Ten Days

Ten Days

Chapter 12

What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose.

"What in the hell is wrong with me," Draco breathed. He listened to Harry's footsteps drifting off back into the castle and gazed up at the stars lighting the Great Hall.

His emotions were running wild with his imagination. His gut wrenched every time he began to think of the gesture he just did.

Draco threw himself face down on the Gryffindor table and decided he would stay there for a while.

He felt like an idiot.

***

With a flutter in his stomach and the Snitch his hand, Harry sauntered his way back toward the Gryffindor common room. He rolled it around in his hand and watched the light of the moon sparkle off the ball of gold, as he wondered why Draco would give this to him.

Stopping in his tracks, he began to shape some of the flashbacks he felt before. He began to feel weak but felt he needed to do one more thing before he returned to his room.

Harry took an instinctual turn to the Quidditch fields.

***

Returning to the Slytherin common room, Draco did his best to avoid questions from Pansy and the others about his whereabouts. He was surprised to see others still awake since he had left so long ago.

Tearing off his shoes and socks, Draco threw himself into bed. He heard that love made people do crazy things but he thought this whole ordeal was unreasonably crazy. Harry forgetting him was a great opportunity to just move on. The universe - or whatever it is that runs his life - was giving him a chance to escape his shame.

Once he figured out that Harry had wished it upon himself, when he had flitted around the Quidditch field as if bitten by a Billywig... conveniently forgetting wasn't good enough for Draco Malfoy.

He had to be in complete control of the situation, so if it was Potter who had decided to forget their moment of passion the that just was not going to work. Outsmarting a Malfoy, that just wasn't possible.

Somehow, right this moment, Draco did not feel in control. Handing over his only Snitch given to him by his father seemed foolish. Trying to spark a memory in Harry's mind felt like cheating.

Wincing into his pillow, he let out a groan and drifted off into sleep.

***

The night air felt brisk against Harry's exposed skin, but he didn't feel ready to leave just yet.

He looked to the tower he fell off of the night he lost his memory and used all his willpower to remember. There was something important he was missing, something no one else would know about.

Those around him gave every reason not to trust Draco.

But why would Draco go to such lengths to reach out to him? Why did kissing Draco feel so right? The thought of it sent chills down his spine.

Walking over to the spot he must have fallen to, Harry stared up at the platform they must have been standing on. "Long way down," Harry said to himself. He kneeled down to get closer to the floor. Wondering if it was the same spot Draco had been at when he came to.

Touching the soil, absent mindedly plucking at the grass, his mind turned blank.

"Nothing."

Disappointed, he pocketed the Snitch and went to his bedroom.

***

Draco could barely open his eyes in the morning they had been so puffy, and he hoped no one would notice. He lifted himself up to the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes.

On the bed next to him sat Pansy, staring at him land ooking concerned.

"You were crying in your sleep last night," she said matter-of-factly.

He chose not to respond.

"Listen..." Pansy looked to the floor as she spoke. "I know what is going on."

"You do?"

"Draco, you aren't as subtle as you believe you are."

He didn't know how to respond, so he to try to change the subject. "Where is everyone else?"

"At their second class. You were tossing and turning all night. I let Professor Snape know you were under the weather and he understands."

Draco misheard her. "You told him? What did you say?!"

Not picking her gaze up off the floor, she said, "I told him you were sick, Draco. Nothing else."

"Oh."

"And neither should you. If I were you, I would stop what I was doing before it led to trouble."

Draco sighed and Pansy stood up. "I'll see you at lunch time, okay?"

He watched her walk out and close the bedroom door. "Sure."

Almost immediately after she had left the room his owl swooped in with a note for him. Scribbled in awful hand writing read:

Yer last detention tonight, Lupins orders. Starts at 7pm and you can meet me and Harry outside my place. Keep yer snide comments at home.

Hagrid

Butterflies filled his stomach as it turned it into a knot.

***

Harry hadn't seen Draco at all since last night and he was beginning to worry.

It was time for lunch and all of Malfoy's usually cronies were at the Slytherin table without him. It didn't seem right. He was so hung up on it he hardly understood Ron's buzzing in his ear.

"Did you hear that, Harry?"

"Huh?"

Hermione was shaking her head. "Ron was just asking you if you thought you'd be able to start playing Quidditch with the team again. And I don't think it's likely... If you don't... You know..." She blushed and clearly felt she said too much.

"I'm sure Harry will get his memory back," Ginny chirped.

"No way," Seamus put in his two cents, "if he hasn't remembered anything by now - "

Harry interjected, "Hey you guys."

"Yea?" Ron and Seamus said in unison.

"I can hear you."

The boys looked sheepish and didn't respond. It was no wonder Harry picked up a habit of spacing out during conversations. Not only did he not know what they were talking about half the time, they were usually about him.

