Thank you to ALL my reviewers and to ALL my readers!
Disclaimer: see previous chapter.
Thank you to Merlin and GoldenSunnyGrl for being such great BETA'S.
Also, I would like to introduce Malombra, she will be BETA'ing the earlier chapters. She's great and fast. Two qualities I greatly admire.
ENJOY!
CHAPTER SIX
He ran through the halls, crashing into people and walls but not stopping until he stumbled in the Headmasters Office. He couldn't breath and his heart was pounding so hard that it hurt. He ignored the white spots flashing in his eyes as his frantic gaze fell on the Headmaster. Dumbledore was looking worriedly at him but said nothing as he calmly waited for the young man to get a hold of himself.
"May I ask as to why you have come barging in here like this, Mr. Malfoy?" He asked after Draco had gathered himself and was standing upright again.
"What have you not told me?" He snarled.
"I do not know what you are talking about." Dumbledore said calmly.
"Weasley said," he ground out, "he said… he's gone."
The Headmaster studies the distraught boy in front of him before saying calmly, "he is."
"But-but he can't be!" Draco exclaimed, "what about Quidditch? And NEWTS?" 'And me?' his heart asked.
"Mr. Potter no longer can take those tests or play that game, Mr. Malfoy."
"And why not?"
"Did you not read the notes?"
"No…I-I burned them." Draco admitted with a red face.
"You did?"
"I did."
"Why was that Mr. Malfoy?"
"Because I…" Draco sighed as he slumped into the chair, "I was angry. I didn't want to know why he did it."
"I see." Dumbledore said and then turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk.
"Aren't you going to tell me?" Draco snapped when he couldn't stand the silence any longer.
"No, I am not." Dumbledore's voice was blunt but Draco could hear the sadness in it as well.
"Why?" He cried out his voice rising at each syllable.
"From your own words, Mr. Malfoy, 'I didn't want to know why he did it'. Tell me, if you didn't want to know why are you here demanding answers?"
"I…I…" was all Draco could manage.
"Why, Albus? Why did he do it?" Draco whispered achingly his sadness and fear plain on his face.
"Because he had too, Draco. You knew him better than anyone. You should know why." Dumbledore set his pen down and stared understandingly down at the hurting man before him. He knew that they were all being harsh with Draco, but, he needed to see that Harry had done what he could and now, there was nothing left for him here. Because, the one sitting here had made it that way. Oh, he had a right to be angry, furious even, the Headmaster knew, but he had given up without even a fight and he just couldn't condone that action. He loved both of them like they were his sons and seeing them hurting, hurt him, but Draco was the only one that could fix the void between them.
"I thought I knew him." Draco's voice was low and filled with pain. He had done so much for Harry and it seemed, to him at least, that he had gotten only pain in return.
"Do you think he is a coward?"
"No."
"Do you think he was weak?"
"No."
"Do you think he would have done it a different way if he could have?"
Seconds passed before Draco whispered, "yes."
"Then you know he did what he had to do. We thought we would have had enough time to tell you, but, it all happened so quickly. Your Father had to do it right then. If we had known what it was going to do to you we would have waited. I am sorry for that."
"My Father…father killed Harry."
"Yes, he did."
"Then how is he still alive?"
"I am going to make a suggestion, one I hope you will head," he waited until Draco nodded his head, "go talk to your friends, all of them."
"I can't!" Draco cried out.
"You must. I will tell you nothing more." With that Dumbledore turned his attention back to his desk and ignored the stunned look from the young man sitting across from him.
He smiled to himself as the man snarled and stomped from his office.
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Draco went to the owlery, the notes he had written clasped in his shaking hands. He had not been to the olwery since the day before Harry had died. As he stepped across the thresh hold the memories of that night overcame him. He fell to his knees as he relived the passion the two had shred here in this small room.
