Lying

Lying To Live

To add injury to the wound, it was Ronald Weasley who had managed to capture Draco Malfoy. And he was now guarding the blond Slytherin determined to not let him escape.

It was strange that Hogwarts had once been a safe place to study in, and it was still that, but now, down below the rest of the school, was a small holding cell. One that was used to holding wizards who practiced the Dark Arts. And that was where Draco Malfoy was now. Locked in a cell, beaten and busied and deeply ashamed at being caught by Weasley. Many Death Eaters were brought here before they were taken off to Azkaban.

Ron eyed the silent blond with an icy gaze. This boy had tormented him at school, and it felt so good to now have the power over him. He took a strong step forward and the boy raised his head.

Ron hadn't seen Malfoy in three years, not since the boy had disappeared during their 7^th year at Hogwarts. But there was a big difference in the boy. His grey eyes seemed empty and his skin was paler than Ron recalled. He still had high cheekbones but they were clearer now, due to under malnourishment. The boy was dressed in the normal Death Eater black robes, and it made the boy seem smaller than what he was. The robes swamped him. Ron suddenly recalled something Harry had once said to him.

"I never got the chance to be a child, Ron, that was taken away from me the day my parents died. I have been forced to grow up before my time. Many of us here have."

Ron had never really understood it up until now, seeing Malfoy. If he hadn't seen the eyes of a man on the face of the child, he would have thought Malfoy was no older than 16.

This is war does to you, he thought sadly, and suddenly the feelings of happiness seem to fade from him. There was no winners in wars, there were just losers.

"What? Nothing to say to me?" Malfoy spat out, annoyed of being studied like he was nothing more than a mere animal. But honestly, locked in this cage, he felt like one.

"I can't see the point in wasting my breath," Ron snarled back, choosing to stay standing and paced the area beside the cage bars.

Malfoy was silent for a second before he spoke again. "Do I get any food?"

"No."

"Do I get anything?"

"A fist in the mouth if you don't shut the fuck up."

"Language, Weasel."

"Now, you would have thought that both of you may have grown up over the years, but no, you are still the same immature brats that have to fight," Hermione Granger stepped off the stairway and into the small holding area. She was dressed in muggle clothing, her once curly hair now fell in straight waves down her back, and she smiled at Ron with a set of perfect teeth.

"You're back."

"It was easy," she replied.

"Where's Harry?"

"Taking a bath. I need to talk to you about him. I'm worried."

Ron turned to her fully.

"How?"

Hermione threw a dirty look at Ron. "I'll send someone down here later to relieve you. We can talk then."

Ron gave a nod. "I'm glad you are safe."

Hermione gave a smile and gave Ron a quick kiss on the lips.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

With another kiss, Hermione turned and strolled back up the stairs.

"What the hell is she doing with you?" Malfoy sneered, "Does she have no taste at all?!"

"That is MY fiancée. I suggest you shut up about her."

"I guess its true then, what I've been saying all along. Mudbloods really are just plain dirt."

Ron's face twisted in anger and he reached for his wand.

"Take it back."

Malfoy shrugged. "Kill me. I would rather die here than in Azkaban. I would prefer to be killed by someone other than you though. It would dirty my name so much."

"You are not worth it," Ron spat through the bars at Malfoy before he stalked to the chair and sat down.

It was nearly five hours later when there were footsteps on the stone staircase and a man appeared, carrying a tray.

Malfoy was in the corner of his cell, his head resting on his knees and his eyes shut. He was keeping his breathing even, struggling to keep it under control and not panic. This was not a good situation.

He could hear a murmur of voices before more footsteps, this time moving up the stairs.

There was silence for a few minutes before there was a large clanging noise and Malfoy looked up to see the door in the bars swing open.

"You hungry?"

The voice startled him and he looked up, his breath caught as he gazed into such familiar green eyes that were so foreign at the same time.

"Harry?"

* * *

Harry ached all over as he lowered himself awkwardly into the large swimming pool like bath. He allowed the water to sooth away the dirt that covered his skin, but no matter how many times he washed, he never felt truly clean. The war was scarring him more than anyone could have felt possible. He dipped his head under water and came up wet from head to toe. He shook his hair from his eyes as the door opened and Hermione strolled in.

