Draco snapped his eyes open. The ache was Harry. What was wrong with Harry? Draco used every ounce of his pathetic energy to force himself up. His body was burning with every move of his muscles. It was like he was swimming with weights. It was a battle just to move. He could still hear crying and loud voices. He wanted them to shut the fuck up. They were so loud. Draco's legs were going numb, he tried shifting them but something was weighing them down. He looked down and was startled to see Harry passed out on him.
Draco gritted his teeth and forced his body to move. Draco reached out a shaky hand to touch Harry's cheek. Harry's eyes opened at the contact and widened upon seeing Draco which confused him. Why was Harry surprised to see him? Draco opened his mouth to say something but the bond reawakened with such force it took his breath away. What had caused it to disappear in the first place? What had happened?
They both closed their eyes when their souls started singing their joy at being reunited again. The pitch was almost too high, Draco wondered if it could break glass. But the sheer joy made up for the loud wailing of it. Draco could feel Harry's soul caressing every single part of him. Inside and out. Harry's soul felt beautiful, it was one of the most intimate touches of his life. Harry's soul didn't want to leave him but Draco needed his soul back. The contact was beautiful but it was too much. He needed his soul to himself back. He reached out with his feelings and gave the biggest mental hug he could muster, hoping that Harry's magic and soul would retract back into his fiancés body.
With one last caress that made Draco shiver, Harry's soul and magic slowly left him and joined back with its owner. Draco smiled when all he could feel was his own core and the bond.
Harry gasped when the bond reopened. He had felt the brief loss of his soul as it reached out to Draco. That had been an odd feeling. There was an emptiness that his souls absence had left but the knowledge that it had gone to Draco made up for the weird experience. His core was singing in joy to be reunited with Draco. The pure euephoria that the souls were releasing made Harry want to smile but he couldn't shake what had just happened.
Harry could feel so much confusion from Draco and a lot of physical pain. He wondered what Draco was thinking about this. Did he know that he died? Draco closed his eyes at the depths of sorrow that Harry was feeling. Merlin, he could drown in it. It was so strong and so deep. What was wrong? What could have happened to Harry for this much grief to overwhelm him?
"Why are you sad?" Draco's throat was raspy and it cracked. He wrinkled his nose. What the hell happened to him? He felt like he had been trampled by a rampaging hippogriff. He tied to remember what had happened before this but everything was a little fuzzy. He could remember coming home to Harry being nervous and then Harry said he was angry but Draco couldn't remember much after that. There was some pain but from where he couldn't remember.
More sorrow wafted through the bond and tears came streaming down Harry's face. Draco didn't like this one bit. He pulled Harry up and till they were wrapped around each other.
Draco wiped Harry's tears with gentle fingers. Harry shuddered at the touch. He had thought that he would never feel those hands again. Never see the grey eyes that he loved so much. Never hear Draco's sweet drawl. Never hear his awful humor. Never again feel the love that Draco held for him.
"Hey what's the matter love? I can feel such sadness." Harry clenched Draco to him and sobbed. Draco ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "Whatever it is we will figure it out. Okay? I love you." Harry let out a wail at Draco's words. Fuck. To hear the words after thinking he would never hear them again was too much.
"Oh gods, I love you too! So much. Please don't do that again. Please, I can't take anymore." Draco leaned away and blinked into the glassy eyes of Harry's.
"Harry what are you talking about?" Draco demanded. Harry opened his mouth to say the words but he couldn't do it. Admitting what happened would make it more real. He couldn't face it, Harry shook his head whimpering.
"Draco, you died." Severus said thickly. Salazar, he wasn't sure what was going on. One minute Draco had been dead and the next he was alive. He wanted to check to see if he was even awake. Was this some horrible nightmare? This didn't make sense. What had Harry done? How did he bring him back? Draco had been dead, of that he was positive.
Draco jumped at Severus's voice and then jerked in shock when his words registered. He looked up and again was shocked. He could see both his father and Severus standing near them with tear streaks. Woah. He had never known that either of them could cry. He swallowed heavily. Was Severus right? Did he really die?
Draco looked down at Harry who was still crying. Draco kissed the tears away. "Is that true?" Draco whispered. Harry jerked in Draco's arms and nodded once as more tears came tumbling down.
