Third Place - Angst

The skin was so pale. Almost white which looked so very odd on the normally olive complexioned man. Draco put his hand on top of Harry's still one and noticed that they were almost identical in color. Just one more thing wrong with this picture.

Another thing wrong was Harry's glasses were not on his face. No, they were carefully folded and laid next to his wand, found by Hagrid, on the small table near the bed. Of course, Draco had seen Harry in bed without glasses before, but normally the Gryffindor was sprawled on his stomach, or curled into a ball. Never lying still on his back, arms straight at his sides.

Sitting in the chair next to the bed, Draco cataloged everything that was horribly wrong and exactly how much he hated it. In fact, to be perfectly honest, he couldn't hate Harry more than in that very moment. What moron does this to those he loves? What awful, hateful person gets himself into a position in which the ones who care and love him weep and carry on at his bedside.

Well, Draco had had quite enough of that. He had forced everyone out of the area and had created a white world of curtains around the solitary figure in the bed. It was just Harry and him and he was going to keep it that way for as long as possible. Mourning wasn't to be done in front of people. Grieving was to be accomplished quietly, out of the eye of the public. Harry would want it that way. He was never one for showing anything but surety and confidence to the world. Idiot! If he had just listened to Draco, Draco would not now have to sit here and watch over the silent and still form in this bed. No, if Harry had not been so sure of himself, so confident in the world, they could be out in Hogsmeade where Draco would be happily annoying the Gryffindor and buying whatever the boy wonder wanted for Christmas.

Leaning forward, Draco rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Yes, he really did hate Harry right now. His father had been right about the nightmare that had been to come. Draco never wanted to see a drop of blood again in his life. He hadn't been sure if it was a blessing or curse when Harry had finally lost consciousness. The screaming had ended but that was when the silence had begun. The awful silence that engulfed Draco now. He had the rash urge to start screaming at Harry to wake up, to get up and move. He wanted to shake him and yell at him to stop scaring him so badly. But Draco knew they would just make him leave if he did that and nothing on earth could induce Draco to leave Harry's side at this moment, no matter how futile it was. He couldn't leave Harry alone, cold and alone. And Harry was cold. The hand he had placed on Harry's had been so warm compared to the Gryffindor's. Stupid Gryffindor! Just did not know when to listen to reason, to try and save himself for once!

Would they make him leave if he lay down beside Harry? Would they force him away if he just held him and tried to warm his skin again? If Harry were warmer it would make Draco feel better. Just a little warmer, and in his arms, and Draco could pretend that the night before had not happened. That they were happily in their own bed and just waiting to get up and go have breakfast.

Draco reached out and held one of those pale hands again and rubbed it, trying to force the heat of his own body into Harry's hand. He hated this! He hated that Harry was making him feel all this...this pain! Draco had never felt such fear as he did last night, such fear and heart wrenching pain. And it was this stupid idiot's entire fault! Harry deliberately made Draco care and love him and then did this to him! How was Draco supposed to protect him if Harry wouldn't listen to him? How was he to fight this? He couldn't and it was all Harry's fault and Draco swore that he would hate Harry for the rest of his life for it.

A tear slipped down Draco's cheek and he scrubbed it away harshly. He wasn't going to cry like a woman, damn it! He was not going to shed one more tear for that selfish bastard! Draco quickly blinked away the moisture in his eyes. Oh no! Harry was not going to make him blubber like a child. If the bastard wanted to see him cry, well, then he should open his damn eyes! Because this was it! Not one more tear would fall on account of that heartless, thinks-he-knows-it-all bastard.

Draco sat there for another hour. The sunlight tracked across the ceiling as he silently watched over Harry. No one came in, no one offered sympathy or food or water. He didn't know if he wanted them to or not.

"Draco?"

Silver eyes closed at the sound. Then he slowly turned his head away from the direction of the window and opened them. Emerald eyes looked up at him.

"So, you finally decided to join the rest of us in the land of the living?" Draco asked calmly.

"Then I am alive?"

"Well I have certainly not kicked off," Draco assured. A hand tried to reach out to him and he grabbed it quickly. It was still too cold. Too cold and too pale.

"What happened?"

"You were your normal stubborn self and refused to die, even when it was against the odds you'd survive." Draco squeezed the hand. "I must thank you for that," he said sincerely.

Harry gave a halfhearted smile. " The Boy-who-lived, lives again, huh?"

"Yes. Remind me to not bother attaining a life insurance policy for you. It wouldn't be worth the parchment it was written on," Draco drawled but the humor did not reach his eyes. Harry saw that and squeezed his hand back.

"What happened, Draco? I assume I didn't turn to goo, even though my body feels it's been scraped off the floor."

Draco took a deep breath and watched Harry carefully. "It was your serendipitous luck come through for you one more time. For some reason, your body decided to take the decision out of your hands." Draco leaned closer a bit as he measured his words out carefully. "You had a spontaneous miscarriage, Harry. The baby is gone now."

Harry stared into Draco's eyes for the longest moment. Rubbing his hand, Draco moved forward to kneel on the floor by the bed.

"It was a completely natural occurrence, Harry," Draco said in a firm voice. "Madame Pomfrey and the healer from St. Mungos said that it was not unusual as your body had been through a lot of trauma. They believe that your body fought the Lychanthropy in the baby and finally did the only thing it could." He caressed the side of Harry's face. "You lost a lot of blood and it was an extremely awful ordeal, but now that you have regained consciousness, they will now feel safe to give you blood replenisher and pain medication."

Harry continued to stare into Draco's eyes. He hadn't moved or even blinked and Draco hated it enough to lose some control.

