomach. When Snape looked back at him, Harry thought he actually detected a faint hint of amusement. "Ten points to Gryffindor. I never knew you had it in you, Potter." He released Harry's collar and his face became stony again. "You'd best run down to the hospital wing. I must tell Dumbledore that I have completed the potion, and it appears I was successful. Madam Pomfrey should be waiting for you."

"Yes, sir," Harry said weakly. He turned on shaky legs, but then Snape spoke again.

"Potter…"

Harry looked back over his shoulder.

Snape's face was twisted in an unreadable expression, and it looked like he was trying not to gag on whatever he was about to say. "Welcome back."

Harry nodded. "You too, Professor."

Neither Ron nor Hermione said a word as Harry turned towards the stairs alone. Part of him felt horrible for what he'd done, but he was far more focused on Draco right now, and far too furious at Ron for trying to stop him. Even taking the stairs three at a time, it seemed to take forever to reach the hospital wing. As he hurried along, his words to Ron echoed through his head. I just chose Draco over Ron. There's going to be hell for this later. But not right now.

When Harry finally arrived at the infirmary, it appeared the Aurors had already come and gone. Pansy Parkinson was gone, and the broken glass had been removed. Vincent Crabbe was still there, however, as were Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. Harry made a beeline for Draco's bed.

"Is Professor Dumbledore on his way?" Madam Pomfrey asked as soon as she saw him. "Did he find a cure?"

"Snape has a potion ready," Harry said as he took Draco's hand and automatically started kneading it. "It's not a simple cure... there's another part to it. But yeah, they've got it."

"Thank Merlin," Madam Pomfrey breathed. "But they must hurry. Draco needs it immediately. He's fading."

"What?" Harry's head snapped around towards Madam Pomfrey. She merely pointed towards the glowing light above Draco's chest.

The pulsing was slower than it had been before Harry had left, and the glow was noticeably weaker. Harry took a good look at Draco's face and paled. Draco's skin was ashen, and Harry could see the faint blue lines of veins running just beneath the surface. "How much time does he have?"

"I can't say for certain, as I've never dealt with a case like this," Madam Pomfrey said, "but I would guess he has no more than an hour, at most."

"Shit," Harry hissed, throwing a nervous glance back at the door. "Snape was just going up to Dumbledore's office as I was coming down, and Dumbledore said he had something he had to do first, and then he'd meet me down here."

"What are they gonna do, Potter?" Crabbe asked suddenly. "For Draco, I mean. What's the plan?"

Harry looked at Crabbe. "I'm going to try to bring him back."

"How?"

"By going... wherever he is."

"Hold it right there, Mr. Potter," McGonagall cut in sharply. "If you're describing what I think you're describing, then I can not allow it."

"It's not up to you to decide! Dumbledore came up with the plan and I'm going to do it!"

"Professor Dumbledore may be the Headmaster, but you are still in my house, Potter. You have put yourself in serious danger far too many times in my experience, and I was unable to stop you, but that will not be the case here. I will not allow you to tap dance on the edge of death for Draco Malfoy, or anyone!"

"That's what I say!" Ron yelled from the door as he burst in, followed a second later by Hermione, Snape, and Dumbledore. Ron's nose had obviously been healed, but there was partially dried blood all over his nightshirt, and he was plainly livid. "Dumbledore told us what you're planning on the way down and I think it's bloody insane! Harry, you don't even know if this will work! The potion – poison – whatever it is, might just kill you straight away!"

"It will not," Snape said harshly.

Ron sneered at Snape, then turned back to Harry. "You can't do it, Harry! If it were me lying there, I wouldn't want you to risk yourself for me, either."

Harry held Ron's stare for a moment, then looked down at Draco. Still holding Draco's hand, he used his free hand to smooth back a strand of hair from Draco's face. "But you know I would. Even if you didn't want me to. Draco wouldn't want me to do it either." He looked back up and surveyed all the occupants of the room. "That's why I have to."

For a long moment, the room was silent. Harry stared at Ron, who seemed completely at a loss for what to say. Dumbledore finally broke the silence.

"I believe that it would be best for you to leave, Mr. Weasley. And Miss Granger. Mr. Crabbe, I think you should accompany them."

"Where should we go?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Perhaps Professor McGonagall will be kind enough to escort you to her office. Call a house-elf for some tea, and sit tight."

McGonagall's face had a pinched appearance. "You won't need my assistance, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "This will only require myself, Professor Snape, and Madam Pomfrey. And Harry, of course. I apologize that I have not given you a full briefing as I had planned, but our time is short. I assume that Miss Granger can explain the situation to you with great accuracy. I believe the fewer people present for this, the better. I will inform you as soon as we know the outcome."

Professor McGonagall took a long look at Harry. She still seemed displeased with the arrangement, but there was a note of surrender too. "I understand," she said resignedly.

Ron, however, didn't seem quite so ready to accept it. "And that's it? Just like that? Harry?"

Reluctantly, Harry released Draco's hand and crossed over to Ron. After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly wrapped his arms around Ron in a tight hug. Ron seemed stunned, but finally returned the awkward embrace. When they pulled apart, Harry spoke. "You know why I have to do this."

"Yeah, because you're Harry Potter."

"And if I wasn't the sort of person who would do something like this..."

