A/N: okay… here's another chapter! Dedicated to the ff. reviewers :

Scarywhenhyper, SpilledInk, Invader Moose, KAOS, Forever89, hyper, C, sandy, buttercup09, foxyness, krinGa, Riverchick1998, mIoNe_herm!, jess, MeriyA, imPrEssed, sandy(again! =] thnx 4 reviewing this 2x! ehehehe…)

As always, I'm really sorry for updating late. I know I promised an earlier update but I've been too busy with homework and projects. Thank you for the kind words and reviews! It really made my day. Anyway, here's chapter 4. I've already formulated the plot and the twist of story (it's all in my head though) so you better watch out for updates. I'll try to update soon. But if not, bear with me. I promise to finish this story… it might take me months but we'll get there.

Summary: Draco is dying… he only has a year left to live and no amount of magic can save him… Now Draco promises to change-to make his few months of living be filled with laughter instead of tears.. D/Hr sooner or later… R/R pls.

chapter 4: A Mere Memory

"Draco?" Narcissa called quietly as she entered her son's room. "I heard you calling… are you ok-" she stopped.

Draco was lying in his bed. His eyes were staring fixedly at his ceiling, his arms still clutching his stomach. His usually slicked hair was a mess and he looked dead tired for some reason.

Narcissa felt like crying but she thought better of it. She took a deep breath, patted her cheeks to rearrange her face and slowly took a step towards her son. She didn't want to see him like this. She wanted him to experience life, to be happy until the end. She didn't want him to end up bitter and regretful. She wanted him to live. Not like this…

"Mum?" Draco spoke suddenly, unmoving.

"Yes, Draco?" She asked, as she sat beside him in his bed.

"Mum, I don't want to go back to Hogwarts." he said quietly. "I can't go back…"

"Why can't you?" she asked, surprised. "I thought you love school."

"I did." He answered, "but now I can't."

"Why?" she asked again. "I don't understand"

Draco closed his eyes, "They'll laugh at me mum… I can't go back… not like this…"

"No, they won't! You're being paranoid!" She answered. "No one will dare do that to you."

"Mum, I'm not exactly the most well-liked person at Hogwarts, you know?" He said flatly. "If word got out that I'm dying, I'm positive everyone will make fun of me. I'm not being paranoid. I've tormented a lot of people. They will obviously tell me things like, I definitely deserve to die or that my money can't help me now." He sighed, defeated. "I'm not strong enough to give them that kind of satisfaction."

Narcissa looked at Draco sharply, "But if they knew what you're going through no one will dare make fun of you!"

"That's just it! I also don't want anyone to know about this!" Draco said, angrily. "Please, don't let them see me like this!"

"Draco… You should go!" Narcissa explained, "No one needs to know. I don't want you to wake up one day and say that you should've gone to school, or you should've made more friends… or you should've lived. Please, don't waste your life!"

"What's the use, mum?" Draco said tiredly. "I'm going to die anyway. I know it because I feel my health deteriorating. I know I won't last the year."

"Shh… don't say that Draco… Don't ever say that!" Narcissa pleaded.

"I don't want to live," he whispered. "Not like this."

Narcissa stood up and pulled his son up from his position. Draco looked surprised.

"I won't tolerate your self-pity." She said severely. "I know everything seems hopeless, but for God's sake put yourself together!"

Draco looked at her mother in awe. It seemed like they switched personality all of a sudden.

"I'm being strong for you," she said loudly, her voice shaking. "So you have to be strong for me, too!"

Draco stared at his mother, loss for words. He knew how hard it was to pretend to be strong. His mother has been doing that for a long, long time. He suddenly felt really guilty. His mother was taking on a lot with his father's absence, and then now, being strong for him.

"I'm sorry, mum." Draco said suddenly as he pulled her to his arms. "I didn't mean to say any of it. I don't know why I feel this weak."

Narcissa held on to her son, trying to push as much hope she could give by the hug. "Don't ever give up on me because I'm not giving up on you, okay?"

