OK. So I have another One Shot... I guess it's what's called a songfic?
I was just listening to this song (Knots by Watsky) and I immediately thought of this situation, so there we have it.
Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the HP world, nor do I own anything in Watsky's world... So... yeah... And this fic contains dark themes, like, suicide, so please don't read it if it will affect you.
'And with that, I am proud to announce the re-opening of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!'
The large crowd burst into applause, and the four figures on the stage shook hands with each other. It was slightly awkward as all four of the men were rather subdued. Though, the largest, and oldest, of the quadruplet, was incredibly good at hiding his true feelings, the younger three, however, brought the most tension. The young man with the raven hair was extremely fidgety, his hands were wearing a hole near the hem of his robe and his eyes kept darting around, landing on the redhead beside him more often than not. The redhead was frowning, but held himself up straight and calmly, his hand resting on the shoulder of the fidgety one.
The final young man was standing a few feet away from the other two and was looking extremely subdued. His chest was caved in slightly and there was a tremor running through his hands. No one around him could see it, but hiding behind his striking blonde hair, his grey eyes held a deep pit of despair, and his skin was pale, even for him.
'We couldn't have done it without you Mr. Malfoy. Thank you' The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, said as he shook the blonde man's hand. Malfoy nodded.
'I never thought I'd be saying this, but thank you Malfoy' The redhead, Ron Weasley, said he gripped the blondes hand. Malfoy simply nodded again.
The dark haired man didn't say anything as he gripped the blondes hand and Malfoy would've winced if he could've felt pain the same, but he didn't because he was numb. He guessed the man opposite him felt the same. Harry Potter had the right to feel empty. Malfoy wasn't sure if he himself deserved it, but he, most certainly, couldn't feel.
War changes people.
'She's gone Malfoy'
Hands attempted to pry the, now cold, body away from his arms, but he gripped her tighter.
'No!' he yelled, burrowing his face into her hair, desperately trying to cling onto a life that he knew was no longer there.
'You need to let her go'
'I can't!'
Hands, softer than the last ones, settled themselves on his shoulders and he felt his arms go limp.
'She would want you to' a new voice whispered. Draco didn't bother to try and place it.
'I can't' He whispered, but soon the first pair of hands managed to slip his love's body out of his hands. He was quickly engulfed in a hug, presumably by the woman who had the soft hands and kind voice. He broke down.
'I can't' he whispered again. 'It's my fault'
'It's not your fault Malfoy' the voice replied soothingly, brushing the tears away from his face.
'Yes it is. My curse killed her. It's my fault'
The voice didn't reply again, but the gentle hands stayed.
'Your key, Mr. Malfoy' A young muggle said, holding out an old fashioned key in her small, nail-bitten hand. Malfoy gulped. SHE used to always chew on her nails. Malfoy missed HER.
'Mr. Malfoy?' The muggle asked. Malfoy shivered, took the keys from her, and nodded his head.
'Thank you' he managed, his voice hoarse. The girl frowned.
'I'm the only one who really is fluent in English, so if you need anything I'm here to help' She offered, glancing him over with worry.
'If only she knew who I truly am' He thought bitterly before nodding once and turning to his new home.
'And Mr. Malfoy?' She asked and he turned around, his expression void emotion.
'Welcome to Berlin'
'Dumbledore told me what you are going to do' She said softly as she sat down beside Draco, who didn't acknowledge her.
The astronomy tower was cold, but neither of the teenagers felt it.
'I've also been talking to Snape' She continued, Draco frowned 'And I really want to do everything I can to help'
Draco let out a deep breath, one of which he didn't realize he was holding, and finally turned to her.
It startled him how concerned she looked.
'You will be free of him' She added and Draco's frown softened.
'I did the right thing, didn't I?' He asked, his voice quiet, and she nodded.
He continued
'Even if I still have to kill Dumbledore? Even if I still have to participate in their expeditions? Even if I still have to take his mark?'
'Yes. Even if you have to do all of it, you'll still be fighting for a better future'
There was a heavy silence, but neither of them broke eye contact.
'Do you think the war will ever end?' He asked softly, turning his gaze to the view.
'Yes' She sounded so sure that it almost made his chest hurt.
'How do you know?'
'Because I want to travel the world without fear.' She said, almost smirking to herself. 'and I always get what I want.'
Two weeks. He'd been in Berlin for two weeks.
