Cell 723

Cell 723

by aramis

In St. Mungo's Magical Maladies hospital, there is a queer little cell. At first, it seems like an ordinary cell, as ordinary as a rehabilitation cell is. But every once in a while, you can hear laughter in it. Not crazy, demented laughter, but rich and sincere, like laughter you share when you are with your friends, your family...

Or with your loved one.

Harry Potter walked through the halls of the hospital one day. It was almost a year after Voldemort's faction fell. Everything was at peace again.

He walked the gray-tiled floors, surveying the pristine-white walls. Somewhere afar, he could hear the laughter again. Happy. Contagious.

"Neville?" Harry smiled. No longer was Neville Longbottom a fat, bumbling boy. He was now a doctor, dedicated to finding a solution to his parents' crisis. At nineteen years of age, his face was already lined with stress, but his eyes still crinkled when it smiled, and smile it did when he saw Harry.

"Harry! That was a long time. What were you up to?"

"Some business at the office." Harry rubbed his neck. Like Neville, he was beginning to feel the burden of being Minister of Magic.

"Of course. So, what brought you here?"

"I was informed of a certain patient here. I came to visit him."

Neville knew only too well who Harry meant. He led him down the hall into the next tower where prisoners of insanity were kept.

"I'm sure nobody ever dreamed of seeing him in a place like this. What happened, anyway? You were there, right Harry?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately.I saw too many deaths that day." For the first time Neville noticed the emptiness in Harry's eyes. Cold.

"So, what did happen?"

FLASHBACK

It was the end. The Death Eaters were gone. They were gathered up by Lupin and Sirius. Dumbledore and McGonagall died. The Dark Lord was lying on the ground, too feeble after Ron and Harry stunned him.

Draco helped a lot, too. When everything was in confusion, he alerted Lupin and Sirius, who were hiding in a nearby cave, to help them in battle. They were wizards more powerful than just mere children. They assembled the remaining Ministry wizards and charged against the Death Eaters.

Voldemort was distracted by the sudden coming of more people from the Light. That was when Ron and Harry stupefied him.

Hermione was weak, very weak. She was subjected to a Cruciatus curse at the very beginning by Voldemort. This angered Draco. This sent him running to Lupin and Sirius.

Lupin and Sirius led Voldemort away. Harry, Ron and Draco were there to hear Hermione's last words.

"Harry... Ron... you were wonderful... both of you. Take care of yourselves... I won't be there anymore. I love you both. More than myself.

"Draco... my dragon... are you... there?" Her eyes were already in a daze.

"Draco... my dragon..." She touched his cheek. "Thank you... for everything... you made life wonderful... this isn't goodbye..." Tears were already flowing from her eyes. "I promise... I'll come to you... I love you... Always...Forever."

She drew her last breath and was gone.

Draco embraced her tightly, never wanting to let go. "I betrayed the Dark Lord for you... I did what you always wanted me to... right, Hermione?"

He bent down, as if trying to listen for something Hermione's lips would never again say. Suddenly, he laughed. It started as a low rumble in the chest, and then erupted in a loud, rich laughter.

"That was when he was brought here," Neville said thoughtfully. "Yes, I remember that. He was the happiest prisoner here. While others were tearing their hair and cursing everything, he was always laughing, always speaking to someone I couldn't see. He thought he was always speaking to Hermione."

They arrived at Cell 723. They saw a young man with platinum-blond hair, his pale, pointed face softened a bit, his cold blue eyes now warm and happy.

"Hermione," Draco spoke to his side. "Why are you still asking me that age-old question of why didn't I just go to your side and saved the trouble of you always haring after me, trying to keep me out of trouble?"

Harry listened intently.

"I told you. I was bound to my father, same as you were bound to Potter and Weasley. I would never leave the Dark and go to the Light, just as you will never leave the Light to go to the Dark. But the moment they hurt you, I swear, Hermione..."

