Careless Whisper

12.16.03

Disclaimer: Still not mine, still jealous.

A/N: Wow, there are a lot of literary references in this chap. Let’s see, I took from The Princess Bride, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Madame Swetchine, Margaret Bonnano, Runaway Bride, and Nora Roberts. In that order. If you ever want to know what direct quote I’m talking about or who goes with what, just email me and I’ll let you know.

Careless Whisper
Ch 7 – Ain’t no Sunshine


Draco tackled the thing that was his mother and yelled for Ron. “Ron! Get in here! Quick!”

His mother was fighting back ferociously with the force only a madwoman could muster. The tussle looked more like a catfight than a wrestling match. Narcissa clawed, bit, yanked at hair, attempted anything to force the blond man off her.

Not wanting to hurt her, the Slytherin was trying to fight as gently as he could. Finally managing to get her into a headlock, he snuck a glance to assure himself that Harry was still alive. To his relief, the raven-haired man remained the same as he had been, although there was a severely scorched mark on the wall just to the left of his hospital bed.

Ron came in and, dodging spells and hexes, managed to remove the wand from the crazy woman’s hand. Panting, the witch seemed to return to her own senses. Ron, however, pulled out his own wand and placed a body-binding spell on the woman.

Tears streaming down her face, Narcissa looked at her son with pleading eyes. “Draco, darling, my baby boy…What have I done? Oh Merlin, I’m so sorry. Please help me…” she continued mumbling for some time.

Neville entered the room and gave her a sedative potion to drink. “That will make her sleep, at least for a few hours. Perhaps we should admit her, she seems disturbed,” Neville offered, eyeing Draco cautiously.

The dragon’s ferocity faded, Draco returned to his lover’s side. Scowling at Neville, he spat his answer. “She’s not disturbed, you fucking git. She’s possessed. My bastard father placed some sort of binding spell on their wedding rings. She is only doing what he wants her to. Putting her in this Merlin-awful place won’t help her any more than it’s helped the Golden Boy here,” he said, clearly taking out all his hostility on Neville.

Neville shrugged and left the room, eyeing Ron. Ron nodded and understood the task ahead of him. Walking over, he sat next to his former enemy. “So, Ferret, care to tell me what’s going on?” he asked tentatively.

“No, Weasel, I really don’t care to enlighten you but I suppose I haven’t got much choice, now, do I?” Draco paused and then continued in a more subdued manner. “Sorry, Ron, it’s been a stressful few days. Harry’s dying, my mom is responsible because it never occurred to her to take off her wedding ring, and I have no idea what to do to bring either of them back…”

Draco’s shoulders sagged and the red head thought he might have seen a tear. Turning to allow the blond some privacy, Ron withdrew from the room after giving the blond an encouraging pat on the back.


*****


The Slytherin returned to his still sleeping Gryffindor. Taking Harry’s hand in his, he began to speak.

“Harry, why won’t you come back to me? I’ve been thinking of us a lot, lately. Thinking about all the things you’ve done for me and how I just took it all for granted.

“Do you remember the time you brought home that kitten you found in the dumpster? She was so cute, a little grey tabby. You called her ‘Aloysius’ and babied her to death. Then I made you get rid of her. I was jealous, jealous of a cat. Babe, if you wake up, I’ll by you ten cats. Just come back to me.

“You remember all those times you would take me out to dinner and act as though it was our first date? I used to be embarrassed because of your physical affection in public. I didn’t want to flaunt our relationship, but you said when you love a person, you want to show the world. I wish I’d been a more willing participant.

“Harry, please wake up. I want to feel your lips against mine. I want to taste them. I want to make love to you. I want to listen to you the way I never took the chance to in the first place. How can I bring you back to me, Harry?”


*****


Harry had felt a presence, a danger, which had passed just as quickly as it had come. He had the distinct feeling that Draco had saved him from whatever danger it had been. But then there was also the nagging thought that the danger would return.

Draco was back, talking to him. Harry listened quietly. Everything Draco said was true, and even further proof that he had no love left for Harry.

Harry remembered bringing home Aloysius. She had been beautiful. She adored that damn Slytherin even more than she liked him. He remembered watching the cat and man on the couch, the grey of the cat complimenting Draco’s silver eyes perfectly. Harry came home from a trip out one day only to find that Aloysius was no longer there. Draco had given her away to an elderly woman on the street. Harry had been furious. Draco bringing that up now was like salt on an open wound and only made Harry bleed on the inside.

And of course there were all the times the overly shy Slytherin had shunned him in public: ducking out of his embrace, shoving him away, turning from a kiss. Each of those actions had hurt the Golden Boy deeply, but not nearly as much as hearing his lover address them in turn.

If Draco wanted him dead, why didn’t he just say so? The Boy-Who-Lived only wanted to give up and turn his back on a world with any reminders of Draco, but he didn’t know how. Harry was stuck. He didn’t really want to die, but he wasn’t ready to find his way back to the land of the living.


