Third Place - Angst

It was the pain that woke Harry finally. He was sore all over and he wondered, in those moments before true cognizance was attained, if Madame Pomfrey had forgotten how to get rid of pain. His eyes cracked open and he was greeted with Draco's face. Harry couldn't stop the soft smile that appeared on his lips. Draco didn't smile back, but that was okay. Harry knew that Draco was happy by the crease in the corner of his eyes. It was the same crease that would appear when Harry would say something funny that Draco found amusing but would not deign to actually laugh.

"Ah, Harry, you have rejoined us."

Harry turned his head a bit and found Professor Dumbledore at the foot of his bed. Actually he found everyone at the foot of his bed. Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid towards the back. But someone was missing. Harry turned his head just a bit more. Ah, there he was. Snape was directly opposite Draco.

"Move back now, the boy must breathe you know," Madame Pomfrey's voice rang out. Suddenly the medi-witch was there and was quite the tide turner, as everyone quickly stepped back and away. She shuffled forward and Harry found it amusing that she did not attempt to move the Superos out of the way, nor did they even bother to do so.

"Can I have a pain potion, Madame Pomfrey? I hurt all over," Harry murmured.

"I'm afraid that I have done all that I can. Apparently, your flesh is seriously damaged by the bites and nothing but time will heal them."

It all came back in a rush. The teeth in his skin, digging in as far as they could go, tearing and pulling to do as much damage as possible. Harry's eyes went wide and his breathing became deep. He struggled to sit up.

"Very good woman, you have succeeded in petrifying your patient," Snape snapped nastily. He and Draco both grabbed Harry's bandaged arms and held on. "Harry," Snape said, drawing the panicking eyes to him, "you are well. Stop struggling."

"I'm going to turn... I've been infected..." Harry managed to get out.

"No, you haven't," the potions master said firmly. Harry stopped struggling and watched in confusion. "You were part of an unplanned natural experiment that has luckily turned out well. Unbeknownst to us and, apparently, the were-wolves, Indago are immune to lychanthropy. You are well and will not turn."

Harry looked at Madame Pomfrey's calm face and then turned to Draco. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes. You haven't gone deaf, have you?" Draco said. Harry shook his head.

"But their bites are still threatening to us. They can not be healed or alleviated with magic or potions, only time, as the woman said," Snape assured. Madame Pomfrey glared at Snape but began pouring Harry a glass of water.

"So, I'm fine," Harry breathed in relief. He felt everyone tense and turned back to face Draco again.

"You will be," Draco said. "We had to wait for you to wake up to get your verbal agreement to the procedure. Apparently," Draco snarled, sending a scathing look to Pomfrey, "we were not able to agree for you. But it is simple and you shall do it now."

"You can't just order him to do it," Ron called out. "It's his choice."

"My choice for what? What procedure?" Harry asked looking at all the faces in confusion.

"The pregnancy must be terminated," Snape stated matter-of-factly. Harry's eyes widened in shock.

"What?"

"It's simple, Potter," Draco snapped. "Indago are immune, not humans. It's a sure bet the fetus is human and therefore will attempt to change tomorrow night. When that happens it will die and you will be poisoned and die as well. You see, no questions." He turned to Pomfrey. "Get what you need and get this over with."

"Mr. Malfoy," the medi-witch began, fully intent on berating the blonde but Harry cut her off.

"No, wait!" Harry looked at Snape. "What if it's an Indago? Would it survive?"

Snape looked at Draco and then down at Harry. "All indications would seem to point to that, yes. But as we have only just discovered this immunity, I would not put much weight behind it."

"But it has a chance," Harry stated.

"Did you not hear us, Potter?" Draco said nastily. "No, it doesn't. We are rare for a reason. It's assuredly human and will end up killing you. Now, tell this woman yes so we can move on!"

"So, I have to decide," Harry said to himself, "whether to abort now and save myself or wait and see if its able to survive."

