Close Enough

NOTE: i know i am not up to my daily updating, but i\'ve been occupied with getting things set up for school. i shall be better, i promise you my minions. enjoy!

Ch 58 Pensieve

Shifting slightly I woke to find soft skin against mine instead of the fur I had been expecting. My eyes snap open and I see the sleeping face of my mate mere inches from my own. I am filled with happiness as I realize that Harry has turned back into his human form; this lasts a mere moment before I remember why we are in the infirmary, and why we are here in the infirmary in the first place. I am flooded with the sudden need to hear what my mate has to say, I need to hear him tell me what has happened. My mate had woken before, mumbling something about Granger being there before the attack. Which is impossible, I mean, she is Harry’s friend, and Harry was half delirious at the time when he said it.

“Harry…” I whispered softly, gently resting my hands on his body. “Time to wake up now, so you can tell me what happened.” My mate began to stir and his eyes fluttered open slowly revealing his bright green eyes. “Hi…” I breathed, smiling at him.
“Hey…” Harry said back, his eyes going slightly wide for a second before reaching his hand behind his back and grasping the fur he found there; he sighed in relief.
“Are you ready to tell me what happened before we found you?” I asked quietly, holding him close, searching his face for what he is feeling at this moment.
“No…” he shook his head, pulling away form me. Reluctantly I release my hold on him, allowing him to pull away and sit back against the wall absentmindedly stroking the leopard at his side.

“Harry, you need to tell us what happened. You are the only witness” Severus said from behind me, slowly approaching, Cord at his side.
“No… I can’t…” I watched as my mate began to rock himself slightly, pulling Cloe close to himself.
“Yes you can Harry. Tell me what happened so I can take care of it.” I said, sitting up and looking at him; struggling to stay calm. Harry just shook his head and closed his eyes, tears slowly leaking down his cheeks. At this my patience broke completely, “Harry.” I growled authoritatively, “Tell me what happened.” I could feel the bond tremble as I pushed on it gently, attempting to contact my mate though it. I could feel his hesitancy, his fear, his anger pulsing back at me as I pushed. “Tell me now!” I snarled, beginning to get very pissed off at my mate for not telling me.

“Draco!” Cord yells moving to sit on Harry’s other side, “Maybe trying to use force isn’t such a great idea, eh? I mean he has just been through a traumatic experience, we know that much at least. Why are you trying to pressure him?” she said, slowly wrapping her arm around Harry’s shoulders.
“I suppose you have a better idea?” I asked sarcastically. “I am going a little crazy here Cord, and you damn well know it!! How would you like to walk in on your mate, bound and injured, having no idea what happened to her or why, or who the bloody hell did it?? Huh? To have the one thing you wanted to protect more than any other come into harms way!! How would you feel after that?” I cried, burying my face in my hands.
“Draco, calm yourself.” Severus said from behind me, as he placed a hand on my slightly shaking shoulder. “I believe my Cordalina has an idea.”
“That I do father.” Cord said, my hands slid from my face and I looked at her helplessly. “Don’t worry, Draco, we’ll know soon enough.” Cord snuggled closely to Harry’s side, petting his hair slowly and spoke softly, “Harry, we need to know what happened…” Harry began to shake his head slightly, but she continued, “What if you didn’t have to tell us,” Cord shot me a look when I growled at her statement. That’s what this is all about, finding out what happened, how can she say that he doesn’t have to tell us! After glaring for a moment she continued, “What if you could just put what happened in a pensieve, and show us what happened.” At this suggestion Harry opened his eyes and looked at her skeptically.

“Just you.” he whispered softly, looking at the girl pleadingly. The words were so soft that if it weren’t for my super sensitive hearing I would not have heard them at all. I am appalled by the fact that he would say that. He is mine. How dare he not trust me to see what he would put in the pensieve.
“If that is what you wish.” She replied softly, looking up at me apologetically. At Cords reply I grew even angrier, I growled, stood quickly, pulled my shoulder out of Severus’ grip and stalked out of the infirmary. Once outside I slid down the wall opposite the infirmary and sat down staring at the closed doors. My thoughts raced: ‘Why wouldn’t he trust me enough to see his memories? Why does he trust Cord more than me? I’m his bloody mate!’


