Chapter 20
“He’s waking up.”
“Harry? Harry!”
“Just wait, don’t startle him.”
Harry blinked and groaned. There was a splitting pain in his head and he fought to sit up. The room spun and he laid back.
“Where am I?” Harry wondered.
“You’re at home.” Hermione grabbed his hand.
“And you’re just fine mate.” Ron encouraged.
“What happened?” Harry’s throat was dry and the words were hard to make. Hermione handed him a glass of water and he lifted his head just enough to drink.
“What do you remember?” Ron asked. Harry thought about it. His mind felt like a fog bank. All he saw were the distorted shapes of his memories, all of them out of reach. Then he did remember something.
“You wanted pumpkin tarts.” Harry smiled and reached his hand across the bed. “The ones they make at that little bakery, next to the broom shop. So I got up early to get them before you woke.”
Harry smiled at the memory. Malfoy had been sprawled on the bed next him, his arms folded over his face. He was in Harry’s shirt and it gathered up across his stomach so that the curves of his hips shown.
“Harry?” Hermione spoke tentatively, making Harry look over. “Who wanted pumpkin tarts?”
Harry looked to his hand outstretched on the bed next to him. No one was on the other side.
No, that can’t be right.
Harry sat up again and fought through the dizziness to stay upright. He looked around the room. It was his bedroom and not the upstairs suite. Harry twisted the sheet in his hand.
“Where’s Draco? What’s going on?” He kept searching the empty room.
“You don’t remember?” Hermione whispered.
“Remember what?” Harry looked at Hermione, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. “Remember what Mione?”
No one spoke. Harry rubbed his face and scratched his stubble.
No.. Harry ran his fingers through the growth I just shaved…
He rose, unsteady, and made his way to the bathroom. The face in the mirror had a multi week head start to a beard. Harry thought it actually didn’t look half bad.
In a trance he walked from the bathroom to his office he looked at the chairs. Another memory filtered in. Draco was sitting in the chair next to Harry. They watched animated movies late into the night. Harry had been stressed about work and couldn’t sleep. He smiled again.
What’s going on?
“Harry, you remember going to the bakery?” Ron was behind him. Harry turned and nodded yes so Ron continued “You remember meeting anyone there?”
Was this important? Harry struggled to remember again and this time something hazy filtered through.
~~~~~~
He had bought the tarts, he walked out of the stores and down the streets of Diagon Alley. There was a flugh at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes he could use to get home. It was hell trying to get around without ripping his scabs. It was chilly but Harry didn’t care, he was still warm from sharing a bed. He saw her then, crossing the street in front of him. He couldn’t breathe. He followed her. Suddenly she spun around.
“You kind of look familiar.” Her yellow eyes reminded Harry of a cat in the dark. “But I must have you mistaken.”
Harry didn’t speak. Morrie’s lips curled into a smile that made him shiver.
“Oh no,” she looked at the scars under Harry’s unbuttoned collar. “That must’ve been nasty.”
“Let me help you.” Harry said at last, wondering if she could even be helped now that Lucius’s claws were in her. Morrie laughed and the sound made the air turn icy.
“Oh you poor little boy,” she chided. “You've confused me for someone else too.”
~~~~~~~
“Ron what happened?” Harry felt anxious all over again. His chest hurt and he clutched it. Breathe, Breathe, Breathe. Harry heard Draco’s instructions in his head from when he came home in a rush, still clinging to the tarts.
“You remember seeing her?” Harry shook his head yes and Ron continued. “Well you came to get me-“
“I came home first.” Harry added.
“Right, okay, so you came home then came to get me and then we went to Grimble. Grimble yelled at you for making contact and blowing the case. Then we ignored him and went to follow Morrie but by the time we found her…” Ron’s words drifted out as Harry recalled the events for himself.
~~~~~
Morrie was in the field behind her house. The tall wheat looked beautiful in the sun as it set. The sky was painted with drifts of purple, orange, and pink. The wheat ahead was beat down in a big circle, something had happened there. Harry crossed the grass, letting his palms be tickled by the tops as he went. He looked down. Her neck was bent and mangled, her face red and wet. Harry wished she might have taken him up on his offer.
~~~~~
“I remember.” Harry whispered and Ron stopped.
“You remember what?” He asked cautiously.
“Morrie.”
“What else?” He pressed. Harry shook his head, nothing else. Harry felt scared by himself. Time had passed without him and he didn’t recall any of it. He ran his hand through his hair and winced at a large bump on the back of his head.
Well that explains the pain.
“What happened to my head Ron?”
“You hit it.”
