Draco awoke feeling queasy and out of sorts. He could barely open his eyes, struck by immediate dizziness and an agonizing headache characteristic of extremely strong pain relieving potions.

"Hey," Leah whispered.

Draco murmured incoherently, turning his head towards her. Only then did the surroundings register. He was in the all too familiar setting of St. Mungo's. And Leah was sitting right next to him. "Huh?" he asked, utterly confused.

"How are you?" she asked gently, flicking Draco's hair off of his forehead. "You're pretty doped up."

"Where?" Draco croaked, closing his eyes when he realized that if he kept seeing swimming visions, he wouldn't be able to keep his stomach settled.

"Yeah… Pretty freaky, huh?" Leah laughed her nervousness away. "We're in London."

"Oh," Draco moaned.

"It's… amazing, Draco."

Draco looked at Leah again. "Hmm?" he asked with a sleepy smile. "Yeah?"

"You can do so much with magic," Leah murmured. "I… I thought you were going to die."

Draco's smile faded away when he noticed Leah's lips pursing together and her eyes turning glassy. "Don't cry," he said.

"I don't cry," Leah snapped, glaring at Draco. "It's not like you have anything to gloat about. You should be thanking your doctors. Idiot."

Draco laughed silently. He had been so scared for Leah… "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to her with a limp hand.

"I can heal myself," Leah reminded him, taking his hand in hers. "Like I've been saying, I'm stronger than you."

"You are…"

Leah pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Thank you, Draco," she breathed into his ear.

"Anything for you," Draco hummed, a foolish grin on his face that, had he been sane, he would have been appalled to see on his face. "Leah…"

"Yes?"

"Is everyone alright?"

"No."

Draco's grin turned into a puzzled expression. "Oh? Who?"

"Harry."

Draco paled instantly, his gaze intensifying as clarity set in upon hearing the name from Leah's lips. "Harry?" he asked, his words no longer dreamy. "Harry wasn't there."

"He stopped everything," Leah explained. "He killed those… things."

"No," Draco said with strained patience, sitting up despite the searing pain in his back. "Harry's home. He… he's not well."

"It's okay, Draco," Leah said, trying to calm Draco and make him lie down again. "It's not your fault."

"What?" Draco asked sharply. "What's not my fault? Where's Harry? Tell me."

Leah waved her hand at the door with a helpless shrug. "They won't tell us anything. They're still trying to fix him," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Damn it, what did he do?" Draco all but shouted.

"I don't know! I don't know, okay?"

Draco flung the sheets off and swung his legs out of bed. But the moment he stood, the pain crippled him. He would have crumpled to the ground had it not been for Leah's quick and gentle catch. "Let me go," he growled, trying to push her away.

"No," Leah sighed, hugging Draco close. "I need you to get better."

"Let me go!"

"Draco…"

"I need to see him," Draco pleaded. "That's all I want."

"He's going to be fine," Leah promised, wondering how reliable her words were. "He'll be fine, just like you. And now you need sleep, just like him. For me, Draco?"

"Please," Draco said hoarsely.

"No." Leah wouldn't budge, laying Draco down on the bed. "How about you close your eyes, hmm?"

Draco turned away from Leah and dragged his hands to his pattering heart, trying to calm it while stopping his morbid thoughts. What had Harry done?

Edward hadn't stopped pacing in over five hour, practically mowing a path along the end of Harry's bed. He kept mum, but his mind was working furiously. He hadn't seen Harry since months ago with that teary confession. And now here he was, willing himself to die? Edward could catch snippets of thoughts from the sedated man, each one aggravating him more than the last.

"Stop, Harry," he murmured without breaking his stride. But Harry didn't hear, deep in his exhaustion and buried under nightmares from the pain and medication. When Edward had found him in the forest gasping for air, he had imagined the worst. The thoughts Harry had were frightening, not just because of the sadness, but also because of the sure intent to give up on breathing.

Edward exhaled sharply out of frustration and stormed over to Harry's bedside, the first time he had walked away from the beaten path. "I said stop," he hissed.

Harry's jaw clicked as he clenched his teeth together.

"You have no right," Edward spat out. "Do you understand? No one has the right to wish this."

"My life," Harry whispered. "I choose."

"You owe your life to your friends, don't you?" Edward prodded. He knew this was true, and he knew that Harry knew this was true.