"Harry? Did you hear me? It was a natural thing and now you are alive and everything will be fine."

"Where is it?" Harry whispered. Draco swallowed and took a deep breath, regaining control of himself.

"It is being prepared for the funeral pyre. They will send it on to the hereafter this evening." Draco's voice was low and calm.

Harry's brow lowered. "Do they have to?"

"You know that we do not leave anything to be used for dark magic. You heard my father. He wasn't kidding when he said he could bring your half-dead carcass back. You wouldn't want anyone to get a hold of the baby."

Nodding quietly, Harry looked down at their joined hands and then back up at Draco. "What was it? Could they tell?"

"It was a boy," Draco said quietly. "And it was mine."

Harry's eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Draco. I'm sorry I caused all of this. I just can't seem to not get people killed."

"Stop it, Potter," Draco said forcefully. "Just stop. You cannot play the hero and the martyr. One role per lifetime is all you get." He placed his hands on either side of Harry's face, just as he had done in those moments he believed were the last with his Gryffindor. "The baby was riddled with Lycanthrope. In fact, it had already started to show the change. If your body had not acted, you'd be dead now! It would be you being prepared for the Fire! So stop the bloody blubbering. I have had enough of fear and sadness and anger. Yes, the baby is gone. Yes, it had been infected while you were in the Forest. But you were not intentionally trying to hurt it. You were trying to help someone! We will grieve for our loss. We will mourn what was not to be. But I will never regret the fact that you are here with me instead of a pile of ash! Do you hear me, Potter? I will not be sad that I have you!"

Green eyes stared at him. Then the chest drew a large lungful of air.

"Do you love me, Draco?"

"For fuck's sake, Potter! Do you think I'd let you put me through the nine levels of hell if I didn't?"

Harry nodded and reached up to put a hand on Draco's cheek. "Do you promise to try to stop me from doing noble deeds that might resort in someone other than myself getting hurt?"

"Do you really need a promise on that one? I'd stop you from trying to return a dropped purse," Draco huffed. Harry's mouth quirked up at the corners for just a moment.

"Should we name the baby before it is sent to the hereafter?" he asked quietly.

Draco nodded somberly. "If that is what you wish. His ashes will be placed in the Malfoy tomb." Harry nodded. "It's your turn to promise something, Harry."

Harry looked up at him and motioned for him to continue. Draco unleashed his anger and he glared down at Harry. But he was very careful to keep a tight rein on the Supero trigger, causing Harry to only open his eyes wide in apprehension and not outright fear.

"You are going to promise me, right now, that you will never ever make me sit and watch you die. That you will never make me feel the horrible pain that I experienced that night. And you will promise that you will never make me feel as completely helpless as I did last night. Ever, Potter. Now promise," he ordered.

"I promise, Draco," Harry said solemnly.

Draco nodded arrogantly. "Good. Now, I will get those hack healers and have you restored and feeling better as soon as possible." Draco stood up and wiped the knees of his trousers. Harry reached out and grabbed his hand again. A blond eyebrow went up in question.

"Don't you want to ask me?" Harry asked. "Don't you want to know if I love you?"

Draco smirked. "What's not to love?" He leaned down and gently kissed Harry's lips. Then he pulled back just enough to stare into his eyes. "Besides, Harry, I can see it in your eyes. Your heart is in your eyes and I shall forever be grateful that you gifted it to me."

Then the blonde stood up, gave Harry a genuine smile and slipped away to get the healers. Harry stared after him and smiled. His hand stole down to his abdomen. Holding his hand over the abused and sore area, he silently said his apologies and his good bye. He knew that in the end it had been for the best, but the hole would always be there. Looking up again at where Draco disappeared Harry also knew that Draco would always be there too. Harry closed his eyes and awaited his Slytherin's return.

The dark shadow slid up and joined the white haired old man. Blue eyes turned and twinkled in greeting to his companion.

"How are you this evening, Severus? Well, I hope, now that things have settled down."

Snape inclined his head. "I am well, Headmaster."

"And how are your two sweethearts? I shall have to invite you all to dinner soon. It's been too long."

"They are well. They would enjoy having your attention for an hour or two," Snape said quietly.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, they always amuse me so. How long have you three been together now? Five years?"

"Six."

Dumbledore nodded. "My the years do pass. I remember when Logan was but a vicious little bully."

"Not much has changed," Snape quipped.

Chuckling, the older man turned to his companion. "But you would not have him or Lydia any other way." Snape merely looked at his headmaster. Silence resumed as the two watched the night descend through the window in Dumbledore's office.

"The fetus had already begun the change," Dumbledore stated quietly.

"Yes."

"Was it in his drink?"

"No. The biscuit."

"Ah." Albus looked at his friend again. "I assume that he suspects nothing?"

The dark head nodded once. "I suspect Draco has his suspicions. But he will not voice them. He knows what is best."

"Indeed."

Companionable silence reigned again as the stars began to sparkle brighter.

"Draco will keep him from harm, don't you think?"

"Do you mean that he will take over our task to keep the boy safe?" Snape asked, eyebrow raised in question. Albus smiled.

"It was a task that we set for ourselves the moment he stepped foot in this school. And I do believe we have attended to it admirably."

"Indeed," Snape repeated the headmaster's earlier agreement.

"I shall truly miss them unbearably when they have left our halls, my friend," Dumbledore sighed. "It will be quite the end of an era."

"I do not believe it will be long before we have to contend with their progeny. In fact, I shudder at the mere thought."

A hand that should truly show its age more rested on the dark man's shoulder and a smile was very apparent in the darkening room.

"I think you are right about that, Severus. I look forward to that day."

Snape stayed in silent agreement.