A/N: Hey guys, sorry for neglecting updates for so long. Again, I promise to not abandon this fic. I've got a new job and this summer has been crazy. Hope you're still with me!

Chapter 26: Always In My Heart

Madame Pomfrey and Severus came swiftly over to the bed. She waved her wand and scanned the results quickly as Severus stood quietly behind Draco, awaiting instruction. After a few minutes, Poppy pulled Snape to the side and cast a silencing charm around them. Draco stayed by the bed and held Harry's hand as he begged for the Gryffindor to be okay.

Severus came over to him with a pained expression. It sent terror surging through Draco's veins. "What? What's wrong with him?" He asked in a squeaky whisper. His heart drummed so loudly in his ears, he hardly heard what his professor said.

Snape took a deep, ragged breath. "It seems Harry, amidst other things, has an infection… in his heart."

The blood drained from the younger Slytherin's face as he sank to his knees. "Can't… Can't you fix that?" He asked, looking from Severus to Madame Pomfrey.

"Mr. Malfoy," she began, "We will do our best, but his chances of survival are very low."

A sob escaped his throat before he could stop it.

"That doesn't mean we won't do everything in our power to help him," she continued.

He nodded, trying to compose himself, and looked over at Severus. The potion master's face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed his fear.

"I'll leave you three alone for a little while. Harry's going to need surgery."

"When?"

"Two hours," Snape answered as she left.

Draco slumped against the bed, cradling Harry's head in his lap. The Gryffindor's eyes fluttered open. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Draco? What's happening?"

"You're going to have surgery." The panicked look in Harry's eyes sent daggers through his chest. "D-d-don't worry, you'll be okay," he said, trying to reassure himself as much as Harry.

Severus shot him a dark look but didn't correct his lie.

He crawled into bed with Harry, letting the Gryffindor rest his head on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The hours passed and before he knew it, Draco was kissing Harry goodbye. "You're suffocating me!" Harry joked as the blonde's lips touched his again. The look Draco gave him took his breath away. "You think I'm going to die," he whispered.

Draco was grateful both Poppy and Severus left them to prepare the operating table. "I'm sorry." He couldn't make his mouth work to tell the Gryffindor the truth. Exactly why I'm a fucking Slytherin. I'm not brave. I'll never be brave… He didn't realize he'd spoken his thought aloud until he heard the response.

"Of course you're brave," Harry said softly. "And you should be proud to be a Slytherin."

Though Draco found the statement confusing, he didn't have it in him to argue. "I should be comforting you; not you, me."

He smiled. "It's okay. I'm not worried."

"Why?" Draco could hardly keep his voice from shaking. He couldn't stop thinking about the possibility that these were his final moments with Harry.

"You'll be the last thing I see. For what more can I ask?"

The Slytherin's heart was in his throat as he heard the door open. He looked down into Harry's eyes and saw complete calm. His fingers wrapped tightly around the other boy's, as though that alone would keep him alive; with him.

"It's going to be okay," he said as the anesthetic started taking affect. "I'll always love you."

"You too," he replied, but the Gryffindor was long gone.

Draco stared at Harry's silhouette in the moonlight. He fought the urge to crawl into the bed and snuggle. The Gryffindor hadn't moved since the surgery and it was unclear as to whether he was going to wake at all. The procedure itself had gone well, but Harry's body had a negative reaction to the anesthetic. He was hooked up to more machines than the Slytherin could count.

Draco sighed heavily, having exhausted his ability to cry hours ago, and pulled himself from the bed. His nose seemed to have healed completely and caused him no pain as he made his way to the bathroom. The person in the mirror staring back at him was thin, dirty, and exhausted. He sighed as his fingers closed around the hilt of his potions knife. "I don't want to live in a world without you," he said, staring out at Harry's sleeping form. Draco shed his robe and carved the blade along his ribs, blood immediately slithered down his sides. He breathed a sigh of ecstasy as the pleasure flooded through his veins in waves. A grim smile crossed his face as he watched the deep red splatter on the floor. I want this. I want to be free. It's my fault Harry's sick; I'm a killer. The thoughts hurt him; but they fueled his fury, allowing him to slash and tear more and more slits in his skin.

"Draco?" A small voice asked.

The blonde whipped around, blood still streaming down his body. It stained the waistband of his boxers and dripped down the white silk as he studied the Gryffindor before him.

Harry leaned against the doorframe and stared back with tears in his eyes. His chest ached and his breathing was shallow as he took a hesitant step toward his lover. "Why?"

Draco tightened his jaw as he thought of a reply. But he'd been caught –seconds before he administered the final cut. His mouth opened but the words wouldn't come. Blackness clouded the edges of his vision as he tried to focus on Harry. "Sorry," he whispered before fainting at the Gryffindor's feet.

Harry panicked, he didn't want Madame Pomfrey to see Draco like this. But I can't leave him. His thoughts raced. The sharp increase in his heartrate set off an alarm on one of the machines. He jumped at the sound, pulling the IV out of his arm. "Shit!" He swore and closed the bathroom door, concealing the Slytherin. His chest burned anew with every heartbeat.

Severus came briskly across the floor form Madame Pomfrey's office. "Potter!" He tried to snap, but it sounded more relieved than angry. "What are you doing?" Harry was on the floor, cradling his left arm.

"The IV came out," he mumbled.

Snape swore before picking Harry up and carrying him back to bed. He started to clean the blood, but Harry stopped him.

"Draco needs help," his voice caught in his throat. He didn't want the potion master to find out, but the blonde required medical attention. Harry pointed to the bathroom without looking up.

Severus told Harry to hold a cotton-ball to his arm and crossed the room. He closed the door to the bathroom behind him and fell to his knees before Draco. His hands moved methodically without being told what to do. He wasn't surprised, he'd seen the medical parchment Harry had tried to cover up at the manor; but his mind wouldn't let him process what he saw. It couldn't allow him to see this bloody mess of a body as Draco. He did all he could so and cast a Scourgify at the bloodstained floor.

A few minutes later, Draco was in an infirmary bed, covered in salves and bandages. Harry stared at him quietly and allowed Severus to tend to his wound. "Now, don't rip this one out. I can't have you dying on me," he said, putting an IV in the Gryffindor's right arm.

He smiled. "You'd think wizards have a better way of doing this."

"Technically they do, but I've been trained both ways and believe the drips work best for keeping patients hydrated."

Harry nodded. He'd never realized just how much he didn't know about Snape; and came to the conclusion that he probably never would. "Sir, you're not going to tell anyone about Draco, are you?"

"If I haven't said anything for this long, do you think I'm going to now?" He smirked at the look Potter gave him. "Yes, I've known. But he's been improving recently—well, until now. I'll have him in for some counseling sessions."

"I'm glad it was you that came in."

"As am I. Now, try to get some rest, I'll be back to check on you in the morning."

Harry nodded again and snuggled into the blankets.

A/N: I promise they will not be in the hospital wing forever.