Time to Kill

Time to Kill

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, your first task as a Death Eater is to kill Harry Potter."

Draco contained the urge to scream Are you insane? After all, when the Dark Lord gave an order, you followed it. If Voldemort said jump, you said 'How high?' If he said he wanted Harry Potter's head on a platter, you said 'Medium or well done?'

Not that Draco wanted to be a Death Eater, mind you. No, he despised the whole lot of them. But with Lucius Malfoy, it was the same as Voldemort: follow orders or be killed, family or not. Period.

Draco had no clue as to how exactly he would go about killing Potter. He raked his brain, trying to think of ways to get out of this task. It wasn't that he didn't want Potter dead, it was just that he didn't want to do it himself.

Oh, who am I kidding? Draco thought angrily. I don't want him dead at all! Ever since he had laid eyes on the black-haired, be-speckled boy, he had had a major crush on the youth.

Draco had always figured that Harry would die during the war, and while the thought terrified him, he had always figured that Harry would die knowing about Draco's affections for him. But how would Draco tell him now? "Hiya, Harry! Look, I know we've been rivals for all these years, but secretly, I'm in love with you! Oh, by the way, Voldemort's assigned me to kill you!" No, it just couldn't be done that way. Harry would never be able to know of Draco's feelings. It was just better like that.

But if he couldn't let Harry know of his feelings, then he could at least start being a bit more civil to him. Draco vowed to make sure that, for however long Harry had left on Earth, he wouldn't have a single enemy at Hogwarts. And, if it could be arranged, perhaps he might just get one more friend.

~*~

On the train ride to Hogwarts, Draco skipped out on the prefect's meeting in order to be able to talk to Harry alone.

As he walked into the famous boy's compartment, he found him reading Quidditch Through the Ages. Draco mentally rolled his eyes. How many times had Harry read that book? He cleared his throat and Harry looked up sharply.

"Potter," Draco said, inclining his head slightly.

"Malfoy," Harry responded, clearly confused.

"Alright, Potter, I'm only going to say this once, so listen up." He sat down across from Harry. "I have been doing some thinking-"

"Oh, Slytherins do that, do they?" Harry asked spitefully.

"-and I've decided that this rivalry between us is actually extremely stupid," he continued as though the other boy hadn't said anything. "After all, we're really not all that different. I suppose what I'm proposing is...well...would you like to get a Butterbeer with me?"

Harry started at him. "What are you on about, Malfoy?"

Draco put on an innocent face. "Nothing! I just thought that, what with the war and all, we could put our differences aside!"

Harry was looking even more suspicious. "Alright, Malfoy, I don't know what you've got up your sleeve-"

"There's nothing up my sleeve. Bring your wand if you think you'll need it. I'm not going to kill you or anything." Ooh, big lie, he thought. Not a good way to start a possible friendship.

"Can I bring Ron and Hermione?"

Draco scowled. "I'd rather you not. I'm trying to be civil to you, not them." Harry narrowed his eyes at him and Draco quickly reconsidered. "Oh, fine, I'll try to be nice to them, but I want you to come alone."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I will if you will."

Draco sighed. "I will."

"No Crabbe and Goyle?"

"No, they'll stay in Slytherin."

"Promise?"

"Good lord, Potter, you just don't give it a rest, do you?"

"Watch it, Malfoy, I just might decline your invitation."

"Alright, alright," Draco acquiesced. "I promise, no Crabbe and Goyle. Happy now?"

Harry sighed. "Yeah, sure, alright. But I still don't understand why you want me to do this."

"Honestly, Potter, is it so hard to comprehend that I could possibly wish to be friends with you?"

Harry stared at him. "Yes."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Saturday at nine, got it?"

Harry blinked stupidly. "What, we're going to sneak out?"

Draco sighed. Harry really needed to stop looking so clueless. It was obvious that he didn't know how cute he was when he was being stupid. "Is that a problem? It seems you've never had a problem with that before."

"How are you planning to get out?"

"Well, from what I've been told, you seem to have a way to get out without being caught."

"And you're expecting me to share," Harry assumed.

Draco shrugged. "More hoping than expecting, actually. It's up to you."

