Where Land and Water Meet

Where Land and Water Meet

I know some things never change,

But this can't be one of them,

And I don't think I can stand it

Any longer...

--Kendall Payne, 'The Second Day.'

On the night Harry defeated Voldemort, the moon was a waxing crescent. Only the silvery outline was visible against the darkness. It offered Harry little light as he picked his way through the overgrown path down to the lake.

"Lumos."

The tip of his wand began to glow brightly under his cloak. Harry continued walking. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted which made Harry think achingly of Hedwig.

He had slipped out of the Great Hall amidst the celebration to be alone - truly alone. Something, Harry reflected, that he had not experienced for a long time. And without pausing, he headed in the direction of the lake. Not only because he knew it would be deserted, but that it had always been a place of comfort to him.

His first memories of the lake were mingled with giddy excitement as the enchanted boat drew him closer to Hogwarts. Its mirror-like surface had captured the sense of wonder on his face.

Three years later the lake had defined what was truly important to him. And even though he knows now that it had all been a test, it still frightens him to remember the sight of Ron and Hermione, chained to the watery depth.

It seemed only yesterday that he had brought Ginny there with a pounding heart hoping to gain some clarity. Through it all, the lake had watched patiently.

And on this night, the lake was to witness another beginning in his life.

It was hard to believe the war was really over.

Harry pulled off his cloak and placed it carefully on the ground with his wand on top of it. He sat down where he had stood and watched the dark smooth water stretch into the darkness. It all looked so simple, Harry thought, the way water and land divided into two worlds. Where water began, land ended. But somewhere in the middle the two met and as different as they were, it was impossible to separate the two.

And it was then Harry realised he was not alone.

Hastily, Harry scrambled for his wand pointing it at a copse of trees that grew off the water's-edge. Through the faint light Harry could make out the skimp outlines of a figure, thin and tall. He was leaning with his back against a tree facing the lake.

Harry edged closer quietly with his wand held at eye level. A glimmer of silvery-gold caught his eye and Harry's breath hitched in spite of himself.

The figure jumped at the sound of Harry's footsteps.

"Who is it?" he hissed.

"It's me, Harry Potter," Harry replied.

He was close enough now to see Draco's pale face. He was thinner than Harry remembered and the dark shadows around his eyes seemed more pronounced.

"Are you going to hex me Potter?" he asked in a calm, soft voice.

"No I'm not," Harry said evenly. "But what you are doing out here?"

Draco didn't reply, instead he turned his hollow eyes to the wand still pointed at his chest. "Then lower your wand."

Harry faltered for a moment, then did what Draco had asked feeling thoroughly irked that Draco had ignored him. "You haven't answered me Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

Draco turned to face the lake and leaned back against the tree with his hands wrapped around its slender trunk behind his back. "I'll tell you Potter, if you first let me ask you a question."

Harry felt his patience slipping. Defeated and wandless, Malfoy was hardly in the position to make demands of him. But since Harry was not keen for a confrontation, he nodded in agreement.

Why did you save me tonight?" asked Draco, not looking at Harry as he whispered the question.

It caught Harry off guard. He hadn't expected Malfoy to care. "I-I don't know," he stammered, finding it difficult to explain it himself.

It seemed only yesterday that Malfoy had helped Death Eaters into Hogwarts and attempted to murder Dumbledore. And it was barely hours ago that Malfoy had come looking for him - had wanted to hand him to Voldemort - had brought that idiot Crabbe who nearly killed them all in the Room of Requirements.

He had every reason to want Malfoy dead.

But he didn't.

He thought back to the haunted look on Malfoy's face as Voldemort forced him to perform horrifying acts against people he knew, former friends, schoolmates, fellow Death Eaters. He saw the helplessness on Malfoy's face as the flames enclosed around him and Goyle and felt how desperately Malfoy had clung to him as they narrowly escaped the Fiendfyre. Harry could still feel the pressure of Malfoy's hand against his waist. And in spite of himself, a cold thrill raced up his spine.

He had lost too many friends - family - to this war. The wizarding world may never recover. Molly would never see Fred again. Ted would grow up never knowing his parents. And as much as he still disliked the Malfoys, he did not want Narcissa, a mother, to be without her son.

Finally Harry said simply, "I didn't want to see you die."

"But I tried to kill you tonight. I wanted to hand you over to Voldemort. We had you cornered and if Crabbe hadn't conjured the Fiendfyre-"

"Yes I know what you tried to do," Harry cut in, "more than you know. But that doesn't make me want to see you dead, Malfoy. I never did."

"I nearly killed Weasley, drove Katie Bell mad. I wanted Dumbledore dead. I was the one who disarmed him on the Astronomy Tower before Snape-"

"Yes Malfoy, I know!" He nearly screamed the words. It startled the Slytherin into silence. And Harry was relieved. For some reason he couldn't bear to hear Malfoy apologise, to act as if he could remedy what he had done with mere words.

