Draco POV

It was the eve of a new millennium and there was room for a new start for a wayward wizard. That is what my lawyer claimed in front of the Wizengamot at my latest appeal. I had served more than a year of my five year sentence at Azkaban for the use of an unforgivable curse. I had only used the one curse and only that single time (at least that the law knew of). That one curse on the wand I had stolen, that had been in my hand during the battle, had earned me my guilty sentence. I used it in defense of someone, but fuck if they cared that I had to, that my life would be nothing if I hadn't. The other time…well the other time not entirely my fault, somewhere deep down I knew that. Though it tore me apart to think of it, to acknowledge it even in my own thoughts. I chose to lock it away instead. I chose my anger at Potter instead, and my anger at myself.

Potter could sling curses all he wanted. The golden trio were cleared of any wrong doing during the war simply because they were on the side that won. History is written by the victors after all. It was Potter himself that got me out early, showing up to my appeal like some noble knight and vouching for my character as if he knew shite about why I hadn't outed him that day at the manor. It was his fault that I was let out on probation to complete my final year of schooling and prove myself worthy of the law's leniency.

"Fucking Potter," I grumbled to myself as I walked into the Head Boy room.

My new wand was tight in my hand, nearly cracking under the tight hold of my fingers around it. I didn't want to let it go after I had gone so long without one. The power Potter had unleashed on Lord Voldemort had broken my old wand- the wand that had chosen me in Ollivander's when I was 11. Just another reason to hate him, even if it had meant the end of the war and the end of my servitude to the dark lord. Both things that had brought me simultaneous pain and relief. My trunk hovered in behind me and thudded to the ground beside an emerald green couch. There were two beds instead of the typical one in the room- to contain the Slytherin delinquents. Theo greeted me from his spot on the couch with a nod of his head before he closed the book he was reading.

"I know you want to fuck Potter, but can we make it through one year without you mentioning it. Especially, seeing as he isn't even here," he said, a smile pulling up on his too pretty face, his ice blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

His legs were on the arm of the couch. He'd grown even taller over our time in Azkaban. I would never admit it, but he filled out the inches better than me. I was still too thin, malnourished from months in solitude. I wasn't the only one released on 'good behavior' with the stipulation of completing my schooling and as much as I despised being back at Hogwarts, I wouldn't ruin it for Theo. This was his salvation too. He was the one constant in my life. Hell, he'd even followed me straight into damnation, stopping just short of taking the mark. No, only I had been that stupid, that desperate.

"So fucking funny, Theo. You're a god damn comedian," I said, shoving his legs off the couch.

I dropped down into the vacated space beside him as he sat up. He took the opportunity of my closeness to grab the back of my neck and pull my mouth to his. He absorbed all my anger in that kiss, sucking my tongue into his mouth and digging his nails into my neck until I softened the slightest bit. It was not a new development. He had kissed me like that for the first time the night of my failed attempt to kill Dumbledore in the astronomy tower. It was right before I had taken out my fear of what Voldemort would do to me on his tight arsehole. It was the first time, but not the last. A creak behind us drew our attention to the magic taking place in our room and he pulled away. The two beds had become one large king.

"Fucking stupid magic," I said.

"It's good to see you too," he replied and I knew he meant it. I was glad to see him, even if I hated the fact that it didn't change my sour mood. All the months in Azkaban had only been made worse when I knew he was there too, suffering too.

"It's ridiculous. Another year of fucking Hogwarts."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…if you want to fuck someone so bad, how about starting with me? Or is it my turn to fuck you?"

I growled at him, I actually growled. It was a wonder that I didn't punch him. Fucking Theo was a release, a release we both enjoyed on occasion. I didn't have the heart to hurt Theo, but every time I told him he was too good for me, that we were going nowhere, he would tell me I just hadn't figured it out yet. Figured what out? I didn't have a clue and he certainly wasn't going to tell me. I'd given up on asking as long as it meant I still had his…friendship, then that's all that matter. And I did, I still had his attention. During our incarceration we had only managed to exchange three letters. I had paid a guard handsomely for those letters that had said nothing more than that we missed each other, that the food was shit, and complaints about the cold. After our release we hadn't had the time for talks either. We had only enough time upon release to return to our perspective homes and collect our belongings. He had owled me a letter with only three words- see you soon.

"Touchy touchy. Whatever. Unpack your shit, we have to go to the feast anyway."

I didn't want to go to the feast. I didn't want to go to the sorting hat ceremony. I didn't want to be at Hogwarts. The halls felt haunted, every room was stained with regret and anger. Unfortunately for me, Theo would not take no for an answer. He had his mind set on distracting me and if he couldn't fuck me out of my thoughts, he would feed me. With a wave of my wand, my trunk unpacked itself and the book Theo had been reading flew back onto a shelf. My whole body tingled with magic, with the power of its release, and all at once I felt guilty. I didn't deserve it, any of it, not when she suffered. Somewhere out there she was half the person that she had once been because of me, because of my inability to stand up for what was right, and I hated myself more than she ever could. I'd tried to find out what had happened to her, but there were no articles after the first few months. The golden trio had become the golden duo in every wizarding tabloid. They only alluded to the fact that she hadn't been seen in over a year.

"Are you coming?" Theo asked, watching me stand in the middle of the room. I had frozen there. I nodded, forcing my feet to move and follow him.

Theo chattered about what classes he was taking this year as we walked to the great hall. As if we weren't taking the same exact ones. It was mindless conversation and when we walked through the doors into the great hall those useless words died mid-sentence.

Sitting at the end of the long Gryffindor table sat the last person I ever expected to see. It was like seeing a ghost. She was so pale when her eyes met mine that she could have been. My gut clenched at the idea. A ghost would mean death. Was Granger dead? As I watched, that fair skin turned a shade of pink before her skin flushed a darker and darker red. Not dead then. Her hair bounced in a mess of curls when she stood and I watched in fascination as she walked across the hall, raised her wand, and shouted one word at the top of her lungs. It was a curse, the same one that I had uttered that landed me in Azkaban, the same one that Aunt Bella had used that night in the manor that haunted me in my sleep. I didn't fight the word though I had the means too. My hand was still latched on my wand. I only braced myself for its impact, ready to receive my punishment.

"Crucio!"