Harry seemed to consider it for a second. He sighed. "Sure, why not."

"Good. Saturday at nine."

"Right," Harry said uncertainly.

Draco stalked out of the compartment and came face to face with Weasley and Granger.

Draco remembered his promise to Harry. He would attempt to be kind, even if it killed him.

"Weasley, Granger," he said, nodding to both of them. He felt their bewildered looks on his back as he walked off.

~*~

"I don't know, Malfoy," Harry said uncertainly. "This kinda sounds like a date."

It was Friday afternoon, and Harry had caught up to Draco out on the lawn.

Draco stared at him. "A date? Why on earth would it be a date?"

Harry shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know. It just sort of...sounds like one."

"Well, as far as I'm aware, it's not. Why, do you want it to be?" he asked with a grin.

"No!" Harry exclaimed loudly, making half the students in the area look at him. "No," he said softer. "Of course not. I was just hoping you didn't mean for it to be."

"No. Just two enemies hoping to forge a friendship."

"Good," Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief that made Draco's heart sink.

"Weasley put it into your head that it was a date, didn't he?"

Harry blushed. "Yeah, he suggested it."

Draco snorted. "Figures he would come up with something like that."

"Watch it, Malfoy," Harry warned.

"Alright, alright," Draco conceded. "Where are we going to meet tomorrow?"

"You're asking me?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Well, you're the one who's showing the way to sneak out."

Harry sighed. "Fine. Meet me by the statue of the one-eyed witch. You know, the one with the hump."

"Right. Se you tomorrow, Potter." Draco walked off to join Blaise and Pansy in a game of Dunk-the-First-Year, in which Slytherins threw first years into the lake. It was really rather fun.

*~*

Harry arrived at the one-eyed witch just in time to see Draco appear out of thin air.

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed. "How'd you do that?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Potter, do you really think you're the only wizard with an invisibility cloak?" he asked, folding up said item.

Harry stared at him. "How did you know I had one?"

"Well, one, I just saw you take it off, and two, your head was floating around in Hogsmeade in third year. I'm not so stupid that I didn't figure it out."

Harry grinned sheepishly, and Draco felt the familiar pang of attraction in the pit of his stomach.

No! he said to himself. I will not feel this! Not now, while it's just the two of us...alone...about to sneak out together... He forced the thoughts out of his head. This was no time to get attracted. He was here purely to be friends. That was all.

Harry had walked up to the statue, and now turned back to Draco. "I'm not so sure about this, Malfoy."

"You're not getting cold feet now, are you?" Draco asked exasperatedly.

"No, I'm just not sure I want you to know my may out of the school."

Draco sighed. "All right, how about this: I'll turn around so I can't see, and you do whatever it is you have to do."

"Do you mind if I put a silencing charm on you so you can't hear the spell I have to use?"

"Sure, why not," Draco sighed. The things he did for love.

He turned and heard Harry whisper the appropriate spell, and the world went completely silent.

Honestly, Draco thought. Would it really kill him to just let me see?

The sound came back in a rush. "Alright," Harry said. "Let's go."

Draco turned to see Harry climbing into the witch's hump. "Hurry up!" Harry urged, then dropped from sight.

Draco quickly jumped up into the hump and slid down. "Not the most pleasant place to be, is it?" he asked sarcastically, eyeing the dingy floors and moldy walls.

"Don't' complain. It's getting us where we want to go."

They walked along the corridor in silence, although it wasn't uncomfortable. Occasionally, one of the boys would start a conversation, but they eventually lapsed into an almost friendly silence. Draco often had to contain the urge to reach out and take the other boy's hand. Perhaps this friendship thing would be harder than he thought. How could he have a normal friendship without letting his feelings get in the way? It seemed impossible.

Soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Harry climbed out of the trap door and offered Draco a hand to help him out.

They tiptoed quickly up the cellar stairs. Luckily, the shop hadn't closed yet and there was no one around, so they could get out without tripping an alarm or being caught.

Finally, they arrived at the Three Broomsticks.

"I have to admit, Potter, it's a handy way to get here," Draco said as they walked into the popular hangout.

"Yeah, well, don't get any ideas about using it." Harry warned him. "I'm the only one who knows the password."

