Breathe No More
Chapter Nineteen
Friendship
"Let's go back,
Back to the beginning"
-Come Clean by Hilary Duff
Peter stared fearfully into Remus' eyes. "R-Remus? My old friend."
"Don't even try lying, Peter," Remus glared. "I know what you did. You betrayed Lily and James' location to Voldemort. You are the reason why Sirius is in Azkaban. You framed him!"
Peter's eyes widened. "I didn't m-mean t-to, Remus," he stuttered. "The D-Dark Lord, you don't know what kind of tools he uses.…"
"Well, you're going to Azkaban anyway, whether you like it or not," Remus glared.
Harry stared at the blubbering man in shock. "Um, Remus, who is this?"
"Harry, he is the reason your parents are dead," Remus replied. "James and Lily made him their secret keeper when they went into hiding. But nobody knew he had joined Voldemort, and it was all ready too late when he had given away their location to Voldemort, who had come after them."
He blinked. Peter had to die. "Wait…Remus, he looks familiar. Wasn't he the other one in the picture I showed you?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so, Harry," Remus said through gritted teeth. "He USED to be a friend, but he betrayed us."
Peter looked at Harry in shock, cautiously walking over. He stroked his cheek, making the boy shiver. "Harry, is that you? You look just like your father…you were so small when I saw you last…" Remus was about to grab Harry away from Peter, but Peter grabbed Harry and held him by the throat.
"Let him go!" Remus growled. Harry looked at Peter fearfully.
By that time, all the Weasleys were down, as well as Hermione, Draco and Ginny. Their eyes widened at the sight that met their eyes.
"Harry!" Ron exclaimed.
Peter brought out a knife with his other hand, and pressed it to Harry's throat. Everyone's eyes widened. "Call the Aurors!" Ginny yelled.
Mr. Weasley was just about to run to the fireplace, when Peter spoke. "If anyone moves an inch, I'll slit the boy's throat."
They all froze. Hermione looked at him in fear. 'Please…just leave him…don't hurt him…'
Peter then looked alarmed. He pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, and the Dark Mark was burning. Pulling it back down, he pushed the knife to Harry's throat and cut, making a scar. Hermione bit back a scream.
Harry was pushed to the ground. But before Peter could apparate, Remus placed Anti-Apparition wards on the house and stunned him so he could not move.
Harry still lay motionless on the floor, and Hermione ran over to him. She picked him up and cradled him. "Oh, Harry…" his eyes were still open and he smiled grimly at her.
"Hey, you all right?" he asked, his voice raspy, breathing slowing down.
"Yes—don't you dare die on me, Harry!" she cried, and that's when Ron chose the time to run over.
The small grin was still on his face as his eyes closed, and the rise and fall of his chest stopped. Hermione shrieked and Ron could do nothing but watch in shock as he saw his best friend die.
"Merlin, that cut is deep!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed, examining the cut made by the knife, which was still bleeding furiously. "We have to put pressure on the wound. Molly, call Poppy!"
Mrs. Weasley ran to the fireplace and flooed to the Hospital Wing, while Hermione put extra pressure on Harry's cut to try and stop the bleeding. Since she was not a healer, she did not know how good this would do or how long he would last. Her vision started to go blurry from the tears and sooner or later Madam Pomfrey took over. He was no longer in her arms, and she stood up with a blank look on her face. She wiped the tears away, and with her arms down by her hips, an emotionless expression across her face, she made her way up to her room.
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, and was about to run after her when she called back to him.
"No, you stay with him, Ron!" she called, and the door to her room slammed shut.
Ron sighed heavily, knowing she was right, as always. He walked back over to his parents and sat down on a nearby chair. He watched as Madam Pomfrey worked on Harry as best she could. But what if her best wasn't good enough?
They all gasped as Harry's chest started to rise and fall again. Ron was about to get Hermione, when Ginny stopped him. "What if this only temporary, Ron? You don't want to get her hopes up."
