Wish
Chapter Six
Heartache
It was a holiday and Draco still found himself at work. His building hardly ever got days off and today was no exception.
Draco had turned his desk around to face the country. He also hadn't left early or came in late for over a week. He donated a hefty amount of money to various organizations… and still it didn't stop the pain in his chest.
He was in no mood for company, sympathy, or life in general. He wanted to sit there and stare at the empty countryside until he died.
There was a knock on his door but he didn't move. Eventually Spade let herself in.
"Draco," She said softly. "I know you miss him, but there's nothing you can do. You can't just pretend you're not living anymore. you have a business to run!"
Draco spun his chair around and glared at her. "It doesn't matter. Why should it?" And that was exactly how he felt. What was the point of all this fortune if there was nothing he wanted to buy with it? He didn't cars or sex… no, what he wanted wasn't anywhere on this earth.
"Leave now," He said and pointed to the door, not bothering to reply to her question.
She left in a huff. Her failed attempt to remind him of his life just that. Failure. Of course, there was nothing anyone could do for him at the moment. After all, it had been five years since his last heartbreak.
--
Draco left the office on time and slowly made his way back to his empty home, to be with his empty self, in his empty life, wishing he were full.
He dove headfirst into a pile of pillows on his bed and wondered what Heaven was like.
Draco had never been the one to want to die. He'd never been suicidal and didn't see why other people were. He didn't think about things like Heaven and Hell, or the afterlife in general… but these thoughts plagued him now.
His time with the angel was more than a mere eye-opener… it was a whole sense reboot.
The telephone rang, he groaned, why couldn't the rest of the world just keep going without him? He figured he could always just not answer the phone… but what if it was something to do with Harry?
He jumped up and answered it. Blaise.
Of course, Harry wouldn't use a phone. Stupid Draco, idiot, moron.
"Hey, Malfoy are you listening to me?"
"Huh? Oh… yeah… of course. Tonight? No, I.. have things to do."
"Can't you make time? You've been down for a whole week now! What's up? Got dumped?"
Draco groaned, "I guess you could say that."
"Well, chin up. You just need to get back out there. Meet some people and have some fun. Things will turn up, eventually. Come one, I REALLY need to see you."
Draco sighed. "You're not going to shut up until I agree, are you?"
He could practically hear the grin on Zabini's face. "You know me too well."
"Fine," Draco agreed. He really did need to get out of this hole. If he was just going to wait around for his death, he might as well do it with a hot chick and some good liquor. "What time?"
"Well Zabini, when you said party… I was expecting something not so… creepy." Draco looked around the big old cemetery.
"Well aren't you the narrow-minded one?" Blaise replied, smirking at Draco's uneasiness.
Draco, despite his 'never thinking of the afterlife' bit, never liked graveyards much. Too many dead people. He had signed up for 'cremate me'. He would never want to be buried in a graveyard. He was much to pretty to be placed beneath dirt.
"Where the hell are we going?" Draco asked, following closely behind Blaise. Warily avoiding any sticks that he might trip over and the roots of huge trees that looked as though they would reach out and grab you.
"Just a little father." Blaise said, trying hard not to laugh. Who knew Malfoy was such a coward?
After about what was a little less than five minutes, longer in Draco's mind, they arrived at the back of the cemetery. There weren't as many tombstones… but there wasn't anything suggesting a party either. Except of course for the circle of twenty or so hooded figures lurking around.
"Um… Blaise?" Draco said, keeping his eyes on the black-cloaks.
He was caught by surprise when he was shoved forward and forced to his knees.
"Where is he?" A croaky hiss of a voice demanded of him.
"What the fuck is this? Zabini!" He yelled and someone kicked him in the ribs, he gave a loud moan of pain and rolled over to his side.
"Where is he?" Zabini asked, a deep scowl on his face.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Draco asked, trying not to act like his rib might be broken.
Blaise snorted and looked up at the sky, he was clearly annoyed. "The angel Malfoy! Where is he?"
Draco couldn't believe his ears. What was this? And how was Zabini involved?
Blaise kneeled down in front of Draco and pulled his head up by his hair. "Where is he?" He asked in a calmer tone of voice. "Tell me and I might not slit your throat."
Draco attempted a laugh, but failed. "Do it, you wouldn't have the guts." He said instead.
Zabini looked Draco in the eye. "You really wanna chance that?"
Draco's words died in his throat. There was a gleam in the other man's eyes that he had never witnessed before. It was like fire. Hatred and raw repressed anger.
Blaise dropped Draco's head and stood up. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed loudly. "Look, Malfoy. I personally would rather not hurt you…"
"Why? Because I could sue your ass and bankrupt you? Have you sent to prison for the rest of your worthless fucking life?" Draco spat, trying to see clearly.
