Not to Start and End

Not To Start And End
Firedragon_luver

This is JK’s work, I am only borrowing it. Thanks to my beta’s Crimson Frost, Majin and Bea.

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Draco Malfoy woke up light-headed, still groggy with the effects of the strong potions used on him. He looked around, moving only his eyes; the room was all white, it was cold and a little dim. He smiled when he thought of Heaven; well, almost… until eardeard the light tinkling of bottles aqueaquealing of wheels. Carefully he moved his head towards the direction of the sounds, so slow as if he’d break his neck if he moved too fast. And he saw white boxes with green moving lines and green numbers and that gave him an idea where he was. He saw the door open and two people walk in, one a chubby little man and the other one with unruly ebony locks. One of them turned on the lights.

“You’re awake! Congratulations. You’ve made it!” Draco tried to figure out who this chubby person, bu, but failed miserably - his eyes were a little blurry from the sudden bright light. When his vision cleared, he saw the chubby man smiling down at him and his assistant at his back fixing potions from the tray.

“Draco, you have been asleep for a month. Now that you are awake, I presume that you are out from danger, but still we have to take more tests to be sure. And by the way, I’m Dr. Manchester, your attending medi-wizard, and that guy over there is my assistant. He will be the one taking care of the entire routine test and attending to you if I am not around.”

After talking to Draco, he gave him a warm smile and turned to his assistant and gave more instructions while the other one just nodded. Draco, still feeling groggy, fell asleep instantly after the doctor left the room - all that he knew was that his assistant had already started with the tests.

He awoke with a damp, cold cloth on his forehead, with water running down his neck to the chest in a very slow manner; this gave him a feeling of relief and a different sensation he could not decipher. He smiled with the tingling sensation of the cold cloth but immediately his smile turned into a frown when he saw who the doctor’s assistant was.

“POTTER!” Draco jerked upright only to fall on the bed again, a searing pain all over his body.

“Draco, you may be awake and may be far from danger but that doesn’t entitle you to move like that. But in time you can do whatever you want,” Harry stated casually.

“Why are you here, Potter?”

“Draco, I am the doctor’s assistant. And after the war this is the only sane thing I think I could do, aside from the fact that it has been my dream to be a medi-wizard.”

“Maybe you are just feeling guilty about those people you weren’t able to save and are now suffering here.”

“Yes and no, Draco”

“What is this place anyway…tell me this is not St. Mungo\'s! And it’s Malfoy to you, Potter.”

“This is not St. Mungo’s, since I believe you are not insane. This is St. Christopher’s Hospital, Malfoy.”

“How long will I be staying here?”

“Three days the least,” Harry said, “…okay, I’ll leave you now. Rest.” And Harry went out silently.

*~*

After four days, Harry visited Malfoy for the last time, because today he would be cleared to go. He chanced upon the blonde sleeping; he couldn’t help but notice how serene he looked, how relaxed.

He looks like an angel. The colors of his cheeks and lips had come back - almost making him look like a girl with blush and gloss on; he couldn’t help but sigh and admire the beauty in front of him - a beauty he had admired from long ago. Well, after the war his sexual preference had become an open issue, but not every one knew about it…only his close friends.

His thoughts broke when he heard the cool drawl coming from the blonde soon-to-be-ex-patient.

“I know I look beautiful, Potter. That’s why I can’t blame you for staring at me like that – dreamily - but I’ve got to warn you not to fall in love with me,” Draco spat…rather seductively, in Harry’s opinion.

“Not even in your dreams, Malfoy.”

“That’s the last one I have to take?” Draco switched the subject, referring to the potion Harry was holding.

“Yes, last one. Tomorrow morning you are a free man,” he said, a bit regretfully.

“You talk as if you don’t want me to go.”

“It’s the other way around, I have been longing for you to get out of here!”

“You know what, I don’t know what kind of life I will have after this…But as far as I am concerned it would be totally different from the way I was raised.”

“Why are you saying this to me?”

“I’m starting a civil conversation here.”

“Oh, sorry.”

The sincerity in Draco’s voice made Harry feel a painful tug in his heart. He knew that what he said to him just a while ago was not true, because deep in his heart he would miss Draco, in spite of it all he would definitely miss him. Without Draco, there would always be a blank space in his heart that no one else could ever fill.