"Then you wouldn't be the most capital bloke I've ever met, and I probably wouldn't like you as much as I do," Ron said, although he sounded like he was forcing each word out of his mouth.

Harry nodded. "Besides, if I've survived everything else, I doubt this is going to be the thing that does me in, right?"

"Right, mate." Ron gave a weak smile. He looked slightly greenish. "I'll see you in a few minutes, right?"

"Absolutely."

Next, Hermione nearly bowled him over with a hug. "You'll be okay, Harry, I just know you will." She pulled back just enough to look him square in the face. "I meant it when I said you were a great wizard, Harry. All those things about magic – and life – things that you can't find in books... you've got all that and more."

Harry wasn't quite sure what to say, so he looked to the side and mumbled, "Thanks, Hermione."

A moment later, after a brief and surprising handshake from Crabbe, Harry watched as McGonagall left with the three students in tow. The door fell shut behind them like the sentencing blow of a gavel, and it was time.

"There is," Snape said, "one last element to this potion that I must collect." He held up a small, brilliantly clean blade. "One drop of Draco's blood."

Harry nodded and looked away as Snape collected the blood. "Why is it that every sinister potion or spell uses blood? Why can't we use apple cider, or something more pleasant?"

"Because, Potter, blood contains many magical properties inherent to itself, as well as being a carrier for the magical essence of the person from whom it came. NEWT-level Potions will cover that topic in depth, and considering your recent experiences, I assume that you will finally pay the sort of attention such a noble subject deserves." A soft red flash and a popping sound indicated that the potion had been completed. "There. It's ready, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded and looked gravely at Harry. "This is your last chance to change your mind, Harry." When Harry glared at him, he tipped his head in concession. "And I should not have bothered to ask, it appears. The potion will work quickly, and I cannot promise that the process will be comfortable. When you lose consciousness, you must find Draco as quickly as possible, find the passage back, and bring Draco with you. Just as the original version of this potion would pull the target with you into death, this version will allow you to enable Draco's passage back with you to the living world. Do you understand?"

Harry considered this for just a moment. "I think so."

"Then that will have to do. I fear there is very little I can do to further prepare you, as even I do not know the exact nature of what you will face."

Harry nodded stoically. "What should I do now?"

"You should probably lie down." Dumbledore indicated the bed a few feet away from Draco's.

"I don't want to be so far away from him," Harry said stubbornly.

"It doesn't matter how close you are, Potter," Snape said with scarcely restrained impatience. "The magic will work over any reasonable distance."

"But can't I... er..." Harry looked at Draco. He wanted to just climb onto Draco's bed and hold him.

"Harry," Dumbledore said softly, "we really cannot wait any longer."

Reluctantly, Harry hopped up on the other bed, fidgeting uncomfortably. He kept casting sideways glances at Draco, trying to quell the nerves that were beginning to overwhelm him. If Draco was willing to risk everything for him, he could certainly do the same for Draco. He wasn't going to back out now.

Harry looked away from Draco to see a lightly steaming cup of potion held in front of him. Snape was looking at him gravely, holding the cup. "It would appear that I've finally found my chance to poison you, Potter, although these are not exactly the gratifying circumstances I'd desired."

"Wonderful," Harry muttered as he took the cup from Snape. The liquid itself was shrouded by a thin film of mist drifting over the surface, and Harry suddenly felt certain that he did not want to see what was underneath the mist. "That inspires so much confidence. Well... cheers, I guess."

The potion was hideously bitter, and it burned his throat on the way down. Harry gasped for breath as his eyes began to water, blurring his vision. No, his eyes weren't watering. His vision was actually becoming blurred. Then the pain began, first in the depth of his stomach, and then spreading through his entire body. Vaguely, he heard the sound of the cup clattering to the floor. The room began to swim around him. He was distantly aware of hands supporting him, and someone was propping his head with pillows, but that seemed so far away. The pain was fading along with the room, and in front of him, he could see a dark tunnel materialize. There were flashes of light, thunder crashing, and a roaring wind echoing from the tunnel. Somewhere in the midst of all that, somebody was yelling. The voice was so familiar.

"I'm coming, Draco," Harry heard himself whisper.

The infirmary disappeared completely, and Harry was standing alone in the tunnel. Or maybe it was a dark path through the thickest part of a forest. No matter. Draco's voice was calling, and he was at the end of that path, and that was where Harry needed to be. Something akin to instinct gripped Harry, like the obvious course of action in a dream, and without a second thought, he began to run. He ran through the darkness, feeling his legs ripped and scratched by a thousand branches and thorns while more branches whipped across his face. The lightning continued to flash and thunder rumbled ominously, yet no rain fell.

The path twisted and turned. Harry passed an old graveyard, and plunged through an icy river. A chasm in the ground opened up suddenly, nearly swallowing him into the earth, but he jumped over it. Nothing would stop him. Not now. The forest path turned into a cold, wet tunnel, smelling of stone and earth. He could hear Draco's voice, louder now, echoing through the tunnel, but it seemed to be as much inside his head as from an outside source. He called out, searching, hoping, but there was no direct reply.

Suddenly, the tunnel was gone. Harry was standing on a narrow, barren ledge. Behind him, a solid wall of stone rose up, ending somewhere unseen in the storm clouds above. It would be impossible to climb. There would be no retreat over the edge of the cliff either, for there, a thick column of twisting cloud and smoke rose up from the depths, glowing from the inside with fiery shades of red. The cyclone extended as high as he could see, disappearing into the stormy night sky, and down into the black depths of the chasm below. It threw a violent wind across the surface of the cliff, where one lone figure was making a defiant stand.

