Harry Potter and The White Queen (BP3)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
49
Views:
28,194
Reviews:
234
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
49
Views:
28,194
Reviews:
234
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Communion with Death
Chapter Number/Total: 13/49
Chapter Title: Communion with Death
Words: 4830 Words
Harry sighed and picked at the hem of his shirt nervously. "Are you sure there isn't another way we could do it that might not cause you pain?" he asked Draco, staring at the innocent-looking cup.
It had come time again to destroy another Horcrux and Draco, Harry, Hermione and Ron were all down in the training room, just to be safe. The Horcrux was sitting on a stool and Harry had just set a Cushioning Charm up so that if Draco flew back into the wall again, he at least wouldn't be hurt by that.
Draco was looking at the cup, his hand covering his mouth and his eyebrows furrowed. He walked around it in a circle, staring at it but somehow past it at the same time.
Harry raised an eyebrow, watching Draco. He wanted to ask what he was doing, but refrained because Draco seemed to be thinking.
Finally Draco stepped back, still frowning. "It looks ... different ... than the other one," he said slowly.
"It is different," said Ron. "This one's a cup."
"I think he means the soul piece, Ron," said Hermione with a sigh.
"What do you mean different?" asked Harry.
"The magic that put it in there is different," Draco said, "and there is nothing to open. It is something about the cup itself." He crouched down, looking at it again and just staring at it.
"How do we destroy this one then?" asked Harry, frowning. Draco was right. There wasn't any way to open a cup.
Draco began pacing again, his eyes glancing at the cup and then back down to the floor. "Stabbed the book with the tooth of the creature guarding it, opened the locket with Parseltongue and then burned the hair," he began reciting aloud. "A cup. A cup is to be filled and then emptied. The last one contained a piece of him. Not just his soul, but something more."
"Do we need to fill it with something?" asked Harry. "There's nothing inside to empty - well, there's the soul piece, but it's not actually filling the cup the way a cup is filled." Harry walked over next to Draco and stared at the cup as well, even though he didn't think there was anything he could do to help figure it out. He looked at the little badger engraved on it like Voldemort had done in the memory. He frowned. "You know ..." he said slowly, "when I first saw this cup in the memory, it looked ... more gold." He stared at the cup longer and nodded slowly. "Yeah, definitely looks a little reddish to me. Maybe it's just this light ...."
"It was yellow gold and it is now red gold?" Draco asked, looking at Harry and back at the cup.
Harry nodded. "Well, that's what it looks like anyway," he said. "Why? What does that mean?"
"Take away the gold and you have red, dark red," Draco whispered.
"I guess ..." said Harry slowly.
"What's that mean?" asked Ron, staring at Draco with a raised eyebrow.
"Blood," said Hermione quietly.
"Voldemort's blood?" asked Harry, standing up straight again.
Draco nodded. "So his blood has become part of the cup. How do we reverse it? Destroy it?"
"Well, that must be it," said Hermione reasonably. "We need to destroy it somehow. We can't catch it on fire like the last one. Do we try and destroy the entire cup?"
"He doesn't think like that," Draco said. "That is too 'direct' and not 'clever' enough for his ego."
"Well, is there a way to take the blood from the cup?" asked Harry. "You said something about it being filled and then emptied. You don't have to ... drink it or anything, do you?"
Draco closed his eyes, grimacing. "Yes," he said. "It sounds like his style."
Harry paled. "That sounds a lot worse than just getting blasted back into the wall," he said.
Ron made a disgusted face and Hermione swallowed, making a bit of a face herself.
Draco's mind was racing, thinking through the possibilities and their outcomes. None of them seemed good for him. This did sound a lot worse than the burn from last time. He schooled his features not to show his panic.
"Can't I just do it?" Harry asked, even though he knew it was an impossibility.
"No," Draco snapped, taking a deep breath before walking up to the cup and picking it up.
"Draco, wait!" Harry said, taking a nervous, jerky step forward. He didn't like this at all. "Are you sure?"
"Hermione," Draco said, "take Harry out of here, please. Just until ...."
"No!" Harry said immediately, scowling.
Hermione bit her lip and walked over to Harry laying a hand on his arm. "Harry, someone has to do it," she said quietly, frowning at him with sad eyes. "He's the only one who can have it pushed back out of him by you."
Harry still didn't want Draco to do it. "W - well, why do I have to leave the room?" he asked just as jerkily as he had walked.
Hermione looked to Draco, still frowning. "I think it might be painful," she said, tightening her grip on Harry's arm. "And you can't be in here to stop him."
"I need Harry to leave and Ron to stay," Draco said, not looking at him.
Ron nodded, looking determined.
Hermione began tugging lightly on Harry's arm. "Come on," she said quietly. "He'll be all right."
Harry's eyes widened. "Draco, what's it going to do to you?" he asked, voice a bit higher.
"Just come on, Harry," said Hermione, still tugging on him.
"I love you, Harry," Draco said, "but I can't talk to you about this. I need to do it quickly and get this over with." Before I lose my nerve, he thought.
"Harry, he'll be all right," said Hermione. She had pulled him to the door now.
Harry's breath had sped up slightly now. He looked at Draco but then squeezed his eyes shut and allowed Hermione to pull him the rest of the way out of the room.
She took his hand and led him down the hallway, his eyes still closed. "He'll be okay," she said again.
Draco turned to Ron. He realised he had never been alone with the other man before. "Can you help me do this? It won't be ... pretty," he said, looking directly into Ron’s eyes.
Ron stepped forward. "Yeah. What do I need to do?" he asked, looking at the cup warily.
"I think you are going to have to make sure I drink this," Draco said. "Do you remember what happened with Dumbledore and Harry in the cave? What he told him?"