"Harry?" she called, her eyes scanning what would seem like an empty bathroom. She wasn't allowed in here normally, and there were magical laws placed within the walls that would stop all females seeing the contents of the bathroom when a male was in the bath.

"I'm here," he replied, not bothering to remove himself from the hot water.

"I just thought I would let you know that Ron returned from his own mission last night. He also brought along a friend, an old friend."

Harry gave a sigh. "A prisoner?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Draco Malfoy."

Harry closed his eyes as if to block out the name and gave a deep sigh. Life was too unfair at times.

"I'll relieve Ron after I'm had a few hours sleep."

"Ron wants to deal with Malfoy. He did capture him."

Harry screwed his nose up.

"Ron was the one who captured Malfoy?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I have faced Malfoy in battle. He is not a nice opponent to face. He's cunning and not afraid to use any curses. Took me days to recover from our last battle together."

"I remember that. You had a real hard time keeping his spells from hitting you."

Harry gave a nod, forgetting that Hermione couldn't see him. To her he just sat there in silence.

"Harry, do you think that this is a trap? That Malfoy let himself be defeated easily by Ron to be brought here?"

"It's a possibility."

"Shall I let Professor Dumbledore know?"

"No, I'll have a word with Malfoy. See what he is playing at."

"How do you know that he will answer you truthfully?"

"Because I will dare him to lie to me," Harry gave a small smirk at the memory but said no more to Hermione, who gave a quiet sigh to her friend before she turned and left.

She left Harry to his private thoughts.

* * *

Harry didn't like wizard robes all that much; they didn't give him the freedom of movement he liked to have. Both him and Hermione agreed and together they wore muggle clothing. Hermione and Harry were partners in hunting down Death Eaters, and just recently, in hunting Voldemort, himself. Ron had been jealous when Harry had asked Hermione to be his field partner but he needn't have worried. Harry was still too much in love with another person to be thinking of Hermione as anything more than just a friend; besides he didn't really go for girls all that much. After his bath, he dressed himself in a pair of black jeans and a black top before he began to make his way down to the holding cell. He passed a few of his students on the way down and greeted them cheerfully.

It had been no surprise when Harry had been asked to train Defence Against The Dark Arts to the new students. Hermione and Ron took turns in helping, but right now most of their time was taken up with Voldemort hunting.

Harry reached the portrait of a young couple. He paused to take a minute to study the two familiar faces. It had been a shock when Dumbledore had first shown him it. It was an 18^th birthday present from the Headmaster. Ron had been disgusted by it, he didn't like it one bit. Hermione had given Harry a knowing smile but had never mention the subject, but Harry knew that she guessed the truth behind the portrait. This was the reason she had came herself to inform him of the news of Draco Malfoy, and not sent Ron.

This was different.

This was personal.

The blond in the portrait turned to study Harry. Harry stood up straight as the eyes scanned him, before swinging open to let him in. The blond was magically inclined to match up Harry's body pattern with the one on its memory. It also held many of the teachers, Hermione and Ron, in its memory. This was a safety measure, so that none of the students could enter the underground holding cell of Hogwarts.

Harry entered onto the top of a downward twisting staircase and as the portrait closed, he began his descent.

It was a long way to the bottom, but just before he reached it, a small creature appeared in front of him, startling him.

"Master Harry Potter!"

"Dobby," Harry breathed, "Don't do that again. You are not allowed down here."

"I know sir, but I was thinking that the prisoner needs food and water," Dobby held up a large tray, "And so do you sir."

"Thank You Dobby."

Harry bent to take the tray off the house elf. Dobby gave a bow and began to head upwards.

"Dobby?" Harry stopped him, his forehead wrinkled in a frown, "Do you know who the prisoner is?"

"Mister Malfoy, sir."

And with that Dobby disappeared from sight, leaving Harry standing there, thinking of the house elf and his old master.

Ron looked up as Harry entered the room.

"Wondered how long it would take for Herm to tell you."

"She got me in the bath," Harry replied with a grin. "I'm going to take over from you for a while. I think she wants..." Harry coughed with a grin.

Ron grinned back. "Its good to see you both are back ok, and I kept your classes running smoothly for you."

"Has he said anything?" Harry asked, his eyes falling on the boy in the corner.

"Nothing apart from insults. You know Malfoy. Be careful."

"I always am."

Ron gave a smile before he headed upstairs and Harry turned and studied Malfoy properly.

