With Darkness as Our Blanket
- by BiSciFiGuy –
Pairing: Harry p. & Draco M.
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: M (Violence and Gay Themes)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or character histories or places or anything except my own plot. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not responsible for any underage readers who come across this story.
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A/N: Thanks as always to Funnyducky and TaraJo for your support. Hugs*
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Chapter 14 : Time ran out
Harry was dreaming, like he did every night, but something was different to this dream, something had changed. Outside his dream world, his physical body was stretched out on a soft carpet, the soft white strands of his lover hair held gently in his right hand while the left was folded into the pale hand of his lover. He was breathing deeply, a slight smile on his face, his usually sweaty forehead dry and un-frowning. He sighed once and shifted his head closer to his lover's smelling the sweet scent that clung to the delicate locks.
Harry was running again, but not away from something. He was running towards something, or rather towards someone. He was chasing that person, though he had no intent to harm him. Happiness was pulsing through him along with little bouts of adrenaline as he ran laughing through what seemed to be a forest.
"I'm going to catch you!" He called out into the trees and heard a soft giggle from somewhere to his left and turned in that direction.
"Come out Come out wherever you are!" He called again and the giggle was repeated. It was a rather musical sound and he singled out a tree that was making the sound. Softly he crept towards it, making sure not to step on any of the dry leaves and twigs that lay scattered around him.
The bark felt rough as he ran his hand along it, slowly going around it until he say the little shape. He jumped forward and grabbed the little person who yelled hysterically as Harry tossed him over his shoulder and began to make his way back out of the forest.
"Put me down Dad, come on!" The child complained and Harry twisted them around so he could se the child's face. He smiled at his son as he watched the boys shining emerald eyes, so much like his own. As he held the boy aloft with in one of his arms ruffled the thick white locks on the boy's head. The boy in turn pouted, a very familiar gesture and Harry laughed as he set the child down at the edge of the forest. Immediately the little boy ran across a lively green meadow towards the tall figure that was Draco. Harry followed their son and arrived only a second after the boy.
"Daddy, Daddy", The child cried out as Draco picked him up, he kissed the boy once before the little person burst into chattering, "We went through the forest, Dad taught me a new game, it's called hide and seek and I ran and I hid behind a tree but Dad found me and he grabbed me and started tickling me, oh I laughed so much". Draco turned to Harry and faked a scowl before pulling Harry close and kissing his lips ever so slightly.
Saturday 09h07 (20 hours till Coma)
Harry woke slowly to the feeling of being kissed and it took him a moment to realise that Draco was in fact kissing him, not just in the dream he'd just had, but outside the dream as well. He sighed against Draco's mouth and the blonde broke the kiss before playfully brushing his lips over the tip of Harry's nose.
"Come on Sleeping beauty. We need to get up".
"Why?" Harry groaned, still enjoying the warmth that the embrace and the carpet offered.
"We need to go to the Ceremony". Harry felt his mood shift entirely. He had been having such a pleasant dream and had been so excited to tell Draco about it but the thought of the ceremony that loomed in front of him shattered the hope he had woken up with. The fact that the ceremony was on that day meant that he had so little time left and the future that the dream had offered him was snatched away and Harry almost wept. He looked up at the clock on the mantel and saw the time, he wasn't shocked as he did the calculation and came up with only twenty hours he merely felt resigned, it was drawing so near and he felt like he didn't care anymore. Just when he was actually supposed to care most he was feeling completely empty. He would never actually see their child, whether it be a boy or girl. He was never going to teach that child hide and seek, he was never going to make that child happy. The thoughts almost escaped from his lips as he stared up into Draco's soft eyes.
"Can't we just stay here Dray, I don't want to get up and let you go". Harry smiled at the new nickname that had popped out of his mouth. Draco looked down on him, his eyebrow arched in a questioning look. All Harry could do was smiled back at him sheepishly.
"Though I certainly wont mind having some more of what happened last night, I really think we have to get up, it's important that we go". Draco started getting up but Harry locked his arms around the thin back and pouted into Draco's face.
"I wont get up, I refuse".
"You just have to mister Potter".
"And why is that?"
"Because if you don't get up then…", Draco thought for a moment before grinding his hips against Harry's, instantly making his cock twitch, "Then I never do that again".
"You're bluffing". Harry retorted.
"You want to try me?" Draco said and slipped his hand down the front of Harry's stomach, running his hands through the thick curls before grasping the quickly hardening member between them, he stroked it once, slowly running his down the length of the shaft and pulling back up even more slowly. Harry couldn't keep himself from arching his back into the movement, a choked moan rumbling deep in his throat.
