Everything's Fine
Draco opened his eyes and groaned in disgust. Getting to deaths offices was always a frustrating task. The building stood gloomily on the outskirts of London with a large overgrown field spreading out behind it. The office block didn't look like anything from the outside. It was an old run down building with the bricks crumbling and the windows smashed. Any passerby would never think to enter for fear it would collapse on top of them. The apparition point to get to into the building was unfortunately in the assault course of weeds that had grown in the field behind it. The grass and weeds stood so tall that even if someone was stood 10 feet from you they couldn't see you appear. Draco shook his foot and glared at the ground. He had landed in a puddle. Of course, he had. As he fought his way through the weeds to the back door of the building his sense of dread grew with every step. He went through the facts in his head. Yes, Hermione was alive. Yes, she was supposed to be dead, yes no one else had ever saved a life instead of taking it. Yes, he was probably going to be fired, yes he was probably going to be killed for it. He reached the back door and pulled it open. If you pushed the door it would swing forward to reveal what the building looked like on the outside, a broken mess. But by pulling the door outwards it opened the doorway to what the building really was.
Deaths headquarters were like any other high-end office building. The first floor consisted of the reception area where Deaths receptionist Peter was waiting to greet him. As he always was.
"So someone had a busy day.." Peter sang as he handed Draco a coffee. Draco sighed and took a sip. "So everyone knows?" he asked. Peter nodded as he shuffled some paperwork around on his desk, "oh yes, the boss isn't happy Draco. Saving lives is not your job." Draco nodded in agreement, " but this one was different Peter. I couldn't take her, its personal." Peter took a seat behind his desk and looked up at Draco searchingly. "Draco in dealing with death it is always personal. Go on up she's waiting for you." Draco gave Peter back his coffee cup and stood in front of the elevator. The elevator pinged as the doors opened and Rick, the grim reaper stationed in Liverpool, exited. Rick sighed and shook his head giving Draco a disappointed glance as he walked past. Peter was right, everyone knew. "I'm fine" Draco whispered as he entered the lift. As the doors closed and the elevator rose so did Draco's heartbeat. He started sweating as the number of floors ticked away on the little screen getting closer and closer to floor 66. "I'm fine." He whispered to himself again as he passed floor 60. The elevator pinged again as the doors opened to floor 66. He stepped out and walked past the cubicles housing Deaths assistants. Each one stopped what they were doing to watch him as he walked by. The phrase dead man walking entered Draco's mind. As he walked by he tried to smile at some of them, repeating to them over and over, "I'm fine, everything's fine." He reached the entrance to Dea's office, the big wooden doors staring down at him. He stopped to admire them, buying himself some time. He never took much notice of them before. But they were ornate and beautiful with carvings and large metal knockers. The rumours around the offices were that Dea stole them from a church in Jerusalem. There was even a rumour that a king fell in love with her and gifted them to her thousands of years ago. Draco would bet on the first one, Dea loved to steal things. Draco took a deep, maybe final breath, and pushed one of the heavy doors open, entering Deaths office.
Dea sat behind the big oak desk, the fire crackling and spitting across from her. Probably a reflection of her mood. She sat rifling through the towers of paperwork on her desk. So occupied and stressed she hadn't even heard Draco enter. Draco cleared his throat, "Dea I…"
Dea stood and sharply interrupted him. "So i heard a distressing rumour today. A rumour that my favourite grim reaper saved a soul today, instead of taking it. Of course, I dismissed it because you wouldn't do that to me would you Draco?" Draco stuttered as he moved closer to her trying to explain. But Dea cut him off again. She moved around her desk and gestured towards it, "but then, my dear Draco, I come into my office to find this MOUNTAIN of paperwork. I even received a visit from the big guy and you know how I hate talking to him! So please explain to me how you let this shit storm happen?!"
Draco relaxed when he realised he was still alive, she hadn't slain him down on the spot and that meant hope. Draco walked forward and sat in the chair opposite her desk, his shoulders slumped and his head fell in his hands. "I couldn't take her, she wasn't ready yet." He murmured his voice muffled by his hands covering his face. There was a moment of silence before Dea started yelling, "WASN'T READY YET? WHO DECIDES WHEN THE SOULS READY? YOU? NO DRACO MALFOY THAT IS NOT YOUR JOB THAT IS MINE! YOU CANNOT JUST UNDERMINE ME LIKE THIS! I HAVE KILLED PEOPLE FOR LESS THEN THIS!" The fire in the room popped and grew and Draco could feel the anger radiating off her, he had never seen Death so angry. He slowly raised his head out of his hands and looked at her. Darkness and sparks were radiating off her in waves. "what happens now?" he whispered, afraid of the answer. Dea took a deep breath and sat behind her desk composing herself. "What happens now Draco." she said between clenched teeth, "Is that I have a ridiculous amount paperwork to do. And you, you go back to work and be sure not to fuck up again." Draco leaned back in shock, "your not killing me?" Dea smiled slightly at that, "No Draco I'm not killing you. But the girl, she will die." Draco felt his body go cold at the words. "Please Dea. I can't let her die." He looked down at his clenched hands feeling defeated. Dea paused and watched Draco. She had never seen him like this, he looked almost guilty. As if the girl's death would be in his hands and that guilt was eating him up alive. Dea groaned and leaned back in her chair. "Draco I'm going, to be honest with you. The girl will die at some point, she is human. Her name is now carved into your palm until she does, she is yours to take. However, if you do not take her, if you save her again, the next day something else will try to kill her. It will be an endless cycle of you trying to stop her dying daily."
Draco leaned forward in thought, "but I could save her daily? Let her live a long life?" Dea frowned at the poor naive boy. "Yes, Draco you could. If you are willing to spend your life running after one girl to keep her from me then I won't stop you. But personally, I don't see why you would. What is so special about this soul Draco? Why can't you let her go?" Draco stood and just before he turned to leave he spoke with an honesty Death had never heard from him before. " Dea I didn't save her last time. I didn't help her when i could have and if i have to spend every day for the rest of my life saving hers, i will. Because she's the kind of soul that's worth saving."
As Draco left Deaths office he felt lighter. He let out a surprised laugh as he stepped out of the building and looked up at the moon. He was still alive and it was a shockingly beautiful feeling. He felt his phone vibrate and took it out, the screen lighting up the dark night. He had 23 voicemails from Pansy, he chuckled and speed dialled her. "Yes, Pansy I'm alive. No, no calm down I'm fine. Everything's fine."
Dea stood by her office window looking down at the poor naive boy. For her everything was not fine. The deep booming voice behind her was telling her that. "Death you have disobeyed me, the girl was supposed to die and the boy was supposed to take her. You have deviated from the plan. HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT ME! I have told you all living things are now under my control. This universe is now mine and I will do with it what I wish! Your God cannot save you now!" The voice and its owner disappeared in a cloud of black and Dea watched as Draco fought his way back through the weeds. "No my God cannot save me, but maybe someone else will."