The Reason

Chapter 11

'Restless tonight, cause I wasted the light. Between both these times, I drew a really thin line. It's nothing I planned, and not that I can, but you should be mine, across that line. If I traded it all, if I gave it all away for one thing, just for one thing. If I sorted it out, if I knew all about this one thing, wouldn't that be something? I promise I might not walk on by, maybe next time, but not this time. Even though I know, I don't want to know. Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds.' "One Thing" ~ Finger Eleven

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Professor Lupin? I just came to see what I missed."

"Your wand. You left it in your bookbag when you ran out of class. I noticed you left shortly after Mr. Potter did, and neither of you returned. Is everything okay with you two?"

For a second, Draco had a crazy urge to laugh. 'Okay?' Of course they weren't 'okay'. He had never been more confused and scared in his entire life.

"Yes, Professor, I'm fine. I just usually keep my wand in my pocket, and when I couldn't find it, I panicked. As for Ha - Potter, I think there's just a flu going around."

"Draco, I don't know if you're aware of this, but werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies. There was a vampire in this classroom, Draco, and I think you know something about it. I'm not going to say anything about it, but I'm here for you if you or anyone else needs to talk."

"Thank you, Professor. I'll keep that in mind."

Lupin remained in his classroom for a long time thinking about what had happened. Harry Potter was becoming a vampire; that much was obvious. He had only met a vampire once before in his entire life, and he had killed it instantly. He had been young, and it was during a full moon; he had followed his instinct, and he had always regretted it. Since then, he had learned to control himself even during his change, and he had told himself many times that if he ever encountered another vampire, he would control himself. And he had, but the instinct to kill had been there. He wondered if it had been another student, one he didn't love like a son the way he did Harry, if he would have been so controlled. Or even if he had been a full vampire, rather than a fledgling, if he would have been able to overcome his instincts. He hoped he never had to find out.

He was torn as to what to do. He loved Harry like a son; he was the only one left of his friends - James and Sirius had both died, and Pettigrew was a traitorous bastard, so he was the only one left to take care of Harry. So he wanted to do what was best for Harry, but he had no clue what that was.

Should he trust that Harry and the Malfoy boy could handle the situation? He knew Harry had handled many other situations of this kind, but none quite this serious. Or should he go to Dumbledore? If he went to Dumbledore, Harry and Draco could be expelled - Harry could even be killed. There wasn't a cure to vampirism that he knew, but Draco had seemed fairly sure of himself, so maybe they had found something, and going to Dumbledore would only interfere. If it had been possible, he would have helped them, talked to them to see what they knew, help research, but he couldn't. If he and Harry were even in the same room together for more than a minute, they would probably kill each other. He sighed. For now he would trust that they knew what they were doing, and leave it at that. If the situation hadn't improved by Monday, he would go to Dumbledore.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Where have you been, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously when he returned to the Common Room several hours later.

"Puking, and getting medicine from Madam Pomfrey," Harry lied easily. "I'm gonna go to bed, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, Harry turned and climbed the stairs to his dormitory.

"What's going on with him?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"Who knows?"

Chapter 12

'Well maybe I'm in love, think about it, every time I think about it, can't stop thinking 'bout it. How much longer will it take to cure this, just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love, makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love. Turn a little faster, the world will follow after, 'cause everybody's after love. Well I didn't mean to do it, but there's no escaping your love. These lines of lightning mean we're never alone, never alone, no, no, come on, come on, move a little closer, I want to hear you whisper, settle down inside my love. Jump a little higher, if you feel a little lighter, we were once upon a time in love. We're accidentally in love.' "Accidentally in Love" ~ Counting Crows

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Harry waited in his bed, thoroughly upset and confused. He and Draco were meeting at 11:00 to do the first part of his cure.

He couldn't believe that he had kissed Draco! Even weirder, it had been the only thing that felt right since this whole nightmare started. When he thought of Draco, all he could think of was the gentle look in Draco's eyes as he tried to calm Harry earlier that day. Harry was becoming a demon, and the evidence had been right there, and Draco hadn't cared at all. And all those years Harry had been so mean to Draco, and he had tolerated it, and continued saving Harry's life in secret. No wonder he had been a little bitter towards Harry and his friends - he had every right to absolutely despise them, and here he was doing everything in his power to help Harry.

But obviously Harry felt a little more strongly about Draco than Draco felt about him. All he could hope was that the cure would work, and he could end this whole mortifying, humiliating situation.

The minutes crawled by as Harry waited for his meeting with Draco. Ron came in after about an hour.

"Harry, is there anything you want to talk about?"

Harry was silent for a minute, and he almost broke down, but just then he remembered Ron's expression when he had said Draco's name the other night.

"No, I'll wait for my two days to be up."

"Goodnight, then."

Harry's stomach was in knots as he crawled out of bed and threw on his Invisibility Cloak yet again, and he almost cried when Ron whispered, "Please be careful, Harry," as Harry passed by his bed.

"I will," he promised.