Moving On (H/D, G)
Title: Moving On
Author:
sesheta_66
Word Count: 550
Rating: G
Pairing: Harry/Draco (pre-slash)
Challenge: Post-war for
hd_angst and 012 Unknown for
100quills
Disclaimer: HP world belongs to JK Rowling. No money made by me - I am only playing.
Harry stood, transfixed by the battlefield before him. The war had ended, in this very place, one year ago to the day.
Harry couldn't stomach the idea of attending yet another post-war celebration. Tonight's event, held on the anniversary of the death of Voldemort, promised to be more of the same, but on a grander scale. Harry wondered if he was the only person on earth who didn't think that taking another life (no matter how horrible the wizard, or how grand the cause) was cause for celebration.
He heard movement behind him, but didn't bother turning around. "Potter, what's this? Not getting ready for tonight's grand ball in your honour?" Harry cringed at the words.
"Don't feel much like celebrating these days, Malfoy. Being honoured for killing someone doesn't exactly make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside."
They stood in silence for some time before Draco spoke. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You saved the wizarding world from a madman, from years of torture, torment, and thousands of meaningless deaths. You brought everyone out of the depths of a despair that had been lingering. That is what you are being honoured for. The fact that you accomplished it by killing the aforementioned madman is merely a detail."
"A detail?" Harry laughed incredulously. "I became a killer for the cause, but that's just a detail? Well, Malfoy, here's another detail for you. I see that madman's face, along with hundreds of others that died on this field, every night. Every night when I close my eyes. Every single night for a year. And now everyone wants to celebrate. No thank you."
Malfoy looked on in a combination of confusion and horror. "As for what I did, it wasn't a one-man army, as you well know. I was surrounded by others, supported by others, yourself included. Why just honour me? It's stupid. It's like nobody else mattered, and that's just wrong. I can't go there to accept some other stupid honour or award that they want to give me. I killed a man. That's all. And I hate myself for doing it, even though I know it was necessary. I wish they'd just leave me alone already."
Draco approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I have an idea, Harry."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"Let's go together tonight. We can walk in there together. I'll keep your fans away from you, and you can keep my opposition away from me." Harry turned to look at him. "Then, when they bestow the honour upon you, instead of saying 'thank you' like the gracious little hero they expect you to be, you can do your best to honour those forgotten by this crowd."
As the words sank in, Harry smiled. "You know what, Draco?"
"What?"
"That sounds like a positively brilliant idea."
Draco smiled back at him. "It's a date, then."
As Harry got ready that evening, he realized that, for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel either the weight of the world on his shoulders, or the pain of despair in his chest. He knew he had a long way to go, his future as yet unknown, but this was a good start. And he had Draco Malfoy to thank. How about that?