Draco wasn't sure how that happened or why he was alive if he had died but he couldn't stand to see Harry crying. "I'm right here Harry. I am with you. I won't leave you. I promised you that. Remember?" Harry shuddered, he let out a whimper.
Draco closed his eyes and tried with all his might to force his mind to work properly, he wanted to remember what had happened.
"Fire." Draco breathed out. Harry looked at him in confusion. "Huh?" Draco snapped his eyes open. "There was a fire." Harry shook his head. "Draco there was no fire" Draco held up a finger. "We were talking on the couch, I remember you telling me that you were angry and that something was wrong with you." Harry nodded his head. Yes he remembered that.
Severus furrowed his brows. What would have made Harry think that something was wrong with him? Anger isn't always a problem.
"But I told you that I could only feel nerves from you. No anger. Then all of a sudden you pushed your anger through the bond. I could feel it all. It was like nothing I have ever felt before. You were so angry Harry. So angry. The anger stopped being emotional. It was no longer just in the bond. But in my body. I could feel it burning me up. And then I couldn't breathe and then that is all I can remember."
Harry jerked in Draco's arms hard. On instinct Draco clutched him tighter. "I killed you." Harry breathed in horror. "Oh gods I killed you. I don't know how but you died because of me!" Harry started crying again as he struggled for Draco to let him go.
"Don't touch me. I am a murderer. Let me go!" Draco's heart broke at the emotions that were storming inside Harry. His words were warring with his emotions. Harry didn't really want Draco to let him go but the panic of the situation was causing a tornado of feelings inside him.
"Harry you didn't kill me. I don't know what happened but I know it wasn't your fault." Harry was still struggling. "Stop!" Draco demanded harshly. Harry stopped moving in shock. Draco had never talked to him like that before.
"Something was wrong with you and you were just trying to show me what was happening. This wasn't something that you did on purpose. I know you would never hurt me. And to be honest I am glad it happened." Harry gasped in pain. Why would Draco be happy that he died? Was he so miserable with Harry that death was a preferable option?
Draco shushed him when he felt Harry's pain. "Hey stop that. I didn't mean it like that Harry. You know I love you. But that is what I meant. If what happened to me was about to happen to you then I am glad it came to me. I would die a thousand times over it meant that you lived." Draco promised him.
"Draco." Harry whispered. "Don't say that. I don't want you to ever die on my behalf. That should have happened to me. I am so sorry!" Harry cried out. "I am so sorry." Draco hugged Harry to him as tightly as possible.
"Baby stop. I am alive. I am right here with you. Whatever happened is over and done with." He tried to reassure.
"What if it happens again? I am dangerous. I killed you once, it could happen again. You shouldn't be near me. You should get as far away as possible. If it is going to save you, I could leave." Harry said with determination.
The bond screamed out in pain at Harry's words. Draco and Harry gasped in pain. "Don't ever say that again." Draco snarled. "The only reason you should ever leave me is if you don't love me. Or if you don't want to marry me. Has either of these things happened?"
Harry shook his head. "No but-"
"But nothing Harry. Leaving will only hurt us both. Please don't do that. Don't leave me." Draco begged as tears prickled his eyes.
Harry watched the tears fall down Draco's face and he felt gutted. "I won't. I promise. I won't ever leave you." Harry said with such emphasis that magic surrounded Draco briefly.
"What was that?" Draco asked but he wasn't really concerned with the answer. All he could feel was relief at Harry's promise. Harry had been telling the truth. Thank Merlin. His heart couldn't handle it if Harry left him. That had been one of the worst things he had ever experienced.
"A verbal magical contract." Lucius said in wonder. He still hadn't come to grips with everything. He felt like his emotions had just been put through the ringer. He was so drained. His son was alive. He kept chanting that over and over hoping that the memory of his lifeless son would forever be scrubbed away. He knew he would never forget this. This would be in his nightmares for the rest of his life. But the miracle of whatever Harry had done was in the forefront of his mind. What had Harry done? How had he saved his son? Was it some form of Necromancy? That didn't sit well with him if it was true but at the same time, his son was alive. It didn't matter how it had happened.
Lucius was worried for Harry. Was what happened to Draco really meant for Harry? Was something wrong with Harry? He agreed wholeheartedly with Draco. Whatever happened was not Harry's fault. He nudged Severus and nodded his approval when the man started running tests on them.
Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't meant to do that but he wasn't upset that it had happened. He would never lie to Draco. He wouldn't leave him. Draco had been right, the only thing leaving would have accomplished would have been making the both of them miserable. They weren't meant to be separated.
"I love you. So much. I couldn't bear the thought of living without you. Y-you weren't breathing and the bond had disappeared." Harry choked out in despair at the reminder. Draco clutched him tighter. To know what his death, Merlin did that sound weird, did to Harry was heartbreaking. Harry's grief nearly broke him, he had to breathe slowly to get a hold of his emotions. He couldn't even imagine what he would have done if it had been Harry that died. Gods, the thought crippled him.
"It was a giant gaping hole! You took everything that I am with you. I don't know how to exist without you. Draco you are my whole world and you took it with you when you d-died." Harry tried to keep the tears at bay but it was all still so fresh in his mind.
"Everything good in me is you. I don't know who I am without you. That probably sounds unhealthy but it is true. You are the other half of my soul. You couldn't be dead. It didn't make any sense. So I pretended the bond was still there and I pushed every bit of love and magic that I could into you. I would have given you everything if it made you live. I would have traded my life to gain yours back. Which is what I was trying to do." Harry was startled by the anger coming from Draco.
"Harry if I am dead then then that means you are alive. I can die peacefully in this world knowing that you are alive and healthy. What if that hadn't worked? You would have died trying to bring me back!" Draco yelled.
Harry clenched his fists. "I don't care! Don't you get it? If you aren't alive then I don't want to be either! Do you think I would be able to just get over you? Live a happy life without you? Then you are high as a kite! I would never be able to live a life with you gone. Which is why we are doing the In Perpetuum Simul bond in the first place!" Harry yelled right back. Grr... Draco was seriously frustrating Harry. Couldn't he understand?
Draco sighed and thrusted his hands in his hair. "Alright I get it." The fight went out of Harry and Draco hugged him to his chest. "Just explain one thing to me?" Harry lifted his head and looked at him wearily.
"What the fuck is a kite and why is it high?" Harry blinked and then blinked again before letting out a hysterical sob that quickly changed into laughter. Harry wasn't sure if it was the fucked up day but he couldn't stop laughing. He knew it wasn't that funny but he couldn't control himself.
"He is going into shock." Severus said rapidly. He pulled out a vial and handed it over to Draco, who quickly uncorked it and forced it down Harry's throat.
As the potion took affect Harry began to slowly come back to reality. He felt unnaturally calm. "What was that?" He wondered.
"Calming drought." Draco said to the surprise of Severus. "I could smell the lavender and root of aconite." Draco told Harry oblivious to the impressed glances his godfather was giving him.
"But that could also be in a wit-sharpening potion too." Harry pointed out. Draco and Severus's brows went up in surprise.
"That is true. But there was also a small smell of rose oil too. That isn't in a wit-sharpening potion." Draco countered.
"It could be." Draco shared a look with his godfather. "The rose oil could counter balance the high amount of ginger that is involved in the potion. Which is why people should only take wit-sharpening potions sparingly. Too much ginger harms the stomach lining. But the rose oil acts like peppermint would in other potions, except the peppermint should never be added with ingredients like aconite. So when brewed, the rose oil would have a natural calming to the irritated stomach lining. Which is why it is placed in calming draughts in the first place." Harry said breathlessly.
The silence that his speech gave wasn't very telling. Harry looked at Draco confused. "Where have you been my entire lessons?" Severus demanded in surprise. Draco nodded weakly. He tilted his head to the side. Harry was right, he had never thought of trying rose oil. Usually peppermint was the go to when adding extra things to potions. But with the volatile reactions that it would cause in a wit-sharpening potion he chalked it up as a lost cause. To think of rose oil was genius.
Harry chuckled. "I am pants at potions. Don't get me wrong. But the theories behind them aren't hard to grasp. I could tell you what is in a potion and how to change it for the better but when I go to actually make it, that is where the problem lies. I can't brew to save my life. It irritates me."
Severus was intrigued. He could work with this. He could tutor Harry. Brewing wasn't as difficult as he was thinking. Most people like Longbottom don't know the first thing about the ingredients being added. They just chuck whatever they think will work into the potion.
