Harry had waited all night for a reply to his note. It hadn't come. In the early hours of the morning, he'd sent off one more letter, one last effort, one last chance for Colin to save him. Not a word in reply. But maybe it was better this way. It was a relief in its own way, to know that soon he wouldn't have to think. Wouldn't feel the agony.

Like he'd done during the Battle of Hogwarts all those years ago, Harry opted to walk to his destiny. It was warm for the end of October, but a cool wind blew his hair and he relished the way it felt. The air smelled crisp, his hands were cold, his heart pumped wildly in his chest, and why could he only feel this alive the closer he came to death?

There it was, off in the distance: The bridge seemed so small, this far away. All the memories it held. It should have been larger than life. So many memories stored in those wood planks. Colin, shaking with nerves but so confident, as he leaned closer, his hands slipping down to grasp Harry's own, his mouth warm as he captured Harry's...Colin, holding him close as he cried...Colin, laughing at something Harry said, his face alight with something precious, and Harry had realized in that moment that he was falling in love...

And then he was standing on it, leaning against the side, feeling the railing, the wood worn and faded from the weather. The rope dangled in his left hand and he looked at it. He could hear shouts of laughter nearby and looked up to see a small group of children playing in the grass near the river. He looked back at the rope. He could wait a little longer. Children shouldn't have to pay for our mistakes.

He waited. He watched.

The sounds of the children were fading away when Harry felt it. His finely honed Auror senses kicked in and he turned slowly. There he was. He'd come for him after all.

Colin was standing at the edge of the bridge. Handsome as ever, his eyes shone with determination and heartbreak and love, and suddenly Harry didn't want to look at him. He turned away. "I thought you didn't care."

He felt more then saw Colin step closer. "I care. I'll always care, Harry."

"But not enough to stay?" Harry turned back to Colin, his voice breaking. "Come home to me." And Harry could see it, see the indecision, and he pounced on it. "I love you, Colin."

Colin stepped closer. "I love you too, Harry. So much, you know that right?"

"Then come home!" Harry said with all the force he could muster. "I love you, you love me - isn't that enough for you?"

"It used to be," Colin said, and Harry couldn't speak, the waves of emotion were too much. He watched as if from far away as Colin sighed. "I once told you that I'd be by your side until life decided I shouldn't be, do you remember?" Harry could only nod, held in place by the sheer terror that ripped through him, and he inexplicably thought of Bill describing his Mother as a demon. Bill had been right, he thought - this wasn't the chest monster he'd experienced as a school boy, this was a demon inside, a monster more vicious then he'd ever could have imagined existed, and he didn't think he could contain it if he tried.

"You just have to try harder," he snarled at Colin. Harry saw anger flash through Colin's eyes, and Colin stepped ever closer to him. "Try harder? Harry, I did. And when that didn't work, I tried to get you to accept help! It's you who needs to try harder. I can't save you, Harry! You have to save yourself."

Harry shook. "That's why I'm here. I'm saving myself." He turned away from Colin and tied one end of the rope to the railing of the bridge, ignoring Colin's pleas to stop.

"No Harry!" Colin shouted at him, and his hands grabbed at Harry's, forcing him to stop, to look at him. "This isn't how you save yourself! There are better ways, you just have to try them, please let me help you - "

"If you want to help, come home," Harry said coldly. "Otherwise, get out of my way." He shook Colin off of him and tried to resume his task, but Colin grabbed at him again, his hands reaching to cup Harry's face, and Harry saw the naked, desperate love written in Colin's expression. Harry stopped struggling and just looked, and Colin leaned in. He could feel Colin's breath on his lips. "Stop, Harry. Just stop. There's a better way."

Harry disagreed with the words, but Colin was so close, so close - he acted on pure instinct and leaned in the rest of the way to catch Colin's lips with his own. Colin emptied a dry little sob in his mouth and scrambled closer, and Harry kissed him with all the strength he had left. He found he was crying as he pulled away. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you." And Colin clutched at him, and Harry pulled him closer, and held him tight, he needed Colin to know how much he was needed, but his words were clumsy and this was all he could do. Harry held Colin so tight that he could feel Colin's sharp breath as the air was knocked from his lungs but he pulled him closer, ever closer. He wanted Colin to feel how desperately he needed him in that embrace, wanted Colin to understand that he couldn't do this alone -

And Colin struggled against him for a long moment, but at last submitted to his embrace, and Harry felt a surge of triumph, of joy, that finally, Colin understood that he was so loved, and needed, and he could not leave him...