The man had lost weight since he had last faced him in battle, something was not right. This was not the Malfoy that duelled him in at the Malfoy Manor; this was not the Malfoy that used to shout snide comments down the corridors at school. This was not the Malfoy that Harry knew.

He opened the door to the cell, it made an awfully noise and Malfoy looked up but it didn't seem that he sow Harry for who he was.

"You hungry?"

Malfoy blinked a few times as he looked up again.

Steel grey met green.

"Harry?"

There had once been a time when the only time that Malfoy had called Harry "Harry" was when they were making love. As Malfoy spoke, all the memories of what had once been came flooding back. Harry took a step back.

"Draco," Harry replied, trying to keep his voice calm.

"What are you doing here?" Malfoy asked.

"I brought you food," Harry laid the tray down beside Malfoy, "Eat. There is no point in you dying from starvation."

"No, you'll prefer to send me to Azkaban. Let them burn me at the stake. Isn't that what Fudge is doing to Death Eater that are caught at the moment?"

"And why not? You have killed enough. You are a Death Eater after all."

Malfoy gave a chuckle. "Am I? Really? Have you ever seen my Dark Mark, Potter?"

Harry raised his eyebrow elegantly as Malfoy pulled up his shelve to reveal unblemished pale skin.

"But..."

Malfoy gave another chuckle and he looked up at Harry. "I didn't want it. I didn't need it. I refused Voldemort. He made me into a puppet. The Imperius Curse is an ugly thing to those who can be controlled by it."

"And how do I know that you aren't under it now?"

"Because if I was, Weasley would have never been able to capture me."

Harry turned and walked out of the cell. He shut and locked the door.

"Don't you want to know why I didn't get the mark?"

Harry's back stiffen. "Why?"

"That day, Voldemort promised me everything I could want... my heart desires. But as I stood there, I realised that I had all that I wanted. You. You were my heart desires, and I already had you."

There was silence as Harry turned to regard Malfoy.

"Eat your food," he ordered quietly before sitting down and trying to relax. His mission, it would appear was no longer over. Harry closed his eyes and let his mind drift.

"What happened to you?" Harry snapped his eyes open and glared at Malfoy who was slowly eating the food given to him.

"Do yourself a favour and be quiet," Harry instructed.

"I'm bored."

"And I'm tired. I don't have the energy to deal with you right now. So be quiet."

Harry once again closed his eyes and slowed his breathing down to a relaxing rate.

"You've changed. A hell of a lot. What happened to the carefree Gryffindor Hero I knew?"

"I grew up," Harry replied, trying to block out Malfoy's voice.

"You killed. You became a killer."

Harry's eyes open again.

"I did what I had to. It was him or me. I'm sorry that it was your father but I had no choice."

"You've killed before?"

"No."

"You've killed since?"

"Yes."

"You gonna kill again?"

"I have too. I have no choice."

"You do. Get someone else to do it."

"Who? There is no one. This is my destiny."

"Hermione Granger. She's smart. She's clever. I bet she could do it. Or Dumbledore himself. You don't have to be his puppet."

"Malfoy..."

"Me?"

"You?"

"I have killed too."

"I know."

"I never wanted to. He forced me."

Harry choose not to reply.

The memory of his 18^th birthday came back to him - the day when Voldemort attacked Hogwarts for the first and only time. There had been many wounded, many dead. Malfoy had been there. Malfoy had cast the killing curse on Ginny Weasley. Harry had seen it with his own eyes. Witness the destruction of a good friend. Her lifeless body he had held in his arms. Malfoy had stood over them. He could've easily finished Harry off. Harry was defenceless. He had lost his wand when he raced to save Ginny. But Malfoy never cast the spell. He had just stood there, for ages, his eyes linked with Harry's before he walked away. Harry could recall the day like it had only been yesterday.

"He wanted me to kill you that day. Angry that I didn't. It would have ended it all, there and then. But I couldn't. Not even while under his control. The one thing that Voldemort never understood was the power of love."

"Don't," Harry breathed.

"Don't? Don't what?"

Harry took a deep breath to calm his nerves and he raised steel hard green eyes to Malfoy. "Fudge will be here in two days. When he arrives, you will be given a trail. If I were you, I would come up with a better story than that one to tell."

Once again, Harry lent back and closed his eyes. But this time he couldn't relax. The past four years danced through his memory.