Blaise shook his head and laughed. "No, I'm just a nice guy."
"Fucking traitor." Draco said, he could taste dirt in his mouth.
"Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Blaise asked, stepping closer.
"What if I don't know where he is?" Draco asked.
Blaise placed his expensive boot under Draco's chin. He lifted Draco's eyes up to his and then kicked him in the face.
"You know DAMN WELL WHERE HE IS!" Blaise yelled. Getting more impatient and pissed off every passing second.
Draco swiped at the blood on his face and momentarily forgetting about his ribs. "I don't know where the fuck he is!" He cried. "He was just… gone!"
Blaise seemed to think over his answer. then he asked, "Did you make your wish?"
Draco frowned, how the hell did Blaise know all this?
"No…" He said.
Blaise glared at him, he wasn't sure weather to believe him or not.
"Jesus." Draco said, wiping blood from his mouth on the back of his hand while the other arm was around his ribs.
"Are you lying to me?" Blaise asked. "Because if you are-"
"I'm not fucking lying to you! I don't know where he is!" Draco practically screamed at him. "If I did, don't you think I'd be with him right now?"
Blaise seemed to accept this, "Fine." He said and Draco felt relieved even when he knew he shouldn't have.
"Kill him, he knows nothing." Blaise said and began to walk away.
Draco's eyes widened. The dark figures moved closer. He was going to die…
"Now, let's not be hasty…" Draco said and got to his feet with much effort. He'd been hurt bad before, he was sure he could handle it.
Blaise was out of hearing range and Draco could see his back but his eyes had to be turned to much more urgent things…. like the black-cloaked demons about to slaughter him.
Maybe death wouldn't be so bad, Draco thought as he took a couple of steps back. Maybe he would even see Harry. Death could be grand.
"Killing him would be too easy." The demon nearest him said.
"I agree." Another replied.
"There are many more things we could do besides death." Another spoke.
"FUCK." Draco cursed.
"Let's grind his bones one by one and leave him for the crows." A tall demon said.
"But you heard Zabini," Draco said. "He told you to kill me!"
"We don't take orders from him." One with green eyes said. This demon made Draco feel very uncomfortable. The green was a cold heartless shade of jade. Unlike the warmth and life of emerald like Harry's.
Suddenly there was a loud popping noise and in the sky glitters of blue and red fell towards the earth.
The demons and Draco looked up.
Oh, Draco thought. He had forgotten today was a holiday. Fireworks!
While the demons were still comprehending the 'falling stars' Draco ran for it. It was a good three minutes before he heard, "He's getting away!"
Draco couldn't help a grin. Demons weren't smart. The demons spread out among the tombstones, "Where is he?" Once asked. There was cursing and much yelling and Draco went under a fence and into a ditch. He rolled down into a patch of brush and got to his feet. Then he ran some more.
It seemed like forever and Draco was sure his heart would burst if he kept it up. He slowed down when he reached an area he recognized. The run down old building that Hermione worked. There were still lights on and he was sure her shift would still be on.
There was a secretary at a desk inside and she looked very surprised when he entered.
"I need to see Hermione Granger." He said and the secretary looked scared, probably because Draco was bleeding.
"May I ask who you are?" She said. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm…uh… I'm Harry." He was certain she wouldn't see him if she knew the truth.
The woman nodded and pressed the intercom, "Hermione? A Harry is here to see you." She sounded uncertain.
"I'll be right down." The white box replied.
The secretary smiled what he could only assume was supposed to be friendly and he waited.
A door opened and Hermione came into the room. She looked happy. Then her expression changed when she saw Draco.
She approached him. He took her arm and pulled her away so the secretary couldn't hear.
"What are you doing? Where's Harry?" She asked.
"Long story short? He's gone. I need your help."
Hermione looked around to see if anyone was listening. No one was, the secretary was getting ready to leave for the night.
"What do you mean, gone?" She asked, they were both speaking in undertone. "If you did anything to him, Malfoy, I'll--"
"I didn't do anything to him!" Draco was becoming irritated. "Look. He-- wasn't… from around here. He lives far from here and one morning I woke up and he was just gone."
"Why?"
"I don't know!"
"Well do you know where he might be?'
"I have a pretty good idea… bit I can't contact him."
"Why?"
"Just… because, okay? God, what is it with you?"
Hermione frowned, was she supposed to believe him?
"What do you need me for?" She asked.
"Come with me." He added a quick. "Please." At the end for emphasis.
"Why should I? I don't trust you--"
"I REALLY need you to come with me. If you really care about Harry, you'll come."
Hermione was very uncertain . "To where?"
