Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Behind the Fog (Backup Upload) ❯ Behind the Fog (Backup Upload) 9th Chapter ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is property of JK Rowling. Additionally this is not my story. I am uploading this to my own account in support of the author the story belongs to who has been struggling with hackers.

The thing I've most been dreading as a fan is that the story would be removed from the site by the hackers and the author wouldn't have access to their old chapters when the situation was eventually brought under control in the event the site moderators wouldn't be able to give the author their account back.

For anyone interested the author goes by Hancock23 on Fanfiction -dot- net. I will remove the story from my account when Hancock23 has gotten the story safely uploaded elsewhere or has been safely given their account back on Fanfiction -dot- net. Without further ado I give you a backup upload of: Behind the Fog by Hancock23.

PS: This Backup Upload contains minor edits for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Plus some rewording/restructuring of sentences so they make better sense and flow better. Hope you don't mind me becoming something of a Beta Reader for this Backup Upload Hancock23.

Chapter Nine - Intermission

The daily reports of the shop's sales were getting better, and Draco noticed that the sales of the potions he had made with specific modifications did better than the others. He had already had to make a new batch of Dreamless Sleep and Pain Relieving potion; and even though he was encouraged by the performance, not even that could stop the butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.

Today was the day that Bill and Healer Favier were to administer the Cruciatus Cure potion to the Longbottoms. It had taken longer than they had anticipated for Healer Favier to agree to administering the potion, because the man's schedule was tight and it had taken days for him to get around to reviewing the research provided, but when he finally did, he had been quick to agree to the remedy being administered. In fact, Bill was probably on his way to St Mungo's at the moment, Draco thought as he went for his charms lesson after lunch.

As Draco thought, Bill Weasley had already arrived at the hospital, and was merely waiting for Healer Favier to finish his rounds so that they could give the potion to the Longbottoms. Fifteen minutes later, the two men entered the Longbottoms room. Frank and Alice were awake; and the healer had ensured that no other medication had been administered to them for the past twelve hours as had been advised in the notes. It was a struggle to wrestle the potion into their mouths and make sure they did not spit it out, but they managed to do it eventually.

"Now we wait." Healer Favier said, and took the seat beside Bill in the Janus Thickey ward. He had delegated his other duties to his colleagues for the time being, because he wanted to be there for this in case something untoward happened.

"It should take between 24 and 48 hours." Bill agreed.

He had read Draco's notes, and he knew that the potion was now trying to reinvigorate the patients' nerves and repair the destroyed neurons. It would also repair the glands damaged and restructure the hormone secretion systems. Augusta had opted to wait at home, trying to distance herself from hope in the event the potion did not work, and for her sake, Bill prayed that it would. Draco had indicated that he had a successful trial, but he had not given any information about the patient and Bill had not insisted because he could tell that the boy would not be forthcoming with the information.

Draco paced in his room all night, and not managing to get even a wink of sleep. He spent the following day in an anxious mood, especially the closer it got to the 24hour mark. Evening came and morphed into night and still; there was no word from Bill. For the second night in a row, he did not sleep a wink and the morning found him in an even fouler mood. The smell of eggs at breakfast made him nauseous, and he settled on just coffee which made him dizzy since he hadn't managed a single bite for two days.

Pansy was the first one to spot the owl. It came earlier than the others, and Draco watched it with a mixture of trepidation and excitement as it flew towards him. Unable to stand the wait, he stood up as if being at a greater height would make him receive the letter that much faster. He did not even wait for the owl to safely land on his shoulder before unrolling the letter, leaving it to Blaise or Pansy to feed the bird a treat. His eyes quickly glided over the letter, taking in words faster than he had ever done before, letting it fall from his hands to the table, where Pansy and Blaise promptly grabbed it, concerned by their friend's reaction.

Draco,
I wanted to wait until they both woke up before writing. Alice woke up at a little after eleven last night; her damage was apparently not as bad as Frank's. Frank woke at just before five this morning. Healer Favier has conducted preliminary examinations, and he says that both should make a full recovery.
Good job, I will write again later with more details. I am proud.
Bill.

"Draco, this is…" Pansy began, and Draco nodded as his friends retook their seats. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He fed the owl extra treats as he looked at his friends and started laughing heartily.

"I did it." He said, and his friends feared that he was on the verge of a hysterical breakdown in the Great Hall.

"Yeah mate, you did." Blaise patted his back and smiled, while Pansy enveloped Draco in a big hug which he returned with a breath-taking smile. None of them noticed Harry who was looking at the scene struggling to temper the irrational anger that clogged his throat when he saw Pansy hug Draco and him smile at her like he never smiled at anybody but his friends in response.

"I wonder who died." Ron asked, grudgingly.

"Who cares?!" Ginny sneered.

"At least he will be able to sleep tonight." Harry said subconsciously. "He hasn't had a wink of sleep for two nights."

"How would you know that?" Ginny inquired acusatorily. "I thought you said that he sleeps for three hours and is gone by the time you wake up."

"Yeah, that's how it normally is, but he has been pacing all night for the last two days." Harry explained. "He has probably been waiting for that letter whatever it's about."

Ginny seemed like she wanted to argue some more, but the fact that their first class was in a few minutes saved Harry from getting involved, and muttering that he would see her later; he left with both Ron and Hermione who were still slightly peeved that Harry had seemed to support Malfoy a few nights ago.

