Thank You
Draco was in his garden, he usually sat on an old bench, but this time he couldn’t bear it. Nature felt nice to the touch of his fingertips, helped him focus and get a grasp on his surroundings and emotions. His body practically sunk into the ground as he laid into the grass. A few flowers around him like a bed of roses.
A large tree with a thick trunk gave him a shadow barrier. A soft breeze pushed around his body, giving him a shiver from the cool air, but nothing else. He wanted to curl in on himself and just let the ground bury him. He enjoyed the smell of the flowers, the soft grass covering the dirt so he stayed clean. He closed his eyes and hummed.
He tucked an arm beneath his head and looked at the sky. The light shone through a few of the leaves, the branches thin and flowing slightly to give that pretty glow over his garden. He loved the garden, he used to spend so much time in this garden when he was younger, it was always his respite and security.
Draco opened his eyes when he heard heavy footsteps come his way. He knew it wasn’t his father, he wouldn’t know he was there until he was hovering over him. It wasn’t his mother because her footsteps would be as soft as the grass, so only a flutter would prove she was near. It wasn’t the Dark Lord because he would just appear in a cloud of black smoke and demand something without even letting Draco sit up. So, this meant it had to be a fellow Death Eater sent to get him… Why? He didn’t know, nor did he really want to know.
He was just trying to see how he can make amends with Harry. Even if Harry never wants to be more than just bystanders passing, he just wanted to be on good terms with his soulmate.
Draco sat up, pushing his hands off the ground to stand up. He licked the inside of his cheek, wiping his hands on his pants and then clasping them behind his back. He stood straight up, tilting his head to the side to make his features more defined and more Malfoy-like, it was his Manor after all.
He looked to see a man with a disgusting scraggly beard filtering up on chubby cheeks and ugly face. Gold eyes that looked like a gross mustard yellow instead and stringy hair that looked wild and unkept. Draco raised a brow, saying nothing as he waited as patiently as he could for whatever was to be said. Whatever was so important for him to interrupt Draco in his inner turmoil.
“Well? What is it?” Draco asked impatiently, almost tapping his foot on the ground.
He told himself that he would wait, but he was just being stared at. So the blond had to do what he had to do, it would make things so much better and faster for Draco. Draco wanted nothing more than to get back on the ground and just lie with the peaceful nature and not worry about anything. The Dark Lord and his expectations and responsibilities.
“They think they have Harry Potter.” The Death Eater finally spoke, voice sounding like it was being ripped out of his throat.
Draco raised a brow unamused, a glare slowly moving onto his features. This was bothersome and annoying. “How can you not know? Are you that pathetic?” He sneered.
He would deny the jolt of fear that shot through him. The mention of Harry being caught would ruin the Wizarding world. Everything could be destroyed with Harry and his Golden Trio of heroes, and it was sickening to think about it like that. After the years of resenting them and hating Harry for turning down his prospect of being friends, he hated to think of them as the actual heroes.
All those times of resenting them and seeing them be the friends he wanted to be… he let his jealousy fester and became one of the worst people at Hogwarts. Draco did want to be known about his family, but he wanted to be known about other things. Yet, he was only known for getting his father involved with anything remotely negative to stay on top, so he just played on that roll.
“This so-called Harry Potter might have some weird spell on his face that makes his features change. They need you to identify him.” The Death Eater grunted, glaring at him from his comment about being pathetic.
Draco hummed, not saying anything else as the Death Eater walked away. Draco put a hand over his chest and took a deep breath before shrugging his shoulders and becoming the Malfoy his father could be proud of. He’ll point Harry out, he knows he can, for his father. For his own life, not wanting to die by Voldemort.
Draco took his time getting there, he learned at a young age nothing happens until he’s there. Until a Malfoy is there. He had to capture the attention of everyone in the room, letting them know he was powerful. He had to be powerful, he felt as if he lost everything the year prior when he began fixing the cabinet… when he found out Harry was his soulmate and left before they spoke a word. He hadn’t spoken to Harry in so long it was starting to get to him.
Stupid soulmate feelings, he couldn’t stand the thought of being away from Harry. Being able to see color made him see so many other things, it hurt. He couldn’t take it anymore, he needed to see Harry again, he needed to do anything for him.
A soulmate was something Draco never cared for, but he had always been obsessed with getting Harry’s attention, and now that he knew they were soulmates, he was obsessed with him even more.