The gentle sprinkle of rain from above roused him some time later. They'd been sitting together on the hard wood of the bridge for some time now, Harry holding Colin in his arms, but as he felt the drops fall on his face he realized they should leave before it started pouring. He looked at Colin, his face peaceful now in sleep. Colin had once told him that he'd found it hard to sleep with a previous partner, some muggle bloke he'd met after the war. I hadn't known him long. I didn't trust him, with something so intimate. But you make me feel safe enough to let go, to sleep.

Harry tilted his head up at the sky and he felt the rain on his face. He let it wash his thoughts clean, let his emotions calm, and perhaps it was only a minute - or was it hours? - but at last he looked back at Colin. He was beautiful in sleep, his hair plastered with the rain. Harry smiled at his love. Colin's head lay against his chest, and Harry didn't have the heart to wake him. Colin had been so stressed lately. Some sleep would be good for him. Harry stood carefully. He kept Colin scooped gently in his arms as he turned on the spot and apparated back home to Grimmauld Place.

Harry tucked Colin gently into their bed. He watched him sleep, his heart full to bursting with hope. Colin was home. All would be well. He paced the house, not sure what to do with himself, his happiness coiled in his stomach like a spring, and he couldn't stay in place. He left a note for Colin in case he woke up before Harry came home, and then left for Homes for Hope. He wanted to tell Bill that Colin was back. Maybe he'd run into Luke too.

Bill wasn't in his room when Harry entered. Curious, he asked the nurse on duty where he was. Had he woken up? "No, " the nurse answered. "His Father received permission to wheel him around the park that's nearby. Come back in an hour or two, Bill will be back then."

Harry thanked her and left, his footsteps taking him almost without thought to the park. He walked the pathway, listened to the birds sing, felt the crisp autumn air, and his heart sang with joy. Kreacher would have dinner ready when he went home, and Colin would eat and laugh and joke with him just as they used to, and life would be good again. All was well.

Up ahead, Harry could see a man pushing a wheelchair, and recognized Luke and Bill. They were moving slowly, keeping pace with another man walking several feet in front of them. Harry called out Luke's name, but he was too far away and didn't hear. Harry walked faster.

The man that had been walking ahead of Luke stopped and bent down, and Harry assumed he was retying a lace on his trainers. Luke kept walking until he was level with the man. Harry saw him stop. He seemed to say something to the man, who tried to stand up, but - Harry's stomach dropped - Luke pushed him back down with his foot. Luke pulled something shiny out of his pocket and pointed it at the man, who automatically put his hands out, palms facing forward, the universal gesture for I surrender, and Harry walked even faster. He was still too far away, he couldn't do anything - what was Luke thinking? - magic was useless right now, these were muggles, he couldn't do magic in front of muggles, he'd lose his job -

But Luke was restraining the man now, and Harry didn't know what was happening but he was an Auror for Christ's sake, he had to do something. He pulled his wand and ran faster, but then he heard it, the pop pop pop sound of multiple wizards appearing out of thin air, and he was surrounded by Aurors...oh thank heavens, they could help. "What are you waiting for?" he asked them as they stared at him cautiously. "Help him, stop him, do something."

"Harry." Ron's voice came from his left, and he turned. "Harry, put down your wand."

Harry scrunched his eyes in confusion. "Ron?"

"Harry, please put down your wand." Ron said again.

"What the hell? I've got to help that man, Luke's hurting him and I've got to help!" Harry shouted in frustration.

"What man, Harry?" Kingsley's deep voice came from his right, and Harry turned to look at him.

"Over there, up ahead on the path!" He was annoyed at the indifference the others showed. "Just look over there."

A few of the wizards surrounding him looked where he had pointed. "I don't see anyone," someone said, and Harry recognized Blake, Ron's usual field partner.

He looked back at Ron. "Tell them," he pleaded.