Draco's hair whipped around his face, and his legs were braced against the wind. For a fleeting moment, he looked so strong, as if he could stride up to the angry cyclone and kick it away, but then a gust of wind struck him, and he stumbled.

"DRACO!" Harry shouted, but the wind swallowed his voice. He made a mad dash for Draco, but as he approached, the wind itself seemed to sense him and sent him sprawling backwards. He landed on his back with a painful thud and rolled to his stomach with a groan. "Draco..." When he finally made it onto his hands and knees, he looked up.

Draco was struggling to his feet, facing the cyclone, even closer to the edge of the cliff than before. Why would he move closer? Then Harry noticed that the wind was wearing away the cliff, and chunks of earth were flying off, being swallowed by the cyclone. Draco hadn't moved closer to the edge; the edge was moving towards him. In a flash, Harry understood what the column of cloud and fire was. Draco's mental construct of death. The ground on which he – they – stood was his last refuge, his last grasp on life. And it was crumbling away.

"Draco! Look at me, damn it!" Draco didn't seem to hear him. We're running out of time! Harry gritted his teeth, lowered his head against the wind, and began crawling towards Draco. The gravel was harsh and dry beneath his hands, and the smoke and dust were beginning to choke him. The closer he got, the harder the wind blew, throwing sand and debris at him, as if it was consciously trying to keep him away.

Nothing is going to stop me, Harry thought fiercely. Then his head bumped into something solid. He put his hand up. There was no barrier that he could see, but his hand collided with something hard and impenetrable. Although he couldn't cross the barrier, he could still see through it. Draco was only a few short feet away, but still out of Harry's reach. "DRACO!"

This time, Draco reacted. Slowly, he turned his torso and head. His face was streaked with sweat and grime, and his eyes were wide and haunted. For a split second, Harry saw recognition flash across his face, but then he shook his head, terrified. "YOU'RE NOT HIM!"

"What are you talking about?" Harry yelled back, confused.

"You're trying to fool me! You're not Harry! You're trying to take me away from here, but I won't go. I have to protect Harry!" He turned away from Harry, just as another huge chunk of earth broke off the cliff. Draco scrambled back a step, but otherwise held his ground. "NO! I need to stay! I promised! I swore to him!"

"Draco, I'm Harry and I need you!"

Draco's head snapped around, and his eyes were blazing with fury. "YOU'RE NOT HARRY! Harry is back THERE, through the forest, and he's alive! And I have to stay here to keep him alive! If I don't, then You-Know-Who will get him. Harry said that would be the worst thing, and I'll never let that happen! I can't see it, but I know what's happening behind the storm... the eclipse is almost complete, and if I leave now, Harry will die!"

"The eclipse is over, Draco!"

"No, it's not!"

"It is! It's been over for almost three days now. I'm safe! You did it. You won! Voldemort can't touch me now. I carried you back to Hogwarts, but now you're lying in the infirmary, dying. You've been unconscious for three days. If you don't come with me NOW, you'll die!" The cliff rumbled beneath him as another piece broke off from the edge. Draco teetered and fell to his knees, and Harry had to reach out a hand to steady himself. His hand collided with the barrier again, which was just as solid as ever. Harry's eyes widened with another revelation. The barrier was something else Draco's mind had created... something to keep away anything that might take him from his sworn mission. But now, the barrier was going to kill him. Harry pounded a fist against it in frustration. "DRACO, I NEED TO TAKE YOU BACK! NOW! LET ME THROUGH!"

The wind seemed to be cooperating with the shaking earth, and sent a gust that knocked them both over. Harry struggled to upright himself again. "Can't you see that this place is falling apart beneath you? It's not real!"

Draco was convinced that he needed to fight a battle for Harry's life, and so now, here he was, fighting a loosing battle in this place between life and death, between dreams and waking. Here, where nothing was real except Harry, the surrounding ether was made from their muddled memories. He couldn't lose himself in them; if he did, they were both lost.

"Your mind is creating the whole place! Your body is back in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, and you need to go back to it before you die here!"

For a moment, Draco seemed to consider this, but then his face hardened. "This is a trick! You're not real!"

"NO!" Harry screamed, but Draco turned away from him again and looked out at the swirling column of cloud and fire that threatened to swallow them both.

For a moment, Harry could only kneel there, stunned. This couldn't be happening. He'd come all the way here, had found Draco, but now Draco wouldn't come back. Harry had no idea how much time had elapsed, but if ten minutes here was the same as ten minutes back in the infirmary, he knew he didn't have another moment to spare.

The sand and dust were abrading his skin, the flashes of lightning nearly blinded him, and the cliff was shaking as it crumbled away. A faint pain was starting to burn in his chest. There was no time left. He opened his mouth to shout again, but as he did, something stopped him.

It was a bit like déjà vu, but not exactly. More like a memory that was taunting him, dancing at the edge of his consciousness. He looked at Draco; his pale, determined face appearing just as it had the night of the eclipse. The night when Draco had risked it all. The hazy memories from that night drifted back through his mind, the elusive images Dumbledore had refused to share with him. He could see the eclipsed moon, hear the impassioned words, feel the brush of lips against his...

