Chapter Six:
(A/N. I need more reviews! Tell your friends and family about this AMAZING story! Well if you like Charmed I have a new fic out, it's called Angel Eyes. If you'd be so kind as to review you will get BIG hugs. K? LOL. Enjoy and remember to REVIEW, REVIEW, and REVIEW!)
The morning of graduation Draco lay wake in his bed. He had awoken an hour before dawn and, with nothing else to do, had taken a long shower. Shortly after that he had collapsed back into his bed clothed only in his dark green boxers. Now, glancing at the clock he got up and dressed in black slacks and a dark green shirt. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and left the first couple of buttons unfastened. Using his slender hands, Draco combed out his hair and checked the final look in his mirror. Nodding in satisfaction, he pulled on the long black graduation gown. He took the sash from his chair and draped it around his neck. The sash was green with silver lining, marking him as a Slytherin, and a large white strip down the middle which announced to everyone that he was Head Boy. On the left side was the Hogwarts emblem sown into the silken fabric and on the right was a smaller gold patch with two large letters, HB. Giving one last glance at the mirror, Draco sighed and made a quick and silent prayer that there would be no trouble today. Then he pulled on his boots and opened the door, freezing in place halfway out. It was a good thing he wasn't religious.
"Parkinson. What do you want?" Draco growled menacingly staring down at the Slytherin girl.
"You thought it was all over, didn't you?" Pansy said quietly. Draco crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the closed door.
"What was over?"
"You thought that just because you killed the Dark Lord and stuck all of his agents in Azkaban that it would end. Isn't that right? Well newsflash, Draco. It never ends. You will pay for what you did to my family. Mark my words. Something's rising from the pits of hell and not even you can stop it." She snapped and the turned and raced away. The Slytherin boy shook his head.
"So much for not having any touble." He muttered and stalked out of the common room. He was walking through the catacomb like hallways of the dungeon when a voice stopped him.
"Malfoy." Draco turned and stared into the shadows where the voice had come from noticing a flash of red hair in the meager candlelight.
"Weasley." He responded wearily. Ron took a step out of the darkness of the shadows.
"We need to talk. Right here, right now."
"In the risk of sounding clichéd, I must ask, what if I don't want to talk?" Draco asked coolly noticing how Ron's eyes flashed.
"Then we won't talk." He said menacingly moving closer still. Draco felt a hum deep inside of him as his anger built.
"Obviously you have no qualms about unoriginal threats." Draco snarled. Ron spat on the ground at Draco's feet.
"You don't deserve someone like Hermione, Death Eater." Ron growled and Draco's fists clenched and a darkness began to seep into his clear blue eyes.
"I suggest you leave me alone." He growled and then stopped as he realized he was using the energy still left to him by Veraciel. The energy that had almost made him murder his father. Draco forced the power back and fell to his knees with the effort. Ron rushed forward and kicked him. Draco rolled with the kick and came to his feet gracefully.
"No, I'm not going to fight you, Weasley."
"Think you're better than me? You're scum, Malfoy!" Ron spat and lunged forward again. Draco tipped backward with the extra weight and winced as they crashed onto the ground. The redhead straddled Draco and threw a punch across the stunned Slytherin's perfectly sculpted jaw. The coopery tang of blood flooded Draco's senses as it seeped into his mouth. Ron threw the next blows into Draco's stomach and the blond boy closed his eyes and forced himself not to fight back. Suddenly, the blows stopped and Draco's eyes snapped open to see a tall brunet pulling Ron away.
"Alright, Malfoy?" The boy grunted straining with the effort of holding the wild eyed redhead back. The boy whipped out his wand. "Petrificus Totalus." He cried and the second youngest Weasley collapsed to the ground. The boy turned and his emerald eyes were questioning.
"Fine, Potter." Draco groaned as he sat up wincing at the pain. Deciding it would be best to sit for a while, Draco sighed.
"Why didn't you fight back?" The boy-who-lived asked quietly. Draco lurched to his feet.
"None of your sodding business, Potter." Draco spat, wiping the blood from his swollen lips.
"See that's were you're wrong. I just saved your life. I don't think Ron would have stopped until he killed you. He's been raving mad these couple of days." Harry said stepping between Draco and the exit.
"Fine you want to know so bloody much? It's because I made a promise to Hermione that I wouldn't." Draco snapped his eyes flashing.
"I think 'Mione would have condoned you fighting back to save yourself." Harry frowned and Draco shrugged.
"Fighting back wouldn't have saved me." Draco said quietly and stepped past the brunet and began walking.
"Malfoy!" Harry's voice called. Draco sighed and turned around, dusting his gown with his sore hands.
"What?" Draco demanded. Harry stared at him his green eyes unreadable and his hands clenched at his side.
"I only accepted your relationship with Hermione out of respect for her and because I can see that she cared about you."
"I know that." Draco snapped glaring at his once archrival. Harry half turned away staring at his friend's body.
"But that's changed." Harry said and Draco tensed expecting another fight. "I know why Ron asked me to come here. I'm sure he expected you to fight back and since you are the better fighter I'm sure he believed that when I got here you'd be in the midst of pummelling him. I would have of course assumed it was you starting it. It takes a strong person to force themselves not to swing back in a fight, even when they're being beaten down, and could end the fight right there if they wanted. It takes an amazing character to look an enemy in the eye and say 'I won't fight you.' I'm not sure that I could have done it, but you did. For that, I thank you. I realize now that you do love Hermione and you'll be better for her than anyone else in this world. Good luck, Mal…Draco." Harry said and walked away, the comatose body of his friend floating behind him. Draco watched him go, and then, with a short laugh, walked away. Pansy's cryptic warning long forgotten.