Malfoy finished his meal, while he watched Harry. Long gone was the boy he had once known. Harry no longer was under the delusion of what Dumbledore had told him. The three-year war had toughened the boy up, so much that he was no longer a boy. Harry had not lost his attractiveness. He had lost the glasses, Draco assumed that he had healed his eyes with Magic; he would never assume that Harry was simply wearing contacts, a muggle device. He had lost the boyish figure, and his body had hardened out. But back to his eyes, his eyes were reflections of Malfoy's. They were empty. The war had killed all innocence, all pretence. The war had killed the boy inside and left an empty shell behind. And it still wasn't over. Malfoy stood and walked to the bar. He continued to watch Harry.

"How long must this go on?" He asked quietly. But Harry didn't reply.

With a sigh, Malfoy settled himself down to get some rest.

* * *

Hermione always hated guard duty, it was never any fun, and this one was even more unpleasant than normal. She had taken over from Harry in the early hours of the morning. He had class in the morning, and he needed some proper sleep. Both of them hadn't had any since they started their last mission just four days ago. She had slept the evening away, now it was her time to guard Malfoy. She thought back to Harry, the emptiness that was hidden behind his mask. It was harder to keep fighting with every day that passed. But it would be over soon. The days until Harry came face to face again with Voldemort were numbered.

Back to guard duty.

Malfoy had been asleep when she had arrived in the holding cell, and she had been able to mark some of the essays her students had written while she had been away. But now, four hours later, Malfoy was awake, and his stare was unnerving.

Finally she looked up from an essay and snapped.

"Do I have pen on my face?" she asked with a fake smile on her face. Malfoy shook his head. "Then what?"

Malfoy shrugged.

"You're impossible," she muttered and looked down again.

A few minutes later, Malfoy asked.

"Where's Harry?"

Hermione passed off the use of Harry's first name. "In bed."

"So I get you instead of him to play with."

She looked up, her eyes narrowed. "Is that all you did with Harry? Play with him?"

"I wish. It would be less fun and less complicated if it had just be a game to play."

"You love him?" Hermione asked, disbelieving.

"I couldn't kill him. I was unable to kill him even under the Imperius curse. What does that tell you, Granger?"

"You could be lying."

"I only lie when asked too."

Hermione gazed at Malfoy, her hazel eyes thoughtful, and she was playing with her engagement ring - a sure sign of how lost in thought she was.

"Harry said something about, "I'll get him to lie to me,"" she muttered.

"It's a game," Malfoy explained, "We used to play it."

"We?"

"Me and Harry."

"You and Harry. What exactly were you and Harry?"

"We were lovers."

Hermione's eyes widen. She had suspected something had gone on between Harry and Malfoy. Even more when Harry had received the portrait of him and Malfoy from Dumbledore on his 18^th Birthday. But she never thought it was to such an extent that they were lovers.

"I don't understand. Why did you join with Voldemort if you were in love with Harry?"

"Because it was my destiny. But I never joined Voldemort. I never took the Dark Mark. I refused to accept it."

"Why?"

Malfoy opened his mouth to answer but before he could, Harry appeared, carrying a tray of food.

"Breakfast," Harry greeted, "Ron will be down soon to take over from you. Are you ok to take some lessons today? I need to have a word with Professor Dumbledore."

"I'm fine. You want me to take your afternoon classes?"

Harry gave a grateful smile. He held out the tray and Hermione took it.

"Any on there for me?"

Harry picked up a plate and passed it to Malfoy through the bars.

"You are so kind," Malfoy sneered at the two pieces of toast.

"Feel grateful you have something," Harry replied, "Ron wanted to starve you."

"I noticed."

Turning his back on Malfoy, Harry spoke to Hermione.

"Could you do me a favour?"

"Sure."

Harry pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Hermione.

"Can you do these spells for me?"

She gave a nod.

"Inform me of all results."

She gave another nod as Harry moved to go back upstairs.

"By the way Malfoy, Dumbledore and Snape will be visiting later," and Harry disappeared.

Hermione studied her list while she quickly eat her breakfast.

Malfoy looked at his own in disgust. "Lovely. Isn't that something fun to look forward to?"