**********POV Change (Cordalina)**********

I look down at the slightly shaking boy under my arm, and then up at my father. I see his face harden as the door to the infirmary swings shut behind Draco’s retreating back. I know that Draco doesn’t understand his mate’s request, and that he is hurting right now, however I also know that we need to find out what happened to our Harry, because there are three very frustrated Vampires hungry for revenge. And I have a feeling that all of our patience is wearing thin with a lack of knowledge about the situation.

“Father, will you go retrieve a pensieve from Madam Pomfrey?” I asked, looking from my father back to Harry again. “The quicker we get this over with the better.” I shift my gaze to the leopard next to Harry. “Cloe, come back to me.” I watch as my mate shifts back into human form and I smile softly. “Will you get Harry’s wand for me? We’ll need it for the spell.” She complied quickly, slipping the wand into Harry’s hand which moments before had been slowly raking through her fur.
“Cord?” Cloe asked, suddenly looking at me curiously. “Why can’t you just smell out whoever did this on Harry?”
“It seems that they magically cloaked their scents. Besides, he was magically cleaned before they found him.” I replied, anger slowly boiling in my veins.
“Oh…” I watch as my mates face falls slightly, “Shall I go comfort Draco then?” I nod at her, and she leaves the room quickly. Yes I should have been able to scent out whoever attacked Harry, as should have Draco and my father. It is very frustrating to know that whoever did this was smart enough to do that; the spell to conceal one’s scent is not a simple one.

I am broken from my thoughts as father returns with the pensieve from Madam Pomfrey’s office. He carries it gently even though it is currently empty and clean for use; no residual memories from another to complicate matters. Not a word is spoken between the three of us as Harry mechanically raises his wand to his temple, removing what looked to be a long, thick, black ribbon with the tip, placing it into the basin and turning away. I glance to Harry as he slides out from under my arm and curls up on the floor as he slowly transformed back into the black panther.

My father and I share a look at the size, length, and color of the memory extracted from Harry’s mind. From these clues we can tell that he was gone longer than we thought, it was worse than we thought, and that something irreparable had happened. I look from the basin in front of me on the floor to my father standing a few feet away; his arms crossed tightly in front of his chest as he watched the memory swirl inside the bowl, glaring at it as though it was the cause of all of the problems in the world. In a moments notice I decide it is time and lean over the basin and I am gone.

*************Inside the pensieve***************

Just off to the side of where Harry’s rock is, I see Draco leave and watch Harry sit on the ground. I move slightly closer, only to be passed by five ghostly robed figures. They surrounded him menacingly, a handful of spells were cast and a portkey is activated and we are gone.

I stand in the corner of a small room I see Granger there, she sits on a conjured chair and spouts off about how Harry was meant to be a girl, and how Dumbledore decided he wouldn’t be strong enough. She listened as she explained in her own way that Harry should suffer as those around him did, and seethed as she blathered on about her own accomplishments and how she controlled Ron into doing those things to Harry, and how she controlled others as well.
I struggled against invisible bonds holding me in my place near the wall as four hooded figures enter. I watch Harry’s mouth move, watching his silent screams as his tears cascade downward. I think back to the part of the scene by the lake, and remember the binding charms that were placed upon him; tears slide down my cheeks as I imagine the amount of pain my dear Harry must be in at that moment.

As the faces are revealed I gasp as I recognize all of them. Dean, Seamus, Collin and Justin all remove their own clothing, before spelling off Harry’s. It is sickening to listen to them speak to him, their sweet nearly loving words, I wish I had my hands free to cover my ears from it. They touch him gently all of them, eight hands on his body, gently stroking his skin; I feel sick, but am unable to turn away. I realize now all of the things that made Harry so upset; his friend set him up, forced his other friends to attack him in the worst way possible. And the whole time, they coo and murmur to him like lovers, with soft sweet touches while one of them forces into him.
It lasts for hours, longer than I would have liked to witness. Each of his attackers enjoyed him at least twice. When finished, each of them slowly dressed; still speaking in the soft hushed word to the broken boy on the floor. Once they are all dressed they spell Harry’s clothing back on after a muttered cleaning charm before taking their leave. I watched as the tears still streamed down his cheeks from his now closed eyes. I think I am going to be sick.