*****


Draco slumped back in his chair, eyes tired and strained from his long hours awake. Stretching his legs, he walked out into the hall to Ron and Hermione.

The bushy haired witch addressed him, “How’s it going in there?”

“Not good. I don’t know how to reach him. He’s there, I can feel it. I just don’t know what it is that he needs to hear right now. I’ve told him I love him. I talked about all the wonderful things he’s done for me. I’m going to check on Mother,” he said as he left in search of Neville.


*****


Neville was standing behind the nurses’ counter when Draco approached.

“Neville, I owe you an apology. I know that you meant well and I am sorry I snapped at you. My whole world just seems so dark right now. Without Harry, I guess I’m just lost. It just took me nearly a year to realize that.

“Anyway, can you tell me anything about my mother?”

Neville smiled sadly at Draco, understanding what the man meant. Neville had felt like there was no light in his life since the death of his fiancé in the final battle against Voldemort. Ginny Weasley was only one of countless victims that day.

“Well, Draco, medically there is nothing wrong with your mother. Even though both of the aurors are here, I haven’t had a chance to ask either one of you to check her out, so I did the next best thing,” Neville paused for emphasis, “I got Dumbledore.”

The weight on the silver-eyed man’s shoulders seemed to lessen slightly. He released a sigh of relief. Following Neville, he entered his mother’s room.


*****


“Ah, Draco, my boy, good to see you again. Mr. Zabini said to tell you thank you. It appears you have taken quite a burden off the young man’s shoulders. I can only imagine carrying whatever guilt he must have been feeling for nearly a year. Now, let’s talk about your mother,” Dumbledore said with the ever-present twinkle in his eye.

Draco nodded, wondering how the old wizard always seemed to know everything. “Well, sir, what do you think?”

At this Dumbledore frowned. “Draco, how much do you understand about potions? Silly question, I forget that you were under Snape’s tutelage. It seems that, although the sleeping draught Narcissa ingested a short while ago may help her, it only further served the purpose of this binding spell that Mr. Malfoy has on her. You see, when she is asleep, and Mr. Potter is asleep, he is free to wander from mind to mind. It helps though, that they are in such close proximity, of course,” the old wizard said sagely.

“Well, we’ll just move Mother back to the Manor so that she is no longer near Harry,” Draco offered.

Dumbledore, however, was shaking his head. “I’m sorry, my boy, it simply isn’t as easy as all that. You see, if we were to move Narcissa, then Mr. Malfoy’s spirit could very well be stuck inside Mr. Potter. Since he doesn’t have the bond with Mr. Potter, it would destroy Mr. Malfoy, but at the same time, it would destroy Mr. Potter. No, what we have to do is get Mr. Potter to wake so that Mr. Malfoy’s spirit is forced back into Narcissa.” The white-haired gent said this as though it were the easiest thing in the world.

Frowning, Draco said, “But Professor Dumbledore, sir, I’ve been trying to get Harry awake. It doesn’t seem to be working. I keep talking about all the things he did for me that I took for granted…”

Smiling, Dumbledore said, “No wonder he isn’t awake yet, my boy. He already knows all that he’s done for you. He simply needs to be reminded of all you’ve done for him.”

Draco found himself being ushered out the door the whole time thinking to himself, Oh sure, why didn’t I think of that in the first place? Damn smart-ass old wizard.


*****


Harry involuntarily stiffened as he felt the presence of someone else in the fog. Looking all around him, he saw nothing, but years of being targeted by Voldemort had honed his sixth sense.

“Who’s there? Drey? Is that you?” he called out.

There was a sinister laugh that the green-eyed man recognized but couldn’t quite place. Then he had a voice to go with the laugh and recognition was instant.

“’Dray’, is it? Cute, Potter. I should have known that insipid prat I called a son would choose filth like you to couple with. I always suspected he had an unnatural fondness for boys, but this I never would have expected. The Boy Wonder himself, hmmm? Fascinating,” the voice droned.

“Malfoy,” Harry said matter-of-factly. “What the hell are you doing here? Draco killed you in the final battle. I saw you die with my own eyes.”

“Tut, tut, Potter. You should have learned by now, never believe all of what you see, especially in the wizarding world.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dreary place you’ve got here, Potter. Tried to off yourself, did you? Glad to see things worked according to my plan. Only fault is that you didn’t succeed.

“You see, you insolent piece of filth, I had a grand scheme. Back when that bitch I married was still naïve, I placed a binding spell on her wedding band. She was bound to me even after my death. Nothing like a bit of dark magic to ensure your survival long after your death.

“See, this way, I could control her and have her do my bidding. It was ingenious really. I’ll be greater than Voldemort ever dreamed of being once I get you out of my way. Pity I can’t do it here though. You’ll be dead, of course, but so will I. Don’t fret though, pet, I’m sure things will work out in the end…for me, that is,” Lucius Malfoy finished with that evil snicker of his.