* * *

It was Snape who came to take over from Hermione, not Ron. She eyed him with distrust as he entered the room without even a word of acknowledgement. He came to rest at the bars and stared at Malfoy who was sitting in the middle of his cell meditating.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked, picking up the rest of the essay papers.

"He's busy right now. I offered to stand guard."

Hermione stood. "Just don't let him escape."

Snape turned and glared at her. "Have I ever let another Death Eater escape?!"

"No, you haven't. But this one is different. He is YOUR godson correct?"

"Godson or no Godson, I will treat him like a prisoner."

Hermione wasn't satisfied but she has no choice other than to leave Snape and Malfoy alone.

As soon as she was gone, Malfoy looked up.

"Yes?"

"You are a foolish boy."

"You're playing double agent. Are you not the one foolish?"

"I have declared my alliance to Professor Dumbledore. I can assure you that I hold no loyalty to Voldemort."

"Neither do I. The different between me and you is that I get hung for it, you don't."

"I know the truth behind your words. I have already explained the deal to the Headmaster."

"But it's your word against Potters."

"Harry Potter is now a teacher at this school. He has a lot of influence over Dumbledore but even he will see the truth. Dumbledore believed me."

"Potter would prefer to see me hang!"

"You'll be surprised. He asked Granger to perform an Imperius Charm on you."

"I didn't feel it."

"It is not a Dark Art spell. Potter and Granger invented it. It is able to tell if a person has been under the Imperius Curse or not."

"I guess it came up with that I had."

"Indeed."

Malfoy stood up. "Fudge will be here tomorrow."

"Yes, Weasley sent for him. He's still upset over his sister's death."

"Poor him. Its war, people die."

"Yes, but can we forgive those who murder?"

"Ours is not to question why, ours is just to do and die."

"A bleak outlook on life Draco, wouldn't you say?"

"Some muggle said it once."

"Have you forgiven Potter?"

"I have nothing to forgive him for," Malfoy replied smoothly. He moved to the bars, "So they all know that I was acting under the Imperius Curse, then why am I still in this god damn cage?"

"It is not our job to free Death Eaters. Fudge is the only one with the power to free you from imprisonment."

"Great, I'm doomed to die young."

"You'll be set free. You have done nothing wrong."

"And what do I do once I am set free? I have no home to go to. Potter blew up the Manor if I remember correctly. No one will give me a job."

"You are jumping to conclusion, Mr Malfoy."

Both Snape and Malfoy jumped at the headmaster's voice.

"Severus has asked me, if I would grant you permission to live here once you have been set free. I see no reason as to why not. I'm sure you can help out our Potion Master."

"He'll steal my job if you give him half the chance," Snape muttered.

"Mr Malfoy, while under the Imperius Curse you may of heard many of Voldemort's future plans. Do you remember any of them?"

"I wasn't trusted. Unless I was needed, I was locked in a room with nothing. When I refused the Mark I signed my Death Warrant. My father managed to keep me alive but when he died, Voldemort nearly killed me."

"But why didn't he?"

"I don't know."

"There are many questions that need to be answer. Perhaps I can convince Harry to come and question you, he may get a better result than I will. You don't trust me, Mr Malfoy, do you?"

"This is war, sir, you can't trust anyone."

Dumbledore laughed. "Indeed."

"What about Fudge? He'll send me to Azkaban no matter what you say."

"You'll be surprised."

"Potter has a high influence over Fudge. It's perverted really."

Malfoy pulled a face at this but chose not to question it.

"So what now?"

"You must stay here, under guard until your trial tomorrow. I have a school to run and Severus has classes to teach. Weasley will be down soon."

"Professor, before you go."

"Yes Draco?"

"Can I have something to drink please, Potter has given me food, but I've no drink."

"Of course."

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and muttered a simple charm. Beside Malfoy's feet appeared a teapot and a mug.

"Whatever you want, you shall get."

And with that, Malfoy was left alone.

* * *

"So it's as easy as that?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione that night at dinner.

"Professor Dumbledore says that Severus saw Malfoy being put under the Imperius curse and the Imperius charm proves he was under it. There is no doubt that Malfoy is innocent. Everything he did was because Voldemort was controlling him."

Harry stared at his wine glass. "But it doesn't make sense, how did he get away?"

"No one knows, part from Malfoy. And he isn't talking right now."

"Fudge will see right through it," Ron stated cheerfully, "And Malfoy will go to where he belongs. The stake."

