"Christopher, have you seen Draco Malfoy?"
Professor Alatar, or Cordelia, was wondering around Hogwarts, searching for the blond Slytherin. He hadn't turned up to dinner and after last nights conversation, she was worried about him.
"No, sorry Cordelia," Professor Jones smiled sadly as he picked up his text books and many papers, "have you tried with the Headmistress?"
"Minnie said the same thing," she hit her lip and furrowed her brow as she racked her mind for any place where he could be.
"I didn't want to check his dorm since it's private," she said.
Jones shrugged and said, "I bet he's fine, maybe he fell asleep. Go check on him."
After that, he left. She sighed and began making her way to the student's room.
-
"Oh Merlin's beard! Draco!" She gasped as she saw the boy unconscious, laying in a pool of his own blood. The liquid had seeped its way into the carpet and had dried so she deduced he'd been hear at least 2 hours.
She breathed heavily, slightly panicking. She check his breathing - only shallow breaths. His lips were blue.
'Well shit,' she thought. Taking her wand from her jacket, she began performing a healing charm. She was a defence teacher, she only a knew a few. After, she casted a weightless charm and carried him to the the hospital wing.
"Poppy! Poppy help!" She screamed into the hospital wing. In seconds, a chubby, middle aged woman waddled out of her office. She gasped at the sight of the blond teenager.
"Place him on the bed," she ordered. Poppy waved her wand and bandages, tape, wipes, potions and an IV stand came flying across the room. Cordelia ducked out of the way, silently thanking Merlin her older sister trained with her when she became and Auror.
"Get the Headmistress to send a healer from St Mungo's, he's in critical condition," she said firmly, quickly wrapping a large bandage around his left forearm.
The Professor nodded and rushed off to the Headmistress, muttering incoherent words under her breath.
-
"Aunty Minnie!"
"Yes, child," Minerva turned around from the dusty, old bookshelf. She had a small smile on her face that faulted when she saw the distress in her niece's face.
"Minnie it's Draco Malfoy! You need to send a letter to Mungo's immediately. He could die," she breathed heavily.
"I- oh my!" The Headmistress hurried to her desk and pulled out a quill and paper to begin writing.
-
A cliff. A bottomless, endless cliff. The pattern of rugged and rough edges seemed to repeat forever. Rocks spiked from the wall at all angles. The cliff's surface was dusted in clouds. The vapour made the floor appear shiny and slippery; as if one wrong step could send you tumbling to your death.
A lonesome, shadow figure stood on the edge of said cliff. They shivered in the cold air, their fingers closing in and their shoulders going tense. Each shaky breath came out as a small puff of smoke.
Eventually, the features of this mysterious figure became more prominent and clear; pale-as-snow skin, stormy grey eyes, a smooth and pointed nose, clean and long fingers - clad in silver rings - which seemed to go blue in the air and platinum blond hair.
Draco Malfoy.
The cliff was line between life and death; we walk through life and make it to the end before jumping off and falling to wherever that takes us. When the time comes, everyone jumps - even if it wasn't willingly.
Somehow, Draco found himself wavering between life and death. He knew, in death, he could be truly happy, no more worrying about Voldemort or death eaters. He could be at peace with his body and his mind. He knew, in life, he had so much to live for; a future family, his friends, a dream job... Even though, he wasn't happy at the moment, he could learn to be happy with someone he loves dearly.
However, the chances of living a depressing life with suffering and misery, kept him stood in one place. He had suffered enough at the hands of the Dark Lord and his father, he suffered every day seeing people smile and laugh just for it to be wiped away when he appeared into sight. Those small glimpses of light and joy quickly destroyed by disgust and hatred.
Draco knew he could find happiness but it would take a matter of years. He didn't know if he could bring himself to carry on now that he had this opportunity.
Suddenly, he remembered Harry. He had to save Harry. Draco was falling. Not falling of the cliff but falling for Harry. He has to wake up.
"Wake up."
-
Draco gasped awake. His heart pumping again, he blood rushing through his veins, his lungs taking in the needed air, his senses becoming alert once more. He scrambled to find a hint towards what his surrounds are.
An IV stand - Hospital wing. A sigh relief left Draco's lips. Then the pain hit.
"Ow! Fucking hell!" He cursed as he grabbed his chest. A thick bandage, with blood seeping through, was righting wrapped around his chest and half of his middle. His scars had reopened, maybe this time they'll heal correctly.
He winced as moved to lay back again. However, the pain never left his chest and now he began to feel it in his legs and his arms. He groaned in pain.
