"Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded," hisses the voice of Voldemort through the Great Hall. "You have one hour."
A loud silence echoes. No one moves.
"What are you waiting for? Someone grab him!" A voice yells and breaks the air. Harry looks over.
It's Crabbe.
Goyle yells out in agreement. Harry's friends move around him.
"Oh, shut up." Pansy hexes them both and then smirks triumphantly.
She moves towards Harry along with Blaise and a few other Slytherins. The rest of them looks skeptical or agree with dumb and dumber.
More students start crowding around Harry and it warms his heart.
Then he hears a distant yelling that starts getting louder. He looks to the entrance to see Filch running with his cat in his arms.
"Students out of bed!" He yells and trots over.
"They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" Scolds McGonagall.
"Oh," he pauses and looks around. "Sorry, ma'am."
"As it happens, your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I would like you to please lead Crabbe and Goyle along with the rest of the Slytherin house out of the Great Hall."
"Exactly where is it I'll be leading em to ma'am?"
"The dungeons will do." She says rather smugly.
Everyone cheers and the students are led away. Harry cranes his neck to look for Draco but doesn't see him among the mass.
"Where is Draco?" He asks Pansy casually.
"He doesn't go here anymore," Pansy says. Harry frowns.
He hopes Draco is okay.
Harry makes his way towards McGonagall.
"I presume you have a reason for returning, Potter. What is it you need?"
"Time." He huffs. "As much as you can give me."
"Do what you have to do." She nods at him. "I'll secure the castle." He starts walking away but then pauses and turns back around.
"Potter," McGonagall says in a melancholy voice. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too Professor." He turns and nods to Neville. "Hold the fort, Neville."
***
Draco apparates into Hogwarts with a loud crack. His heart pounds loudly in his ears.
He spots Blaise and grabs him.
"Harry, where is he? Is he safe? Is he alright?" He bombards Blaise with frantic questions. Students rush around them.
"I'm not sure. Last I saw him he was looking for something. The lost diadem or something like that..." Blaise says. They move out of the way of the hysterical crowd.
"Where? Where would that be?" Draco is panicked.
"I'm not sure. Come on, let's go looking for him." Blaise says and eyes Draco nervously. Draco nods and they start running. "I'm sure someone will know where he is."
"-maybe he's gone to the Room of Requirement." They overhear Ron and Hermione talking. Draco looks to Blaise and they change directions. That is enough for him.
They make it to the Room of Requirement right as the door disappears into the wall.
Draco curses. He pictures in his head what he needs. Harry.
He needs to find him. He needs to make sure that he is alright. He doesn't care if Harry hates him anymore. Life is too short.
He needs Harry.
The door slowly appears, and Draco bites his lip impatiently. Finally, when it is done, he and Blaise enter.
It is exactly how he remembers. Piles and piles of junk that go up to the ceiling. Lost objects and treasures scattered about.
Draco and Blaise look around for Harry as they wade through the stuff.
"Harry-" Draco yells in search of him but cuts himself short when he sees him.
Harry turns towards him and fear jumps in his eyes. Draco steels himself. He had hoped that Harry didn't still hate him. But he guesses happy endings don't always happen. Not everything works out.
Harry takes his wand out and aims it at them. His eyes rage with fury and Draco swallows nervously.
"Well, well." Draco jumps in surprise. A voice startles him from behind. "Look what we have here." Crabbe and Goyle both have their wands out pointed at Harry, Blaise, and Draco.
Draco and Blaise move to the side and put their backs up against a tower. Goyle and Crabbe move forward and to the side for a better angle.
Then Ron and Hermione run in with their wands raised and throw hexes at Crabbe and Goyle. Ron has poor aim, and the spell hits a tower. Draco and Blaise cover their heads as junk and objects rain down upon them. They dive out of the way as a rather heavy-looking trunk slides towards them.
Draco coughs as the last objects clatter. He pushes himself up only to see their paths are blocked.