"What if he doesn't though?"

"Doesn't what?"

"Doesn't belong on the stake?"

"Oh, come on Harry! You recall Draco Malfoy from school? He was such an asshole and he always bragged about joining Voldemort's forces. There is no way he is innocent as Herm, puts it."

Harry shared a glance with Hermione.

"Harry, are you guarding Malfoy tonight?" she asked and he gave a nod.

"For a while, after I have another word with Dumbledore."

"I need to talk to you too. Ron, could you cover Harry for an hour please?"

"Sure, its great seeing Malfoy behind bars."

Hermione gave a sigh and Harry ignored his friend's comment.

"What?"

* * *

After dinner found Hermione and Harry sitting together in their office.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, handing his friend a butterbeer.

"Malfoy."

"What about him?"

"I was wondering just how well you knew him."

"Quite well. Why?"

"Just something he said to me."

Harry's hand paused midway in the air. "What?"

"Why did Dumbledore give you that portrait of you and Malfoy for?"

Harry lowered the bottle and looked Hermione straight in the eye.

"What do you know?"

"I know what Malfoy told me. I want to hear it from you."

"Back in 6^th year, I had to serve detention with Malfoy. It was boring and he asked me to play a game with him. There wasn't anything else to do, so we played it."

Hermione leaned back on her chair. "So you played a game? That doesn't match what he told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"That you and him were lovers."

Harry's back straighten. "Oh shit."

"So it was the truth."

"Draco never lies unless asked too."

"He said the same thing."

"You want to know how it happened?"

"I want to know how you two became lovers and why you felt the need to keep it a secret from me and Ron?"

"You know what Ron thinks about Draco. Can you imagine what he would do if he discovered that I was sleeping with the person he hated most in the world? Ron doesn't even know that I'm... well you know."

"That you are gay?"

Harry gave a nod.

"I can understand not telling Ron, but what about me? Why not me?"

"I didn't think about it at the time, ok? It wasn't the first thing that I thought of in the morning."

"Ok, so tell me now."

Harry gave a sigh and took a long swig of butter beer.

"As you know, in this detention we played a game. It was called 'lie to me' and that's what we did. We made up this story where him and me were not enemies and that we were best friends and that I was in Slytherin and then he told me that he hated me and I called his bluff. Turned out he was actually telling a lie, that he didn't hate me. In fact it was the opposite. He panicked and I don't really know. I found myself questioning my own feelings towards him, and I ended up kissing him."

"You kissed him? Why?"

"It felt like the right thing to do, and it was. Everything felt so right when I was with him after that. We then started to do friend things together. We would meet up in Hogsmeade and spend the day together. We would do homework in the library, and then slowly it turned into something more. We kept kissing more and more, and then one night he seduced me."

"Then what?"

"We kept our relationship secret. It wasn't even a relationship. We just..."

"Fucked?"

"Slept together."

Hermione looked ill.

"But you recall the 7^th year. You said it yourself. I was happy."

"I know."

"I knew Draco was going to leave Hogwarts, that he was going away for his 18^th birthday and he wouldn't be back. He told me just before he left that he loved me."

"Why did he go then?"

"His father. His father had told him it was his destiny. Draco had no choice. Just before he left though, he dared me to live through the war. Dared me to met him on the other side when this was all over."

"It'll be over soon."

"But will I still be alive then?"

"Don't talk like that."

Harry just gave her a small smirk.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Lie to me?"

"I want to live to see the end of this war."

She gasped and a tear ran down her face. "You can't mean that."

"I do."

Hermione stood up quickly and turned away from Harry.

"Why don't you talk to Malfoy?" She asked. "He loves you still."

"I love him." Harry replied, "But it's too late."

"Its never too late."

She spun round, her hazel eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Hermione."

The finality in his voice was what made Hermione flee the room, and as she raced towards her private rooms, his eyes once again flashed in front of her vision.

Empty.

* * *

Harry took a deep breath to calm himself as he entered the headmaster's office. Dumbledore looked up with heavy eyes.

"I have grave news, Harry."

Harry sat down on the chair opposite to Dumbledore.

"What is it?"

Dumbledore was silent and he held out a letter to Harry. Harry took it; his eyes scanned the paper as he read it.

"That's not fair," he breathed when he had finished.

"Who are we to decide what is and isn't fair?"

