His only Need

"October" by EVANESCENCE

I can't run anymore,
I fall before you,
Here I am,
I have nothing left,
Though I've tried to forget,
You're all that I am,
Take me home,
I'm through fighting it,
Broken,
Lifeless,
I give up,
You're my only strength,
Without you,
I can't go on,
Anymore,
Ever again.

My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love.

I can't run anymore,
I give myself to you,
I'm sorry,
I'm sorry,
In all my bitterness,
I ignored,
All that's real and true,
All I need is you,
When night falls on me,
I'll not close my eyes,
I'm too alive,
And you're too strong,
I can't lie anymore,
I fall down before you,
I'm sorry,
I'm sorry.

My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love.

Constantly ignoring,
The pain consuming me,
But this time it's cut too deep,
I'll never stray again.

My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love,



Ron and Hermione sat quietly on a couch in the St. Mungo's waiting room, their eyes staring at the door waiting for Lupin, McGonagall, anyone to walk through it with news of Harry’s condition.



They had been paralyzed at the sight of Voldemort's bizarre death. The dark wizard had committed suicide right in front of them, not wanting to endure the embarrassment of being captured alive, but not before he had used some unknown magic, sending Harry flying through the air, screaming in pain.

A number of Order members had rushed in to the forest looking for Harry. Hermione, Ron and Draco still paralyzed, looked at Voldemort’s carcass. Hermione snapped out of the trance and
screamed Harry’s name, making the others jump. Then all three ran towards the group of Order members now reaching the tree line.


They found Harry unconscious at the foot of a gigantic birch. Blood was flowing in a small stream from a wound on the back of his head. Hermione hid her face in her hands, dropping to her knees, crying in fear for her friend. Ron knelt down beside her and she threw her arms around his neck, her whole body shaking with her tears.


Draco’s eyes widened, he backed away until he hit a tree, then he slithered down in a heap. This was his fault. If he hadn’t been so consumed with hatred, making everyone’s eyes focus on him. Then this wouldn’t have happened. He moaned with guilt, rocking backward and forward. His eyes went blank and his face lost all expression. No one noticed for they were too busy helping Harry.

“He’s alive, barely… I’ll get him to St. Mungo's, then the rest of you can follow.” Lupin said before he Apparated from the scene.

“Where is Draco?” Hermione had suddenly realized the he had left the group. Her eyes searched the shadows of the trees and found him sitting under a tree, but something was wrong. She walked slowly towards him and Ron followed close by.

“Oh, dear!” McGonagall uttered when she saw Draco’s empty eyes “I think he's in shock.”

Hermione knelt down by his side and put his hand in hers. “Draco… Draco it’s me… Draco, please…” tears started to run down her cheeks when he didn’t even react to her touch or her voice.
Ron put a hand on her shoulder, she turned her head, she couldn’t bear to look at Draco’s emotionless face.
“Come ‘Mione, let’s go,” Ron said quietly and she rose and let him lead her away.

“Severus, please take Mr. Malfoy to St. Mungo's, hopefully they’ll help him out of this stage in no time.” McGonagall said. “We’ll join you there when we have cleaned up this… this mess.” She pointed to the Death Eaters lying here and there, bound or frozen. “It’s finally over,” she let out a sigh of joy for the end of Voldemort and sorrow for the good wizards and witches that had paid with their lives to help the ones that ultimately defeated the one who had caused so much pain and suffering. She looked old all of a sudden; a tear ran down from her eyes. “Oh, Albus… I wish that you could have been here, to see this.” Then she slowly walked out to the clearing.



Back at the hospital, Hermione and Ron had been guided to the waiting area the minute they had arrived, being told that one of the professors would be joining them with updates as soon as they had some time.

The room was buzzing and everybody stared at the two young wizards sitting there, covered in dirt and with scratches and cuts all over. Words like heroes, Potter, Voldemort and death was whispered in every corner of the hospital, but Hermione didn’t notice.

All she could hear was Harry’s scream of pain, a little voice telling her one of her best friends was critically wounded and her lover had withdrawn into himself and did not even notice her touch or hear her screams for him to see her, to come back to her. She just sat there watching the door, hoping for a miracle or hoping she’d wake up and this would all had been a terrible nightmare.

Ron simply just sat there, not knowing how to comfort her or himself for that matter. When he had seen his best friend last, he was dying from his wounds and for all he knew, Harry was already dead and the reason the professors hadn't joined them yet was that they didn’t know how to tell them.

They both held their breath when the door finally opened and Lupin walked in, looking very worn-out and tired. “He’ll be alright. He has regained consciousness, but has been put back to sleep so his body has time to heal without being stressed by the pain."

Ron jumped from his chair letting out a hurrah of joy. “Can we see him? Where is he? Oh, it’s bloody brilliant… He’s alive ‘Mione!” Hermione looked at her friend bouncing around the room, but barely smiled. The look on her face made him stop. “Oh… Sorry ‘Mione… How is Draco, Professor?” He turned to Lupin hoping for more good news.

