They Left Him to Live

AN: Well, here it is! The last chapter! I hope you have enjoyed it! I can't wait to hear what you think.

Annie

~*~*~*~*~

Part Five

~*~*~*~*~


Harry had a two second warning before Draco Malfoy came storming into the room, and punched him hard in the face. The throw knocked Harry back and onto the floor.

“You fucking bastard!” Draco screamed. “YOU paid for all of this?”

Harry’s eyes widened, and opened his mouth. “Wha--?”

“You were the one?” Draco continued. “YOU? They had told me that the Ministry had paid for it!”

“Who told you that?” Harry asked, shocked. “I never--”

“I have enough money of my own!” Draco yelled angrily. “I could have paid for it myself!”

“But, you wouldn’t have done it!” Harry challenged back.

After a heartbeat pause, “How would you know, Potter?” Draco barked. “You don’t know me.”

“Oh, yes I do,” Harry countered. “Just like you know me well enough to know that I would’ve never paid for myself if I had thought I had already lost you!”

Draco stayed silent, body shaking in fury, as if he was trying to think of another argument.

“Admit it, Draco. If the roles had been reversed, you would have done the same for me!”

“No, I wouldn’t!” Draco shot back. “You mean nothing to me!”

“You’re a fucking liar! I saw you! I heard you what you said! I’m not stupid, you know!”

“WHAT?” Draco screamed.

“You had lasted longer than I ever would have!”

“What do you mean you SAW me?” Draco shrieked.

“I know I can never take back what I had said, or how I had behaved! Don’t you think I know that?” Harry insisted, tears threatening to escape. “You have every reason to hate me, but--”

“Yes, I do!” Draco snapped, but then took a deep breath to calm down. “But you know what? Your friends were right. This is all about your guilt. It has nothing to do with me or love.”

“WHAT? Who told you that?” Harry cried.

“And that’s the difference between us,” Draco finished, snarling.

“Who told you that? Did they come and tell you?” Harry asked, now furious.

Draco sneered at him. “What are you going on about, Potter?”

“They did, didn’t they?” Harry shouted. “I’ll fucking kill them!”

“Oh, you mean like the pathetic way you tried to kill yourself?” Draco mocked sarcastically.

“WHAT?” Harry screamed. “Who the FUCK has been telling you all of this?”

“Look, Potter. Our conversation is over. You can just--”

“No! Who fucking TOLD you?” Harry repeated explosively.

Draco scoffed. “Who told me ‘what’?”

“All of this!”

“Who?” Draco exclaimed furiously. “WHO? You fucking bastard! You show me all your fucking, pathetic memories, and now you act is if--”

“I didn’t show you those! You weren’t supposed to see those!”

Draco clenched his jaw. “Oh, really,” he drawled. “And I suppose the next thing you’re going to tell me is that it never happened?” Draco’s eyes turned cold and hard. “Fuck you, Potter. Get out.”

“No!”

Draco sighed exasperatedly. “What more do you want me to say, Potter?” Draco asked, annoyed. “That I love you? Well, I don’t! I never have! Now will you please get out and leave me alone?”

“No!”

Draco’s face contorted in disgust, and he turned to leave. “Fuck off, Potter.”

“Don’t you dare walk out on me!” Harry shouted at the top of his lungs.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turned around, and then dangerously began to advance on Harry.

“Don’t you dare--” Draco started accusing, pointing an angry finger at him.

“I can understand why you’re mad at me, all right?” Harry interrupted. “I’m madder at myself than you’ll ever be! But don’t you dare stand there and lie to me and tell me that you never loved me!”

“Potter,” Draco warned.

“No!” Harry snapped. “Don’t say it because I won’t believe you! I saw you! I saw what you had gone through! Three fucking months of torture at the hands of your father, and that it was your love for me that had kept you going!”

“WHAT?”

“And I was so much of a coward that I had believed lie after lie that I had been told! And then I had--”

Harry was silenced by another fist to his jaw. He landed on the ground again, and rubbed his cheek. When he looked up, Draco was leering down on him, looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him.

“Now, you tell me and you tell me now,” Draco began slowly in a low and hateful voice. “What did you mean when you said that you saw what had happened to me?”

Harry stared up at him in disbelief.

“Tell me!”

Harry got up slowly, watching Draco carefully. He narrowed his eyes.

“You tell me how you knew about my attempted suicide,” Harry asked evenly.

Draco's eyes flashed with outrage. “I saw it in your Pensieve! Now, you tell me how you saw--”

“I saw yours!”

