Fiction - 02 The War Has Just Begun - Harry Potter
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: G
Pairing: eventually Harry/Draco
Series: Part 2/? Battlefields series
Notes: Thanks to off_that_bridge and rosesmove for their beta help. Feedback is very nice. I have no idea how long this is going to be, or how many ports. (putting this back up for my record. Feel free to ignore.)
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. Not mine, just playing.
Summary: War changes you.
Part One
The trial had been short, lasting barely ten minutes. It was just long enough for the Ministry to read the charges and sentence him to life. Since Potter had destroyed Draco's wand upon capturing him, there was no way to prove what the last spell cast had been, but they hadn't brought him to Azkaban as Potter had promised. Instead they had brought him here.
The small room was nothing more than four walls, a stone floor and a low ceiling. There were no windows and no doors. The only illumination in the room was a ball of light that hovered in one corner of the ceiling. A different person would Apparate into the room with a small tray of food once a day. In one corner stood a grimy toilet that looked as though it had not been cleaned in years. He had no privacy at all. They'd taken all his clothes and given him a pair of threadbare prison garments to change into. The room was cold and damp, and he'd paced until he could pace no more. He'd lost all track of time. He had no clue how long he'd been there. Without a window to shine some light into his world, there was no telling how many months had passed.
Now he sat against wall in a corner legs spread out, arms at his side. There was nothing else to do but sleep and wait. There was loads of time to think on everything that Draco had ever done. The memory of his first day at Hogwarts, and the one of his mother straightening his tie as she saw him off on the Hogwarts express that day were his favorites to recall. He steered clear of the negative memories.
A loud pop signalled that somebody had Apparated in. Draco looked up but he had never seen the man before. It was someone new each time. He was probably one of Potter's minions. There were so many who had followed Potter into battle against the Dark Lord.
The slim man wore dark robes and had short black hair with a nasty looking scar down one side of his round face. He bent low, taking care to keep his narrowed eyes on Draco and set a tray down on the floor. With a loud pop he was gone.
Draco didn't even bother to get up. He was starved. On the tray sat a bowl and a goblet. He crawled across the floor the few feet to the tray and lay flat on his stomach. Propped up on his elbow he dipped his fingers into the mess that passed for porridge and scooped it into his mouth. They had never provided any utensils. It tasted like paste, but it was all he'd eaten since being tossed into this room.
Draco stopped and stared down at the tray. There was something new on it. It looked like a sweet with a purple wrapper around it. He had to be imagining this. In all the time he'd been in this room, every tray had remained the same: a bowl of pasty tasting porridge, and a glass of water. Draco hesitantly looked round the room as though somebody would suddenly appear to snatch the sweet from him. When nothing happened, he gingerly picked it up. He swallowed the lump of meal that had stuck in his throat and took a sip from the water.
He stared at the packet, turning it over to find his family crest on the other side. His mother must have sent it. She hadn't even been at the trial and all attempts to speak with her had gone unnoticed. But he knew she was alive.
Draco sat up and twirled the wrapper off the sweet. It was a round white hard piece of candy, but that was not been what caught his eye. There was writing on the inside of the wrapper.
His heart sped up. He flattened the wrinkled piece of parchment and read.
Draco
You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name. Please do your murdered father and me a favour and eat this sweet. It is laced with fast-acting poison and you shall be dead almost as soon as you have swallowed it.
NM
Draco stared down at the note, hardly believing his eyes. He'd hoped against all hope that his own mother would still be there for him. There was no mistaking this note. Draco buried his face in his hands, dropping the note and the sweet to the floor. The poisoned candy rolled down the slight incline and came to a stop a few feet away. Draco looked at it through his shaking, bone-thin fingers. It would be easy to just end his suffering. After all, there was nothing left to live for.
He stared unblinking at the death-pill. He was so tired and it had been so long. What must it have taken for his mother to smuggle that tiny package onto his tray? Or perhaps Potter had allowed it through, knowing what it was and hoping his enemy would do as the instruction bid. That was probably closest to the truth. The look of hatred on Potter's face at the trial was etched into Draco's memory. It would be a blessing to do as his mother asked. He'd never disobeyed any of her requests.
Draco leaned forward and reached for the piece of candy. A loud pop startled him. He blinked as a foot wearing a black sneaker trod on the candy. Draco looked up to the black robes and dark trousers until he had to crane his neck to see that it was Potter staring down at him. His lips were pinched and his eyes cold.
"I see you got your mum's little gift," said Potter. He bent and scooped the sweet in his hand, also picking up the wrapper with the note. Potter glanced at it briefly then tucked both into the pocket of his trousers. "I'll not make it that easy for you, Malfoy."
He seemed about to leave, then paused and stared down at the food tray. Draco was sure he caught a moment of pity in Potter's eyes. Bile rose in Draco's throat.
"Save your pity for others, Potter," Draco spat, venomously.
Potter glared and then picked the tray up in his hands. He pulled the note that Draco's mum had sent from his pocket and dropped it to the ground. The glass of barely touched water spilt everywhere and Draco watched as the water splashed to the dirty, stone floor.
"A reminder of just how little you have left," said Potter. A moment later, he Apparated out of the room, tray and all.
Draco stared down at the pool of water, his throat suddenly parched. His stomach rumbled. He barely hesitated as he leaned down, shut his eyes tight, and licked at what was left.
Abruptly the light was extinguished. It seemed like an eternity before it came back on and food was brought to him again. By then, Draco knew what true hunger was.
