Title: Hesitation

Summary: Adult!Harry & Draco are on opposite sides of the war.

Written for a challenge.

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"How can you do this? How can you be so ignorant?"

Harry Potter stood on the battlefield, facing his former schoolmate Draco Malfoy. His wand pointed directly at the pale Slytherins' heart, he was trembling with anger. Blood smeared his face, his clothes were dirty and his glasses lay shattered in front of him. Still, he looked Draco straight in the face. He wanted to see his enemy. Really see him, before killing him. He had already killed Bellatrix – granted, with a little luck – and Draco would just be an added bonus.

Draco smirked, which infuriated Harry even more. How dared that foul loathsome daddy's boy smirk in a situation like this? Was this all some game to him? Did he think that daddy would eventually help him out, like Snape had? No. There wouldn't be anybody here to help him this time. He was going to die, if Harry had anything to say about it.

"Ignorant?"

The blonde Slytherin drawled, twirling his own wand lazily with his fingers.

"I am not ignorant, Potter. If anyone is ignorant, it's you. You should have bet on the right horse. An old crackpot like Dumbledore was never powerful enough to stop my master."

Harry's fist clenched around his wand, it took all the self-constraint he had not to kill Draco right then and there. He could have done it. He could have but he wanted it to last. He wanted it to be painful.

"If that is so, then why did you try – and fail­ I might add – to kill him in sixth year?"

He saw the jet of green light coming towards him and ducked just in time. There were no rocks he could hide behind, only dead bodies. He scanned the environment and saw Ginny lying dead a few feet away. She had followed him here, when he had specifically instructed her to stay home. She needed to take care of herself, especially in her condition. Why couldn't she have listened?

"Funny."

Draco stated calmly, firing hex after hex in Harry's direction.

"She didn't even put up a fight. It was almost like she wanted to die. Well, I guess I would feel the same if I were married to you."

Suddenly it didn't matter anymore. The pain. Dying. It didn't seem so bad anymore. Harry stood up and walked towards Draco, his eyes fixed on the other man. No, he wasn't a man. Someone as weak, cowardly as Draco Malfoy would never classify as a man in his eyes. But Harry wanted to be a man. He wanted to face the world, the war, and make Ginny proud. So he kept walking purposefully towards him, only stopping when their noses were an inch apart.

"You will pay…"

He said in a low, dangerous voice. It made him feel slightly better that the boy in front of him flinched. Draco tried to sneer again, but his slight hesitation had already shown through. He tried to push his wand between them, tried to point it at the other boys' heart but Harry had already thrown him on the ground.

"I don't think so Malfoy. This time it's not up to you. This time I've got the power."

His eyes clouded slightly as he thought back to all the people he had lost because of this boy. Because of what he represented. His parents. Sirius. Dumbledore. Ginny. His heart ached for each and every one of them. And for all the people that had died to save him, for all the people that were lying on the battlefield and for all the others that still fought bravely, he did what he had to do. He did not hesitate.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Just like Cedric had been, Draco was dead in an instant. He had done the right thing. He had not hesitated. He was not like Draco. It made him feel slightly better.

Slightly.