All that could be heard throughout Number 12 Grimmuald Place was the screeching of that stupid portrait.
"BLOOD TRAITORS, FILTH! I AM DISGUSTED! I AM REVOLTED! I DEDICATE ALL MY LIFE TO THE PURITY OF THIS FAMILY AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET!"
Harry yanked the curtain in front of the portrait closed. Silence filled the air. He travelled back up the staircase to Draco's room.
Draco was sat up on top the covers, his legs cross crossed. He was focused intently on his sketch pad, his face close to the paper. He looked up to Harry when he came in, a lopsided smile on his face.
"Thanks for stopping that awful screaming."
"Of course." Harry smiled and hopped in the bed beside Draco.
Draco wasn't safe to go home any longer, so he came with Harry to Grimmuald Place. Harry had inherited Grimmuald place from Sirius. Harry was glad to be able to leave the Dursley's after only having to stay there for a week. He was especially glad to be able to spend all his time with Draco.
Draco set down his sketch book and pencil on his floor and scooted closer to Harry, wrapping his arms around him.
Draco was cold. It wasn't just his hands anymore. The cold seemed to have spread through his arms and his face. It was Summer. Draco's cold skin cooled Harry down when he lay with him. But it concerned Harry. A lot.
Draco played with Harry's hair and Harry closed his eyes. Draco was gentle, and he hummed softly. Harry didn't recognise the tune.
Draco's chest was still warm. His heart beat strong. Harry's breathing was relaxed as he just lay against Draco, his mind calm. Draco and him were content.
Then he heard screeching again. Harry sighed.
"Ah, that fucking portrait." Draco cursed.
"I'll go and close it again. It'll only take a second."
"Ah can I have a kiss before you do?" Draco asked. Harry smiled and gave Draco a quick kiss before heading down the stairs.
By the time he got there, though, the screaming had stopped and the curtains were already closed over the portrait. In front of the portrait was Mrs. Weasley accompanied by Ron and Hermione.
Mrs. Weasley held a pot in her hands. Harry wondered why she didn't just use magic. But she had been quite absent minded lately.
"Hello, Harry dear, we're sorry to startle you. We've just came to say hello."
Mrs. Weasley came to check up on Harry as often as she could. She constantly asked Harry why they wouldn't stay with them. Harry always told her that it was how he coped with Sirius's death. That he needed to be there, to find out more about him. And that was partly true. Mrs. Weasley would tell him it was unhealthy. That he needed to be around other people.
"I have Draco with me." Harry would say. Harry knew that if she could have a say, she would bring him back to the burrow in an instant.
Hermione greeted him with a hug.
"How are you doing Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I'm alright." Harry said sheepishly. He looked to Mrs. Weasley. "Would you like some help with that, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked her, looking at the pot.
"Oh thank you Harry, it's chicken and rice- I know you guys probably don't get as good food from Kreature." She said, handing him the pot.
Harry set it down in the kitchen before quickly traveling back upstairs to tell Draco they were here. Draco reluctantly got up and traveled with Harry downstairs, using Harry's arm as support.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Draco straitened his posture and went to greet the three of them.
"Hello Granger, Weasley." He nodded. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Weasley, how are you?" Draco asked politely.
"Oh, very well, dear. Thank you." Mrs. Weasley gave a warm smile. "I brought you two some home cooked food for dinner. I'm afraid I can't stay for long- the Order's scheduled a meeting today so more people should be popping in shortly."
"Thank you, the food looks delicious." Draco said with a smile. He sure knew how to charm people.
Soon enough people bustled through the door and Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione went upstairs to Draco's room. Draco sat at the edge of his bed, and Harry sat next to him.
"So what's new?" Ron asked.
"Ah nothing, just declining rapidly into an ailing state and counting down the days to my inevitable death." Draco replied casually. Harry frowned and looked down.
"Oh, Harry, don't look like that, I'm sorry... But it's true though. I haven't been looking any better, have I?"
Harry didn't answer. Draco most certainly was not looking better. He was thinning and constantly tired. He was weak and he couldn't get up or down the stairs without assistance. He'd often get violent shivers out of no where, and he'd occasionally get dizzy spells that lasted for an extended amount of time. He was looking far from better. He was dying.
"I've been researching more about the curse..." Hermione began.