"Harry?" He yells, panicked. He tries to climb over but only ends up falling to the floor in a heap of limbs. Then he hears a strange creaking noise and looks to see another tower crumbling down next to him.
He grabs Blaise and they run away as stuff starts coming down around them. Then he hears a distant yelling.
"Run! Goyle has set the whole bloody place on fire!" Panic strikes Draco.
He starts running frantically shouting for Harry. Blaise grabs him and shakes him.
"Draco! Snap out of it!" Blaise shakes him as Draco's eyes rove around desperately. "We have to get out of here. You have to trust that Harry made it out on his own."
Draco nods shakily and they look around. Fire approaches from all angles. Draco backs against a tower as their escape chances become less and less.
"Climb!" Blaise suddenly yells.
Draco is frozen. He stares at the fire as it approaches.
Then he snaps into action and starts rushing up the tower like a spider. The room is so hot, and beads of sweat are dripping down Draco's skin. He pulls himself up and helps Blaise up onto the top of the tower.
Fire rages below them and Draco doesn't see a way out of this situation. They shake unsteadily as towers fall all around them.
Then Harry, Hermione, and Ron speed by on brooms.
Draco's heart drops. He really does hate him. They are going to be left here to burn.
Draco looks away as tears spring to his eyes.
"We've had a good run, right?" Draco yells over the roar of flames to Blaise. "I guess I don't mind dying by your side. You're a good mate."
"Don't get sappy on me now Draco," Blaise says and looks behind Draco. "Look!"
Draco gasps. They are swinging back around.
"Guess they don't entirely hate us," Blaise yells and squints as they come closer.
"Guess not!" Draco says.
Harry throws out his hand and Draco grabs it. Ron gets Blaise. Harry pulls him up and he hugs his body against the boy in front of him. He wraps his arms around him.
"I thought you were going to leave us!" Draco says as hold onto Harry as they speed through the collapsing structures.
"Thought about it for a second." Harry laughs and Draco chuckles uncomfortably. He can't get a read on Harry. Does he still hate him?
Draco presses his head into Harry's neck. If Harry asks, it's because he has to hold on. And he doesn't want smoke in his eyes.
Draco inhales Harry's scent for what is most likely the last time. Draco may never get to be this close to Harry again.
He squeezes his arms as tears prick his eyes.
Merlin, he loves him so much it hurts. It physically hurts him to have to say goodbye. He can't handle Harry still hating him and so it will be easier if Draco isn't apart of Harry's life. Once they are both safe, Draco won't bother Harry anymore.
Even if it kills him to do so. He'd do anything for the man he loves. Even if it means leaving him alone. If that is what he wants.
They fly out and Draco tumbles off the broom and hits the ground. He watches as Harry stabs a tiara that leaks an inky fog and Ron kicks it into the flames. The doors shut right as the flames come writhing out.
Draco coughs, the wind having been knocked out of him. He pulls himself up and looks to where Harry is pressed against the wall, trembling. He aches to comfort him but is scared of Harry's reaction.
His eyes dart between Harry and Ron who is helping Hermione up. Blaise is standing farther away. Draco starts edging towards an escape.
Maybe it would be better to just disappear.
Draco is a coward after all.
He gets to the hallway and turns around. He is about to take off in a sprint but halts when he hears Harry.
"Where are you trying to run off to, Ferret?" Harry shouts.
Draco stills. He turns around slowly. His eyes are pressed shut and his heart thunders in his chest. Is Harry going to hex him? Kill him? Is this the end?
Harry pushes up onto his feet and limps over to Draco. Draco is frozen. Blood rushes in his ears. He has no idea what to expect. He can't read Harry at all and it is stressing him the fuck out.
His hands shake and he holds his breath. This is it. This is the moment.
Does Harry still hate him?
Author's Note:
Kinda random but I listened to 2Pac while writing this. Been listening to the Throwback Jams playlist on Spotify for the past few days.
Anyways, if you enjoyed, be a dear and vote and comment. ;)