Wish

Chapter Five

Run Like Hell

Draco groaned and ran his fingers along the cord attached to the phone on the wall. He'd thought if he ignored the caller the first fifty rings, they'd give up. No such luck.

He found the phone and cursing the caller to hell for waking him up before the sun, he answered it.

"Malfoy here, who the fuck is this?" He spoke into the receiver. He ran a sleepy hand through his find blonde hair.

There was silence. So they had finally hung up NOW!?

Draco was about to angrily slam the phone down and throw it across the room when a voice from the other side spoke, "Watch your back." It hissed and then the connection was terminated.

"What the hell?" Draco said and turned off the phone. Death threats at this hour?

Well we obviously wasn't going to get anymore sleep. Draco groped the floor for the remote control but before he could turn on the TV, he heard a small noise.

Draco froze, it sounded like a dry whimper.

He gazed up to the top of the landing where the stairs ended and the second floor began. He was sure that the sound was coming from up those stairs. Up those stairs was the angel.

Without hesitation, Draco jumped off the couch and headed for the bedroom. He got to the door, which was slightly ajar and he pushed it open a little farther.

The angel was seated at the bay window. His knees were drawn to his chest and his forehead was against the glass. Tears were streaming from his eyes and he was struggling to keep his crying quiet.

"Harry?" Draco asked timidly not wanting to startle him. He walked into the room.

Harry didn't look up, he just said, "I can't stay here… make your wish… I have to go."

Draco's heart flipped. No, that couldn't happen. He hadn't considered a single person worthy of everything he owed, but with the risk of the angel leaving him now, he was sure he could give it all up in a heartbeat.

"No…" Draco said, stepping father into the room.

"I'm going to get you in trouble," Harry said, finally looking up at him. "People will be hurt… I should have known better! How could I have been so foolish?"

"Don't say that," Draco said, stepping up behind the angel now. "There's nothing you could have done anyway. None of that matters."

Harry stared at him, "How can you say that? What about the curse? The demon?"

"I said it doesn't matter!" Draco said, he was getting angry… or was that fear?

Harry looked up at him, he wasn't enjoying this argument. Neither of them were.

"Just…" Draco said, sitting on a cushion next to Harry. "Stay a little longer…"

Harry gazed out the window again and after a long moment he turned back to Draco. He nodded and with a faint smile embraced Draco.

All Draco could do was hug him back.

Draco decided he should probably make the most of these days with Harry and so that day he brought Harry to a movie.

It was an okay movie. Draco didn't much care for it, but the popcorn was good.

When the credits at last popped up onto the screen, Draco was more than eager to get out.

"Wasn't that a sweet ending?" Harry asked, beaming ear-to-ear.

"Uh… yeah," Draco said, he hadn't entirely understood that part. "Wait over there for me okay?' He said pointing toward a magazine stand. "I just need to run into the washroom."

Harry said that he would and then proceeded to walk toward the magazine stand. He accidentally stepped on a woman's shoe and she tripped.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Harry cried and helped her to her feet.

"It's alright… really, I-- you!" She stared at Harry with eyebrows raised.

Harry recognized her as Hermione Granger.

"Oh, hello again," Harry said and smiled at her. "I apologize again about the other day when we ran into your friend." He said, sincerely.

Hermione stared at him and then she said, "I knew I was right about you!" She was smiling too.

Harry blinked, "Pardon me?"

A tint of pink touched her cheeks. "I was telling my friend, you remember Ron?"

"Yes."

"Well I was telling him that you seemed like a nice enough person and I was right, you are."

Harry smiled. "Thank you."

Hermione's face turned a little more serious, "May I ask you why you're socializing with a man like Draco Malfoy? I mean, forgive me if I' overstep my boundaries, but you two just don't seem compatible to me."

"Oh," Harry said, a little surprised. "Draco is a very nice and generous man, once you get to know him."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Is he really? That I'd have to see to believe."

Right then, Ron came to Hermione's side, "You again, is he bothering you?" He asked, sending a disapproving look at Harry.

"Be nice." Hermione said. "Harry here and I were just talking."

"I've an idea," Harry said suddenly. "Why don't you both come for a cup of coffee with us?" He offered.

