The Human Stain Chapter 4: Gay Best Friend, a harry potter fanfic

The Human Stain

By Anna Kate

Chapter Four- Gay Best Friend

Draco opened his eyes and staggered slightly. His head was beginning to feel clouded and he knew he would probably faint in a minute.

"Worse than Portkeys." he mumbled, closing his eyes. He let go of Harry's hand and took his hand off Harry's forehead. He didn't notice Luna come in behind him and help him to a chair.

Luna sighed next to him and put a hand on his forehead. He leaned into the touch; it felt cool against his burning forehead.

"You really shouldn't do this. By rights, you should probably be dead, you exhaust yourself so much." she was talking to him.

"Shut up," he rasped. "It's the only thing I'm good at." she gave a small laugh and draped a blanket over him. He fell asleep instantly.

"You can come in," she called to Claudia and Emma. They both gave Draco a strange look. "He has to stay in the room. Don't ask me, it's the way he works," she shrugged and brushed some hair away from Draco's forehead. "Your dad should wake up in a few hours. You can stay with him if you like, but I think you should both get something to eat."

Claudia and Emma nodded in unison, and then left the room. They didn't bid good-bye to Harry, both fearing it could be for the last time. Luna followed them out.

"Will he live?" Emma asked in the corridor, her question abrupt and unexpected. Luna stumbled slightly on her answer, and then gave a small smile.

"Mr. Malfoy is very good at what he does. 90 of his patients survive," she told them, trying to enforce hope upon each of them.

"And what about the other 10?" Claudia asked, the question daunting and horrifying coming from a 14-year-old in a severe monotone. It was like she didn't have the energy to worry anymore.

Luna just gave them a look that told them all they needed to know; the other 10 never awoke and all died.

Emma gave a weak nod and put a hand on Claudia's shoulder, which Claudia shrugged off. She looked Luna straight in the eye. Luna shivered under the cold gaze of those emerald eyes which we exact duplicates of Harry's.

"That will not happen to my father." Was all the said before she stormed off towards the exit.

It was midnight before Harry even began to stir.

The hours between when Draco had taken him from the dark and the time when he began to wake meant nothing to him, yet were crucial to Claudia, Luna, Draco and Emma. At least one of them every hour was watching Harry stay perfectly still, lost deep inside his own mind.

Unfortunately for Harry, not everyone got to sleep for as long as he had.

Harry opened his eyes to a blurred and slightly dimmed room, though he did blink against the light. His throat was sore and his head felt like it was going to split in two.

The machine to his right was monitoring his heartbeat, and he stared at it for a long while. His eyes traced the small green dot go up and down and occasionally the machine admitted a 'beep'. He was rather enjoying himself.

"Oh, good, you're awake," the slurred voice came from the opposite side of the room. Harry tried to lift his head but found he couldn't. He recognised that voice though...

The person who had spoken came into view. Even with the dyed black hair, tattoos and piercings, (the blurred view didn't help much either) Harry instantly recognised Draco.

"Draco?" he tried speaking but couldn't. Draco helped him sit up and gave him some water to drink. "Malfoy?" Harry asked, shock very evident on his face. Draco nodded and smiled.

"Hello again Potter," he said, putting the glass of water down on the side-table and then sitting on the edge of Harry's bed.

"Again?" Harry croaked, and Draco nodded. "You got me out of my mind, didn't you?"

"Weird way to put it, but yes, I did," Harry gave a small nod, and went back to looking at the machine. Draco shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I should probably go get your little girl, Claire-..."

"Claudia," Harry said to him. "Her name is Claudia," Draco shrugged and stood up.

"Whatever. I'll go get her," he turned on his heel and left the room, hands jammed in his pockets, leaving Harry alone. It wasn't long until Claudia entered, tears running down her cheeks.

"Dad?" Harry turned and smiled at her. She gave a loud wail and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing wildly into his shoulder. "I thought you were gone..." she kept whispering, and all Harry could do was hold her.

Why aren't I feeling something? was the thought that was running through Harry's mind. He didn't feel anything; he didn't want to protect Claudia with every fibre of his being. He was just staring blankly at the shaking girl in his arms.

He looked over her shoulder to see a tearful Emma, but no sign of Draco.

Why?

Luna and Draco were standing outside the hospital in the pouring rain.

"Claudia will want to thank you. Emma too," she told him, tightening her scarf around her neck. The hood of her coat slipped back and she grabbed it.

"Why?" he sighed, throwing down his cigarette and crushing it underfoot. His hair was soaked through, the blonde going almost the same colour as the black. He didn't seem to care though, and just shook his head slightly, sending rain drops everywhere.

Luna laughed and covered her face with her hands.

"Stop it, I'll get wet, and then get a cold, then my patients will sue me," Draco laughed and put a hand around her shoulder.

"But I'll bet they'll have never seen a finer looking Healer anywhere else,"

"Doctor," Luna reminded him. "And what do you care? You're as gay as the day is long," she poked him on the shoulder.