***************Infirmary*****************

I land on the floor on my hands and knees, pain erupting from the points of contact with the stone floor. Quickly I stand and run to the nearest trash can, immediately loosing control and my lunch at the same time. My body shakes with the heaves of my stomach as I empty its contents into the waste bin before me, tears still rolling down my cheeks.
Cloe is by my side in an instant, holding my hair and rubbing my back. I struggle to compose myself, but it takes longer than I would have liked, knowing I have an audience. Once I have spat the taste from my mouth, and wiped my eyes of their tears I turn around, slowly as to not allow Cloe’s hands to leave my person.
“Find Granger. I want her blood.” I growl, giving Draco and my father both a meaningful look.
“So he wasn’t…” Draco didn’t finish the sentence, but began another, “Because we smelled..” this sentence I interrupted.
“Yes, unfortunately he was. However, they were not in control of themselves at the time. And if what the little bitch said is true they shall not even remember what has happened. I shall round them up myself. You find Granger.” I said as calmly as I could, slowly pulling away from Cloe and moving toward were Harry, still in panther form, lay on the ground. “Don’t worry, Angel, we shall take care of everything.” I say as sweetly as I can manage. “Cloe.” I say, drawing my mates attention.
“yes?” she asks, coming to stand beside me.

“I am leaving you here with him. It is probably best if you transform for the time being, it is complicated.” I see her nod out of the corner of my eye, and moments later the leopard joins Harry on the floor again. “We will hopefully return soon.” I called behind me as I swept out of the infirmary.
“Cord, what the hell did you see?” Draco yelled behind me as he ran to catch up. “I am his mate!!! I deserve to know who hurt him!”
“Draco… there is a reason why Harry didn’t want you to see what happened.” I sighed, slowing to an eventual stop. “What do you imagine happened to him after his little conversation with Granger? What did you smell when you entered that room?” I asked, looking ahead of me down the hall, instead of to my right at Draco.
“I don’t want to imagine what happened! And from what I smelled, I can imagine a lot!” Draco growled at me, “Does he really not trust me that much? That he wouldn’t trust me with this secret?!”

“This had nothing to do with trust. We needed to know what happened, however if you saw what I did it would be burned into your memory forever. You would not be able to forget. The situation would not be an assumption or an idea.. or even if you can convince yourself right now that you know what happened to him… a reality.. it would be REAL… horrifyingly, graphically real.” I finally look at Draco. “Do you even think for one second that Harry would be able to deal with the fact that you actually saw four ‘friends’ of his rape him? Do you suppose for a moment that he might be protecting himself and you by keeping that image out of your head?” I sighed, “I will have to live with the memory now Draco. But he is my ‘little brother’. He is part of my pack. And if there is anything I know about him, it is that he wouldn’t want you to see him any differently because of what happened.”

“He is my mate. He has nothing to fear.. only those who hurt him do.” Draco said in an angry whisper.
“Draco, do you know what I felt while I was in the pensieve? Fear. Sorrow. Desperation. And most of all regret. He regretted not being able to protect himself. Not because he was being hurt, but because he was regretful for not being able to protect what was yours, what he saved for you.”
“You mean, he was thinking about me while they…” I nodded and Draco’s face fell. “I will kill them.” He growled, “Who was it?”
“Draco, it was not their fault. In fact if their memories are restored of the event than they shall be little better than Harry, they too would have been victims of rape.” I sigh. “Draco, you need to find Granger. She is behind this. Go with my father.” I look over Draco’s shoulder making eye contact with the man in question. “I shall take care of the rest of them.” Draco was going to say something, but a hand on his shoulder from my father seemed to stop him. Both men nodded at me, and left the other way down the hall as I ran toward the great hall, where everyone should be having dinner.