"Us? You mean with Malfoy?" Ron asked, his face showed apparent dislike for the thought of having a nice cup of coffee with Draco Malfoy.

"Well why not?" Harry asked, scanned the crowd quickly for any sign of Draco.

Ron laughed, "You must be insane-"

"Oh we have time." Hermione jumped in with a smile.

Ron looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "We can have coffee like civilized human beings, can't we?" She asked in a accusing tone that Ron knew better than to argue with. "Besides," She whispered so only he could hear. "I want to see if what Harry says about Draco is really true."

"Draco!" Harry said upon the arrival of the aristocrat. "I've invited Hermione and Ron to come and have coffee with us."

Draco looked at the said couple and stared at Harry as if to say, 'Are you kidding?'

Hermione and Ron stared at Draco and Draco just shook his head, "Whatever."

--

Well Harry and Hermione seemed to get along really well. Ron and Draco, on the other hand, spend the better half of three refilled coffees glaring at each other as if doing it long enough would make the other's head explode.

When their refills were lost in the whirl fo time that flew by, it was soon time to leave.

"I really hope I get to see you again," Hermione said.

Ron reached across the table to pick up the cheque, but Draco got there first, "It's fine, I'm sure I can spare some change. Maybe you can use yours to get a haircut."

"Draco!" Harry said, but was pointedly ignored.

"Well," Harry said turning back to Hermione. "Let us walk you to your office."

"Oh," Hermione said, a little flushed. "It's alright, Ron and I can--"

"No, no, I insist." Harry said, grinning.

"Well alright then." Hermione gave in. Harry and Hermione were the first ones out of the small café.

Harry and Hermione talked the whole way to Hermione's office, which was a run down old place. By the looks of it, the pay was bad and judging by how she was just going to work now, she probably had a late hour shift. Draco mentioned it, earning him glares from both Hermione and Ron and an affronted Harry.

"Here," Hermione said, scribbling down numbers on a scrap of paper. "Here's my number and Ron's… let's get together again sometime." She shot a look at Draco saying, 'without him'.

"That would be great." Harry said and then Hermione said goodbye and went onto her building.

"I go off here." Ron said a little while later and disappeared down a lane not too far from where Hermione worked.

Harry turned to Draco and smiled, "That was fun, hm?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Sure was, an absolute blast." He took the numbers Hermione had give to Harry and threw them into a dumpster.

"What did you do that for?" Harry asked, staring sadly as the papers disappeared from view.

"We don't need any more liabilities. That's all friends are." He said.

Harry remembered what Spade had said about Draco not having any friends. "You don't make friends easily, do you?" He asked and Draco just laughed.

--

They didn't want to go home just yet and they toyed around with the idea of seeing another movie.

"This city needs to have better things to do," Draco commented as they walked along a park bridge.
There's nothing to do on a boring day like this. All the good stuff opens at night… but you probably wouldn't like that…"

"I'm sure we could find something to do." Harry said, cheerfully.

"Always the optimistic one, aren't you?" Draco said, grinning a little.

"You should try it sometime, Draco, you might like it."

Draco snorted. "Yeah, right."

As they continued walking, Draco began to feel that closed in sensation of being watched again.

He turned around to glimpse a figure in black dodge being seen by taking cover in a nearby field of trees.

Draco took Harry's hand and walked faster.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, worried.

"I saw another demon." Draco replied. He wasn't going to lie and play like everything was all right this time, last time was too close.

"Oh no," Harry said and Draco knew that he was blaming himself but there was nothing he could do about that now.

They walked faster and made certain to stay where the crowds were thick. But the demon was still closing in on them.

"What do we do?" Harry cried and Draco frowned, "I don't know."

The remembrance of that morning's call came back to him, watch your back.

Should he tell the angel? No, why worry him when they already had their hands full. Besides, a threat like that could cause the angel to want to lave again, Draco had already decided that he wanted to prevent that for as long as he could. Although this demon chase wasn't helping that matter.

"We need to get off the streets." Draco decided and switched the direction they were running.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"To someone who always knows what to do." He said and picked up their speed.

Draco didn't even bother knocking, he barged right in.

