RemipunX songfic challenge entry
“I’m going.”
Draco didn’t look up from his Arithmancy text. “You always do.”
“Yeah.” He could envision Harry’s shoulders slumping behind him. “Look-“
“Would you like orchids at your memorial service?” Draco slammed the book closed and spun around in his chair, catching Harry by surprise. “Or lilies, perhaps. That’d be fitting. There won’t be a dry eye to be found.”
Draco glared up at Harry, hating everything in existence, just for spite. Hating idiotic Prophesies and the fools who believed in them; hating men blinded by love of power, men who would murder infants and sentence disobedient sons to a life less than whole. Hating Harry for leaving and himself for not being able to follow. Hating that there was little use for him, such as he was.
“We’ve gotten word he’s outside of Manchester-there’s a chance it could end tonight, Draco, that tomorrow there won’t be a war and I’ll never be in danger again. I can’t just sit here and let that chance go by-“
“And that’s all I can do!” Draco seethed, Banishing the book and Summoning a roll of parchment with two quick flicks of his wand. “I didn’t change fucking sides just to sit here and decipher endless fucking codes and monitor the Listening Charms. For once in my bloody life I want to be out there in the fray…and I can’t.” He unrolled the scroll, but couldn’t focus on the transcribed words.
Draco felt Harry’s hand come to rest on his shoulder, and let the flow of speech wind down. He knew he shouldn’t be detaining the Golden Boy with his hysterics; there was a war on and he could always fall apart tomorrow, after he found out who hadn’t come back. If he had known, when he had fallen in with Harry, that being one of the good guys would lead to caring about people and then watching them die, he might have taken the fucking Mark.
Draco pushed off from the desk and wheeled to a table at the far side of the room, where several quills scratched away on endless rolls of parchment, transcribing information from no less than sixty-two Listening Charms from all over Britain.
“You should go; I’ve kept you too long.” He threw over his shoulder. “I’m just frustrated, you know. Good luck.”
He waited, but Harry didn’t seem inclined to leave.
“Two months ago, Tonks and I would have been killed or captured if you hadn’t of found out about that ambush Lucius set for us in London. Last week, because of your ability to break Coding Charms, Bellatrix Lestrange was taken down, and no less than fifty wizards and Muggles saved in the process. None of your Coding Charms have ever been broken-even Dumbledore couldn’t.” Harry was once again standing behind him, bending down and draping his arms over Draco’s tense shoulders. He felt Harry’s hot breath on his ear. “I would’ve been dead fifty times over if you hadn’t turned…and you’re not even as big of a git as I thought you were.”
“One day, you might not come back, and all the Coding Charms in the world won’t change that.” Harry’s arms tightened around him, and Draco wondered how he’d gone from hating the boy to trusting him more than anyone else in the world. At one point, he would have blamed Harry-and anyone else he could-for breaking him.
“They might-they have in the past. And if I don’t, then Voldemort will be dead, as well.” Draco snorted.
“Comforting. And I’ll be left to sort out Weasley and Granger, while you’re off haunting Valhalla, or where ever it is idiotic boy heroes go.” Draco leaned his head back on Harry’s shoulder. “No thanks. You’d bloody well better out live me; I will not be a living snot rag for imbecilic Gryffindors.”
Harry laughed and let Draco go as the other boy spun his chair to face him.
“Then I guess I’ll see you when I get back from Manchester?”
“I’ll be here.”
Draco didn’t look up from his Arithmancy text. “You always do.”
“Yeah.” He could envision Harry’s shoulders slumping behind him. “Look-“
“Would you like orchids at your memorial service?” Draco slammed the book closed and spun around in his chair, catching Harry by surprise. “Or lilies, perhaps. That’d be fitting. There won’t be a dry eye to be found.”
Draco glared up at Harry, hating everything in existence, just for spite. Hating idiotic Prophesies and the fools who believed in them; hating men blinded by love of power, men who would murder infants and sentence disobedient sons to a life less than whole. Hating Harry for leaving and himself for not being able to follow. Hating that there was little use for him, such as he was.
“We’ve gotten word he’s outside of Manchester-there’s a chance it could end tonight, Draco, that tomorrow there won’t be a war and I’ll never be in danger again. I can’t just sit here and let that chance go by-“
“And that’s all I can do!” Draco seethed, Banishing the book and Summoning a roll of parchment with two quick flicks of his wand. “I didn’t change fucking sides just to sit here and decipher endless fucking codes and monitor the Listening Charms. For once in my bloody life I want to be out there in the fray…and I can’t.” He unrolled the scroll, but couldn’t focus on the transcribed words.
Draco felt Harry’s hand come to rest on his shoulder, and let the flow of speech wind down. He knew he shouldn’t be detaining the Golden Boy with his hysterics; there was a war on and he could always fall apart tomorrow, after he found out who hadn’t come back. If he had known, when he had fallen in with Harry, that being one of the good guys would lead to caring about people and then watching them die, he might have taken the fucking Mark.
Draco pushed off from the desk and wheeled to a table at the far side of the room, where several quills scratched away on endless rolls of parchment, transcribing information from no less than sixty-two Listening Charms from all over Britain.
“You should go; I’ve kept you too long.” He threw over his shoulder. “I’m just frustrated, you know. Good luck.”
He waited, but Harry didn’t seem inclined to leave.
“Two months ago, Tonks and I would have been killed or captured if you hadn’t of found out about that ambush Lucius set for us in London. Last week, because of your ability to break Coding Charms, Bellatrix Lestrange was taken down, and no less than fifty wizards and Muggles saved in the process. None of your Coding Charms have ever been broken-even Dumbledore couldn’t.” Harry was once again standing behind him, bending down and draping his arms over Draco’s tense shoulders. He felt Harry’s hot breath on his ear. “I would’ve been dead fifty times over if you hadn’t turned…and you’re not even as big of a git as I thought you were.”
“One day, you might not come back, and all the Coding Charms in the world won’t change that.” Harry’s arms tightened around him, and Draco wondered how he’d gone from hating the boy to trusting him more than anyone else in the world. At one point, he would have blamed Harry-and anyone else he could-for breaking him.
“They might-they have in the past. And if I don’t, then Voldemort will be dead, as well.” Draco snorted.
“Comforting. And I’ll be left to sort out Weasley and Granger, while you’re off haunting Valhalla, or where ever it is idiotic boy heroes go.” Draco leaned his head back on Harry’s shoulder. “No thanks. You’d bloody well better out live me; I will not be a living snot rag for imbecilic Gryffindors.”
Harry laughed and let Draco go as the other boy spun his chair to face him.
“Then I guess I’ll see you when I get back from Manchester?”
“I’ll be here.”