Ginny looked at him sternly, and they both sat back down. Ginny sat beside Ron on his left, and Draco sat beside Ginny. They all watched, waiting.
Remus tore his eyes away from the scene and picked up Peter. "I'm taking him to the Ministry, and to get an innocent man out."
They nodded and he walked out of the house.
Hermione sat on her bed and sighed, looking at the window. She couldn't bear it. Her Harry was gone. There was nothing that could bring him back—nothing. Not even Madam Pomfrey's skills could bring someone back from the dead. Nobody could.
There was commotion going on downstairs, but she didn't care. She heard crying, and that confirmed it. Harry was truly dead. But then, something she heard made her eyes lit up.
"Oh, Harry! I'm so glad you're alive!" Hermione had to assume that was Ginny.
"Bloodly hell, mate," that sounded like Ron…was he crying?
She creaked her door open and quietly walked down the stairs, peeking around the corner of the wall so that she would not be noticed. She saw Harry sitting on a couch, with Ron on his right and Ginny on his left. He was leaning on Ron for support, and his eyelids were drooping, he was close to sleep. Hermione smiled and her heart lifted.
"Should someone go and get Hermione?" Ginny asked.
Hermione tiptoed back to her room so nobody would notice that she had eavesdropped. She shut the door quietly and sat on her bed again, staring out the window.
Minutes later, she heard a knock at the door. She walked over to it and slowly opened it.
To her surprise, it was Malfoy.
"What can I do for you?" she asked almost defensively.
"Potter wants to see you," Draco replied. He raised an eyebrow at her red, puffy eyes. "Why did you run away?"
"W-What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
Draco sighed and shut the door to her bedroom. He took her hand and guided her to the bed, and they sat on it. With that, he continued. "If you love Potter like you say you do, then why run away when he almost died? Shouldn't you have been there for him? I would never run away on Gin if she were dying. I would have stayed with her 'til the end, and after."
Hermione smiled. "Your good for her, Draco. I hope you know that."
Draco smirked. "I know everyth- hey, wait, you called me—"
"Well, since you ARE with Ginny, and you're—erm—trying to make friends with the Weasleys, I hope?" Hermione smiled innocently, and Draco rolled his eyes, but nodded anyway. "Maybe someday we'll do more than call each other names as well."
"I doubt it," Draco smirked.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "We could give it a try. What do you say? It's a once in a lifetime offer."
"Oh, sure," Draco rolled his eyes again. "I guess...it could happen."
Hermione grinned. "So—first off I guess is start calling each other by our first names—I can only assume you know mine—even though you have never used it before."
Draco sneered. "Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
His voice softened, so much that she almost didn't hear him. "You're the only one besides Gin—who even wanted...to be my friend."
Hermione smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him. His eyes widened and looked at her questioningly. Hermione just shook her head and hugged him tighter. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her as well.
They stayed like that for a while, enjoying one another's warmth and company, before slowly coming apart. Draco smiled warmly at her. "Thank you."
"Your welcome," she smiled back. "Now, let's go and see Harry—Ron's not going to like this at all."
"Let the Weasel deal with his own problems about me," Draco said. He opened the door and placed a hand protectively on her shoulder as they walked downstairs. They shared a knowing look with each other.
Everyone was waiting patiently for Hermione and Draco to come back downstairs. It seemed like hours had gone by, but it was only minutes.
"I hope Malfoy didn't do anything to her," Ron growled, who was still sitting on the couch. With Harry leaning against him, and sleeping, he couldn't really move without waking him up.
"What could he do to her here?" Ginny asked. "And if he did do anything—you'll never get to do anything to him, he's mine."
"Aww, Ginny, you take all the fun out of life!" Ron whined.
"See, little sis, we're not the only ones who believe that," the Twins stated and Ginny rolled her eyes at them.
"Oh, be quiet," she said.
"She has-"
"Mum's temper-"
"Definitely-"
"A feisty redhead."