“Harry- I can call you that, right?”

“Of course, that’s my name, Draco.”

“Thank you, Harry, for putting up with me. It’s just…”

“You know it’s a big, wild world out there, but I believe in you, that you will find your place and you will be happy.” Harry stated with a smile.

“Thank you, again. Will be hbe here tomorrow before I leave?

“I’m not sure…I will be assigned to a new patient tomorrow.”

“Well then good bye, Harry. Thank you for taking good care of me. I know wil will be a famous medi-wizard, the best that this wizarding world would ever know,” Draco tried to smile but the sadness in his voice was not hidden.

“Thank you, too. I know you will become well known in…erm…whatever you do. I think I better go. Good bye, Draco.” Harry gave one last look at the blonde and slowly he walked away. He was near the door when the blonde called him again.

“Harry, I hope you could come tomorrow…”

“I’ll try.”

Draco gave Harry a bitter sweet smile and looked away. Harry closed the door carefully.

Once outside he leaned against the door, and clutching at his chest. He clutched his chest so tightly that it wrinkled his robes. I’m going to miss Draco, he thought, a lone tear falling from his lonely emerald eyes as he walked away.

Inside the room, a blonde was crying too, with a heavy heart he whispered, “Goodbye, Harry. I love you, I have always loved you since the first time I saw you.”

Dr. Manchester signed Draco’s clear bill and gave him the papers. He was now standing at the doors of the new hospital, just one more step and he’d be into the new world. But still, he couldn’t take that one step forward, because he was still waiting for Harry, but much time hast ast and still no Harry came. After long last, he was now on his way to a new life, but leaving his heart to that one person who would never know how he felt.

From the hallways a panting, Dr. Harry Potter, was running for his life, and for his heart. When he reached the doors, there was no sign of Draco, and his heart fell. He asked the staff if he’d left te. te. But he hadn’t, he was staring at the exact place where Draco had been standing, wondering if he didn’t come too late. Draco, who took his heart with him but would never know how he felt.

“Goodbye Draco. I love you, I have always loved you since the first time I saw you.”

*~*

After four years, there was still no sign of Draco. Harry had become a famous medi-wizard. Harry found himself at the Great Hall of Hogwarts, a place who had been a witness of his secret stares at the blonde so many years ago. There would be a reunion of sorts at Hogwarts in a while, to be attended by all regardless of batch.

“Harry, how’s work?” Hermione asked him while gently rubbing her ballooned belly.

“Okay, too much to do. Why are you here helping, you’re pregnant!” Harry exclaimed.

“Nonsense, I still have three months to go. And this is not my first, Harry.”

“Where’s Ron?”

“Oh, I asked him to get me some cold water.”

“Pansy, Blaise,” she gave each one a hug when she saw them. They also turned to the Order during the last war.

“Blaise, this is your second, right?” asked Harry, referring to Pansy’s also large belly.

“Second and Third actually,” Blaise answered.

“Twins!” Pansy exclaimed.

“Congratulations!” Hermione cried, giving the two another hug. Harry patted Blaise and kissed Pansy’s cheeks.

“So, Hermione, everyone going?” Pansy asked.

“Almost. Except for Draco,” Hermione whispered to Pansy, which Blaise overheard.

“Why?” Blaise mouthed, but Hermione only shrugged. And when the three looked for Harry, they saw him retreating for the garden.

“We have to do something,” Blaise told the other two nodding girls.

“Yeah, if only we could make him feel better,” Pansy replied.

“Do you think Harry knows that we know?” Hermione asked.

Pansy and Blaise only shrugged and smiled.

Outside Harry sat cross-legged in front of the lake. He didn’t hear Ron coming, not until he offered him a drink and sat near Harry, also facing the lake.

“Hey, mate!”

“Ron,” Harry replied.

“What are you thinking about? Want to talk about it?”
ah…iah…it’s nothing,” said Harry.

Silence. “Is it about Malfoy?”

“Why would I think about him, Ron?”

“Because you like him, and if there’s more to that I don’t want to know.”

“No, not Malfoy, it’s Draco.”

“See! I told you,” Ron exclaimed with a smug expression.

“I miss him, even after all these years. I can’t seem to possibly remove him from my whole being, Ron. That’s how special and important he is to me…too bad he doesn’t know it.”