"There's no one there, Harry," Ron said carefully. Harry stared at him. What the hell? "They must be around the corner! Someone go check!" Harry said desperately.

"We'll go check," Ron said. "But first, lower your wand. We don't want anyone to get hurt. I know you don't want that either."

"It's me, Ron," Harry said. "Why are you treating me like some random suspect? I haven't done anything, that man over there has, go talk to him!"

"We will, Harry. Just drop the wand, and we will."

Harry rolled his eyes. Fine. He'd humour them. He had no idea why everyone's knickers seemed to be in a twist, but he had to help that man, and it seemed the only way to do so was to do as Ron said. He dropped his wand. At once, the wizards sprang into action. Harry was bound from head to foot and hoisted into the air just as he started to fall over. "WHAT THE HELL RON," he roared.

Ron was right by his side. "I'm so sorry Harry. We're going to help you. It'll be okay."

Harry struggled pointlessly against his bonds. "Owl Colin and tell him to find someone knowledgeable in legal matters," Harry spit at Ron. "I don't know what's going on here but that seems to be the logical next step in whatever this is."

Ron's face seemed to spiral into several different emotions, and Harry was confused and afraid at what he saw. "Just do it." he ordered. "You owe me that much, for whatever all this crap is."

"Harry..." Ron said, but Kingsley put a hand out, and Ron shut his mouth.

"It'll be okay," Kingsley said soothingly. "We're going to help you, Harry."

And Harry didn't know what he meant, but he suddenly found himself very lethargic. He barely noticed the jolt as he was apparated away from the park. A corner of his brain reasoned that he felt like he'd been hit with a drowsy charm, but before he could figure out why, the world closed into darkness.

Astoria sat in Auror Weasley's office. She stared at the wall. Her mind raced.

"I didn't know it was that bad," Hermione said lowly. "He - Colin - came to me, said Harry wasn't doing well...but he didn't tell me that it was..."

Astoria just looked at her. Hermione looked ashamed. "I should have tried harder to reach Harry. I didn't know what else to do. But I should have tried harder."

"Hermione, stop." Astoria said sharply. "We don't know what we don't know, and I'm trying not to panic while we wait for your husband to return."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Hermione looked guilty. "I've never done well in situations where I can't do something."

"I know I dragged you away from your work," Astoria said. "They're not expecting you back soon?"

Hermione waved her arm in dismissal. "My supervisor gave me the rest of the day off."

Astoria nodded. "I should send word to my assistant, if we don't hear something soon."

A silvery Jack Russell Terrier flew through the door only minutes later, and Ron Weasley's calm tone issued from its mouth. "Harry in custody. Be back soon."

Hermione's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh god. It's not good news, whatever happened."

"How can you tell?" Astoria said.

"He's using his Auror voice," Hermione said grimly.

Ron walked through the door not twenty minutes later. He looked at Hermione first, and Astoria could see a silent conversation take place before Hermione started crying. Ron moved to put his arm around her before his eyes met Astoria's. "We found Colin."

He didn't have to say anything else. Astoria understood. She put her hand out to touch the wall to steady herself. "Did Harry...?"

"It doesn't look good for Harry," Ron said. His voice was shaking. "The house is Unplottable, there are no signs of a break in...we're still investigating, of course. No one wants to believe that the Boy Who Lived could..."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "How's Harry? What did he say when you found him?"

Ron ran a hand across his face. "That's the question, isn't it. He didn't seem to know that Colin was...gone. He asked me to owl him, like he thinks that Colin is still alive."

"Maybe he didn't..." Hermione said hopefully.

"I don't know what to believe," Ron said. "My Auror experience tells me one thing. But this is my best mate. I know him. Or I thought I did. I honestly don't know."

Astoria looked at him and could see his fear, his torn expression, his grief. "What happens now?"

"We hope that the press doesn't get wind of this before we have a chance to finish our investigation," Ron said. "If there's any chance we can take care of this quietly..."

"No cover ups, right?" Astoria said, her voice harsher than intended.

Ron looked shocked that she'd even suggest such a thing. "Of course not. But if he did...we'll need to handle the press sensitively. And even if it's not...There's no denying that Harry needs help, given what you've told us. We can get him the help he needs quietly."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Ron called.