The twins nodded in unison and Ginny sighed heavily. She was just about to go upstairs to check on Hermione and Draco, when a crack was heard.
"Who is it?" Mr. Weasley asked, heading into the kitchen.
"Who is it, Dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, passing Harry his glasses, who had just woken up from what was probably the shortest sleep in his life. He tried to sit up straight on the couch, but Ron had a slightly overprotective grip on him.
Just as he was about to ask Ron to let go of him (which he figured was NOT going to happen), Remus came into the room, followed by another man.
He had curly, dark hair, and a gaunt-looking face, almost skeleton-like. Harry didn't have a clue about who on Earth he was.
The man's fell upon him and widened considerably large. He looked to Remus, who began to speak.
"Sirius, this is Harry James Potter—he fortunately came to my house today," Remus grinned at Harry, who grinned sheepishly, embarrassed. He had only happened to come across Remus' tiny cottage because he was running away from a memory. "and Harry, this is Sirius Black—your Godfather."
TBC
A/N: I KNOW! I KNOW! I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO KILL ME. :D
Ginny: If they kill you, then how can you finish the story:Raises eyebrow:
A/N: My muse will finish it for me. He does all the work anyway.
Legolas: I DO NOT!
A/N: Yes, yes you do, Lego- so get over it:Dies from killer reviewers:
Legolas: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:sobs hysterically:
Draco: o.O; You're a freak, you know that? Crying over an author?
Legolas:glares: SHE WAS A GREAT PERSON!
Draco:Backs away: O-okay...nice muse...
Legolas:charges and attacks Draco: ARRRRGHHHH!
Draco: AHHHH:runs for life: Save me, Ginny!
Ginny: Hmm? What? Oops, sorry, I wasn't listening—what did you say?
Draco: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:is devoured by muse:
Legolas: Yum. I always like my Malfoy with fear.
Ginny: You know what? You're scary! You ate my beloved!
Legolas:Eats her too:
Ginny: AHHHHH! Draco, I'm coming my lov—:is gone:
Legolas: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I EAT ALL OF YOU:goes after reviewers: REVIEWING THIS STORY WON'T HELP YOU! I WILL HAUNT YOUR DREAMS... TO GET A PICTURE OF ME, JUST VISUALIZE HEADMASTER DUMBLEDORE IN A PINK TUTU, LOOKING LIKE A GIRL AND WEARING A SUMBRARO. HAHAHAHAHA! I JUST BRUTALLY DISTURBED YOU ALL AGAIN! I ROCK!...Yes, I know my name is Legolas! Elves rock! GO MIRKWOOD!
Legolas: ALSO, ONE MORE THING! THE BEAUTIFUL AUTHOR KOKIRI HAS STARTED AN "ALL HATE JAKKEN THE TOAD FROM INUYASHA" CLUB. WHOEVER WANTS TO JOIN JUST SAYS SO IN A REVIEW, IF YOU AREN'T DEAD ALL READY BY THE TIME I'M FINISHED WITH YOU! MWAHAHAHAHA!
JOBS OPENED FOR CLUB:
President: Kokiri
Vice President: -----
Plotter of ways to kill Jakken: OPEN------My main one is that Sess murders Jakken cuz he gets tired of him for no apparrent reason—other than that he's stupid!
Ultimate Jakken Hater #1: ------
#2- ------
Jakken The Toad Exterminator: ------
JUST APPLY ON THE REVIEWS THINGY! THEN WE CAN ALL HATE JAKKEN TOGETHER! THIS ALSO APPLIES FOR EITHER MIROKU, MYOGA (HE'S FUNNY OH YES BUT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING GOOD FOR THE SHOW!), OR...DRUM ROLL...TEA (ANZU) FROM YU-GI-OH! IT COULD ALSO FALL ON THE LINES OF KAGOME, BECAUSE THE AUTHOR WAS A TOTAL KAG-BASHER! SHE LOVES KIKYO BEST! AND SHE IS BI, SO BE NICE TO HER!
LEGOLAS, THE MUSE