He entered the room, immediately seeing Hermione and Ron. The two looked very weary on seeing Draco enter, Ron held a glare from all those years of torment, but Hermione looked at him as if she knew something. He swallowed thickly, hoping that she truly didn’t know they were soulmates. He couldn’t take more hatred towards himself.
“Come, Draco Darling.” His aunt Bellatrix waved him over.
Draco walked closer, hands in his pockets to hide his sweaty palms. He kept his head held high, but he hated everything about this. He didn’t want to disappoint his father, he had his resolve of turning his soulmate in, but the closer he got… the more he realized he couldn’t do that. He loved this world, he loved how it was before and the war could ruin everything he ever cared about. This war could kill so many people, could kill…
Draco stopped that thought before it went even further than it should. He shouldn’t be thinking that when he has priorities. Has his orders, but they meant nothing to him.
“Well?” Bellatrix asked, “Is it him?” She questioned further, pressing for answers from the quiet male.
Draco took a deep breath, swallowing thickly to ease his growing nerves and anxiety. He looked at Harry, despite the ugly transformation and having his skin look more like blobs, Draco knew. It wasn’t that hard to see and tell who it was, even if the lightning bolt scar wasn’t there to begin with. Even if Harry’s features were even more messed up, Draco could tell. He could feel it. He could feel Harry.
“No.” Draco said without any hesitation, though his voice was a tad quiet.
“Look again, Draco.” Lucius popped up behind Draco.
It took everything in Draco to not jump at the sound of his father’s voice. It wasn’t the same as it used to be, not as commanding and scary. It was tired and shrill, like Lucius had nothing else to lose or give, that he was pushing himself in Draco to be his father instead of who he wanted to be. It was always like that, and Draco couldn’t believe it was taking him this long to see it.
“I said,” Lucius grabbed Draco’s shoulder and shoved him forward. Draco stumbled, getting on one knee in front of Harry to catch himself, he glanced at his father, “look again.” He seethed, “Take your time and don’t disappoint me.”
Draco swallowed again, maintaining eye contact with Harry. Harry’s eyes almost widened at that, searching for each feature on Draco. He took in the resolve of Draco’s look, and something in Harry just couldn’t be described.
“It’s not him.” Draco said again, getting up and looking away. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Harry or the other two.
“Take them to the dungeon.” Bellatrix said, “We’ll wait it out.” She cackled, grabbing Hermione’s arm, “Just the boys, though. It’s time for some one-on-one girl talk.” She grinned, stained yellow teeth making Hermione sick and scared.
Draco looked to see Ron and Harry being dragged away, and then when he looked at Hermione, she was already looking at him. Somewhat of a pleading look in her eyes, practically begging to be let go. That Draco could actually do something about it, and he could, but he was almost frozen and afraid to do anything.
Draco felt something break inside of him as Bellatrix was hovering over Hermione. Hermione struggled as she tried to get out of Bellatrix’s hold. The right hand woman of Voldemort having a tight grasp on Hermione’s arm, it was almost white and weak. Bellatrix held the tip of her wand to Hermione’s wrist, laughing and pressing into it. Hermione’s pleas and screams to be let go, the begs to stop rang throughout the entire Manor. Draco hated it.
He won’t forgive himself if this continues, Harry won’t forgive him.
Draco took a step forward, Bellatrix was starting to make a small mark in Hermione’s skin. Draco didn’t know what she was planning, but he was going to stop it before it got too out of control, at least try to.
Draco schooled his emotions, psyching himself up as he looked from his mother to his aunt. “I don’t think it’s necessary to continue torturing the poor witch.” Draco’s voice echoed off the walls of the room.
Bellatrix stopped moving her wand, the room went so silent that a pin could drop and be heard to the muggle world. Hermione looked at Draco, eyes a bit wide and in disbelief that he actually did something. Maybe being soulmates to Harry wasn’t actually a bad thing, even Draco looked sick at the sight.
“What did you say?” Lucius asked, almost wanting to put Draco back in his place. “You don’t get a say in this, she deserves this.”
“For what, father?” Draco asked, tilting his head and hoping he wasn’t sweating from head to toe in fear.
“For being a filthy Mudblood.” Bellatrix grinned, focusing back on Hermione who honestly looked like she was about to cry. Bellatrix put the wand back into her skin.
