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Draco felt like absolute crap, no scratch that he felt worse. He felt like he was dying inside, like his heart was breaking into a million pieces.
He felt nauseous and swayed on his feet, the many sleepless night catching up to him. He couldn't recall the last time he slept a full night with no nightmares, or even the last time he ate a full meal.
He knew he looked like absolute shit as well, he knew his friends were worried for him and were trying to help but what could they do, absolutely nothing was what.
After all unless they had a cure for basilisk venom what could they do. His beloved father was dying, in a coma and he could do nothing but watch as he wasted away. It was one of the worst poisons in the world and would usually kill within seconds, so if it hadn't been for his Lord's quick thinking he would probably be burying his father right about now.
Yet even the Dark Lord could do nothing against the venom that was slowly eating away at his father from the inside. There was no cure. He could remember that horrible night clearly.
Towards the end of the summer holidays Uncle Sev, mother, father, aunt Bella and the Dark Lord all sitting around the dining room table eating dinner quite peacefully (when in private not only did the Dark Lord drop his disgusting snake glamour he became quite a good conversationalist especially now that the madness that had possessed him after he rose had gone). When all of a sudden his father had started choking on what seemed to be thin air, he had looked down at his food as though betrayed, it had been comical for mere seconds before it had kicked in.
Draco remembered watching his father cough up blood, watching foam froth at the corner of his mouth, watching his fearless and brave father with tears rolling down his face at the sudden influx of pain, watching him fall out of his chair and onto the hard marble floor twisting and turning and screaming.
Then everyone else had sprung into action. His mother had ran round the table and flung herself down to her husband's side lifeblood pride cast aside in place for worry and fear.
The Dark Lord had moved to his father's seat and murderers few words over his barely eaten food, then he had swore, the prim and proper Dark Lord swore. He had quite a mouth actually and had Draco not been so consumed with terror he might have laughed.
Unlce Sev had ran to the other side of his father and recognising poison just not which one had lifter his head up so he could breathe better. Sev had looked to his Lord for answers unsure of what to do until he knew what had happened so as not to cause more harm.
Even Aunt Bella had done something, she had ran out of the room in search of the house elf that had prepared their food.
Where as Draco had just sat there, he had just sat there as his father started to die, as his mother sobbed, as the Dark Lord pronounced it was basilisk venom, as Sev turned pale.
He just sat there, frozen in shock as the Dark Lord had chanted muttered words over his father, as his father's breathing evened out and he was placed in a magically induced coma to stop the deadly poison. No, not stop, delay. Nothing could stop it.
They had had found out that one of the house elves had betrayed them, had worked with Dumbledore to destroy the Dark Lords main supporter and financial backer.
Of course the elf was now dead after providing that useless information Draco had been informed that it had / been quite painful.
His mother was distraught yet she had her sister to loom after her and of course when the Dark Lord tells you to rest well... you rest.
They had researched and researched yet they had found nothing. His father's was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.
So yes to say Draco felt like crap was a bit of an understatement.
He had looked right through the library in Hogwarts yet he had found nothing. It was now Christmas and they had estimated his father had around a week to live. Draco couldn't even remember the last thing he had said to his father.
They said he wasn't in pain and it would be peaceful when he passed.
Draco loved his father more than anything, though cold and proud to the public eye Lucius Malfoy was an amazing and kind father who listened to whatever he had to say and provided sympathy and comfort when needed.
And yet soon he would be gone over Christmas as well it would be very sombre this year if it was celebrated at all.
It just wouldn't be the same without his father.
It would never be the same without his father.
It had been in the Daily Prophet he remembered that day the dawning looks of realization on his friends faces as his sullen behaviour was explained, of the gasps that echoed throughout the hall of the pitying looks. He had walked out without a backwards glance.
It hadn't specified which poison it had been but it had been enough. Now everyone walked on eggshells around him and tried to `help` whatever.
So here he stood in Hogsmede station waiting for the train that would take him back to misery Blaise and Pansy a few meters away whispering and staring at him worriedly. Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore had decided to stay at Hogwarts.
He stared off into the distance recalling some stories his father had told him about his adventures in Hogsmede when he felt a light tapping on his arm.