“We have guessed already what you felt for him all along, but we were never sure until the day Malfoy was admitted to the hospital.”

“I just wish he could come,” Harry whispered, referring to the reunion, “just a glimpse of him is more than enough for me.”

“Harry he will come, I know he misses you, too.” Ron gave his friend a reassuring smile.

“Thanks Ron…please be an angel to me and make that come true.”

*~*

After Headmistress McGonagall gave her welcome to the gathered ex-students, almost everyone divided into their own houses, talking about almost anything under the present moon.

But amidst the happy ambiance there was a lone figure, walking the hallways towards the gardens, seemingly sad unlike the rest. Once outside, the wizard stood beside an old tree, staring at the moon as if wishing with all his might that he could make his dreams come true.

“So tell me, Potter, are you planning to move the party out here? Because if you do, you’ve got to start telling all the people inside,” drawled a familiar cool voice.

Harry tried to hide his smile of excitement - even if those words weren’t exactly what he first wanted to hear from his Draco, his heart leapt at the thought of the other man standing mere meters behind him. He counted up to three before he turned to look at Draco.

“Malfoy.”

“Potter.”

“What are you doing here?” Not quite a kind question to ask, but it was the first conversation starter that’d sprung to his head.

“The last time I checked I was invited to this supposed-to-be-reunion of sorts, here at Hogwarts.”

“Well, yes…but what I meant was out here instead in there,” Harry gestured to the Hall.

“I should be asking the same thing,” Draco countered, but upon seeing Harry’s face, added, “but then again…I’d rather not. I just needed a bit of fresh air.”

“That’s exactly what I had in mind when I came out here,” Harry lied, “but I think I had better go in, now.”

But before Harry could walk away, Draco’s hand shot out and fastened itself onto Harry’s robes. Startled, Harry stopped, only to hear a faint whisper from behind him.

“Tell me Potter, why are you out here allne? ne? Are you…waiting for someone?”

“Whatever, Malfoy,” Harry said before he could think.

“I may not be physically present, here - but I know what has been happening to you. Let’s say I have my sources, and I have left something very important here that makes me feel and…know things.”

“Where are you getting at?”

“I told you never to fall in love with me.” Blunt. Direct.

This was the last straw for Harry. Nothing was going the way he had imagined it. He clenched his fists at his side and tried to walk away so he could just forget about the whole thing, but somehow he hadn’t moved from where he was standing – he wasn’t finished, yet.

“YOU! You can’t read my mind! Stop acting like you can…you don’t know how I feel!” Harry snarled, giving Draco a little shove. “I don’t need your opinion, y’know. You don’t know me at all - what do you think, just because we had that little, polite talk at the hospital, you think you can see right through me!? You don’t have any right to do this – this, this thing that you are doing to me right now, whatever it is!!” Draco’s hand dropped, limp from Harry’s sleeve. “And why did you have to-to leave something here? Did you leave a spy? After all that we’ve been through in the war, you still want me dead?”

“Harry, listen-”

“So it’s ‘Harry’ now, t, Mt, Malfoy?”

“Okay!” Draco practically yelled, “okay…I am so, so sorry, Harry… I didn’t mean to-”

Harry charged at Draco, beating his chest with his fists like a child, rage boiling to the surface and guiding his fists. Draco just let him take out his anger, accepting each blow directed at him, hoping this would calm Harry down a bit. He was just grateful for his ability to mask the pain he was feeling…physical and otherwise. Harry’s punches eventually slowed to a halt, and he just stood before Draco, defeated, panting from exhaustion.

“I love you, Draco,” Harry said in the softest of whispers, barely loud enough for Draco to hear. He sobbed past the lump in his throat, shoulders racking silently.

“No, Harry, you can’t.” Draco held Harry’s hand, still resting on his chest. He bent over a bit to touch his forehead with Harry’s in an innocent gesture more intimate than a kiss. They were so close now, so close he could smell the sweat and strawberry scent emanating from the other man. He could barely control himself from wrapping his arms around the dark-haired boy because he knew that if ever he held him, he might not ever to be able to let him go.