Harry flinched away from Edward, turning his head the other way. "Leave," he muttered.

"No."

"Don't pretend like you know me."

"I do know you."

Harry whipped his steely gaze at Edward again. "I said leave," he said with fierce authority.

"Harry?"

Edward and Harry started before glancing by the door. Draco was leaning against the doorjamb with a grimace against his lips and worry in his eyes. "Shit," Harry swore under his breath, struggling to sit up despite the agony he was in.

"Lie down," Edward growled, shoving Harry onto his back again and glaring him into submission. "And you shouldn't be out of bed either," he added, talking to Draco.

"I'm fine," Draco murmured, hobbling over to Harry with difficulty. Harry looked awful, lines on his face indicating his pain and his furrowed brow pulled together to concentrate on keeping that pain away. "What did you do, Harry?"

"I'm fine," Harry mumbled guiltily. "It's nothing."

"What did you do?"

Harry couldn't look at Draco. "Splinched," he said almost inaudibly, staring up at the ceiling.

Draco kept his sudden burst of anger to himself, knowing that Harry didn't need another lecture. "You aren't stable enough to apparate," he said instead, making sure his voice was steady and calm.

"I know," Harry murmured.

Draco flicked his eyes at Edward, silently telling him to give them some privacy. Edward left without a word. Once the door closed, Draco pulled his legs onto the bed and lay next to Harry. Their fingers tangled together and Draco tucked his head under Harry's chin. It wasn't long before their breaths synchronized. "Why did you do this?" Draco asked.

Harry pressed his lips against Draco's head, letting his eyes all shut. "I'd have been there sooner if I could," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Why, Harry?" Draco repeated. "You could have killed yourself."

Harry didn't have an answer to that.

"I hate you so much."

Harry felt the corners of his mouth twitch up and he moved his arm to enfold Draco in a hug.

"Do you have any idea how much I hate you?" Draco whispered thickly, heat pricking the back of his throat and his eyes. "If you wanted to get rid of me so bad, you should kill me, not yourself, got it?"

"And have you hold a grudge against me? No way," Harry said.

"You scare me…"

Harry's raked his hand through Draco's hair, making his head fall back. Lips crushed into each other a moment later. The kiss was harsh and frantic, the kind they hadn't shared for a long while. Draco knew what this meant and he wasn't about to go down without a fight. But Harry was stubborn as ever… Draco was breathless by the end of it, staring up at Harry openly and not knowing what to say. Harry slid his thumb over Draco's cheek, his resolve hardening. "Thank you, Draco," he murmured. "I appreciate you more than you know."

"Harry…"

"Everything's a mess with me."

"I don't care," Draco said. "I can take care of both of us."

"Then what? Hmm?" Harry asked, nuzzling Draco. "You'll be miserable, I'm already miserable and everything will suck."

"I love you."

"Mhm," Harry nodded patiently.

"Stop being like this."

"Draco asked me to stop your treatments," Hermione said, watching Harry's expression closely to see if she could decipher his true feelings. "What do you think?"

"What would it mean if I stopped?"

"In short, we won't be able to fix you."

"No more potions?"

Hermione pursed her lips disconcertedly. "Right," she muttered.

"Then I'm going to stop."

Hermione was fed up with this. First it was Draco and now it's Harry. It was as though they didn't really care. "I won't let you," she countered. "This is pertaining to your health and I won't let you-"

"I was healthy until I started treatment," Harry deadpanned. "I was healthier than ever before this. The treatment nearly killed me, understand?"

"Because they are still fine tuning! You can't give up, Harry."

"I'm not giving up," Harry explained. "I'm coming to terms with this and you will let me."

"There's nothing to come to terms with!" Hermione exclaimed. "This can't happen! You have to die someday!"

"And I will," Harry said distantly. "Just… not yet, okay?"

Hermione stormed off before she could throw another harsh word at Harry.

"Hey," Leah murmured, sidling beside Draco on the cafeteria bench in a secluded corner of the dining hall. Draco had been sitting there for hours, toying with his soggy salad and staring at the wood grains while he let his thoughts drift. He jerked out of his reverie when he was joined by the shapeshifter. "Something wrong?"

"Hmm," Draco sighed, blinking down at his dinner and pulling a face. He pushed it away and said, "Harry. Obviously."