He looked up tiredly ready to snap at the person who had dared to disturb him when he was met with a pair of startling green eyes.
He stared into them and got lost once again in his own thought when a gentle voice knocked him out of his reverie.
"Draco" Potter called (for yes it was Potter) "are you okay?"
"Of course I'm not okay, or haven't you read the papers, my father is dying" Draco snarled at him making him flinch slightly.
"Of course" he murmured "that was stupid I'm sorry but that was actually what I wanted to speak to you about."
Potter looked down biting his lip and Draco stared mesmerized, as the years passed Potter had grown in quite the looker he was very'... pretty. And his stunted height only increased links femininity. Draco snapped himself out of his wandering thoughts once again and glared at Potter.
"Well what do you want then" Draco hissed angrily internally cursing himself for having to hate the beautiful creature in front of him. His parents did not care in the least that he was hay but dating Potter well that was drawing the line, he didn't even think Potter liked him. Oh well.
"I just wanted to say sorry, I know what it is like to lose someone but I also have something you might like" here Potters voice dropped slightly as though not wanting anyone to hear, curiosity aroused Draco listened intently.
"I stayed at a place, I won't say where, over the summer and I overheard some people talking about your father they were saying how well the plan worked and that now your father would no longer be a problem, they said he had been poisoned by basilisk venom they said it was ironic that he would be killed by a snake" Here his voice turned disgusted "then they stared cheering and celebrating."
Draco could barely contain his rage how dare they, how fucking dare they. He saw red.
"So what, why are you telling me this are you going to tell me their names so I can hunt them down when my father dies and make then suffer?"
"Well no" Potter stated awkwardly "I was actually going to give you the cure"
Here he stopped moving, breathing, thinking.
"Huh?"
Amazing, yes.
"Well I don't know how you stopped him from dying instantly but in my second year I was bitten by a basilisk in the chamber of secrets."
Finally Draco`s brain turned back on.
"Wait what? But that is impossible. How are you still alive?"
He paused "well Fawkes, you know Dumbledore`s Phoenix he cried on the bite and it healed."
Draco could have slapped himself. Of course fucking Phoenix tears they could heal anything why not basilisk venom?
"So I went to Fawkes and asked for one of his tears" now he pulled out a small glass vial with a single drop of liquid inside "he doesn't like death much and happily agreed to help."
Draco stared at him in wonder.
"But why?" He croaked hoarsely "why help us, why help me?"
He stared into draco suspiciously shiny lovely grey eyes Harry had secretly had a crush on Draco for years but nobody knew not even Draco after all who would want him "as I said before, I know what it is like to lose someone and I wouldn't wish it one anyone."
He passed Draco the vial and turned to walk away.
"Wait" Draco shouted, he searched for something to say and finally settled on "why are you here, don't you usually stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?"
Harry turned back "Dumbledore wants me to go to my relatives this year to preserve the blood wards or some such."
Draco couldn't think of what to say "well have a good Christmas then and ...thank you"
Harry -when had he started referring to him as Harry- looked at him with surprisingly sad eyes.
"Merry Christmas Draco ...Goodbye."
Draco for some reason found this farewell odd but couldn't put his finger on why.
It played on his mind the entire train ride, when he ran into the manor screaming about the tear, when his father woke up and the family spent the entire day cuddling in bed.
But it finally made sense when he read the Daily Prophet boxing day.
HARRY POTTER FOUND SEVERELY INJURED IN HIS HOME IN SURREY ON CHRISTMAS. HE IS CURRENTLY IN STMUNGOS IN A COMA . AWAITING FURTHER TREATMENT BUT DOCTORS ARE UNSURE IF THEY CAN SAVE HIM.
IT IS CONFIRMED THAT HE SUFFERED EXTREME ABUSE FROM THE MUGGLES HE LIVED WITH FROM A YOUNG AGE BUT THE CAUSE OF THE COMA IS FROM A SUICDE ATTEMPT EARLY ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. ALL THAT WAS WITH HIM WAS A NOTE SAYING `GOODBYE`.
Draco finally understood.
Harry had gone home to die.