Ron's eyes went slightly wide as he nodded slowly.
"My guess is that I ... won't want to finish. That it will hurt." Draco looked into the cup, wondering if the quantity would be same as the cup's size, hoping it was that small. He sat down, looking up at the redhead before he patted the floor. "I think it will be easier to control me if I am lying down," he explained and then removed his wand and handed it to the other man.
Ron nodded again and took Draco's wand from him. "So just make sure you keep drinking it? No matter what?" he asked, replacing his nervousness with determination again.
"Yes," Draco said. "I don't want to make Harry order me to do it. Just in case."
"Just in case what?" Ron asked, getting to his knees and pocketing Draco's wand.
"Sit with your legs crossed so I can put my head in your lap," Draco instructed. He frowned at the question. "I figure you are the one who could choose to let me die rather than get Harry killed. That's why you. So, you don't let me stop drinking. And you don't let him touch me if you think it will kill him, too. Understand?"
Ron took a shaky breath and nodded, crossing his legs.
Draco lay down straight out from Ron, with his head resting in the middle where the other man's legs crossed. He looked up at him. "My hair is long enough. You can use it to hold my head in place if you wrap your fingers in it." He smirked a bit at that. "I will lift the cup and start, but you may need to use your other hand to keep the cup in place."
If Ron was uncomfortable with Draco's head in his lap, he didn't show it - well, not too much anyway. He nodded and gripped Draco's hair, holding his right hand out to hold the cup if needed.
Draco took a deep breath and centred himself. He let his own magic reach out to that of the cup, feeling the pull as similar to that in the church. He brought it to his lips and was not really surprised when blood flowed from the seemingly empty cup and into his mouth. The taste ... was beyond awful and his fingers gripped the cup tight as he fought the urge to gag. Instead, he tried to imagine it was Harry he was swallowing and make his throat work. He gulped and found his mouth free for a moment as the thick liquid slid down his throat, feeling like it was scalding the entire way. He took a quick breath and would have screamed, but his mouth was full of blood again.
Ron watched with horrified eyes as Draco drank the blood from the cup. He brought his hand closer, ready to grab the cup if Draco couldn't hold it himself anymore.
Draco's hand was shaking as his throat spasmed, struggling not to swallow again. He opened his eyes, trying to tell Ron with them to help him.
Ron gripped Draco's hair tighter and tilted his head back as he took the cup and tilted that forward. It was obvious that he was trying to keep his fear hidden, but his eyes were wide and he was pale as he forced Draco to drink the blood.
Draco couldn't tell if there was a lot more blood than the cup should have held or if it just felt that way. The pain had spread out from his throat and stomach, feeling like ... well, like something was eating him from the inside out. He swallowed convulsively at the thick fluid that kept pouring into his mouth and he struggled to move, to get away. He couldn't take any more. His construct hand clawed at his throat as if he could somehow stop it there.
Ron hissed and gritted his teeth, keeping the cup pressed firmly to Draco's mouth. "Come on. You have to do it," he said. "Harry. Think of Harry."
Draco knew he was crying now. He could feel the tears streaming down his face and he felt himself breaking out in a sweat.
As Ron watched, Draco began crying blood. Blood seem to be dripping from his nose and ears as well. Even his fingernails on his real hand had started to bleed. Ron looked like he wanted to pull the cup away, but his hand was steady as he kept it pressed to Draco's mouth. He still had a firm grip on Draco's hair, keeping his head in place. He shut his eyes tightly, apparently not able to take the sight. "Just please drink it," he said through his teeth. "Just drink it."
Draco felt it when his throat stopped working, no longer able to swallow. He was literally drowning in the blood now. And he couldn't see anymore. He vision had clouded and was just a red haze.
When Draco stopped moving, Ron opened his eyes and gasped at the sight. He took the now golden cup from Draco's mouth, blood dripping from the rim of it onto his own hand. He looked at the blood all over Draco's face, still dripping from his eyes and nose and covering his hair. Ron's lap was soaked with it. He quickly got to his feet, Draco's head falling from his lap, and ran out the door. "HARRY!" he yelled, tearing through the halls. "HERMIONE!"
Hermione had taken Harry a few rooms down and she still hadn't let go of his hand.
He was just sitting there, scared to death and staring at the floor.
"HARRY! HERMIONE!"
Harry's head snapped up at Ron's voice and he jumped to his feet. His heart started pounding straight away and he ran to the door and out into the hallway, almost running straight into Ron. His eyes widened when he took in Ron's state. Pale, scared and bloody, so bloody.
Hermione gasped behind him.
"Draco! He - I don't know -" Ron babbled and Harry took off as fast as he could back to the training room.
He nearly passed out when he saw Draco lying on the floor, his pale blond hair stained red and his face, oh, God, his face, his hand, every part of his skin seemed to be bleeding.
Harry staggered over to him and dropped to his knees beside him, not knowing what to do. His hands flitted over his skin, over his face, trying to wipe the blood away.
"Oh my - Ron, what happened?!" came Hermione's terrified voice from the doorway.
"He told me to make sure he drank it all!" said Ron frantically. "I don't know why it's coming out like that!"
"What do I do?!" Harry yelled, eyes wide with panic, hands covered in blood now. "Draco, breathe!" he screamed, hardly able to breathe himself.
Harry looked to Hermione, tears starting to fall from his eyes. "What do I do?!" he screamed, shaking.
Hermione's eyes were filled with tears, too. "Harry - he's - he's dying," she gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "I don't know what's happening - he looks like he's hemorrhaging everywhere."
"No," Harry said, his entire body going cold. "No!" He was shaking and he couldn't make his lungs work right.
"Push it out of him!" Hermione cried. "You have to try! He'll die if you don't! There's no other possible way he's going to live!"