“You were too late in warning me, not to fall in love with you.” Harry looked up at Draco, trying to read the mercury eyes that were now so close to him, searching Harry’s own gaze as if trying to read his very soul. He saw sadness in those deep pools of silver, but in split second all emotion was wiped clean from those orbs, possibly never to be seen again.

“What do you mean?” Draco asked, a bit of hope in his voice.

“I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you, you had me just by merely looking back at me. I know I was still young, then, and I didn’t know how the world works, but I knew right then and there that what I had – and still have - for you is love. And if I ever showed you that I hate you, it was because it’s the only way I know that I can be close to you.”

Harry slowly brought his lips close to Draco’s, but before he could deepen the kiss that he had longed for so long, Draco caught his face and gently pulled him away and raised his lips to kiss Harry’s forehead.

“Harry, you cannot love me. I can’t love you, I can’t fall in love.” Draco whispered while his lips were still on Harry’s forehead.

“Why? Make me understand,” Harry pleaded.

Draco had just turned away from Harry when the blonde collapsed.

*~*

“Dr. Potter, a callcalled Mr. Snape is at your office waiting for you,” a nurse informed him.

“Thank you,” Harry replied as he headed directly to his office. He was shocked, for Snape never visited him. But then again, he was definitely sure that this meeting would only be about one thing, well one person, anyway. Draco.

“Severus,” Harry greeted his former Potions master curtly once he got in his office.

“I’ll get to the point, Potter. Did Draco tell you about something about his condition before he collapsed?”

“No.”

”Funny, that was why he’d gone looking for you, or so he said.”

“No, Severus. I’m afraid we hadn’t really talked about anything before he collapsed.”

“He has known about his…condition all this time, and yet he just kept silent…he’d rather not talk about it, you know?

“Great. His life is in danger, and yet he decided to be stubborn instead of telling me,” Harry said exasperated, while throwing his arms in the air.

“As I was saying, I know you know what Draco’s contribution was to us during the last war. He usoo moo much energy, magical energy. When no one else could go on, he went on his way to fight off the Death Eaters intent on killing you, ‘till the other reinforcements from the Order came. And when he saw you having a hard time with that monster, he used all the energy left within him to strike the monster, not enough to kill him, because that’s for you to do, but enough to distract his concentration. Thus explaining his minor coma a while back.” After saying this, Snape looked at Harry directly in the eyes, his steel black orbs mellowing a bit.

“I’m still lost here, Severus,” Harry said, confusion lacing his voice.

“Honestly, Potter, I don’t know how you became a medi-wizard with that tiny brain you have. He lost too much energy, magical energy. For purebloods, magic is an important element for their survival, for their life. Magic, for them, is like the air we breathe, the blood running in our veins, the beating of our hearts…Need I say more?” Snape smirked at Harry half-heartedly.

Questions bubbled to the surface in the younger wizard, “What can we do about it? Is there any cure? Have there been any other cases like this? How did you know? Why tell me only now?”

“One question at a time, Potter. I just learned this information now - got a little talk with Draco before you arrived. This is, well, the first case in Merlin’s History. I don’t know, Potter, Draco didn’t seem to want to talk about it. I had to coax it out of him by promising that I wouldn’t tell any one…but I guess right now it looks like I lied to him.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, no trace of sarcasm or scorn left in his old voice, “I think we’re…too late, Potter. Even if we had known sooner – well, there’s nothing we can do. I hate to think or believe that he might…” Snape trailed off, lost for words.

“No, there has got to be some sort of potion or spell, even, Severus. We’ve got to cure him, we’ve got to help before it’s really too late. We can’t be too late, and we just can’t, Severus…” Harry almost whispered the last line.

“No, there is no potion for this, I’m afraid. The only thing we can do is to transfer magic to him. Magic Transfusion.” Severus said in low tone.

“Magic Transfusion,” Harry tasted the new phrase carefully. “Like Muggle blood transfusion?”

“Yes. But, you see, Draco has no more family members that are alive. And if there is anyone left, I am afraid that they would not be able to give magic – if we don’t know of any more living oys,oys, we’re sure this means that those who are left are mere Muggles…or are extremely weak, at least.”