"I prefer to think of myself as your gay best friend. Who only comes to see you when absolutely necessary," he raised an eyebrow and took away his arm. She only grinned at him. "Besides, even though I am gay, I can tell when women are good-looking. Sometimes I wish I was a woman. Then I realise I'd get no ass action, and hope forever to be a man,"

"Far too much information there, Draco. I bet in one of your past lives, you were actually a straight man," Draco gave a theatrical gasp and put a hand to his forehead.

"Me? Straight? God forbid,"

"So, Mr. Evans, we'll need to monitor you for the next week, but I'm sure to can go home afterwards," Luna smiled at him over her clipboard and then looked behind her. Draco was leaning casually against the back wall, watching her carefully. She often felt uncomfortable under his icy gaze, and this time was no exception.

Harry wasn't helping matters, still staring at her like she was the risen dead. He had, of coursed, recognised her, and she made no secret of the fact that she knew exactly who he was. Old habits die hard.

Luna smiled, and went back to looking at her clipboard.

"Of course, Draco will have to monitor you for a month, but I'm sure-." Both Harry and Draco burst into protests.

"Wait! Hold on, Mal- Dr. Malfoy has to monitor me? Since when did this happen?"

"Luna, I'm sure Pot- Mr. Evans will survive without me, I mean, come on-."

Luna raised her hand for silence. She shot both men a glare, and then opened her mouth to speak.

"Draco, you know the rules. I hope you do at least, you made them. Mr. Evans, I'm sorry, but these are the rules. It may be an inconvenience, but Dr. Malfoy has to monitor you. It is crucial to your health." Draco snorted behind her, but covered it as a cough when she glowered at him.

"Dr. Boot, why does Dr. Malfoy have to go and live with Harry?" Emma asked as calmly as she could. She glanced down at Harry, who was biting his lip and going quite red in the face.

"Dr. Malfoy is the only one who can administer the right... medication, if you will. He has been in this field for years, and has quite a gift for it. It is of the utmost necessity for him to be around, to help Mr. Evans in his recovery." Luna said in her best business voice, leaving no room for argument.

Though, by the looks on both Harry and Draco's faces, they wanted to go to the United Nations to see if this was breaking some sort of Human Right.

"I'll leave you alone to talk about that to do. Miss Stockdale, Miss Evans, could you follow me please?" Luna nodded a good-bye to Harry and Draco and left the two men alone in a shocked silence. "And you two, behave like civilised gentlemen!" her reprimand came through the door.

Draco sniffed delicately once the door had been closed and looked down his nose at Harry. Harry just grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

There was no way in hell they were going to act like civilised gentlemen.

"You are not coming to live with me." Harry ground out.

"I don't want to live with you! What do you think I am, Potter, some sort of nurse? I will not go and live with you and that brat of yours!" Draco snapped, stamping a foot. Harry smirked.

"Still acting like a child, are we? Oh, and it's Evans now."

"How quaint. Listen, you little shit, there is no way on this earth that I am coming to live with you!"

"I DON'T FUCKING WANT YOU TO LIVE WITH ME!" Harry shouted as best he could.

"FINE!" Draco threw up his hands and stormed towards the door.

"FINE!" Harry shouted back, as Draco threw open the door and marched through it.

"WHATEVER!" Draco screamed as he slammed the door. "Fucking Potter." he hissed.

"Fucking Malfoy."

By three that afternoon, Luna had managed to drag Draco away from the car park and his cigarettes and forced him into the same room as Harry.

She was now doing a very impressive impression of an angry professor.

"I cannot believe you two! Acting like a pair of toddlers, instead of the adults you are. How old are you, Draco?"

"Forty-two, forty-three June the 5th." Draco spat out, shooting Harry a glare.

"And Harry?"

"Don't you have this on your records?"

"And Harry?" Harry sighed.

"Forty-two, forty-three July 31st."

"Thank you. Don't you two see, you're the same age? Forty-two. Bloody well act like it!" Both men had the decency to look shamed.

"You've changed, Luna." Harry whispered, looking at her. Luna felt a lump form in her throat from hearing her name being spoken by him in more than 16 years.

"People change in times of war, Harry." She said stiffly. Harry looked at her oddly.

"Times of war? What? I-I don't understand! The war with Voldemort," Luna and Draco both gave violent flinches. "Ended 25 years ago!"

"The war with Voldemort ended, yes, but not the war with-..." Luna began, but Draco cut her off.

"Luna, no!" Draco snapped, leaning forward slightly where he stood. Luna placed her hands on her hips.

"He has a right to know! He's one of us!"

"He was one of us! He doesn't count anymore!" Draco spat out at her, shooting Harry another glare.

"He does count! He's the only one who can help! He-.."

"Is in this room and wondering what the fuck is going on!" Harry half-shouted, straining to lift his neck. He looked Luna in the eye. "Tell me, what the fuck is going on?"