He closed his eyes as the images of Harry's sweaty body withering underneath him was all that he could see. He could almost hear the sounds that Harry made as Draco pounded steadily into him. He remembered gathering the gasping boy in his arms as they came together. Harry had wanted to tell him something that night but Draco had kissed him and said it could wait until morning, how wrong he had been.
He threw off the memories with a deep shudder and let the fear and anger rise in him once again. Every time he thought of being with Harry he felt the anger in him lessen. He did not want that. He needed his anger, it was the only thing keeping from running, blithering like an idiot, to find Harry. As the anger rose he felt the calm that he needed overcome him.
He gave the letters to the school owls with directions of what letter to give to who. As he was turning to leave the owlery he heard a soft questioning hoot from his left that drew his attention to a dark corner of the room. Fluttering into the light was a familiar snowy owl, Harry's familiar, Hedwig. Owl and boy stared at each other for minutes before Draco could take the accusatory glance anymore and ran from the room. Even the bloody owl was against him.
He had given Harry everything. His love, his life, everything and Harry had used him. Or so Draco had thought. He was finding out things that made him start thinking about everything. Draco knew that he was quick to anger but usually he was in the right. After what he had heard in the last hour he was not sure about anything anymore.
His thoughts were flying from one to another and he was not able to sort them into any semblance of one clear and concise thought. There was so much he did not know and there was so much he didn't want to know. Everything that he did know added up too…well, nothing. The one thing he did know for sure was that Harry was no longer at Hogwarts. That thought alone was enough to send him into the madness he could feel hovering at the back of his mind. The madness that the combined powers were creating in him.
He ran up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower but as he got half way up another bout of dizziness overcame him and before he could do anything about it, he lost his balance and started to fall backwards. Luckily for him, the blackness overcame him before he hit the first step on his way down.
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"Draco…" came softly from beside him. He tried to turn his head but couldn't as the blackness overcame him once more he thought he heard a pain filled voice beside him whisper, "I'm sorry."
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He woke with a groan, damn, but everything hurt. He slowly turned his head and saw his cousin, Millicent, sitting there watching him sleep.
"Wha-?" He managed to get past his dry, chapped, lips.
"You feinted." She said baldly, "you hit your head after falling down twenty-three steps. Your back is broken, both your legs, right arm, pelvis, jaw, and little finger. You have a massive shiner, both eyes, and are missing a tooth. How are you feeling?"
Draco stared at her for a few seconds before grunting.
"Well enough, I guess." She stood and held a vial to his lips. By the smell of it he knew it to be skele-grow. He also knew it tasted like three day old socks would. He moved his head back but with a low snarl she gripped the back of his head and forced him to stop. He stared at her with wide eyes before his astonished glare turned to anger.
"Stop being a git. Drink it." She ordered with a huge grin.
He shook his head and then yelped as she tightened her grip on his hair. "Now," she commanded.
With another glare he opened his mouth and let her pour the vile potion down his throat. He could taste another distinct potion in the skele-grow but before he could do anything about it the dreamless sleep potion that had been mixed in with the skele-grow took affect. With a snarl of rage he felt sleep overcome him.
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They kept him drugged and in bed for a week. Each day they let him be awake for a few hours longer than the previous day. Though he refused to speak to any of them, he was grateful. He needed this chance to regain his strength if he was ever going to be able to face Harry and apologize.
OH, YES! Draco Malfoy was going to apologize to Harry Potter and Harry Potter was going to accept said apology if it took the rest of Draco Malfoy's life.
He would get his soul mate back.
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Hope you liked this chapter.
THE FIRST CHAPTER OF MY VEELA FIC WILL BE POSTED WHEN I POST THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'I UNDERSTAND'.
THE STORY NAME HAS BEEN DECIDED AND IT WILL BE: 'I CAN'T FIGHT THE STARS'.
CHEERS TO ALL OF YOU THAT VOTED FOR THAT NAME. PLEASE, LOOK FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
ENJOY!
LMG