It Was Always You

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Chapter 9: Grim Reality

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Draco choked.

What?

The next few sentences that the lady uttered were completely lost on him as his brain just ceased to function.

Accident...God no....

The lady heard nothing but silence so she continued speaking.

"I'm sorry sir, he was brought here half an hour ago...."

"No...no...please God...." Draco moaned hoarsely, feeling his entire world collapse around him.

Hermione's eyes widened in horror as she watched the scene before her. "What is it?"

The woman's kind voice continued. "...if you could just answer a few questions - "

"Where is he?" Draco demanded into the mouthpiece of the telephone, hot tears thickening his voice.

"Firstly could I just - "

"I SAID WHERE IS HE?" he shouted, his anger rising.

"He's been transferred to St. Mun - "

The phone instantly dropped from Draco's hand and he Disapparated immediately with a violent CRACK.

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Draco couldn't think straight as he reappeared in the brightly lit entrance of St Mungo's hospital. Hell, he could barely think at all. All coherent thought had been thrust out of his mind when he had heard those words.... His stomach twisted again. He grabbed the first person he laid eyes on - a middle-aged gentleman in Healer's robes with a kind face.

"I'm looking for Harry Potter - " Draco blurted out, his fingers gripping the wizard's arm tightly.

"If you just ask at the desk at the end of the corri - " the man started to reply.

Draco continued to grip his arm. "I said where is he?" he demanded, more forcefully

The man frowned, clearly affronted. "Sir, you'll have to ask at the - "

"I SAID WHERE THE HELL IS HE?"

Hermione suddenly Apparated out of thin air. One look at Draco's face had told her that this would be where he had gone. And she had been right.

"Sir!" the man retorted stiffly to Draco. "I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."

Draco lunged at the man, his eyes flashing angrily. "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO - "

"Draco!" Hermione screamed, grabbing his arm. "No! Just leave it, wait here - I'll go and find out."

It was as if Hermione's appearance had jolted something inside him, and Draco released the man suddenly. He mumbled an apology as the Healer walked away, muttering under his breath. Draco raked his hands through his hair in frustration and a thousand horrible images floated into his head. Harry laying on the ground...still...lifeless.... Tears prickled at his eyes and he rubbed his face clumsily. Then all of a sudden he remembered their earlier phone conversation and his stomach twisted painfully. Oh God.... He felt as though he might be sick.

Hermione quickly returned and her heart nearly ripped apart to see Draco so distraught. In all the years that she had known him she had never seen him like this. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks and he collapsed against her desperately. She pulled the trembling man into her arms.

"I shouted at him," he choked. "I argued with him for staying at work. He thought I was mad...."

"Draco...shh...." Tears started to roll down her own cheeks.

"Oh God," Draco whispered, "please let him be alright, please...."

"He's on the third floor, that's all they could tell me - come on...."

Draco barely registered the sights and sounds of the hospital around him as he let Hermione drag him up the stairs towards the third floor. They rushed to the door and Draco reached out his hand for the door handle -

"I'm sorry, sir, you can't go in just yet," a calm voice interrupted them.

Why is everyone being polite and calling me sir yet they won't let me see him?

"He's my fiancé," Draco cried as he spun around to face a young man in Medi-wizard robes of deep green. His anger rose once more. "I'll do what the hell I like!"

"Sir - " The wizard looked at him calmly. "Please...if you could just wait outside for a few moments, we'd be really grateful. We'll let you in as soon as we possibly can."

"Thank you," Hermione replied firmly, cutting off Draco as he opened his mouth to shout at the man again. She placed a hand on Draco's arm to prevent him bursting into the room. Draco exhaled impatiently and leant against the wall, burying his head in his arms helplessly. Hermione rubbed his back gently, unable to find any words to comfort him. "I should let the others know," she whispered softly. "Remus, Tonks...." Sirius, she added quietly to herself. She couldn't be sure where he was, but she had a pretty good idea.

But Draco was barely listening. All he could think of was how unreal this whole situation was. Earlier that very same day he had been speaking to Harry, and now.... "What happened?" Draco whispered, almost to himself, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks and soaking his sleeves. "What the hell happened...?"

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Miles away, Tonks' face paled as she received the news.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Remus asked as he saw the look of utter shock on his wife's face.

"That was Hermione...we have to get to the hospital...." She turned to Remus in utter disbelief and a tear slid down her cheek. "It's Harry."

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"You may go in now."

Draco whipped his head up and stared at the kindly nurse before him.

He wiped his face on his sleeve and swallowed. "I can...?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Yes," she replied, nodding.

Draco hesitated. Although all he wanted to do was rush into the room and hold Harry in his arms, he was suddenly scared stiff. Hermione rose from her seat beside the doorway and reached out for Draco's arm. After a reassuring squeeze of her hand on his, they entered Harry's room together.

Draco felt a fresh wave of tears engulf him as he caught sight of the pale man lying on the bed. Harry's limp, unmoving form lay stark against the white sheets. He tried to say Harry's name but his throat closed over. He rushed to his bedside and buried his face in the dark-haired man's neck, a sob rising in his throat. He stroked Harry's dark, unruly hair, his desperate words barely audible.

"My angel...my beautiful angel...."

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Tonks and Remus hurried up the stairs of St Mungo's hospital to the third floor. Tonks had just belted up two stairs at once when she suddenly stopped.

"You know - I should really get Draco and Hermione a cup of tea. Goodness knows how long they've been here. I'll only be a minute, you go ahead without me."