"If you know the theory behind the potion then how come you can't make it?" Draco asked, this made no sense. Harry obviously had some impressive knowledge on the subject.
"Draco what are the ingredients to make a cake?" Draco was confused at the question. "Uh flour, sugar, milk, eggs... stuff like that." He answered with a shrug.
"And if I asked you what might be added to make the cake taste better?" Harry questioned. Draco scratched his head in thought. "Maybe vanilla? Or some nutmeg?" Harry hummed in agreement. "Now would you be able to make the cake?"
Draco snorted. "Gods no, I think I would burn the shite out of the pan, myself and even Kreacher when he comes to check on why the kitchen is on fire."
Harry started laughing warmly. "Exactly. You know the ingredients to make a cake but you have trouble actually baking. Same thing with me. I know the ingredients to make the potion and even how to improve it but it turns into a bloody disaster when I attempt to make it." Draco hummed in thought. It made sense. He highly doubted anything would ever make him capable of cooking correctly so he wasn't sure if Harry could overcome his potion skills.
"Besides, even if I was good at brewing it wouldn't matter with all the sabotage." Harry said wryly. Draco looked up at the ceiling. "I wonder who would do such an awful thing." Draco said with a straight face and wincing internally at the truth of Harry's words. Harry snorted. "Yes because the options are so vast." He replied sarcastically.
With the calming draught fully in effect Draco was able to detect lingering pain from Harry. He frowned and turned over Harry's hand and then gasped. "Did I do this?" He asked biting his lip. Severus looked down and scowled when he realized he had forgotten about Harry's hand. He took out a salve from the inside of his robes and applied it to Harry's hand.
Harry sighed in relief when the numbing cool of the salve started working. How many potions did the man carry with him? Harry looked up and smiled sadly at Draco. "No, your body was just really hot and it did this. But it wasn't your fault. If you won't let me blame myself for what I did to you then you can't blame yourself for the actions of my accident." Harry warned when he felt Draco's guilt. When Draco sighed but agreed, Harry leaned in and squeezed him.
"So what other potions are in there?" Harry asked curiously.
"Can you talk about potions some other time?! Because I am an emotional wreck and I have no idea what the fuck just happened here!" Harry and Draco turned quickly at Pansy's hysterical voice.
They were surprised to see... well everyone. Pansy, Blaise, Fred, George, Remus and Narcissa. Everyone had tear tracks on their faces, Narcissa was still crying. Lucius stepped forward and she ran into his arms.
"Calm down Pans." Pansy crossed her arms across her chest. "Calm down?" Draco winced at the hysterical edge it had to it. "How can you tell me to calm down? You died Draco! You bloody died! Right before my eyes. I can't calm down!" Draco could feel the renewed pain her words brought Harry.
Severus handed her a calming draught. Draco narrowed his eyes when she refused to take it. "You will take that potion." She raised a challenging eyebrow. "You will take it and calm the fuck down. I will not have you upsetting Harry further."
Pansy took one look at Harry's crushed face and caved. She unstopped it and downed the potion. She grimaced in disgust. "You couldn't have made it taste better?" She complained.
Severus glared at her. Ungrateful whelp. "Root of aconite is too volatile when mixed with things to counteract with the bitter flavor." Harry pointed out. Pansy just blinked at him while Severus was giving her a look that said, 'see?'.
"That was polite speak for get the fuck over it." Draco said dryly. Pansy huffed and glared at Harry, who opened his mouth. That was not what he was trying to say!
Remus cleared his throat. Harry looked at him and was relieved to see that he was here. Remus was looking a little tired, he must still be experiencing the after effects of the full moon. Remus was about to speak but was handed a potion from Severus.
Remus looked down at it in bemusement. "I am calm." He said, however he still picked it up. Severus rolled his eyes. "It's not a calming draught. It is a muscle relaxant with some pepper up ingredients added as well." Severus said not looking at him. Remus was surprised and awfully touched. Draco tilted his head to the side as he watched his godfather. What was with him?
"Thank you." Remus said gratefully as he took the potion. He was surprised that it didn't taste bitter. He had been expecting it too, it tasted like raspberries. He loved raspberries.
"How did you manage that?" Harry asked curiously. "Muscle relaxants and pepper up potions aren't usually combined. They are opposites. How did you stop the pepper up ingredients from delaying the muscle relaxants?"
