Life After Living

Chapter Fourteen

Everything you say to me

Takes me one step closer to the edge

And I'm about to break

~ One Step Closer, Linkin Park

"Incendio," Harry whispered in the darkness. The candle on the bedside table sparked to life, casting a glow over the bed. The Dark Mark etched into Draco Malfoy's flesh remained. Hermione was in Ron's arms, hiding her face.

"It's horrible," she moaned.

Harry reached out, stretching his fingers toward the Dark Mark. He stopped, pulling his hand back as a noise made it's way up the stairs. He got off the bed and moved to stand in front of Ron and Hermione. Remus and Arthur burst into the room with their wands raised. "Harry!" Remus' hand fell. Molly rushed in behind them at the mention of Harry's name.

"Get away from that bed this instant!" she demanded, her voice quivering. Hermione and Ron hurried away immediately. Hermione rushed out of the room, but Ron stopped, looking back as he realized Harry hadn't moved. Molly moved forward. "Harry--"

"How dare you." It came out quietly, though no less filled with anger. "Another lie for the collection. I should have known, the way you were scurrying about with your extra letters from Hogwarts."

"Harry, before you go any further..." Remus started.

"I've trusted you. I've trusted all of you, but you keep lying to me. You keep hiding the truth from me." Harry looked over at the still figure of Draco Malfoy. "Why is he here? What happened to him?" Remus, Arthur, and Molly were silent. "Tell me why he's here!" Harry yelled, his fists clenched, his eyes flashing. The glass pitcher rattled on its table.

Ron stood shivering in his spot, torn between going to Harry and leaving the room. "We're not the ones to explain it, Harry," Remus said calmly. Ron felt like he should say something, do something to stop Harry, but his own anger kept his mouth sealed. He watched as Harry's chest heaved.

"When will you stop lying to me?" Harry asked. Ron could see the hurt and anger in the green eyes. "I demand to know what's going on!"

Molly, Remus, and Arthur exchanged looks. With a shaking sigh, Remus looked back to Harry. "We should discuss this elsewhere."

"No. We discuss it here," Harry's voice raised. "We discuss it now." His voice continued to escalate. "I won't let you treat me like a child any more. You tell me what the fuck is going on or I swear to God--"

"Harry James Potter!" Molly's voice cut into Harry's speech.

"I want to speak to Dumbledore," Harry seethed. "Now!"

"Okay, Harry. We'll get Dumbledore," Remus conceded. "Why don't you go back to bed and we'll wake you when he gets here."

"You think I'll be able to sleep?" But Harry was moving. He moved past the adults and took Ron by the arm. "Come on." Ron looked back at the stricken faces of his parents and Remus before turning and following Harry out of the room and down the stairs.

Once inside the confines of their room, Harry collapsed on his bed. Ron sat down beside him and ran a hand over Harry's hair. Harry turned his head to look up at him. "You're the only one I can trust anymore."

"My loyalty will always lie with you. I love you." Harry laced his fingers with Ron's. There was a soft knock on the door. Harry let go of Ron's hand, but neither moved. "Come in."

Hermione appeared followed by Ginny. Hermione sat at the foot of the bed and Ginny sat on Ron's. "Why would they do such a thing?" she asked. Hermione shook her head.

"To brand him," Harry spoke. "For something. I don't know what."

"I bet he's important somehow," Ron said. "That's why they're keeping him here of all places."

"Why wouldn't they tell us?" Ginny asked.

"Because they don't think we can handle it," Harry answered.

"I know I can't," Hermione said quietly.

"The bastard probably did it on purpose," Ginny snarled. "He's probably faking his unconsciousness."

"I don't think he's faking it," Hermione reassured her. Ginny folded her arms in front of her with a huff.

"I..." Ron stood. "I need to get some water."

"I'll go with you," Hermione said, standing to follow.

"Harry?"

"I'm fine."

"We'll be back."

-----------------------

Ron held a cup under the tap until it was full. He turned and handed it to Hermione, taking the empty cup from her hand. "Thank you," Hermione said quietly. Ron filled his cup and took a sip from it. "What did Harry say to them?"

"He demanded to see Dumbledore."

"And?"

"They said he'd be here in the morning."

"The letters you two mentioned. They were for Malfoy. They were his OWL results and his book list."

"He's been here the whole time. He must have been." Ron set his drink down on the table. "At least since the middle of July. That's when Fred and George overheard them talking about his mother being arrested."

Ron turned around and found himself face to face with Hermione. "I'm scared," she said. "What if something really bad happened to him? What if they find out where he is?"

Ron stared in disbelief as Hermione stepped closer to him. She bit her lip and raised her hand to Ron's face. Ron turned, stepping away. Hermione dropped her hand and closed her eyes. Ron looked back at her. "Hermione." She opened her eyes. "You're a beautiful girl. You're a wonderful girl and I do love you, but not like that." A tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek. Ron looked down at his feet.

"I don't understand what's happened to you, Ron. You haven't been the same since the battle at the Ministry."

"We're not children anymore."

"Of course not, but what does that matter? It's a good thing, really."

"Is it?"

"What is wrong, Ron?" Hermione demanded with a tone of exasperation

Ron shook his head, sitting down at the table. "Nothing is wrong, Hermione. Everything is fine."

"Don't placate me, Ronald!"

"I'm not... Okay. I don't know what that word means, but whatever it is..." Ron looked up at Hermione with her hands still on her hips. "I don't know if you'll believe me."

"Believe you? About what?"

"I've been having dreams ever since that night of the battle."

"Dreams?" Hermione sat down across the table from him. "About what?"

