If Today Was Your Last Day, a harry potter fanfic

p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; text-align: left;" align="center"span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16.065px;"Created: 25/01/2010/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Rating: TEEN for swearing, mentions of canon character deaths and mild sexual themes /COMPLETE!/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A/N: Italics are quotes from J.K. Rowling's Canon HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, so obviously I claim no rights to those direct lines from the book; this non-profit fiction is heavily based on the original work of J.K. Rowling./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Songfic: If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback, lyrics (not mine either, obviously)./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"strong style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"If Today Was Your Last Day/strong/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : : :* * *: : : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"strong style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"THE END/strong/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : : :* * *: : : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"My best friend gave me the best advicebr /He said each day's a gift and not a given rightbr /Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behindbr /And try to take the path less travelled bybr /That first step you take is the longest stride/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"If today was your last daybr /and tomorrow was too latebr /could you say goodbye to yesterday?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you live each moment like your last?br /Leave old pictures in the pastbr /donate every dime you have?br /If today was your last day/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry pulled out the Invisibility Cloak when he reached a stationary stair case./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Potter?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The voice echoed in the empty corridor and Harry spun on his heel to find Draco Malfoy walking slowly closer with a different wand held limp at his side. Harry thought it looked a lot like Goyle's, or maybe it was Crabbe's, from a distance; short and chunky with dark wood, Malfoy must have borrowed it after he lost his mother's wand in the Fiendfyre./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Malfoy?' Harry stared with his right hand poised over his back pocket, unsure of what he should be expecting, his Invisibility Cloak forgotten in his left hand./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Where are you going?' there was a peculiar hitch to Malfoy's voice. He looked unnaturally pale, the greyish tinge was still present from last year, his once snow white complexion was but a vivid memory in Harry's mind, his cold grey eyes were dull and glassy as if he was in shock, and Harry felt a now familiar stab of pity for Malfoy when he remembered the tears the other young man had shed after realising Crabbe would not make it out of the Room of Hidden Things./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry sighed. He really did not want to pause; neither did he want to think lest he lose his nerve. And he could not lose it. He could not lose./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Where do you think I'm going?' said Harry a lot harsher than he had intended. He didn't stop. 'Do you want to take me yourself? To prove to Voldemort what a perfect little Death Eater you really are?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy's wince penetrated his watery sneer. Harry would have snorted but he was apprehensive about how vulnerable Malfoy appeared. He didn't like that Malfoy had become a person in his eyes and was no longer a childhood villain in his black and white world, instead he saw all the self-inflicted torment Harry, himself had gone through, and was still going through, reflected in pale eyes. He resented Malfoy even more for it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Don't be an idiot, Potter. You can't go out there by yourself, you'll be killed!' When Harry just stared at him impassively, Malfoy's cheeks flushed with angry colour and he pressed his lips into a thin white line. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'Gryffindors,'/span he spat out like the word left a bad taste in his mouth, 'bloody stupid the lot of you! If you're not risking your necks then you're coming up with new and ridiculous ways to break them, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"honestly/span!' Malfoy was shaking with fury, his flush blotting his neck and visible forehead. 'For once in your life, Potter, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"think /spanbefore you put your neck out there. A lot of people will die once you're gone; the world doesn't stop if span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you /spandie, it goes on without you!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I know that!' shouted Harry, frustrated Malfoy had the cheek to accuse him of anything. 'You think I don't know people are dying? Look around, Malfoy!' Harry swung his arms out wide gesturing wildly at the disarray all around them. 'span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"I /spanunderstand perfectly well what's going on, but what about span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you/span, Malfoy?' said Harry, his tone condemning. 'Do span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you /spanunderstand what a monster your master is? Do span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you /spanknow if he wins then he is going to kill you too? He doesn't span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"feel/span, Malfoy! He can't love! He will span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"kill/span you, just like all the Muggles and Muggle-borns you hate so much. You think you're helping yourself but you're not!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"I /spanKNOW THAT!' screamed Malfoy, his words ricocheting off the walls, over and over again, fading into the distance until the deafening silence enclosed around them again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry gawked at him. Malfoy's pointed nose was scrunched up in disgust while his voice faded into nothing, but in the ensuing silence he sighed heavily, and it was a sigh Harry had felt many times before, when the weight of the whole world was pressing on his shoulders, pushing him down, and he had become utterly exhausted from carrying it around everywhere he went for so long./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I know what the Dark Lord is, Potter,' said Malfoy grudgingly. 