Harry pondered this new information for a moment. “But, you see, with Muggles, it doesn’t have to necessarily be a family member, as long as the blood is compatible…That’s it, Severus!” he exclaimed, excitement and hope playing across his features, “we still have hope, if only we could find a person with a magic that is compatible with Draco’s, who’s willing and powerful enough. Severus, we should act quickly! Now! We have to find that person,” he cried, turning to run. Where? He didn’t know – he just felt the need to do something, anything! Anything to help Draco….

“Okay, okay, calm down. I will be rounding wizards and witches I know who could help and check if they are compatible. If ever I have found one I want you to be administering this one, I won’t trust anybody else!”

“Of course, this is Draco’s life we are talking about here, I won’t let him…die, Severus.”

“Tell me, Potter, can I presume that you are…in love with Draco?” With a smirk or smile that Harry couldn’t define, Snape disappeared with a pop, without waiting for an answer.

*~*

Harry would often walk to Draco’s room while the blonde was still sleeping. He would often pause at the door and marvel at the beauty in front of him, he knew he could not get tired of gazing at him. And all of a sudden he remembered what Snape had said about him falling in love with Draco; he wondered how Snape knew. Was it really that obvious? Thinking about it again, he bowed his head and brought his left hand up to his face, covering the blush threatening his cheeks. He didn’t realized that the blonde was already awake and very much amused at the scene that was now enfolding in front of him.

“Tell me, Potter, what in Merlin’s name happened to you, and why do you look like a tomato? I didn’t know I have this effect on you - merely by you just looking at me, you blush!” Draco said in teasing tone.

“You. Are. So. Hopeless. Malfoyarryarry said as he covered his face, this time with two hands.

“I just had a very interesting conversation with Snape,” Harry continued, abruptly switching the subject from behind his hands. “It was about you, actually…about your condition. Why didn’t you tell me about this before? Why, Draco? Why only now?” he demanded fiercely, lifting his head to look at Draco directly in the eye.

“There is no use, Potter, there is no cure. If there is - it is too complicated, and could even cause the life of the person who helps me.” Draco surrendered, tired of lying and arguing. No use wasting what little energy left.

“Call me Harry, Draco,” Harry said as he sat close next to Draco.

“What a request? I should be the one asking you that, for I’m the one who is…” Draco opted to look away - he didn’t want Harry to see what he truly felt.

“There is still hope, Draco. Just hold on. We will find that person who can help you. I just know deep in my heart that we will. Promise me you will wait.” Harry smiled at Draco, even though the blonde couldn’t see him from his position.

“Thank you, Harry.” Draco turned over to look at Harry straight in the eye. He smiled a bit, a comforting play of his lips that he opted to gift Harry with.

“Draco, there is nothing I would not do, just to save you.” Harry tenderly brushed away the blond locks covering Draco’s eyes and stared at the marvelous mercury orbs that met his gaze.

“Why?”

“Because…” He gently lowered himself to the blonde in front of him and kissed his lips lovingly and gently, “because, I love you.” And again he caught the blonde’s lips for another sweet kiss.

“I told you not to fall in love with me…” Draco whispered, still recovering from the kiss from Harry.

“You told me that for how many times now, and I believe I have answered it already.” Harry whispered gently to Draco’s ears.

“Harry, once I dreamed that someday I would be able to find my soul mate, somebody whom I would love with no end, as he would love me. Somebody who would make me complete, who would see past the ugliness in me. And the first time I saw you, I knew my dreams would come true. Until I got sick. Since that day, I have stopped dreaming, but never did I regret all that I have done to help you. Harry, I have nothing to offer you, nothing but pain.” Draco was slowly caressing Harry’s cheeks as he whispered this.

“Draco, just believe and don’t stop dreaming.” Harry leaned over again for another kiss. During this very intimate moment, they were so absorbed with each other, that they didn’t noticed that Snape had been watching them.

“Ahem.”

“Severus!” both Harry and Draco exclaimed, startled apart.

“I’ll be waiting for you outside, Dr. Potter,” Severus gave them a very slimy smile and closed the door rather harshly.

Harry found Snape pacing near his office.

“I don’t like you, Potter, and I still don’t. But you should learn to lock the door! Anyone could just possibly go in there and see both of you in a very…odd position!”

“In times like that you forget to think, try it some time.”

“Whatever, Potter. I came here to tell you that I have just finished rounding up as many possible donors as I could find.”

“That was rather quick,” Harry said, mildly shocked.

