He knew his life was over the summer that his mad Aunt Bellatrix brought the fucking Dark Lord to his house. He hadn't seen him yet, his mother keeping him away as much as he could but he could feel the cruelty and darkness that stagnated the air around him. No love he thought once before dismissing it, wondering why he was thinking of love at a time like this.
Draco know his life was over the day his father didn't let him accompany his mother to her beach cottage for the week. He never let her go alone. "Not this time, Narcissa. We have meeting tomorrow." His mother's eyes terrified before she regained composure. She simply nodded and kissed Draco on his cheek before closing the door behind her. No one looked him in the eyes now.
Draco knew his life was over. His father never once turned back to look at him, at his eyes, but he could see his knuckles tightened around his wandcane as they walked to what used to be their formal dining room. The air, that stagnant air was almost suffocating. "Keep your eyes down no matter what." was all his father said. The meeting dragged on and he would've been bored had he not been absolutely cold with terror. Then the request, that horrid request. All the eyes on him and he swallowed down the terror choking his throat. "It would be an honor to carry out your mission, Dark Lord." He kept his eyes down.
Draco knew his life was truly and utterly fucked. He was back at school and it was so alien to him now. Grades? Papers? Exams? All forgotten in the quest to fix the forsaken cabinet. He knew Theodore Nott noticed. They had once been friends, maybe even best friends, but Draco did everything he could think of to sabotage it. He wouldn't drag Theo into this.
Theo was a better friend than Draco had thought and an even better human. He didn't give up on Draco and one day, he managed to get him alone in the Room of Requirement. Well not alone. He brought fucking Granger with him. "What are you doing, Theo?" Draco avoided his gaze and dug through his bag. "I'm - we're here to help. I heard." Draco looked up as Theo placed his hand on the bag. Tears stung his eyes. "Help how?" Theo talked. Granger talked. Their utterly brilliant, foolproof plan. "I can't risk it, Theo." I pleaded. "Do you know what they'll do? What he'll do? He'll - my mom-" Theo placed a hand on my shoulder. "She's already in safe hands." Granger confirmed. A small glimmer of hope. "As long as she's safe, I'm in." Theo and Granger grinned. "That fucker's going down."
Draco felt his life in a way he'd never had before. The hope shining through the darkness, clearing the way for them, the Order, as Granger called them. Her trust bought his and Theo's way in and she devised a brilliantly secure way to communicate with his mother. And so as a thank you, just a thank you he'd told Theo, he brought her a book. One he knew just might hold the answers they needed. He'd snuck back into his house, per his mother's careful instructions, and left just as undetected thanks to a special borrowed robe. He was right. The book held the answers and so, they prepared and double prepared and triple prepared until everything they could possibly think of was thought of and accounted for. They were ready.
Draco was alive. Exhausted and hurt but alive. The Dark Lord defeated at the hand of Harry Potter. He found Theo with the other Slytherins, consoling those that had fought against their parents. Granger was suddenly sitting next to him, laying her head on her arms. "They were all very brave. It couldn't have been easy." she said before adding softly, "You were brave." Her fingers hesitantly reached out before placing them on top of his. "I'm sure you know but I'm grateful for you, for everything you've done. I - I'm glad to have gotten to know you, the real you." Draco turned his palm around, and just as hesitantly wrapped his fingers through hers. He smiled when she didn't pull away. "I'm glad too." he whispered.
Draco knew his life was just beginning.