Transition

Transition by Firesword

Chapter Thirty-nine: Falling Pieces

Harry sighed as he watched his students packed their bags; he still felt uneasy about not catching the unknown troublemaker.

"Bye, Professor," the students said to him as they shuffled out of the classroom.

"Bye. I'll see you tomorrow," he replied and smiled slightly.

He heaved himself off the table and gathered his scrolls. After giving the classroom a last minute check, Harry locked the door with a spell and headed toward his office. As usual, Knight was lingering in the corridor.

"Hello, Harry," the librarian greeted amiably. "Classes over?"

"Hello, Knight," Harry acknowledged and secretly, he unlocked the office door.

"Can I come in?" Knight asked politely.

Harry shrugged. He prodded the door open with his foot and entered. He kept his scrolls back into the cupboard and went to his desk to make sure he had not forgotten to mark any papers, and in all of this time, he had forgotten that Knight was in the room. When he finally became aware of the librarian's presence, he felt slightly mortified.

"Was there something you want?" he asked curiously.

"As a matter of face, yes," Knight replied and came to stand before the desk. "Would you like to go out and have dinner with me?"

Shocked, Harry dropped the papers he was leafing through onto the desk. "I beg your pardon?"

Knight came closer and Harry winced when the librarian stood too close. "I asked you if you want to go out with me," Knight repeated in a soft voice.

Emerald eyes widened with disbelief. Harry felt as though his body was frozen; he could not move a single muscle. "Knight, you know I'm married."

"Somehow, I knew you would look at it that way," Knight said sorrowfully.

Instincts warned Harry to ward Knight but Knight lunged at him, unaffected by his burst of magic. Harry swore when the assistant librarian transformed into a snake midway and it only took an eye-blink for the snake to sink its fangs onto Harry's exposed hand. Harry almost did not realize that he was hit but then he started to feel odd.

Knight slithered away, escaped from the office, and left Harry alone.

Harry stepped out of his room with wand in hand, and walked slowly to the staircase, but halfway there, his legs began to go numb and he fell to his knees, unable to walk.

Draco...

oOooOooOo

Harry Potter's silver-haired husband was busy labeling the jars available in the potion cabinet. Draco was not alone in the classroom, as Reed was inside the small, storage room adjacent to it.

"Draco."

He smiled at the voice and thought it pleasant to have Harry stopping by without prior invitation. He turned around to greet Harry but his happiness faded quickly when he saw Knight standing in the doorway and not his lover.

The librarian stepped in and closed the door quietly. Knight's action evoked a cynical expression from Draco.

The Potions teacher set the jar of clipped tiger nails on the bench and fingered his wand that he kept inside the pocket along his thigh subconsciously. Why had Knight come down to see him in his classroom, and why were his instincts telling him to be extremely cautious?

"Can we talk?" Knight asked in a quiet voice. The librarian was still facing the closed door.

Draco immediately noticed that one of Knight's fingers was moving and he quickly realized that Knight was drawing a sigil.

"Sure. What about?" He did not bother to hide the coldness in his voice. Harry.

"You and Harry."

Draco followed Knight's movements as the wizard moved across the room to sit down on top of one of the students' desks. Draco did not flinch away from Knight's penetrating gaze.

"What about me and my husband?" Draco asked in a harsh tone and smiled slightly when Knight's face turned hard.

"Why him?"

Draco snorted derisively. "Because I love him."

Knight laughed suddenly and jumped down from the desk. The classroom became very silent suddenly.

Reed...

The sounds in the storage room had stopped.

Draco's eyes did not leave the stalking form and ignored just how much like Harry Knight appeared to be. He stood his ground as the other man came up to him and the unexpected happened.

He gasped when Knight forced his lips upon his own and then he gasped again, somewhat horrified that his body responded to Knight's hold.

No! This is not Harry!

Draco tensed but Knight pulled away before he could land his fist on the wizard's stomach.

"Really?" Knight drawled with an evil smile on his lips. "Or is it simply because the two of you have great sex even in your dreams?"

Draco stared at Knight and the feeling of consternation intensified. That - I knew it! It wasn't Harry that I'd dreamt. Merlin ... Harry...

"What did you to him?" Draco snarled.

"You don't have to worry about him now, Draco," Knight said silkily. Draco flinched away automatically when the librarian brushed his chest with a finger. "We can focus on us now." Knight's voice had become huskier. "I can give you what you want, Draco Malfoy. All that you ever need. You know that I can."

"Stay where you are, Knight," Draco said coldly. "I'm not going to fall for your voice, your body, your looks, or your words. I love Harry. I love my husband and he is the only one I will allow to fulfill my needs."

"Remember that dream of us at the bottom of the staircase? Want to try that here?"

How dare he! Draco took a deep breath and reminded himself of the two years he had spent with Harry, the way he had to handle jealousy, and his increasing love for the emerald-eyed Gryffindor grew. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the door.

"Finite Incantantem," he said with a determined expression.

"Come on, Draco. That spell is useless against a sigil."