“Then isn’t that punishment enough!” Draco quickly got out, Bellatrix looked back at him with a pondering look. “Think about it, Aunt Bellatrix.” He softened his voice, Narcissa was smiling softly in Draco’s peripheral vision. Lucius was not. “What’s the point anyways? She’s already dead soon for… going against the Dark Lord, and not to mention…”
“Mention what?” Bellatrix sat up, almost forgetting about Hermione. If not for the hand still grasping Hermione’s arm.
Draco leveled his gaze at his Aunt. “Not to mention, that being a filthy… a filthy Mudblood is already permanently in her blood. No point in marking it on her.” Draco clasped his hands behind his back, glaring at his aunt as he held the perfect posture for a Malfoy.
Bellatrix thought about it for a moment, she looked back at her nephew and gave in. She was a villain, not a monster. She would do anything for Draco. She got off Hermione, nodding her head and lifting the witch off the ground.
“But she remains here.” Bellatrix said, glaring at Hermione, practically daring her to try and escape.
Bellatrix grinned at Hermione, and despite the young witch still feeling fear, she was relieved. The tip of the Death Eater’s wand was already burning her skin and who knows how long it would’ve been on her skin if Draco hadn’t stepped in. Who knows how long she’d be screaming and pleading for it to stop.
Draco still looked a bit pale, but much better now that Hermione was okay. Now if only he could get Harry and Ron out. That should help with making amends, with starting the long journey of it. He had to do something, he was on the wrong side of the war due to fear. He didn’t want to die, but maybe, just maybe he could live anyways. By Harry’s side.
“I don’t think so!” Ron’s voice spoke out.
Draco whipped around to see Ron and Harry at the edge of the stairs, he shouldn’t have doubted the two, but he was internally freaking out. He looked at Harry and Harry looked at him, God, had Harry always been this handsome? The answer is yes.
Draco was drawn back to reality when his aunt grabbed her wand and casted a spell, and the two began to fire spells back. Hermione escaped to her friends' sides, and Draco wanted to go with them, but he had no right, they hated him. It would only complicate things further if he did make a move.
Harry ran at Draco, said male momentarily froze because… WHAT?! He felt Harry grab his hand and his heart jolted, but he knew it wasn’t something supposed to be pleasant. Harry didn’t grab his hand to try and take Draco with him, even if that was a cold dump of ice water on his back. Harry was trying to grab the wand that was so tightly closed around his white knuckled fist.
Draco put up a fight, this was his wand. He hadn’t earned it by a long shot, he actually hated the memories that came with it. He could see himself back on the Astronomy Tower, in front of Dumbledore and holding his wand out, Dumbledore telling him there’s another way. Draco almost gave in, he didn’t want to die and Dumbledore looked like he would, he should, protect Draco.
That thought was short lived as Snape was the last one to deal the final blow, making sure Draco didn’t have to. Snape made a promise to Narcissa and Bellatrix and he kept it, for Draco’s sake and sanity. So Draco didn’t know why he was fighting Harry on keeping the wand. Harry probably wanted it more anyways, he was closer to Dumbledore, he loved Dumbledore more too.
Draco’s shoulders slumped and his hold on the wand loosened. A flicker of hesitation crossed Harry’s features, he felt the sudden change in the weight on the wand. The look on Draco’s face was more than enough for Harry to pry it out of Draco’s hand, a thoughtful look on the scarred boy’s features passed for a fleeting moment.
“Thank you.” Harry said, the first word he’s spoken to Draco in over a year.
Draco never got to respond as Harry ran off back to his friends, but he didn’t care. Hearing Harry’s voice, hearing the words that were spoken made him feel so much lighter. It was so worth giving up everything if it meant Harry could look at him with such a thankful look, speak with such a soft tone for only them and just say any types of words to Draco.
Draco was in it deep.
“Dobby is a free elf. Dobby protects Harry Potter.”
Draco looked to see his house elf with the Golden Trio, and he knew they could be in good hands, but that didn’t stop his dread. He didn’t want Dobby to leave, he was basically his only companion in the mansion. Who else was he supposed to talk about Potter to? Maybe his mother, but that was different. Dobby never judged, in fact, Dobby seemed to have taken a liking to Harry just as much as Draco. Who wouldn’t, though?
Maybe Draco shouldn’t have given his elf the order to watch out for Harry Potter and protect him. Sure, it was a good thing now, but he was still worried. Especially since they just left with Bellatrix’s knife cutting through the spell and disappearing along with them. Draco could only hope they were okay, all of them.
He cursed himself for caring.