Woot. It's time for a new chapter. Let me hear it from my peeps! Woooo! Anyways, I'm glad everyone's enjoying this story. I enjoy this story as well. Let us all enjoy together, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Some mild swearing and violence.

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Ghosts

Chapter Twelve

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"Don't wake him up!"

"I think he's waking up by himself."

"Well, you don't need to poke him."

"It was horrible…there was so much blood…I really thought he was dead."

"Ron!"

"What?"

"Those are for Harry!"

"I'm only eating one!"

Harry's eyes slowly opened. The light made his eyes hurt but the people around his bed all went silent. His head throbbed as he sat up.

"Don't sit up!" Hermione rushed over, but helped him rearrange his pillows so that he could sit up anyways. "You had a really bad fall, Harry."

He glanced around. There she was, her lips pursed, as she went about pouring him a glass of water. Ron was standing there, trying to quickly chew and swallow a Chocolate Frog, looking apologetically at him. Ginny was next to him, concern etched on her foot. No one else was there.

"What happened?" Harry could only vaguely remember. He saw flashes of red hair and then maybe…Ginny? And blood.

"You fell down the stairs." Ginny explained. "You kept moving backwards and then I tried to warn you but you…you fell."

"That's right." Harry nodded slowly. "I was…chasing her. And then I saw you, but from the back, so I thought it was her. Sorry."

"It's okay." Ginny's cheeks went a shade of pink. "It was really awful though, when I saw you fall…why didn't I think faster? I could have bewitched you to be feather light or…or something…"

"Ginny, no one's blaming you." Hermione assured her. "Everybody loses their head at some point in their life. The important thing was that you stopped the bleeding."

"Lucky for you that Professor Sinistra walked by." Ron pointed out to Harry. "She got you down here fairly quickly and Madam Pomfrey patched you up. She said you'd need to stay in the hospital wing for a few days."

"A few days?" Harry moaned. "But I need to find Helen."

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all shared a look that Harry immediately didn't like. None of them would look at him. Why did they look like they had more bad news?

"Harry…" Hermione began gently. "I wasn't going to tell you right away…you just had a bad accident…I…"

"What?" Harry looked at them. "What is it? Is Helen okay?"

"Um, well," Hermione hesitated. "The thing is, Harry…Helen Evans isn't a student."

"What are you talking about? She was wearing a school uniform and everything." Harry couldn't stand the way they were all looking at each other. Like he was something fragile and they couldn't stand to risk breaking it.

Just tell me!

Don't hide it from me! Just tell me…

"She isn't a student at Hogwarts. She's not on the list of transfers and McGonagall said that there was no Helen Evans at this school. She had no idea who I was talking about." Hermione finished, looking like she was in pain just having to say it.

"So?" Harry felt himself getting angry. "She's real. I saw her."

"No one else has—" Hermione began but he cut her off.

"Luna Lovegood saw her! She even spoke to her!" Harry insisted. "Obviously there were just some mistakes with that list and there's no way that McGonagall could possibly remember everyone's name!"

"Harry…" Ginny went around to his other side. "You thought you saw her and then you thought I was her…I think…I think something's really wrong."

"Ron, do you think I made her up too?" Harry asked his best friend. Ron looked from Harry to Hermione and back.

"I don't know." Ron looked really uncomfortable. "She could be real. Maybe you're right. Lovegood talked to her, right? It's a big school…I don't reckon McGonagall knows everyone's name either."

"See?" Harry turned towards Hermione.

"Harry, listen to me for a moment," Hermione ignored Ron. "There's something going on here, something bad. I don't know what it is but I think you should be really careful, I don't think you should look for Helen anymore."

"You don't think she's real so why does it matter?" Harry questioned in a venomous tone.

"Because you're obsessed!" Hermione burst out with and Harry's eyes widened. It was true. He was obsessed. But how could she just say it like that? "Look what happened to you! You were so set on her that you fell down a flight of stairs! If Ginny hadn't been there, you would have died!"