“Yeah… that I sorta figured.” Harry frowned. He suddenly wanted to do something to distract himself. Maybe… Maybe if he could just sit down and do something normal and feel like him again, his mind would repair itself. He turned on the record player. There was already a record on, so Harry left it and dropped the needle. Ron gave him some privacy and Harry closed his eyes.
“Here she comes again.” Harry sang along and tried to relax. “I kinda like the way, I like the way she dips.”
Harry smiled at something he could still remember. The days before the bakery all seemed intact. He had listened to this album with Malfoy and forced him to dance along. Leave me alone Harry, Draco’s voice echoed in his mind. But the other man had been laughing as Harry grabbed his arms and sang. I don't mind you comin' here, And wastin' all my time, time 'Cause when you're standin' oh so near, I kinda lose my mind, yeah.
Tears rolled down Harry’s cheeks, and the music faded away back into fear. What had happened? Where was Draco? Why couldn’t he remember?
“I told you to get me when he was awake!” A shout startled Harry and he opened his eyes. He stayed on the floor, afraid the voice had been a dream only. Draco burst through the door and looked down at him.
“Hi.” Harry whispered. He remembered the first time Draco had found him on the floor like this. He stopped the record.
“Hi? HI! All you have to say to me is HI!” Draco exploded and Harry sat up. “Of all the stupid things you could-”
“Stop yelling!” Hermione cut Malfoy off. “He doesn’t remember.”
“What?” Draco looked confused.
“He doesn’t…. He doesn’t know.” She repeated more quietly.
“What do you remember?” Draco knelt next to Harry. He couldn’t stand being asked that question again. Something terrible had happened and no one would tell him what. He pressed his eyelids closed as hard as he could and tried to recall something, ANYTHING. The more he fought the hazier it got and the more his head hurt. If he was crying before, he was weeping now. His chest heaved and he felt as if the force might drown himself.
“Okay, alright.” Draco pulled Harry into a hug and Harry cried harder. “I’m sorry.”
The feeling of Draco’s arms around him and the sound of his tears triggered something inside Harry. Like a movie in another room, a memory played.
~~~~~~
“Harry what’s happening?” Draco shouted at him as he pulled him by the hand into his office. Narcissa was already waiting there with Kreacher. She rushed to Draco’s side and grabbed his hand.
“You know what to do.” Harry said to Kreacher who nodded.
“Harry!” Draco yelled.
“You will stay in this room, and you will not come out until I’m back.” Harry yelled forcefully. Draco had a frightened look on his face. A face Harry hadn’t seen since the pensieve at Hogwarts. He didn’t have time to apologize. He shut the door behind him and Kreacher locked it from the inside. In the hall Harry watched as the door disappeared. He walked downstairs to the flugh and Kreacher joined him there.
“You are the only one who can go in and out of that room now.” Harry reminded him. “And you will not enter it again until I return.”
“Master Harry will return. Kreacher is sure of it.” Kreacher’s vote of confidence helped Harry bolster his bravery. He grabbed a handful of flugh powder and shouted.
“Malfoy Manor!”
~~~~~~
Harry grabbed his head in agony. Whatever was next was locked deep inside a painful part of his mind. He yelled out in pain and Draco released him from the hug. Harry stared at him.
“Have I apologized yet?” Harry asked, the thought of Draco’s hurt face still fresh in his mind.
“For what?”
“For when I… I put you in this room and I yelled at you and your face… you looked so…” Harry couldn’t quite express himself through his emotions.
“You remember something?” Hermione said hopefully from the door.
“Only snippets.” Harry answered her but just kept looking at Draco, who looked at Harry with sad eyes. “I’m so so sorry”
“I know.” Draco answered at last. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
“Harry-” Draco started but Harry grabbed his hands.
“I don’t ever want to be the one who makes you look like that.”
“You were just trying to protect us.”
“Did I?” Harry asked anxiously.
“Well-” Draco was cut off again, but by Ron this time.
“We better let Harry lie back down and get some more rest.” Ron looked at Draco with an expression Harry couldn’t understand.
“Right.” Draco stood and helped Harry back into bed.
“Stay?” Harry whispered hopefully.
“I can’t.” Draco said loud enough to be heard. Harry suddenly had the feeling that Ron and Hermione were listening to them. Harry felt very much as if he was being guarded.
“What’s going on?”
“You have to remember on your own.” Draco ran his finger tips through Harry’s facial hair. “This makes you look very handsome.”
“Stay.” Harry repeated.
“You should sleep now.” Hermione had stepped into the room and Harry resented her for it. Draco smiled a small smile and stood to leave. Harry couldn’t understand any of it. The only thing he gathered was that he had to remember something. Something important. Something that would make Ron and Hermione let him see Draco again. He turned off the light next to him.