TBC
Rating: G
Pairing: eventually Harry/Draco
Series: Part 2/? Battlefields series
Notes: Thanks to off_that_bridge and rosesmove for their beta help. Feedback is very nice. I have no idea how long this is going to be, or how many ports. (putting this back up for my record. Feel free to ignore.)
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. Not mine, just playing.
Summary: War changes you.
Part One
The trial had been short, lasting barely ten minutes. It was just long enough for the Ministry to read the charges and sentence him to life. Since Potter had destroyed Draco's wand upon capturing him, there was no way to prove what the last spell cast had been, but they hadn't brought him to Azkaban as Potter had promised. Instead they had brought him here.
The small room was nothing more than four walls, a stone floor and a low ceiling. There were no windows and no doors. The only illumination in the room was a ball of light that hovered in one corner of the ceiling. A different person would Apparate into the room with a small tray of food once a day. In one corner stood a grimy toilet that looked as though it had not been cleaned in years. He had no privacy at all. They'd taken all his clothes and given him a pair of threadbare prison garments to change into. The room was cold and damp, and he'd paced until he could pace no more. He'd lost all track of time. He had no clue how long he'd been there. Without a window to shine some light into his world, there was no telling how many months had passed.
Now he sat against wall in a corner legs spread out, arms at his side. There was nothing else to do but sleep and wait. There was loads of time to think on everything that Draco had ever done. The memory of his first day at Hogwarts, and the one of his mother straightening his tie as she saw him off on the Hogwarts express that day were his favorites to recall. He steered clear of the negative memories.
A loud pop signalled that somebody had Apparated in. Draco looked up but he had never seen the man before. It was someone new each time. He was probably one of Potter's minions. There were so many who had followed Potter into battle against the Dark Lord.
The slim man wore dark robes and had short black hair with a nasty looking scar down one side of his round face. He bent low, taking care to keep his narrowed eyes on Draco and set a tray down on the floor. With a loud pop he was gone.
Draco didn't even bother to get up. He was starved. On the tray sat a bowl and a goblet. He crawled across the floor the few feet to the tray and lay flat on his stomach. Propped up on his elbow he dipped his fingers into the mess that passed for porridge and scooped it into his mouth. They had never provided any utensils. It tasted like paste, but it was all he'd eaten since being tossed into this room.
Draco stopped and stared down at the tray. There was something new on it. It looked like a sweet with a purple wrapper around it. He had to be imagining this. In all the time he'd been in this room, every tray had remained the same: a bowl of pasty tasting porridge, and a glass of water. Draco hesitantly looked round the room as though somebody would suddenly appear to snatch the sweet from him. When nothing happened, he gingerly picked it up. He swallowed the lump of meal that had stuck in his throat and took a sip from the water.
He stared at the packet, turning it over to find his family crest on the other side. His mother must have sent it. She hadn't even been at the trial and all attempts to speak with her had gone unnoticed. But he knew she was alive.
Draco sat up and twirled the wrapper off the sweet. It was a round white hard piece of candy, but that was not been what caught his eye. There was writing on the inside of the wrapper.
His heart sped up. He flattened the wrinkled piece of parchment and read.
Draco
You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name. Please do your murdered father and me a favour and eat this sweet. It is laced with fast-acting poison and you shall be dead almost as soon as you have swallowed it.
NM
Draco stared down at the note, hardly believing his eyes. He'd hoped against all hope that his own mother would still be there for him. There was no mistaking this note. Draco buried his face in his hands, dropping the note and the sweet to the floor. The poisoned candy rolled down the slight incline and came to a stop a few feet away. Draco looked at it through his shaking, bone-thin fingers. It would be easy to just end his suffering. After all, there was nothing left to live for.
He stared unblinking at the death-pill. He was so tired and it had been so long. What must it have taken for his mother to smuggle that tiny package onto his tray? Or perhaps Potter had allowed it through, knowing what it was and hoping his enemy would do as the instruction bid. That was probably closest to the truth. The look of hatred on Potter's face at the trial was etched into Draco's memory. It would be a blessing to do as his mother asked. He'd never disobeyed any of her requests.
Draco leaned forward and reached for the piece of candy. A loud pop startled him. He blinked as a foot wearing a black sneaker trod on the candy. Draco looked up to the black robes and dark trousers until he had to crane his neck to see that it was Potter staring down at him. His lips were pinched and his eyes cold.
"I see you got your mum's little gift," said Potter. He bent and scooped the sweet in his hand, also picking up the wrapper with the note. Potter glanced at it briefly then tucked both into the pocket of his trousers. "I'll not make it that easy for you, Malfoy."
He seemed about to leave, then paused and stared down at the food tray. Draco was sure he caught a moment of pity in Potter's eyes. Bile rose in Draco's throat.
"Save your pity for others, Potter," Draco spat, venomously.
Potter glared and then picked the tray up in his hands. He pulled the note that Draco's mum had sent from his pocket and dropped it to the ground. The glass of barely touched water spilt everywhere and Draco watched as the water splashed to the dirty, stone floor.
"A reminder of just how little you have left," said Potter. A moment later, he Apparated out of the room, tray and all.
Draco stared down at the pool of water, his throat suddenly parched. His stomach rumbled. He barely hesitated as he leaned down, shut his eyes tight, and licked at what was left.
Abruptly the light was extinguished. It seemed like an eternity before it came back on and food was brought to him again. By then, Draco knew what true hunger was.
TBC