"If you don't get up now, I wont ever do that again either". Draco let go and pulled out of Harry's weakened grasp. Harry watched as Draco stood to his full length in front of him, glorious in his pale nakedness.
"You wouldn't dare". Harry said, pulling himself up.
"watch me". Draco cried out and ran towards the bedroom as Harry chased after him, both men laughing like teenager when Harry caught him and they fell onto the bed together, their mouths locking over each other, their tongues wrestling for control of the kiss, their hands searching each other's bodies, once again exploring every inch, caressing every bump and tugging at every hair.
Saturday: 10h00 (19 hours till Coma)
The port key dropped Harry and Draco back in the living room just like it had the day before. They stumbled once as they laughed against each other's lips, having tried kissing while being transported, which turned out to be rather difficult yet incredibly intimate. Their lips felt as though they were integrated into each other, the cell walls breaking away and allowing the exposed nerve endings to touch directly. The bags dropped from their hands and they looked around. The apartment was oddly silent, as though it were completely devout of life but somewhere, from some place a deep despair filled the rooms. Something dark and heavy drifted in the air. Harry made his way to the kitchen and seeing no one marched into Ginny's bedroom. She was sitting up in on the bed, her eyes fixed on the wall opposite her but she was staring off into some much further distance, somewhere where what she was feeling couldn't find her. She didn't respond as Harry stepped into the room and not even when sat down next to her.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" Harry asked and reached out to touch her shoulder. She slowly turned her head towards him and he saw her eyes sere swollen and red from crying. Her red hair fell loosely over her face and her chin trembled as she licked her lips.
"Harry, he's left me… Seamus is gone". Fresh tears ran down her cheeks and she leaned into Harry's embrace. He carefully stroked her hair and cursed his own stupidity as well as Seamus for what he did.
"We'll find him Ginny, he wont have gone far".
"No, there is no time. We have to go to the Remembrance Ceremony".
"Fine, then we'll find him after it's over". Ginny shook her head into his embrace.
"We can't, we have the appointment with Doctor Montgomery at four". Being the incurable optimist that he was when it regarded his friends Harry stubbornly refused to believe that Seamus could just give Ginny up.
"He will come back Ginny, he would never give you up".
Saturday 12h00 (17 Hours till Coma)
Harry, Ginny and Draco arrived at via floo just a few minutes before twelve. The large ornate marble fire place that stood in the centre of the Hero's Cemetery on the Hogwarts grounds was carrying most of the traffic for that day and they had had to wait for a notification to let them know they could travel. They walked down the gobble stone walkway that Harry knew so well from all his secret visits to Hermione's tomb. Deep inside himself he longed to be able to go back and sit with her again, even if it were only for him to say a decent good bye. But he pulled his back straight and stared out over the people who were gathered near Dumbledore's tomb. Draco grasped his hand as they walked past Hermione's tomb and he had to fight to keep his eyes from tearing up. Ginny, who was walking on the other side of him also clutched at his arm. She was scanning the faces of all those attending, all three of them were actually, trying to find Seamus in the crowd. He had to be there, they knew he would never skip on the one year anniversary of his best friend's death. Harry saw several people he knew and many more that he didn't. All of those present at the ceremony however wore the same expression, a dark sullen look that conveyed exactly how much it hurt them to be there. Harry knew that they were carrying the same look themselves, perhaps when people looked at him they could how sad he truly was.
'In one year this will be the anniversary of my death as well". He thought as they drew near the seats set out on the soft grass. He felt the weight of his situation settle on him again and was thankful that there was a seat near the isle in which he could lower himself, if it had not been there his rubber knees would have made him topple to the grass. Ginny and Draco sat down on either side of him, the same formation as they had walked in.
A short man stepped up to the podium and looked out over the people settled before him. As people noticed he was looking down on them they began to quiet down. The hushed discussions ending suddenly. Harry looked around the gathering of people. There were maybe a hundred witches and wizards present, along with several muggles, which included Hermione's parents. Mrs Granger was stooped, her hair grey and her face lined. She seemed to have aged ten years in just the one they were remembering. Mr Granger too looked much older, his face hardened by months of keeping himself composed, keeping his feeling inside. Harry avoided eye contact with them as he searched for Seamus but the Irishman could not be seen anywhere. The short man lifted his wand and spoke several welcoming words to all those present. To his great embarrassment the man on the podium welcome Harry and Draco pointedly, causing several people to turn and look in their direction. Harry tried to smile at them but realised that it was probably the wrong kind of expression to show at such an event.
'I hope at least some one will smile at my funeral'. Harry thought as the people in front and to the sides turned back to face the short man.