I told you, whatever it takes. I promised. Whatever it takes.

And then, there were his own words, buried in a memory of teddy bears and sleepy mumbling.

I love you.

"I love you," Harry whispered. He looked up at Draco and projected his voice through the howling wind. "I said 'I love you'."

Suddenly, the feel of the wind changed. It was still blowing violently, but it seemed hollow now, and the roar was somehow muffled. Draco turned in place. "What?"

"The night you used the sleep charm on me," Harry began carefully. "I remember it now. You were taking care of me. Nobody ever really took care of me like that. And I realized, on some level, how I felt about you. I was half asleep, but I said it. It took me until now to understand how I felt, but you figured out what was happening between us, didn't you?"

Draco crept an inch closer. He seemed less guarded than he had a moment before, but still very cautious. "Harry?"

"You figured it out," Harry said again. The burning in his chest was getting stronger, but he ignored it. He casually pushed against the invisible wall that seemed to be holding him back. This time, it flexed under the pressure, and Harry felt a surge of hope. He pushed harder, but it wouldn't break, so he kept talking. "The night of the eclipse. I was too far gone at the time to remember it clearly, but I do now. What you said to me."

The cliff rumbled again beneath him, and a large piece of earth broke off the edge of the cliff, leaving Draco only a couple of feet from the edge, but Draco didn't even seem to notice. "What did I say to you?" Draco said so softly, Harry might have only been reading his lips.

"You said –"

The ground shook again, but this time, the cliff broke off beneath Draco's left foot. Draco yelled out in panic. He scrambled back from the edge, but didn't seem inclined to come any further, still out of Harry's reach. He looked around frantically.

"DRACO!" Harry thrust his hand against the barrier, and this time, like pushing through thick plastic wrap, his arm penetrated it up to his elbow. "Grab my hand!"

"I can't... I don't know what to do!"

"JUST GRAB MY HAND!" Harry held out his hand as far as he could stretch it, but Draco didn't make any move to take his hand. "Draco, what the hell are you waiting for! You need to hurry!"

"What if this is a trick? What if you're You-Know-Who, trying to make me leave Harry?"

Harry shook his head. There was no time left to argue. He pressed up against the invisible barrier, straining to push his hand further through it. "DRACO! LISTEN TO ME! I heard what you said! You said you fell in love with me! And you know what? I couldn't really hear it at the time, but I remember now! And I think... I think I fell in love with you, too."

Draco's entire expression suddenly changed, as if he was truly recognizing him for the first time. "Harry?"

"Yes, it's me, Draco!" The barrier was definitely getting softer. "Come on, let me through! I came here to take you back!"

"You came here... for me?"

The vulnerable innocence in Draco's voice was what finally cracked Harry's emotions, and he could feel tears welling up. "You went through hell for me, Draco. The least I can do is to save you from your own hell. Come back with me, Draco."

The barrier was thinning rapidly. Harry could almost push through it. Just a little bit more...

And then the ground shook again. It all happened so fast, Harry wasn't sure what happened first. The piece of earth where Draco was kneeling fractured and began to drop away just as the barrier broke. Draco started to fall with an ear-piercing scream, but Harry was already lunging towards him, hand outstretched. His hand closed around Draco's. The next thing Harry knew, he was standing on the solid surface of the cliff several feet away from the edge, holding Draco in an embrace that threatened to crush them both, for Draco was clinging back just as tightly, head buried against Harry's shoulder.

"It's you... it's really you... oh Merlin, Harry, it was awful." He pulled back just enough to be able to look Harry in the face. "You're really alive?"

Harry nodded, blinking the tears out of his eyes.

"And we're really back at Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded again. "And I remembered something else."

"What's that?"

Harry pulled Draco close, so that their noses were almost touching. "Just seconds before you did the most reckless thing you've ever done in your life... you gave me something."

"I did?" Draco whispered.

"You did. And I need to return it."

"What is –"

Harry didn't give Draco the chance to finish his sentence. He closed the tiny gap between them and pressed his lips against Draco's. For an instant, Draco froze, and Harry was afraid that he'd made a mistake. But then Harry felt Draco's hand against his cheek, tilting his head to the side. Draco was leaning in even closer, and his lips were beginning to explore Harry's. Soft and tentative at first, but then firmer and more confident. It was nothing like Cho, and everything Harry had thought a kiss was supposed to be. When Draco finally pulled back, Harry was unable to stop himself from leaning forward to catch just one more second of that incredible caress.

"That was my last wish, you know," Draco said. He almost seemed shy, which was a look Harry had never guessed Draco could possess.

"What's that?"

"To kiss you... when you could kiss me back."

Harry smiled. "Well, this is one miserable place for any kiss. We need to – OH!" Fresh pain exploded through Harry's chest, and were it not for Draco's arms, he would have collapsed to the ground.

"Harry!"

Harry gasped for breath and steadied himself, leaning heavily on Draco. "We need to leave... now..." Distantly, he was aware that the cliff was beginning to crumble faster, and the edge was approaching them again.

"What's wrong with you!"

"It was... I took a –"

"MOVE!" Draco shouted a warning as another chunk of the ground fell away, and pulled Harry back with him towards the rock face. "Harry, talk to me! What's happening to you?"

"The poison... I took to get here... I only had ten minutes to get you out."