"Good idea," her husband replied, nodding, and watched Tonks rush back down to the floor below.

Remus hurried up the remaining steps and along the corridor, looking for any sign as to which room he should enter.

Then he saw him. Him....

Sirius, leaning against the wall outside the hospital room, his head in his hands, was sobbing violently.

"Sirius..." Remus choked hoarsely. He didn't even know that he was running towards the man until he reached him. He didn't care who saw, all he knew was that he had to hold him, comfort him.... "Oh, Sirius...."

Within a few seconds he had tugged the man into his arms and held him fiercely as the taller wizard collapsed against him, his shoulders heaving. The dark-haired wizard gasped out loud and clung to Remus desperately, unable to speak. He let himself be held, grateful for the comfort as the tears continued to stream down his cheeks, flowing faster and heavier until they soaked the front of Remus' shirt.

"Oh God, Sirius..." he mumbled into his hair. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...." Remus pulled him close and rubbed his back with a strong hand. He stroked his hair tenderly, wanting more than anything to take the pain away...but he didn't know how. Sirius looked completely and utterly broken and it was all he could do not to dissolve into tears himself. He planted a soft kiss in that unruly black hair and continued to stroke him until his sobs subsided.

"I - I can't go in there...." Sirius whispered without facing him.

"Siri, he needs you," Remus whispered back.

"I can't bear it...I can't...." He broke down into a fresh wave of tears.

"Shh...."

"I can't do this," he sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm not strong like you, Remus...."

Remus drew back slightly and managed a small smile. "Then I'll be strong enough for both of us," he whispered tenderly, meeting his eyes. He wanted Sirius to know that he meant it.

Sirius felt his lips tremble.

"I want to help you," Remus continued softly, still holding his gaze. "Please...let me...." He raised his hand to Sirius' face and traced a gentle finger along his cheek.

Sirius closed his eyes and nodded, realising that he wanted to trust him, realising that he had never needed anyone as much as he did right now.

Remus threaded his fingers tenderly through Sirius' and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He led him slowly to the door. "I'm right here with you, ok?"

Sirius nodded again dumbly, his breathing rate starting to increase as he clumsily grasped the doorknob and entered the room.

Tonks, her fingers tightening around the cups of tea in her hands, watched this exchange from the end of the corridor with confusion. Her mind went over what she had just seen and she sat down heavily on a chair, raking a trembling hand through her short hair. What the hell was that...? She shook her head. What was going on? She had thought that they couldn't stand the sight of each other. Of course, she had expected Remus to be civil considering the circumstances, but this.... It was almost as if...as if....

No. No no no....

A cold feeling started to creep into her stomach but she snorted.

Don't be silly.

"He's comforting him for God's sake," she whispered to herself in annoyance.

She shook the thought from her head and started to follow the two into the room.

"Tonks!"

The witch whirled round at the call of her name, and saw a familiar red-haired man running towards her. Her jaw dropped.

"Charlie!"

She barely had time to put down the cups before he swooped upon her and engulfed her in a huge, warm hug.

"Charlie!" She squeezed against him for a long moment and it wasn't until he gently pulled away that she realised she was crying. It was a mixture of sadness about Harry, confusion about her husband, and happiness to see her old friend.

"It's so good to see you," she sniffed into his shoulder.

Charlie's expression grew to one of concern. "Have you seen him?" he whispered.

Tonks shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I'm going in now," she said in a low voice.

Charlie nodded gravely and stepped aside to allow her in first.

She moved towards the doorway but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"This wasn't how I'd envisaged us meeting up again," he whispered softly.

She gently squeezed his hand before it dropped from her shoulder.

They entered the room.

The scene they met was of Draco, his eyes red, bent almost double upon his chair beside Harry's bed as Sirius hugged him, stroking his white-blond hair soothingly. Draco had thought that he had no more tears left to cry, but this simple gesture, this show of affection brought him over the edge. He collapsed against the man and sobbed into his shoulder uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry...." Draco sniffled.

"Don't be silly," Sirius whispered, barely able to hold back his own tears.

They stayed like that for a long moment, and then Draco drew back, wiping his face on his sleeve. Remus, Sirius, Draco, Charlie and Tonks silently gazed at Harry's sleeping form and Hermione frowned a little, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

She looked at Charlie curiously. "How did you know about Harry - ?"

"Romania is just on the border," he explained quickly, thinking that they would instantly understand. "News travels fast," he added grimly. "I haven't told mum and dad yet, I didn't want to worry them...I came as soon as I could though - "

His voice trailed off as he realised that everyone was staring at him. Everyone knew that Charlie worked in Romania with dragons but they didn't see why it was relevant.

"What...?" Draco's eyes widened, as he slowly registered the word. On the border ....

Charlie's expression flickered. "Oh - I thought you knew...." He shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure of the exact city in Hungary where Harry was but - "

"Hungary...?" Draco's eyes widened and his head snapped towards Harry and then back towards Charlie. He was silent for a few stunned moments. "Did you say Hungary?"

The red-haired wizard nodded.

Sirius's face whitened in shock and he instantly felt his throat go dry. He grabbed the edge of the bed to steady himself.

Hermione felt her heart sink and she avoided Sirius' eyes. Oh God....

Draco looked at Charlie in disbelief, that one word rattling around in his brain. Hungary...Hungary.... "What the hell was he doing there? I don't understand...." He shook his head dumbly and ran a shaky hand through his blond hair.

Sirius barely made it through the door before he was violently sick.

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