"There is no wait and see!" Draco shouted. "You will not drag out your illogical Gryffindor selflessness, Potter! Tell Pomfrey yes and let's get this over with!"

Harry looked at Draco's flushed face, then to Snape's blank mask. He dropped his gaze to watch his fingers pleat the hospital sheets. "I can't," he said quietly. "I can't make that choice."

"Fine, easy enough." Draco stood up, grabbed Harry's arms and dragged him into a sitting position with his face inches away from Draco's. Harry heard the gasps and outraged shouts but silver eyes entranced him.

"You will tell Madame Pomfrey that you agree to the procedure," Draco whispered harshly. "You will do it now."

Harry waited for the words to come out of his mouth, for the desire to please to parrot back what Draco wanted to hear.

"Mr. Malfoy, I will not accept an agreement made under duress!"

"Say it now, Potter!" Draco rasped, his eyes beginning to slit. Harry placed his hand on Draco's arm.

"I don't agree to the procedure. I won't choose the surety of my own life over the possible uncertainty of another's. I can't do that, Draco." Harry's voice was soft and gentle with the plea for forgiveness. He hated not making Draco happy, but he was sure in his decision.

Draco snarled and pushed away from Harry. "Fine. Then I will make sure the Ministry steps in and saves you from yourself." He turned and snarled at Pomfrey. "You will have your orders to terminate by this evening!" Draco pushed his way through the small crowd and stalked away.

Harry looked at Snape. "I'm sorry, sir. I just couldn't..."

"It is your life, Harry," the older man said quietly. "You have always had the right to make your choices as you see fit. Now, I shall try to contact Lucius before Draco does." Snape stood up and walked away. Harry felt bereft. He wanted them back. But he knew that he couldn't change his mind. He looked up at the others, pleading with his eyes for them to understand.

"I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't live always knowing that I could have..." he trailed off, not knowing if he made any sense.

"Harry," Dumbledore said. "In one's life, we must come to a point where we see all that is important. To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." The older wizard came close and patted Harry's hand. "Hope, faith, and love are sometimes all that get us through life, Harry. You know that better than most." And then he moved away and disappeared through the doors.

After a few more quiet words, Harry was left alone with his two friends. For a long moment, they all stared at each other until Ron spoke.

"You sure, Harry? Are you really sure about this?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I am. I couldn't look myself in the mirror ever again if I knew there was even a slim chance that this kid could make it."

"They may be estimating low on the odds. I am sure there is at least a fifty-fifty chance," Hermione said quietly. "Both parents are Indago, which means the recessive blood trait is strong. The baby could possibly be an Indago." She looked up at Harry, tears pooling in her eyes. "But, Harry, I wouldn't bet your life on it."

"I know. But I can't make that choice. I'm sorry."

The three friends huddled together on the bed and comforted and reassured each other until the sun set.

"You're behavior is out of control, Draco. Rein yourself in!"

Hermione paused at the sharp command. Sliding further along the wall, she carefully slipped into the room and behind a screen. Whenever that voice was about, it always meant trouble for Harry. And Harry had enough on his plate as it was!

"No, it is you who have lost control, Father! You pride yourself on having the Ministry in your pocket and you can't attain one simple Order!"

Hermione could now see the interior of the small room off of the infirmary. It was lined with medical books and comfortable chairs. Not one of the three occupants was utilizing those chairs though. Draco was frantically pacing, while Snape stood still in the corner. Lucius Malfoy stood near his son's path, his cane slapping in his palm.

"It is the Winter Holidays for the Ministry as well as this school, Draco," Lucius explained firmly. "The few dullards I were able to scrape up did not want to make such a final decision without their fellows. Especially not against the wishes of the one involved, who is also the blasted Savior of the Wizarding World!"

"And was it made clear to those idiots that by tomorrow's full moon they will have allowed their blessed Savior to die?" Draco seethed.