"Poison!"

"No time to explain." Harry looked around rapidly, trying to think past the pain which was spreading from his chest through the rest of his body. "There has to be an exit. Dumbledore promised an exit!" Another wave of pain hit him, and he cried out.

"What exit? What are we looking for?"

"I don't know," Harry gasped. "Just a way out... anything... there's gotta be an exit..." He finally saw something. It was barely visible with all the craggy shadows on the surface of the rock face, but there was an opening in the rock. It was narrow, and dark, but somehow, Harry knew that was it. "Through there!"

He thought he heard Draco reply, but he could barely understand him. The pain had reached his extremities, and he was burning from the inside out. Everything blurred together. He felt himself being half-led, half-carried towards the opening. There were the cool shadows of the tunnel around him, the echoing of their footsteps against the stone. The smell of smoke and dust was gone, and the wind had stopped howling. They were descending into the depths of the mountain... or were they climbing? Harry couldn't tell anymore as the world fell into blackness, then erupted in a blinding flash of light.

.&.

The first thing Draco heard was screaming, and then he realized it was his own voice. Hands were holding him down, and someone was telling him to relax, that it was all right, and that everything would be fine if he would just lie still. But he couldn't lie still. The last thing he could remember was crashing through a wall of light, supporting the weight of a half-conscious Harry, but now he was awake, in the hospital wing, and Harry was gone.

"Where is he?" Draco demanded. "He was right here! He came back with me!"

Snape's face swam into view. "It would appear that Potter manages to be late to more than just my classes," he said in his usual sneering tone, but Draco could hear the underlying trepidation in Snape's voice.

"What?" With strength born of desperation, Draco forced his way past Snape's restraining hands and sat up. He looked to the side, and what he saw made his heart clench in his chest.

On the bed next to his, Harry Potter was moaning fitfully, his eyes closed, lips dreadfully pale. He was obviously in pain. Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were leaning over him, casting spell after spell. Madam Pomfrey said something, and Dumbledore stepped back as she touched the tip of his wand to Harry's chest. A light flashed, and Harry cried out, but showed no signs of improvement.

"No!" Draco jumped off the bed and practically shoved Dumbledore out of the way in his desperation to get to Harry.

"Draco Malfoy, you will return to your bed this instant!" Snape roared.

"NO!" Draco grabbed Harry's hand and laid a palm against Harry's chest. "I have to help him!" Hands gripped his shoulders and Dumbledore was pulling him back, away from Harry. He ground his feet into the floor and refused to be budged.

"Draco, there is nothing you can do. Madam Pomfrey is the most knowledgeable Healer I have ever met, but the poison may have already worked itself too deeply into his system," Dumbledore said. "She's doing her best to save him –"

"It's not enough! I have to help him!" Draco tried to twist his shoulders out of Dumbledore's grip, but the old man was surprisingly strong. "Let me help him," Draco said, weaker this time. "I was with him... he was in pain... why did he do it? He never should have come back for me!"

"He went for you... because he loves you, Draco," Dumbledore said softly.

Draco spun around in place to look at Dumbledore. "He... he said that?"

"I believe that much would be obvious."

Draco's head was reeling. "It wasn't just my dream?" he asked of nobody in particular.

Snape scoffed. "The boy swallowed a poison from my own hand for your sake. What other motivation can you think of for such foolishness?"

On the bed, Harry moaned again. Draco turned to see him, and almost wished he hadn't. Harry was shaking, almost like a fit, and his lips had turned blue. His breathing was rapid and shallow. Madam Pomfrey was still moving around him, casting spells, taking readings, and at one point pausing to administer two small phials of potion, but nothing seemed to change. In fact, Harry seemed to be rapidly worsening. It made Draco want to scream with helplessness.

He turned to Snape. "Can't you do anything?"

Snape scowled at him. "Draco, I am not a mediwizard, nor a Healer. I am not –"

"You're the Potions Master! You poisoned him, so where's the bloody antidote?"

Snape pointed towards Harry. "It has already been administered. Do you honestly think I would poison the boy without having an antidote on hand?"

For a moment, Draco was tempted to say yes, but now wasn't the time for such nonsense. They'd already used the antidote, yet Harry was still dying in front of them.

Why now? This can't be happening now!

But it was happening, and with every second, Draco could almost feel Harry slipping farther and farther away, beyond the reaches of normal magic. Harry cried out suddenly, and in that same instant, Draco felt a burning pain lance through his chest. He stumbled, and Snape caught him.

"Draco?"

"I can feel him," Draco said, partially in amazement and partially in shock. "How come I can feel him?"

"I would assume it is some sort of side effect of the poison he just consumed," Snape said. "Its purpose was to link you to him such that he could bring you back. I had not considered what would happen to that link if he were unsuccessful, yet did not die immediately."

Again, Harry cried out in pain, and just as the surge of burning in Draco's own chest began to recede, he heard something that almost made his heart stop.

"Draco..."

Draco looked up, expecting to see Harry awake and alert, but he was still writhing weakly on the bed, eyes closed. "Harry?"

No response except another pained moan, but Draco hadn't imagined it. "He called for me," Draco blurted out.

"He is completely incoherent, Draco," Snape said harshly. "And you are quite possibly delirious from your own ordeal. Now lie down and –"

"No!" Draco tried to twist out of Snape's grasp unsuccessfully. "He called for me! He knows I'm here. I can help him!"

