Chapter 4: My Hearing

I knew there was something different about waking up this time. It took me a while to figure out that it was because I could hear birds chirping outside. That in itself was nothing special but I had not heard a single sound in months, and that is what made it special.

I found that I could not wait to tell my shadow. I heard the door creek open, with a soft click it closed behind whoever entered. The sound of soft footsteps, he must be barefoot, followed by the scent of breakfast and the clanking of dishes. I smiled as I realized that he has brought me food.

I heard him setting down the tray of food, then felt him taking a seat at the side of the bed. Gently, as always, he took my hand and traced 'Wake up, D, it is time to eat' on my arm. With his help I sat up in bed to eat the food he brought for me.

The food would always be what I liked to eat, and there would always be the right amount cooked perfectly, for me anyway. I knew he had to have cooked it, for there were no house elves left in the Manor... not after my father's death and my accident.

I was reveling in all the sound I was hearing while Shadow helped me shower. I would have never thought that the sound of running water would be so calming, but for some reason months of no sound had made it so for me.

After Shadow had me washed, dried, and sat in a chair (I had yet to tell him that I could hear), I could hear the sound of singing coming from the bathroom. Shadow had not shut the bathroom door, so I could hear him quite nicely. He sounded hauntingly familiar. The memory was just at the edge of my mind, and yet I could not place it.

I got up from the chair, felt my way over to the doorway and tried to get closer to the singing, yet without making any sound. Trying to place the sound, his voice, with a face. After a while the water stopped, and so did the singing. Soon after that I heard a soft gasp and rushing in my direction, as I felt strong gentle arms wrapping around me and leading me back to my chair.

'Don't do that, D, you could have hurt yourself moving around like that' he traced on my arm.

I frowned and snapped out that I was not helpless. He sighed like he was fighting a loosing battle, and just drew me closer to him holding me in a wet protective embrace.

I leaned back into him and whispered that I could hear. As soon as I said it, I regretted it. He tensed up, I guess trying to figure out if he had said anything that might give away his identity. Finally he traced on my arm 'That's good, Draco, any day now and you will be as good as new.' You're not going to talk anymore, are you? I asked him as I felt him relax. 'No, Draco, I am afraid not.'

The day passed rather quickly with my Shadow doing everything he normally did. I was getting used to walking around the Manor blind and using my hearing to locate things. When night fell, my shadow bid me farewell and left me to my dreams, and

.... My Hearing...