Luna sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. Draco pulled the armchair over from the window and sat next to the bed. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the upholstery.

"Daisy-prints? Luna, really..." he tutted and sat down, shifting as if to avoid the daisies. Luna raised an eyebrow at him.

"Harry, when you left 16 years ago, the wizarding world," now it was Harry's turn to flinch "was in an uproar. No one knew where you were, and there was mass hysteria."

"They drove me out." Luna raised a hand to silence him.

"I know Harry, I know. Anyway, there was mass hysteria everywhere. The wizarding world was crumbling apart at the seams, and the Minister was desperately trying to keep order. Unfortunately, he couldn't. Hogwarts took the main beating of the hysteria, the students parents and relatives flooded the gates and took their children away, leaving Hogwarts a skeleton of it's former self. No one could have stopped it. Not even McGonagall, God rest her soul, could prevent that from happening.

"Then, the aurors took over, using the school as a sort of base. They plotted and planned within the confines of the large chambers, safe in the halls of Hogwarts. The school wasn't ever meant to be used that way, and so it rejected any magic that the aurors used. The Founders must have placed a charm on it, I don't know, but the school began to magically close down. It became almost muggle-like, with nothing extraordinary about it. Even the house-elves working there were beginning to loose their magic.

"Finally, we managed to get the aurors out and get some students back in. The school is still a base, of sorts, for the... Well, I'll explain that to you later. But the Death Eaters have gathered again, under the influence of another. Those who were imprisoned during the Second War have been under trial, and released or Kissed depending on whether their evidence pointed towards 'yay' or 'nay'."

"Or whether the jury was crooked." Draco added sulkily. Harry glared at him, though Luna nodded.

"That too. " Luna noted. "Anyway, the Death Eaters who were set free went around the Wizarding World, perfectly normal for about 10 years. Then, 6 years ago, on the very night you left 10 years before, they underwent a merging of Magical Essences, with the help of a new leader."

"Who's the new leader?" Harry could feel his heart sinking; right now, it was almost level with his bladder.

"He calls himself Lucifer, after the archangel who turned into the Devil. You may remember him by another name though."

"Luna." Draco looked pained. He reached out to grab her shoulder, but she swatted his hands away.

"Who is Lucifer? What's his other name?" Harry asked, sitting up straighter. Luna looked grave, and pulled her blonde hair over one shoulder. She sighed, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Lucius Malfoy."

Harry leant over his bed, piling clothes and other things in the suitcase which rested on it. Draco and Emma had gone back to Potter's Court to sort out the sofa bed in the study for Draco, and Claudia was stuck with Harry until they got back.

Needless to say, she was playing the concerned daughter.

"Let me do it, Dad." She said, going forward to help him.

"No," Harry snapped. He looked at her and his voice softened. "No, Claude, I'm fine. Honestly." He gave her a weak smile, and she hugged him. His arms hung by his side.

To be truth, Harry didn't want to hug Claudia. Ever since he had woken up, he had felt absolutely repelled by her touch. Or anyone else's, for that matter. He would have pushed her away if he had the heart to.

"Claudia, we have to go soon." He mumbled, and he disentangled himself from her arms. She gave him a wide-eyed sigh, and left the room, flicking her black hair out behind her. Harry sighed, and put the last pile of clothes in the suitcase, before shutting the lid.

He was clicking the locks shut when Draco and Emma flounced (well, Draco flounced, Emma walked) in, and Harry almost bolted from the room.

"Don't you ever knock?" he asked, putting a hand to his heart; it was beating quickly.

"No." Draco shook his head and flopped down sideways into the armchair. He shifted slightly and almost made the chair fall over.

"I don't think Luna'll like it if you break her chair..." Harry said, and he picked up the suitcase. He still wasn't on very friendly terms with Draco, and would have preferred to throw the man off his apartment balcony, but alas, no such luck.

Draco, however, seemed to want to rub in the fact that he and Harry would have to live together for a month, and took great joy in making Harry angry.

"Well, when I get to your... oh, I'm sorry our apartment, I'll phone her and apologise!" Draco said brightly, examining his nails.

"Er, how do you know Dr. Boot's first name? I doubt she's told you." Emma said, frowning at Harry. Harry felt the heat rise in his cheeks and he looked away.

"Oh, we're old school friends."

"Me too!" Draco waved at Emma and she gave him a half-smile.

"Great. Reminiscing. I hate reminiscing." Emma mumbled, and Harry gave a short laugh, which sounded more like a bark to everyone else. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I still have a sore throat." Emma smiled and took the suitcase off Harry. Draco swung his legs off the arm of the chair and stood to go. Harry looked at the door and took a deep breath.

He hadn't left his hospital room for a week, and three days, if you count the coma. He didn't know if he was prepared for it, though he had no choice. Maybe he could just run and hide under his bed...

"Come on, Evans... One... Two... Three," And Draco pushed him out the door.