Draco scowled and muttered a harsh-sounding incantation. The door vanished and Draco looked back to see a look of astonishment flickering in Knight's eyes. Draco smiled faintly. "You can never be a match to Harry, Knight. I knew that it wasn't Harry making love to me in those dreams. Do you know how I am able to tell?"

Knight stared at him with unfriendliness.

"Your magic is insignificant, Knight. There isn't anything special about it, even if you cast spells that require a lot of magic. I suppose you were the one who pooled that potion on the staircase landing a few weeks ago."

"You have no proof."

"Maybe that is proof." Draco's gaze turned steely. "Since I became Harry's, since I became one with him, his magic flows through me, marking me. You know what that magic is, don't you, Knight? That magic was born out of love. Love between Harry and me. So I knew I wasn't loved in those dreams." He sneered. "I'm sad to say that being used like an object is not what I desire, Knight." His gray eyes darkened with anger. "Get out, Knight. I will consider not to report to you to the headmaster."

"Don't try to humble me with your merciful attitude, Draco Malfoy. I have planned this for years and I will get what I want," Knight hissed angrily.

The librarian looked different when angered. Knight appeared older with dark, blue eyes glittering with rage, and relief filled Draco.

"I could not have your father," Knight muttered. Draco's lips curled in anger at the mere mention of his father. Then he frowned as he thought he saw something in the librarian's eyes. "He was so fixated on the notion of pure blood ancestry. He was quite a bit old for me and I was just about to drop my pursuit. Then you came to Hogwarts when I was in my last year but you were so caught up in making life hell for bloody, Harry Potter. I monitored you. I was probably the only wizard around who didn't give a Knut about the late You-Know-Who. Then when that idiot of a sorcerer died, you had to pair up with Potter for bloody projects. Defiling your hands by embracing him - what were you thinking, Draco?"

Several things began to click and Draco tightened his grip on his wand. "So, all the dreams, the spying incidents, and the accident during Quidditch ... they, even me, couldn't trace the magic back to you. Your magic is truly insignificant and tainted that it does not have a signature." Draco shook his head in disbelief. "And I understand now. Your target was to eliminate Harry. You knew he would go off to the Dark Forest to investigate. All of that ... so that you could take over his place? To put me under your control?"

Knight finally drew his wand and they faced each other. The librarian smirked as though to challenge Draco to make the first move.

"Why did you kill Ludo Bagman?" Draco asked in an apathetic voice.

"That bloody wizard knew and I had to kill him before he was able to contact Harry."

So he really had planned this for years. Draco wondered how he should act. Then...

To hell with courtesy. This isn't some sort of wizard duel. I'll hex him first and then go to Harry ... Harry. Gods, love...

Without giving Knight any prior warning, Draco attacked the other wizard ferociously with several hexes, his face stern and unmoving all the time. He hissed in pain when one of Knight's hexes burned into his shoulder and wrist but after another bout of spells, Knight went down. Draco quickly snatched the librarian's wand.

"Your godfather ought to be proud of you." Reed's voice penetrated his hearing and he whirled around, adrenaline still pumping in his veins. "Very cunning and very fierce, something that's uncommon in a Slytherin," Draco's mentor said cryptically.

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon," Draco muttered and pushed his long hair away from his face. He surrendered Knight's wand to Reed and cast several bonds on the unconscious wizard.

"Perhaps this is a good time for you to run and find out if Harry's all right. I'll inform the Headmaster and have him contact the Aurors." Reed stared at the unconscious and restrained wizard with loathing and disdain. "I never liked him."

Draco nodded and hurried out of the classroom. He nearly collided with Starkmind on the stairs.

"Harry. Where is he? Is he all right?"

"Draco, Harry..."

No...

"Jason found Harry upstairs when he was going up with his students. Bluestone and Jason have gone off to send Harry to the hospital," Starkmind said quietly.

Harry...

"Draco."

Hands came up to his shoulders and shook them slightly. "Stachrin is waiting for you."

"Where is he?" Vine came running down the stairs. "Where's Knight?"

"The classroom," Draco said with detachment.

"Aran."

oOooOooOo

"Harry," Draco whispered the emerald-eyed wizard's name. He watched the nurses and other medical staff moving in the ward through the transparent glass.

They would not let him in.

He had been waiting outside for hours but they would not allow anyone in, except for an Auror who was talking to Harry.

Harry.

He felt so helpless watching his lover, separated only by a thin layer of glass and a locked door. He needed to be with Harry, needed the other man to hold him, needed Harry to tell him that everything was okay.

"Draco."

The young blonde wizard turned and met Bluestone's concerned eyes. Draco allowed the Veela to hug him and he rested his forehead wearily against the older wizard's shoulder.

"The Auror is advising Harry how to burn the venom from his system. Everything will be all right, Draco. Don't worry, little fox."

But the venom killed Bagman. "But-"

"Shhhh..." Bluestone stroked his hair reassuringly. "Come. Let's go home."

No. I want to stay here. I want to be here for Harry.

"Come."

What if I never see him again?

