Title: One Last Challenge

Rating: G

Genre: AU-kinda, Gen, or pre-slash, if you like

Words: 160

Warning: None

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JKR and Warner Bros.+ affiliates, blah, blah, blah

Summary: Draco stumbles upon Harry as the boy-who-lived goes to die.

Notes: So this popped up in my head a few days ago: I was thinking, "What kind of new twist can I put on the "Scared, Potter?" question that likes to be repeated so often in fanfic?" And when I thought of that, I had to find a situation that fit, which is why this is a little bit AU, I just stuck Draco where he wasn't in the book, so here goes! Enjoy!


Draco sneered at Potter, surprised to see him right in front of him, and ignored the instinct screaming at him to just shut up and curse him before they found them here. He could hear movement behind him, the Death Eaters' presence his reason for seeking a stabilizing quiet in the forest.

"Scared, Potter?" Normal routine, markedly missing for a long year, dictated the weary and bruised teen would accept the challenge for what it was and the rest would be predictable, comfortable. However, it seemed Potter wasn't playing by the rules and that annoyed Draco as much as it made him take particular notice of the 'saviour' tonight.

Potter's eyes shut tight behind those hideous glasses and his fingers clenched over elbows, emphasizing a fine shudder that wracked a suddenly too-young-looking frame. He could see Potter's throat convulse once, then again. Draco repeated his question and that seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. A peculiar stillness settled over him before he answered.

"Yes."