Title: Forgiven, Not Forgotten Author: Angel - TxasAngl77@hotmail.com Pairing: No pairing Rating: PG Series: 1/1 Summary: Harry will never forget Author Web Page: (web journal) (web site - under construction) Archive: Feedback: Feeeeeed me, Seymour! Warnings: angst, death Disclaimer: I do not own these people…want - yes…desire - uh-huh…secretly covet - most definitely…and would I like to lock them away in a hidden room somewhere with lots of toys - oh hell yes Beta: unbeta'd Notes: Set after the final battle with Voldemort

"...whisper out a name long forgiven, but not forgotten..." ~The Corrs

Hermione watched as Harry tossed frantically on the bed, his dreams overpowering him. Almost every night she watched as he fretted and cried out in his sleep. She and Ron. Sometimes Ginny would sit with him, but it caused her such heartache that the others preferred she not.

Harry had never been the same after Voldemort was finally defeated. He spent the days alone, wandering the country side around the Weasely land. Sometimes he pulled his old Firebolt from the closet and flew for a while, but he always returned from the air with a dark sadness in his eyes.

He never sleep peacefully like the savior of the wizarding world should. Always the nightmares, always remembering, always crying out the same name into the cold silence of the room.

Draco.

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Harry stood facing Voldemort, his eyes straying slightly to the left where Draco stood beside the Dark Lord, his usual smirk chiseled into his pale skin. Draco eyed Harry across the short distance between them. There was a flicker there that Harry didn't understand, an odd light that was unfamiliar in Draco's gaze. He watched as the Dark Lord spoke quietly with the youngest Malfoy, watched with hatred glowing in his eyes as Draco nodded and strode purposefully towards him. He stopped a mere inches away, leaning in close, till their noses almost touched.

"I'm sorry, Harry, for everything. Nothing matters as long as you know that," Draco whispered, then backed quickly away, moving back to Voldemort's side without allowing a response.

Harry stood frozen, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Malfoy...apologize? Harry barely had time to react when he saw Voldemort's wand pointed towards him. He watched as that evil mouth formed words to kill, watched as Draco suddenly jumped between Harry and Voldemort, raising his own wand and shouting some obscure curse that Harry didn't recognize.

Harry did recognize the bellow of rage from the Dark Lord as the area erupted with blinding light. When Harry came to, there was nothing left except two wands. He gave Voldemort's to Dumbledore so that it could be destroyed. Draco's he kept for himself. A reminder of the courage he witnessed that day.

At first he tried to explain that it was Draco who saved them all, but no one would believe that a Malfoy had turned on the their leader and sacrificed themselves for Muggles and Mudbloods. So Harry gave up trying.

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Harry stood still, staring down at the simple stone in front of him.

Draco Malfoy
Forgiven
But not Forgotten

His friends didn't know about the stone. He had carved and erected it himself, because he thought Draco deserved at least that much. He came here every day and stood for hours staring at the stone, remembering everything.

The hateful curses, angry looks, Quidditch matches, classes, pranks. Even the tiniest moment involving Draco Malfoy that was stored in his memory he relived on a daily basis. It was his monument, like this stone, to the man who really saved the wizarding world. Some day he would try again to explain to his friends what had happened. Someday others would relive these memories with him.

For now, it was Harry's duty to never forget.