Title: Getting Used To It
by ZelgadisGreywood
zelgadisgreywood@chez-vrolet.net
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Angst
Warning: Deathfic
Summary: A murdered student seeks sanctuary at Hogwarts.
Getting Used To It
by ZelgadisGreywood
Draco could not have been happier.
He was sitting by the lake on the grounds of his family estate, humming to himself as he thought of the day before vacation when Harry had asked for his hand in marriage.
He had said "Yes" before he could stop himself. And after being unable to bring himself to take it back, he realized the reason.
He wanted to marry Harry Potter.
"Imperio!"
All at once it felt as if all the weight that had ever rested upon Draco's shoulders had been lifted.
"Walk into the lake until I tell you to stop."
Draco waded into the lake until the water was up to his knees.
"Stop." Lucius ordered "Kneel down."
Lucius gave an approving nod. "Now. Bow your head so face is underwater and keep it there."
Lucius stood there and watched as his son knelt there, face submerged, until Draco's lifeless body slumped sideways in the lake.
Then he screamed.
Narcissa ran to her husband and found him by the lake, holding their son's lifeless body and sobbing.
"NO!" she wailed, as she fell forward and wept upon her son's unmoving chest.
-Part 2-
Hermione and Ron searched the platform for Harry as they made their way onto the Hogwarts Express.
They knew about Draco's death and about his engagement to Harry. Hermione had seen the article about it and it had sickened her.
It mentioned how heartbroken Lucius and Narcissa had been over the death of their son.
Lucius had said that Draco had been depressed about the fact that he and his Housemates were treated so unfairly. He had gone on to say that he wished he hadn't pushed his son so hard. And that Draco was so afraid that the would fail him just because he was a Slytherin that he had killed
himself to avoid the shame.
"I didn't kill myself."
Hermione looked up as the young ghost sat down on the bench across from her and Ron.
Harry trudged in and slumped down onto the bench next to Draco's ghost.
-Part 2b-
Harry shivered slightly as the ghost of his fiance placed a hand atop his.
"I still intend to marry you, Draco." he said. "I wish you were still alive, but ..." he looked up at Hermione. "That..."
"I already told you," she reminded him, "I gave it back. Besides, you're not allowed to use them for that."
"It's okay," Draco told Harry, "I don't have to be alive to love you."
*****
As the foursome walked or, in Draco's case, drifted into the Great Hall, they were met by Nearly Headless Nick.
"Ah! Welcome back!" Nick told them. "So delightful to see you all." He looked at Draco. "Will you be haunting Hogwarts, then?"
"I haven't really given it much thought," Draco admitted, "but I suppose I will if its all right with Harry."
-Part 2c-
Harry shrugged. "If you really want to haunt the school, I could see about taking a teaching job rather than be an Auror."
"No," Draco shook his head. "I'm dead, Harry. You shouldn't be changing your plans just to suit me."
"Maybe I can talk Professor Dumbledore into setting up an Auror training class?"
Professor Snape strolled past them looking whimsical.
"Did you see the look on the ol' git's face?" Ron asked. "He's... happy."
"He's in love," Ginny told them. "Not with anyone here. "
"Does she love him?" Draco asked.
"She adores him. And I'm not telling you who she is."
-Part 3-
"Certainly is turning into an interesting year isn't it?" Draco asked that evening as he hovered by Harry in the Gryffindor Common room. "I get killed. Professor Snape falls in love. I guess that's the big mystery this year. The identity of Snape's girlfriend."
"I'd have thought that one was obvious." Hermione said as she closed her Arithmancy book.
"Don't tell me its in 'Hogwarts: A History'" Ron said in mock surprise.
"Of course not." Hermione rolled her eyes and handed a copy of 'The Quibbler' to Harry.
"'Harry Potter: More of the Truth'." Harry shrugged.
"The one below it." Hermione pointed out.
"'Severus Snape: He Deserves Better', by... RITA SKEETER?!" Harry exclaimed. "Snape's new girlfriend is Rita Skeeter?"
"Rumor has it that he kissed her during an interview just to shut her up," Seamus remarked. "But for some reason, she kissed him back and he went from exasperation to adoration quicker than a Firebolt."
"I felt the same way when Harry saved my life." Draco told them.
"Lot of good that did." Harry muttered.
"More than you realize," Draco told him. "I learned that there's more to life than just being a Pureblood. You mademy life a happy one."
"I hope to make your death happy, too." Harry told Draco.
-Part 4-
"So, Draco," Nearly Headless Nick asked as he drifted in, "how are you getting on as a ghost?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Draco asked. "I'm dead. How do you think I am doing?"
"I don't like to make assumptions." Nick told him. "Just because you are dead does not mean you have to have a bad day. I, for example, had a very nice day. Though I admit that part of it did not go as well as I'd hoped."
"In other words they're still denying your request to join the Headless Hunt." Ron translated.
"As if it were my fault the executioner did such a poor job." Nick huffed.
"You seemed to be having a good day to me," Harry told Draco.
"Well, it could be better," Draco told him. "I want to be held. I want to feel your arms around me. Its so frustrating to not be able to hold the one you love."
Harry sighed. "I want to hold you, too. Perhaps there is a way? Hey, Hermione. You got any ideas?"
"I'll have to let you know." Hermione told them.
"Well, there is that thing Tom Riddle did with me," Ginny suggested. "He became almost solid."
"And you nearly died." Ron pointed out. "Really bad idea, Ginny."
Hermione seemed, however, to be pondering the idea.
-Part 5-
"Hermione, no." Harry said, his mind having raced to what he thought was the inevitable conclusion. "You can't. You'll be killed."
"Harry," Hermione said in a scolding tone, "do you really think I'm that stupid? Ginny nearly died because Tom Riddle was taking her lifeforce alone. What I propose is that we all give Draco a little at a time. Not too much,though. We all know what will happen if we do."
"You realize how much trouble we'll get into if anyone finds out what we're doing?" Ron asked.
"Look," Draco said. "we don't have to."
"No," Longbottom said. "But if it makes Harry and you happy, we will do it."
END PART 5