Harry glarnto nto the darkness where the voice appeared to be coming from. “You’ll never win, Malfoy. There isn’t anyone left to follow you. They’re all dead. You’ve got no one left elp elp you. Besides, Draco won’t let you take over the world, I know it,” the Gryffindor called out.


*****


That very same Slytherin entered Harry’s hospital room just thenfindfind Neville, Ron, and Hermione surrounding his bed, watching the monitors going haywire. Rushing forward he asked what was happening.

“He seems stronger. His pulse is stronger; his brainwaves are as active as someone who’s awake. I just don’t know how to explain it,” Neville said.

Draco squeezed in and grabbed Harry’s hand. “I do. Lucius Malfoy is in his head,” he said vehemently looking at the others.

“Harry, Harry, can you hear me?” Draco asked.


*****


Harry had circled around trying to find the source of Lucius’ voice. Draco called out to him as well. Harry smiled and spoke to the monster inside his head.

“I’m not giving up. I won’t let you bring pain to anymore innocent people,” he called out.

The thing that was Lucius laughed. “Silly boy, don’t you know? Life is pain.”

Draco’s voice cut in. “Harry, whatever he says, don’t listen to him. I love you. I always have.”

“Stupid boy. You don’t really think that my son could possibly love you, do you? Oh, that’s so sweet. You mean nothing to him. If he loved you so much, why was he in the arms of the one person he knew would hurt you the most? Why did he go to Oliver Wood?”

Harry put his hands over his ears and started spinning in a circle. The voices wouldn’t go away. Draco was telling him what he wanted to hear, yes, but how could he be sure it wasn’t his imagination? Or that Draco wasn’t doing his father’s bidding? And Lucius…his voice only seemed to be getting louder and louder the more Harry tried to shut it out. Finally, the man let out a scream.


*****


The four who had been leaning in, intent on the internal struggle, nearly jumped out of their skin when Harry let out a scream.

Recovering, Hermione peeked out from behind Ron. “Is he awake?” she asked hesitantly.

Neville shook his head. “No, but it certainly is a good sign. Draco, whatever it is you’re doing, keep doing it. But I’m not leaving,” he said leaving no room for argument.

The Slytherin nodded and grabbed Harry’s hand again as he started to speak.


*****
HarrHarry felt a squeeze to his hand but looking down, he saw nothing. He felt Draco’s presence and voice more than anything else.

“Hey, good lookin, I need to talk to you. Just focus on my voice. Ignore whatever that bastard of a man that fathered me is saying to you. I’m here. My voice is the only thing you need to concentrate on.”

Oddly enough, it worked and Lucius’ voice faded to a whisper, although he never quieted.

“You remember the time you got sick from playin thn the snow with the kids down the street? Your fever was so high, I was terrified. I covered you with blankets. I made you chicken noodle soup. I even carried you to the bathtub and read to you when you were too weak to hold a book. And you know I hate that crap you read. Still, I did it for you.

“It’s time for a confession, Harry. Pay attention to everything I say. You have always been the only thing necessary to me in life. It is because of you that I joined the Order. You are the reason I fought against everything I had ever been taught. I did it all because of the love I felt for you. You softened me. You made me a better man. I guess it’s true what they say: ‘To love deeply in one direction makes us lov loving in all others.’ Harry Potter, you are solely responsible for the man I am today and for that I am eternally grateful.

“Harry, it’s only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis. Please, wake up so I can live happily ever after with you.”

A smile tugged at Harry’s face and looking around, he could see that the fog surrounding him had begun to lift. He could see the forest surrounding him, the blue sky through a mist. Laughter bubbled up from him as he thought how very cliché it was that birds were beginning to chirp in the trees.

More determined, Harry squeezed the invisible hand holding onto his.


*****


Draco felt the hand squeeze his and smiled at the others. Smiling, he continued talking to Harry.

“Okay, baby, one confession down. Let’s see what else I can dig up for you…

“Oh, you remember when we watched that movie? Runaway Bride! That’s the name of it. I told you that if you ever proposed to me, you better damn well do it like the guy in that movie. Later, I found a scrap of paper you had written it down on: ‘Look, I guarantee there will be tough times, and I guarantee at some point one or both of us is going to want to get out of this thing. But if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life because I know in my heart you’re the one for me.’ I never told you I found it, because I kept hoping you would ask me.

“Well, I’m tired of waiting Potter, so I’m asking you. So here goes. No one is ever going to love you more than I do. I just want a lifetime to prove it. Please, Harry. Promise to be with me for the rest of our lives,” Draco finished quietly.

The only sound in the room was a quiet sniffle as Hermione wiped away a tear.


*****


Harry heard all that Draco said and smiled. Determined more than ever to wake up, he turned one last time to the world Draco’s words had created.

“I’m coming, Draco, I’m coming home,” Harry whispered.