Lupin shook his head and looked at Hermione with sad eyes. “They have tried everything. He seems… It looks like… well, Hermione, sweetie… It doesn’t look good, I’m sorry.” As he spoke he knelt down so their eyes were level.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, then she shook her head. This couldn’t be. Her tears left white stripes down her face. He had just… They had just… This was unfair… So, so unfair! Lupin took her in his arms and let her cry out her pain and sorrow.

When her tears stopped, he told them that they had to bathe before they could see their friends. He led them out of the waiting room and away from all the curious eyes and hoped with all his heart that this wouldn’t break Hermione’s heart beyond repair.



Eight days later Harry woke from his magical sleep to see Ron’s happy face staring back at him.
“Hey, Mate! Welcome back… How are you feeling?” Harry grunted in pain as he sat up. “Like I’ve been hit with a ball of lightning.” Ron laughed and Harry smiled back, then looked over to see Hermione sitting on a chair by the window. She looked awful, her hair even more messy than normal and deep, dark circles under her eyes.
“Hi, Harry… Nice to see you back alive… Try not to scare us that much ever again, okay!” She smiled a sad smile and then turned her eyes to stare out of the window again.

“What’s the matter with Hermione?” Harry asked in a low, concerned voice and the concern grew then he saw Ron’s worried eyes look back at him. “It’s Malfoy… He… Well, when he saw you lying there all pale and bloody, his eyes just went blank and no one… Not even Hermione can get through to him.” Ron shook his head. “It’s killing her, Harry!”

Harry looked back at Hermione a cold hand grabbed his heart. “Hermione,” he called softly.
She looked at him. “It’s all right, Harry,” she smiled tiredly. “He's going to be all right, he just… just needs time.” Her smile stiffened. “I’ll just go to see if there are any changes.” Her voice sounded as if she was just going to visit Draco. At the door she turned and looked at Harry. “I’m so glad that you are back.” Then she left the boys in a gloomy mood.



When the day came that Harry was well enough to leave his bed, his first thought was to see Malfoy for himself and see if there was ANYTHING he could do to help Hermione. What he saw chilled him to the bone.

Malfoy was lying in a bed with Hermione sitting next to him just staring at him, with grief painted on her face. He hobbled over to the bed and looked closer at Malfoy. His eyes stared at the ceiling, not seeing anything, he was even more pale than he used to be and was so skinny that his skin seemed transparent. “My God!” he gasped, making Hermione jump as she hadn’t heard him come in.

“Harry… You’re up and walking… See Draco, Harry’s fine… Look at him, baby,” she begged him. “Look!” Her voice broke and tears poured from her eyes. “He doesn’t even know I’m here,” she cried. She rose and went over to Harry. “I don’t even know why I’m still here.” She put her head on his shoulder.
“Because you love him.” He stroked her back to comfort her. “Hermione, when did you eat last?” She just shook her head, she didn’t know. “Go down to the cafeteria and get some food in you, I’ll stay with Draco till you get back.” She started to protest, but knew he has right; she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve missed you, Harry.” And she left the room.

Harry sat down on the bed next to Draco. He couldn’t believe that this tortured soul was his old enemy, now a friend in arms. He coughed slightly and then began to talk.

“Why are you doing this to yourself, Malfoy? You know what happened to me wasn’t you fault. And look, I’m fine; I’ve just got another scar to show off.” The lightning ball had left a star-like scar on his chest.

“Now I’ve got a lightning on my forehead and a star on my chest, the girls are going to get a kick out of that.” He laughed at himself. “You actually saved my live back in the forest, you know! If you and Ron hadn’t attacked Voldemort when he first saw me, I would have been dead then and there.” At these words, Draco’s eyes twitched slightly.

“Hermione hasn’t left your side for more than a few minutes since they brought you here. She is going out of her mind with worry for you. Believe it or not, so are the rest of us.”
A small light went back on in Draco’s eyes and he blinked, but Harry did not see it, too focused on what he had to say. “I even miss your snotty comments on any and everything I do or say."

“Almost sounds like you have a crush on me, Potter.” A quiet and hoarse voice said from the bed. Harry jumped off the bed and stared down at Malfoy, whose eyes gleamed back at him with a smirk twinkling at his lips. He coughed then closed his eyes. He was very tired, so very tired.

“Don’t you dare fall asleep until Hermione’s back!” Harry yelled making Draco’s eyes snap open and the sound of glass breaking on the stone floor rung through the room.


At the doorway stood Hermione, her hands clutched to her mouth, tears of joy, confusion and gratitude streaming down her face. “Back…. you’re… back” then she collapsed to the floor, all the strength she had left was gone. She just lay there crying, all the last weeks coiled up emotions pouring out of her. She had been about to give up, not believing Draco would ever wake from his trance.

Harry went over to her, helped her to stand, and then moved over to the bed where she fell into Draco’s arms and she heard him whisper. “I’m sorry,” time and time again as he stroked her hair… “I’m so sorry!”