Along the periphery of the field Harry saw several people creep into the ceremony. They were all reporters, there to catch the grieving families in their weakest moments just so they could splash the images across the newspapers the next morning. Several camera's snapped in their direction as all three friend tried to avoid the reporters by staring stiffly to the front. The short man finally finished his speech before lastly welcoming the new minister for magic (Harry had no idea who it was and he didn't care) as well as Headmistress McGonagall, who was leading the proceedings.
"Welcome to everyone present". She said, her voice heavy with emotion. There was not one person in the wizarding world who didn't have a family member of some kind buried in the cemetery by the lake.
"One year ago today we all received news, news that would change our lives forever, news that tore us apart but also helped to form us into what we are today". Harry watched and listened as several people in the crowd began to sob, camera flashes exploded almost in time with most of the sobs. A woman to Harry's right was crying into a bright pink handkerchief, occasionally bowing her nose into the soft material before nodding in agreement to whatever it was that the Headmistress was saying. He kept staring at the reporters, he really hated them, all his life they had been haunting him like the school ghosts haunted the halls. As he continued to scan the area for his friend he felt Draco slip his pale hand into his. Harry turned his head to his lover and saw that Draco was biting down on his bottom lip, trying to keep it from trembling. Harry felt his heart shudder as he took in the beauty of this pale creature he loved so much. How was Draco going to cope with his death, surely he would be able to handle it? Surely he would be strong enough to move on, of Harry didn't expect Draco to move on immediately but eventually he would find another boyfriend wouldn't he. Perhaps he will find comfort with George, Harry thought and remarkably the idea of Draco with another man didn't really scare him anymore, he'd long ago gone through the acceptance stage of dying. Now he was mostly just waiting, waiting for the end to come even if he still secretly hoped for some kind of miracle that would save him but he knew that the world didn't work that way, in the real world there were no happy endings, life never gave with both hands and he knew it all too well.
His eyes found a familiar person in the crowd, the mountain of a man was sitting hunched over next to an equally large woman, she was also familiar. Harry couldn't keep the smile from his face as he saw Hagrid reach out his hand and take Madame Maxime's in his as he wept for all those they had lost. She lifted her head above his as she stroked his back and her eyes made contact with Harry's. For a moment Harry wanted to turn away but her lips twisted up in a tiny smile and she whispered something to Hagrid, the big man lifted his head and looked at Harry. He seemed to be confused for a fraction of a second before recognition spread on his face and he tearfully waved at Harry, who waved back feebly. The ceremony was affecting him in a way he hadn't expected. All the familiar faces he saw were starting to erode his veneer of calm. To the outside world he looked like the same brave young man who had fought the war, who had killed Voldemort, who had mercilessly hunted down death eaters after the war, who had again fought to save the Malfoy family, who had ended his career and left the wizarding world because he no longer agreed with the ways and views they held. But on the inside Harry was falling apart, he looked down at his watch, they had already been there for more than an hour, more than an hour he could have spent being happy with Draco. Then he realised that someone was missing from the mourners who were looking at the old headmistress. He knew Seamus wasn't there, he'd spent enough time searching for him but this was someone else, someone who should have been there but Harry couldn't put his finger on who it was.
The headmistress was still speaking but in a different tone and Harry looked up at her for the first time since she'd started her speech. She was calling out names and Harry felt himself panic, what is she called out his name, he was not prepared to do anything on the stage, he had not been told to write anything and he didn't want to say anything anyway. His ears cleared and he finally heard what she was doing, in the same kind voice she used when calling first years to the sorting hat she was calling out the names of the dead, all the young men and women who were buried around her.
"Hermione Granger Weasley". The headmistress said and for a second Harry expected Hermione to come running down the isle between the people, eager to accept some kind of award, but the headmistress went on to the next name without anyone showing up. Sadness filled his heart as he thought of his Hogwarts Graduation. Everyone had been so happy back then, so free and without the burden of knowing what the future held for them. He had been so self centred, so immune to the world. He hated that he'd pretty much wasted so much of his life on senseless things. He hated the fact that he'd never taken the time to really appreciate the world around him. There were so many things he missed out on, so many things he'd never get a chance to experience now, so many possible futures he could have had. He looked at Draco again and almost wept at the thought that this was their last day, their last few hours together. He knew he couldn't cry, he didn't want Draco to remember him as a weak person, one who gave way and fell apart right at the end when he needed to be strongest. No, he was going to act normal, he was going to simply go on as though nothing was wrong.