Neville Longbottom was summoned to the headmaster's office as he was heading for lunch from Transfigurations. He had never been summoned there before, so he didn't know whether to be frightened or excited. However, Neville didn't waste time and headed there immediately hoping that whatever it was would be solved quickly, because he was famished and did not relish the thought of missing lunch. He arrived at the gargoyles, and they sprang apart without a password allowing him to proceed up the stairs. The headmaster was in his seat, thoughtfully looking at the fire that was burning merrily in the grate.

"Good afternoon Mr Longbottom." The headmaster said, with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Good afternoon headmaster." He replied.

"I won't take much of your time. Grab some Floo Powder my boy; Your grandmother is waiting for you at St Mungo's." Neville's heart dropped to somewhere in his toes, and he fought a sudden urge to turn and run from the headmaster. To run from the reason that he was being summoned to St Mungo's. St Mungo's where he had never been pulled from school to go before, even when his parents had a particularly nasty break from reality. "May I ask what this is about?" He questioned fearfully.

"Some Floo Powder Neville." The headmaster insisted. "Augusta is waiting on the other side." Neville realized that he would not get anything more from his headmaster, and grabbing some of the offered powder, tossed it in the flames; and stepped into them as fast as he could.

He called "St Mungos" and the spin in the many fireplaces felt like a lifetime, before he stumbled out ungracefully to find his grandmother waiting. There was nothing in her expression to either confirm or deny his worst fears, and that put him rather on edge.

"Grandmother…" He began.

"Follow me, Neville." She said, strode out and left hospital's Fireplace Room, so he had no other choice than to follow. There was no chance to speak as they walked briskly, and in no time, they were standing outside his parents room.

"Go on." Augusta said, and kindly urged him with a hand to the small of his back when she saw his hesitation.

With trepidation, Neville opened the door; His first emotion was relief, when he saw his parents sitting up on their beds. Despite the fact that he did not remember them when they were sane, it was still good to have his parents alive. Even if they did not know who he was most of the time. The second emotion he felt was shock, because his mother turned to him and smiled. Not one of the dreamy smiles she sometimes seemed to wear, a genuine smile. It was a lucid loving smile that was meant specifically for him, and he became speechless when he saw that her eyes had lost the dazed look they'd had for as long as he could remember.

"Neville." Frank Longbottom called, and Neville turned to him. So that is how my father sounds? He thought, as he wordlessly moved to the two people he had so longed for all his life.

"They will be able to come home; By the end of the week Neville.' Augusta said from somewhere behind him, and Neville finally let his tears fall.

"Come here dear." Alice said, and Neville did not hesitate. He cried for a whole thirty minutes, and she held him; trying to express with her embrace, how sorry she was that he had grown up without herself and Frank.

"How did this happen?" He asked, when he finally calmed down.

"A cure for the effects of Cruciatus has been discovered. Bill Weasley came to me and asked for permission to administer it to Alice and Frank, and I waited to tell you until we were sure it had worked." Augusta explained. "Healer Favier is keeping them here for a few days until they have regained some muscle strength, and for them to catch up some on what has happened in the last sixteen years, to prevent disorientation when they leave."

"Like I said, we have most of that covered." Frank said crossly. "We have had quite the chatty visitors over the years." Neville blushed deeply when he remembered all the things he had confessed to his parents over the years.

"Speaking of visitors, one of your healers mentioned that a boy has been visiting you for a long time?" Augusta inquired, wanting confirmation.

Alice and Frank lost their smiles right away when she brought that up, but Alice nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, we know who the healer is referring to." Frank said, and there was a deep sadness in his voice.

"What is this about?" Neville asked, and Augusta told her grandson everything she knew. "Mother, Father, who was it?" It felt good to call them that, and for them to be able to respond. Neville could tell that they liked it by their smiles, although they were marred by sadness.

"It was terrible." Alice began. "He talked to us for hours on end, and I wanted to help him so badly, but trapped as I was in my mind, I could only watch."

"True." Frank added. "No one should go through what he has, and for a boy that age, it was heart-breaking."

Neville frowned. "He talked to us about you too." Alice said with a smile at Neville. "He is in your year at Hogwarts."

"Really?" Neville asked, surprised.

"Yes." Frank confirmed recovering his mood. "He told us you are great in herbology although we already knew that from your visits, but it was good to hear that from someone else.

"He also told us that you are an annoying coward." Alice said with a laugh, and Neville could tell that his parents really did not care, whether he was brave or not, they loved him just the same. He grinned from the bottom of his heart for the first time in his life.

Once again Harry found himself heading to his room instead of the Gryffindor common room after dinner. He simply did not want to argue with anyone for the night, and he was hoping to borrow another manga from Malfoy to read. With that in mind, he walked to East tower, and he had just passed through the portrait hole, when he was met by an odd sight. Malfoy was sprawled on his stomach on the floor and thinking he had been attacked, Harry rushed to him, but there were no obvious injuries to indicate where the boy was hurt.

He checked the back first; then slowly turned him, and that was when he realised that Malfoy wasn't hurt, he was in a deep sleep. He thought of waking him up but gave up on that idea when he remembered that the bloke had not slept for two days in a row. It was too cruel to leave him sleeping on the floor like that though, so Harry did the only reasonable thing a person could do and dropped his bag on the floor to pick his husband up, and carried Malfoy princess style to the bedroom. The progress was slow, and by the time Harry placed the blonde on their bed, he was out of breath.

He took a minute to notice that Malfoy was incredibly angel-like when he slept and lamented that he did not retain the same peacefulness when awake. His last thought before he fell asleep was that cruel people shouldn't be that beautiful.

Uploader's Note: This Has Been A Backup Upload of Chapter 9 of Behind the Fog by Hancock23.