And suddenly there was no distance between them. Harry was standing before Draco, forcing the Slytherin to look at him. The weak moonlight filtered through Harry's dark hair casting eerie shadows over Draco's ashen face.

"I was there," Harry said softly. "I was there the night Dumbledore died. I saw you disarm him. I heard you confess. I know you tried to kill him but couldn't. I know that Snape swore an Unbreakable Vow to protect you. I know everything you've done, Malfoy. But I still couldn't let you die. I saved you because...because Dumbledore would have wanted me to. He would have wanted you to live and he would have wanted to know that he didn't die in vain. And I, I had to do it because I wouldn't be able to live with myself otherwise."

Harry was breathing heavily. Dry rasping breaths. It felt strange to be explaining what he had always felt. He looked up to find Draco staring back at him intently. His grey eyes had narrowed into slits and a dark shadow fell across his face. It was a look of anger. A look that Harry had not expected.

"Does it feel good then?" he hissed, stepping closer to Harry. It was all Harry could do not to flinch. "Does it feel good? It must feel good to have me indebted to you like this, to know I owe my life to you twice over."

"What - indebted? No Malfoy that's not-"

"Don't you see? How can you not see it? You've won everything Potter. You saved my life, twice no less. And I owe you as many Life Debts. You understand now don't you? I am completely bound to you." Draco let out a dry, hollow laugh. "Now I wish you had just let me die."

"But you can't mean that," Harry said, not understanding.

Draco narrowed his eyes and the look of malice turned Harry's stomach to ice. "Oh can't I?" he hissed, low and threatening. "What kind of existence is this, to be forever bound and at your mercy? And what will you do to me in turn? I've seen what you can do. I saw how you manipulated the Life Debt Pettigrew owed you. You killed him. I was the one who found him-"

"No that was an accid-"

"-dead. I'll never forget the look on his face. And Snape, he suffered every day he was at Hogwarts. Your father never let him forget the Life Debt he owed. James was so cruel. Snape couldn't even defend himself. He couldn't even raise a wand against James. Do you know what you father did to him?"

"Look Malfoy, I would never do anything to hurt you-"

Draco laughed maniacally as he advanced on Harry. "Wouldn't you? I think you would love to hurt me, make me pay for everything I've ever done to you. And one day you'll wish for it..."

Draco didn't finish. They were so close now Harry could feel Draco's breath on his face. And he couldn't back away any further, the lake was lapping at his heels.

"I would never wish you dead Malfoy."

Draco's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "There are more ways to hurt someone than killing them."

Harry felt a chill pass through his body. More ways to hurt someone than killing them. And in a flash he saw Draco writhing in the air, face twisted in pain. He had cast the Cruciatus. And liked it. He was laughing, a crazed inhuman laugh. Somehow Draco had become Amycus Carrow and they were once again in the Ravenclaw common room.

Then, just as quickly, the image changed. They were in the Gryffindor dormitory and Draco was staring at him with dull, drugged eyes from the foot of his bed. A soft pink flushed across the blonde boy's face as he made his way towards him...

Harry felt his stomach clench. There were two other Unforgivable Curses. Two curses he had cast. And liked it.

There are more ways to hurt someone than killing them.

"What can I do about it then Malfoy?" Harry asked, voice constricted. " I can't go back in time and let you die. If there's a way to break the bond I would do it."

"There is nothing you can do," Draco whispered, looking away in resignation. "A bond like that can never be severed."

Harry hated the helplessness he felt, hated even more the despondent look on Draco's face. He wanted to shake the blonde boy, shake him until the light returned to his eyes. Harry raked his hair, pulling hard on it in frustration. He didn't want to have this sort of power, didn't want to deal with the consequences of losing control. Didn't want another person to suffer on his account. There must be something he could do, some means of protecting Draco from himself.

Then suddenly it became very clear to him what he must do. And he did it before he could reason out of it.

Harry took Draco's cool and icy hands in his own and pointed his wands over their clasped palms. Draco twitched but could not pull away from Harry's tight grasp. He looked into Draco's cool grey eyes and silently willed the other boy to trust him. Whether Draco nodded he could not later say. In that moment, he took Draco's silence to mean consent.

He began to speak, "I, Harry Potter, hereby swear an Unbreakable Vow to you, Draco Malfoy."

A stream of brilliant red light began to encircle their wrists, snaking its way over their skin like burning ropes.

Both boys looked down, transfixed at the sight of the light turning into tongues of flames.

Harry swallowed. There was no going back now.

"On pain of death, I swear to you that I will never invoke the Life Debt to cause you any harm. From this day forth, I will never hurt you, but only protect you and I will expect nothing in return."

Harry paused.

"On one condition Malfoy."

The blonde haired boy looked up in surprise.

"You must swear that you will never give me a reason to break this vow," Harry said firmly.

He expected the Slytherin to argue. But Draco simply nodded keeping his eyes cast down at the red flames, engrossed by its hypnotic movement.

And it was done. With a final wave of his wand, the spell was cast. The flames burned fiercely before vanishing leaving the boys once again in darkness.