Without another word, Harry was tearing at Draco's blood-soaked trousers as fast as he could, not even really aware of the other two anymore.
He thought he might have heard a spell come from Hermione, but he didn't know and he didn't care. All he could think of was Draco.
He yanked the trousers down Draco's legs, still shaking uncontrollably, and then reached to pull his own down, not bothering with the fly and simply yanking them as hard as he could to get them off. His heart was beating faster than he thought it had ever done and he felt like he was going to die. He quickly spun Draco around to lie on his stomach and a strange terrified sound escaped his throat. Blood, everywhere.
He didn't prepare Draco and would not have been able to think of the spell for it in that moment even if he'd tried. He grasped Draco's hips, his fingers slipping in the blood, and forced into him, shutting his eyes so tightly he shook with the effort. The feel of the blood had him making that strange sound again and he gasped, not even able to breathe through his nose because of the smell of blood. He never wanted to see blood again.
Harry thrust into Draco, not feeling anything from him, not hearing his voice. Cold panic gripped him. He felt as though his insides had disappeared, like he was completely hollow, but he kept his hips moving, the only thing he seemed to be able to do. "Wake up, Draco!" he yelled, or at least tried to yell, he wasn't sure what came out. His fingers slipped in the blood again and he was breathing so quickly through his mouth, he didn't know when he was taking a breath in or when he was letting one out. Everything was meshed together and he felt like he was getting no oxygen at all. He'd never panicked like this in his life.
Draco couldn't breathe, his lungs wouldn't work and his throat didn't respond. He felt pain. That's all he felt, simple pure pain. No awareness of his body, just the pain like a red haze that made everything else impossible.
Harry kept thrusting, sobbing again now. Draco still wasn't responding, but Harry couldn't stop. "Please," he sobbed, his eyes still shut. "Please, don't leave me." And then he felt a hot, painful jolt up his spine and cried out. It sent his body rocking into Draco and then there was another jolt, the pain sharp, and Harry didn't know what it was.
Draco felt a sharpness in the pain, and in some weird way, it was a relief. It made the other pain more tolerable until the next stab of it. He felt his body rocking and then he realised he felt his body. It was far from a comfortable awareness as his lungs wouldn't work and his throat was clogged. With the next stab of pain, his lung seized and he coughed, spewing blood out his mouth and nose. He desperately tried to take a breath but found his lungs were still not working.
Harry could hear Draco and he nearly fainted with relief, but then there was another sharp pain and it felt like it jolted straight through his cock and it hurt. He gritted his teeth but he didn't stop moving, bearing the pain and determined to finish.
The next stab of pain purged the blood from his lungs. It was even messier than clearing his throat had been. He took a long gasping breath and then another. Air returning seemed to make it easier to feel the rest of his body and, well, it was not pleasant, but at least it was less disorienting.
Harry opened his eyes again and could see Draco starting to move and coughing up blood. It was an awful sight and he had to look away, but Draco was alive. He sobbed at that, unable to do anything else. He could feel the pain steadily growing worse and still seeming to leave him through one of the most sensitive parts of his body, but he didn't stop thrusting. There was no pleasure at all. It was like some sort of bizarre, painful orgasm was building up.
If there was a part of him that didn't hurt, Draco wasn't aware of it. Except that the pain itself felt like it was being pulled away or maybe it was being pushed out? There was relief in the pain and he reached for it, recognising the familiar feeling of Harry's magic. He felt his own magic reaching for it, like a rope thrown to a drowning man. He just hoped he wouldn't pull Harry under in the process.
Harry was crying out in pain with every thrust, but he was trying not to. His fingers were digging into Draco's hips as he tried to bear the pain, and he wasn't even aware that they were. If some sort of release didn't happen soon, Harry didn't know how much more he could take. The jolts were sharper now, and perhaps shorter, but stronger.
Draco's muscles and nerves came back in a rush of heat that made him gasp and claw at the stone floor. He could feel his lover thrusting into his body. It felt raw but it also brought waves of magic that tingled in a way that was closer to pleasure than pain. Then his hearing returned with a kind of pop and he groaned at the sudden wave of dizziness that came with it. That's when he heard Harry crying out. Draco tried to open his eyes but he couldn't see anything yet. "Harry," he tried to call out but only managed a kind of growl.
Harry shut his eyes again and could feel the pain cresting and he wondered if that meant he was somehow going to come. He didn't have to wonder long before he felt as if the strangest orgasm literally ripped through his body, painful fire in his veins as he yelled and gripped Draco tighter than ever.
Pleasure and pain mingled together as Harry surged into his body, his orgasm ripping a scream from Draco's lungs as well. He shuddered as it felt like his body was scoured clean of the putrid magic that had been destroying him. Draco shuddered and moaned, the remainder of his senses seeming to be on overload as they returned.
Harry gasped for breath and pulled out of Draco as quickly as he could, doubling up as, instead of pleasurable aftershocks, small shocks of pain went through him.
Draco dragged himself over to Harry, still slick with his own blood but no longer in pain. He wrapped his arm around his lover, pulling him close.
Harry let out a quiet sound of relief as he was pulled into Draco's arms, the pain finally subsiding, only an uncomfortable ache left over. He didn't open his eyes, feeling like he might be sick if he saw the blood right then. He continued to breathe through his mouth, tasting the smell on the air that way and he groaned quietly. He didn't say anything; not yet. He didn't think he would be able to.
Draco was crying, tears streaming down his already wet cheeks. It felt good -- a kind of cathartic release of pain and fear. When he had laid down and began drinking from that cup, he really didn't expect to wake again. Yet, here they were, both alive.
