Chapter Five: Unexpected Messenger, Help Is Coming
Midnight…
Harry jerked awake panting harshly. It was always the same dream, same nightmare really. The reception, the last of their friends gathered and celebrating, everyone getting drunk and having a good time. Sev… looking gorgeous in formal silver robes (Harry had begged for "anything, any color, just for once in your life, not black"), actually smiling and laughing.
He had smiled for the first time, on the day the war ended. He had walked right up to Harry and given him a hug. A few days later, they went on their first date. The morose potion master had slowly but surely been replaced by a much happier being.
Sev was leaning over to kiss him when they heard the first scream. They looked around just in time to see Hermione fall in a flash of green light. That was where Harry usually woke up, but sometimes it was much, much worse.
"Hello Harry."
Harry's head snapped up and he looked around the room. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open incredulously when he saw the man sitting on a chair in the darkened corner. "That's impossible! You're dead."
The man's mouth curved into a sardonic smirk. "Thank you for letting me know. I hadn't realized."
Harry's mouth opened and closed but nothing came out.
"You look rather like a fish Potter. And to think, I'd thought you'd grown more intelligent since our… truce."
Harry stood and walked over to the corner. His rooms were specially spelled to nullify polyjuice potion. It could be no one else. No one else he knew had that platinum blond hair. He felt the slight sting of tears and brought up his hand to cover his mouth. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, dropping his hand back to his side.
"Draco?"
The smirk softened into a smile. "Hey. Been awhile, and before you start getting any ridiculous thoughts in your head, no you're not hallucinating. I am real, sort of."
"But, but how?"
"I'm a ghost, eh, not really. I moved on, no unfinished business, but my help was specially requested by… I can't tell you that. Let me rephrase, I was in heaven minding my own, when an old friend said he needed me to help you. So, here I am a lowly messenger."
Harry stared, "Death really changes people. I've never heard you ramble before."
Draco snorted, " Doesn't really, I'm just a bit frustrated with this situation. I think there are better ways to help you than this dumb-ass cliché."
"Wait, who said I needed help? What help? Help doing what?"