All of Harry's energy refocused itself when Draco entered the Great Hall and took his seat at the Slytherin table.

Seamus smirked. "Well, look who it is..."

"It appears like Malfoy caught pink eye," said Hermione.

"What in the blazes is pink eye?" Ron scrunched his nose.

"Muggle disease." They were the only worlds Seamus managed to fit in between shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Now, I doubt that's pink eye!" Dean pointed in the direction of Malfoy with his spoon. "It looks like he's been crying all morning!"

"Impossible." Ron shook his head. "There is no way I would believe for a minute a Malfoy can produce a single tear."

While this conversation continued, worry brewed further in the pit of Harry's stomach. He had an awful feeling about what was going on with Draco and he made a point to figure it out with him during their last detention together.

He placed a hand in his pocket and his fingers found the Snitch. He held it for a minute and quietly hoped everything with the other boy was all right.

Harry shook his head and removed his hand from the token. He had no idea what made him care so much.

***

It was almost time to go to detention and Draco was getting nervous.

Pansy knew what was going on and he wondered who might suspect something. At least he was safe with Crabbe and Goyle. They forgot their own first name half the time.

After nervously pacing back and forth the common room floor, Draco mustered the courage to throw on his cloak. He needed to decide so much and so soon.

He could go on and pretend the Snitch meant nothing and was a random act of kindness. As a tactic to bring back his best Quidditch competition. Draco knew it was much more than that, and he was hoping he was alone in that. He could be completely honest with his feelings and use this final night as his moment to try to win Harry over one last time.

In a huff, he forced himself to leave the common room.

Unfortunately, Draco was done with feeling like an idiot.

***

It was fifteen minutes to seven when Harry arrived at Hagrid's hut with Hermione accompanying him.

"Are you sure you will be okay with him alone, Harry?"

"I'll be fine, Hermione."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise." Harry wondered if she was always this pushy or if it was his memory loss. She nodded and was off.

Harry found a rock to sit on while he waited for Hagrid and Malfoy. Since he didn't remember much of his relationship with Hagrid he would feel rude knocking on his door.

He didn't have to wait long until the hut's door swung wide open.

"'Arry! Yeh could've knocked!" Hagrid gestured that he should come in with his grand arm and Harry obliged him.

"Thanks Hagrid," Harry said as the door closed behind them.

"Now, 'arry... Lupin told me what happened between you and... you know..."

Harry felt his throat closing in. "Draco."

"I dun trust that little git. None of us do, and nor should you."

"So I hear, Hagrid." The room felt smaller and smaller by the second.

"It's Dumbledore's orders, now, that I leave you two alone to sort things out." Hagrid must have noticed Harry's color fading because he waved his hand in agreement. "Now, I know that sounds crazy to me, too, but I'll trust anything he says. If yeh ask me it's a good time to bury this and put it all behind yeh."

There was a knock at the door and Hagrid let the opposing force in with resent. "Yer late, Malfoy. It's seven-o-five."

Draco seemed uncomfortable at the comment. "I was waiting outsi - "

"Yeh shoulda knocked. Anyway, yer both gonna do some weed pickin' tonight and that's that." Neither of the boys had a comment. "Good. It's in the ferbidden forrest but yeh two will live I'm sure."

Harry was certain he heard Malfoy gulp.

"Don't yeh get yer knickers all bunched up on yeh, Malfoy. It'll be right on the outskirts and I'll just need yeh trimming these pesky weeds off Firenze's rosebushes, is all. And then yeh both will be relieved of duty. Got it?"

He took their silence as an agreement and led them to the woods.

***

Draco hated the forest at night.

He tried not to show it, especially after Hagrid had left him alone with Harry. The boys stared at the ivy-covered rose bushes dumbfounded. He also hated roses.

"So... Do you know how to do this? You lived with Muggles, right?"

Harry actually laughed. "Draco, I don't remember anything."

A familiar pang of hurt hit his chest. The term I don't remember was excruciating and he was sick of hearing it. "You really don't, huh?" His question felt rhetorical but he expected an answer anyway.

"Draco," Harry's tone was soft. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it really isn't. I'm sorry for whatever happened between us that I can't remember. I'm sorry for putting you through this." Harry placed his hand on Draco's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "But you can rest assured you won't have to be exposed to me anymore after tonight. Tonight we can say goodbye and you can live your life and I'll figure out mine...."

"No." Draco's eyes were glossing over. "You can't say that... You... Harry, please." He wanted to touch Harry's arm, he wanted to touch Harry's lips, but he was completely paralyzed. He knew where this was going and he began to feel wretched even thinking about it. Draco stared down at the grass beneath him.

"I don't know, what happened, or what you think happened. But Draco..." Harry placed his hand on Draco's chin, forcing him to look up him. "I cannot pretend that I love you when I don't."