Harry finally opened his eyes when he thought it would be safe for him to and looked at Draco's blood-covered face. "Oh, God," he let out in a strangled voice, gripping Draco's shirt tightly. "Oh, God, you're okay," he said, using one hand to wipe at Draco's face.
Draco blinked, his eyes still not focusing well. He smiled weakly at Harry's words and touch. "Still here, love," he rasped in a voice that didn't sound like his but was still understandable.
Harry began to cry, still wiping at Draco's face, his other hand clutching Draco's shirt tightly as if that would keep him from harm. "Still here," he repeated, letting out a gasping sob.
"Yours." Draco smiled, feeling strangely euphoric after all that had happened. He was with Harry and he was alive. And he was no longer in pain. Nothing else seemed to matter.
Harry cried for a few minutes, just staring at Draco and touching him and unable to make himself think of how close Draco had come to dying. He was left shuddering and still aching afterwards.
Draco struggled to sit up, his muscles feeling weak but still working. He realised he was wearing nothing but a shirt and that he was covered in blood. His construct hand had fallen off and was laying in a large pool of blood. Along with the cup. He reached his hand out and tried to encourage Harry to sit up as well. "Harry, love," he rasped, "I need to see the cup."
Harry pushed himself up weakly, not looking anywhere near his lap. He knew what he would see there and he didn't want to look at it.
Draco gestured weakly toward the cup. "Need to see," he rasped.
Harry reached out and grasped the cup to give it to Draco, feeling very out of it. His head hurt now from crying and from the painful orgasm, and he felt queasy, too.
Draco looked at it and tried to test its magic. He felt nothing. It had changed colour, bright gold where it wasn't soiled with fresh blood. "It's gone," Draco said. He looked about. His vision was still blurred. "Others okay?" he asked.
Harry thought for a moment. "They weren't hurt, but I don't know where they've gone," he said sort of slowly, his voice quiet.
"It was that bad," Draco said. It wasn't a question. He wanted to reach out and hold Harry again but he was suddenly very aware of the state they were in.
"Yeah," Harry answered to Draco's non-question. "They should probably know that you're all right," he said, and then, without warning, he started crying again.
Draco suddenly felt helpless. He reached out to Harry, pulling him close regardless of how much blood he was smearing on him. "I love you and I am still here," Draco tried to soothe.
Harry took a gasping breath, trying to stop himself. "You were bl - bleeding - everywhere," he sobbed. "Her - Hermione said you were dying." He didn't know why that would matter. He'd pretty much known already that destroying the Horcrux would start to kill Draco, but he hadn't expected it to happen the way that it had. So horribly and gruesomely, bleeding from every part of his body.
Draco nodded, not really surprised. "His blood was poison, infected with that bit of soul," Draco explained. He didn't add that he had expected something like this.
"Leakey!" Draco spoke into the room and the elf appeared with a pop. It's eyes grew even larger than normal as it took in their bloody condition. "Master Draco!" it cried.
"Tell Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to come here as soon as possible," he told the elf, who nodded and disappeared again.
Harry shuddered and sniffed, wiping at his face with his arms so as not to get any blood in his eyes. He knew he should probably put his trousers back on, but he couldn't seem to make himself move.
Draco tried to get to his feet, but he was still too weak. He hoped the others would get here soon. He felt he needed to get Harry out of this room and cleaned up.
Harry pulled his knees up slightly to try and cover himself at least a little bit. He knew he probably wouldn't have been able to get his trousers on in enough time anyway. Sure enough, only a few more seconds went by and Ron and Hermione appeared with two loud cracks.
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth.
Ron was even paler than he had been before and maybe even tinged a little green.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked in a squeak of a voice, seeming to ignore their half-nakedness.
Harry simply nodded, looking up at her.
Draco nodded, too. "I think so," he rasped, "but we need some help. Can either of you do Cleaning Spells?"
Hermione quickly pulled her wand and began casting the charms, cleaning Harry, Draco and the room.
Ron slumped against the wall, staring at Draco with wide eyes and taking deep breaths.
Harry closed his eyes when Hermione began casting the charms and didn't open them until she was finished. He felt better when he finally looked at his hands again and saw no red there.
Draco looked at the redhead. "Thank you ... Ron," he rasped.
Ron swallowed and nodded, still breathing a bit heavily.
"Do you need help?" Hermione asked, eyes still wide with worry.
"I can stand," said Harry, trying to make his voice sound normal again.
Draco's eyes narrowed, noticing how pale Harry still looked. "Can you Apparate us to our suite?" Draco asked.
"Yeah, I think," said Harry, closing his eyes for another second and taking a single deep breath.
"Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything you need? Did it work?" Hermione asked quickly, voice still high.
"Yes, it worked," Draco said quietly. He handed the cup to her. "I think we all could use some rest," the blond said with a sigh.
Hermione still looked a little frightened. "If you really think you're okay," she said with a small nod.
Harry nodded silently.
"So you are okay?" Ron asked Draco, swallowing again. "There's nothing wrong with you?"
Draco thought about it a moment, trying to decide if the answer should be reassuring or honest. "I seem to be fine now," he said, "Tired, but intact."
Ron let out a large breath.
"Okay ... well ... you'll know where to find us if you need anything," said Hermione, glancing at Harry.
"Okay," said Harry, still obviously trying to sound like himself. "Good job, guys. That's another Horcrux down. I would just Apparate right now, but I need to move over to Draco and I don't have trousers on, so ...." The last thing Harry wanted was for Ron and Hermione to worry about him, but he still felt a bit sick and his head was still pounding.
"Oh," said Hermione quickly. "Oh, all right," she looked at him a bit confusedly, but it sounded like there was relief in her voice. "Come on, Ron." With one last look at Harry and Draco, she was gone with a crack.
