The war was finally over.
And here he was. Alive.
God, he felt like the happiest man alive. He was alive. His mother was alive. His father was alive. His entire family was alive, and best of all, the Dark Lord was not.
He turned to face the sky, not wanting to look at the Hogwarts grounds which were still covered in the carnage of magical battle.
The sun's warmth seemed to carry him through the sky. Careful, boy. You will fall if you get too close to the Sun. It'll burn off those wings, it seemed to whisper to him and it seemed to caress his face. Freedom is so close, just don't get too close. Don't rush into the Sun like a desperate madman.
How likely was it that he'd be carted off to the looney bin, joining the other crazies?
He glanced at his mother and father; they just seemed stunned. Should he talk to them? What would he even say? What do you say to the fallen? Those who supported a madman, but fell out of his favor as well? He choked back a strangled laugh.
He sat down. His parents walked towards him, looking like they had the weight of the worlds lifted off of their shoulders. The sun still seemed to shine on him. Is it not exactly that? You will survive, just do not fly too close to the Sun.
Draco closed his eyes and groaned. There was no way he wasn't going completely crazy. This one last thing that he had needed to go through had seemed to fry his brain.
No, not yet.
He really was barking mad. Nothing made sense anymore. First, he had to live through a war with a Dark Lord hovering over him, ready to kill him to set an example almost every day, and now, just now, right now, right as soon as he was gone, right as soon as he could move on, he had to become saddled with an annoying voice in his head that came from the sun.
"Draco," his father started to talk to him, laying a hand on his shoulder, "I apologize."
Draco blinked his eyes open and stared at the man, his father, who he had never thought he'd hear those words from.
"Are we running this time, father?" Draco tried to say the words in the most hateful tone he could but it just came out tired. God, he was so so tired. Tired of a stupid war that had erupted so many times in this community. Would there ever be peace?
Soon. Just keep flying. Do not soar too high. Be careful, you will ruin your wings and fall to your death.
"No."
None of them said anything after that. They weren't in a very secluded area of the castle, but it was strangely quiet. The sun continued to shine. So brightly, that Draco felt he could not survive once he left the warmth.
Eventually, someone walked past them. He wasn't able to recognize who it was. But clearly, whoever it was, recognized them.
"Miss Granger?" His mother's voice asked in a polite tone. Like they were here for tea, Draco snorted to himself.
"Yes."
Well, what was she doing? Here to arrest them, perhaps Draco thought. Lifetime in Azkaban coming right up for three Malfoys.
Accepting your fate, or throwing yourself to die recklessly?
Draco almost shook his head to rid the Sun from talking.
"Is there anything you need?" Draco almost sneered at her.
She blinked. "Harry wanted to talk to your mother."
His mother smiled. It had been a long time since Draco had seen her smile.
"Of course, dear." She stood up. "And please, feel free to call me Narcissa."
"Uhm, yes, of course, Narcissa."
They walked away.
Draco watched, frowning. Why did his mother need to talk to Potter, anyway?
You are here because of a lot of hard work.
Whose hard work, he wondered.
Everyone around you.
Despite having asked, Draco still didn't like the fact that he had his own personal crazy voice now. "I'm going to go inside."
His father blinked at him, and said, "Have you forgotten our role, son?"
Funny that now he was his son again. It seemed like a circle. First your father loves you, then gives you up as the sacrificial sheep to a Dark Lord, only to call you son again.
"I'm going to see Mother. Surely they won't derive that from me." Draco's voice felt so dry as he stood up and walked away. "After all, they are the Light side, aren't they?"
As he found his way to the Great Hall, he found his mother and Potter, just as he expected. He knew that they were using the Hall as a base of sorts.
Awkwardly, he began to walk towards them.
Are you falling? Or are you soaring through the skies?
Goddammit. The stupid Sun voice was back. He'd thought it would just be temporary.
Before he could literally bash his head against a wall to get rid of it, his mother waved at him.
She was still smiling.
Draco briskly walked over. "Yes, mother?"
"Draco, dear, I was just talking to Harry."
"Yes, I know." He glanced at the dark-haired boy. Potter, for his part had averted his eyes in a feeble attempt to grant them privacy. Would be too much to ask for him to get up and walk away, Draco grumbled internally.
"About you."
Draco raised an eyebrow. What could she mean?
"Your mother saved my life," Potter blurted. He then immediately blushed.
Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Really? When?" Last time they'd seen Potter was at the Manor, and they certainly hadn't saved his life then.
"I said he was dead when he was alive. Before the Dark Lord marched into the castle again." His mother had responded.
He simply stared at her.
Potter stared at both of them, his previous decision to grant them some privacy forgotten.
"And what does that have to do with me," Draco said.
"We were discussing your trial." His mother seemed distant.
"Fill me in, then." He tried to phrase it as a demand rather than a question, but he wasn't sure if he had succeeded.
After hearing the plan, he snorted. "You, Granger, and Weasely are going to defend me at my trial? And my mother's?" His father would not be extended the same treatment, Draco noted. Of course, his father hadn't saved the lives of the "Wizarding World Saviors" as someone was bound to call them soon.
"Yes. That is the plan." Granger stood there when he turned to see who the voice that had spoken right behind him was.
She looked strangely aglow. Like the sun.
No, not like the sun. He would not let the crazies take over his life. If anything, she looked more like an angel. God, he could not believe he honestly compared her to an angel.
How crazy his life had gotten?
"I'm going to go find your father, Draco." His mother lightly caressed his cheek before leaving. He did not care to join her and stood there with Potter and Granger.
"I need to go talk to the Weasley's," Potter had muttered before briskly walking away.
Granger and Draco stood there. Draco and Granger. Granger and Malfoy. Hermione and Malfoy. Draco and Hermione. Hermione Malfoy. His nonsensical thoughts had done it again. He'd gone completely and utterly crazy.
They just stood there for another moment.
"Are you alright?" She asked. Your wings will save you. Do not fly into the Sun.
"I think I'm going crazy," he whispered back. Wings that are made of wax only last so long. Be careful. Be careful. Be careful.
"Aren't we all?" She smiled at him.
"Why are you being nice, Granger?" the Gs in Granger felt like they were rolling around in his head, going Granger, Granger, Granger.
"I'm tired of it all."
"Me too."
"Are you really crazy now?"
No. Yes. "Maybe."
"Friends?" she stuck her hand out, waiting for him to accept her offer.
God, how it reminded him of the time he'd met Potter officially.
"I am not in the habit of accepting handshakes from just anyone, you know?" He smiled, actually smiled, and shook her hand. Maybe being crazy isn't the worst thing that could happen. Maybe he could fly into the Sun without falling.
No, it seems you aren't Icarus after all.
AN- Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you liked it. Let know what you think of it in the reviews :) (this is also up on AO3 under the name TheMonaLisa. you can also find a few of my other work on there. but all of them are posted here as well.)