"Draco? What the fuck!" Spade cried and grabbed a sheet to cover herself.

"Oh come on," Draco returned. "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before."

Draco was glaring at Spade and missed the look in Harry's eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Diamond said, shocked. She was standing in a doorway, apparently coming back from another room. What she was wearing wouldn't be allowed even in Draco's building.

"Did we interrupt something?" Harry asked, quietly and embarrassed.

"No shit." Spade growled, clearing entering a bad mood.

"What's wrong?" Diamond asked, oddly not at all uncomfortable with the situation.

"We need help." Draco said and shut the door.

"If you need sex pointers, come back later, would ya?" Spade said, gathering all the blankets she could around herself.

"Nice," Draco glared at her, "But that's not why we're here."

"We were being chased by a demon." Harry said, without stopping to think how that would sound in the ears of the everyday living.

Diamond and Spade glanced at each other and Spade burst out laughing.

"Come again?" Diamond asked politely, a snicker playing on her face.

"We're serious!" Draco snapped, making Spade jump and cease laughing.

"You're being chased by a demon?" Diamond asked, as if talking to a child. "And what are we supposed to do about that?"

"I don't know," Draco admitted. "But you're the secretary, you always know what to do."

Diamond raised an eyebrow. "I'm not working at the moment, Mr. Malfoy."

"I'll pay you overtime." Draco said, he locked the door. They needed a plan, any plan.

"Ok," Spade spoke up, "Let's say we do believe you, what are we supposed to do against a demon? Throw your work files at it? We're office workers, Draco, not super heroes."

Then a loud bang echoed through the house. Diamond went to the window.

"Don't!" Harry cried out but it was too late.

The demon came crashing through the window.

Spade and Diamond screamed and Draco grabbed a tall lamp. He swung at the demon and hit it. The demon fell out the window and then scurried off. Presumably to get backup.

Diamond was trying to catch her breath from where she'd fallen to the floor and Spade was trying to get to her without exposing herself at the same time. "What the hell was that?" Diamond asked, eyes wide. She was still shaking.

"The demon we were taking about." Draco said, annoyed as he tried to stand the lamp but up but it was too damaged.

"Oh my god," Spade said and got to her feet, clutching the sheets to her body. "I'm going to change." She said and went into the bathroom.

--

Several minutes later with everyone fully clothed, they sat at the living room table.

The look in Spade's eye that had previously been mistaken for fear had actually been some sick form of fascination in which she wouldn't shut up about now.

"It was so cool though! It was like something out a movie when he--"

"Silver!" Draco yelled. "Just shut up and help us a think!"

They needed to think of something, before the demon decided to come back. A lamp wouldn't hold against more of them.

"I have an idea." Diamond said and stood. She went to the door and took a set of keys from the key rack. "Here." She tossed them to Draco; he caught them and stared down at them.

"This will keep the demons away?" He asked. Not following her line of thinking.

Diamond rolled her eyes, "No, it's the key to my summer cabin. You can go there for a while, until the demons find you or until we can work something out. I'm sure there's something somewhere that could help us." She said.

"Brilliant!" Spade exclaimed, "But what about us? Those things will come back."

"We go to your house." Diamond pointed out.

"I think it would be best if I just left." Harry said, he hadn't said much of anything since they had arrived and the most he did since than was show his wings to Spade and Diamond to prove that he was in fact an angel.

"Oh my god!" Spade had cried, "Can I touch them?"

"No!" Draco had said automatically.

Draco shook his head at Harry. "Don't. Not yet."

Harry sighed. "We can't just keep running until Lucifer finally gets us."

"We'll go to the cabin and take things from there." Draco said, his mind made up.

Draco stood to leave and Harry followed.

"Take care!" Diamond said and hugged them both. "Don't let too many people see you leave. I have a feeling someone's been spying on you."

"Bye! And have fun!" Spade said with a devious glint in her eye. She kissed Harry on the cheek and shoved Draco out of the door.

Draco and Harry left.

They arrived at Diamond's cabin at early evening when the sun was just about to go down.

"It's a nice cabin." Draco commented as they entered. He had been there many times before for parties. It was worthy of the Playboy Aristocrat's Head Secretary.

