Scarhead (A Drarry Fic)

Chapter Twenty Four-Hope Decays

A cold feeling entered Draco's chest as soon as Harry had left. Not just because of the absence of his warmth from his lap, it also had to do with the lie that he had just told him, well Half lie really. But his marriage wasn't what was eating him up. He doubted that he would survive long enough to go through with it. He felt so hollow and alone, even though he had Harry, he felt like he didn't. He was losing his grip on him, letting him fall away, he was too weak and scared to do anything about it. What was he compared to Voldemort?

He played with his sleeve. Making sure it rolled down all the way and tightly fastened. One slip up and he and his whole family were dead. He would stop at nothing to make sure that didn't happen. But what about Harry, wasn't he family? Draco couldn't find anyway to save both him and Harry. He paced the library that night, searching the book for something that might serve useful. 

 He couldn't give up, he just couldn't.

His fingers traced the book spines on both sides of him. He was so tired, he could hardly think straight. The vanishing cupboard, that he had been working on since the school year had started, was now ready for travel, he was now just waiting for the word to unlock it and let the death eaters in. This was the first task of the three that he had been assigned. The easiest of the three at that.

He exited the library and walked the halls. It would soon be time to retire to the common room for the night. He would probably spend his night in the room of requirement, even though he was finished with the cupboard, he did not want to go to the common room and face everyone. He would rather be alone.

His plans for being alone were soon disturbed when someone hugged him from behind. "Harry," he whispered, placing his hands over Harry's. They were so soft.

"Draco," he whispered back, resting his head on Draco's back. Harry took a deep breath, "someone's tried to poison Ron."

Draco's heart sped up, had that been his poison? "What happened?" he asked.

"We were with professor Slughorn and he offered us some mead, and when Ron took a drink, he went all ballistic. Just like Katie. Who do you think is behind all this? And how do you think they are getting past security?" Draco stayed silent. Surely his throat would catch fire if he had to lie to him one more time.

"Can I see your arm?" Harry asked after a long while of silence. Draco pulled away from his embrace.

"What?" Draco couldn't control the panicked tone in his voice.

"Can I see your arm?" Harry asked again.

"I know, I heard you. What I meant was, why?" Draco's hands fidgeted his sleeve nervously.

"I-I don't know. I just get this feeling that you're hiding something from me."

"And looking at my arm will ease your discomfort?"

"Well, yeah. It will. I just need to confirm something I've been scared about since the beginning of the year."

"I thought Harry Potter didn't get scared."

"Draco, this is serious. You're only making it worse. Please, I need to know."

"Harry listen, I-" Draco didn't know how to finish the sentence. His eyes welled up with tears inadvertently. "Harry, I love you so much." Harry tried to put his arms around him but he backed away, "I never thought I would ever say that to anyone in my whole life." He chuckled, "where was I going with this? Oh yeah." he took a deep breath." inside my soul there lives a child Who laughs and smiles, and sees The beauty of our world, the only reason that he exists is because of you. Before you, I was this emotionless being subsisting only to the work that my father had set for me. And because of you, I've found a new reason to live, and for once, be happy and see past the negative that surrounds me constantly. You are the only thing keeping my hope from decaying. I never thought I could love someone so much. But I do. I can't lose you. I'm nothing without you, just an empty body doing the bidding of my parents."

"Draco, you're not going to lose me, why would you lose me?" 

He exhaled strongly before unbuttoning his sleeve. His tears had stopped but his face was still stained. He rolled it up to reveal the mark. The mark that tagged him as a death eater. Harry stared. His worst nightmare was coming true. Draco pushed his sleeve down.

"Draco, I-" But Harry did not have time to speak, Draco was already running down the hall. "Draco, come back!" Harry ran after him. "Stop being so childish, Draco, stop, let me help you."

Draco swerved into the bathroom, pulling off his sweater and tossing it aside, "No, Harry. There's nothing you can do to help me, there's nothing anyone can do. Now I would suggest you stay away from me for now before you too get sucked in and killed." Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry, "please, Harry. Stay away from me. It can only bring pain. I want to keep you away from that."

"Draco, listen. We're strong, we can fight this, we can find a way. You are strong, Draco, you can overcome this. Just let me help you."

"I'm strong only on the surface, not all the way through. This, this is just a mask. I am not strong. I am weak. And there's nothing either of us can do for me now. Now get out, Harry. Please. Just leave me be. We should have seen this before, we should have seen this never working, we're too different. I'm too dangerous."

"Don't say that!" Harry took a step forward, "Draco, we can make this work, we can find a way to beat this. Trust me." Harry took another step towards him. Draco's arms shook as he held it out in front of him,

"Harry, leave. Don't make me!" Draco sobbed, "Cru-" Draco began but Harry cut him off with his own before he even thought about what spell he was going to use, hitting him straight in the chest.

"Sectumsempra!"

 Blood spurted from 's Draco's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand. Slipping and staggering, Harry got to his feet and plunged toward Draco, whose face was now shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest.  "No, Draco. No, I'm so sorry. Please, Draco. come back. I'm so sorry." tears had filled the rims of Harry's eyes, making his vision blurry, he was now unable to see Draco's distinct facial features. What had he just done? He had used the spell that was labeled "for your enemies" but it hadn't been used that way. Draco was not his enemy. 

"Help!" Harry screamed, putting pressure on Draco's wounds, he didn't know any spells to heals wounds like this. He took off his robes and tried to stop the bleeding, it was no use. 

"Potter." he heard a familiar voice say. Snape.

He strolled into the bathroom and pushed Harry out of the way, he landed on his butt in the water on the floor. He said a few words over Draco's body, his wand hovering inches above him, the blood faded. Snape lifted his body. "I told you to end it, Potter. You knew this was a dangerous relationship." 

He left Harry crying in a puddle of water.