Aevumiter

28: Confrontation

Tonks is dead.

Tonks is dead.

Tonks is dead.

He had failed. He'd lost someone again. Tonks, this time. Precious Tonks, and she was gone. He had just seen her, had just fought by her side. And she had been fine.  But now... Now she was gone so soon, so much sooner than she should have, sooner than last time-

Teddy.

Teddy.

Oh, god, Teddy.

Draco watched as Harry's eyes began to tear up, a couple drops falling down his cheeks as he clenched his jaw. In a moment, his eyes widened, and his lips parted. The sound that escaped after a moment wasn't a cry, a sob- It was agony. 

It felt like Draco's heart had been ripped from his chest, his own eyes stung with hints of tears. He wrapped his arms around Harry, and not a moment later Harry's knees gave out, and he clutched onto Draco's arms as the mournful wail died out. Harry sobbed, struggling to catch enough air to breathe. 

Harry's sobbing had already gotten Molly crying, and several others looked like they might be about to. The flames of the fireplace grew to roaring, a sweltering heat to those near it. Frost crept up the walls, the cold seeping into their bones.

Draco realized Harry's magic was reacting to his pain.

"Harry, Harry, listen to me." Draco said, quietly, gently, so only Harry could hear. "You need to breathe. Breathe. Like me, match me." 

Somehow, Harry heard, and he tried. He tried. He was getting more air in his lungs. Not much more.

Draco kept talking to him, in the quiet, soft tones. They jumbled together in Harry's mind, as he just tried to push away the pain. Catch it, trap it, so he could lock it away and never have to feel it again.

The others had taken notice to the fire and frost, and they had made the connection. McGonagall and Dumbledore quietly tried to counter the effect, but they had little success. It only faded as Harry slowly calmed himself. 

The pain faded until Harry was left numb. He managed to stand on his own, barely, and Draco released his hold. He didn't know what Harry was going to be willing to tell these people- about him, about them. Molly offered him a handkerchief to dry his tears, but when he just blinked, she started drying his face herself.

Draco looked around the room. Ron was awkwardly trying to comfort Hermione, Sirius was shifting his weight from foot to foot while watching Harry, Remus' gaze was flitting between Harry and Draco.

The other members of the Order were watching him. Draco stood a little straighter, and met their gaze. The primary one glaring at him was Alastor Moody. The real one, not the imposter that had turned him into a ferret.

"So. Potter. Would you care to explain yourself?" Moody asked.

"What?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse. 

"Right before school started, you were in possession of a Dark object. Now you've showed up at the Ministry with a Malfoy in tow, and you knew about the prophecy. You apparated, and you turned into a damn bird." Moody said. "The picture's not looking good for you, boy."

Draco grimaced at how bad it did sound, but Harry was getting angry.

"Alastor." Sirius snarled.

Draco caught a glimpse of orange hair peering around a doorway for a moment. The twins were listening in. He didn't know they had been brought over with Ron and Hermione.