"If Ginny hadn't been there it would have been her!" Harry's voice was rising. "It could have been her! You think I'm crazy, don't you, Hermione? You really think I've lost it this time? I know what I saw! I had an accident but that could have happened to anyone! So I made a fool out of myself thinking I was talking to her…that doesn't mean anything!"

"Ginny says you were acting really odd…" Hermione tried to point out.

"She's just mad because I wasn't saying those things to her!" Harry countered. Ginny gasped and he winced. He didn't dare turn and look at her. Who cared? Who cared who was hurt? He was hurt…he hurt so bad…the idea that his sister wasn't real…why was the world against him having family? Was it just too much to ask to be happy?

"I hate you."

Ginny ran out of the hospital wing and Harry just ignored the overwhelming wave of guilt. She had been trying to help. She was his friend. And now he was destroying his friendships one by one.

"Harry…how could you say that to Ginny?" Hermione's voice was soft but Harry couldn't take it. He picked up the glass of water from his bed and threw it at the ground as hard he could. Hermione and Ron both jumped back.

"GET OUT! BOTH OF YOU!" Harry yelled at them. Hermione looked near tears and Ron was just staring at his best friend as though he'd never seen him before in his life. "You're supposed to believe me! You're supposed to be my friends…you're supposed to…"

There he was, so young, walking home from school, passing a park and stopping to stare through the fence for a moment at the children playing together.

I want that.

I want to have friends…no one will be friends with me…

If I had friends…

Nothing would be bad.

You're supposed to make everything better…I'm supposed to be happy…

Why is everything so wrong?

Lying in the grass, the shade shielding them from the bright sunshine, and the cool breeze that drifted with all the smells of summer. The three of them, together.

That's all I really wanted. Now I'm pushing them away. I don't want them near me…

Because then they might…they might know everything about me. Only the people close to you can really hurt you. Will you leave me? Will you reject me? Why am I rejecting you, when I know how much it hurts?

"I want to believe you…" A tear roll down Hermione's cheek. "But you're making it so hard…" And then she ran out of the hospital wing. Ron stood there for a moment, unsurely.

"She's just worried about you, mate." Ron looked at his feet. "I'll come back…when you're feeling better." He quietly walked out and Madam Pomfrey came storming in.

"Broken glass! Shouting! My patients need care!" She began cleaning the glass with her wand.

Harry rolled over onto his bed. Why did he do that? Why did he shout at them? Why did he make Hermione cry? He felt so unlike himself. Ginny would probably never forgive him. Ron didn't know what to do…he hated himself right then. Harry couldn't figure out why he was acting this way.

The only person I haven't thrown away is Draco.

Draco hadn't been there though. Hadn't been there to visit him. Well who cared?

Why wasn't Helen here when I woke up? Didn't she hear I was injured?

Doesn't she care?

Look how much I've given up for her…look who I've hurt in my search for her…

Doesn't it mean anything to her?

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He woke up again. It was the dead of night. He was shivering cold. Harry sat up but no one else was there. The windows were wide open across the room. He got up and tiptoed over, the floor freezing his feet with each step.

Just as he reached the window, he heard a voice. He couldn't make out what it was saying, but it sounded like it was coming from outside. Harry looked out the window and saw her.

There she was. Helen Evans, standing there, looking up at him. Her clothes and hair were being rustled by the wind. What kind of hallucination gets ruffled by the wind?

"Helen." He called down to her. She just looked up at him and then, she smiled. "Helen!"

She opened her mouth and he thought she was going to say something, but she didn't. She closed it and looked down, as though she wasn't sure what to say.

"I'll be down there in a minute! Just wait for me!" Harry exclaimed before racing out of the hospital wing and down the hall. He was running as fast as he could, not carrying that he was in his pajamas without shoes or a coat. What did it matter? Helen was waiting for him outside.

He burst through a side door and ran around to where he knew the windows faced but she wasn't there. His feet were wet with dew and the bottoms of his pajama pants were soaked but he looked all around.

"Helen!" He called out. "Helen! I'm right here! Come back! Helen!"

