The Whispers

Eight

You are back, my young.

Very well then, I know your desires to go back, to find something that you can fight for. I will send you back, if only you can survive the price.

No, it won't be the death of another, I will not make you kill again. This price is far more, it can kill you and it's far more dangerous. Do you still want it? Of course you do. I could very well see you soon, my young. Goodbye, Harry.

Harry opened his eyes, Draco yelling at him to get up while Hermione and Ginny giggled somewhere off in the distance. Harry's mouth felt very dry and as soon as he was fully awake he got up and abruptly marched over to a half-dressed Draco and pulled him into a fierce kiss. When Harry pulled away he buried his face in Draco's shoulder and took a calming breath.

"Are you alright, Love?" Draco question quietly as he patted down Harry's hair soothingly. Harry nodded and he felt two other pairs of arms wrap around him as the girls noticed the exchange.

"It was about before," Harry murmured and nobody said anything, they all simply enjoyed the moment of peace they got as Harry tried to wipe his dream away.

Before Harry had met Draco, he had died three times and each time he had to sacrifice something to come back. The first time was another life, it didn't matter who it just had to be immediately and he had to do it himself. It also left him with a thirst for blood--a Vampire, but Harry doesn't really like that term. The second time it involved the bursting of his magical core. Instead of his core being the vessel his magic is contained in, it was his whole body. He could still feel the pain. The third time was his humanity.

"Whoa! Are you lot alright?" Blaise, who had walked through the door a few moments prior, spoke as he looked at the hugging teens in surprise. He had been trying to figure out the group since they had arrived and so far they had only got more confusing. Each time he studied them they were doing something completely different. The only two that really seemed to stay somewhat consistent with their actions are Draco and Harry, and even then sometimes you'll catch them doing something completely unexpected. Blaise knew that Harry wasn't much for hugging, and that none of them were overly affectionate towards one another, for the most part, so to see them all hugging was a bit of a surprise.

Hermione looked over a Blaise and smiled slightly. "Yes, we're quite alright. Would you like to join our hug? It rare that Harry initiates group hugs and he doesn't seem to be letting go any time soon," Hermione informed and Blaise looked at her in surprise. What had happened that would make Harry initiate a hug?

"No thanks..." Blaise spoke hesitantly. It was quite strange to be offered to join a group hug, even if he had known these people for nearly half a year. It almost seemed like intruding.

Hermione shrugged. "It's your loss." Then she buried her face back into Harry's side and Blaise was left to look at the group before he shook his head and left. Thinking too much about them gave him a headache.

Blaise sat down next to Pansy, exactly where he had been sitting before he had decided to go up to his dorm--he couldn't even remember what he went up there for in the first place--which earned him a strange look from the black-haired girl next to him.

"I thought you were going to see what was taking Harry and Draco so long?" Pansy asked and Blaise shrugged absently.

"I did."

"And?" Pansy asked. "What's taking them so long?"

Blaise looked over at his girlfriend with a cheeky smile on his face, something he wore quite often. "They're up at least." Was all Blaise said before he turned away and began conversing with another Slytherin that sat across from him.