“I thought we don’t have much time, Potter, and there aren’t so many people to begin with.”

“Okay,y. Sy. So what’s the news?”

“It’s not that nobody wants to give, but nobody could possibly be compatible or powerful enough.”

“That can’t be. What about Draco? What would happen to him, to HIM! He has sacrificed a lot, a lot, just-just to die?!” Harry sputtered, fear clenching his heart. “While I, the supposed hero, am alive and kicking!”

“I don’t know any other way.”

“There is, Severus, there is. Wait here a sec and I’ll show you.”

Snape wasn’t able to respond before Harry literally flew out the room. Minutes later he came in with Dr. Neville Longbottom, to Snape’s disgust.

“Are you telling me that he,” Severus spat, gesturing to Nevile, “is the way, Potter?”

“No, but he will help us in the magic transfusion! He has been studying about it long re Dre Draco’s case.”

“What do you exactly mean, Potter? I couldn’t possible trust Draco’s life to him, who, if my memory serves me right, blew all the cauldrons out the window before he could perfect a simple potion.”

“I want you to take a sample of my magic, test me,” Harry said, ignoring Snape’s comment, “I am powerful enough to give magic, and am hoping that I could be compatible to Draco’s. I trust Neville with my life, and Draco trusts you, so I suppose that goes two way.”

“What?”

“Just do as I say, Severus. I’m doing this for us. I know my life could be in danger because of this. But I would give my life for him. That is how special he is, that is how much I love him. He doesn’t deserve to die, not when there’s a chance.”

“Do I have a say in this?” Neville butted in.

“What do you possibly want to say, Longbottom?” Snape hissed.

“We better get going with the test if time is so precious for all of us.”

Harry nodded, offering his wand to Severus, who in turn did some incantations with his own wand. He quickly gave Harry back his wand as it turned gold, red and green. After just a few seconds Harry fell unconscious, leaving a gaping Dr. Longbottom and a worried Snape.

*~*

“Neville?”

“Dr. Longbottom to you, Malfoy.”

“Where is Harry? Why isn’t he attending to me? Is he mad at me?”

“Relax Draco, Harry will be with you in a moment, or rather…you will be with him in a moment.”

“Whatever,” Draco replied, trying unsuccessfully to hide his confusion.

“Here, Malfoy, take this. This is a pretty strong sleeping potion. Even though it doesn’t take effect at once, you will be groggy.”

“Sleeping potion? Why, did Severus find a donor?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“You’ll see.”

“Neville, is there something that I should know?” Realization dawned only after he’d finished the potion.

“You’ll see.”

“Oh, no. Don’t tell me it’s Harry! Neville, I won’t accept his magic. He might die!” But because of the potion Draco’s body became numb, and everything he saw became two. He struggled a bit, but no matter how much he tried to resist the potion, it was too strong for him. He heard Dr. Longbottom tell his assistants to bring Draco to the operating room.

A few doctors came in and lifted Draco onto a stretcher, pushing him to the operating room. A few seconds later, the bed lurched to a halt, and he knew he was in the operating room.

He had been fighting the sleeping potion despite the fact that he knew his struggles were futile – he couldn’t fight it much longer. But he needed – needed – to talk Harry out of this transfusion. He opened his eyes to see Harry looking at him from the other side of the room. Harry was also fighting the potion, wanting to see Draco before sleep took over, wanting to reassure Draco that everything would be fine them both.

Draco had so much to say to Harry, but when he saw the other boy smiling at him, somehow his fears eased a little, and he was able to ask everything with a single word.

“Why?” Draco half whispered, tears ready to fall from his mercury eyes.

“Your dream of love was once my dream, too. Sometimes, Draco, things as beautiful as this - this love we share – should not start and end only as a dream. I love you, and we will make it,” Harry said, just before he closed his eyes, surrendering to the potion.

“We will make it. I love you, too.” Draco answered back before he also surrendered to sleep.

*~*

The moment Draco opened his eyes, he bolted upright to check on Harry, only to find Harry, alive and well, watching him with a smile in his eyes.

“Harry! We made it! We made it!” Draco jumped to where Harry was and wrapped him in a huge hug.

