A Lost Snake

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"Hey, Dolan! You'll never guess what happened at quidditch practice today!" Harrison greeted, walking into Dolans room with a smile. He sat on the bed and hugged his legs. "I was riding my broomstick all normal, right? Then - Out of nowhere! - my broomstick turns over and I'm flying upside down! I was panicking at first but eventually saw I wasn't gonna fall." He finished his story.
Silence
Harrison sighed. "I wish you could've been there to see it." He looked down at his hands. "I know it's been weeks, but I just can't get over it. Everyone else has already moved on." He felt tears threatening his eyes. He didn't fight them as they started to fall onto the lens of his glasses. He sniffed as he removed them. "You know, it's funny really. You were always the one to get me out of danger and stupid situations... I wish I could have done the same for you..." His voice quivered as he spoke.
He looked back on happy memories to cheer himself up. "I still remember when you'd sneak me back to your room after curfew. We'd do nothing but joke around, laugh, maybe cuddle. I miss those days." He choked out a sob. "I can still feel your arms around me. Your lips on my skin. Your head on my shoulder." He looked down at his hands as flashbacks from that night played through his head. "I can still feel your blood on my hands. Your cold body as I held you in your last breath." He let out a few sobs as he wiped his face.

Harrison ran to Dolan. He came to a halt and fell to his knees as he saw a dark puddle forming below Dolans body. He gently pulled him into his arms, immediately feeling the warm blood soak through his clothes and cover his hands. "Dolan! Dolan! Please wake up!" Harrison shouted.
Dolans eyes slowly opened. Harrison cried as he saw the life slowly drain from them. "Hey, don't cry. This was bound to happen someday, might as well get it over with now." Dolan tried to laugh but felt a sharp pain when he did.
"I don't want you to die. Dolan, please!" The tears fell from Harrisons eyes.
Dolan smeared blood on Harrisons face in an attempt to wipe away his tears. "I know. I don't want to either. But we have to face fate Harrison...
I'm not going to survive this."
His eyelids felt heavier by the second. "Before I go, I want to you something." Harrison nodded. "I love you so much. I always have. And even though I'll be gone, I always will."
Harrison smiled weakly. "I love you too." Dolan smiled before his eyes rolled back and his body went limp. Harrison shook him. "Dolan. Dolan! Please no!" He screamed.
Standing outside the nursery doors, Harrison stared at the blood stains on his hands. What he saw would scar him forever. But he didn't care. He just wished that Dolan would be okay. He paced back and forth anxiously.
One of the doors opened and Healor Beadlescomb walked out with a sorrowful look. "Harrison... I am so so sorry. But...
Dolan didn't make it."
Harrison felt his whole body go numb. He fell to his knees as tears poured from his eyes. He didn't make a sound, but he was screaming on the inside. "No..." He whispered.
"I'm so sorry. If you want, you could see him a last time." Healor Beadlescomb suggested, moving from the doorway.
Harrison slowly walked to where Dolans body was. He tried keeping his composure as he looked down at his lifeless face. He cupped Dolans cold face in his hands as he silently cried. "I'm so sorry, Dolan. This is all my fault." He sniffed. He looked around to make sure no one was looking and carefully undid Dolans tie and pulled it from around his neck. He pocketed it and gave him one last kiss before leaving. He thanked Healor Beadlescomb before walking out the door.

Harrison took a few deep breaths. He wanted to say more before he couldn't speak. "I miss you so much. I wish I could say I love you one more time. That's all I ask. I just want to see you again... So badly-" He broke down. He gripped his head in his hands as he cried. He reached under the pillow and pulled out Dolans tie, holding it close.
Leo and Rowan stood outside the door and listened to their strong, brave and determined lion completely break down. It was heartbreaking seeing Harrison the way he was. He seemed happy so rarely now. They always tried their best to cheer him up and get him to move on just enough to get him to stop crying every other hour of the day.
They went to walk away till they heard Harrison talking again. "I know that if you were here now you would want me to move on like everyone else but it's so hard. It's so hard, Dolan!" He yelled at no one. He sighed and put his glasses back on. "You know, if you were there when my mom passed away I wouldn't have been sad for as long as I was. And if she were here now I would say the same. But I don't have either of you. Just my dad and my friends..." He finished.
Leo looked to Rowan with a concerned look. Rowan had the same look.
They were scared of what this would do to Harrison.
They put their ears back up against the door to hear if he would continue. Strangely, he laughed. "I'm sure I'll be fine, though. Just like with my mom - I still get sad, but I'll get through it... Yeah... Hopefully." Harrison hugged the tie close to his chest and laid down.
Rowan and Leo backed away from the door. Rowan coughed, trying to hide the fact she had started crying. If only there was a spell to resurrect someone from the dead, just as they were before they died.
Leo put a hand on Rowans shoulder, gaining her attention. "We should go. Leave him be for a while. He'll be fine." Rowan nodded and they walked away.