"I gave them all the facts at my disposal and even some that were not in the least bit true. They are too afraid. I did all that I could." Lucius eyed his enraged son. "And have you imparted to the boy how very displeased you would be if he did not do as you suggest?"

"I ordered him to do it!" Draco grabbed a book lying on a side table and threw it at a hurricane lamp. The lamp shattered and the book was ruined as oil seeped through its pages. "He refused! I don't know how, but he deliberately denied me."

"His instinct to protect his young is stronger than his desire to please," Snape said quietly from his corner.

"Perhaps we can trick the boy into believing that an abortive potion is in fact a restorative or some such?" Lucius mused. "Once it is down his throat and the deed done, then there will be no young to worry over and you will again have control of him."

"Madame Pomfrey will never allow that to occur. She is like a hawk over her nest. She would know immediately if one of her more unsavory tonics were taken," Snape said.

"But you must have some potion or another that could rid the boy of the diseased offspring," Lucius continued, turning fully to face the potions master. "I doubt it would be hard at all to have the boy ingest it. Place it in his water glass or in his food. Why, it is nearing the dinner hour now. He is overly fond of chocolate. Put it in that."

Draco turned to Snape with a wild light in his eyes. "Yes, you must have something. Give it to me and I'll get him to swallow it. He wanted that damn basket, I'll put it in something from there."

Snape stood stonily not speaking. Draco walked to the professor until they were mere inches apart.

"Anything at all. His body has been through a lot. Just the tiniest of ingredients will make him lose it." Draco's voice had become harsh with enthusiasm.

"Draco, that is not what he wants," Snape said quietly.

"I don't give a fuck!" Draco yelled. He grasped Snape's arms, just above the elbow and shook. Snape didn't move at all. "It's going to kill him. The chances of him surviving are repulsive! Give me something!"

Snape continued to stare, wordlessly.

"Fine! You have found ethics in your old age! Then give me an antidote. You're a genius, a master of potions. There is always a counter-agent. There is always an antidote! Perhaps a derivative of Wolfsbane or infusing him with our blood. More immunity that we can flush into the babe." Draco's voice was not harsh in enthusiasm anymore. It was now in desperation.

"It is too soon to discover something that may work. There is no known cure because we have never come up against this before," Snape said calmly.

"We will think of another way, my dragon," Lucius said, his eyes betraying his worry as he watched his son unravel.

"No, I know what it is. You're still punishing me," Draco accused, glaring into Snape's blank face. "You won't let it go. You hate the fact that I made a mistake. That I could have exposed you! Fine! I'm sorry! I apologize! I was wrong, arrogant, and childish. I used what I was as if it was a toy, a right and not a responsibility. I used Harry in the same way. Well, now I am trying to take on that responsibility! I am trying to do what is right and best. I am going to protect Harry, to save him, to help him! But I need help! Please!" Draco slowly fell down Snape's body until he knelt at the elder's feet. "Please, I need help. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he whispered as he rubbed the side of his face against the potion master's thigh.

Snape looked down at the blonde as he showed submissiveness and begged for forgiveness. Lucius looked away with eyes unmasked by the pain his son was obviously in. Snape reached down, ran his hand through the pale hair and pulled Draco to his feet.

"Draco," he said softly, "this is not a decision that we can make. If I could help you, I would. I always have and I always will. But in this, we, the dominants, are powerless. Nature has a disgustingly unscrupulous way of distributing leverage equally in the end."

"What if he's wrong?" Draco whispered fiercely. His face was pale, but he seemed to have regained some of his composure. "What if it dies and takes him with it?"

"Then we will be there," Snape said simply. Draco's head fell and Snape pulled him into an embrace. Lucius moved forward and placed his hand against his sons back in comfort.

Hermione moved silently away from the intensely private scene. She wiped at the tears on her face. As she continued on her original quest to get a bar of chocolate from the kitchens for Harry, she realized how very blind her fear for him had made her. Ron had seen what she had missed.

Draco cared for Harry.

Draco loved Harry.

Indago - Chapter 54

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