Nothing. It was silent. The wind was blowing. He was cold. He should go back inside, he felt dizzy, but he couldn't bring himself to move in that direction.

Then he distantly heard a voice. He ran towards it. He couldn't tell what the voice was saying, but there was a voice, it was trying to speak to him. She was trying to speak to him.

By the lake. That's where she was. She was by the lake. He'd find her. Her voice. He ran up to the water's edge, but she wasn't there. He looked over at the pier, and there she was, standing on the end of it, looking out, over the water.

When he'd finally caught up with her, he stopped a few feet short of her. Slowly, very slowly, she turned.

Helen smiled again, but this time it was a mischievous smile. She wasn't wearing her robes, just her uniform. She beckoned with her head before jumping off the end of the pier. There was a splash and Harry ran to the edge of the pier. She didn't resurface.

"Helen?" Harry inquired tentatively. He realized that she might have gotten tangled in some kind of rope or something, she could be drowning. She could be dying and he wasn't doing anything to save her.

He dove in and began swimming in circles. The lake water was so cold it shocked his system. His head began to swim as all his running finally began to catch up with him. A weakness spread through his body and he felt unable to swim anymore. He was too far from shore though…

Helen…Helen…where are you?

I'm coming for you…

I promise, I'll save you.

He sank beneath the water and saw only darkness all around. It was so strangely quiet and peaceful under the water. He let all of the air out and knew that when he took a breath in, his lungs would fill with water.

Helen…let me come with you…

The water came in. He was choking, he couldn't breathe. That was okay. Helen wouldn't let him die.

What seemed like only moments later, he was vaguely aware of someone's mouth covering his own, blowing air into his body, and then he suddenly sat up and spit up water. He was choking for air, his lungs greedily trying to take as much as they could manage.

For a few moments his breathing was panicked but then it calmed down. He looked over to see Hermione sitting there, her eyes filled with tears, and she was soaking wet.

"Harry? Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Helen's in the water!" Harry suddenly tried to get up but Hermione stopped him. "No, she dove in but she didn't come back up!"

"Harry," Hermione's voice caught. "Harry, you almost died. You almost drowned in the lake. If Madame Pomfrey hadn't woken me up to tell me you were missing from bed and I hadn't thought of looking outside…"

"Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall came running up to them. "You found him!"

"He…he was wandering the grounds. He saw a student fall into the lake and not come back up, he tried to save her." Hermione told McGonagall, briefly catching Harry's eye. "She might still be in the lake." Hermione added quickly.

"Good lord," McGonagall murmured before holding her wand above her head and shooting off something like a flare. "Get Potter inside, you'll both freeze to death out there."

As teachers came out of the castle on all sides to help McGonagall, Hermione and Harry ducked back into the building.

"Thanks." Harry smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks for everything, Hermione."

"Don't thank me like that." She turned with a little smile and they stopped for a moment to face each other in the hall. "Like there's going to be nothing else I can do for you. I'll always be here and you'll always be here to thank me…right?"

"Earlier…I was horrible to you and Ginny." Harry looked up at her as he fiddled with his own hands. "I wanted you to know, Hermione that I…I didn't mean to be. At least, I just wanted you to believe me…we're friends and well, before Hogwarts I didn't have any friends…I always thought that the second I had them, I wouldn't have to feel sad again…"

"That you wouldn't feel so alone?" Hermione guessed and when Harry gave a very small nod, she threw her arms around him and he caught her in a hug. "Oh, Harry!" Her voice was thick with tears. "Before Hogwarts, other kids hated me and I never thought things could be different…Sometimes I still think that you and Ron are going to realize what a bother I am…I want to believe you, Harry, I'm trying really hard, honest…"

"It's okay." Harry patted her back. "I'm beginning to think that Helen's…I don't know…but Hermione, by now you should know that Ron and I wouldn't know what do without you. Especially Ron." Hermione pulled away, sniffing and trying to dry her face with her soaking wet sleeves.