"Ah, Mr Malfoy. You're awake," a kind smile greeted him. It was a petite man with long, dark brown hair tied into a bun at the back of his head, he had honey-coloured eyes and slightly tan skin. He was maybe late 40s. He wore a white doctored coat and had a clipboard in the wire beside him.
"I'm Healer Phineas Scott, one of the head healers at St Mungo's," he smiled, rubbing his hands together. Draco smiled tightly back.
"So I'll give you a pain killer and then I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about how this predicament happened," he questioned. Draco nodded and sat up against his pillows.
"Drink this," the healer handed him a small, clear vile with dull pink potion in it. Draco took it as gracefully as he could.
"There's only a few questions just so you can rest," he said as soon as the blond had downed the bottle. Draco nodded and took a deep breath, preparing himself.
The Healer took a seat on the chair near the foot of his bed.
"Do you have any questions before we start?"
"I- um... how- how long was I out?" Draco asked quietly, his voice shaking with every word.
"Just over 48 hours, it the 29th," he smiled at the young adult. Draco nodded and silently sighed in relief.
"So do you remember who cast this spell? ...Did you do it yourself?" Phineas asked, hesitantly. In his many years of being a healer he had never seen such a damaging, physically and mentally, spell. It was an unknown spell and he had only heard of it during the war. There was three people who Snape had used it on before he died and Draco's injuries were some of the worst he'd ever seen.
"I-It... it was cast by another student. Our past together is extremely complicated and we hate each other. A couple years back, he- um he... did something unforgivable and I've despised him every since," Draco mumbled, picking at the skin around his finger nails.
"Could you tell me the name of this student?" The healer asked, sympathy in his eyes.
"Dylan Ruiz. He's a death eater but he took the mark willingly. He wants to hurt another student if I don't st-stop him, its gonna h-happened all over again," tears formed in Draco's eyes as he got choked up.
The Healer placed a comforting hand on the boys leg, gently to not hurt his wounds. He looked to his clipboard before looking back at the boy.
"I assume the Headmistress knows of this other incident?"
"Ye-yeah."
"If it would make you feel better, I could get a therapist for you..." Phineas offered.
"N-no, my friend and I talk to each other about it," Draco smiled.
"Are they here? I could send a letter on your behalf," he asked.
"She's at home but she'll be here in a couple days anyway."
"Alright, now I just have a few more questions about how your feeling and your pain levels..."
-
"Harry! Get your lazy arse up now!"
Harry groaned and threw a pillow towards the voice of his best friend, Hermione.
"You missed," Hermione sighed. Harry held up a middle finger before dragging the duvet over his head.
"We're leaving to Hogwarts in 3 hours and it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to King's Cross, so I suggest you get up!" The girl's voice became more aggressive with every syllable.
Harry whined into his pillows before rolling over and sitting up. He searched the bed side table for his glasses and put them on his nose, roughly.
"Where's Teds?" He asked.
"Since he got that new fence on his bed, he hasn't been able to come get you in the morning so Molly took him out to the garden," she explained, "Now get up." After that, Hermione left.
Harry pouted but he slid out of his bed, shivering at the slightest touch of the cold floor. He stood up and went up to his window. He looked down and saw Molly sat on the bench with a large mug of tea in his hands. One of the twins were pushing Teddy on a small swing they transfigured while the other pulled funny faces making the toddler giggle.
Harry smiled before making his way downstairs. Hermione was sat in the kitchen, smiling and chatting with Ginny while Ron was playing muggle chess with Arthur.
Harry made his way outside. He gasped quietly at the cold, pulling the sleeves of his jumper over his hands. He sat down next to Molly.
"Wonderful morning," Molly smiled at the young boy.
"A bit cold though," Harry chuckled. The two continued to make small talk until Teddy came bounding over, talking complete gibberish.
"G'morning, Harry," the twins grinned brightly. Harry replied with 'good morning,' picking up the toddler and putting him in his lap.
"I'm not going to see you until late-April," he said, in a baby-ish tone to Teddy. The child just giggled at his godfather's pouting face. Harry smiled lovingly and sat the baby in lap, letting him play with his thumbs.
"Love you, Teds," Harry whispered into the child's head of blue hair before kissing his head gently.
The twins conversed with their mother about the shop and a certain girl George had been seeing recently. Fred nudged him playfully which earned him a shove from his brother. Molly and Harry laughed, Teddy giggling the redheads.
Even though they had to be getting to King's Cross soon, Har try was at peace and he felt safe. He felt happy and nothing could ruin that.