Author's Notes: Once again, thank you all for the reviews.
Disclaimer: See part one for full disclaimer.
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My day passed much as I had expected it to, and I slept well that night, exhausted from keeping up the appearance of coping.
I was woken in the morning by Harry sitting on the end of me bed and gently shaking my foot. I didn't realise what it was at first - I thought I was still back with *him*, still trapped...then Harry raised one eyebrow curiously, and I could breathe again, and I knew that I was here, in prison...safe.
I must have spoken that last word aloud, because Harry frowned faintly. "What's safe?" he wanted to know. "Or who are you safe from?"
"What's it to you?" I muttered sullenly. "Why are you here?"
Harry was watching me intently, those green eyes flickering with some unknown emotion that disturbed me. He was again making me feel as though he was slowly stripping away my outer layers and defences, leaving only my soul for his perusal.
He blinked, and the feeling evaporated into the abyss.
"Claw told me about what happened yesterday," he observed finally. I raised one eyebrow. I wondered why he was asking. It made it seem as though he cared, when I knew he didn't. "Are you alright now?"
"I'm fine," I answered curtly. 'What do you want, Harry?" His eyes flashed, and I bit down on my lip, drawing blood. I hadn't meant to say that at all, let alone in the way I had. I groaned and lay back down, burrowing my face in my thin pillow.
"I'll ignore that then," Harry said, far too cheerfully in my opinion. "I'm here to see if you have any questions that Claw didn't answer." In other words, I filled in silently, he wants to find out if I want to know about his wandless magic.
I didn't ask about that, because for one thing I was fairly sure that I knew how he could perform wandless magic, and for another because I have always taken a perverse pleasure out of doing the opposite of what he wants me to do.
"Is Ron Weasley still in here?" I inquired instead, lifting my head from the pillow. Harry froze, then an expression of utter hatred and rage flitted across his face. I have only ever seen that expression on one other person, and I would be sincerely happy if I never saw it again - on either of them.
"No," he said shortly. "Voldemort," his lip curled in distaste, "tortured and killed him to get to me." He shrugged. "I guess it worked." He quirked one eyebrow. "Any other questions?"
"Yeah, can you get off my bed?" He laughed, and moved to the chair. "Thanks." I scrambled out of the bed and shoved my feet into the canvas shoes that were already starting to irritating. I suddenly realised that I was facing twenty years of wearing exactly the same clothes day in, day out.
Oh well, it wasn't one of the worse things about the prison so far. That debatable honour fell squarely to the man sitting across the cell from me. Or possibly to the showers.
Harry was watching me again inscrutably. I'm fairly sure that he knew that I hated it, and that's why he did it so often.
"I was sort of expecting you to ask about yesterday," he admitted after a moment. Had I been the old me I would have rolled my eyes and said something about how the world didn't revolve around him. But I wouldn't do that now - I couldn't do that now, since my whole world now was this prison, and this prison seemed to revolve around him.
"Why should I?" I asked quietly instead. "I already know all I need to know."
His eyebrow quirked upward again. He'd never done that at Hogwarts - it looked like he'd picked it up off Snape. "So what do you know, Draco?" he drawled.
I shrugged. "I know that you can perform wandless magic with a prevention bracelet on, something which is supposed to be impossible," I replied. "I know that for years there have been rumours floating around about who you really are, and who your ancestors were." He blanched, and I finished, "and I know that in here, it's probably not a good idea to piss you off."
Colour slowly returned to Harry's face, and he gave a short, slightly bitter chuckle. "Yes, I imagine that you do know all you need to know about me - at least in here." He stood up. "But you'd better hope that we don't ever get out of here, Draco," he warned, a small smile playing about his face. "I'm sure you'll find I'm a completely different person out there." He rose. "I'll be sure to warn the others that you aren't a morning person," he said teasingly, before disappearing and leaving me to my disturbed thoughts.
The bell for breakfast rang before I could delve too deeply into those thoughts, however, so I decided to ignore what Harry has said...for the time being, at any rate. After all, neither one of us was likely to get out of here in this lifetime. Or the next, knowing *him*.
I had a visitor that day. The guards pulled me in from exercise to see my visitor. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I was taken to the windows under the gallery, sat down on a stool, and faced my mother.
Mother. My mother. Was here. In Talsgate. To visit me. She was here to visit me.
For several long moments all I did was stare at her in disbelief. She had been crying, I noted, her eyes were red. She didn't look as...polished as she usually did.