Draco smirked. It was amazing how he could tell when Harry was lying. Knowing Harry, he had probably learned the password from the Weasley twins, and had told it to the youngest Weasley boy and Granger.

He walked confidently up to Madame Rosmerta. "Evening, Rose. We'll take two Butterbeers, unless you're finally going to give into my charms and let us have something a little stronger." He raised his eyebrows seductively.

Madame Rosmerta laughed. "Isn't it a little early in the year for you to be sneaking down here, Draco?"

"It's never too early to come down here and see your beautiful face, Rosie," Draco said innocently. Behind him, Harry rolled his eyes.

Rosmerta plopped two Butterbeers down in front of the boy. "Nice try, Master Malfoy. Maybe I'll buy into your tricks when you're older."

Draco smirked at her, picked up the Butterbeers, and followed Harry to a table near the back.

After a few moments of sipping their drinks in silence, Harry asked, "So, Draco, was there a reason you asked me down here, or are we going to sit here and stare at each other all night?"

That would be nice, Draco thought, eyeing Harry's tight chest. Aloud, he said, "Oh, I don't know. I didn't really consider what we'd actually do here." He thought for a moment. "Actually, I do have something we could discuss. Just to make conversation."

"And that would be...?"

"How did we become enemies in the first place?" Draco asked, curious to hear Harry's view on it.

"Actually, I believe it was because you are a rude, smarmy, selfish, spoiled git," Harry said smoothly.

Draco gaped at the other boy. "I most certainly am not!" he protested. Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not!" Draco insisted.

"Yes, you are, Malfoy. You're just too thick to see it."

"I am not! Maybe I used to be, but don't you think I might have changed in six years?"

Harry considered him. "No, Malfoy, I don't. You're not capable of changing."

Draco could not believe what he was hearing. "How can you say that? You don't even know me! Maybe I've changed so much that you wouldn't even recognize me!"

"I don't know...it would have to be a pretty major change."

Draco sighed. "Fine. Then maybe there wasn't a point to coming here. I guess there's no hope for any kind of peace between us." He reached forward to grab hi butterbeer off the table.

"Now, wait, Malfoy, I didn't mean-" He stopped short, staring at Draco's arm.

Draco looked down and realized that the sleeve of his shirt had pulled up some and was halfway revealing the Dark Mark, which was eternally etched into his skin.

"What is that?" Harry whispered, still staring at the mark.

"It's nothing," Draco said quickly, pulling his sleeve back down.

Harry grabbed the other boy's arm and shoved the sleeve up, gaping at what he saw. "You're a Death Eater?" he whispered angrily.

"How observant of you, Potter," Draco spat, pulling his arm back. "Then again, seeing as I'm such a horrible person, this shouldn't surprise you!"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I guess I always thought you would become one, but deep down, I never thought you'd actually take the Mark."

"I didn't want to," Draco admitted softly. "It hurt a lot. It still hurts, actually...but not my arm."

"You didn't want to become a Death Eater?"

Draco shook his head. "No. I hate them. Voldemort's going about this Mudblood thing the wrong way. If he wanted to speak out against them, he could find a better way to do it."

Harry stared at him. "But you agree with him that muggle-borns shouldn't be allowed in the Wizarding World."

"Not entirely," Draco said slowly. "I really don't know what to approve of. I used to just think that whatever my father said was right, but now I'm not so sure." He sighed. "All I know is that I hate this Mark. I don't want it! But it was either take it or die."

Harry looked at him with something resembling concern. "What's your first task?"

Draco looked up at him sharply. "What?"

"Your first task. All new Death Eaters get a fist task that they must complete, don't they?"

"Yes..." Draco said reluctantly.

"So what's yours?"

"I...I'd rather not say."

"Why?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Draco sighed. He couldn't believe he was about to say this. "Because maybe if I don't say it out loud, I can pretend I don't have to do it."

"Maybe if you do say it, I can help you get out of doing it."

Draco laughed bitterly. "And why would you do that?"

"I want to help you! You shouldn't have to do this task if you don't want to!"

"Unfortunately, this isn't something you can help me with. Professor Snape can help me."