Ron looked at Harry curiously and then followed after her with one last nod to them both.
Chapter Title: Communion with Death
Words: 4830 Words
Harry sighed and picked at the hem of his shirt nervously. "Are you sure there isn't another way we could do it that might not cause you pain?" he asked Draco, staring at the innocent-looking cup.
It had come time again to destroy another Horcrux and Draco, Harry, Hermione and Ron were all down in the training room, just to be safe. The Horcrux was sitting on a stool and Harry had just set a Cushioning Charm up so that if Draco flew back into the wall again, he at least wouldn't be hurt by that.
Draco was looking at the cup, his hand covering his mouth and his eyebrows furrowed. He walked around it in a circle, staring at it but somehow past it at the same time.
Harry raised an eyebrow, watching Draco. He wanted to ask what he was doing, but refrained because Draco seemed to be thinking.
Finally Draco stepped back, still frowning. "It looks ... different ... than the other one," he said slowly.
"It is different," said Ron. "This one's a cup."
"I think he means the soul piece, Ron," said Hermione with a sigh.
"What do you mean different?" asked Harry.
"The magic that put it in there is different," Draco said, "and there is nothing to open. It is something about the cup itself." He crouched down, looking at it again and just staring at it.
"How do we destroy this one then?" asked Harry, frowning. Draco was right. There wasn't any way to open a cup.
Draco began pacing again, his eyes glancing at the cup and then back down to the floor. "Stabbed the book with the tooth of the creature guarding it, opened the locket with Parseltongue and then burned the hair," he began reciting aloud. "A cup. A cup is to be filled and then emptied. The last one contained a piece of him. Not just his soul, but something more."
"Do we need to fill it with something?" asked Harry. "There's nothing inside to empty - well, there's the soul piece, but it's not actually filling the cup the way a cup is filled." Harry walked over next to Draco and stared at the cup as well, even though he didn't think there was anything he could do to help figure it out. He looked at the little badger engraved on it like Voldemort had done in the memory. He frowned. "You know ..." he said slowly, "when I first saw this cup in the memory, it looked ... more gold." He stared at the cup longer and nodded slowly. "Yeah, definitely looks a little reddish to me. Maybe it's just this light ...."
"It was yellow gold and it is now red gold?" Draco asked, looking at Harry and back at the cup.
Harry nodded. "Well, that's what it looks like anyway," he said. "Why? What does that mean?"
"Take away the gold and you have red, dark red," Draco whispered.
"I guess ..." said Harry slowly.
"What's that mean?" asked Ron, staring at Draco with a raised eyebrow.
"Blood," said Hermione quietly.
"Voldemort's blood?" asked Harry, standing up straight again.
Draco nodded. "So his blood has become part of the cup. How do we reverse it? Destroy it?"
"Well, that must be it," said Hermione reasonably. "We need to destroy it somehow. We can't catch it on fire like the last one. Do we try and destroy the entire cup?"
"He doesn't think like that," Draco said. "That is too 'direct' and not 'clever' enough for his ego."
"Well, is there a way to take the blood from the cup?" asked Harry. "You said something about it being filled and then emptied. You don't have to ... drink it or anything, do you?"
Draco closed his eyes, grimacing. "Yes," he said. "It sounds like his style."
Harry paled. "That sounds a lot worse than just getting blasted back into the wall," he said.
Ron made a disgusted face and Hermione swallowed, making a bit of a face herself.
Draco's mind was racing, thinking through the possibilities and their outcomes. None of them seemed good for him. This did sound a lot worse than the burn from last time. He schooled his features not to show his panic.
"Can't I just do it?" Harry asked, even though he knew it was an impossibility.
"No," Draco snapped, taking a deep breath before walking up to the cup and picking it up.
"Draco, wait!" Harry said, taking a nervous, jerky step forward. He didn't like this at all. "Are you sure?"
"Hermione," Draco said, "take Harry out of here, please. Just until ...."
"No!" Harry said immediately, scowling.
Hermione bit her lip and walked over to Harry laying a hand on his arm. "Harry, someone has to do it," she said quietly, frowning at him with sad eyes. "He's the only one who can have it pushed back out of him by you."
Harry still didn't want Draco to do it. "W - well, why do I have to leave the room?" he asked just as jerkily as he had walked.
Hermione looked to Draco, still frowning. "I think it might be painful," she said, tightening her grip on Harry's arm. "And you can't be in here to stop him."
"I need Harry to leave and Ron to stay," Draco said, not looking at him.
Ron nodded, looking determined.
Hermione began tugging lightly on Harry's arm. "Come on," she said quietly. "He'll be all right."
Harry's eyes widened. "Draco, what's it going to do to you?" he asked, voice a bit higher.
"Just come on, Harry," said Hermione, still tugging on him.
"I love you, Harry," Draco said, "but I can't talk to you about this. I need to do it quickly and get this over with." Before I lose my nerve, he thought.
"Harry, he'll be all right," said Hermione. She had pulled him to the door now.
Harry's breath had sped up slightly now. He looked at Draco but then squeezed his eyes shut and allowed Hermione to pull him the rest of the way out of the room.
She took his hand and led him down the hallway, his eyes still closed. "He'll be okay," she said again.
Draco turned to Ron. He realised he had never been alone with the other man before. "Can you help me do this? It won't be ... pretty," he said, looking directly into Ron’s eyes.
Ron stepped forward. "Yeah. What do I need to do?" he asked, looking at the cup warily.
"I think you are going to have to make sure I drink this," Draco said. "Do you remember what happened with Dumbledore and Harry in the cave? What he told him?"
Ron's eyes went slightly wide as he nodded slowly.