These words hurt Draco more than he could have imagined in his worst and wildest dreams. He felt as though his legs were going to disappear from under him. Tears welled up and poured out involuntarily but he did not let out a sob.

Instead, Draco threw himself at Harry at one last desperate attempt. Harry tasted sweet and the sensation of his hand softly drifting down Draco's chin down his neck to his shoulders drove him mad. The sensation of kissing him and crying all at the same time was indescribable. He'd never feel so passionate, so wild, or so desperate.

The realization of what was going on horrified Draco, and he ripped himself away from Harry. Afraid of looking his victim in the eye anymore, he turned to physically run from the situation.

As he turned he felt a firm grip on his arm pulling him back around. When he was face to face with his almost lover, he expected to see hate searing through Harry's eyes. Draco shuddered in anticipation before their eyes met and he saw no such thing; he saw astonishment.

"Draco..." Harry exhaled. "Draco, I remember."

***

It was like thousands of alarms going off in Harry's mind all at once. The moment his lips collided with Draco's everything had made sense. He remembered the prefects' bathroom, the wishing potion he made, the fall he took, and everything that fell after.

He realized the pain he must have put Draco through and he grabbed him hard and held him close to him. "Draco," he whispered in his ear. "I am so sorry for everything."

Draco didn't respond, but did not refuse when Harry kissed him on the ear, and then the cheek and then on the mouth. They kissed like they never had before and like they never would again. His heart ached from telling Draco he didn't love him, and he pulled away and to look him in the eye.

"I love you Draco Malfoy, and I am so sorry that I tried to wish our memories away."

Draco nodded rapidly to accept the apology. "It's okay. I knew you'd come back."

"You did?"

"You're Harry Potter," he said. "You always do."

Harry kissed him. "And I always will."

Draco kissed him back with fervor and the world disappeared.

The two stayed in their embrace for the remainder of their last detention together. When Hagrid came back to check on them, Harry informed him his memory was back and there was no reason to punish him or Malfoy. He assured Hagrid that he remembered hating him and any other Slytherin.

Weak excuse or not, Hagrid was glad to hear that Harry came to his senses. He let them go back to the castle together.

When they reached the foot of the stairs leading to the Slytherin common room, the pair stopped. "I don't want you to leave me again."

Looking at Draco this vulnerable pained Harry. Something about the last few days deteriorated his shell. Guilt panged further. "I promise I won't, ever, ever again." He drew the other boy close to him and kissed him on the ear. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I know." Harry smirked. "I love you too, Harry."

"I'll never leave you."

"I know."

They kissed goodnight, and Harry watched Draco walk down the stairwell before heading back to his dorm. His guilt from putting Draco through the last few days will take some time to fade. He met a new side of Draco tonight he never knew before.

He kind of liked it.

Harry Potter never slept so soundly while dreaming of Draco Malfoy.

***

When he returned to the Slytherin common room, it was unusually quiet. He appreciated the quiet in the common room. He could hear his own heart pound and thought it'd come right out from his chest.

He never thought tonight would come, but he was happy it transpired the way it did. He hoped to start feeling like himself again, and not some lovesick fool. Things would be different for him and Harry now.

Entering his bedroom he found the other fifth years asleep, and when he laid eyes on his own bed he was taken aback by the unexpected.

"It's late for you, Draco," Pansy drawled.

"What are you doing in my bed?"

"So you ended things with Potter?" Her whisper was low. She was making an effort not to have the other Slytherins overhear.

"Yes," he lied. Harry decided it would be best to hide their love from others, at least until they graduated.

She looked at him, skeptical, before finally spitting out, "Good."

"Good."

She got up from his bed and walked up to him. Draco was afraid she was going to kiss him when she said, "that's all I wanted to know. Goodnight, Draco."

She leaned forward and Draco started to panic. Instead, she kissed him on the cheek and left the room.

He put the event out of his mind as soon as he crawled into bed.

Harry flooded his thoughts until he drifted off into his first peaceful sleep in days.

***

"That's great! You can start practice tomorrow, then!"

"Ron! Harry just got his memory back! Give him some time to adjust!"

"Aw, come on, Hermione. I bet Harry can't wait to get back on the Quidditch field. Can't you, Harry?"

"Ron's right, Hermione. I have to get back at it." It was great to feel like his self again.

"I told you, Hermione. He'd get right back at it."

"But that's not the point, Ron, Harry can take care of himself."

Their voices faded to static as Harry gazed upwards. A flock of owls came in delivering every student their respective share of mail. Harry only got one envelope, which he opened straight away.

Meet me at the Astronomy Tower. Eleven PM sharp.

-Malfoy

Harry's eyes danced across the room to find a pair of bright blue eyes looking back at him. He couldn't help but smile, and did not care if anyone noticed.

It was great to feel like Harry Potter again. Draco and all.

FIN