They sat across from each other, neither looking away from the challenge
the other's stare gave.
Blue against green, dark against light, a never-ending battle that would end tonight.
Harry pressed just enough and Draco looked away, moving slightly and his manacles clanging loud enough to reverberate throughout the room.
"What does a dead man do on his last day, Malfoy? Enlighten me."
Draco looked out through the barred window, eyes cold and steady. "You've killed enough people in your time, Potter. You tell me," he looked into Harry's eyes and smiled wickedly, "Tell Granger I said, congratulations."
Harry flinched, forcing himself to stay still and not be bated. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear you're happy for her. She wanted to be here herself, but I promised I'd explain every single second of it with excruciating detail."
A ghost of smile passed over his face and Draco never looked away. "It'll never be won. You know that, don't you? We're everywhere."
"Voldemort's dead, Malfoy. Get over it. It's over."
His laugh filled the room and he threw his head back, still laughing with tears in his eyes.
Harry watched, eyes narrowing with each movement and....he froze.
Malfoy's laughter had faded into deep, uncontrollable sobbing. He watched in horror as Draco clutched his chest and heaved out breath, tears streaming down his face and eyes wide with terror that Harry felt much more than he ever thought could be possible.
"It's...it's funny, Potter. I...I watched them kill my father and it," Draco took a breath and his words came out in whined fear, "...looked so painful. I...I remember...."
He began sobbing again, curling in on himself, and sliding from the chair he'd been on to the floor, looking all a frightened child.
"Draco...."
Blue eyes met green and Draco whispered, "He told me...he told me you'd kill me. Weasley, he...he laughed in my...he spit on my face and he whispered you'd kill me and enjoy it. Are you, enjoying it?"
Harry's eyes were wet when he pictured Ron--strong, brave Ron--knowing he was going to be killed so painfully and fighting through Crucias like a Master, being brave when Harry had be so weak.
"You tortured them, Draco."
Draco looked at the stone floor, the tears on his face still falling.
"You tortured four people to death and you...you think people don't deserve to enjoy your death?"
"He..."
"Voldemort has power, but you enjoyed it. Don't tell me you didn't."
It was quiet for some time, Harry coldly regarding the prisoner and the prisoner like a scared toddler on the floor. Some time had passed and Harry stood to leave, turning his back on Draco and walking to the door.
"He wanted me to kill you, you know."
Harry stopped suddenly, but didn't turn.
"He spoke to me and told me he wanted me to murder you. I talked him into killing them instead. 'It'll hurt more', I said. He laughed. Oh god, how he laughed. He...he...he knew. I know he knew."
Harry's hand came in contact with the door handle and whispered, "Knew what, Draco?"
Another laugh.
"That I loved you. I couldn't, and he knew that and I knew that, and....he knew he would kill you anyway."
He pressed down on the door and pulled it open, breath coming in gasps and unable to speak.
"Are you enjoying it now, Potter?"
Harry walked out quickly, pushing past the guards and listening to the door close with relief and pain.
It hurt to breathe, and he was afraid he knew why.
Blue against green, dark against light, a never-ending battle that would end tonight.
Harry pressed just enough and Draco looked away, moving slightly and his manacles clanging loud enough to reverberate throughout the room.
"What does a dead man do on his last day, Malfoy? Enlighten me."
Draco looked out through the barred window, eyes cold and steady. "You've killed enough people in your time, Potter. You tell me," he looked into Harry's eyes and smiled wickedly, "Tell Granger I said, congratulations."
Harry flinched, forcing himself to stay still and not be bated. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear you're happy for her. She wanted to be here herself, but I promised I'd explain every single second of it with excruciating detail."
A ghost of smile passed over his face and Draco never looked away. "It'll never be won. You know that, don't you? We're everywhere."
"Voldemort's dead, Malfoy. Get over it. It's over."
His laugh filled the room and he threw his head back, still laughing with tears in his eyes.
Harry watched, eyes narrowing with each movement and....he froze.
Malfoy's laughter had faded into deep, uncontrollable sobbing. He watched in horror as Draco clutched his chest and heaved out breath, tears streaming down his face and eyes wide with terror that Harry felt much more than he ever thought could be possible.
"It's...it's funny, Potter. I...I watched them kill my father and it," Draco took a breath and his words came out in whined fear, "...looked so painful. I...I remember...."
He began sobbing again, curling in on himself, and sliding from the chair he'd been on to the floor, looking all a frightened child.
"Draco...."
Blue eyes met green and Draco whispered, "He told me...he told me you'd kill me. Weasley, he...he laughed in my...he spit on my face and he whispered you'd kill me and enjoy it. Are you, enjoying it?"
Harry's eyes were wet when he pictured Ron--strong, brave Ron--knowing he was going to be killed so painfully and fighting through Crucias like a Master, being brave when Harry had be so weak.
"You tortured them, Draco."
Draco looked at the stone floor, the tears on his face still falling.
"You tortured four people to death and you...you think people don't deserve to enjoy your death?"
"He..."
"Voldemort has power, but you enjoyed it. Don't tell me you didn't."
It was quiet for some time, Harry coldly regarding the prisoner and the prisoner like a scared toddler on the floor. Some time had passed and Harry stood to leave, turning his back on Draco and walking to the door.
"He wanted me to kill you, you know."
Harry stopped suddenly, but didn't turn.
"He spoke to me and told me he wanted me to murder you. I talked him into killing them instead. 'It'll hurt more', I said. He laughed. Oh god, how he laughed. He...he...he knew. I know he knew."
Harry's hand came in contact with the door handle and whispered, "Knew what, Draco?"
Another laugh.
"That I loved you. I couldn't, and he knew that and I knew that, and....he knew he would kill you anyway."
He pressed down on the door and pulled it open, breath coming in gasps and unable to speak.
"Are you enjoying it now, Potter?"
Harry walked out quickly, pushing past the guards and listening to the door close with relief and pain.
It hurt to breathe, and he was afraid he knew why.