The headmistress' voice finally went silent and Harry felt Draco stand up from the chair. He lifted his eyes and saw that everyone else was doing the same so he shot up a bit faster than he'd intended and almost knocked his chair over. A big bearded man behind him made a grunting noise and Harry apologised with an awkward smile.
"Now, we will have a minute of silence".
'A minute of silence!' Harry's mind cried out, how can you want a minute of silence when Harry Potter is dying, it is an entire wasted minute, an entire minute in which he could experience life. Harry shut his eyes, trying to make the angry voice in his head shut up, surely he had accepted the fact that he was going to die, there was no way to save him and in a way the minute of silence was for him as well, he was certain that when he died the entire wizarding world was going to have a minute of silence to honour him, they might even declare the day he died or maybe his birthday, as a holiday. He didn't want that, it was way too much, he'd never wanted the spotlight that was thrust upon him, he'd never wanted to be the hero, all he'd wanted was to be happy and even that had been taken away from him. He felt rather than heard the sob that escaped his throat at these thoughts. He felt his body double over as the painful thoughts of dying ripped through his mind. Draco's steady hand reached out from the darkness and touched his shoulder, the touch burned him, made him long to lean into it and just cling to Draco forever. Ginny's hand also made itself known to him by slipping her fingers between his and squeezing tight. Harry's mind suddenly cleared and he turned to look back in the direction of Hagrid and Madame Maxime. There beside the giant couple stood a long haired blonde woman, she was heavily pregnant and she looked tired and alone. That was the problem, she shouldn't have been alone. Luna was not supposed to be alone at this ceremony, she was supposed to be with Neville, why had he left his wife, what had happened. Neville should have been there, it was all Harry's mind could think of, no further conclusions, no other words, simply; Neville isn't here.
Saturday 16h00 (13 Hours till Coma)
Walking in to St Mungo's without Seamus felt wrong. Ever since the process that would give Harry and Draco a child had started Seamus had always been there, had always offered his support, had been there for Ginny. Now they walked up the three flights of stairs in a daze. Ginny walking between Harry and Draco as though she were a prisoner heading for execution.
"Ginny, are you sure you want to do this, we can wait until Seamus comes back". Harry told her even though he knew they didn't have time to wait for him. If he couldn't see his children then at least he was going to know whether he was going to have children or not before he died.
At the top of the stairs at the entrance to the east wing of the third floor they were met by an agitated Doctor Bailey. When they approached her eyes went wide and she marched towards them, her little body seemingly moving the whole world with it.
"Where have you been?" She asked hurriedly and Harry quickly apologised, she was a formidable woman, he could see how she and Headmistress McGonagall were friends, they both had the same kind of intensity, the strong authority that just assumed you would obey. And you obeyed, even if you didn't want to do so. She ushered them into one of the many examination rooms off to the left of the hallway and quickly explained to Ginny to get undressed and on the table. Draco remained inside to help her while Doctor Bailey dragged Harry out of the room.
"Where is her boyfriend?"
"I don't know Doctor, he kind of ran away, he couldn't really take the pressure of his girlfriend being pregnant with another man's, well with two men's baby". The short black woman nodded and tapped his chest.
"You find that boyfriend Harry Potter, you find him. She can't do this alone and Merlin knows that boy in there is going to go through hell when you're gone". Harry actually shivered in fear of the little woman. It was amazing how much force she could put behind her voice without even raising it. He nodded dumbly and she walked away only to be replaced by Doctor Montgomery.
"Mister Potter…" She said as she stepped close to him.
"Call me Harry please".
"Okay, Harry. I am glad to see you are here. Follow me please". She lead him into the tiny examination room. Ginny was on the bed, her legs propped up in stirrups and covered with a light blue blanket. Harry purposefully walked into the room in such a way that he wouldn't accidentally look between her legs, he actually blushed at the thought. It was silly since he had after all lost his virginity to her in sixth year, right before Dumbledore's death. It had been their only sexual encounter however. Draco was standing by the side of the bed gently holding Ginny's hand as she turned to look at Harry.
"He isn't coming is he?"
"I don't know Gin, he hasn't called but I will try and find him, I promise you that". Just as Harry turned to head for the door, it opened to reveal a familiar face, for a moment Harry was overjoyed at seeing the Irishman but then it sank to his feet when he realised it was the wrong Irishman who had entered the room.
"Harry, Hi". George said as he saw who the patient and her companions were. He nodded to Draco who said a stiff 'Hello' that made Harry very suspicious but he had more important things to deal with.
"Ginny, I'm going to see if I can find him okay".
"Thank you Harry".
