Wish
Chapter Four
Hell
There was blood… a lot of blood… pouring, dripping, and flowing over the stone table of sacrifice. It wasn't his blood… no, it was someone else's… but then why could he feel it?
There was screaming and crying and then there was silence. A disturbing, petrifying hush ran from one end of the world to the other…
And he cried. … not wimpy sniffling and tears, but full out sobs and shrieks. Choking, he made his way out of the building and collapsed on the ground outside. The grass was gray and the sky was storming. As far as the eye could see there were people crying. He glared at them. They had no idea. They knew nothing of the horror he'd seen. The angel was dead… and the devil…. The devil was laughing.
--
Draco woke up with a jolt. The images still drilled into his mind. The blood and the broken wings were still lingering just beyond his sight. He quickly shoved the comforter aside and ran up the stairs to the bedroom. He burst through the door and it was a wonder the angel didn't wake up.
He stopped short when he glimpsed the sleeping angel. Unlike the first time, he was breathing regularly and really seemed quite content.
Draco walked to the bedside and looked down at him. He wondered how many people ever got to see an angel like this. It was a painful revelation and something inside of him was born, it was beginning to eat away at him. It wasn't an excruciating pain, it was more of a dull throb that made one want to cry. When the sun's rays began to peek over the window sill, it made the feeling even worse.
The distorted visions from his dream flashed through his mind. He didn't know how exactly what had happened or how it came to be. However, Harry had died from it.
In the midst of Draco's innermost thoughts, Harry stirred and opened his eyes. "Oh," He said, realizing he wasn't alone. Draco immediately regretted coming into the room. He had been caught watching the angel. "Morning." Harry said with a smile.
It took a few seconds for Draco to register the greeting and then he smiled too, "Good morning."
Draco arrived at work on time for once. He had left Harry with Star for the day. He figured he would probably want some company. In any case, Draco couldn't afford to skimp on any more deals and proposals.
Diamond was filing her nails when Blaise Zabini came into the building.
"Hello there." He said and walked up to her desk.
She frowned, "Don't we have a restraining order on you?"
Blaise held up his hands in self-defense. "Now, now, no need to alert the authorities. I'm just here to see Malfoy. It's kinda important, would you mind telling him that I'm here?"
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Well, no."
"Is he expecting you?"
"Well, actually, no. But--"
"I'm sorry. Mr. Malfoy is very busy and he can't take random callers."
"Ha, that guy, busy? Fat chance… -ok, never mind, here he is." Blaise commented and sure enough, Draco walked into the front lobby.
"Draco! Buddy!" Blaise said, raising his arms in a brotherly fashion as if he were about to hug him.
"You," Draco said angrily and narrowed his eyes at Diamond who just shrugged.
"Look," Blaise said. "I know we've had our share of differences but I really need to talk to you about something."
"I don't want to talk to you, I'm busy." Draco said, trying to get past Zabini.
"Hey! It's important!" Blaise was saying.
"Diamond, call security." Draco said, glaring at the other man.
Blaise grabbed him by the collar. "It's about your friend." Blaise growled.
Draco blinked, Harry? He shoved him away. "Diamond, cancel security. Zabini, you have fifteen minutes. My office, NOW."
Draco led the way to the elevator and they went up to Draco's office.
Zabini had been there many times before.
"I got a really strange call the other night," Blaise began saying. Draco wasn't looking at him, but searching through papers and files. "They didn't say who they were but they told me some rather disturbing things."
"Oh, really?" Draco said, sounding disinterested.
"Who are you hiding?" Blaise asked,
"Hiding? I'm not hiding anything."
"Who's that guy you've been around with?" Zabini asked and Draco's head snapped up.
"What does he have to do with anything?" Draco asked, leaving his work papers and leering at the other man.
"Look, Draco, he's big trouble… you can't be hanging around with him. You could be in huge trouble!"
Draco shook his head. "You're mental. What are you getting at? How would you know?"
"I just know, okay? I have your best interest at heart."
"Yeah, sure." Draco said sarcastically.
"But I do! Draco, I know you don't want to believe it. I'm sure the guy is pretty good-looking, but you can't get serious about him!"
"Look, Zabini, I don't have tome for this, get out."
"But I--"
"Now!"
Blaise didn't move. Draco gave a frustrated sigh and headed toward the elevator. "I'm alerting security unless you're out of here in two minutes." Draco stated and shoved Blaise into the elevator.
"You don't know what you're messing with." Blaise spat and the elevator doors closed.
Draco stood there for a while afterwards. What was Blaise taking about? Was he spying on him? That sick bastard.
"Diamond, I'm taking the rest of the day off."
"Of course you are. Have a good afternoon." She returned with a smirk.
"I will, see you."
"Draco!" Came Harry's voice from the top of the stairs as Draco arrived home. "You're home!"
"Yeah… I had to get out of there."
Draco gave the house sitter some money and she left.
"Nice lady," Harry commented as Star left. "I like her."
Draco nodded and took off his jacket and tie.
"Do you wanna go somewhere?" Draco asked. Blaise's warning was still weighing on his mind but he wasn't going to keep Harry locked up over it.
"Sure, where?" Harry asked, coming down to join Draco at the bottom of the stairs.
"I don't know, somewhere." Draco said. He just needed to get out of there.
--
They decided on another walk through the park. It was quiet and taking came easily when you were walking at the same time.
"Have you ever seen Hell?" Draco asked, suddenly. He didn't know why he wanted to know. Maybe it was the dream or Blaise's words.
Harry gave him a shocked expression and Draco sighed, "I'm sorry, that's not my business."