He trailed off, as if listening to another talking. "Why are you all sulky?" He laughed again. "Yes, I know we're always on opposite sides, and we always have to meet in secret. Why did you have to become an Auror... oops, I'm sorry I asked that." Laughter. "Are you sure your cause is right? What about our cause? If you felt as Salazar Slytherin and the Dark Lord had... There is no right and wrong anymore, just perspectives and opinions of other people*. No regrets, right Hermione? Just remember that as long as I am here, you will never be hurt by those in the Dark Side. You will never meet Death in my hands."

Silence, then... "Thank you, Hermione. I love you."

Harry suspected Hermione promised too that Draco would never die in her hands.

"Ron would have been so glad. I'm sure that if Draco was as happy as this when he was with Hermione, Hermione was happy too," Harry said wistfully.

"You're right. Come on, Harry. It's nearly closing time of the Hospital's visiting hours."

"Am I not to be given special treatment? I am the Minister of Magic, you know."

Harry chanced a glance back at Draco. He was settled in his bed covers, a slight smile on his face. Harry remembered that he did not see a mad glint in his eyes unlike all the other prisoners here.

Draco had found his happiness in Hermione. Harry was glad he found his in Ginny. He knew how Draco felt. He was lucky. He didn't have feel anything again.

The window was open. A breeze wafted in your room, ruffling your beautiful hair. It is strewn all over your face, covering those eyes I loved so much.

The night was still. Only a distant owl hooted somewhere. I kneel at the side of your bed, watching you. You are so peaceful when you sleep. I love watching you sleep.

You moan a bit and turn away. Silly Draco. You know you could never turn away from me. We tried fighting, remember? We tried resisting this force by hiding under masks of hostility. Those were painful times, my dragon. We couldn't express our true selves.

As if you noticed me here, you turn back. You seem more comfortable facing me instead of the wall.

You are so beautiful, my dragon.

I reach out to brush away those stray locks from your eyes, but my hand just swept through your face, reminding me in the most painful manner that I can never touch you again while you are here.

Tears again well up in my eyes. See what you have done to me, my dragon. You reduced me to a crybaby. As the tears raced down my cheeks, I heard something that made me smile again...

"Hermione..." you say.

I am content. For even in your sleep you say my name.

I take one last look at you before going away. Don't worry. The higher powers have assured me that you'll come to me in the blink of an eye, in the whisper of a breath...

But for now, I must say good-bye...

+++++

This is going to be my last visit, my dragon. Because now, you're coming with me.

Do you remember, Draco? You lifted me out of sadness too. You remember our fourth year Yule Ball? When I stormed out from Ron? You found me in a dark corner in the Great Hall, trying to stop the tears from falling. You held out your hand, and lifted me up. For a moment, I forgot the facade we were holding up. That was when I accepted, Draco. I couldn't fight this.

Just as you lifted me from my heavy cloud of sadness, I lift you now from your mortal body.

I hold out my hand. "Draco, let's walk home together."

You smile and stand beside me, even more glorious than you ever were when you were wearing that heavy body.

From now on, we will never be apart. You will never be conceived as a lunatic. No more prejudices. No more barriers.

You hold my hand and we walk out of Cell 723, into the light.

EPILOGUE:

Harry was in the middle of very important paperwork when the Neville's face suddenly appeared in his fireplace.

"Neville. What's up?"

"Malfoy's dead."

"What?"

"One day, about two weeks after your visit, he didn't eat anymore. He just went on talking and talking. And, this morning, while I was doing my rounds, he wasn't up and awake as usual. He was still in bed. I felt for his pulse. He was gone."

Harry sat back. "I see. I'll come by later."

The funeral was extravagant as one would expect from a Malfoy. Even Harry, Ron and Neville attended.

"I'm glad," Hermione said, above them.

"Yeah. Never expected Potty, Longbottom, and Weasel to come."

Hermione shot him a dirty look.

"Just kidding."

Their laughter was sublime, sincere. Down at the funeral, the church bells suddenly rang without anyone ringing them.

- The end -