They had brought few belongings with them and Draco had called Star to make sure she took care of things while they were away. He told her that they were taking a short vacation and to tell anyone who came by that they were in California, far from where they really were.

They had a quiet and small dinner. There wasn't much to say except for Harry wanting to leave and Draco not making his wish yet.

"We could go swimming." Draco had suggested after dinner but Harry refused. "Angels don't like swimming too much. It take a long time to dry off wings." He explained.

They went outside to the deck as the stars began to come out.

"You can't see the stars too well from the city." Draco commented and Harry nodded.

After a long while of silence, Draco finally turned to Harry and asked the question that had been haunting him for sometime, "What were you like when you were alive?"

Harry's eyes widened a bit but then he relaxed. "Selfish." He said and stared up at the sky.

Draco frowned, "I find that hard to believe," He said. "Why?"

Harry shrugged. "Why are most people selfish? It's just something humans do, I guess. It was just because I had so little when I was younger and then when I finally got my hands on money and power… I couldn't help it."

Draco decided not to push the issue farther just yet.

"Give me your hand." Harry said suddenly, holding out his hand to Draco.

Draco glanced around. "Why?"

"Trust me." Harry smiled and Draco did.

Harry pulled him close to him and closed his eyes. With the moon shining on, Harry spread his wings and pulled Draco up into the sky with him. Draco's breath caught. He'd never been so high before, except on airplanes. You could see everything going on forever and Draco wondered to himself why he used to think that the countryside bored him.

Harry brought them back down on the roof of the cabin and his wings disappeared.

"Look." Harry pointed and Draco turned to see.

The city was glowing in the distance and above that a large gold cloud was hovering above the city. It looked like any minute it would spill out a thousand coins like rain.

"What it that?" Draco asked, sitting down on the roof.

"The gate." Harry said simply, sitting down beside him.

"You're kidding," Draco said unbelieving, "The Gate of Heaven?"

"The very same." Harry said, smiling.

"So… anyone can see it?"

Harry shook his head, "Not unless an angel points it out for them."

Draco was stunned. The cloud overhead was unlike any he'd ever seen. It was striking and beautiful and if he were a fluffy romantic it would bring a tear to his eye.

"Lucky me then." He said and turned back to Harry.

Harry sat with his knees drawn to his chest and his eyes trained on the distant city and gold cloud. He looked somehow vulnerable and maybe he was. It was a strange sight to behold, an angel gazing out to the world of humanity with Heaven just over his head.

Draco wondered why it was that Harry had stayed with him this long. He knew that he did always manage to talk the angel into staying, but it had to be more than that. If Harry had truly wanted to go back, he would, Draco was sure of it. Was the angel conflicted? Draco had thought angels were supposed to change your mind about things in your life, tell you that you were wrong and needed to change… but Harry hadn't said anything like that to him. Harry seemed like he enjoyed spending time with his mortal counterpart just as he was… but then, Draco thought, didn't he change your mind about so much already?

Draco couldn't stop himself, years of being the playboy aristocrat had a toll and before he realized it, he had leaned over and was pressing his lips to those of the angel beside him.

Shocked by the action, Harry pulled away and stared at him with wide eyes.

Draco cringed. "I'm sorry." He said and moved back to his place.

Harry seemed to be thinking something over in his mind. The n he moved towards Draco again. He place d his head on Draco's shoulder and as he did, all other things faded away to nothing. All that mattered in that moment was that they were together now and if Hell had attacked right the n, it wouldn't have made a difference because right then, things were perfect.

That night, Draco was sure he had glimpsed the real Heaven and he decided that Heaven was wherever Harry was.

He dreamed that night, of Heaven and angels and bliss and kisses and for once he wanted it all.

When he woke up he went to the bedroom he had left the angel to sleep in last night. As he opened the door and glimpsed the bed, his heart stopped beating.

He raced down the stairs and greeted by silence. He searched everywhere, high and low, the roof, the deck, every room.

Something inside of him screamed and he felt tears well up in his eyes for the first time since he was a child. He didn't want it to be true, he checked the house over again calling out the angels name… but the truth eventually sunk in… and Draco had never known heartache until that day.

Because the angel was gone.