A change is slow in coming
My eyes can scarcely see
The rays of hope come streaming
Through the smoke of apathy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ May the spirit never die
Though a troubled heart feels pain
When this long winter is over
It will blossom once again
-Loreena McKennitt, Breaking the Silence
************************************************************************
~ Chapter Six~
His heart still burned remembering that conversation. It was the only time he'd ever seen the potions master show any emotion besides bitterness and disdain.
" It has been reported that Draco Malfoy dead. It appears he had a friend who had a problem with drugs. When she had no money to pay her dealer off... Draco died trying to save her."
Dumbledore's words were gentle and the last sentence was spoken with a sense of wonderment.
" This is all your precious arurors' faults. I told you. I told you he was a good boy deep inside. He was better last year, even Potter's little gang noticed. Just when I thought I might have a chance to save him, you self- righteous bastards cast him out based on house labels and childish behavior."
Snape's voice was choked with sorrow and anger.
" Severus, a girl died, we had to do something. He was the most likely suspect at the time."
"But you never proved it!"
Before Dumbledore could make any further comment, the now slightly trembling student, gathered his Gryffindor courage, finally, and walked in. Both professors stared at him in surprise, but Snape was the first to react.
"What are you doing here?" He shouted, intent on spending his anger on the intruder, even as tears glistened in his eyes.
" I came to fix it, but...I came too late." He answered sadly.
" Is there something that you wish to tell us?" Dumbledore asked as gently as he could.
"The truth." Soon he found himself telling them all about himself and Cho. How Harry had grown disinterested after fifth year. How she had changed, become less sad and more interested in the future. How he had charmed her in his clumsy way. How happy they'd been. Then he told them about The Night. He stared at his hands, as he talked, unable to look them in the eyes.
Snape had exploded. He'd never been so enraged in his life. Dumbledore tried to calm him.
" Nothing can be done yet, Severus. We need everyone working together right now and something like this will cause a scandal. It'll loose us the trust we've just been gaining from some of the younger Slytherins."
" So what, the end's justify the means?" Snape snapped back his voice heavy with emotion.
" I'm afraid so, we need everyone together, we need the Slytherins, we need the houses working together. And we need Harry, with all his friends together to support him. I'm sorry but we cannot do anything about it yet."
"So he just lies in a muggle graveyard, forgotten and with his name walked all over like that, while his murderer gets off scot free?"
"Not free, I know his guilt will do little to satisfy you, but I promise you, as soon as the war is over, this will be rectified."
It hadn't though. Both Dumbledore and Snape had died, heroes of new myths and legend. The rest of the world was too busy trying to reconstruct a whole society to bother with one ruined life in the midst of so many. No one had even noticed when Draco's tombstone had appeared alongside the rest of his perished classmates. He'd done that much for him, though he knew it'd never be enough.
"The ends justify the means"
In the end they had all been children who'd died too soon, who'd never truly had a chance to live. Here he stood, living but wishing he were with all the ones he'd loved. He knew no matter what side you were on, that in the end, it was really just... the end.
For him too, this was the end, he wished much better for the future generations. He turned and left, his slightly graying red hair glistening in the fading sunlight like crimson blood.
************************************************************************
A/N: Wow, the end. It turned out a little different then I expected. See, this is why I write poems instead, less opportunity to ruin the end. Obviously, Ron is the narrator, which is funny, cause I actually started off thinking it was like Seamus or a less main character. Oh, well. Um, hope it's not too bad. Thanks for the reviews. : )
My eyes can scarcely see
The rays of hope come streaming
Through the smoke of apathy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ May the spirit never die
Though a troubled heart feels pain
When this long winter is over
It will blossom once again
-Loreena McKennitt, Breaking the Silence
************************************************************************
~ Chapter Six~
His heart still burned remembering that conversation. It was the only time he'd ever seen the potions master show any emotion besides bitterness and disdain.
" It has been reported that Draco Malfoy dead. It appears he had a friend who had a problem with drugs. When she had no money to pay her dealer off... Draco died trying to save her."
Dumbledore's words were gentle and the last sentence was spoken with a sense of wonderment.
" This is all your precious arurors' faults. I told you. I told you he was a good boy deep inside. He was better last year, even Potter's little gang noticed. Just when I thought I might have a chance to save him, you self- righteous bastards cast him out based on house labels and childish behavior."
Snape's voice was choked with sorrow and anger.
" Severus, a girl died, we had to do something. He was the most likely suspect at the time."
"But you never proved it!"
Before Dumbledore could make any further comment, the now slightly trembling student, gathered his Gryffindor courage, finally, and walked in. Both professors stared at him in surprise, but Snape was the first to react.
"What are you doing here?" He shouted, intent on spending his anger on the intruder, even as tears glistened in his eyes.
" I came to fix it, but...I came too late." He answered sadly.
" Is there something that you wish to tell us?" Dumbledore asked as gently as he could.
"The truth." Soon he found himself telling them all about himself and Cho. How Harry had grown disinterested after fifth year. How she had changed, become less sad and more interested in the future. How he had charmed her in his clumsy way. How happy they'd been. Then he told them about The Night. He stared at his hands, as he talked, unable to look them in the eyes.
Snape had exploded. He'd never been so enraged in his life. Dumbledore tried to calm him.
" Nothing can be done yet, Severus. We need everyone working together right now and something like this will cause a scandal. It'll loose us the trust we've just been gaining from some of the younger Slytherins."
" So what, the end's justify the means?" Snape snapped back his voice heavy with emotion.
" I'm afraid so, we need everyone together, we need the Slytherins, we need the houses working together. And we need Harry, with all his friends together to support him. I'm sorry but we cannot do anything about it yet."
"So he just lies in a muggle graveyard, forgotten and with his name walked all over like that, while his murderer gets off scot free?"
"Not free, I know his guilt will do little to satisfy you, but I promise you, as soon as the war is over, this will be rectified."
It hadn't though. Both Dumbledore and Snape had died, heroes of new myths and legend. The rest of the world was too busy trying to reconstruct a whole society to bother with one ruined life in the midst of so many. No one had even noticed when Draco's tombstone had appeared alongside the rest of his perished classmates. He'd done that much for him, though he knew it'd never be enough.
"The ends justify the means"
In the end they had all been children who'd died too soon, who'd never truly had a chance to live. Here he stood, living but wishing he were with all the ones he'd loved. He knew no matter what side you were on, that in the end, it was really just... the end.
For him too, this was the end, he wished much better for the future generations. He turned and left, his slightly graying red hair glistening in the fading sunlight like crimson blood.
************************************************************************
A/N: Wow, the end. It turned out a little different then I expected. See, this is why I write poems instead, less opportunity to ruin the end. Obviously, Ron is the narrator, which is funny, cause I actually started off thinking it was like Seamus or a less main character. Oh, well. Um, hope it's not too bad. Thanks for the reviews. : )
