Don't Leave Me

Draco sat in his father’s library wondering why he waited to send Harry word of his visit. Why was he just sitting there holding the letter in his hands. Why was he in his father’s study in the first place. All his memories of this room were of pain, torture, his father’s continuous hatred for him, the Death Eaters, and Voldemort. His father was gone now and he would never have to suffer at his hands again. The dark arts were far from anywhere he was going.

He held the letter in his hand. It was written in his favorite silver ink. The contours of the small rectangle already memorized from hours of just sitting there twirling it about, tracing his fingers over Harry’s name. Why did he hesitate? He asked himself repeatedly. Because you’re not sure he will take you back. A tiny voice answered him from the back of his mind and he knew it told the truth. He wasn’t sure Harry would leave Ron for him.

Though the hours passed by like sand through a hour glass, it seemed to Draco all time was frozen. All that was alive in that moment was him and the letter, but he wasn’t even sure if he was alive himself. Draco wasn’t very sure of anything at that time except what seemed real to him.

His mother came to check on him frequently. She would ask if he wanted anything and he would answer with an empty stare and a faint smile which seemed to satisfy her until she became worried again and returned to check on him once again.

Draco gazed around the library at the books that were left. There had been over one hundred-thousand books stacked ceiling high, but now there were less than two hundred. Any and all books even remotely related to the Dark Arts had been removed as soon as the word had been given. He wished he could take back everything Lucius had done. Even if in doing that everything would have been directed at him. So many people had been killed and tortured at Lucius’ hands. It made Draco cringe and shiver at the thought of it all.

Nerezza flew in through the window and landed on the desk in front of Draco. She looked down at the letter hopefully, waiting for him to tell her she had a job to do. He gave her a weary look and glanced back down at the letter in his hands. The thoughts that had been holding him back finally relented and he beckoned Nerezza closer. Draco tied the letter to her leg and sent her on her way knowing she knew where she was going.

Draco sighed and slumped back in his chair. He was finally going to be back with Harry, his love. His thoughts from earlier came back to him. What if he didn’t want me back? What if he wants to stay with Ron? I hope this works out. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Draco thought. He decided that going out into his mother’s garden might cheer him up. So he got up and left the study for the first time in days. His mother gave him an encouraging smile on his way out.

As he reached the hill down to the pond in the center of the garden Draco backed up, got a running start, and rolled all the way down to the bank of the brown pond. For the first time in two years he felt the all too familiar wave of warmth wash over him. With that felling of happiness unfortunately came the fear and doubts that had been plaguing him all day. Draco’s smile faltered as he watched the clouds float by lazily.

Draco sat and daydreamed as the sun rose high in the sky. Noon was fast approaching and he was getting hungry. He felt around in his robes and found nothing, not even his wand. So he trudged back up to the house in search for a cook and a little miffed that he had had to leave the beautiful sunshine that reminded him so much of Harry.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Harry walked back into his flat as the sun was beginning to set, sweaty and smelly. His Quidditch team had won of course. He thought about going to take a shower, but decided that he was too tired to walk the thirty or forty feet it was to the bathroom. He pulled his robe off and threw it across the room, landing it in the hamper in the hallway. Harry collapsed onto the couch and started to cool off. Who knew Quidditch in November could be so hot?

He was about to fall asleep when a rather large object landed on his stomach, dug it’s talons into his skin, and hooted indignantly. “Ow!” Harry jumped up and a stunned Nerezza landed on the floor. “God, Draco take long enough?” He asked the owl. She just hooted and stuck out her leg. Harry reached out and untied it. Nerezza left out the window with another loud hoot, leaving Harry to read his letter.

He picked up and ran his fingers over the seal, silver with a large DM stamped in the middle along with a minute dragon in the background. Harry gently opened the letter and smoothed it out on the table. He began to read it with butterflies in his stomach. He smiled and just about jumped for joy when he was finished.

