There was a day, long ago, when Draco Malfoy loved Harry Potter more than he could possibly explain. There was a day when the sun shone high and Harry turned to Draco, and Draco told him goodbye.
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It was dusk when Draco gathered his cloak and stepped into the Slytherin Common room for the last time. They'd argued earlier and something in Draco had broken beyond repair. He could feel it now, the vicious edges of shattered crystal lodged in the space his heart had once kept. The cruel daggered points sliding through his tender flesh as easily as diamond edged steel.
As he walked in to the darkened room on softened and silent feet Slytherin faces turned to regard their Prince. Their Broken Prince. And they wept for him.
"You don't have to go." That was Blaize. Draco's second had long ago sworn his allegiances to the Light, never would he questioned himself on that vow. Draco had always sworn to spy for the Light. His love for their golden standard of a saviour had held his heart true but now something in the pale boy was gone. The light in his eyes was dead and his previously fluid grace was halted and tired. His smile was bitter and sad as unshielded silver eyes regarded his Slytherin general. His voice was soft and bereft of command but Slytherin stood in honour of his soft words.
"My brother," he whispered and Blaize's heart broke for the already irreparably damaged boy before him. "It was never made to be Blaize." He murmured and turned to leave.
"You never believed in a set path Draco," Blaize called. "Why now?" Draco paused at the door.
"Some things, are not meant to be," he whispered and stepped through the Slytherin exit into the cold halls. At the Potions classroom Severus Snape stood tall and regal but his eyes were shadowed and old tear tracks marred his cheeks. As Draco's eyes met his and swept on tears spilled over dark lashes but the sorrowed man did nothing to stop his beloved godson. It was his choice.
"His choice," he whispered and fled the dungeons.
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As Draco's feet hit the entrance hall he glanced around again.
"Next time I'm here I'll probably be in Death Eater robes," he chuckled bitterly.
"You'll never wear those robes Draco," the headmasters voice said softly, sadly. Draco swung round in fright and anger.
"I will do as I wish!" he snapped. Dumbledore nodded.
"You heart isn't in it Draco," he said softly. The blond boy felt the tears on his cheeks and swiped them away harshly scratching his left cheek bone deeply as he caught the skin on the silver dragon clasp of his robes sleeve.
As he came to the doors, once more Draco paused. On the steps leaning against the wall outlined in the moonlight stood Severus Snape, again.
Not a word passed Draco's lips as he once again met the obsidian eyes of his godfather and looked deep into the pain there.
"Only those we love, can cause us to hate," the dark man whispered to the moonlight as the boy who had been as a son to him passed on down the steps and stalling in his stride Draco tilted his head back. Showing he as listening but refusing to turn.
"You loved James?" he asked softly.
"I loved James."
"You ran to Voldemort's feet?"
"I came crawling back."
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He had passed their trials. He had faced off against his beloved godfather and denied the agony and heartbreak in those eyes. He had denied the headmaster and he had denied Blaze. But these eyes were much harder to deny. For these eyes Draco would die.
Emerald glinted in the midnight air where he leant against the bleachers of the Slytherin stands. Black hair tousled by the wind and milky skin flushed by the chill in the air. It was going to rain, Draco could feel it. And even as that thought passed through his mind the first drop splashed across his cheek leaving a tear trail on the pale skin that Draco refused to acknowledge as anything but rain water.
Tilting his head back into the sky the Gryffindor opened his eyes to the heavens and let the downpour sluice over him in contented agony.
"I'm going." Draco hadn't meant to say it but it passed his lips none the less. Harry didn't even turn his head.
"I know." He said softly. The very tone torturing Draco's shattered heart.
"You broke me." He whispered. Still no reaction.
"I know."
"You shattered everything I am." Still no movement.
"I know."
Turning away Draco let hopelessness flood his soul as a shallow keening wail broke from his throat.
"You win." he whispered and finally emerald eyes turned to molten silver. No words passed his lips now and the crystal shards in Draco's chest dug a little deeper. Turning he walked into the horizon that would take him to his grave.
"No," Harry said softly as Draco turned and walked away into the cloak of mist that had risen.
"This time I lost."
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He's lying beneath the dementor now. Tattoo vivid on his milk white skin. His once perfect flesh is scarred and torn and haunted silver eyes meet tortured emerald over the hooded creatures shoulder.
"I broke you." he whispers and Draco nods. His throat is gone with a curse from his father, his vodka and velvet voice ripped away in bitter revenge for a cold betrayal.
'I know,' his eyes whisper in the dark.
"I shattered everything you are," No sound passes those beautiful, full lips.
'I know,' his silver gaze accepts.
And the old dance steps change as he sinks to his knees before the broken Dragon. There is something in the Slytherin's eyes he has never seen before. 'I'm scared Harry.' the liquid silver pools whisper.
"I lost," he whispers and Draco opens his mouth to release the last of his pain as he steps forward into the abyss.
'This time, we both did.' And the last thing Draco's eyes whisper is 'Remember me'.
Finiā¦
