Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I wish I did, though. But, alas, J.K. Rowling owns everything related to Harry Potter.
Draco Malfoy
December 16, 1988- July 11, 2006
They thought he was the same as the rest of them. A Death Eater. He wasn't.
They thought he killed innocent people for fun, and supported the murderer Voldemort.
After all, he was his father's son. He didn't.
They thought he was a traitor and a disgrace to the wizarding world. He wasn't.
Only she knew what he was, who he was, who he was loyal to. He was himself, and loyal to himself.
They thought he died of a stray curse. He didn't.
They thought she killed him before he escaped. He didn't.
Flashback.
There was killing everywhere. She could see where Ron was fighting Bellatrix with Neville. The blood had overwhelmed her, but it refused to clear. She knew they were losing; she knew they were winning.
Her small legs kept running, no matter where the path took her. Her lungs were on fire, and her eyes trained to find the most exact details, blurry. Her hair flying in the wind, her heart beating so fast, that she thought it would stop within a moment.
As she looked back, she could see Lucius Malfoy running behind her. His wild eyes straining to catch up with her.
"Stupefy!" She ducked as the spell hit a spot an inch away from her shoulder. She ran and ran until her legs failed.
Her mind went blank as she felt the collision of something hard, most possibly a rock, hitting her head.
Flashback.
She knew that he wasn't like the rest of them. He knew, too.
She knew that he hated killing people, he had nightmares for weeks.
She knew he hated the snake as much as she did. He took away his mother.
He was his mother's son. He knew that, too.
He was as loyal as her, but still a disgrace to his family. He didn't care.
He knew who she was, what she was, and who she loved. So did she.
She knew that he didn't die of a stray curse. He knew that as well.
She knew that she killed him, not because he was bad, because he wanted her to.
He knew that, too.
Flashback.
As the blackness faded, she found herself lying on the ground. As she opened her blinded eyes, the world came rushing back to her. Her mind refocused; she couldn't allow herself a second of weakness.
Her legs seemed to be fine but sore. As she got up, her eyes fell upon the body of Lucius, the devil incarnate. He was sitting upright, along a tree trunk. Eyes open and face terrified. As she stepped closer, she felt scared. Was he dead, or was he watching her? She tentatively touched his shoulder, and with a gasp, stepped away from the bleeding body.
Lucius Malfoy was dead to the world, and his dead body was now at her feet, bleeding in the heart.
She didn't hear the branch snapping behind her. Neither did she see the person behind her, ready to make his move.
Flashback.
Now, as she gazed upon the land, she couldn't help but have memories take over her.
He was wrong to the world, including her, but now she knew that he was never what she thought he was.
All because of him, she couldn't remove his haunting eyes from her mind.
Every moment of the day, he plagued her thoughts like a disease. Her friends didn't know, neither did she. What was wrong with her?
She hated him, and he knew that as well.
But that didn't change anything.
Flashback.
"What are you looking at, Granger?" she heard to her left. She turned around so fast, her world was spinning. Next to her was standing, the son of the man in front of her. Draco Malfoy. Looking like he did in Hogwarts. Nothing had changed. When he moved his gaze from the dead body of his father to her, she notice something. His eyes.
They weren't cold or harsh. They were tired and looked worn out. She wondered what her face looked like.
They looked haunted and plagued. he looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep over the years.
"Mourning for my bastard father, are you, Granger?" Malfoy asked, in what was supposed to be in a sarcastic voice, but somehow it was missing. What came out was a whisper and a cold laugh.
"You wish, Malfoy! I wouldn't cry for that man, even if I died. What are you doing here?" she asked in her curioius voice, but it was slightly defensive. She thought he knew that as well.
"I'm not doing anything, just watching and seeing." his voice held no emotion, but his face was tense, "The Order won, Granger. Congratulations." she sensed sadness in his voice, but waved it off as an illusion.
"We won? We really won!! I knew Harry could do it!! Now the world is peaceful, and back to normal! Finally --" she was cut off by his harsh voice.
"Why would you be happy when you have no one to celebrate it, Granger. How did you win when you lost so much?" She stopped her movements and looked at him. He was gazing the night sky. She gazed up and noticed that the crescent moon was right above them. Haunting, but beautiful
"Kill me, Granger. "
"What, what are you saying, Malfoy? You're coming with me to the Order so that you can get your trial.." Her shock was apparent in her voice. But he seemed unfazed.
"You don't know anything, Granger. My father killed my mother just because she talked to me about loyalty. I was forced to watch her die. You didn't have the experience..."
Don't' tell me about experience! I've seen people die and lose their lives today and you're telling me that you are the only one that lost someone?" Her angry response, came out like spitfire. He just gazed up, uninterested. She felt like her words didn't mean anything to him.
He walked up and knelt down his father's body. His eyes were blank and he seemed unaffected by the sight.
"I hope you go to hell, Lucius. You deserved everything you got. You told me that I was dirt and a disgrace to the family name. Well, I guess this piece of dirt just killed you and took your life. You are the lowest of the low. I hope you know that and burn in the deep depths of hell." His quiet voice came out like a whisper, but she could feel the anger radiating out of him.