Slowly, Harry let go of Draco's hand. The feel of the bond lingered over him and he began rubbing his right wrist thoughtfully.

Draco took a step back and studied Harry. "Why did you do it?" he asked softly.

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't risk hurting you, couldn't live with myself," he said. Then he let out a dry chuckle. "At least now you have to be a some what decent human being."

Draco didn't laugh but something like a smile briefly touched his lips. "That was...Thank you," he said.

In another life time, Harry would never have believed Draco capable of thanking anyone, least of all him. But this was a new beginning and maybe, just maybe some things could change.

"You're welcome," Harry replied. "But I did it more for me than anything else..."

They stood in silence a while, watching the lake shimmer under the rising moon.

Harry was the first to speak. "You haven't told me what you're doing here," he said.

"I wanted to be alone," he said wrapping his arms around himself. "I wanted some time to think before they come for me."

"Come for you?" Harry asked not understanding.

"The Aurors, they're on their way. And before they take me away..." He took a deep breath as he continued to gaze at the horizon. "I want to be calm when they come." A nostalgic look crossed his face. "I used to come here often last year, when I couldn't sleep, just to think. And it helped make things...easier."

He looked at Harry and something unspoken passed between them, a kind of understanding. They stood in silence again, watching the moon climb to its zenith.

After some time, Harry spoke. "Malfoy?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you scared?"

There was a brief pause. "Yes."

"You needn't be. Kingsley's in control of the Ministry now and he'll make sure you get a fair trial."

Draco smiled wistfully. "Not for the Malfoys there won't be. The whole wizarding world is out for blood. And I can't say I blame them. We have a lot to answer for."

"Then, if that happens." Harry paused not quite believing what he was about to do. "If you don't get a fair hearing, then I will speak for you, at the Wizengamot."

Draco looked at Harry in astonishment. "No Potter," he said finally shaking his head. "You've done quite enough."

"I'll do it," Harry said honestly. "I'll help you."

"I'm a Death Eater, Potter," Draco said impatiently, as if talking to a very small child. "Have you forgotten what that means? I tried to kill you a few hours ago. What would people think when Hero Potter comes to the defence of a known Death Eater? We're the scourge of the Wizarding World. We lost the war. There is still such a thing as winners and losers. Some things never change Potter. And this is one of them."

"No," Harry said shaking his head fiercely. "I refuse to believe that. If the Wizarding World hopes to heal then we must make peace and unify. I refuse to believe that people can't change." A lump formed in Harry's throat. "I won't accept that the world we all fought for, died for, isn't going to be a better place."

Draco shook his head but didn't argue. He looked tired and brittle, and Harry suspected he remained standing out of sheer will power rather than energy.

"Malfoy," Harry said softly as he walked to stand beside the blonde boy. "You're not alone you know. I am scared too, for the future I mean..."

Draco turned his intent grey eyes to Harry and searched his curiously. But before he could reply a loud pop was heard no far away. Draco jumped back. In the distance two cloaked figured were walking towards them at a brisk pace. Harry was surprised that the guards around Hogwarts had been dismantled. But he did not have long to consider it when the Aurors were upon them.

"Mr. Malfoy and- oh what a surprise! Mr. Potter! Oh I can't begin to express our gratitude," said a man Harry recognised as Proudfoot. The man looked positively elated at being in the presence of Harry that he completely forgot about Draco.

"This is not the place nor the time, Proudfoot. We have a job to do," said Dawlish brusquely as he turned to Draco, wand pointed at the boy's chest. "The Ministry hereby issues an order for your arrest," he said firmly, "in relations to the attempted murder of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the reckless endangerment of Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley, the use of the Imperius Curse on Madame Rosemerta and the use of the Cruciatus Curse on numerous counts."

"One short of the whole collection," Proudfoot hissed savagely. "But don't you worry your pretty head Malfoy, this will have you locked away in Azkaban for a long time."

For a fleeting moment Harry saw the fear in Draco's eyes. Dawlish waved his wand and a thick coil of rope bound Draco's wrists behind his back. Unconsciously, Harry touched his own wrist where the effects of the Vow could still be felt.

Proudfoot gave Draco a rough shove as they led him away. Harry wanted to protest but found himself rooted to the spot. The light from Dawlish's wand bobbed in the darkness as the three figures made their way back to the spot from which they had apparated. Draco's head was bowed golden tendrils fell into his eyes. He might have been crying.

And before he knew what he was doing Harry was running towards him. "Wait!" he yelled.

The Aurors stopped and turned to look at Harry in surprise.

"There's er- something I have to say to him."

Draco took a few steps towards Harry. Both Aurors pointed their wands at him warily. Harry tried to give them an assured look before turning to Draco.

"Look," he whispered so that they couldn't be heard. "I meant what I said before."

Their eyes met.

"I know Potter," Draco replied. He took a few steps back still looking at Harry before turning around to the Aurors.

With a loud pop, the three of them disappeared.

*