"Draco," she whispered at last. I opened my mouth, but no words came. "Draco..."
"Why are you here, Mother?" I asked wearily. "Why did you come?"
She looked shocked. "I came because I love you, Draco - I'm worried for you..."
"Don't be," I said curtly. "If you cared at all, you would have stopped the ball from rolling five years ago when *he* came for me." I paused, almost incredulous at my own words. Then I shrugged. "I'm alright in here," I said, attempting to reassure her. "It's no so bad."
She gazed at me, threatening to cry again. I shook my head at her. "Don't come here again," I pleaded. "You'll...you'll get in trouble, I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. Father -" I cut myself off.
"Lucius," Mother nodded sombrely. "I know, Draco." Oh yes, she knew. We all knew the things Lucius Malfoy was capable of, in the service of his master. But I was genuinely worried for her - she would certainly be being watched at the moment for any sign that she cared too much for me, for any sign that she might to something...treasonous. And I didn't want my mother to be put in prison as well.
"Very well," she said at last. "I'll go. I...I love you, Draco."
She kissed her fingers then pressed them to the thin glass window between us. I lifted my hand and touched the glass on my side.then she was gone. I stared at where she had been for a long moment, then I gritted my teeth. If she had been followed, and I had no doubt that she had been, Father would talk to her about it.
Father would quite possibly take her to *him*.
I couldn't think about that. A guard stepped up to me and took me back outside to the yard. I concentrated on jogging; one foot in front of me, then another.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued.
Replies to reviews:
Ice - I hope you got enough sleep! Thanks for your comments.
Hana-chan - Thanks! And don't worry about not being sure about what Draco did - as of yet no-one knows (except me) what he did!
Jass - Thank you! And as to whether it will be Harry/Draco...you'll just have to wait and see!
Thief, drika, spunky - thank you all!
Sophie W - really? You think my fic is addictive? Really? Wow. Wow! Thanks!
Janibo - sigh. I have to say that Harry will not be getting into a fight for a good few chapters, if ever. Sorry :).
Demeter - oh, but I love dangling fish! And who said they had anything other than undying hatred for each other? Not me...really. Anyway, thanks once again for your comments.
Disclaimer: See part one for full disclaimer.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My day passed much as I had expected it to, and I slept well that night, exhausted from keeping up the appearance of coping.
I was woken in the morning by Harry sitting on the end of me bed and gently shaking my foot. I didn't realise what it was at first - I thought I was still back with *him*, still trapped...then Harry raised one eyebrow curiously, and I could breathe again, and I knew that I was here, in prison...safe.
I must have spoken that last word aloud, because Harry frowned faintly. "What's safe?" he wanted to know. "Or who are you safe from?"
"What's it to you?" I muttered sullenly. "Why are you here?"
Harry was watching me intently, those green eyes flickering with some unknown emotion that disturbed me. He was again making me feel as though he was slowly stripping away my outer layers and defences, leaving only my soul for his perusal.
He blinked, and the feeling evaporated into the abyss.
"Claw told me about what happened yesterday," he observed finally. I raised one eyebrow. I wondered why he was asking. It made it seem as though he cared, when I knew he didn't. "Are you alright now?"
"I'm fine," I answered curtly. 'What do you want, Harry?" His eyes flashed, and I bit down on my lip, drawing blood. I hadn't meant to say that at all, let alone in the way I had. I groaned and lay back down, burrowing my face in my thin pillow.
"I'll ignore that then," Harry said, far too cheerfully in my opinion. "I'm here to see if you have any questions that Claw didn't answer." In other words, I filled in silently, he wants to find out if I want to know about his wandless magic.
I didn't ask about that, because for one thing I was fairly sure that I knew how he could perform wandless magic, and for another because I have always taken a perverse pleasure out of doing the opposite of what he wants me to do.
"Is Ron Weasley still in here?" I inquired instead, lifting my head from the pillow. Harry froze, then an expression of utter hatred and rage flitted across his face. I have only ever seen that expression on one other person, and I would be sincerely happy if I never saw it again - on either of them.
"No," he said shortly. "Voldemort," his lip curled in distaste, "tortured and killed him to get to me." He shrugged. "I guess it worked." He quirked one eyebrow. "Any other questions?"