"Wait". A calm female voice stopped him and Harry turned back to the room. Doctor Montgomery was sitting between Ginny's spread legs, her face glum.
"Ginny, what is going on, who are you looking for?" She asked, her red hair catching the light and almost blinding Harry with its beauty.
"My boyfriend, he's been gone since last night". Ginny began to sob, her body quivering as she leaned into Draco's embrace.
"Ginny, I need you to calm down. Ginny you need to listen to me". But Ginny was gone, she had finally given in to the utter despair she must have felt. Harry ran back to her bedside and took her other hand. Together he and Draco tried to calm her down but their words had no effect, or perhaps it did, it simply made her cry even more.
"Ginerva, you need to calm down!" Doctor Montgomery shouted but succeeded only in upsetting Ginny even more than Harry and Draco had. The doctor cast a spell over Ginny and numbers began to float above her body, a strange beeping noise filled the air.
'O'Malley, page Bailey and book me and O.R. I need to do a fixation". She cried and suddenly there were nurses and orderlies and other doctors in the room who elbowed Harry and Draco out of the way.
"What's going on?" Harry asked again and again but none of the doctors responded to him except to tell him to calm down and get out of the way. He and Draco stood in the corner of the room, Draco's hand slipped into Harry's as Doctor Montgomery cast yet another spell on Ginny, it seemed to calm her down but whatever had happened had caused damage or something and they were rushing Ginny out of the room on the bed mattress, which was floating in the air, guided by one of the orderlies.
Doctor Bailey appeared in the hall along with Doctor George and the fertility specialist started barking orders at them.
"Doctor Bailey, please, what is going on?" Draco cried out as the group began moving towards the restricted section of the hospital, large signs above it read 'Operating Room'. She and George both stopped and she turned to them.
"Okay, What is wrong with Ginny is that the stress she's been under in the last few hours have caused a problem. The embryo that was inserted into her uterus has come loose from the uterus wall".
"Wait, does that mean that Ginny is really pregnant, that the fertilisation worked?". Harry asked, to himself he seemed so unkind to be asking such a question, he didn't even know if Ginny could be injured from this. Doctor Bailey looked around, the rest of the team were still waiting for something, Harry didn't know what.
"It means that her body is preparing for pregnancy, we don't know if its just a response to the hormones or and actual pregnancy but we will know as soon as Doctor Montgomery gets in there to see first hand".
"So why are you waiting?" Draco asked, his superiority complex showing slightly.
"We are waiting for Ginny to stabilise enough, to calm down enough so we can move her, she is too panicked and emotionally unstable at the moment for us to move her. The very process of moving her is causing more stress which is in turn causing more damage". George explained and for what seemed like the hundredth time that month that his intestines were crashing through his body into his feet.
"Ginny!" A loud scream echoed through the halls and every person within hearing range turned to find the sound. In the east wing the people turned to find a young man standing at the foot of the stairs. His hair plastered to his face with sweat or perhaps it was water, no one really knew. He took off running down the hall towards a group of doctors and family members who were waiting in the hall. From the nurse's station one of the attending doctors stepped forwards as the man ran past him.
"Derek No!" Doctor Montgomery and Doctor Bailey shouted but it was too late, the older man's fist lifted quickly and he slammed it into the storming man's jaw. Before he knew what exactly he was doing Harry had his wand out and had cast a body bind curse on the man named Derek, he tumbled stiffly to the floor of the hall. Even before the man had hit the ground Harry was at Seamus' side, the Irishman was trying to get up, his head clearly cloudy from the impact and his face bloody from a broken nose.
"What's wrong with Ginny?" Ha asked through the thick stream of blood.
"She needs an operation".
"What why?"
"It's the baby, it came loose or something". And then Doctor Bailey was there too.
"Boy, you had better go see that girlfriend of you right now, we need to move her and she was to calm down". Harry reached out and took Seamus' hand.
"Please Seamus". The Irishman nodded and began making his way to Ginny's bedside.
"Wait, turn around". Doctor Bailey told Seamus and he obeyed without a single word. She lifted her wand and with a snap his nose was fixed, the blood gone from his mouth and clothes.
"You had better be glad that you aren't a muggle or else you'd have to wait Merlin only knows how long till it was healed".
"Thanks". Seamus whispered and marched up to Ginny. Harry and Doctor Bailey close behind him, the man named Derek lay forgotten on the floor, his body bound tightly.
Seamus rushed to Ginny's bedside where she floated patiently in the hallway. He stepped up to her and grabbed her hand.
"Oh Gin, I'm so sorry. I freaked out, its so hard for me… I… I want you so much but we can't and I… I'm sorry. I'll never leave you again". Ginny reached out her left hand and ran her fingers over his face.