“I didn’t give you my Pensieve!” Draco shrieked.

“Then how do you explain how I got it, you stupid git?” Harry countered.

Both of them stared at each other, breathing heavily, for the longest time; not knowing what to say next. Finally, Draco sighed, crossed the room, and sat down on the sofa. He hunched over with his arms resting on his thighs, and lowered his head, shaking it side to side. Harry carefully sat down next to him, desperately wanting to comfort him.

Draco sighed again. “Fucking Snape,” he whispered.

“What?” Harry asked softly. He wasn’t sure if he had heard him correctly.

Draco sat up enough to look into Harry's eyes. “Snape showed it to you, didn’t he?”

Harry frowned, and then nodded. “Yes,” he answered, confused.

Again Draco looked down and shook his head. “Bastard,” he mumbled. He looked back up at Harry. “That Pensieve was used for my acquittal,” he explained quietly.

Harry nodded with understanding. It all made sense now. He paused a moment, then asked softly, “Draco? What was in my Pensieve?”

Draco furrowed his brows. “You should know, you--”

“No, I didn’t,” Harry said, cutting him off.

“Well, what did you put in there?”

Harry took a deep breath. He stared at the ground to hide his blushed cheeks. “Us making love,” he whispered, glancing at Draco, who nodded. “You and Dumbledore… my anger towards you… me running after you...and…” He quickly glanced at Draco again, ashamed. “And all the lies Pettigrew and your father had told me.”

There was a pause, indicating that Harry was done.

“And?” Draco asked.

Harry looked confused. “And what?”

“That was it?” Draco asked, clarifying.

“Yes,” Harry said slowly. “What was else was in there?” he asked sincerely.

Draco thought a moment. “Well, there was you going to St Mungo’s and Gringotts…you talking with your friends… your attempted suicide…” Harry cringed, but Draco continued anyway. “You in the infirmary…you and your friends outside Gringotts, and…”

Draco stopped and Harry could hear him grinding his teeth.

“And what?” Harry prompted.

Draco suddenly glared at Harry. He stood up abruptly, and stormed across the room. He folded his arms tightly with his back to Harry. Harry got to his feet and walked over to him.

“And what, Draco?” Harry insisted.

Draco spun around. He marched over to him, and ripped apart Harry's shirt, showing Harry's scars.

“And that!”

Harry gasped and quickly pulled the sides of his shirt back together.

“That’s impossible!” Harry screamed. “I didn’t put that in there!”

“Then who did?” Draco spat back.

“I-I don’t know,” Harry stuttered.


~*~*~*~*~


A small-frame figure wearing a dark cloak stood hidden in the bushes, watching as a man limped away from a tall, tattered building. Once the man was completely out of sight, the small figure entered the building, and carefully started down the long flight of dingy stairs.

“Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing here?” a large man demanded.

The small figure lowered the cloak’s hood. “I want your memories.”

The large man laughed. “And what makes you think I’d give them to you?”

Hermione smiled. “Because you don’t want to go to Azkaban.”


~*~*~*~*~


Draco leaned towards Harry. “So how did it feel, Potter?” he snarled. “Did you enjoy having your flesh ripped off your body?”

Harry looked away, and shifted from foot to foot. He tightened his lips and remained silent.

“Oh, come on, Potter. You can tell me,” Draco hissed angrily. “Didn’t you just love the way that--”

“Stop it!”

Draco smirked and then narrowed his eyes. He grew furious. “Just what the hell were you trying to prove anyway?” he shouted. “Did you really think that you’d gain sympathy from me just because--”

“No! You weren’t supposed to find that part out!”

“Then what are you doing here?” Draco snapped.

“What?” Harry asked, completely baffled.

“Well, this is obviously your lame attempt to get back with me, so why the fuck were you stupid enough to maim yourself?” Draco asked, voice rising.

“W-what do you mean?” asked Harry nervously.

“Did you think it would make us even?” Draco shouted.

“No!”

“Then why the fuck did you do it?” Draco yelled, his voice growing louder with every word.

Harry’s face reddened and he looked away. “I didn’t,” he said above a whisper.

“What?” Draco demanded.

Harry turned his head and snapped, “I said I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did; I saw you!”

“You only saw it happen once! I…I couldn’t do it!” Harry paused to swallow. He closed his eyes. “I couldn’t…it …hurt so bad.”

“Well, once is all it would have taken,” Draco snarled. “Trust me, I know,” he mocked.

Harry could feel his throat tighten as he looked at Draco's angry eyes. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Obviously disgusted, Draco turned around.

