For the Big/Lil'Sis Competition (Word: first, Quote: "I was just guessing at numbers and figures / Pulling your puzzles apart / Questions of science, science and progress / Do not speak as loud as my heart" –The Scientist, Coldplay, Phrase: life-changing, Emotion: bitter, Item: lock) and the Sherlock Competition (A Study In Pink, prompt 9)
Draco Malfoy has always known his place in the world. He was raised to rule, to command, to teach the world about the purity of purebloods.
Of course, he never counted on the war turning out the way it did.
But it had, and now he is here, hiding out in one of the long forgotten dungeons that the Slytherins claimed as their own when the school was started. He should have been in the Common Room, Prince of Slytherin as he has been for much of his Hogwarts life – but then, this wasn't his Hogwarts life anymore. He wasn't in the school out of choice, but because it was one of the conditions to his freedom.
And he wasn't the Ice Prince any longer, because he was now Draco Malfoy, the traitor, the one who had betrayed the Dark Lord.
Here, in a part of the dungeons that had been forgotten by the rest of the world, even the other members of his House, he was safe. In the Common Room, he was fair game for the many disgruntled children of imprisoned Death Eaters, or those who thought that the Death Eaters were right, but had been too young to act on their opinions.
And the truly odd thing was that he didn't exactly care. He should have been bitter at everything he had lost because of the war, because of the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore, but he wasn't. He wasn't even upset that he was forced to sleep in an abandoned dungeon for his own safety, that only a few of his old friends would associate with him anymore.
Of course, he was bitter, but it had nothing to do with any of the things he should have been bitter about. No, he is bitter about the choices he has made from the first, choices that mean that he has no chance of getting what – who – he wants.
He has spent longer than he cares to admit trying to figure out Harry Potter. Ever since he met the boy in Diagon Alley, he has fascinated Draco. And finding out that was the Boy-Who-Lived had only served to further his obsession – Harry Potter is everything but what Draco expects of the Saviour of the Wizarding world.
He cannot remember the hours he has spent, pouring over everything he knows of the Gryffindor in his mind, trying to make the last connection that explains it – why Potter is nothing like what Draco expects; indeed, even the answer to why Draco is interested in knowing the answer to that question at all.
But he has never found anything. And then with the war, his interest in Potter had to take the back seat to trying to keep his family alive.
But that war was over, and he has all the free time in the world on his hands now. Potter testifies for him at his trial, makes certain that both he and his family are set free – and then he does something that surprises him.
He pushes at Draco until he has to let him into his life, pushes until Draco talks to him and is forced to admit that he has somehow gone and become friends with Harry James Potter. And that just helps to feed his obsession, to make it spin out of control.
Of course, he's so caught up in his obsession with his new friend that he doesn't realise just how life-changing his friendship with the Saviour actually is. He doesn't realise until Harry walks into his room on his birthday, all bright grins and happy smiles. And in that moment, he finally sees – Draco Malfoy has gone and fallen in love with Harry Potter, and isn't that just typical?
He spends nearly a month musing over what he should do. He has no wish to risk his friendship with Harry, especially not now that he's realised his true feelings – having some of him is so much better than having none at all. But at the same time – well, he spent much of the war being a coward, and that's somewhere he refuses to go again.
It doesn't change the fact that he does not have the courage to tell him how he feels to his face – but he still needs to know, so he does the only thing he can. A quill and a parchment, and before he second guesses himself, he sends the letter to Gryffindor Tower with Nyx, his eagle owl.
And then he waits. He waits for Harry to read it, to inevitably tell him that he's barking up the wrong tree. After all, there's a reason why he he's kept his heart under lock and key for so long – he's not interested in handing someone a way to destroy him on a silver platter.
But Harry's different, and with him, Draco didn't have a chance. So he sits, and he waits for his heart to be destroyed.
There's just no way that the Chosen One could ever return the love of a Marked Death Eater.
Of course, he forgets the fact that Harry Potter is the one puzzle that he has never been able to figure out. So when Harry finally arrives at his door, he waits for the final blow – until Harry pulls him into his arms, kisses him, and whispers words of requited love.
Draco Malfoy is not made for courage. He is not a Gryffindor by any means – but he does have his moments, and in this one, he finally sees why he has always taken risks.
They have all led him here, to this place and this man, and there is nothing that can be better than that.
I hope you guys liked it! As always, please don't forget to drop a review on your way out :)