"I can't really explain it, but..." Ron took a deep breath before rushing into his explanation. "Harry told me when he got here that he was having dreams about being alone at Hogwarts. And just tonight I've learned that since being here the dream has started including this horse that is bitten by a snake and Hermione, that's one of my dreams."

Hermione stared at him for a few moments in silence. "You've been having a dream about a horse being bitten by a snake?"

"Tonight, before Harry woke up screaming, I was in field. It was a bloodstained field. There was a horse, and he knew me. Then a snake appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the horse's neck. When the snake bit the horse, they became one. And then the horse started to change. I think it was becoming a dragon."

"And you knew nothing about Draco being in the attic?"

"Yeah. What does that have to do with it?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "This is divination stuff, Ron, and you know I don't believe in that rubbish."

"Divination? I don't know what you're talking about, but the horse... it was trying to tell me something as it was changing. It was screaming at me, but I couldn't understand it." Ron stared off into space and was silent. Just as Hermione was about to speak, he spoke quietly. "Black and white make gray. I don't know what it means but it's in my head."

"Call me boring--"

"Boring."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I was reading up on Hogwarts stuff back during Buckbeak's trial. Lucius Malfoy's mother came from an incredibly wealthy background."

"Why were you reading up on Lucius Malfoy?"

"I came across it by chance."

"Right."

"Like I was saying. This wealthy Italian family came from quite the lineage. Important blood lines, very important wizardkind... and so on."

Ron cleared his throat. "What does this have to do with my dream?"

"I'm getting there. This family. Their name was Branco." Ron continued to look at Hermione confused. "Branco is Portuguese for white."

"I still have no idea what you're..." Ron set his cup down with a klunk. Hermione sighed with relief. "But that's so literal." She shrugged.

Ron stood. Hermione did as well, following him as he left the kitchen. "I still don't believe in divination."

"I'm starting to," Ron responded. Hermione caught Ron by the arm as he started up the stairs.

"What?"

"That's not all that's wrong. Why won't you tell me?"

Ron pulled his arm out of her grip. "I just can't, Hermione. Not yet. I want to, but I'm just not ready." Ron continued up the stairs and to he and Harry's room. They halted at the door, finding themselves in the presence of Hogwarts' Headmaster.

"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said surprised. Harry and Ginny sat on the beds, both looking apprehensively at Dumbledore. Harry gave a look to Ron and the latter moved to sit next to him.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered. "Please join us." Hermione sat down next to Ginny.

"Are you going to tell us what happened to Malfoy, sir?" Hermione asked.

"There is not much that I can say--"

"Or not much that you will tell us," Harry interrupted. "Withholding the truth is just another lie, though, isn't it?"

"Harry!"

"You're good at it," Harry continued over Hermione's exclamation.

"Harry," Dumbledore said quietly, and the young adults saw a very rare emotion on the headmaster's face: guilt.

"I've trusted you for so long," Harry continued in a milder tone, "that I never thought to question what you didn't say."

Dumbledore smoothed his beard with his fingers and took a breath. "We don't know what happened to Mr. Malfoy. When the Ministry raided the Malfoy estate they found him and his mother in hidden quarters. Professor Snape was not informed about anything having to do with young Malfoy. It was, ironically, a tip from Lucius Malfoy that led the Ministry to conduct a raid on the estate." Dumbledore paused and the young adults waited quietly until the headmaster continued. "Several young Order members were on the Auror team involved in the raid. Upon discussion with myself and other members we decided this would be the safest place for Mr. Malfoy."

"He's been unconscious the whole time?" Hermione asked.

"He has. We suspect since early July. We can only imagine what he went through must have been quite traumatizing."

"He deserved it," Ron said quietly.

Hermione opened her mouth to reprimand Ron, but didn't get a chance. "It is true that Mr. Malfoy has done some rather unforgivable things in the past, but I do not believe anyone deserves to be branded in such a way."

"It's a Dark Mark, right?" Ginny asked, having not seen it herself.

"A rather large one it appears," Dumbledore explained. "Severus has confirmed it."

"That's why he's been here more," Harry spoke. "To check on his protégé."

Dumbledore nodded. "We've come to the decision that is time to move young Malfoy to Hogwarts and in to the care of Madam Pomfrey." Harry nodded his agreement. "Harry, we'd like to send you along as well."

"Just me?"

"Over my dead body will you send him to Hogwarts without me!" Ron voiced loud enough to wake the neighbors. His parents appeared at the door along with Remus.

"I won't go," Harry said, a hand on Ron's arm.

"I think it would be in your best interest, Harry---"

"His best interest!" Ron yelled again.

"Ronald--" Molly said calmly.

"You really think that separating Harry from his friends and sending him to be alone at Hogwarts is in his best interest?"

Hermione stepped forward, placing her own hand on Ron's other arm. "Professor, sir, I have to agree with Ron." Everyone looked at her in surprise.

Except for Harry. "Excuse me. Do I not get to decide what is in my best interest?" He looked accusingly at everyone, including Ron.

"I'm sorry, Harry. We think it's best," Remus interjected.

"No!"

"Ronald, you watch your tone when speaking to Mr. Lupin!" Molly moved forward, her finger wagging.

"You have no idea what you're doing!" Ron reached up to wipe at his nose, feeling it run. A look of horror crossed Molly's face. "You can't leave Harry alone at Hogwarts!"

"Ron," Molly breathed.

Ron looked down at his hand as his nose continued to run. He wasn't expecting to see red. "Ron!" Harry spun, his hands grabbing the taller boy. Blood ran down from his nose. "Ron." Ron looked up at him from the blood on his hands. "Ron?" Harry gasped as the others in the room moved forward.

Ron touched his fingers to his lips. He pulled them away, finding them stained with red. Harry's worried face was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.