"My guess is that I ... won't want to finish. That it will hurt." Draco looked into the cup, wondering if the quantity would be same as the cup's size, hoping it was that small. He sat down, looking up at the redhead before he patted the floor. "I think it will be easier to control me if I am lying down," he explained and then removed his wand and handed it to the other man.
Ron nodded again and took Draco's wand from him. "So just make sure you keep drinking it? No matter what?" he asked, replacing his nervousness with determination again.
"Yes," Draco said. "I don't want to make Harry order me to do it. Just in case."
"Just in case what?" Ron asked, getting to his knees and pocketing Draco's wand.
"Sit with your legs crossed so I can put my head in your lap," Draco instructed. He frowned at the question. "I figure you are the one who could choose to let me die rather than get Harry killed. That's why you. So, you don't let me stop drinking. And you don't let him touch me if you think it will kill him, too. Understand?"
Ron took a shaky breath and nodded, crossing his legs.
Draco lay down straight out from Ron, with his head resting in the middle where the other man's legs crossed. He looked up at him. "My hair is long enough. You can use it to hold my head in place if you wrap your fingers in it." He smirked a bit at that. "I will lift the cup and start, but you may need to use your other hand to keep the cup in place."
If Ron was uncomfortable with Draco's head in his lap, he didn't show it - well, not too much anyway. He nodded and gripped Draco's hair, holding his right hand out to hold the cup if needed.
Draco took a deep breath and centred himself. He let his own magic reach out to that of the cup, feeling the pull as similar to that in the church. He brought it to his lips and was not really surprised when blood flowed from the seemingly empty cup and into his mouth. The taste ... was beyond awful and his fingers gripped the cup tight as he fought the urge to gag. Instead, he tried to imagine it was Harry he was swallowing and make his throat work. He gulped and found his mouth free for a moment as the thick liquid slid down his throat, feeling like it was scalding the entire way. He took a quick breath and would have screamed, but his mouth was full of blood again.
Ron watched with horrified eyes as Draco drank the blood from the cup. He brought his hand closer, ready to grab the cup if Draco couldn't hold it himself anymore.
Draco's hand was shaking as his throat spasmed, struggling not to swallow again. He opened his eyes, trying to tell Ron with them to help him.
Ron gripped Draco's hair tighter and tilted his head back as he took the cup and tilted that forward. It was obvious that he was trying to keep his fear hidden, but his eyes were wide and he was pale as he forced Draco to drink the blood.
Draco couldn't tell if there was a lot more blood than the cup should have held or if it just felt that way. The pain had spread out from his throat and stomach, feeling like ... well, like something was eating him from the inside out. He swallowed convulsively at the thick fluid that kept pouring into his mouth and he struggled to move, to get away. He couldn't take any more. His construct hand clawed at his throat as if he could somehow stop it there.
Ron hissed and gritted his teeth, keeping the cup pressed firmly to Draco's mouth. "Come on. You have to do it," he said. "Harry. Think of Harry."
Draco knew he was crying now. He could feel the tears streaming down his face and he felt himself breaking out in a sweat.
As Ron watched, Draco began crying blood. Blood seem to be dripping from his nose and ears as well. Even his fingernails on his real hand had started to bleed. Ron looked like he wanted to pull the cup away, but his hand was steady as he kept it pressed to Draco's mouth. He still had a firm grip on Draco's hair, keeping his head in place. He shut his eyes tightly, apparently not able to take the sight. "Just please drink it," he said through his teeth. "Just drink it."
Draco felt it when his throat stopped working, no longer able to swallow. He was literally drowning in the blood now. And he couldn't see anymore. He vision had clouded and was just a red haze.
When Draco stopped moving, Ron opened his eyes and gasped at the sight. He took the now golden cup from Draco's mouth, blood dripping from the rim of it onto his own hand. He looked at the blood all over Draco's face, still dripping from his eyes and nose and covering his hair. Ron's lap was soaked with it. He quickly got to his feet, Draco's head falling from his lap, and ran out the door. "HARRY!" he yelled, tearing through the halls. "HERMIONE!"
Hermione had taken Harry a few rooms down and she still hadn't let go of his hand.
He was just sitting there, scared to death and staring at the floor.
"HARRY! HERMIONE!"
Harry's head snapped up at Ron's voice and he jumped to his feet. His heart started pounding straight away and he ran to the door and out into the hallway, almost running straight into Ron. His eyes widened when he took in Ron's state. Pale, scared and bloody, so bloody.
Hermione gasped behind him.
"Draco! He - I don't know -" Ron babbled and Harry took off as fast as he could back to the training room.
He nearly passed out when he saw Draco lying on the floor, his pale blond hair stained red and his face, oh, God, his face, his hand, every part of his skin seemed to be bleeding.
Harry staggered over to him and dropped to his knees beside him, not knowing what to do. His hands flitted over his skin, over his face, trying to wipe the blood away.
"Oh my - Ron, what happened?!" came Hermione's terrified voice from the doorway.
"He told me to make sure he drank it all!" said Ron frantically. "I don't know why it's coming out like that!"
"What do I do?!" Harry yelled, eyes wide with panic, hands covered in blood now. "Draco, breathe!" he screamed, hardly able to breathe himself.
Harry looked to Hermione, tears starting to fall from his eyes. "What do I do?!" he screamed, shaking.
Hermione's eyes were filled with tears, too. "Harry - he's - he's dying," she gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "I don't know what's happening - he looks like he's hemorrhaging everywhere."
"No," Harry said, his entire body going cold. "No!" He was shaking and he couldn't make his lungs work right.
"Push it out of him!" Hermione cried. "You have to try! He'll die if you don't! There's no other possible way he's going to live!"