"Madam Pomfrey cannot help him! What in the name of Merlin makes you think that you can?"

"Because I've done it before!" With a desperate lunge, Draco wrenched himself free from Snape's hands. He looked up at Madam Pomfrey. "I can save him!"

"You are not a mediwizard, Draco –" she began.

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!" Draco pushed forward again and batted Madam Pomfrey's wand out of the way. He didn't have time to explain. His entire being was focused on the boy who had just gone through hell to save him. This was far more serious than a few broken bones, but he knew he could do this – he just felt it. He laid his hands on Harry's chest.

And then a hand clapped down hard on his shoulder and Madam Pomfrey pulled him back from Harry. "Mr. Malfoy, you are completely out of line, and if you don't –"

"Poppy," Dumbledore interjected, "I think you should let him."

She seemed stunned. "Albus...?"

"You know you cannot save him. The least we can do is to give Draco a chance."

"But... what could he possibly do?"

Dumbledore smiled softly. "I assume we shall know the answer to that once he's done it." He looked at Draco. "Go ahead."

Draco felt a brief flash of nervousness at the idea that people were watching him. He'd only done this once before, and then, it had just happened. Dumb luck and a bit of desperation. This time, he was going into it with a specific intent, and he knew that if anything went wrong, there would be no second chances.

A lance of pain shot from his chest and all the way through his torso, leaving his hands and feet tingling uncomfortably. It erased all traces of nervousness. He didn't have the luxury of anxiety. Now was the time to act.

Draco closed his eyes and blocked out everything else in the room but Harry. Through his hands, he could feel the energy of Harry's aura flowing, but it was faint, and clouded with something dark and vile. Poison, the rational part of Draco's brain said, but he'd moved beyond the rational. More vivid than the aura was the sensation that was coming to him through the link the poison had formed between them. It was a strange sensation that he somehow recognized unmistakably as Harry, and in a way he knew he'd never fully understand, he was thoroughly connected to that essence.

Before he even realized it was beginning, a familiar heat started to build beneath his fingertips. There was magic swelling in his own chest, flowing down his arms, through the palms of his hands. It was warmth, growing, glowing. His magic was flowing into Harry, merging with Harry's magic.

Draco wasn't sure where he ended and Harry began. The energy was a living thing of its own. It surged and pulsed, rushing through the dark places in the aura and leaving light in its wake. In the distance, Draco was sure he could hear his name being called, tentative at first, then more desperate.

Hold on, Harry... just another second... hold on...

A burst of energy hit Draco so fast that he wasn't sure if it came from himself, or Harry. He was thrown backwards and he yelled out in surprise and elation. The light faded just as quickly, and Draco found himself on his knees, slumped beside Harry's bed. The blood was rushing in his ears and his head was pounding. He felt thoroughly drained, but that was alright. All that mattered was whether or not he'd been successful.

"Did I do it?" he choked out. "Is Harry... is he..." Hands found their way under Draco's arms, and he was being pulled to his feet. There was a lot of hurried talking all around him, but the words were unclear and muffled. He realized suddenly that he was being led away from Harry. Draco shook his head. "Let me see him. I need to see him."

Draco pulled away from the hands that had assisted him and stumbled two steps to Harry's bedside.

Harry was still dreadfully pale, but something was different. His lips were no longer blue, and he wasn't shaking. The moaning had stopped, and his chest was rising and falling evenly. He appeared to be in a deep, peaceful sleep.

"Harry?" Draco looked up at Madam Pomfrey. "How is he?"

The Nurse was already at Harry's bedside across from Draco, and was taking readings. "Not out of the woods yet," she said in clipped tones, waving her wand in complex patterns above Harry's prone form, "but it appears, as usual, that Mr. Potter has once again exercised his penchant for scaring us all with near death experiences... and –" She looked directly at Draco. "– and his good fortune in having pushy friends with surprising skills."

She looked back down at her patient. "Blood pressure is still low, and he's in a mild state of sepsis… Professor Dumbledore, please give him the contents of that green phial… yes, that one. And Mr. Malfoy," she said without glancing up, "you're as pale as he is and have expended a great deal of your own energy. Sit down."

Snape started to pull him back towards the bed, but Draco shook him off, grabbed a chair, and sat in it so he could keep a clear view of Harry. Harry's cheeks were still sallow, but a hint of pink had returned to his lips. For several long moments, he watched and waited as Madam Pomfrey bustled about, working in tandem with Dumbledore. With each spell, Draco imagined that he could see some of the colour seeping back into Harry's skin.

"When will he wake up?"

"Soon, I believe. His vital signs are stabilizing – the irrepressible Harry Potter, it would seem."

Draco cringed, but was immediately distracted by a faint moan from the bed. "Harry!" He heaved himself up despite Snape's protest and almost bowled the Nurse over as he rushed to Harry's bedside. "Harry, can you hear me?"

Another faint moan, but Harry's eyes didn't open.

"Draco, you have already done what you could, so if you would –" Snape began, but Dumbledore interrupted him.

"I think it's quite alright now, Professor. Poppy has finished. There is no reason to hold Draco back."

Draco was surprised to feel a flash of gratitude towards Albus Dumbledore, of all people, but he quickly turned his attention back to Harry. Trying not to feel too self-conscious, he reached out and took Harry's hand. "Harry… can you give my hand a squeeze? Come on, I know you can hear me."

