Chapter Six:

Count On Me

A/N: Hi there! Sorry I took so long with this update (and that it is a short one at that), I promise it won't happen again! I was moving into my new apartment and was working waaaay too many hours of overtime a week =( Got a little caught up. Promise the next chapter is already half-written and will be done A.S.A.P! Thank you everybody so much for all the great reviews, I am really glad you are enjoying it so far and hope you continue to do so! Heart you all! This chapter song is by Default.

Thanks a thousand times to PeruvianDarkness, who is an awesome, patient, fantastical Beta! ^_^

I know that life ain't always good to you.

I've seen exactly what it's put you through

Thrown you around and turned you upside down and so you

You got to thinking there was no way out

You started sinking and it pulled you down

It may be tough you've got to get back up

Because you know that life ain't over yet

I'm here for you so don't forget

You can count on me

Cause I will care you till you carry on.

Anytime you need someone

Somebody strong to lean on

Well you can count on me

To hold you till the healing is done

And every time you fall apart

Well you can hide here in my arms

And you can count on me

To hold you till that feeling is gone.

XXXX

First he began to hear what was around him; soft footsteps on marble floor in the distance, sounding like a hollow room. There was the light breathing of somebody nearby. The footsteps came closer. He tried to open his eyes, but to no avail, as they felt heavy as lead. So he listened as voices began to murmur beside him.

"Have you figured it out yet, Madame Sephiroa?" a soft but deep voice asked, dripping with concern.

"No, I am afraid not. The Headmaster has been alerted of the dire situation and he will be outsourcing for further research. I believe Professor Greyback's library collection should be of great assistance as w-"

"I have seen his books before. Father made me study them as a child, and they are nothing compared to my library. Please, send somebody there to search. You have my permission and undoubtedly my Father's as well," he firmly said. There was a few seconds of silence as Harry still listened in, although his head was throbbing and felt as though it was splitting in two which he just ignored.

"Lucius is not keen upon invasion, if I remember him correctly," the elder witch said through tight lips, "But if you say so, then I shall send Fenrir and Igor there as well. If you can remember anything more about what happen-"

"I have already told you everything I know!" snapped the boy icily, "Please, just fix him," he added in a hiss.

"You would do well to watch your tongue, boy," Madame Sephiroa growled before turning on her heel as her footsteps echoed further away from Harry's bedside.

It was hard to tell who's the voices were, but Harry could understand that they weren't going to speak again. He tried once more to open his eyes, to move, but found himself to numb to do so. So he succumbed to the pain in his head and drifted off once again.

The next time he awoke he felt fingers intertwining with his left hand. They were warm, slender fingers that seemed to fit perfectly in the spaces between his own. The soft skin of the pad of the thumb began to caress the back of his cold, stiff hand. It was soothing, relaxing, and comforting all at once. The headache seemed much more at ease than before, though it was still evident. Harry tried to open his eyes again, but once more it didn't work. He got inwardly frustrated and his breathing became ragged, but soon thinned out once again. So he concentrated on the hand in his own, still softly petting him.

"Please be okay, Harry. Please," that same voice begged. Such a voice Harry was certain he could be safe in the company of, a voice he knew meant something to him. With that and the feeling of safety, Harry fell back into a slumber hoping next time he awoke his body would listen to him.

Thankfully, the first thing Harry did when he stirred was blink open his eyes. Immediately there was a flood of light that stung him and he hissed. He was looking straight up at a pure white ceiling. All the walls were white as well and he noticed he was in a small, iron hospital bed that was uncomfortably jabbing into his back. It must have been daytime, as light was pouring in through tall untainted windows.

Noticeably, the same hand was held a little loosely in his own. No longer was he feeling it being caressed, but the hand was still there and that small comfort was all that mattered. Harry turned to look at the person occupying the chair by his bedside and was surprised to see Malfoy's head resting on the back of a large, obviously summoned, armchair. He seemed to be resting, though not so peacefully as his brows were furrowed together in a kind of cute, concerned fashion. Harry smiled to himself.

It was hard to explain to himself why he would be happy that Malfoy was there, holding his hand as he lay in the Hospital Wing. Or that obviously the boy had been there earlier, greatly concerned about his well being. Although Harry was thoroughly confused about what had happened to land him in there in the first place, he was glad somebody was at his bedside and for some reason he couldn't explain he didn't mind that it was Malfoy.

Then the headache began to throb harder and he groaned, it was probably because he wasn't wearing his glasses as well. His groaning immediately jumped Malfoy awake and the blonde quickly retracted his hand as he shot up in his seat. He rubbed at his eyes wearily and eyed Harry who was staring blankly back at him.

Malfoy turned to the bedside table and grabbed a vial of dark, purple potion and handed it to Harry who uncorked it. "For the headache which I must say you do have," he explained, and Harry needed no further explanation as he downed the vial. Immediately a sensation washed over his head that cooled it, the headache numbing.

"What happened?" he croaked, his throat dry as if he hadn't used it in days.

"We are not entirely certain. What is the last thing you remember?"

"Not certain? Uhm...I dunno, I remember...breakfast in the Mess Hall on Friday. Yeah, that's the last thing I remember," Harry nodded slowly.