"I'm sorry for being such a sop." Hermione smiled even though her crying hadn't quite cleared up. "Oh! Bother! Let's get you back to the hospital wing. I wish I had my wand with me to dry us off! We'll just have to use yours…"

When they got back though, Draco was sitting on the end of Harry's bed. He looked up at them but turned away quickly. Hermione used Harry's wand to do a drying off spell so that in a moment, the two of them were no longer soaking wet.

"Well…" Harry looked from Draco to Hermione.

"I better get back up to bed—though I might sneak into the boys' dormitory to tell Ron what happened." Hermione quickly excused herself.

"I heard you were injured." Draco spoke as soon as Hermione was gone. "Ginny sent me an owl—I think she snuck out to do it."

"Decent of you to show up." Harry started to get into bed.

"That's all you're going to say?" Draco couldn't contain the question.

"There's lots of things I want to say to you but I don't think I have the courage to." Harry was sitting up in his bed. They stared at each other, searching the other's face for something.

"Like what?" Draco demanded to know.

"I thought you'd be here earlier…when I woke up earlier, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were here, but not you." Harry told him. "I wanted you here…although all I did was yell at them. But I still wished you'd been there…worried about me. I'm sure you don't care, you haven't even asked why Hermione and I came in here just now, dripping wet…"

"It's exhausting thinking about you all the time." Draco fell backwards unto the bed so his head was right against Harry's right knee and his body was on part of Harry's lower leg. "Well, why were you and Granger wandering about looking like drowned rats?"

"I woke up and Helen was outside my window…I went outside and followed her into the lake." Harry spoke bluntly. "She never came back up, that's why I went in after her. Hermione says that Helen Evans doesn't go to this school…they all think I keep getting hurt because of her…they think she's in my head."

"What do you think?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure…I know I've seen her and so has Lovegood—she's even spoken to her." Harry felt his fears and doubts beginning to surface. "What if she isn't real and I don't have any family? I have friends and they're always there for me…but there are some things that Ron and Hermione can't do. I have nightmares…sometimes you want someone to hold you…like you did." Harry faltered. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be dumb."

"I want you…?" Draco sat up, turning so he was facing Harry. "Me?"

There was a moment of tense silence and the two of them didn't move at all, their eyes seemed to be having a conversation without words.

Both of them leaned forward at the same time and their mouths met.

They pulled away from each other and both of them looked scared. But their fear only stopped them for a moment before a frenzy overtook them.

Harry couldn't stop kissing him now that he'd done it once. It was like a flood gate had been opened and water was pouring forth. They fell over together still kissing like they only had a short time. Sweet, little kisses.

And then their mouths finally caught each other again and their tongues touched. Their heads were roving over each other's bodies. Draco's hands slipped under Harry's pajama shirt and were moving upwards when the door to the hospital wind suddenly opened and Draco fell out of bed in a panic and rolled under it.

"Mr. Potter, are you awake?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Harry let out a loud, fake snore. "At least he's getting some rest…trying to save a student from drowning in his condition, things were different when Madam Azalea was in charge of the hospital…" And then she puttered back out.

"Crazy bat." Draco stated loudly from under the bed.

Harry laughed feebly. Then he glanced over. "Um…are you going to stay down there all night?"

"It's actually surprisingly comfortable." Draco commented cheerfully. "I should probably go back to bed." He crawled out from under the bed and stood up.

"Stay." Harry didn't want him to just leave, it didn't seem right. "I…don't want to be alone."

Draco seemed to consider this and then slid into bed next to Harry. The bed was narrow so their legs were intertwined and their arms were wrapped around each other.

"I don't want to be alone either…" Draco's eyes slowly closed. "You're never alone…but I am…"

"I can't be happy without you." Harry pulled Draco closer to him.

"You're a greedy berk." Draco muttered. Harry's eyes closed and he thought that he wouldn't mind if the night never ended.

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Um. Okay. Hmm…there were like two re-writes of the last scene—the first one was a ton of talking but I was like, "A little less conversation, a little more action." Like a lot of talking—sometimes I'll sit there and write out dialogue and then be like, "This conversation is way too long." Only two more chapters to go…so weird. Well, please review!