Harry,

You have no idea how much I’ve missed you. Well, maybe you do. Maybe you could see it in my eyes when you saw me last. I just wanted to say I love you and I hope you still love me. I will come to pay a visit tomorrow at six p.m. sharp. Please make sure Weas-Ron is gone by that time. Till then.

Your Dragon,
Draco

Harry set the letter down for a moment looking at it intently. Draco is actually coming to visit. He still loves me. He thought happily before picking up his wand, muttering incendio, and burning the piece of parchment to ashes. After all Ron would be home soon and he couldn’t see that.

He walked over to the desk and took out a piece of parchment. He wrote a quick note telling Elise when to come, which was about thirty minutes before Draco would arrive, and called Hedwig over to him. She looked at him oddly and then stuck out her leg. “Take this to Elise Maxwell.” He told her and she quickly flew away.

No sooner was Hedwig out the window did Ron show up in the living room. He snuck up behind Harry and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Hey, good lookin!” Harry said turning around to see Ron standing there holding something behind his back. “Whatcha bring me?” He asked standing and trying to peer behind Ron’s back, but to no avail.

“I stopped in Hogsmeade and bought us some butterbeers.” Ron said pulling two bottles from behind him. “I thought you’d need one after getting stuck with Elise.” He elaborated sitting down on the couch pulling Harry down with him. Ron gave him a weary smile and put his arm around Harry’s shoulders. “So what’d you do today.”

Harry looked at him for a moment. I wonder if he knows Draco was at the Ministry yesterday? Harry thought to himself and then decided to answer Ron. “Oh well, I got up, ate breakfast, went to play Quidditch for a while. Came back, tried to take a nap. Normal day as usual.” He said casting a glance to the open window. He hoped Hedwig wouldn’t be back before Ron went to bed.

“Oh, well. I ate while I was in Hogsmeade so you just have to fix dinner for yourself.” Ron told him sipping at his butterbeer. He’s hiding something I know it. I’ll bet he saw Draco the other day. Well, maybe I should write Hermione soon. Ron thought watching Harry’s eyes. “Well, I’m off to bed. I’m really tired.” Ron said and headed in the direction of their bedroom.

“Good night!” Harry called after him and proceeded to walk into the kitchen. Once there, he rummaged through the fridge and found an odd assortment of food put it on a plate and popped it into the microwave.

He sat down at the table with his butterbeer to wait for the microwave to beep. As soon as he sat down he got back up again. Harry was too excited to sit still. He walked over to the kitchen window and opened it wide looking out into the night sky. It was quite beautiful from there. The moon was full and the faeries were sparkling about the gardens below. The crickets were starting to chirp and-”BEEP!” The microwave beeped telling Harry it was done and closing the window, he walked over to get it.

Harry pulled out a plate with some green beans, chicken parmesan, and mashed potatoes. Well, it beats not eating anything. He told himself as he dug in. Harry carried his plate into the living room and sat in the window seat. The window there was still open and he could still see out into the starry night. A faerie flitted by and Harry almost dropped his plate out of the window. He decided it was a good idea to have it closed and did so, but not before he noticed a little faerie zooming toward him.

The little thing flew in through the half closed windows and ran smack dap into Harry. “What the-” He asked as he picked the tiny blue faerie up. “Why’re you here?” Harry asked it and she handed him a note and then flew like a bat out of hell back through the window.

Harry watched her leave and then carried his empty dish into the kitchen along with the note. Who would send a note by faerie? He asked unfolding it. He scanned to the bottom of the note and read the signature. Elise! It figures she would do something like that. He scanned back to the top and read what it said.

Harry,

Hey. Got your letter. Hedwig is staying here till after Ron and I visit Hermione because I didn’t want to get you in trouble by sending her back. I know I know. Faerie mail is so unreliable, but she said she would do it. He he. . .yes I speak fae. I told you I had lots of qualifications. Well. . .ta ta!

Elise Maxwell

Harry, for the third time that day, set the note on fire and threw the ashes in the fireplace. He didn’t think he would be able to sleep, but decided going to bed would be a good idea. He walked off to the bathroom to shower and then go to bed.