"He's still hurt?"

"Yes."

"But he'll be okay."

Draco glanced up at Leah, quiet for the moment. But after letting her words echo in his head for a few seconds, he answered with, "Yes."

"So nothing is wrong, Draco," Leah concluded.

"It's not that simple," Draco muttered, wishing it was.

"Make it that simple. He's going to be okay, so nothing is wrong."

"How's Seth?" Draco asked, changing the subject quickly. "And Jacob?"

"Shaken, but fine," Leah said. "Those things… they'll come again, won't they?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded. "It's okay. I'll be back on duty in two days."

"Stop being like that," Leah huffed, propping her elbows on the table and dropping his chin against her palms with a glum pout.

"Like what?" Draco asked, smiling in confusion.

"All selfless and stuff."

Draco laughed at this, shaking his head. "Me? Selfless? This is my job, Leah. Nothing selfless about it. It pays for food," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Leah said, rolling her eyes.

"In fact, I'm the most selfish guy ever," Draco said with an affected sniff, smirking at her.

"Oh, sure," Leah drawled. "You decided to jump in front of a fuckin' monster because you're so damned selfish, huh? Sure does make a lot of sense, Malfoy."

"That's different," Draco grumbled, not at all pleased that he was being argued with.

"Of course it is."

"Shut up." He sulked despondently. He didn't want to turn into a bloody Gryffindor, but being around Harry was bound to cause some of those stupid characteristics to rub off on him.

"Hey."

He barely turned his head to look at her when he was jerked forward. Heat slid across his lips, crackling and fleeting. His heart raced as he breathed in Leah's scent, eyes falling shut as a response. Her stomach twisted up into her chest, making her breathless.

"Be selfish."

She slid her hand over his cheek, forcing his lips apart. Her fingers twisted his shirt holding him captive. This was unbearably real for both of them. Draco could taste Leah against his lips, the hint of tongue playing between them. It was terrifying. They broke apart as quickly as they had come together.

"I-I have to go," Draco breathed, struggling out of the bench and staggering away with his hand to his lips.

"Shit," Leah mouthed, hiding her face against her arms as she dropped her forehead against the table.

Edward gritted his teeth while storming out of the cafeteria, fists clenched and resolute in his actions.

Harry glanced up from the paperwork strewn across the bed, arching a brow at Edward. "Ever heard of knocking?" he asked sarcastically.

"You shouldn't be working," Edward muttered, silencing Harry with his no-nonsense glower and collecting the parchment into an untidy heap. "This will still be here when you get better." He dumped it all on the table that was conveniently situated at the other end of the room. Just in time too, because he could hear Draco walking down the hallway at a slow pace, as though reluctant and thoughtful. Edward marched over to Harry with his arms crossed against his chest. "You trust Draco, don't you?" he asked with a scowl.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, shifting uncomfortably and glancing at the door while wildly hoping someone would walk in.

"Well, you shouldn't," Edward snapped.

"Whoa," Harry said, holding up his hands in surrender. "Just-um… what are you talking about?"

"He's not to be trusted. He is selfish and arrogant and-" Edward stopped short when the doorknob turned.

Harry was knocked against the pillows as Edward pushed a hard kiss against his lips. He barely had time to voice his shock. But Edward didn't notice Harry. He had ears for only Draco who had stumbled to a halt at the doorway. And although he couldn't hear any of that man's thoughts, he could well imagine it and he imagined them with none too small a dose of malice and triumph. Two could play at this games. If Malfoy was planning on hurting Harry, then Edward wasn't going to sit back and watch as if-

Arms wound around his neck, desperate and trembling. Edward's emotions were cut short and he pulled away in fright. Harry came with him, holding on with all his might as their lips melded. Edward could feel Harry's heat pulsing into his lips and he could barely suppress his hungered snarl.

Harry was driven against the headboard with the force with which Edward pushed him back. The vampire had put the most distance he could between Harry and himself, pressing his back against the opposite wall and staring at him with apparent horror in his eyes. He hadn't expected this loss of control. And he hadn't expected… Harry. He saw the rush of emotions play against Harry's face, from amazement to disbelief to understanding to confusion to panic and finally settling on distress.