"Oo that is a good point. Wouldn't the knotgrass in the pepper up potion have overridden the foxglove in the muscle relaxant?" Draco asked as he ran through tying to imagine how his godfather had combined the two.
Severus was torn from being excited that he had two very interested teens in his potions but he just wished it wasn't this potion. "It would have if I had used knotgrass. I substituted hemlock instead." Draco and Harry shared confused looks.
"I can maybe see substituting Goosegrass instead of Knotgrass because they are so closely related. But Hemlock? I am confused as to why that. It wouldn't do much at all." Harry said in confusion. Draco furrowed his brows.
"No but Hemlock would help the deeper irritated knots that the wolfsbane potion leaves behind. I didn't need the potion to act as a normal pepper up potion would. I just needed it to boost the muscle relaxant by acting after the muscles were relaxed." Severus explained looking at his nails.
Draco and Remus's brows raised high into their hair line. Draco thought the changed potion was brilliant. It would help a lot of werewolves if taken right after the full moon. Remus was surprised that Severus had gone to so much trouble figuring out a way to improve the potion. He was again touched at the notion. "Oh so you made this potion specifically for Remus?" Harry asked without thinking. Harry yelped when Draco elbowed him hard into the ribs. He turned his head sharply to see why he had done that. Draco was giving not so subtle jerks of his head towards Severus. Draco rolled his eyes, honestly sometimes Harry could be so thick. It was a good thing that he was the brains of the relationship.
Severus closed his eyes briefly. "No. I just like the challenge of making new potions. That is all. I assure you I wouldn't have bothered otherwise." Severus said dryly. Remus hid his amused smile.
"Well thank you anyways." Remus said smiling at the jerky nod Severus gave in reply. Lucius was looking at his friend oddly. What was with him?
Harry wanted to say something but another jab from Draco changed his mind. Merlin was their glass in those elbows? He was pretty sure he would have bruises on his ribs come tomorrow.
"Harry do you know if you thought of any spell while you were trying to fix Draco?" Remus asked the question he had been about to before they got sidetracked. Harry was saddened at the turn in the conversation but he supposed they needed to talk about it. He just didn't want to think about Draco dying. He wished someone would obliviate that part of today.
"No. I just kept wishing and praying that it would work, even if it would have taken all of my magic I just kept trying. Do you think that was wish magic?" Lucius shared a startled look with Severus.
"No. If you were willing to trade your magic and energy to get him back then that could be considered sacrificial magic. You were offering a trade." Lucius said a little awed. It always surprised him with the depths of love that the two of them had for one another. He loved Narcissa a hell of a lot... but to sacrifice his life to bring her back? Not very likely. Was that wrong?
Harry gaped at the man. That was not his intention but he really would have given his life if it meant that Draco survived. Draco was uneasy. He did not like the idea that Harry would have done that for him. But that was a little hypocritical considering that he would have done the same thing if things had been reversed. Merlin weren't they just a lovely pair?
"Isn't that dark magic?" The twins said at the same time. Harry looked at them closely, they were being very subdued. Fred gave Harry a small smile but Harry was still concerned. The smile hadn't quite reached his eyes. George was grimacing and couldn't meet Harry's eyes. Were they weary with him now that he had performed dark magic? His gut clenched at the thought of losing them. They were his best friends.
"Yes." Severus said a little worried. "I don't know why it wouldn't have been an even trade. I ran tests and Harry's magic was leaving his body and flowing into Draco's body. A normal sacrifice would have just taken everything from Harry's body and given it to Draco. But you both are alive and your magic is back to what it used to be, both your reserves are normal."
Harry was uncomfortable knowing that he performed dark magic. He hadn't meant to. He had just been so desperate to save Draco. To distract himself from this morbid conversation he attempted to change the subject. "What are all of you guys doing here?" Draco shot him a knowing look, letting him know he knew exactly what Harry was doing.
"Your house elf brought us." Blaise said looking a little nauseous at the day's turn of events. Harry couldn't blame him. He wasn't even sure his own mind had caught up to everything.
Harry looked around and spotted Kreacher. He lifted an eyebrow at the concerned elf. "Master Harry said bring everyone else. Has Kreacher left someone out?"