"It's okay Seamus my love. It's okay, you're here now".
"Yes, I'm here".
"That's all I need to know". She pulled at his shirt and he lowered his head to place a kiss on her lips. Tears were pouring down his face, dripping onto her sweaty skin.
"She's stabilised, we have to move". The group of doctors began moving on Doctor Montgomery's command and Seamus, Harry and Draco were left standing in the hall, staring after them. Just before the door to the restricted area closed Doctor Bailey's voice rang our from it.
"O'Malley will keep you up to date".
Saturday 17h00 (12 Hours till Coma)
They were sitting in the waiting room again, for the third time in less than two weeks they were again awaiting news of one of their friends. Seamus was pacing up and down the room, wringing his hands and counting how many times he was doing it before switching direction and starting again. Draco and Harry ware on the tiny couch, well it may have been nothing more than a single chair but it was thick upholstered and soft. Harry was laying his head back against the backrest of the chair and Draco had pulled up his knees, settling his feet between Harry's knees so as to keep himself from slipping form the position and had promptly fallen asleep. Harry shifted his arm slightly and pulled Draco closer, the blonde came without any resistance and settled his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry was amazed at how well he and Ginny had gotten along after school, after all Draco had hated everything the Weasley's represented but then of course many of those prejudices were parroted from his father.
As they waited for any information on Ginny Harry finally took stock and realised just how much bad news they had received over the last four weeks of their lives. First there had been the news of the Creep, then Draco's eviction, the fight with Tai, both the attacks and now this. He prayed that whatever it was that Doctor Montgomery was doing in the operating room it was going to bring them some good news, they needed good news, literally needed it. Perhaps it was his fault that the bad news kept coming, he thought. Perhaps it was his punishment for hiding the fact that he had 'The Creep' from Draco, perhaps it was karma trying to tell him something. As he stroked his hand through Draco's soft white strands he felt so content, so happy.
'I will tell him'. He said loudly in his mind. 'If Ginny is okay after this surgery I am going to tell Draco about 'The Creep', I never should have hid it from him this long'. All the warnings and lectures he'd received from Seamus and Bailey and the Headmistress and Neville and Hermione came rushing back to him. He should have listened to them from the beginning and then perhaps all these terrible things would not have happened.
The door to the restricted area opened and George stepped out into the waiting area. Seamus immediately made a bee –line for the young doctor. Harry was a bit slower to get there since he had to get Draco awake and on his feet. Thankfully he caught what was said.
"Ginny is stable, Doctor Montgomery and Doctor Bailey have fixed the damage that was caused when the placenta started bleeding".
"Is she going to be okay?" Seamus asked.
"I'm pretty sure she is, I can't promise anything but Doctor Montgomery is performing what is called a Uterus Fixation. It's a process by which she casts a spell that creates a bubble within the uterus and will keep the foetus in place. When the foetus is stable enough the bubble will be removed". All three men thanked George and the young doctor disappeared back into the restricted part of the hospital. Seamus turned to Harry and the three of them enfolded each other in a three sided embrace. Harry's prayers had been answered.
"Excuse me, Mister Potter?" Someone spoke to them from outside the embrace and for a moment Harry didn't want it to end, he felt so safe, nestled between his friends in a bubble of happiness, one that would shatter as soon as he listened to what the young woman wanted to tell him. He sighed and let go of his friend. Behind him stood one of the young women he'd seen on the day of Ginny's procedure. She had been the one who called their sperm "The Royal Sperm". He smiled at her as he remembered her name.
"Hello Doctor Stevens". Harry said, forcing the pleasantness in his voice.
"I'm sorry to bother you at this time but there is a fire call for you".
"Who is calling me?"
"A doctor Named Clarissa, she says she is your personal physician". Harry pulled the tall blonde doctor away from his friends fearing she might let something slip about the disease. His promise to tell Draco now pushed aside by the news that Ginny would be okay.
"Tell her I'm not here".
"Mister Potter, she used a locating spell to find you, that's how she knew to call here".
"Then tell her I don't want to speak to her". The young woman's face fell.
"Please Mister Potter, I know this is rather unprofessional of me but please, please speak to her, she's called six times in the last hour and she gets more and more abusive with every call. She says its important that she speak to you, she says it's an emergency". Harry thought the blonde woman was going to burst into tears at any moment and sighed again (He noticed that he did that a lot these days).
"Fine I'll take the call". He excused himself from the waiting room and followed Doctor Stevens to one of the family rooms near the nurse's station. It seemed strange for him to be in there, he knew the rooms were used to tell people that their loved one's had died.