"You…"

Harry and Edward looked up at the door. With all blood drained from his face, Draco appeared helpless as he flicked his eyes between the two.

That set Harry in motion. He struggled out of bed, frantically saying, "It's not like th-"

"Fuck you," Draco swore, his fist striking the doorjamb before disappearing out of the room.

"D-Draco!" Harry exclaimed, trying to walk despite the pain.

Edward rushed to Harry before he could fall, catching him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Harry shouted, his skin burning up under Edward's hands. He had to let go from the pain he was feeling. Harry fell to his knees as he tried to control himself. "GET OUT!"

Edward rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut before stopping to get his thoughts together. What was he thinking? He blurred from sight as he sprinted after Draco's scent. He needed to explain.

Harry tore at his shirt, feeling as though he were about to burst into flames. He bit down on his tongue to keep his whimpers of agony to himself. At the mere touch of his hands, his shirt was charred and the bandages wrapped around his chest started to turn brown. He ripped the fibers off of him, revealing his unhealed scars that had barely been sewn together.

And, in front of his eyes, his skin seemed to knit itself, skin forming over the splinched flesh. "No, no, no," he murmured breathlessly, sliding his palms over his wounds. "Ah," he gasped as pain shot up his body, jolting him. He curled up onto the ground, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried not to scream.

"Draco!" Edward called out, grabbing the man's shirt and pulling him back. "Please, he's-let me explain!"

Draco whipped around with his wand digging into Edward's shirt. "If you don't get away from me right now, I will kill you," he hissed.

Edward let go instantly and stepped back. "I started it," he said quickly. "Harry didn't do anything."

"Oh, he didn't?" Draco asked near hysterics. "You-If you-Don't you dare!"

They were interrupted by a rush of Mediwizard and nurses running past them. They spun around in shock, watching the team throw open the door to Harry's room. "Oh God," Draco breathed, shoving Edward out of the way as he ran towards them. He pushed through the busy medical personnel who were talking over each other and summoning potions frenetically. "Let me through," he growled, shaking off the hands that were pulling him out of the room. His strength wasn't to be underestimated. In less than ten seconds, he was near the middle of the crowd, seeing the Mediwizards crouch on the floor.

Harry couldn't hold in his frightened scream any longer. He wasn't even aware of his reality. He had no knowledge of what was happening to him and now he was being tugged by the arms and legs. He arched his back as he tried to get away.

"Let go of him!" Draco rushed, trying to pull the doctors off of Harry. "You're hurting him! Let him go!"

"Please step outside, Mr. Malfoy."

"NO!" Draco snapped loudly, finally succeeding in dragging on of the Mediwizards away from Harry. "Stop hurting him!"

"We're giving him a sedative," one of the Healers tried to explain while trying to pick Draco up off the floor. "It will take away the pain."

Harry twisted his head away from the vial that was being forced on him. No more potions. Potions made him sick in so many ways. He let out a tortured scream again as he was restrained against the heat that was causing his body to shudder uncontrollably.

"Stop," Edward said, easily pushing the doctors' hands back with his stony touch and slapping the vial away. "He's not hurt."

"ALL NON-MEDICAL PERSONS MUST LEAVE THE ROOM!"

"Just stop," Edward murmured, pulling Harry up into his arms with ease despite fierce struggles on Harry's part. "He's scared. He's not hurt…"

Harry curled into Edward's inviting cold. "B-b-burning up," he shivered, clinging to the vampire. "P-p-pl-please."

"It's okay," Edward whispered. "You're okay. Calm down?"

"C-c-can't," Harry stammered, his teeth chattering.

Draco grazed his fingers against Harry's back hesitantly. "Harry?"

Harry pushed away from Edward without thought, turning to Draco and nearly falling limp into his arms. Draco pulled Harry close, feeling the soft sigh from the exhausted man. Harry fell asleep under Draco's gentle touch. Draco pressed a shaky kiss against Harry's sweat-slicked forehead.

"He's healed," Edward murmured.

Draco's eyes widened in shock as he looked down and saw Harry's chest without bruises or cuts. "Wh-he-h-how?" he stammered.

Harry was magically lifted off of Draco's arms. "Out. Now," the irritated Healer snapped, pointing her finger at the door and giving the two men no room for argument. "Or I'll call security."

A moment later, the door slammed shut in Draco and Edward's faces.