"Even if we don't find a cure…?" Draco asked.

"Please don't say that…" Narcissa pleaded quietly, feeling totally defeated. She was trying her best to convince herself that there was still a chance for them. "I will find a way to save you but you have to promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Draco asked as he felt her mum hugging him tighter.

"Go back to Hogwarts" she pleaded, "Please don't waste your life doing nothing. Do it for me."

Draco felt some of her mother's tears on his shoulder. He knew all along that she was holding it in all this time. He slowly pulled away from the hug and slowly wiped some of the stray tears from his mother's eyes. "Okay, I'll do it." He said, "I don't want you to breakdown on me again." He gave her a small smile.

Narcissa smiled back, her eyes full of hope. "You promise?" she asked.

Draco nodded. "I'll take your advice and make the best out of my life" he said lightly. "I'll triple the bullying, torment the teachers, and destroy the Great Hall…"

"Wh-WHAT?" Narcissa looked at him alarmed.

Draco laughed at his mother's reaction. "I'm kidding," he said. "Lighten up, mom. Like you said, I have to enjoy my time."

Narcissa swatted Draco's head out of instinct, "I didn't ask you to get yourself expelled!" she pointed out.

"Yes, I know. I'm joking. I don't want you to cry anymore." He said, laughing.

Narcissa smiled at him, touched. "I'll call the maids and order them to ready your things," she said softly.

"Okay." Draco agreed.

Narcissa stood up and went towards the door but stopped abruptly as though remembering something she forgot. "By the way, why did you call for me?" she asked, concerned. "Were you in pain?"

Draco nodded, "Bur I'm okay now. No need to make a big fuss about it." he said hurriedly.

She slowly reached for her pocket and handed him a small brown paper bag. Draco eyed it warily. "What's that supposed to be?" he asked, confused.

"Medication" she answered. "The muggle doctor gave this to me. It's a special medicine. It's a solidified potion powder."

Draco reached for the bag and opened it. Inside was a bottle full of capsule pills. He shook the bottle curiously.

"How do you use this?" he asked stupidly.

"Same as how we drink potions." Narcissa explained. "The medicine is very strong. He mixed both muggle and wizard meds in it."

"Okay…" Draco said as he tried to open the lid. "What does it do exactly?"

"Those are pain killers," she answered. "It helps numb the pain. Oh, and you have to turn the lid to open it."

Draco tried turning the lid the wrong way. "It's not opening. Are you sure this is how you open this?" he asked.

Narcissa reached for the bottle and tried opening it herself to no avail. "That's weird. When they showed me how to open this complex thing, I did it right the first time." She explained.

"Maybe you need some kind of spell?" Draco suggested.

"I don't think so," Narcissa said as she turned the lid the wrong way again.

Let's just say it took them 2 hours to figure out how to operate such a complex muggle bottle design.

Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Padma, Parvati, Lavender, Dean and Neville were all in one small compartment in the Hogwarts express. Almost all of them were chattering happily about how their vacation went.

Hermione wasn't paying attention to them. She was staring blankly at the window, still totally bothered by her morbid dream. She was weighing the odds of how likely it could happen. She was scared that it might be an omen of something bad. She sighed heavily. Every single time she remembered the details, she felt her heart breaking again as if it already happened. There was this nagging feeling that whoever was in that coffin was definitely someone very special to her. Someone she loves dearly. "Could it be my friends?" she thought. She suddenly brushed the thought aside when she remembered all her friends were in the service. "So the person who's NOT in that funeral could be a clue." She mused. "So with simple deduction, I can maybe figure out who it was…"

"Hermione! Are you okay?" Neville asked concernedly. "You've been staring out the window for quite some time now. Are you sure you're alright?"

"What's wrong? Is there something bothering you?" Harry asked.

"Oh, don't mind me, guys. I'm fine. I'm just recalling the book I've read." Hermione lied casually. "It's kind of an interesting book. Boring stuff."