"To a graveyard."
"A graveyard? Are you insane? What for?"
"Are you going to come with me or not? I don't have time for this!" He raised his voice and startled the secretary.
Hermione slapped a hand over his mouth. "Alright, I'll come, but we wait for Ron first."
Draco gave a frustrated sigh. Patience was definitely not one of his best virtues.
They waited for ten minutes and Ron showed up.
"What is he doing here?" Ron glared.
"Ron please." Hermione said and called over to the secretary. "Alice, I'm leaving now."
"Come to pick up your girlfriend? How sickeningly sweet." Draco drawled.
"This is a dangerous neighborhood, Malfoy. She might get raped by a bastard like you." Ron snarled.
"Don't worry, bastards like me wouldn't even think about touching her." Draco smirked.
Ron was about to retort with his fist but Hermione stopped him. "BOTH OF YOU! Out, now!" She shoved them both out the door and followed behind.
"Now, what do you want?" She turned to Draco once more.
"I already told you!" Draco said, exasperated. "I want you to come with me."
"Where?" Ron demanded.
"To Rochdale Cemetery." Draco said.
"Why?" Ron cried. Draco guessed he didn't like cemeteries much either.
"I need to see something and I need someone to go with me." He admitted.
He knew this was giving the fiery red-head more ammo, but at the moment he could care less.
"You afraid of graveyards at night, Malfoy?" Ron asked with a snide smirk.
"No, but I was chased here by a group of hooded murderers, if you must know." Draco replied.
Ron's expression clearly showed that he didn't know if he was serious or not.
"And you want us to what? Protect you?" Hermione asked coolly.
"No, I have a theory." Draco returned. "I think that they won't kill people who haven't committed a mortal sin." He said.
Hermione frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Have you ever used someone just for the sex? Murdered or spite someone just for the hell of it? Purposely made life hard for the less fortunate?" He asked.
"No!" Hermione replied.
"And you?" He turned to Ron.
"No." Ron replied as well.
"Well then that settles it then. Come on." Draco said and began to walk.
"Hey!" Ron said and Draco realized they weren't following him.
"What?" Draco asked, growing intolerant.
"Why should we go? If you really are about to murdered by religious freaks or whatever, why should we care? What's in it for us?"
Draco stopped, he hadn't really thought about that. He has just assumed Hermione was a nice enough girl. He was used to taking advantage of 'nice' people.
"What do you want?" Draco asked, if he could just give the bloody weasel what he wanted then they could get going already.
"I don't really know--" Ron said, clearly irresolute.
"How about I'll give you both jobs at my building? God… my company's going to shit…"
"Are you serious?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.
"He's lying." Ron said.
"I'm not bloody lying! Why does everyone keep thinking that?" Draco yelled.
"How can we trust you?" Hermione asked.
"Look, do you want the jobs or not?" Draco asked. "I may be a bastard but I'm not a liar."
"Liar."
"Fine!" Draco stormed away.
He's have to go on his own then. That's the last time he ask someone else for help. Goddammit, what was it with people? Isn't there such thing as a favor for a fellow human being any more?
"Hey, wait." Draco did. Hermione and Ron were behind him.
"If you're lying to us--" Hermione started.
"I'm not!" Draco cried again.
"Ok, I believe you." Hermione said and Draco turned to Ron, "What about you?"
"I'm doing this for Harry. Poor guy, having to put up with you." He said.
Draco nodded. "Fine. Let's go."
They arrived at the cemetery Harry and Draco had passed before. It was the one that made Harry sad. Draco walked to the path that he and Harry had been walking on the day Harry had stopped to stare. He stood where Harry had stood and looked into the cemetery from it.
"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked.
"I grave, I imagine." Draco replied.
Ron and Hermione shared a look.
Draco followed the line of sight one would have from the path and walked into the cemetery.
"He's lost his mind." Ron said and Hermione didn't reply but she couldn't disagree.
Draco made his way through the graveyard, looking at each of the tombstones while he walked. He thanked God or whoever for the bright moonlight.
Then a tombstone caught his sight. It was beautiful although old. It was an ivory carving of a lion, standing guard over it's grave. He walked toward it and as he did, his breath became short. His arm hair stood on end and shivers ran down his spine.
He stood in front of the grave.
Harry James Potter
1840-1862
He will be missed.
And carved in an amateur hand under that, someone had wrote, 'No he won't'
Strange as this was, it wasn't this that drew Draco's attention.
The lion had wings… wings that weren't carved at all.
Draco stepped around the tombstone and his heart beat faster. And then faster. Faster still as he came completely around the tombstone… the wings weren't that of the lion, but those of the angel leaning against the tombstone.
"Harry…"