“Get out, Potter,” Draco whispered.

Harry quietly walked closer, and stood behind him. “Draco,” he said softly, then reached out to touch him.

Draco spun around and pushed him away. He was crying.

“Draco, what’s wrong?” Harry gasped.

“Get out, all right?” Draco pleaded, his voice fragile and shaking. “Just go and find someone else who isn’t ... isn’t …”

Harry grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him gently. “Who isn’t what?” he demanded roughly.

Draco threw off Harry's arms. “Someone who isn’t useless, all right?” he spat.

Harry became furious. “You fucking bastard! Is that what you think of me?” Harry yelled. “You think that all I care about is sex? Well, fuck you!”

“I…”

“I want you, you stupid git! When are you going to get that into your thick skull?” Harry screamed.

Tears ran down Draco's face. “I just thought--”

“Well, you thought wrong!”

Draco hugged himself, and started shaking uncontrollably. Harry immediately went to him, and wrapped his arms around him.

“Shh,” Harry whispered, rubbing Draco's back. “It’s all right. It will be all right. You’ll see.”

Draco shook his head in Harry's chest. “No, it won’t.”

“Shh. Yes, it will,” Harry said soothingly.

They held each other tightly until Draco had finally calmed down enough to walk back into his room. They crawled up onto Draco's bed and lied down next to each other. Harry pressed Draco's back into his chest, and continued to stroke Draco's arm with one hand, whilst the other arm stayed wrapped around Draco protectively.

Minutes of silence went by.

Finally, Draco whispered, “Thank you, Harry.”

Surprised, Harry asked, “For what?”

“For showing me how my father died,” Draco replied, and Harry could hear a smile in his voice.

Harry chuckled softly. “I knew you’d like that.”

Draco leaned back into Harry’s chest until they could see each other properly. Immediately, Harry leaned over and kissed him gently. When they broke apart, Draco softly smiled and whispered again.

“Thank you.”

Harry smiled back, kissed him harder, and then squeezed Draco tight.

“Anytime.”

After another long moment of silence, Draco said, “You do realise that it was probably Granger who had put your memories together.”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t understand how she could have put in some of my memories when I didn’t even give them to her.”

“Well, wasn’t she there those times, though?”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “But not when I…well, you know. I wonder how she knew that.”


~*~*~*~*~


“Hermione, stop following him. He just wants to be left alone.”

“He’s going to do something stupid, Ron, I just know it.”

Hermione silently walked up to the Astronomy Tower, and quietly opened the door and snuck in. She gasped softly as she listened to Harry speaking out loud. A tear ran down her cheek.

Harry looked back up at the sky. “I can’t lose Ron and Hermione. I just … can’t.” Harry inhaled deeply. “Maybe they’ll have a chance if I’m…”

Harry climbed out onto the window ledge, not taking his eyes off the twinkling stars.

“Please, Draco, please. Come back to me,” he cried softly.

Hermione watched as her best friend stepped off the ledge.

“No!”


~*~*~*~*~


After another moment of silence, Draco smirked. “Remind me to kill Snape.”

Harry laughed. “Remind me to kill Hermione.”

Draco turned over and lay there face-to-face with Harry. He cupped his face, and placed a lingering kiss on Harry's lips. It felt so good to have Harry back in his arms. He was still angry at Harry, but after being shown all the lies Harry had been told, he could kind of see why Harry had behaved the way he did. Draco wondered what he would have done if he had been in Harry's shoes.

As if reading Draco's mind, Harry whispered, “I’m so sorry, Draco. I’ll never doubt you again.”

“You better not,” he replied, and then pinched one of Harry's nipples hard.

“Ouch!”

Draco laughed, but then gasped when Harry leaned down to kiss him again with so much passion. Instinctively, their hands were all over each other. Draco had missed this so much.

Suddenly, a fire came over Draco. For the first time in four months…

He had an erection.

Suddenly, Harry pulled away and frowned.

“What is it?” Draco asked, afraid he had done something wrong.

“I still don’t understand how Hermione could have put our memories together.”

Draco smirked and shook his head.

“Shut up, you stupid Gryffindor, and kiss me.”


~*~*~*~*~


“And I care, why?” Professor Snape drawled.

Hermione scoffed. “Because you care about Draco and I care about Harry. And because it’s the right thing to do.”

“The right thing to do is--”

“Will you help me, or not? I can’t do this on my own!”

Snape thought a moment. “Only if I can add something to it.”

“Deal.”


~*~*~*~*~


End

Roedhunt
2009