"What are you talking about, Malfoy? Lucius died because someone hit him in the heart, not because --" realization dawned upon her. Her eyes got big and she took a step towards him.
"Malfoy.." her voice seemed strange even to her, " You saved me, why?"
"You were losing a chance, Granger. If you died, everyone would think that I did it. I want you to do something for me now. You have a Wizard's debt, and I want you to repay me for saving your life." His voice seemed tired and still, strong like nothing had happened between them.
"What is it? What do I have to do?"
"Kill me. Just once."
Silence reigned over them. They could hear the voices of people shouting their happiness throughout the woods. No one noticed what was happening.
"No. I won't be a killer, Malfoy."
"You already are, Granger. Don't tell me you haven't killed anyone today? After what happened, you didn't kill anyone? Not even Dolonov?" His voice was incredulous, as if he was surprised that I kept to my morals even in this battle, "That's even better. You can practice on me. Just kill me, now and you can go away forever."
"No, Malfoy. Forget it, I'm leaving right now." Before she could move a muscle, his cold, pale fingers clasped around her arms and she looked at him, with fear in her eyes.
"Kill me, Granger. Now. If you don't, the Wizard's debt will continue to haunt you until you kill me. Use your wand and kill me, Granger, now." His firm voice held power and she almost relented but no.
"Tell why you want to die, Malfoy? Why do you want to lose your life? You have a chance to become a free chance, why aren't you using it?" she pleaded him. She didn't want to kill him, even though she knew that he was enemy.
"My mother died, Granger. It haunted me for months. Today, when I killed Lucius, I felt free. But do you think the world would consider that?" He asked her.
"The world doesn't give second chances to people like me. You either die, or you live. I would prefer to die rather than face a broken world where no one is themselves. People adore a world where everything is right and all good. But people like me, mess that up. We take away their illusions, Granger. That's why you hate me, remember? I made your balanced life chaotic until it suited me." That was his blank response.
"Kill me, Granger, or I'll do it myself." he didn't wait for my answer, for the next thing I knew, he had my wand in his fingers, and pointed it to himself.
"Malfoy, please...Give me my wand and we'l--"
" I never killed anyone, not even Dumbledore. I couldn't. I was too weak. Even in front of my father, I was weak. You know, Granger, life is a fickle thing. It surprises you in the end and you don't even know what happened until you already lose it." He chuckled, but his laugh sounded hollow. Her wand was still at his chest, just above his heart.
His heart. She didn't think that he had one. But, if he didn't have one, would he be right in front of her?
"Malfoy..."
"Yeah, I know, pathetic. The Great Draco Malfoy can't kill a person. Surprising, isn't it? In war, Granger, you become what you've been taught never to become. I was taught to be a killing machine, but I wasn't. You know, Granger, you're the only person I've ever told this to, not even my mother or friends. " He laughed outright, and she felt drawn to his voice.
His eyes were vulnerable, and more open than she'd ever seen. But, she realized, she didn't' know him that well and never saw his change from cold to anything else, either.
Her world changed when he said his parting words. She was too much in shock to stop him from uttering the Killing Curse.
"I hope I'll never meet you again, Granger, where I'm going. This is...Good-Bye. Avada Kedavra."
Flashback.
His last words haunted her in her dreams. Only she knew his secrets. She carried his memory in her heart. Never to be uttered to someone else as long as she lived.
The world can be dangerous, she thought, it causes so many innocent people to die and lose the chance to live freely.
Her tears were now falling as she remember when her friends found her a few hours later, in the same spot, staring at Malfoy's blank grey eyes.
FlashBack.
She didn't register the fact that he died right away. She watched as he slumped onto his knees and watched him stare into her eyes, slowly losing the life that she knew that he didn't want. She just stared back, afraid to move and speak.
when his head touched the ground, she broke down, and cried. Clutching his shirt, she didn't notice her friends voices coming closer. She could only imagine what she looked like. After what seemed like a lifetime. She felt the world close once again and she was gone.
His eyes permanently sketched into her mind.
Flashback.
Everyone thought that she killed him. In a matter, she did. But, she never told them the truth.
She locked herself in a room, and stayed there for weeks, only coming out for eating. But it seemed like her mind was on auto-pilot.
She was still replaying every single memory that she had of Malfoy and that night.
Now, at his funeral procession, which was only her and the priest, she couldn't help but feel guiltier. She couldn't stop him. He could've had a chance. If only, she had saved him. he was right, you never know what you missed, until it's gone.
They thought he died because of her. He did, because of her.
He knew that wasn't true.
They thought that she killed Lucius Malfoy. She didn't. He did. But no one would believe her.
She told them what lies they wanted to hear, only to keep the secrets safe in her heart.
She told them she killed him. She didn't dare tell anyone.
No one needs to know.
No one was ready to know. Except her, and the person that left. It was her secret and she would keep it safe, even if it destroyed her.
It's only her secret.