"Why can't I?"

"You just can't! I don't feel like telling you."

Harry looked at him strangely, as if he had just realized something. "Oh, now I get it!"

"What?" Draco asked. "What do you get?"

"Your first task has something to do with me, doesn't it?"

Draco looked at the floor. "No! Of course not!" he said, a little too quickly.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "You might as well tell me. I'm going to find out sooner or later." Draco continued to stare at the ground. "Look, Malfoy," Harry whispered dangerously, leaning forward. "If this has something to do with me, you had better tell me what it is!"

"Or what?" Draco asked challengingly, looking up at the other boy.

"I don't know, maybe I'll just hit you."

Draco snorted. "You just go ahead. I'm still not going to tell you!"

Harry sighed exasperatedly. "If you told me, I could help you."

Draco considered it. If he told Harry, then he might lose the little trust he had gained from the boy. But then again, it would only be fair to let him know, and they could figure out a way to get around it together.

On the other hand, if he didn't tell him, Harry would never know about it, but he would also stop trusting Draco for not telling him. His only option would be to choose the lesser of two evils.

"Alright, I'll tell you," Draco said with a sigh. Harry smiled and looked at him expectantly. "My task is that...I-I have to...kill you." He looked at Harry, afraid of what reaction he might get.

Harry was staring at him oddly. "Oh, really?" he asked coldly. "Is that what this is about?"

"What?" Draco asked, confused.

"You just brought me here so you could lure me into a false sense of security, didn't you?" Harry asked angrily.

"What? No!" Draco exclaimed.

"Yes, you did!"

"If I did, would I have told you what my task is?" he asked hurtfully. "Why are you doing this? You acted like you'd understand!"

Harry looked around helplessly. "You know what? I...I gotta go." He stood up and quickly stalked out the door.

Draco quickly followed the boy out. It was extremely dark out, and for a second, he couldn't see the other boy. Finally, he spotted him, leaning against the side of the building. He hadn't seen Draco yet.

Draco gazed at Harry for a second. He looked so scared, so confused. Draco wished he could wrap his arms around the boy and banish his every fear. Of course, that was impossible now. Harry thought he wanted to kill him!

This is insane! Draco thought angrily. He didn't want to kill Harry! If he had, he wouldn't have told him about the task!

He walked silently closer to Harry. "I don't want to kill you, Harry," he whispered.

The other boy gave a start. "Leave me alone, Malfoy," Harry said bitterly, starting to walk away.

Draco grabbed his arm tightly. "Listen to me!" he said savagely. "I don't want to kill you! You said you could help me!"

"Why would you want me to help you? You've always hated me before, why are you asking for my help?"

"I don't hate you! I've never hated you. You just...irritate me quite often. And I want your help because I don't want to have to kill you! Is that so hard to believe?"

Harry sighed and relaxed under Draco's grip. "No, I guess it's not. And I did say I would help you..."

"So you're going to?" Draco asked hopefully.

Harry grinned. "Well, I can't very well let you kill me, now can I?"

Draco smiled hugely. Harry was going to help him! Caught up in the thrill of the moment, Draco forgot all about who he was, and everything he had been taught...so he leaned forward and gently kissed Harry Potter straight on the lips.

It barely even registered in his mind what he was doing. All he knew was that he was experiencing the best feeling he had ever felt.

Then he realized something else: Harry wasn't kissing him back. This thought was only emphasized when Harry suddenly shoved Draco off of him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Harry asked. He didn't look angry; he just looked very frightened.

"I-I'm sorry, Harry," Draco said softly, blushing and standing up. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I won't do it again."

"It's not that you put me on the spot," Harry said uncomfortably. "It's just...I don't want you...like that."

Draco stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean you don't want me? Everyone wants me! Bloody hell, if there were two of me, I'd shag myself!"

"I'm sorry, Malfoy, I just...don't," he finished lamely. "I have to go," he said, pulling his invisibility cloak around himself and vanishing from sight.

"Harry..." Draco whined to the place where Harry had just been standing. "Come on, I'm sorry. Come back!" He was answered only by the chirping of the crickets, and the twinkling of the stars, mocking him in his stupidity.