"Oh, enough. I thought we had stopped going on about a counter curse. It's just a waste of time." Draco snapped. This was the third time Hermione had brought it up. Draco didn't know that Harry too was looking for a counter curse. He couldn't bare to sit around and do nothing as he was slipping away from him. So soon after Sirius too... Harry squeezed his eyes shut.
"Is it so wrong to want to try and help you?" Hermione argued.
"I don't want to talk about the curse anymore! You could be focusing your time on better things, instead of obsessing over this stupid curse! Maybe, I want to talk to you about things other than that blasted curse. Maybe, I don't want everyone to get their hopes up before it all gets torn away from them! I hate the fucking thing, I hate talking about it!" Draco's voice raised. But Hermione didn't back down.
"Does it not occur to you that researching this could save your life? We want you to stay alive." Hermione's voice was raised too.
"There is no fucking counter curse! We've researched for months. Don't you get it?! I'm going to die just accept that!"
"But-!"
"Get out! All of you, just leave!" Draco said furiously. "Since you can't seem to let the subject go, just leave!"
They all froze.
"Just go!" Draco said, infuriated. Hermione got up and left the room, followed quickly by Ron. But Harry didn't budge.
"Are you deaf, Potter?!"
"Draco. Don't yell. Please." Harry requested calmly. Draco regained himself immediately, giving Harry a look of sorrow.
"I- I'm sorry" Draco sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry. I over reacted."
"If want me to leave... I'll give you space." Harry told him.
"No... Please stay. You bring me back down to Earth." Draco told him.
" I'll stay." Harry got up and closed the door before returning to sit down again with Draco.
"I'm just so- scared." Draco admitted. "Everyone obsessing with finding the counter curse- it makes it seem so much more real. It's actually happening. And it's coming so soon..." Draco put his head in his hands. He was trembling slightly. Harry came closer to him and put his arm around Draco. Draco embraced him and nestled his face into Harry's shirt and sobbed quietly.
"I'll always be here for you." Harry whispered softly to him.
"I need to apologise to Hermione." Draco muttered, his voice still quavering. His eyes were red and his face tear streaked.
"She'll understand." Harry assured.
"I'm such an idiot..."
"No- you're not"
Draco hurried his face into Harry's shirt again, keeping him close.
...
Draco was becoming almost completely bedridden. He was getting sick, and couldn't keep down more than two meals a day. He was deteriorating in front of Harry's eyes.
"I'm fine." Draco would pass off.
"If you're fine, then go ahead and walk down those stairs by yourself without Harry's help." Hermione challenged.
"... I'll do it later..."
"That's what I thought." Hermione said, looking down and biting her lip. Draco didn't get up to prove her wrong. And that's how Harry was certain everything was going downhill.
Mrs. Weasley became confused on why Draco never came down to greet them anymore as usual. Why he was always taking a nap when they got there.
"He's just gathering his energy for when he has to leave." Harry said. They'd told her that Draco was scheduled to leave the country on the 31st, to go into hiding.
Mrs. Weasley's visits became less frequent and the Order was having problems with the ministry.
"I'm really sorry Harry, I can't come on your birthday. But I'll throw your birthday Party the day before. It's just that Arthur is having problems at work..." Mrs Weasley frowned.
"Oh you don't have to throw a party Mrs. Weasley. I know you all are busy and I don't want to trouble you. I don't really celebrate my birthday that often anyways."
"Nonsense, Harry. 16 is a very important year. I'll bake a cake and I can invite a few of your friends over."
"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said genuinely.
Harry had small hope that maybe he'll find a counter curse before he ran out of time. But that hope was continuing to diminish. Harry found it hard to stay positive.
As the 31st neared around the corner and Harry's panic grew. Time was going to fast and Harry yearned to slow it down.
One morning as Harry was getting a glass of water, he could've sworn he saw something flicker in the empty fireplace. He knelt down and stared at it suspiciously. After a minute of nothing, Harry decided it had been a trick of the light. But then he fell backwards when the fireplace became engulfed in blue flames. The flames quickly vanished.
Harry stood up and cautiously looked into it. Laying in the ash was a book. And in the blink of an eye, it was open. Harry hastily picked it up and read inside it. His heart jumped.
He kept his hand on the page, and ran up the staircase. He burst into Draco's room.
"I've found the Counter curse."