Blind
Harry knelt on the muddy ground, feeling the raindrops hit against the back of his neck. He looked up at the gravestone in front of him, and suddenly wasn't sure if it were droplets on his hot cheeks, or tears.
He moved a hand slowly up to the words carved in the stone:
Draco Malfoy
Strong believer in fate,
Loyal follower of our Hero
"Dragon of Bad Faith"
1981-1998
"Hello, Draco," Harry murmured, pulling his hand away as if the stone had burned him. "I. . . I miss you. I just can't. . . ." He paused, choking on the tears he was trying desperately to hold back. "I can't understand this all. So many have died for my success. . . . My parents, Cedric, Sirius, Cho, Ron and Hermione, and now you. . ."
He lowered his head again, his soaked black hair hanging in his pained emerald eyes. "I know if you were here you'd tell me to get up out of the mud and rain, that there's no sense in talking to stone." He looked up at the dark, gloomy sky through the heavy rain, not knowing how to say what he wanted to. "I need to talk to you, though. You understood me like no one else. . . . Not even Hermione or Ron could understand me like you did."
Harry sat down fully in the mud, leaning his forehead against the gravestone. "You were the one person who kept me going, until the death of you. No matter if it was through your insults - which I knew were always good-hearted - or through your support, you always motivated me to get back up and try again. "I'll have you know that I took revenge on Voldemort for what he's done to you. I pray that was the final battle. . . I wont be able to fight him again, now that you're gone. You've always been my strength."
Harry stood up and brushed off his sopping wet robes, even though he knew he'd never feel clean again. He glanced back at Ron and Hermione's graves, standing side by side, next to an empty space Harry had claimed as his own. Then he looked to the other side, where Cho and Cedric lay, and to the front, Where Sirius's memorial plaque was engraved in a small granite bench. "I've come to one conclusion since you've died," he choked, collapsing back into the mud. "I love you. I was blind not to see it before you died."
He sat there for hours more, as the rain slowly decreased. A soft wind swept over him, ruffling his unruly hair, as he got to his feet again, wiping away his tears. "Good bye, Draco Malfoy. I miss you and love you always. I'll never forget you."
He walked slowly up the hill to his car, without looking back. Tears ran down his cheeks again, and he didn't wipe them away.
As he pulled out his keys, the sunlight was illuminated by a single flash of lightning behind him. Harry spun on his heel, staring at Draco's grave in amazement.
There was slight breeze. "Harry," someone murmured into the wind behind him. "Thank you."
Harry turned slowly around, but no one was there. Another breeze picked up. "I love you," he heard.
"Draco," he whispered. "I'll be with you soon. I promise. . ."
The End
Harry knelt on the muddy ground, feeling the raindrops hit against the back of his neck. He looked up at the gravestone in front of him, and suddenly wasn't sure if it were droplets on his hot cheeks, or tears.
He moved a hand slowly up to the words carved in the stone:
Draco Malfoy
Strong believer in fate,
Loyal follower of our Hero
"Dragon of Bad Faith"
1981-1998
"Hello, Draco," Harry murmured, pulling his hand away as if the stone had burned him. "I. . . I miss you. I just can't. . . ." He paused, choking on the tears he was trying desperately to hold back. "I can't understand this all. So many have died for my success. . . . My parents, Cedric, Sirius, Cho, Ron and Hermione, and now you. . ."
He lowered his head again, his soaked black hair hanging in his pained emerald eyes. "I know if you were here you'd tell me to get up out of the mud and rain, that there's no sense in talking to stone." He looked up at the dark, gloomy sky through the heavy rain, not knowing how to say what he wanted to. "I need to talk to you, though. You understood me like no one else. . . . Not even Hermione or Ron could understand me like you did."
Harry sat down fully in the mud, leaning his forehead against the gravestone. "You were the one person who kept me going, until the death of you. No matter if it was through your insults - which I knew were always good-hearted - or through your support, you always motivated me to get back up and try again. "I'll have you know that I took revenge on Voldemort for what he's done to you. I pray that was the final battle. . . I wont be able to fight him again, now that you're gone. You've always been my strength."
Harry stood up and brushed off his sopping wet robes, even though he knew he'd never feel clean again. He glanced back at Ron and Hermione's graves, standing side by side, next to an empty space Harry had claimed as his own. Then he looked to the other side, where Cho and Cedric lay, and to the front, Where Sirius's memorial plaque was engraved in a small granite bench. "I've come to one conclusion since you've died," he choked, collapsing back into the mud. "I love you. I was blind not to see it before you died."
He sat there for hours more, as the rain slowly decreased. A soft wind swept over him, ruffling his unruly hair, as he got to his feet again, wiping away his tears. "Good bye, Draco Malfoy. I miss you and love you always. I'll never forget you."
He walked slowly up the hill to his car, without looking back. Tears ran down his cheeks again, and he didn't wipe them away.
As he pulled out his keys, the sunlight was illuminated by a single flash of lightning behind him. Harry spun on his heel, staring at Draco's grave in amazement.
There was slight breeze. "Harry," someone murmured into the wind behind him. "Thank you."
Harry turned slowly around, but no one was there. Another breeze picked up. "I love you," he heard.
"Draco," he whispered. "I'll be with you soon. I promise. . ."
The End