"Thought as much," Malfoy sighed and leaned forward, his elbows on the edge of the bed as he rested his forehead on his hands rubbing at his temples gently, "Out in the corridor after breakfast you were accosted it seemed but by who we have no idea. The most likely suspect is Rosenburg but we have not any evidence on him. You were hit with the Iron Lung, severely, but that is not the worst of it. There was some other dark curse set on you that made all your eternal organs begin to bleed out. We still have no idea what it was, but we are looking. It might give us a clue who did it...but Madame Sephiroa believes you are fixed. You just needed rest to rejuvenate," Malfoy explained and then let out a deep breath.

Harry blinked a few times, "Oh," he eventually said, which received him a highly raised eyebrow.

"Oh? That's it, is it- just "oh"? You almost died! You have been in a coma for seven days!" Malfoy hissed incredulously.

"S-seven days?" Harry stuttered, really it had only felt like he had slept a night or two at the most, "I-I must have missed so much in class!" he groaned, thrusting his head backwards onto the pillow once more.

"You are worried about what you missed in class after all of what I just told you? You, Potter, are unbelievable," Malfoy muttered.

Harry couldn't help but smirk at that, "I'm kind of used to being in the Hospital Wing instead of classes, you should have noticed that by now Malfoy," he chortled.

The conversation was stopped by Madame Sephiroa, a tall slender elderly witch with a Mediwitch cap on overtop of her light gray hair. She had narrowed, bored hazel eyes as he pursed her lips. "Mister Potter, you are finally awake," she began.

"Feeling peachy too," he half-grinned as Malfoy shook his head.

"You may leave, Mister Malfoy now that he is awake. Please alert Headteacher Karkaroff of Mister Potter's state as I give him a check over," she ordered.

Malfoy didn't speak as he stood to leave and Harry was slightly put down that he didn't turn to even look back either. "How long as he here for?" he asked the mediwitch curiously.

Madame Sepiroa turned a grim face on him as she retrieved her wand from her pocket to do a quick check over of her patient. "He refused to leave your side from the moment he brought you in until he woke. His Professors were not pleased with him, though Igor decided it best you were constantly surveyed," she explained through pursed lips.

"Oh," Harry merely said, and then lay back as the nurse continued her examination. As he was deemed healthy and allowed to exit the Hospital Wing she said one more thing to Harry.

"You are lucky to be alive after that incident Mister Potter. I believe it is safe to say you must watch your back more carefully here, I do not wish to see you as my patient again," she closed the doors to the Hospital Wing before he could respond.

Madame Sephiroa reminded Harry slightly of Madame Pomfrey back at Hogwarts, just a lot less cheery, taller and seemingly older, though with magic folk age it was always difficult to tell.

Harry had forgotten that he had been out seven days, which meant it was Friday again and by the looks of it class was still in progress. He hadn't any idea where Malfoy had run off to so he decided it a good time to wander the Grounds by himself as he hadn't given them much exploration.

After going to the Aequor Sixth Year Boys Dormitory and retrieving his fur lined cloak and winter boats, Harry went down onto the Grounds. The landscape at Durmstrang was wholly different from Hogwarts. There was still a Qudditch pitch, blanketed in snow as was the rest of the area, off in the distance. However, the forest in which was nearby was down an extremely steep cliff, covered by jagged rocks at its edge. The secluded Castle was so high up on the mountain, Harry felt the air was so much thicker to breathe in, and the clouds didn't seem too far away as they should be.

Harry didn't walk too far from the entrance doors as he had already begun to shiver from the cold. It was unnatural to him, for it to be that cold in September. He shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed, closing his eyes tightly. The cold air was refreshing after being shoved in the Hospital for apparently seven days straight of rest.

"Honestly Potter, I knew you were thick...but standing out in the cold after you have not eaten for seven days when you still have not fully recovered? No wonder you and Weasley got along so well," Malfoy's thick voice drawled from behind Harry.

He spun around and found himself grinning at the blonde, who nearly camouflaged with the snow completely. "I needed some air. Why are you out here anyway, Malfoy?"

Malfoy shrugged, "Needed a walk,"

"Mind if I join you?" Harry asked.

Malfoy didn't bother to answer as he shrugged and began to trudge through the snow, Harry quickly followed a step behind him. After a few minutes of carefully avoiding the edge of the cliff and walking quietly, Harry finally piped up. "Why didn't you leave me in the Hospital Wing?"

Malfoy paused in his step before continuing. "I need to keep you safe, Harry. Do you not understand that yet? Not just for the Vow, but for the Wizarding World and for my own sanity. I swore nothing would happen to you, and then it did. I could not let something happen again, and I will not. So, I made myself promise me not to leave your side. To stick by it, and to...protect you," he whispered.

Harry gaped at the words and quickly regained himself, closing his mouth. "Thank you," he merely responded, not knowing what else to say after that.

"Just stop looking for trouble, you're bloody well making my job harder than it is," Malfoy grumbled.

Harry smirked, "Malfoy, I didn't know if you knew this, but being in trouble kind of comes along with the whole Boy-Who-Lived title," he chuckled.

Malfoy shook his head but said nothing more. For the time being, the two were just content with silently walking the Grounds away from everything reality had in store for them with a familiar face at their side.

I wonder why nobody's waiting on you

I'd like to be the one to pull you through your darkest times

I'd love to be the light that finds you

I see a silver lining on your cloud

I'll pick you up whenever you fall down

Just take my hand and I will help you stand.