As Harrison lie in Dolans bed, sobbing his broken heart out, he felt something warm behind him. It felt like Dolan. He frantically turned around to see nothing. He hugged his knees as he realizes he'll probably never feel that again.
"Harrison"
Harrison looks up at the foot of the bed to see a familiar face. One he once saw dead.
"Dolan?"
He stared in disbelief. This wasn't real. He was hallucinating. He had to be.
"Are you alright? Why are you crying? What happened?" Dolan frantically asked as he sat in front of Harrison.
When he put his hand on Harrisons face it felt warm. It felt real. Harrison put his hand over Dolans and made sure it was real. "You're- You're real. You're really here." He whispered in disbelief.
"Of course I am. What are you talking about?" Dolan asked, wiping Harrisons face.
Harrison laughed and jumped into Dolans arms. It felt so good to be in his arms again. Have him there again. He gripped his vest to keep him as close as possible. "I missed you so much! So so much!"
Dolan pulled him away. "What are you talking about, Harrison? You saw me not even an hour ago."
Harrison sighed, trying to calm down. "Its a long story. Could I just have a kiss?" He begged.
"I don't know why you're asking." Dolan leaned forward.
"Harrison!" Leo's voice called.
Harrison sat up in the bed. "What? What happened?" He looked around the room.
No Dolan.
Harrison felt a sadness come over him again as he saw it was a dream. He looked down at the tie in his lap. He watched it get foggy as his eyes filled with tears again. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked back up at Leo. "What's up?" His voice sounded strained.
"Well, me and Rowan saw that you were really upset recently - for obvious reasons - so we worked together to get you something that will hopefully make you feel better." Leo smiled. Rowan walked up beside him with a gift bag by her side and an arm behind her back. "A few things, actually." Leo confirmed.
Harrison looked between the two with red, puffy eyes. "Alright." He pulled his legs onto the bed and sat crisscross. Rowan handed him the bag and sat at the foot of the bed. Harrison slowly reached into the bag and felt something wooden and cold. He took hold of it and pulled it out. He stopped when he saw what it was.
"We knew that was your favorite picture of him. And you're always saying you wish you could see him again, so now you can whenever you want." Rowan said quietly. Harrison looked up to her with teary eyes and mouthed thank you, not able to get the words out. "Keep looking. Theres more." She smiled. Harrison reached down into the bag again and pulled out a necklace with a capsule hanging on it. He went to open it before Rowan and Leo both shouted for him not to. "What's in here?" He looked between the two. He looked back down at the capsule and knew what was inside. He quickly pulled it over his head and held the capsule in his hand. "Thank you guys. Thank you so so much. You're the best." He smiled as tears fell from his eyes.
"There's something else." Rowan smiled. Harrison looked at her confused. She pulled her arm out from behind her to reveal a spider. Just like the one Dolan had on his hand. Harrison gasped and held his hand out. As the spider crawled off of Rowans hand into his he felt attached. He lifted it in front of him as it crawled around. He let it crawl up his arm onto his shoulder.
Rowan and Leo watched him genuinely smile for the first time in a while. "I hope you like it." Leo stated.
Harrison looked between the two. "I love it. More than words can express. Thank you so much." He smiled wider and wider with every word. He stood from the bed and hugged his friends, genuinely happy for the first time since he heard Dolan hadn't made it. He cried into their shoulders, feeling he hadn't had physical contact in the longest time. He pulled away. "Listen, I know I've been pretty distant and moody, so I have an idea. How about we spend tonight together? Just the three of us here?" He suggested.
Leo and Rowan looked between each other and smiled. "Sounds great, Starboy." Leo stated.
Throughout the night they tried staying away from the topic of Dolan for Harrisons sake. They used to have nights like this all the time - Harrison and Leo at least - but since everything, they hadn't had one. It felt nice to spend time together like they used to. Rowan eventually went back to her room. But Leo stayed to keep Harrison company. Fill the empty space. Keep him warm. Just for the night.
"Thank you so much again, Leo. I'm so glad you're my best friend." Harrison mumbled as he hugged Leo.
"Of course, dude. Anytime." They slept in each others arms. Harrison missed the feeling. He was lucky to have Leo in his life. He wouldn't have survived without him.

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