Without another word, Harry was tearing at Draco's blood-soaked trousers as fast as he could, not even really aware of the other two anymore.
He thought he might have heard a spell come from Hermione, but he didn't know and he didn't care. All he could think of was Draco.
He yanked the trousers down Draco's legs, still shaking uncontrollably, and then reached to pull his own down, not bothering with the fly and simply yanking them as hard as he could to get them off. His heart was beating faster than he thought it had ever done and he felt like he was going to die. He quickly spun Draco around to lie on his stomach and a strange terrified sound escaped his throat. Blood, everywhere.
He didn't prepare Draco and would not have been able to think of the spell for it in that moment even if he'd tried. He grasped Draco's hips, his fingers slipping in the blood, and forced into him, shutting his eyes so tightly he shook with the effort. The feel of the blood had him making that strange sound again and he gasped, not even able to breathe through his nose because of the smell of blood. He never wanted to see blood again.
Harry thrust into Draco, not feeling anything from him, not hearing his voice. Cold panic gripped him. He felt as though his insides had disappeared, like he was completely hollow, but he kept his hips moving, the only thing he seemed to be able to do. "Wake up, Draco!" he yelled, or at least tried to yell, he wasn't sure what came out. His fingers slipped in the blood again and he was breathing so quickly through his mouth, he didn't know when he was taking a breath in or when he was letting one out. Everything was meshed together and he felt like he was getting no oxygen at all. He'd never panicked like this in his life.
Draco couldn't breathe, his lungs wouldn't work and his throat didn't respond. He felt pain. That's all he felt, simple pure pain. No awareness of his body, just the pain like a red haze that made everything else impossible.
Harry kept thrusting, sobbing again now. Draco still wasn't responding, but Harry couldn't stop. "Please," he sobbed, his eyes still shut. "Please, don't leave me." And then he felt a hot, painful jolt up his spine and cried out. It sent his body rocking into Draco and then there was another jolt, the pain sharp, and Harry didn't know what it was.
Draco felt a sharpness in the pain, and in some weird way, it was a relief. It made the other pain more tolerable until the next stab of it. He felt his body rocking and then he realised he felt his body. It was far from a comfortable awareness as his lungs wouldn't work and his throat was clogged. With the next stab of pain, his lung seized and he coughed, spewing blood out his mouth and nose. He desperately tried to take a breath but found his lungs were still not working.
Harry could hear Draco and he nearly fainted with relief, but then there was another sharp pain and it felt like it jolted straight through his cock and it hurt. He gritted his teeth but he didn't stop moving, bearing the pain and determined to finish.
The next stab of pain purged the blood from his lungs. It was even messier than clearing his throat had been. He took a long gasping breath and then another. Air returning seemed to make it easier to feel the rest of his body and, well, it was not pleasant, but at least it was less disorienting.
Harry opened his eyes again and could see Draco starting to move and coughing up blood. It was an awful sight and he had to look away, but Draco was alive. He sobbed at that, unable to do anything else. He could feel the pain steadily growing worse and still seeming to leave him through one of the most sensitive parts of his body, but he didn't stop thrusting. There was no pleasure at all. It was like some sort of bizarre, painful orgasm was building up.
If there was a part of him that didn't hurt, Draco wasn't aware of it. Except that the pain itself felt like it was being pulled away or maybe it was being pushed out? There was relief in the pain and he reached for it, recognising the familiar feeling of Harry's magic. He felt his own magic reaching for it, like a rope thrown to a drowning man. He just hoped he wouldn't pull Harry under in the process.
Harry was crying out in pain with every thrust, but he was trying not to. His fingers were digging into Draco's hips as he tried to bear the pain, and he wasn't even aware that they were. If some sort of release didn't happen soon, Harry didn't know how much more he could take. The jolts were sharper now, and perhaps shorter, but stronger.
Draco's muscles and nerves came back in a rush of heat that made him gasp and claw at the stone floor. He could feel his lover thrusting into his body. It felt raw but it also brought waves of magic that tingled in a way that was closer to pleasure than pain. Then his hearing returned with a kind of pop and he groaned at the sudden wave of dizziness that came with it. That's when he heard Harry crying out. Draco tried to open his eyes but he couldn't see anything yet. "Harry," he tried to call out but only managed a kind of growl.
Harry shut his eyes again and could feel the pain cresting and he wondered if that meant he was somehow going to come. He didn't have to wonder long before he felt as if the strangest orgasm literally ripped through his body, painful fire in his veins as he yelled and gripped Draco tighter than ever.
Pleasure and pain mingled together as Harry surged into his body, his orgasm ripping a scream from Draco's lungs as well. He shuddered as it felt like his body was scoured clean of the putrid magic that had been destroying him. Draco shuddered and moaned, the remainder of his senses seeming to be on overload as they returned.
Harry gasped for breath and pulled out of Draco as quickly as he could, doubling up as, instead of pleasurable aftershocks, small shocks of pain went through him.
Draco dragged himself over to Harry, still slick with his own blood but no longer in pain. He wrapped his arm around his lover, pulling him close.
Harry let out a quiet sound of relief as he was pulled into Draco's arms, the pain finally subsiding, only an uncomfortable ache left over. He didn't open his eyes, feeling like he might be sick if he saw the blood right then. He continued to breathe through his mouth, tasting the smell on the air that way and he groaned quietly. He didn't say anything; not yet. He didn't think he would be able to.
Draco was crying, tears streaming down his already wet cheeks. It felt good -- a kind of cathartic release of pain and fear. When he had laid down and began drinking from that cup, he really didn't expect to wake again. Yet, here they were, both alive.
Harry finally opened his eyes when he thought it would be safe for him to and looked at Draco's blood-covered face. "Oh, God," he let out in a strangled voice, gripping Draco's shirt tightly. "Oh, God, you're okay," he said, using one hand to wipe at Draco's face.
