What's Forever For?

'I've been looking at people

And how they change with the times

And lately all I've been seeing are people

Throwing love away and losing their minds'

From the song 'What's Forever For?' by Billy Gilman

Draco tried to pay attention to the sorting. He'd had a rough couple of days - well, they felt rough, at least - and seeing Potter on the train - Weasel had instigated yet another boring fighting match he hadn't even bothered to oblige him - had just been the cherry on top. (He'd felt oddly disconcerted when he'd looked at Potter, though, almost as if something had shifted, something important.) He could barely keep his eyes open, let alone be aware of which little pint-sizes were being placed in which House. At least the House Elves had woken up and started putting a pot of strong coffee in front of his place at the table.

"Even with the coffee, he's still falling asleep," Blaise Zabini snickered, looking over at Draco.

"Shut it," Pansy Parkinson hissed back. She reached over and smacked Blaise's arm. "He's had a stressful day, haven't you, sweetheart?"

"'m not your sweetheart," Draco said sourly as he poured himself another mug of coffee. "An' stop rubbin' your foot 'gainst m' leg, Pen."

All of a sudden, the mug slipped from Draco's hand and he fell off the bench backwards. There was a resounding crack as his head connected with the stone floor; his eyes closed and he went limp.

At that moment, the doors slipped open and a figure cloaked in black, soaked with rain walked in. The figure had long black hair that was braided and familiar emerald green eyes. Nobody even paid any attention to him as he glided over to Draco's prone form and went down on one knee. Soft, slender fingers brushed the alabaster cheek and blue eyes opened slowly.

"Potter?" he slurred.

"It is best if you don't talk right now," Harry said softly, green eyes shining with mirth. "You've had quite a rough go of it, haven't you?"

Draco nodded; he really couldn't think of anything beyond how soft Potter's hands were and how good they felt on his cheek. He closed his eyes again and took a slow, deep breath. "What are you doing to me?" he asked in a whisper.

"It is called a transfer of energy," Harry murmured. "You look like you could use a pick-me-up."

"Why isn't anyone tryin' to hex you?" Draco attempted to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced him to lay back down.

"They can't see me," said the brunette. "And they aren't aware that you're laying flat on the floor. Now do you want to stay here and listen to the usual warnings or would you like to come with me?"

"Don't think I can walk," Draco admitted, flushing slightly under Harry's intense gaze. There was knowledge in that gaze that had never been there when they'd been in school together. Draco realized that it frightened him.

"Then you're lucky I've had practice carrying around my cousin's dead body," Harry said in a darker tone; the glimmer in his eyes turned malicious for a moment. "He weighs roughly the same as a fully-grown nurse shark and his father is twice as much."

Easily, Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and lifted him off the ground. The blonde let out a small squeak and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. He could feel the strength in the muscles holding him and that, coupled with the calm manner in which Harry had spoken of carrying around his dead cousin's body, terrified him. Harry seemed to somehow sense this and smiled softly.

"I keep forgetting that nobody in this world knows how I live in the Muggle one," he murmured. "How much do you know about my childhood?"

"Not much," Draco admitted.

Harry strolled out of the Great Hall and angled himself in the general direction of the Slytherin common room before replying, "Well, most people think the muggles treat me as a prince. In reality, though, I was little more than a servant to them. So I killed them. Well, Vernon and Dudley. My Aunt Petunia is living comfortably on the Black Ranch in Montana. None of it was her fault, really. She was a battered spouse."

"The Great Harry Potter, a servant?" Draco laughed. "Impossible!"

"Anything is possible, especially when you're a wizard," Harry replied; his ears perked up and he scowled suddenly. The brunette stopped in a hallway not unknown to Draco and set the blonde wizard on his feet. "Draco, I need you to do something for me."

"Why should I help you?" Draco asked automatically. Harry brushed his fingers against the blonde's cheek again.

"I'm not asking you to help me, Draco, I'm asking you to do something for me," he repeated. "You're not really at Hogwarts right now. Under Voldemort's orders, your godfather Severus Snape has had you under a semi-permanent Legillimens illusion for a very long time. The power transfer has given you the strength to break the spell. I need you to break the spell so that I can get you out of Malfoy Manor where your unconscious body is laying. Am I making any sense?"

Draco's eyes widened. He began stammering, sputtering in fear. "But Severus would never do such a thing, not even under the Dark Lord's orders!" he gasped. His eyes narrowed and he scowled. "And even if he would, he's a better Occlumens than you. He'd make sure you wouldn't be able to get inside my mind."

Harry stepped back and slowly started fading away. "I'm not in your mind," he whispered. "I am in Severus'. He wants me to get you out. The Dark Lord plans to use you as a sex slave, Draco, and he doesn't want that." His form had almost entirely disappeared, but he reached out again and brushed his fingers against Draco's soft cheek, infusing him with a large, almost inhuman dose of power that Draco knew couldn't have come from an ordinary wizard. "And neither do I. Please just get out, Draco. Don't let them do this to you . . ."

"No, no!" Draco yelled as Harry disappeared altogether. "This can't be! This isn't . . . No! I'm not under Legilimens! I'm not!"

He turned around and started pummeling the walls. Pain shot up his arms. "I'm not dreaming!" he yelled. "I'm at Hogwarts! I haven't done anything wrong! I haven't!"

He punched the wall with his left hand with such force that he threw himself backwards. He braced himself for pain, but it never came. He landed on something soft and cushy and the slippery-liquid feel of silk on skin made his senses wake up from their slumber. He opened his deep blue eyes and found himself staring up at his emerald green canopy. A gasp of surprise left his lips as he realized that Harry had been right. He'd been under a spell.

A shadow detached from the wall and a figure cloaked in black sat on the edge of his bed. A single gloved hand rested gently on Draco's sweat-soaked chest. "Be still," Harry Potter soothed gently. "Your body needs time to adjust. You've been hidden within the illusion for a very, very long time."

Draco tried to form the words he was dying to ask (What? How long?) but he found himself unable to do so. He wasn't strong enough to make his aching muscles move. Harry smiled softly and shook his head. "Draco, your muscles are in atrophy right now," he explained in a calm and caring manner. "You've been laying here since December of 1996. Today, it is July 31st, 2008. That is twelve years you've been laying here while I've been leading Voldemort and his followers around by the nose to keep his interests away from you. But he's getting edgy. He wants sex and your father is no longer enough to please him. He wants you now, and I am going to make sure he doesn't get you. Now I am going to be the chivalrous Gryffindor and spirit you away to the safest place in the world where you can recover and decide what the fuck you want to do with yourself. You can argue all you want, if you ever recover the use of your mouth, but we're going to do this now."

Without further ado, Harry lifted Draco into his arms and walked out to the balcony where two redheads were waiting dressed in identical white suits. Draco started hyperventilating as he was handed to the twin on the left. Harry stepped onto the broomstick floating on the balcony and took Draco back.

"Hush now," he soothed gently. The broomstick rose with Harry balancing perfectly. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe and warm."

Okay, Draco had to say something about that. "N-n-n-n-not," he rasped, eyes tearing with pain. "N-n-n-n-n-not H-h-h-h-hog-w-w-w-w-warts."

Harry cradled Draco closer as the twins rose beside them and the three floated away from the Manor. Idly, the blonde wondered why the wards weren't reacting to them, but decided against trying to say anything else. "Not Hogwarts," Harry finally agreed after a few moments of deliberation. "Definitely not Hogwarts."