For a moment, there was no response, but then Harry's hand tightened around Draco's. Draco felt a surge of elation. "Thank Merlin… Harry… talk to me. Say something."

Slowly, Harry's mouth opened. "It burned." His eyes opened, just a bit, then closed again. "It's better now, but… what was in that shit I drank?"

Draco heard a snort behind him, and Snape spoke. "If you wish, Potter, I could make that into the content of your next Potions lesson."

Harry groaned. "I think I'd rather not know." He opened his eyes again, a little bit wider this time. "If you're that willing to tell me, it can't be good. My head hurts."

"Here." Madam Pomfrey pushed through with an extra pillow in her hands. "Let's get you propped up some, and then I can give you something for the headache. Malfoy, help me sit him up here."

Harry's body still felt somewhat limp as Draco helped to pull him upright, but he did make some of the effort on his own. When Harry was settled against the extra pillow, and had swallowed yet another phial from Madam Pomfrey, he finally looked squarely at Draco. "For a minute there, I didn't think you'd come back with me."

Draco swallowed nervously. "I… I had to be sure. It was as if my brain was just stuck, and all I could think about was… well… standing my ground. I had no idea how long I'd been in that place. Was it really three days?"

Harry nodded. "The worst three days of my life."

"Mine too," Draco whispered.

Harry closed and opened his eyes slowly. "What happened when we tried to come back? I took too long, I know but... that other place disappeared, and I knew I was here, but I wasn't. Everything was a blur."

Draco frowned. "You don't remember anything?"

"I remember everything burning." Harry looked down at his hands in front of him. "It was like the Cruciatus, only it came in pulses, and each one was worse than the one before... and then I felt something warm... wait." His eyes came up and locked with Draco's. "You did it again, didn't you?"

Draco bit down on his lower lip and nodded. "It just made sense, I guess. You looked so... I can't even say it, but you looked a lot like how you did when I pulled you from that hole. I had to do something."

For a long moment, Harry didn't seem to know what to say. Finally, very softly, he said, "Thank you."

Draco couldn't help himself anymore. He dropped down and pulled Harry into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh Merlin, Harry, don't you ever do something like that again!"

Harry returned the embrace weakly, and Draco could feel him laugh. "No promises, but I'll try. I think I've filled my quota of almost dying for the year."

Draco leaned back just far enough to look into Harry's face, simultaneously trying to blink away the tears in his eyes before anyone noticed. "What have I got myself into, being friends with you?"

Harry laughed again. "Didn't I warn you about the hazards of that position?"

"I don't remember signing a hazardous-duty and mortal-peril contract here," Draco said flatly.

"I'll make up a copy. I do have some good news though," Harry said. "I did get Ron to promise not to kill you."

Draco scowled. "Well, thank Merlin for small favours. It would be nice to live for a while after narrowly escaping death. Again."

They were interrupted by a conspicuous cough, and they pulled apart and turned to see the members of their small audience reacting in some very interesting ways. Snape looked as if he didn't know if he should be pleased or sick. Madam Pomfrey looked shocked. Dumbledore was smiling.

"I would welcome you back, Harry," Dumbledore said lightly, "but it seems that honour has already been taken."

"Hello, Professor," Harry said, looking sheepish.

"You did cut it rather close there, didn't you?" the Headmaster continued as he took a step forward and leaned on the end of Harry's bed.

"Well, it's not like I had a wristwatch available on that other plane of existence," Harry pointed out. "And I was delayed a bit."

"Oh?"

Draco cut in. "Yeah, I wouldn't go with him at first. I... er... thought Harry was You-Know-Who, trying to... er... trick me into deserting Harry... pretty stupid, huh?"

"No, not stupid at all," Dumbledore said with a reassuring smile. "But I take it that Harry convinced you that he was indeed himself?"

"He said –" Draco was cut off by a light elbow to the ribs and a pointed look from Harry, which brought a flush of embarrassment to his cheeks. "He did, sir."

"Very good. And now, I believe you both have friends waiting outside the infirmary who would very much like to see you," Dumbledore said.

Harry looked puzzled. "I thought they went up to Professor McGonagall's office."

Dumbledore gave him a chastising look. "You don't honestly think they would be willing to go anywhere until they knew you were all right." Blue eyes twinkled mischievously. "And before I let them in, I would suggest that you two might release each other. I believe Mr. Weasley has had as much emotional trauma as he can handle for one day."

Draco and Harry pulled their hands apart as if they'd been burned. Truth be told, Draco hadn't even realized he was still holding Harry's hand. It had been a natural reflex to grasp it, but now that someone had pointed it out, Draco felt slightly embarrassed. He had never shown any sort of affection towards anyone publicly, and now, in front of two professors and the school nurse?

Draco didn't have any more time to entertain his embarrassment as the infirmary doors opened. Granger came running in first, followed shortly by Weasley, and both made a beeline for Harry. And behind them –

"Vince?" Draco said in disbelief.

Harry's friends were already fussing over him loudly by the time Vincent Crabbe made his way over, looking more at the ground than at Draco. "Hey, boss."

Draco blinked twice. "You're... here? I figured... I figured your dad would tell you to finish me off or something."

Vincent grunted and shrugged. "He did. Everybody knew what you'd done. Even the people who don't like You-Know-Who too much thought you were mad."