The fire place in the room was brightly lit with green flames and within them Harry could see Clarissa's face. She was visibly relieved when she saw Harry's face.
"Harry, I need to see you, you have very little time left and there is something I need to tell you".
Saturday 18h45 ( About 10 Hours till Coma)
Harry was wandering the halls of St Mungo's. He had returned to the waiting room after speaking to Clarissa to find his friends sitting dejectedly on the chairs. It seemed that the operation was taking longer than Doctor Montgomery had though it would, something about Ginny having an abnormally shaped uterus and it was making creation of a fixation bubble difficult, but George had assured them that the red headed woman was an excellent doctor and she would be successful even if it took much longer than expected.
He had waited for more than an hour after that, George had returned twice with updates that told them nothing new and Harry couldn't take it anymore. This was not how he had planned to spend the last ten hours of his life, cooped up in a hospital filled with sick and injured people. He'd wanted to steal Draco away to the cabin again or perhaps to Italy for a few hours, maybe they would have had Dinner above the Tuscan market, or on one of the flower rimmed beaches of Positano. Perhaps they would still have had time to make love in the sands while the sun set over the hills. But his dreams were impossible, he could not do those things and still hope to back home before Death came for him. Like he'd told his Neville, he wanted to be at home when he went into the Coma, but it seemed that he would be denied even that simple pleasure. At the rate the fates were spinning his life threads he was going to still be in this damn hospital at five. The thought of the hospital being the last thing he saw before dying made his heart ache and he had begun walking the halls. He needed something to do. He was meeting with Clarissa at the hospital entrance at seven. He looked down at his watch and saw that he had ten minutes to reach the front door. And thus he walked down the flight of stairs, wondering what it was she needed to tell him, perhaps she was merely going to say goodbye, or lecture him about not telling Draco. He thought of how Draco would feel after his death, he could only imagine that the pain was similar to what he thought he'd feel like if he lost Draco. Perhaps everyone he'd spoken too was right, perhaps it was unfair not to tell him. Again Harry set his resolve to tell Draco, as soon as he had time, as soon as the moment was right, before time could run out on him
In the entry hall of the hospital patients were coming in faster than they had when Harry had first arrived, but he supposed that darkness made people more prone to accidents. He scanned the many faces for the familiar face of the old medi –witch but she was nowhere to be found. His watch showed that she was four minutes late, he was amazed at how much time meant to him now, how he got pissed off about every wasted second. A man in his mid thirties or early forties stomped past Harry, their shoulders connecting painfully. Harry turned to yell at the man but the man's smell caught Harry, it was a simple smell, the man was drunk and reeked of rum but to Harry it suddenly seemed like it was the most wonderful thing he'd ever smelled, second only to that intoxicating pheromone smell Draco carried around on his skin. The angry shouts and painful cries in the hospital suddenly felt like music to Harry's ears. Every person in the room was beautiful their faces lighting up as though from some natural bioluminescence.
'This must be why people always say they see such wonderful thing sin the time before they die' Harry thought and wondered if his entire life would flash before his eyes before he dies, would he remember all the love he'd shared with his friends, the first time he made love to Draco, the first time he flew, the first time he caught the snitch. But most importantly, he wondered whether he would see any of the people he'd lost during his life. Were his Mother, his Father, Sirius, Cedric, Dumbledore and Hermione waiting for him on the other side of some great divide that split the living world from that of the dead. Would they welcome him with open arms. Would they even be there. That was the thought that scared him most, he wasn't afraid of dying, had faced death so many timed in his life, what did frighten him was that there would be nothing on the other side. Sure he could come back as a ghost like Sir Nicholas or the Bloody Baron but if he chose not to do it what was going to happed to him. What if nothing existed after death but darkness.
A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his depression musings and he nearly cried out at the unexpected contact. Clarissa was standing near him, her old eyes concerned.
"I've been calling to you for who knows how long, did you not hear me?" She asked and when Harry kept staring at her blankly she took him by the arms and lead him through two large old door marked 'Clinic'. Inside many of the poorer wizards in the community were being treated… by none other than Doctor Stevens. Harry smiled at her and she cocked an eyebrow as Clarissa pulled him behind one of the curtains that divided the various beds. Clarissa positioned herself in front of Harry and pushed him down on the bed. He sat down and finally found his voice.
"Sorry Clarissa, my mind had wandered".
"I noticed. Now I have something to tell…" The curtain flew open and Doctor Stevens was standing there, staring Clarissa down.
"This is not a conference room, this is a clinic, this is my clinic. And these beds are for patients, for emergencies only".
