A Letter To Live By

Chapter Five

Take Away All The Hatred

When they arrived at the Hospital Wing Draco was sure that Madame Pomfrey would tell them that Harry had died while they were gone. The waiting area was empty and Dumbledore motioned for him to sit down in one of the vacant chairs.

"Where's Ha-- erm, Potter?" Draco asked, feeling awkward in the Headmaster's presence. \ That's good. Really bright, Draco. He's Potter. Potter. Just Potter. Got that? //

"Harry is being treated for his injuries right now," Dumbledore replied calmly. "I knew that he and the Dursleys didn't get along with each other, but I never expected this. Tell me what he wrote to you."

"It was personal, sir," Draco replied. "I don't think Potter would appreciate it if I told you." Draco also wasn't sure if he wanted to face the significance that Harry chose to write to him instead of his friends. Surely Weasel or the Mudblood would have come to the rescue if Harry told them he was going to die. \ He was disoriented, that's all. No big deal there. Nothing to worry about. //

"What did he say to make you believe he was going to die?" Dumbledore pressed.

Draco sighed in resignation. "The first line said, 'I'll probably be dead by the time you read this,'" he replied painfully aware that Dumbledore was staring at him. It wasn't a complete lie, and Dumbledore didn't need to know anything else.

"He said he would die?" Dumbledore asked. "Just like that?"

Draco nodded. "When may I see him?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Let me go in and see if Madame Pomfrey is ready for you," Dumbledore replied, rising from his seat and going into the ward.

\ Why did Potter have to write to me? // Draco wondered while he waited. \ Stupid Boy-Who-Lived has to be in everyone's lives. What did he think? That I would fall on my knees and proclaim my love for him? He's my enemy! I hate him! //

A new voice in the back of his head spoke up. \ But you saved him, didn't you? //

\ I just wanted him to be alive for the Dark Lord. // Draco responded, slightly annoyed.

\ Ah, but you were worried about him when you saw him. //

\ I was just worried that he wouldn't live long enough for the Dark Lord to get to him. //

\ That's not true, and you know it. //

\ I HATE HIM! HE'S MY WORST ENEMY! //

\ If he's your worst enemy, you should consider yourself lucky. To have an enemy that's so innocent and selfless. You could do worse. //

\ Shut up, you! // Draco said to silence the voice of his conscience, which sounded like Snape for some strange reason. Perhaps it was because Snape was the one who always lectured him about his grades in other classes besides Potions while he was at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore came into the room and gave Draco a grave look. "You may go in now, but he looks worse now than he did at his house."

Draco nodded and walked past the professor and into the ward. He couldn't contain a gasp when he saw Harry on the bed.

Harry had two black eyes, a swollen lip, and cuts all over his face. His arm was bandaged tightly, and the part of his chest that was showing over the blanket was black from the amount of bruises that covered it. He wasn't wheezing now, but it was painfully obvious that he was still having trouble with respiration.

Draco fought the urge to turn away and walked up to the side of the bed. "Can you hear me, Potter?" he asked Harry.

Harry didn't respond or make any movement to indicate that he even heard.

"He's in a coma, Draco," Dumbledore said behind him. "Poppy is very good with medicine, but he has been malnourished for too long."

"Will he survive?" Draco asked quietly, dreading the answer. \ Gods, why did I just ask that? Please, someone tell me I did not just ask that. // Silence was his answer. \ Yeah? Well, fuck you too. //

"I don't know," Dumbledore said, sounding very sad. "We'll see if he makes it through the night. If he does, then I think he might pull through."

Draco sat down in a chair next to Harry's bed and looked on his nemesis with sad eyes. He was used to seeing Harry angry and fighting back at school. He had never imagined that Harry could look so frail and broken. He resisted the urge to take Harry's hand and stood up instead.

"I think I'd better go home now," he said. "Father will wonder what happened to me."

"Yes, I think that is a good idea," Dumbledore said. "Let me escort you."

Draco and Dumbledore walked to Hogsmead in silence. When they got past the anti-apparition wards of the school Dumbledore stood quietly and watched Draco through veiled eyes that betrayed none of his thoughts. \ If only he knew. I should have ignored the letter. Or sent one to Dumbledore and let it go at that. But, oh no! Not me! I have to go and complicate my life a bit more! Stupid impulsiveness. How did I ever manage to get into-- I'm stopping that thought right now. //

At last Dumbledore spoke. "Don't tell your father of this, Draco."

Draco nodded. \ The word, ERDUH, comes to mind. //

"Be careful," Dumbledore continued. "I'll send you an owl if anything changes."

Draco nodded again.

Dumbledore placed his hand on Draco's shoulder and they Apparated to the street in front of Malfoy Manor. "I trust you'll be safe?" Dumbledore asked.

Draco nodded again. "Thank you, sir," he said quietly, then made his way up to his home. \ As long as Lucius doesn't ask too many questions I should be fine. I wonder if that will happen. He's Lucius, so probably not. Damn it all to Hell! //