"Yeah, can you get off my bed?" He laughed, and moved to the chair. "Thanks." I scrambled out of the bed and shoved my feet into the canvas shoes that were already starting to irritating. I suddenly realised that I was facing twenty years of wearing exactly the same clothes day in, day out.
Oh well, it wasn't one of the worse things about the prison so far. That debatable honour fell squarely to the man sitting across the cell from me. Or possibly to the showers.
Harry was watching me again inscrutably. I'm fairly sure that he knew that I hated it, and that's why he did it so often.
"I was sort of expecting you to ask about yesterday," he admitted after a moment. Had I been the old me I would have rolled my eyes and said something about how the world didn't revolve around him. But I wouldn't do that now - I couldn't do that now, since my whole world now was this prison, and this prison seemed to revolve around him.
"Why should I?" I asked quietly instead. "I already know all I need to know."
His eyebrow quirked upward again. He'd never done that at Hogwarts - it looked like he'd picked it up off Snape. "So what do you know, Draco?" he drawled.
I shrugged. "I know that you can perform wandless magic with a prevention bracelet on, something which is supposed to be impossible," I replied. "I know that for years there have been rumours floating around about who you really are, and who your ancestors were." He blanched, and I finished, "and I know that in here, it's probably not a good idea to piss you off."
Colour slowly returned to Harry's face, and he gave a short, slightly bitter chuckle. "Yes, I imagine that you do know all you need to know about me - at least in here." He stood up. "But you'd better hope that we don't ever get out of here, Draco," he warned, a small smile playing about his face. "I'm sure you'll find I'm a completely different person out there." He rose. "I'll be sure to warn the others that you aren't a morning person," he said teasingly, before disappearing and leaving me to my disturbed thoughts.
The bell for breakfast rang before I could delve too deeply into those thoughts, however, so I decided to ignore what Harry has said...for the time being, at any rate. After all, neither one of us was likely to get out of here in this lifetime. Or the next, knowing *him*.
I had a visitor that day. The guards pulled me in from exercise to see my visitor. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I was taken to the windows under the gallery, sat down on a stool, and faced my mother.
Mother. My mother. Was here. In Talsgate. To visit me. She was here to visit me.
For several long moments all I did was stare at her in disbelief. She had been crying, I noted, her eyes were red. She didn't look as...polished as she usually did.
"Draco," she whispered at last. I opened my mouth, but no words came. "Draco..."
"Why are you here, Mother?" I asked wearily. "Why did you come?"
She looked shocked. "I came because I love you, Draco - I'm worried for you..."
"Don't be," I said curtly. "If you cared at all, you would have stopped the ball from rolling five years ago when *he* came for me." I paused, almost incredulous at my own words. Then I shrugged. "I'm alright in here," I said, attempting to reassure her. "It's no so bad."
She gazed at me, threatening to cry again. I shook my head at her. "Don't come here again," I pleaded. "You'll...you'll get in trouble, I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. Father -" I cut myself off.
"Lucius," Mother nodded sombrely. "I know, Draco." Oh yes, she knew. We all knew the things Lucius Malfoy was capable of, in the service of his master. But I was genuinely worried for her - she would certainly be being watched at the moment for any sign that she cared too much for me, for any sign that she might to something...treasonous. And I didn't want my mother to be put in prison as well.
"Very well," she said at last. "I'll go. I...I love you, Draco."
She kissed her fingers then pressed them to the thin glass window between us. I lifted my hand and touched the glass on my side.then she was gone. I stared at where she had been for a long moment, then I gritted my teeth. If she had been followed, and I had no doubt that she had been, Father would talk to her about it.
Father would quite possibly take her to *him*.
I couldn't think about that. A guard stepped up to me and took me back outside to the yard. I concentrated on jogging; one foot in front of me, then another.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued.
Replies to reviews:
Ice - I hope you got enough sleep! Thanks for your comments.
Hana-chan - Thanks! And don't worry about not being sure about what Draco did - as of yet no-one knows (except me) what he did!
Jass - Thank you! And as to whether it will be Harry/Draco...you'll just have to wait and see!
Thief, drika, spunky - thank you all!
Sophie W - really? You think my fic is addictive? Really? Wow. Wow! Thanks!
Janibo - sigh. I have to say that Harry will not be getting into a fight for a good few chapters, if ever. Sorry :).
Demeter - oh, but I love dangling fish! And who said they had anything other than undying hatred for each other? Not me...really. Anyway, thanks once again for your comments.