"Sorry to interrupt, Ron."

"Not at all, what is it Tina?"

"Blake dropped a note off for you," Tina said. She handed over a small bit of parchment before she left the room.

Ron scanned the note. "Oh bloody hell."

"Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I swear, if I don't get Jerry fired over this..." Ron handed the note to Hermione who read it quickly. "Damn it," she swore.

"What's wrong?" Astoria asked, her stomach curled up in knots already.

"We have a junior Auror that is a screw up," Ron said bluntly. "We can't get rid of him because he's the son of one of the top Ministry officials. He leaked a story about a raid Harry and I were on some weeks back, and I'd bet my boots that's not the first story he's leaked but we can't prove it. And now some idiot told him about Colin, and he's gone to the Daily Prophet. Blake was just owled by one of their reporters, asking for a comment."

Astoria didn't say anything. She wasn't sure she could keep her cool if she opened her mouth. Her expression must have let some of her thoughts show through, because Ron said, "I'm sorry, Astoria. God, this whole thing could have been prevented if I'd tried harder to get through to him..."

"Stop with the pity party," Astoria said. "What the fuck is our next play here?"

Both Ron and Hermione looked taken aback. Astoria sat down. "I apologize for speaking that way. I'm not - this is a shock, is all."

Ron accepted her apology with a silent nod. "We wait to see what the investigation shows. Everything has to be by the book now. Not that we wouldn't have before, but with the public in the know we need to be as open as possible with our findings, once we complete the investigation. I'm hoping that Jerry doesn't know that Harry is a possible suspect. If we can keep that part as quiet as possible for now, it will help us."

Astoria bobbed her head to show her understanding. "Do you - need anything further from me right now?" she asked.

"We'll need to interview you at a later date," Ron said. "But right now, no. They were still checking the scene when I left."

Astoria bid Auror Weasley and his wife goodbye and took her leave quickly. She went back to the Underground, and used the secret garden entrance. She barely stepped a few feet in the room before she remembered the reason why she had put in the garden entrance in the first place and sank to her knees. How was she going to tell her son?

"Astoria? Are you okay?"

She looked up to see Jane standing in front of her. Astoria couldn't speak. She shook her head. Jane knelt down in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Colin..." she said, before bursting into tears, and she felt Jane pull her into a hug. "Did Colin go back to Harry?" she asked urgently.

Astoria tried to pull herself together. She shook her head yes. "Jane...he's..." But she couldn't say it. She didn't have to. She could see the realization in Jane's eyes, and then she was crying too, and Astoria couldn't have stopped her own tears from falling if she'd tried.

"How did you know Colin?" she asked some time later, after they'd been staring into space together for what felt like hours. Her head hurt from crying.

Jane looked at her, startled. "How did you know I knew Colin before he showed up here?"

"I'm not blind," Astoria said. "I'm a lot more perceptive than people give me credit for."

Jane rubbed her eyes."I'm so tired of secrets."

"Do you trust me?" Astoria asked quietly. And Jane looked at her, searching for something, and whatever she saw must have given her the final push she needed. "I do, trust you," she said.

There was a pause, where all Astoria could hear was the waterfall on the other side of the garden, and then Jane spoke. "I worked at the Ministry, about five years ago. It was there that I met Colin's brother Dennis. We became friends. And I met Colin through Dennis."

Astoria waited. Jane rocked back and forth, as though raging a battle with herself, and at long last words started to pour out, slowly at first and then faster, as though a dam had broken. Jane's story came flooding out, and as she talked she seemed to breathe easier, as though the secrets had been a burden too heavy to bear.

And so Astoria listened.

It was late when she went home. Scorpius was already asleep. Draco appeared to be sleeping as she stepped quietly into the room, but she heard him stir as she slipped under the sheets. "You're home late," he said sleepily.

"There was some trouble at work," she whispered. "I'll tell you tomorrow. Can you just - hold me right now?"

Draco didn't answer, but gathered her in his arms, and she focused on his steady heartbeat. She felt exhausted as the adrenaline from the day dripped out of her, and she fell asleep to the calm repetitiveness of the beating of her husband's heart.