"They are not even going to listen to what he says? They have already chosen to execute him! Even though he hasn't done anything wrong. He was under the Imperius curse. All the tests that Hermione did proved that Malfoy was under it. They could use Veritaserum on him!"

"You have read the list yourself, Harry. Lucius Malfoy made an enemy of too many people, he caused the suffering of so many people," Dumbledore's voice became a whisper, "It is with his son's life that he must repay them."

"Without a trail? Is there any way to change the outcome?"

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "I am afraid, Harry Potter, that Draco Malfoy's fate has been decided and there is nothing that can help him now."

Harry pushed his chair backwards as he jumped up into a standing position.

There was no doubt anymore as to what he had to do.

This was going to be the end.

Harry didn't bother to say farewell to Dumbledore as he turned and fled from the office and raced towards the holding cell, and the man he loved.

* * *

"Are you ok bubby?" Ron asked as Harry appeared in the holding room.

Harry nodded once and without another word Ron left, he looked back at his friend as he walked up the stairs. Something was wrong and he had a feeling that Hermione would know what. He hurried towards his fiancée's rooms.

Draco stood up from where he was sat in the corner of the cell.

"Harry?"

Harry just stood there, staring at him.

"Harry?" Draco asked again, there was something major wrong.

Harry continued to stare, his mind not registering the worried look on Draco's face.

"Did you imagine..." he began, "when you left Hogwarts that in three years time this is where you would be? Fudge doesn't care that you were under the Imperius Curse; all he cares about is what the people think and what the people want. There are so many out there who are begging for your death, Draco Malfoy. Tonight is your last night alive. Did you imagine this?"

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"The war is going to end in just ten days time. Voldemort has planned the final battle. He has even planned where I am going to be standing when he strikes me down."

"Prove him wrong, strike him down first."

"I am not going to be able to strike anyone down. I'm not going to survive this war."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not."

Harry, at that point, lost all the strength in his body and he fell in the ground.

"HARRY!!!"

Harry laughed from the floor.

"Hermione asked me today about us. I told her the truth."

"What is the truth?" Draco asked and he sat down on the ground by the bars, he reached out his hand but Harry was just out of reach of his fingertips.

"The truth? I don't know."

"Lie to me, Harry."

"I want to live to see the end of the war."

"I don't," Draco replied, "I don't want to see the end of this war, I don't want to see what kind of dull, horrible boring life that I will have to lead once this war has ended. I don't want to share it with one Harry James Potter. I don't want to hold him everyday. I don't want to sooth away his pain. I don't want to love him."

Harry raised his green eyes to Draco.

"I can't fight anymore."

"I never said lie to me."

"I'm not lying," Harry laughed again, "It's a strange world we live in."

"Harry."

Draco's hand was still lying on the floor, reaching for Harry. With a lot of effort, Harry reached forward and took Draco's hand into his own.

"I want to die tomorrow," Draco whispered.

"I don't need you," Harry pushed himself forward until his other hand was able to reach out and touch Malfoy's cheek; he cupped it in his hand.

"Harry."

"Drake."

"When will this all end?"

"Ten days."

"You only have to live for eleven more," Draco commanded.

"Same to you."

"I'm not dying tomorrow. When I die its going to be, with you and me, together, growing old laying on a smelly old mattress."

Harry gave a smile.

Draco reached forward with his hand and touched the scar on Harry's forehead.

"I love you," he whispered and Harry barely caught the words, but he did hear them, and with them words, his strength came back and before he knew what he was doing he was unlocking the cell and enter it. He took Draco in his arms and held him.

When Hermione entered the holding room later that night, it was to the sight of Draco and Harry laying curled up in each other's arms. She smiled at them, and conjured a blanket up to cover them with, and she left them like that.

* * *

Draco Malfoy wasn't given a funeral. He was hung by the neck until dead and then placed in a wooden coffin, before he was put out to sea. No one he loved was there to see him drift away.

Harry Potter did what he was destined to do. He killed Voldemort and he saved the world. It wasn't until after the battle that Hermione Granger noticed that her friend was missing. After that day, no one ever heard from Harry Potter again. People soon forgot who Harry Potter really was, and he became nothing more than a myth, a story for parents to tell their kids. Harry Potter died alone, soon after the end of the war, without friends and without loved ones. No one was there to bury him.