Modern No-Magic AU Drarry

Chapter Fourteen

From his vantage point, Harry stared below him. He was once again balancing, about to plunge down into nothingness. But this time, what he could see was different. It was Draco, but he wasn't bustling around the restaurant. He was staring directly into Harry's eyes, and it was just the two of them.

As Harry felt himself fall backwards like he always did, he felt panic overflow him and he reached out to Draco... but missed. And then toppled and fell down, down, down.

While the air whipped his hair around his face, Harry saw a flash of light - a sight not usually seen. A few seconds later, the flash came again. When he paid attention, Harry realised that he could see faces, he could see people in those flashes of light as he plunged further and further down. Squinting, he tried to catch a glimpse.

Hold on. That didn't make sense. Were these shards of light just mirrors? The person staring back at Harry looked just like him. Wait... Harry waited for another picture to appear, and as soon as it did, he realised. The eye colour was wrong.

Though he was falling at a speed that should have terrified him, Harry suddenly felt more comforted than he had in a while. In those shards of light flitting past him... were his parents.

Catching sight of a red-haired lady with eyes that matched his own, Harry confirmed: that was his mother. Lily Potter.

And despite it all, he had a massive smile on his face.

But shrill laughter echoing around his head made the smile drop, and the dark, blank space around Harry gradually turned into green. He found himself wondering what was happening, but the more he fell, the brighter the green got, and soon Harry felt his forehead burn as the light seared his eyes.

Then, knocking the air out of his body, Harry hit the ground. His glasses must have come off with the contact, or he had a concussion, because everything was blurry. Everything burning with pain, Harry tried to lift his head. There was a pale, bald figure, whose facial features couldn't be seen through the fuzziness of Harry's sight. And from this person, laughter. That terrible, terrible laughter.

Waking with a start, Harry rubbed his eyes. When did he fall out of his bed? Must've been why the impact on the ground in his dream hurt so much. And where were his glasses?

Blindly groping around the floor for them, Harry thought he heard voices downstairs - younger voices that didn't sound brain dead like Vernon or Petunia. Maybe it was the authorities finally coming to take Harry away and send him to an orphanage. Can eighteen year olds go to orphanages? He'd probably just be thrown out to fend for himself. At least that means he could go stay with-

"'Just go up the fuckin stairs and it's right there,'" someone outside Harry's door muttered sarcastically. "Yeah right. I just want to pee, is that so bloody-"

His face lighting up, Harry jumped up off the ground and practically kicked open his door.

"-Harry?"

"SIRIUS!" the boy cried, crushing his godfather in a massive hug who squeezed him tightly, lifting him off the ground. The strong scent of Sirius' cologne put his nerves at rest, and he felt at home again. Unable to stop his laughing, Harry, readjusted his glasses and slid his hand through his hair. "What are- why are you here?"

"Remus is here, too." Sirius smiled, jerking his thumb in the direction of the stairs he just came from. "We've come to make them sign the paperwork. You're not gonna be forced to stay here for any longer, I won't allow it."

Not knowing how to express his happiness in any other way, Harry threw his arms around Sirius again and laughed, his delight far too overwhelming to be able to actually process finally leaving.