Picking up the Pieces of Our Lives -Drarry

Chapter 9: Disappearing and Reappearing

Harry

He had so many questions pestering his mind at the moment, by the main ones where "why isn't Malfoy in class today?", "How long were those four attacking him before he got away?", "Why didn't he go to Madam Pomfery?", and finally, "Why hasn't he come back to class?". Harry had no idea why he was becoming so obsessed with the blond, after all, he hated the arrogant prat! He insulted his friends, his family, Harry himself as well! But why does he care so much now, and more importantly, why did he miss the old Draco Malfoy.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking back up to the common room when classes were finished, bickering about Malfoy.

"All I'm saying, mate, is that you're obsessed. I'm not disagreeing about his behavior, but I wouldn't get so wound up about it, and Merlin! You're still having panic attacks and flashbacks of the war! You shouldn't have to worry about anyone else!" Ron argued

"Ronald's right. I'm not complaining about how he's been acting recently. He's been respectful enough to leave us alone. I don't think is good that he's getting bullied, but we don't have evidence, and if we were to show McGonagall the map, she'd get us in trouble for keeping it this long."

"But Hermione! He doesn't eat! At all! And he's always up at ungodly hours, and he looks so pale and thin that you may as well call him a ghost!"

"Harry, mate, I'm glad that you worry about him even though he was your sworn enemy only two years ago, and you want to help him, but the way your acting, someone might think you have fancy him or something. I mean, all you do is talk about him. It's like sixth year all over again."

"F-Fancy? Malfoy?! I don't bloody fancy that git!"

"We know Harry" Hermione said "but to someone else, they way you tend to obsess over people can make it seem like that."

"I'm just really worried. He looks on the outside how I feel on the inside, you know..." Harry spoke cautiously

It was somewhere around four and the two friends had finished their homework. Apparently after seeing The Savior of the Wizarding World in the common room, people eventually left him alone. He was finally about to get some work done. When Ron and Harry walked up to their dorm to put away their things, Harry noticed the way the curtains moved on Malfoy's bed. Harry felt a little relief knowing where he was, but it also caused him to feel more agitated. Even though Ron hadn't meant anything by it, saying Harry liked Malfoy, it made him stir in the inside. Just looking at the bed where Malfoy lay, the feeling of wanting to check up on him, Harry knew what he felt was probably more than just worry.

~•~•~•~•~

The next day, Harry hadn't seen Malfoy again. He was definitely not in bed when Harry woke up, but he wasn't at class. When lunchtime rolled around, he had gone to the library to find him. It wasn't until he knew Malfoy wasn't inside there did he remember the map. He searched and searched for the tiny dot labeled "Draco Malfoy" and almost gave up, when his heart gave a lurch. He was in their room. He was okay.

Harry cursed inwardly at the way his heart did gymnastics inside his chest whenever he knew Malfoy was doing fine. Harry honestly was worried sick about Malfoy, and his developing crush was not helping. Malfoy looked as though 'sleep' and 'eating' we're not in his vocabulary, and it reminded him of how he himself once looked. Harry even considered suicide more than once, and had tried cutting himself a couple times before eventually stopping. Harry couldn't do that to Ron and Hermione, or to any of the Weasley's for that matter.

Harry had gotten help from a muggle psychiatrist, but obviously left out a huge chunk of information, and now no longer visited her. He didn't tell Rom or Hermione about hurting himself or about getting help, because he hated seeing pity in their faces.

When Harry considered how he felt when he was in a similar position, he could only imagine how awful Malfoy felt. Harry would at least get constant praise, though he hated it, it was much better than being brutally attacked. And Malfoy had even said it himself, he felt like he deserved it. That only made Harry feel even worse.

~•~•~•~•~

Harry was starting to panic when he couldn't find Malfoy at class for a third day. If he wasn't there by the end of class, Harry would go and tell a professor and have them help Malfoy, but just then, everyone's favorite Slytherin walked right into the classroom. He looked terrible. Even though he dressed incredibly and his hair was perfectly in place, his eyes were sunken, his cheeks hollow, his skin was tinted a shade a grey, and he still had a healing bruise covering a quarter of his face. Professor Slughorn, had made everyone pair up with someone else. Ron and Hermione had paired up immediately. A large number of people wanted to pair up with Harry, but no one wanted to be with Malfoy. Slughorn, seeing the problem, made the two pair together. Harry was not complaining, because he was rubbish at Potions and no longer had Prince's (Snape's) Potions book, to help him, and also, he could watch Malfoy from up close.

Harry watched as Malfoy walked to the cauldron. The other boy absentmindedly pulled up his sleeves, and with doing so, revealed something hideous. He had bloodied bandage covering his arms, but didn't cover all of his cuts. A few of the wounds even peaked out from under the bandages. Harry had no idea what kind of face he made, but it must have been bad enough for the Slytherin to pull back his robes, and not look him in the eye for the rest of class.

After an hour, the two had created a perfect antidote for dragon pox and received full marks. When class dismissed, Harry meant to run after Malfoy and confront him about his cuts, but the youngest of the Malfoys was nowhere to be found. The Gryffindor went to grab the map, but found that he left it back in his trunk. Disappointed, Harry put on his cloak, and started walking to his next class.