Draco smiled warmly at him. "No. You did great Kreacher." The twins shared surprised looks. It would appear that Pansy and Blaise weren't kidding when they said that Draco liked Kreacher.
Kreacher relaxed slightly but he still had concern on his face. "Master Draco is okay?" Kreacher asked hesitantly. Draco's smile softened, which melted Harry's heart. "I am okay Kreacher, thank you." Remus was staring at Draco in surprise. As was his father. Lucius didn't know what to make of this, he didn't mind Draco being nice to house elves but this seemed like an odd friendship. Malfoys being friends with house elves? That was certainly a new one.
Kreacher nodded and then turned around to leave. "That's good. Master Harry's darkness didn't succeed." Kreacher mumbled to himself. Harry sat dumbfounded for a moment. Everyone was shooting him puzzled looks.
"Kreacher." Draco called out. Kreacher turned around and walked back into the room. "Yes Master Draco?" He croaked out.
"What did you mean about Harry's darkness?" Draco asked calmly, inside he was freaking out. Darkness? That did not sound good.
Kreacher's ears drooped. "Kreacher can't say." This confused Draco, was it because he wasn't Kreachers actual Master? Kreacher never had a problem following orders before. Severus opened his mouth to snarl at the ugly little thing but Lucius stopped him.
"House elves aren't allowed to give out personal information on their Masters." Kreacher nodded in agreement. "House elf we will not tell the council. You can trust us." Lucius promised. Harry wished Lucius was making sense. Council? What the fuck is that?
"Council?" Remus asked just as confused. Narcissa spoke for the first time since arriving. Her throat was scratchy and her eyes puffy. "We have the Ministry that makes the laws and rules for us, house elves have the Elven Council. There are a set of laws that they cannot break or they can be removed from the family that they serve. The council will offer up a replacement and apologize for the bad elf."
Kreacher moaned in despair at the thought of being removed from Master Harry. Kreacher had been a part of the Noble house of Black for so long, just as his parents had been before him. Tis would be a great dishonor. What would Mistress Walburga say?
"Kreacher we won't tell them. I won't let anyone take you from me." Harry promised him. Kreacher closed his eyes tightly. They were asking too much of poor creature but Master Harry had never let him down. Master Harry was offering his protection. Master Harry was too kind!
"There is a darkness inside Master Harry. I can feels it through the bond." Harry furrowed his brows. Bond? "The Master to elf bond." Draco explained. Harry hadn't been aware there was one. He knew Kreacher was bound to him but he didn't think there was an actual bond.
"Has it always been there?" Severus asked wondering if this was something residual left over from the Horcrux. With Harry being the only live Horcrux besides Nagini in history, it was hard to say what could have happened. It was entirely possible that there could be something left behind.
"Kreacher is not knowing sir. Kreacher didn't notice the darkness until after the first darkness left."
Harry felt like his brain cells were evaporating in his confusion. What? "I had more than one darkness?" He asked desperately. Draco hugged Harry to him tightly.
Kreacher nodded his head causing his ears to twitch. "Yes Master Harry. The first one was just like Master Regulus's necklace." Harry and Draco gasped. Severus's eyes widened.
---------------------------------------------------------
Authors Notes:
I don't like ending chapters in the middle of a conversation. I apologize for that. It was just there is a lot for them to discuss and the chapter would have been way too long. There will still be more explanations in the next chapter, along with some emotional depth that the other characters had been feeling during Draco's death.
I know that Harry is awful at potions in the original books. I think that is a lack of interest and just his hatred of Snape and the Slytherins that played a part too. But he had been really interested in the changes The Half-Blood Prince had done to all the potions. So in my story, I had him interested in that.
In many ways I am like Draco when it comes to cooking. I know exactly what belongs in the dish but suck at making it. I have burned myself boiling water... that explains how awful I am. If it is a dessert than I have no problem with it. But anything else... no. I figured that the same issue could affect people when they brew. Knowing what goes in something doesn't always mean you are going to be able to actually do it. Plus I liked the idea of making it so that Draco could bounce ideas off of Harry when he gets stuck. Not to mention that Severus would like someone else to talk to about potions.
Any thoughts on this chapter? So most of you already knew that the first darkness was the Horcrux.
I again apologize for it being so short.
-XxTheDarkLordxX