And he needed out.
He had to go to Vienna. He just had to. She had wanted to see it so much. He wasn't sure why, but She always said it was her dream to go. Now that She is gone, he had to live it out. For her.
But he couldn't.
He let out a yell of frustration, slamming his palms into the wall, letting out a blast of raw magic.
Magic. He hadn't used it since she died. He wasn't going to. It was his magic that accidentally killed her.
With a shudder, he turned towards his once empty, front room, afraid to see what damage he'd caused, only to find that he hadn't destroyed anything at all. No, instead he had created.
He stared at the Steinway, that sat in the corner, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.
After a few minutes, or possibly even hours, he walked over to it, his hands shaking and his breath shallow.
Would he remember how to play it? Would he want to?
He sat down on the bench, adjusting it slightly, before taking a deep breath and placing his fingers on the keys.
The battle was raging on, curses flew everywhere, and Draco had officially claimed the light side. Voldemort was incredibly angered at the fact that his star pupil, his favorite, had been betraying him the entire time, and it was a miracle that Draco had managed to get out of the Great Hall, Voldemort's killing zone, alive.
'Just imagine if he knew Snape was on our side too' A voice said behind him, and Draco turned to see one of the Weasley twins, along with Hermione and Ginny, behind him.
Draco cringed. The death of his godfather wasn't something he was ready to cope with yet.
Instead of lingering on the old Potions Master, Draco put up a large temporary shield and used the bought time to hug Hermione.
'I love you' He whispered.
'I love you too' She replied.
The shield broke as they separated and, with their practiced reflexes, they jumped back into battle.
It was useless to tell each other to be careful, or even say see you later. This was war. They didn't get the luxury of being careful, and Draco was afraid he would never get to see her again.
A curse, out of nowhere, hit Draco's arm and he yelped, a burning pain spreading across his nerves.
'You filthy traitor!' Yelled a voice Draco never wanted to hear again. Lucius Malfoy.
Draco turned to his father, his eyes narrowed and his breathing short.
'You abandoned us' Shouted Lucius and another curse came flying from the older wizard's wand. Draco easily blocked it and sent one of his own flying.
'You left your family' curse 'Your beliefs' curse 'your life' curse 'and all for what? A filthy little mudblood?'
With the last word, and curse, Lucius looked angrier than Voldemort. Draco snarled.
'YOU abandoned me when you sold me to that monster' Draco yelled with a curse
'Our family has never even been real' curse
'They were your beliefs, not mine.' Curse
'They were fucking thrust upon me' Curse
'And I'd rather live a life with love than a life with you!'
Time seemed to stand still as Draco took in a deep breath, glaring at his father, before his raised his wand, leveling it at the older man's chest. Lucius stared at him, almost in shock, as he processed his words.
'As for that love, I will make sure you never call her such a thing again' He said, deadly serious.
Lucius's eyes widened and he put his arms up, palms facing Draco, almost in surrender. The youngest Malfoy ignored the gesture.
'Avada Kadavra' He snarled and a jet of green shot from his wand.
Before Draco could process what was happening, the eldest Malfoy sidestepped the curse and a stunner hit him in the back, efficiently knocking him out. The last thing he heard was the familiar scream of his life, his love, killed by a curse shot from his wand.
His piano was his only solace. It was only when his fingers were gracefully sliding across the ivory keys that he saw her properly. When he played scales he watched her study. When he practiced etudes he tried not to laugh as she bit her lip and read. As he learned the suites he smiled with her. She slept, peacefully, without nightmares during the nocturnes. He smell her perfume while playing the Fantaisie. Throughout the sonatas she sang, the minuets she danced and the symphonies? The symphonies were the best of all. He could feel her lips on his neck. He could feel her hands in his hair. He could even feel her warm breath against his cheek as she whispered 'I love you'.
Yes. He could see her, feel her, smell her, but it wasn't enough.
He slammed his hands onto the keys in the middle of a minuet, letting out a yell of agony as he longed for what never could be.
After attempting a few deep breaths, he stood up, grabbed the nearest object, a vase, and chucked it at the wall, watching it break into thousands of pieces before gripping his hair and sinking to the ground.
'You are absolutely beautiful' He said softly as he walked into their spot at the top of the Astronomy Tower and found it already occupied with the girl he was sure he was falling in love with.