"Here, Hermione!" Padma and Parvati said together while standing up. "It's more comfortable here. If you'd like to switch places go ahead."

"Really… I'm fine!" Hermione said, smiling.

"WAIT!" Ron blurted out suddenly.

"Huh? What wrong?" Harry asked, confused.

"It's just… weird. That's all." Ron started.

"Huh? What?" Harry asked. "Did you eat something bad again?"

Ron gave Harry a weird look. "No, Harry. Why do you always assume I'm talking about food?"

Harry laughed. "Well, because it's you." He answered honestly.

Ron rolled his eyes, "Anyway, the reason for the whole weirdness is the time."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother, "If you're going to tell the whole story, just say it. STOP STALLING!"

"Fine. Fine. Chill out, Ginny." Ron answered, "I was checking the time and based on my superb observation skills, there is something amiss! Malfoy usually swings by at around this hour, you know!" He said matter-of-factly.

"You're right," Harry said, impressed by Ron's inference. "I never actually noticed this until you mentioned it."

"See? See? I told you I have some sort of talent, too!" Ron said smugly.

Everyone laughed at him.

Harry then peered outside the hall. There was no sign of the Slytherins anywhere. "I wonder what happened to him…"

"To whom? Malfoy? Maybe he died…" Ron joked.

"Shhh!" Hermione interjected suddenly. She was really sensitive about the whole "death" thing. Ron backed away suddenly, surprised as he watched Hermione hover before him with a serious angry expression, "He may be our enemy but you shouldn't say things like that, Ron!"

"Cool it! I was just joking…!" Ron said defensively.

"Well, it's not funny!" she snapped.

Ron apologized and Hermione relented. Sometimes, Ron can be so cruel.

"Mum, on second thought, I don't think I can do this." Draco said suddenly as he watched the house elves put his entire luggage in the car. "And besides, the Hogwarts express left hours ago."

"You promised me you'll do it, remember?" she pointed out. "And you don't need to worry about a thing. I've already talked to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape. They will personally fetch us at the station."

"W-Wait! Mum! What else did you tell them?" Draco asked, alarmed. "Did you tell them about my… circumstance?"

Narcissa didn't answer.

"Please tell me you didn't!" Draco begged. "Did you?"

"I'm sorry, Draco. But I had to." Narcissa said while looking at her son straight in the eye. "I can't always be at Hogwarts so I need someone to look after you."

"Who else knows about this?" Draco asked, annoyed. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!"

"I said nobody has to know! But you have to understand that in order for us to hide your condition, we need the cooperation of the school" she explained, "I won't let anyone hurt you due to lack of preparation and security! Do you understand?"

Draco nodded. As much as he hated the idea, he knew his mother meant well.

"You don't need to worry about anything. Just look after yourself." Narcissa said as she opened the car door. "Come now. We need to leave now."

"Yes, mother. I'm coming." he said as he looked back once more at his home. He smiled sadly as though he was looking at a mere memory. "I'm surely going to miss this place," he muttered to himself.

He then walked towards the garden and inhaled its beautiful scent. He had a lot of childhood memories in this place. He closed his eyes and inhaled everything once again. He was actually storing this moment; the actual fragrance of this place in his mind… for it may be the last time he will ever get to be here. Sad as it may sound, he knew in his heart that it could be true.

Draco went back to the car and sighed heavily. He took one last glance at the manor and memorized everything in his head. He sadly looked at the house as the car started to move away, "Well," he sighed dramatically. "Just incase..."

A/N: And so we're done! Sorry for the very short chapter. I know it may seem a bit boring, but it will get better once they're at Hogwarts. I'm also apologizing in advance if you find Draco a bit out of character (weepy to be exact). But then again, I'm using the hierarchy of grief to make this a bit realistic: so far I'm done with denial and anger so you better watch out for the next steps. Anyway, as per usual please REVIEW and NO FLAMES.

'til my next update!