"No, it's all right." Harry said, string at his feet now. "I've been there. Quite a few times, actually, but I'll never get used to it… there's… death everywhere… bad death. Not the peace and quiet death of Heaven… there's screaming and a lot of crying… and there's red… everywhere… it's not a pleasant place to be."
"Why where you there?"
"Well, I sometimes deliver messages…" Harry hesitated. "But mostly, I--- I… wasn't that nice of a person…"
Draco couldn't believe that, Harry, a bad person?
"I was self-centered and I died that way," Harry admitted. "During my final judgement, I begged God for forgiveness and he said he's grant me a second chance. I had to go to Hell and prove that I could be sympathetic and compassionate… that's easy in Hell."
"Oh," Was all Draco could say. He couldn't help but feel Harry was hiding something.
"But let's not talk about that." Harry said, suddenly lighting up.
Draco didn't respond, he start straight ahead.
Once they had walked the entire length of the park, Harry suggested they get something to eat and so they walked back up the way toward a small restaurant they had seen on their way to the park.
They were half-way there when Draco got the sensation that someone was watching them. He looked around and noticed a person dressed in strange black robes behind them. Brushing it off, he said nothing.
When Draco looked back again, he noticed that the person was even closer and for some reason, he hair on the back of his neck rose and goose bumps rushed across his forearms.
A feeling of terror filled his mind and his legs turned to Jell-O.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, looking anxious.
"Walk faster." Draco said and pulled Harry along. Partly to get him to walk faster and partly to hold himself up.
Draco looked back yet again and the person was walking faster as well.
Panicked, Draco grabbed Harry's hand and ran. When Draco thought they must be quite a ways away from the person, he risked another glance back. The person was running after them and catching up fast.
"What the hell?" Draco cried out and pulled Harry into a brush.
"What's going on?" Harry asked. Clearly troubled.
"Shush!" Draco said and put a hand over Harry's mouth. He kept them both very still as the person in black walked past their hiding place, looking for them.
Harry gasped and tried to say something. "Mi mmfph mhars…"
Draco took his hand off Harry's mouth. "What did you say?"
"I said," Harry said in a shaky voice. "I think that's…"
The person in black jumped out in front of them, causing them both to yell out.
"Get up, run!" Draco order, pulling Harry to his feet and they ran.
The person was still chasing after them, Draco was suddenly aware that there was nobody around. They had to find a crowed place, now! He pulled Harry into an alley and they emerged at the other side in a crowed street mall.
"He's coming!" Harry said in a rushed and worried whisper.
"This way!" Draco said and pulled them into the midst of the crowd.
Draco glanced behind them to see the person in black struggling through the crowd to catch up. Confident that they'd escape, Draco smirked, but forgetting he wasn't watching in front of him, he ran head on into someone.
"Hey!" The person said. "Watch where you're going, will ya!"
Draco shook his head, trying to clear his vision. He'd fallen down hard.
"Ran, are you okay?" A female voice asked.
"Yeah," The man who Draco had run into replied. "I'm fine."
"Draco, are you okay?" Harry asked, helping him to his feet.
Harry then turned to the two people in front of them. "I'm very sorry, we weren't watching properly."
"Damn right you weren't." The red-haired, freckle-faced young man replied.
"Ron!" The curly brunette said, smacking her counterpart in the side.
Ron grinned sheepishly at her and then looked at Draco. "I'm sor-- You!" He pointed an accusing finger at Draco. "Hermione! It's him!"
Hermione's eyes shifted to the blonde-haired man and glared, "So it is." She said through her teeth.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Draco asked, glaring back.
"My name is Hermione Granger, I applied at your company a week ago…"
"You shallow bastard!" Ron said, shooting daggers at Draco.
"Ron!" Hermione said, yet again and whacked him lightly in the arm.
"What? Herm, he wouldn't hire you because you weren't 'sexy' enough!"
Out of the blue there was a holler from behind them and Draco remember they were trying to escape. "Come on!" Draco called out and taking hold of Harry's hand again, took off running.
"Asshole." Ron spat and he and Hermione went on their way.
Finally, Draco dodged into some kind of fancy restaurant. Harry in tow.
"You know, I'm sure that was a demon." Harry said, he surprisingly didn't seem out of breath.
"What? A demon, here? Why?"
"Well it did appear as though it was after us." Harry pointed out the obvious.
Draco rolled his eyes, "Yes, but why?"
"Can I help you?" A waiter asked.
"Yeah, for two thanks." Draco said, his breath caught up with him and they followed the waiter to their table.
"Hm," Harry said, mauling over the day's happenings in his mind. "I don't understand. What could they possibly be after?"
"You failed me!" Lucifer's voice rang out through the corridors of Hell.
"I'm sorry, My Lord, forgive me!" A creature in black cried as two red demons grabbed him by the arms.
"You know the penalty." Lucifer said simply and the demon was thrown into the fire.
Lucifer than turned to a bowl of what appeared to be water. However, the images that appeared, showed that it was a sort of communication enchantment.
"You remember our deal?" Lucifer spoke to the person in the bowl.
"Of course." The person replied.
"Then you will do as I have requested? Since the other has failed?" Lucifer asked.
"Naturally," The person answered. "Your plan is ingenious, I'm confident I have chosen the winning side."
Lucifer flipped his long white-blonde hair behind his shoulder. "I will win. That angel is Almighty's treasured possession. Once we have him, we can easily take over Heaven, Earth will follow and then the Universe."
The person in the water bowl smirked, "I will do your bidding." He said and Lucifer nodded. "I will deliver him as promised. I will keep in touch." Blaise said and disappeared from the bowl.