She blushed.
'Oh hush you, and come here'
Draco grinned and strode over to her, quickly seating himself beside the young witch and pulling her into his arms.
It was amazing how, in the midst of the war, he could feel so content with her nearby.
'What?' She asked, her eyebrows raised and the corners of her lips upturned. 'No kiss?'
It was amazing how, despite the fact that they had to grow up long before they should've, they were still able to experience young love.
He laughed and gently kissed her. She let out a content sigh.
'Better?' He asked
'Better'
Everyone in the neighborhood was curious, about their newest addition, in the beginning, but now, that three months had passed and not a single one of them had even caught sight of the mystery man, their curiosity grew. The only reason everyone actually believed someone lived in the house, on the corner, was the sound of the piano that seemed to never stop.
Quite often loud thuds and crashes would be heard after a particularly long, or frantic, stint of playing, and that just gripped everyone's attention even harder.
All it took, however, was one brave child to peek through his living room window, and the news of the shocking blonde haired man spread like wildfire.
It wasn't long before English reporters were all over the small neighborhood.
They asked everyone questions, they banged on the mystery man's home, and everyone's curiosity grew.
'You'll be a hero'
'I won't feel like one'
She gently swiped his hair back, looking him straight in the eye, her look gentle, but her mouth held tension.
'Draco Malfoy. You are saving lives.'
'I've also taken lives'
She didn't have a reply and instead chose to kiss him. He responded, desperation behind every movement of his.
'Travel with me?' She asked, breaking away, her breath raged.
'What?'
'Come with me. We can escape the press together and enjoy the end of the war together.'
Tears were pooled in her eyes, and Draco couldn't help but smile softly.
'Of course I'll travel with you' He said before pulling her in once more.
Malfoy slammed his fists down on the keys as he heard yet another knock on the door.
They wanted Draco Malfoy, the war hero, someone to praise, someone to hail, someone who didn't exit.
No. That Draco Malfoy doesn't exist anymore. How could he? How could he possibly the same person when She wasn't here?
'You'll be a hero Draco'
He let out a yell of frustration, once again hitting the piano before he set his jaw and began to play.
He wasn't sure what he was playing anymore. It just came out.
'I love you'
How naïve of him? To fall in love during a war? It was just a deception. He wouldn't be happy, he couldn't have her, how could he have even have thought that he could?
'Don't linger on those you couldn't save. Focus on those who you still can'
His right hand let out a flutter, almost like a dove. It was in the wrong key, creating a dissonance that sent a shiver down his spine. He did it again.
'Just remember, when the war is over, we can travel together.'
A painful shove was sent to the keys by his left hand. He let out a yell of anguish.
'She would've wanted you to'
With a final chord, he broke down and let out a blast of accidental magic.
This time he didn't create. No. He destroyed.
He blew up the house.
It seemed that the only things not destroyed were the piano, a chair that sat in the middle of the room, and a cabinet.
'I love you'
He stood up abruptly
'She would've wanted you to move on'
He crossed the broken room to the cabinet.
'We can travel together'
He gripped the length of cable, the only thing that occupied the cabinet.
'You'll be a hero'
He began whispering as he began to shape the rope into letters.
'When this war' A C was laid against amongst the rubble of the room.
'Is over' He set the end across the top, bending the C into an S.
'We can' With nimble fingers, he curved the tail beneath the S, turning the mass of rope into a B.
'Travel' The cable was pulled tight.
'The world' Seven loops were added. His hands were steady.
'Together' And with one last adjustment, the rope was read for its job.
He stood up looking calm for the first time in a long time. He looked fuller, determined.
Without bothering to write a note, he swung the noose over the ceiling beam, almost smiling at his creation, and cinched the knot. As he climbed his single chair and slipped the rope necklace over his head, a single word rang through his head.
Together
AN 2.0: So I'm not entirely sure about how this turned out, but I felt the intense desire to post it, so here we are. I suggest you go listen to Knots by Watsky. It's an amazing song. And I'm currently listening to X Infinity (The album that Knots is on) and my mind keeps getting blown. I'm like... AAHHH
Anyways. Someday I might elaborate on this, like Watsky does in his songs, and what not, but for right now, this is it.
As for my prompt, I simply listened to the lyrics. I had no written prompt, so one shall not be posted.
Tell me what you thought of it and if I should create a full story from this! :)