Draco blinked, his eyes still not focusing well. He smiled weakly at Harry's words and touch. "Still here, love," he rasped in a voice that didn't sound like his but was still understandable.
Harry began to cry, still wiping at Draco's face, his other hand clutching Draco's shirt tightly as if that would keep him from harm. "Still here," he repeated, letting out a gasping sob.
"Yours." Draco smiled, feeling strangely euphoric after all that had happened. He was with Harry and he was alive. And he was no longer in pain. Nothing else seemed to matter.
Harry cried for a few minutes, just staring at Draco and touching him and unable to make himself think of how close Draco had come to dying. He was left shuddering and still aching afterwards.
Draco struggled to sit up, his muscles feeling weak but still working. He realised he was wearing nothing but a shirt and that he was covered in blood. His construct hand had fallen off and was laying in a large pool of blood. Along with the cup. He reached his hand out and tried to encourage Harry to sit up as well. "Harry, love," he rasped, "I need to see the cup."
Harry pushed himself up weakly, not looking anywhere near his lap. He knew what he would see there and he didn't want to look at it.
Draco gestured weakly toward the cup. "Need to see," he rasped.
Harry reached out and grasped the cup to give it to Draco, feeling very out of it. His head hurt now from crying and from the painful orgasm, and he felt queasy, too.
Draco looked at it and tried to test its magic. He felt nothing. It had changed colour, bright gold where it wasn't soiled with fresh blood. "It's gone," Draco said. He looked about. His vision was still blurred. "Others okay?" he asked.
Harry thought for a moment. "They weren't hurt, but I don't know where they've gone," he said sort of slowly, his voice quiet.
"It was that bad," Draco said. It wasn't a question. He wanted to reach out and hold Harry again but he was suddenly very aware of the state they were in.
"Yeah," Harry answered to Draco's non-question. "They should probably know that you're all right," he said, and then, without warning, he started crying again.
Draco suddenly felt helpless. He reached out to Harry, pulling him close regardless of how much blood he was smearing on him. "I love you and I am still here," Draco tried to soothe.
Harry took a gasping breath, trying to stop himself. "You were bl - bleeding - everywhere," he sobbed. "Her - Hermione said you were dying." He didn't know why that would matter. He'd pretty much known already that destroying the Horcrux would start to kill Draco, but he hadn't expected it to happen the way that it had. So horribly and gruesomely, bleeding from every part of his body.
Draco nodded, not really surprised. "His blood was poison, infected with that bit of soul," Draco explained. He didn't add that he had expected something like this.
"Leakey!" Draco spoke into the room and the elf appeared with a pop. It's eyes grew even larger than normal as it took in their bloody condition. "Master Draco!" it cried.
"Tell Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to come here as soon as possible," he told the elf, who nodded and disappeared again.
Harry shuddered and sniffed, wiping at his face with his arms so as not to get any blood in his eyes. He knew he should probably put his trousers back on, but he couldn't seem to make himself move.
Draco tried to get to his feet, but he was still too weak. He hoped the others would get here soon. He felt he needed to get Harry out of this room and cleaned up.
Harry pulled his knees up slightly to try and cover himself at least a little bit. He knew he probably wouldn't have been able to get his trousers on in enough time anyway. Sure enough, only a few more seconds went by and Ron and Hermione appeared with two loud cracks.
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth.
Ron was even paler than he had been before and maybe even tinged a little green.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked in a squeak of a voice, seeming to ignore their half-nakedness.
Harry simply nodded, looking up at her.
Draco nodded, too. "I think so," he rasped, "but we need some help. Can either of you do Cleaning Spells?"
Hermione quickly pulled her wand and began casting the charms, cleaning Harry, Draco and the room.
Ron slumped against the wall, staring at Draco with wide eyes and taking deep breaths.
Harry closed his eyes when Hermione began casting the charms and didn't open them until she was finished. He felt better when he finally looked at his hands again and saw no red there.
Draco looked at the redhead. "Thank you ... Ron," he rasped.
Ron swallowed and nodded, still breathing a bit heavily.
"Do you need help?" Hermione asked, eyes still wide with worry.
"I can stand," said Harry, trying to make his voice sound normal again.
Draco's eyes narrowed, noticing how pale Harry still looked. "Can you Apparate us to our suite?" Draco asked.
"Yeah, I think," said Harry, closing his eyes for another second and taking a single deep breath.
"Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything you need? Did it work?" Hermione asked quickly, voice still high.
"Yes, it worked," Draco said quietly. He handed the cup to her. "I think we all could use some rest," the blond said with a sigh.
Hermione still looked a little frightened. "If you really think you're okay," she said with a small nod.
Harry nodded silently.
"So you are okay?" Ron asked Draco, swallowing again. "There's nothing wrong with you?"
Draco thought about it a moment, trying to decide if the answer should be reassuring or honest. "I seem to be fine now," he said, "Tired, but intact."
Ron let out a large breath.
"Okay ... well ... you'll know where to find us if you need anything," said Hermione, glancing at Harry.
"Okay," said Harry, still obviously trying to sound like himself. "Good job, guys. That's another Horcrux down. I would just Apparate right now, but I need to move over to Draco and I don't have trousers on, so ...." The last thing Harry wanted was for Ron and Hermione to worry about him, but he still felt a bit sick and his head was still pounding.
"Oh," said Hermione quickly. "Oh, all right," she looked at him a bit confusedly, but it sounded like there was relief in her voice. "Come on, Ron." With one last look at Harry and Draco, she was gone with a crack.
Ron looked at Harry curiously and then followed after her with one last nod to them both.