A late birthday present for my bae punkhalfghosts on tumblr! :D

Hogwarts was falling, and falling hard.

Danny floated a good meter above the ground, eyes blazing and unafraid of his peers shying away from him, because he was angry.

And yet the Death Eaters kept coming, like a pile of ants that was kicked over by a kid, and never stopped.

They used Unforgivables on children, children who snuck back inside the grounds to fight their own fathers, children who were tired of hiding and cowering while Voldemort killed their familes, one by one.

Danny saw the body of another fall, and the fresh heat that radiated to him like a moth to the light followed him and joined him, that raw moment of death that just makes him feel a little more alive.

"Danny!"

He didn't realize that the explosion had his ears ringing until he noticed how clear his voice was, compared to the noise of the battle and the shouts of spells. Everything was muffled.

Draco Malfoy's robes were torn, as if a cat had raked its claws across his chest and his hair disheveled. His sleeve hid the dark mark, but the very tip of the snake curled around his wrist.

"Danny, please."

He tried to ignore the way Draco's eyes fluttered with fear.

He tried to ignore how small he looked, and how he was his age and thrust into this war unwillingly.

He tried to ignore how much he looked like in their sixth year, with tear streaked cheeks and hunched shoulders.

Danny landed on the ground, feet light but eyes dim. Draco hung his head in shame, in embarrassment, but Danny didn't care.

He thrust his hand out, like that very first day where they met on the Hogwarts train, but now they were older and covered in grime and school robes were torn.

"Fight with me. You never wanted this." Danny smiled now, just barely showing his sharp teeth but his eyes were genuine, soft. "I know you never did. I know you."

"Please." So softly, barely heard, like a whisper on a summer breeze.

Draco finally looked up, hair in his eyes but the biggest grin he's had in a long time stretched over his face. "Yes!"

Draco grabbed Danny's hand, much like the first time they met on the Hogwarts express, except now Danny's hands were cold and clammy and they were caked with dirt, cloaks torn and eyes bright.

But now Draco let go, and almost instantly pulled Danny into a bone crushing hug, and Danny had forgotten what it felt like to be held like this, like he wasn't something a bit below human and his heart just burst.

Then as quickly as the confer ration began they were fighting, side by side, Draco shooting Binding jinxes left and right, with his love by his side.