"Maybe they were right. So... why didn't you? Why are you here now?"

Vince finally looked up. "Pansy tried to... well, you know. She tried to do it. But I stopped her."

"But why?"

"Because... you may have bossed me around... but you were good to me. Nobody else was." He cast a sideways glance at Harry, who was talking with his friends in an oddly subdued manner. "Besides... when I heard you'd thrown your lot in with Potter... I figured there had to be a good reason."

Draco nodded to Vince, but he couldn't seem to reply properly. His attention was now focused on Harry, who had stopped laughing and was looking back at him with an enigmatic expression. Slowly, it morphed into a curious sort of smile, which Draco found himself returning. A strange fluttering warmth welled up in Draco's stomach, but before he could say anything, Weasley stepped forward.

For an instant, old instincts tried to kick in, and Draco's fingers itched for his wand, but he forced himself to remain still. Weasley stood in front of him. To the side, Draco heard Vincent's knuckles cracking ominously, but he ignored it. Weasley's right hand drew back. Harry immediately stood and Draco recoiled, but then Weasley's hand was outstretched, offering it for Draco to take.

Draco looked from Weasley's face to his hand, and then back up to his face, and raised an eyebrow in query.

Weasley gave a shrug that looked more like a nervous tick. "For Harry. Not because I like you...or that I ever will… but for Harry. Got it, Malfoy?"

Draco flinched. "Could you please find something else to call me, at least?"

A hint of a sly grin curled Weasley's mouth. "Sure, ferret-face."

"Ron..." Harry said warningly.

Draco felt a flash of familiar irritation, but it was quickly overshadowed with amusement. "It's okay, Harry." He took Weasley's hand and gave it one solid pump before quickly releasing it, and returning Ron's facial expression. "That'll work for now, I suppose. Besides, that's how Harry started." He was tempted to wipe his hand on the blanket beside him, more for show than anything else, but just his words had already created the desired effect.

Weasley turned green behind his freckles, and Draco couldn't help himself. He started to laugh. Harry was stifling a snicker, much to Draco's further amusement. Draco was trying to catch his breath to say something, but was interrupted by a loud pop. The next thing he knew, an ecstatic house-elf had affixed herself to his leg.

"Oh, Master Malfoy, sir! You is alive! Oh, Biddy was so worried! Biddy came to Hogwarts, like Master said, but Biddy has not been able to stop worrying! Oh, Biddy's poor master and Harry Potter, alone in the forest! And no Biddy to help! After Master is being so good to Biddy, and Biddy left Master alone! And then you is coming back, but Biddy is thinking that Master is dead! Oh, Biddy's poor Master!"

She was reduced to unintelligible sobs, and Draco reached down and awkwardly patted the top of her head. As he did, he felt himself smiling. Sometimes, it was nice just to be wanted.

Draco looked around the infirmary. The sense of contentment was contagious, and Draco finally breathed his own sigh of relief. He was surprised by how content he suddenly felt. It was as if everything were right. Not perfect, but right. They were alive, they were home. The hard part was over. Harry was still laughing softly and talking with Weasley and Granger, but he kept glancing back over at Draco, smiling. Weasley was blatantly looking everywhere but at Draco, but that was fine. Granger was prattling on about all the classes Harry had missed. Crabbe was asking if Draco would still play Seeker this year. Snape, who had been conferring with Madam Pomfrey, caught Draco's eye, gave him a grimace that Draco presumed was a look of approval, and let himself out of the infirmary. And Dumbledore…

Dumbledore was studying him with a completely unreadable expression that made the hair on the back of Draco's neck prickle. The instant he noticed Draco looking back at him, he gave a carefree smile, but his eyes were still quite solemn. It only made Draco feel more uncomfortable, but he returned the smile and looked away again. Nobody else seemed to notice the exchange.

.&.

Eventually, the festive rush of relief could no longer sustain the small celebration, and yawns began to punctuate the stories flying back and forth like owls on a Monday morning. As it was still the middle of the night, Dumbledore had insisted that discussion could resume in the morning and that everyone should return to sleep. Draco hadn't realized just how exhausted he was until he heard the word 'sleep'.

But I've been sleeping for three days! he'd said in confusion. Why should I still be tired?

Madam Pomfrey told him bluntly that being trapped on the cusp of death was a bit different than getting a good forty winks.

Weasley, Granger, and Vincent were all sent out of the infirmary, but Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry and Draco overnight for observation. That was fine with Draco, as he seemed to be lacking the energy to travel to the dungeons, where it was likely that several more people were in the midst of plotting his demise. Plus, after almost losing Harry, it felt good to be in the same room as him – even though Madam Pomfrey had already forced Harry to take a Dreamless Sleep potion, saying that she knew he'd stay awake if she gave him the chance. It was just as well. Draco somehow suspected that Harry had slept very little since the night of the eclipse, and that despite his protests, the effects of the poison were still wearing on him.

Part of Draco wanted to stay awake. He was almost afraid that if he fell asleep, he'd wake up and none of this would be real. He could still be trapped out in the woods, or Harry could be dead, or worse. However, exhaustion was the stronger pull. In the bed next to his, Harry was snoring softly, and soon, Draco was lulled to sleep by the familiar sound.

.&.

.&.

Author's Notes: And now… the conclusion.