Malfoy's allegiance
Three months have passed since the war ended. Three months since Harry killed Voldemort. Deatheater trials were still ongoing and Harry mostly avoided all of them, unless he was really needed to testify. On Draco Malfoy's trial though he didn't even have to be invited to, to show up. Harry was seating in the stands looking around before the trial was supposed to begin. His eyes found Narcissa Malfoy among the crowd and thought about their encounter earlier that day.
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He had seen how distressed she looked and went to reassure her that he was there to testify for Malfoy, not against him, and to tell her that he would do everything in his power so that Malfoy doesn't end up locked up.
"Thank you" she said, "but may I ask why you are doing this, for as far as I am aware, you and my son were... arch-nemesis as Draco used to put it." she looked at him with a curious look in her eyes. Harry raised his eyebrows from surprise, had Draco really called him that? And to his parents none the less? Maybe he wasn't the only one always talking about his nemesis as Hermione used to point out to him.
"While that may be true, I'm doing this because I owe him, he saved my life twice and if it weren't for him I would never have defeated Voldemort, as he was the one who landed me his wand." She flinched at the name of the Dark Lord but there was a new twinkle in her eyes as she asked
"Yes it was my son's wand that you used, wasn't it? Curious that the wand worked for you, after all the wand chooses the wizard, and most commonly there is only one wizard for one wand, and that wand only responds to its master's wishes. Could it be that my Draco was always on your side, I wonder...Anyhow, the trial is about to begin, we better get going Mr. Potter, and once again thank you for testifying for me, and now my son." Narcissa looked at him as though she could see something that he couldn't yet, like something suddenly clicked into place in her head. Nodding her head as a goodbye, she started heading in the direction of the room where the trial would be held.
Harry was left staring after her in confusion.
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His attention was caught by none other than Draco Malfoy entering the court room.
Narcissa had got him thinking because she wasn't the first one to mention about the wand's allegiance, not the first one staring at him with a curious look in her eye either, after all, it was unheard of a wizard wielding another one's wand effectively, like it had belonged to him all along.
He wondered if she was right and Malfoy never truly supported his parent's decision in aiding the dark lord, if Malfoy wanted Harry to win all along. Which shouldn't come as a big surprise if he recalled sixth year finding Malfoy in the bathroom having a mild panic attack, and also his hesitation and decision to lower his wand and not kill Dumbledore.
Is that why Malfoy had saved him in the Manor when they were caught?
Is that why he gave him his wand when he saw Harry was alive?
Thinking back to second year, they never actually found out how the parchment about the Basilisk got put in the library when they needed it the most. Was that Draco as well? Has he been on their side all along?
He knew that everything Draco had done was because he was forced to, not because he wanted to. The thought of Draco's wand responding to Harry like it was his own because Draco's allegiance belonged to Harry all along caused something warm to stir in Harry's chest. That in turn made him question his past obsession with his former enemy. Because if he was being honest Hermione was right. He wasn't just following him because he thought he was up to something, which yes that was partly the reason, but the bigger part was Draco had been picking less fights, almost ignoring Harry unless provoked, commonly found loss in his thoughts. That had bothered and nagged at Harry, to the point he just had to find out what was up with him, because for some reason he couldn't stand to be ignored by Malfoy of all people.
They were like two sides of the same coin; one good, a savior, the other bad (relatively, compared to Voldemort Harry thought that the best description he could give Malfoy was a school bully), a Death eater.
Neither could exist without the other. Neither could be with the other, either.
Like spinning in circles just to meet up somewhere in the middle, after all. Chasing, seeking the other one out, or the other way around, any time, all the time. It was unsettling and yet he found he quite liked the idea of Draco feeling the same about him, always on the lookout for Harry, even if it was only to start a fight. He realized that he liked fighting with him. He always wanted Draco's attention on him, always wanted to know what the other was doing.
And this, led him to the long awaited realization that he, Harry James Potter, had feelings for Draco freaking Malfoy. And shocked and at the same time, calm, as he felt, he realized that just as he thought he found something worth exploring further into, it could all be taken from him as Draco may very well be sentenced to life in Azkaban.
Well, not if Harry had anything to say about it.
Kingsley was listing Malfoy's crimes as the crowd stayed quiet expecting an easy sentencing. Witnesses to his crimes were called to stand, everyone with their own story to share about every mistake the boy had made as Draco went paler and paler, looking like he was going to puke from just the reminder of his deeds.
He looked sick, skinnier than ever before, with bags under his gorgeous icy blue eyes (how had he not realized how much he used to like staring at his eyes?) that held none of the old Slytherin spark that they used to. His hair was neatly cut like it was in sixth year, his bangs occasionally falling into his eyes. He was wearing a full black suit that clang to him like on a hanger. Everyone was talking about how he deserved whatever sentence he got, gloating at his crestfallen look. Harry couldn't stand it.
So, when Kingsley called for witnesses in favor to the accused, fully expecting no one to rise-" I have something I want to say" Harry said as he stood up and went up to the stand, everyone's shocked eyes turned on him, whispers starting to form all around the room. But Harry didn't care about any of them. His eyes were trained on Draco, who finally looked up, disbelief on his face. Their eyes met and Harry almost stopped breathing. Surprise, confusion and hope were the emotions that flashed in Draco's eyes before he schooled his expression into blankness.
Harry swore to tell the truth, and so, he began his statement.
"First, I would like to share a few memories" said Harry, and as they brought a vial and a pensive, he extracted his memories and put them in the vial, for all of them to see.