Vine's carriage was waiting for them. Draco climbed into it and slumped against its side. There was a female inside but Draco was too exhausted to acknowledge the person.

oOooOooOo

Narcissa watched her son dozed off and Draco's face was still showing signs of distress. "It felt as though it was just yesterday when I had seen the same expression on Harry's face after Draco's hearing," she murmured. Then she turned to the charming Veela sitting beside her. "How is my son-in-law?" she asked gravely.

"He was still undergoing treatment when we left," Bluestone answered quietly. "But he is going to be all right."

She nodded. Then she noticed her son's damaged sleeve. She leaned forward and gently turned Draco's hand to inspect it and saw that Draco had burn marks.

"This needs treatment."

"I thought I told him to see a nurse." Bluestone gave a small sigh. "It's so unexpected to find a Slytherin who cares for something more than his own injuries."

Narcissa looked at the Veela with disapproval. "We do care and grief as much as the rest of you do."

That remark had Bluestone flushed with embarrassment and he prudently kept quiet after that.

It was close to four in the morning when they finally reached the Lovenest. To her surprise, the half-giant Hagrid was there waiting by the front steps, and it was he who carried a sleeping Draco into the house.

"I'll be going to see Harry now," the big man said and Narcissa thanked him absently. Hagrid left and Narcissa stood over Draco.

"Do you think it's better if Draco sleeps on his bed?" Narcissa heard Bluestone ask Starkmind.

"It's better for him to remain sleeping on the couch. He might be upset when he wakes up in his bed with Harry absent," she said quickly. Then with an effortless grace, she lifted Draco's head and sat down on the couch before putting her son's head on her lap.

"The poultice." She stared at Bluestone pleadingly.

"I'll be right back."

Narcissa caressed her son's face as she waited for Bluestone to return with the medicine. "Don't you fret, Draco dear. Harry will be up and about. Don't worry."

oOooOooOo

Harry woke two days later in a private ward with Draco crying softly on his chest. He blinked owlishly. Draco had not realized that he had opened his eyes. He smiled gently, somewhat touched by Draco's display of emotions. He stroked his husband's silver hair gently and asked, "Why are you crying, you silly git?"

Draco's head snapped up and his husband looked slightly offended at being called a 'silly git'.

Harry smiled. "Sorry, love. Just teasing you. Come here." He hugged Draco tightly and felt better instantly. He sighed in contentment and squeezed Draco's sides gently.

"Okay there?"

"I've missed you," Draco whispered into his ear. "I don't like not having you around."

"I'm okay, Draco. Don't worry."

Someone cleared her throat and he and Draco blushed in embarrassment. Draco slid off the bed and stood beside it while Harry looked back at the medi-witch.

"You may go home and rest, Mister Potter," the witch said. "While my colleague instructs your husband about your medication, you are to come with me to the bathroom and wash."

Harry had no idea why he thought that being cleaned by the witch would be an unpleasant experience.

oOooOooOo

Draco gathered the curtains to one side and secured it with a quick spell. Then he proceeded to clear the flowers that the students had placed on the small table during their visit a few days ago. Draco did not throw them away - some of the flower petals might come in handy for future potion classes.

He charmed the 'Get Well' cards to float up in the air and nodded in satisfaction. The bedroom looked less cluttered with the cards taking space in the air. He sighed as a pensive feeling came over him and he remembered the conversation he had with his godfather last night. Snape had dropped by to inform them of Knight's sentence.

Draco snorted. Deranged and obsessed. He shook his head. Well, now he has an older blonde-haired - and insane - man for company. "Trust Lockhart to get a wand by mistake and wander into his ward. I don't know whether I should call Knight lucky or unlucky for trying to fight Lockhart with memory charms. He has no memories now."

"Are you talking to yourself, Draco?"

Movement caught his attention and he smiled brightly as Harry stepped out of the bathroom. Harry looked better since he was poisoned.

"No, not really. We have to go back to school tomorrow."

"I know, Draco. I know." Harry smiled crookedly.

Draco raised an eyebrow as he studied his husband's sly expression. Then Harry pressed against him, naked.

"Uhmmmm ... Harry..." Draco looked into a pair of resplendent green eyes hesitantly.

He was kissed deeply by Harry and he could not resist wrapping his arms around the naked form, molding his body into his dark-haired lover.

Draco nibbled on Harry's lower lip gently and teasingly, and his body reacted to his husband's arousal in kind.

"I can wait until you're better, Harry," Draco murmured against Harry's soft lips.

"I can't." Harry pressed against him more firmly.

"You can't tire yourself just because..."

"Make love to me," Harry said huskily.

Draco gasped softly and weak-kneed, he slowly followed Harry back to bed.

"Love me, Draco. Nice and slow. Fill me up. Make me whole. Make me feel good," Harry continued to whisper, not that Draco needed further encouragement.

Draco kissed Harry the instant his head touched the pillow, and Harry's hands remained busy trying to get his shirt off.

"I'll be in trouble if I make you sick," Draco mumbled, and then sucked strongly at the pulse on Harry's throat.

Harry groaned softly. "No, you won't."

oOooOooOo