"This is an emergency dear, go get me a simple saline drip, can you do that?" Clarissa stared straight back at Doctor Stevens.
"Just because you are a private Physician does not mean you can come in here and take over my clinic. I will call the chief…"
"You'll call Richard, yes please do that. I could use some help from one of my former interns". Clarissa's voice was cool and her words seemed to stun Doctor Stevens into submission and she left, but Harry was sure the hospital chief would actually show up sooner or later, if he was worth anything as a chief. Clarissa yanked the curtain shut and told Harry to lay down. He obeyed without much deliberation.
"What are you doing?"
"I am trying something". Clarissa whispered, Doctor Stevens appeared with the Saline drip and the older woman waved the young doctor away.
"That's pretty rude don't you think?" Harry asked her.
"She's an intern, and I've seen her type, that's how she'll learn proper bedside manner. If I'm a bitch to her then she will be determined to be different from me and viola better doctor". Harry smiled at her as she inserted the needle into his vein. She pulled out a bottle of bright green potion and with a syringe injected all of the contents into the rubber tube that lead to his arm.
"What exactly are you doing?" Harry asked, he'd trusted her without question for such a long time but when she started injecting him with strange potions he needed to know.
"That is exactly what I'd like to know, and while you're at it you can tell me who you are?". Harry was surprised to see Doctor Bailey standing at the open curtain.
"Doctor Bailey, how's Ginny?"
"She'll be fine, I'm worried about you though. Who is this woman?" Clarissa quickly introduced herself but Doctor Bailey seemed unimpressed.
"And what exactly are you putting into him?"
"That is and interesting tale Doctor". Clarissa told them.
"A few weeks ago there was a remarkable discovery made at Hogwarts school. An old chamber was discovered that contained hundreds of rare old books, books so old hundreds of translators needed to be hired to decode them all. One of these books was a test on Herbological potions, a thousand years ago there was no distinction between the two subjects. And it is within this book that Hogwarts Herbology teacher Neville Longbottom discovered this potion".
"That's all well and good that he discovered it, but what is it?"
"It's a cure for 'The Creep'" Clarissa proclaimed proudly and Harry's world went dark.
Saturday 09h00 (8 Hours till Coma)
Harry came awake slowly, his head was swimming as he looked around at the people standing around the bed. Clarissa, Doctor Bailey and Doctor Stevens were all looking down at him as though from a great height.
"What Happened?" He asked groggily.
"You fainted when Doctor Clarissa here told you that there was a cure for 'The Creep', do you remember?" Doctor Bailey spoke to him as though he were a child… and he was glad for it, he felt like child. So man thoughts were running through his head. If they were right and that ugly green potion was indeed a cure then he wasn't going to slip into a coma in eight hours, he was going to see the sun come up tomorrow morning.
"Are you sure?" He asked again and Clarissa smiled.
"Yes Harry, I already ran the test you are free of 'The Creep', you are cured".
* * *
Harry walked down the hall to the room where his friends were sitting patiently at Ginny's bedside, waiting for him to join them again. It had been hours since he'd gotten up in the clinic and walked back to the waiting room outside the O.R. Ginny had just come out and he followed them back to the room, listening to Doctor Montgomery talk about the surgery and how well it went. He had the fullest intention of telling Draco that he was cured of 'The Creep' but Doctor Montgomery's words pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. They spent the next few hours waiting for Ginny to wake up and just when Harry had scraped together enough courage to tell Draco, she had opened her eyes and again the words were gone in celebration. Now it was nearly five on Sunday morning, it would have been his last ten minutes of consciousness, Harry thought as he stepped into the room. These would have been his last few minutes on earth, his last few conscious breaths but now, now as he looked at Draco he didn't see how sad his lover was going to be, no, when he looked at Draco he was making plans, plans for the future they were going to have together. But he still had to tell the love of his life, Draco needed to know what Harry had gone through.
Just as he stepped into the room Doctor Montgomery and Doctor Bailey and George stepped into the room. The older red headed woman looked at them and smiled.
"Harry, Draco. In just over eight months you two are going to be proud fathers". Harry looked first at her, then at Draco –who was rushing towards him, his arms open wide –and then Harry looked a this watch, it was two minutes past five and all he could think of as he slammed his lips against his lover's was; 'I couldn't tell him, Time ran out'.
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A/N: I hope this chapter was up to par, I'm not good at writing happy things so please tell me what you thought of this chapter.
A/N 2: The incident between Seamus and Derek was written for a friend who got hurt in the same way, wish we could have fixed your nose as quick as they fixed Seamus'. Hugs.