“Not so fast, Draco, we are still asleep. We are still in the stage where we are recuperating from the transfusion. For you, if your remaining magic will accept the magic that was from me, and for me, if that magic that was taken from me will not harm me,” Harry stated while pointing at the two sleeping bodies of themselves.

“How long will it take, Harry?”

“The truth is I don’t know. This is the first case of magical transfusion. See that box over there with green moving lines and green colored numbers? As long as that line is not straight and there is no beeping sound coming from it, we are still okay.”

“What if that box turned as you said, that means that we both die?”

“No, Draco. I have my own - see? That one at my side is mine and yours is at your side.”

“I believe that we will make it, Harry. I just know that we will.”

“I know it we will, too.”

“Thank you Harry.” said Draco giving Harry his rare smile.

“Don’t thank me yet. We still have to surpass the recovery stage.” Harry smiled back at Draco.

Draco moved towards the window, he didn’t know how long the transfusion took or how long he’d been sleeping. All he knew was that it had been very early in the morning when he drank the sleeping potion. Now it was dark - obviously late at night. He paced towards the only window in the room and looked up at the moon, smiling.

“You know, Harry, when I first knew about my condition, I was afraid. I asked whoever it is who controls our fates to remove the love in my heart that I am feeling for you. But either they didn’t hear me or didn’t pay much attention to what I asked of them, because since then, I have only come to love you more. And you know what’s worse? I fell in love with you with a love that is much greater than my love of life.”

“Draco….”

“I don’t want to die, Harry. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to never feel how it is to be loved by you, to be with you, to grow old with you.”

“You love me….”

“I do.”

“Oh, Draco.” Harry moved to Draco’s side in but a few quick strides and took the blonde in his arms and kissed him with all the passion he could muster.

Just when Draco was about to deepen the kiss, he heard a beeping sound. When he looked at Harry, he saw that he was slowly disappearing. Automatically he checked the boxes and saw Harry’s box with a flat line. He saw the medi-wizards and nurses rush to Harry. Panicked and in pain, Draco ran from the sight, fleeing as if for his life. When he reached the exit doors of the Hospital, he broke down.

“No, Harry. You don’t deserve this. You deserve to live with all the goodness in you, I deserve to die with all the debts my father had to pay, even my life is not enough. No, Harry, don’t die because of me - I’m not worth your life! No. No! NO!!”

*~*

“Draco,” that voice…he knew that voice, very masculine yet…so angelic.

“Who are you?”

“Come back Draco….”

“Where are you?”

“Draco, we both deserve to live. Fight for me.”

“Harry?”

“Draco….” and the voice faded away.

When Draco couldn’t hear the voice anymore, he sank back into his pillows, but not defeated. He prayed hard to the fates to listen to him and give him a chance to save Harry, a chance to die instead of Harry. He brought his knees up and covered his face, crying. What Draco didn’t notice that he was already slowly fading away.

*~*

“Draco wake up, love.” He knew that voice.

“We died?”

“No.”

“But I saw.…”

“It would be better if you would open your eyes. I want to see those blazing mercuries, again.”

“You left me.”

“No, Draco I’m here.”

“I love you, Harry. I’m sorry that you had to give your life for me.”

“I love you, too.” What Draco felt after those words was unexpected, but not unpleasant. He quickly deepened the kiss, savoring Harry for all he was worth.

“Draco, please don’t be stubborn,” Harry said in between kisses.

“How can I be sure that you will still be here when I open my eyes?” Draco tried to hide the smile that was growing on his lips.

“I won’t leave. I will always be beside you, in you. Remember, part of your magic’s me. me. And if you’ll still don’t open that eyes of yours – mppph!” Harry wasn’t able to finish what he has to say because Draco pulled him into a devouring kiss.

*~*

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” Harry whispered.

“Prince Charming?”

“You wish,” Harry said, laughing while throwing all the fluffy pillows at Draco.

“Oh Merlin, it’s the wicked witch. Fairy god mother, help me!” Draco mock screamed.

“Let’s see if your fairy god mother will hear you.” Harry covered the blonde’s mouth with his own.

“Harry, AGGHHHHHHHH! I think it’s time,” Draco grimaced with the pain he was feeling.

“Now?” Harry asked, alarmed.

“Yes, get the medi-wizards! I’m having the baby now!!” Draco screamed.

-fin-