'And I have no false pretences about what is to happen to me.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Then why are you on his side?' Harry demanded, unconvinced./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Because… it was expected of me, and I do so hate not living up to other people's expectations,' his sarcasm was tangible through his weak sneer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'So, you chose to join Voldemort because we span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"expected /spanyou to? That's ridiculous!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Chose? Do you really think I had a choice?' Malfoy screeched, his wand hand trembling at his side. 'You're the one with the twit choices here, Potter! I had none! And here you are again, the span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"great Harry Potter /spanmaking another span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"daft/span cock up! Before you condemn others, Potter, perhaps you should take a long look in the bloody mirror!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I don't have a choice either!' shouted Harry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes you do, you mug!' said Malfoy, his voice sounded strained./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'NO, I DON'T!' Harry's voice was too loud through the empty castle corridors. He stood shaking from head to toe from anger because of the constant rain of insults, or the fear of what was to come after; maybe both. 'There are people dying, because of span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"me/span! It's always because of me! I'm the only one who can end this and it span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"has/span to span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"end/span, Malfoy!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry's eyes burned with unshed tears but he ignored them. Malfoy's grey skin appeared ghostly in the moonlight leaching in through the broken window and the crumbling stone wall, a cool spring breeze raising the hair on Harry's exposed arms and neck beneath his wild, singed shoulder-length hair./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'This was how it was always supposed to end! I was span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"never/span meant to survive! All my life I've been avoiding the inevitable, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"I'm supposed to die/span and this is it! But it doesn't mean I'm not going to take Voldemort down with me!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy was shaking his head frantically at Harry with wide, disbelieving eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No.' he whispered. 'No! That's a lie! You're just being the egotistical, reckless imbecile you always are! Get span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"over /spanyourself, Potter! The whole bleeding world doesn't revolve around you!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry laughed hysterically./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Me?' said Harry feeling his eyes stream. 'That's rich coming from you! You've always had to be the centre of attention!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'And how would you know?' Malfoy demanded heatedly. 'It's not as if span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you /spanever paid any attention!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry abruptly stopped laughing and looked at the fuming Slytherin and Death Eater in front of him like he had never seen him before. Maybe he never truly had./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'You … you span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"insufferable brat/span, how much bloody attention did you want? You had the whole of Slytherin at your beck and call! Was that not enough for you, your span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"highness/span?' Harry barely resisted the urged to imitate Snape in fifth year, and bow ironically like the Potions Professor had back in Umbridge's office./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy pursed his lips in irritation; the restraint he was trying his damned hardest span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"not/span to show was obvious to Harry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'If I wasn't who I am then you wouldn't have given me the time of day,' he said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry frowned at the other man; it was a very odd thing to say./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Of course, I wouldn't have; you wouldn't be you if you weren't span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you/span!' Malfoy raised a condescending eyebrow and Harry rolled his eyes. 'You know what I mean. You're Draco Malfoy, and you wouldn't be who you are without the name, that hair, the snobbish clothes and the evil personality.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What's wrong with my hair?' Malfoy narrowed his eyes critically, his left hand unconsciously reaching up to run through the soft looking pale strands./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry's subdued half-smile was in amusement. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"That /spanwas what Draco Malfoy picked to argue with; his span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"hair/span./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Nothing's span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"wrong/span with it. It's just span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"always/span slicked back. I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down until now,' said Harry, speculating./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy's cheeks flushed pink with something other than antagonism this time. It struck Harry as a very unusual reaction./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Malfoy?' said Harry, feeling cautious all of a sudden. He was not sure if he wanted an answer. 'Why do you care? I mean,' he hesitated when Malfoy looked at him in alarm. 'span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"If /spanyou care, do you? I thought you would want me dead.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No, I don't want you dead,' said Malfoy evenly. His expression was guarded but Harry could just glimpse the sincerity in his eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The echo of his memory shouted, 'don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!' helped to convince him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'But then, you're Harry Potter and the only hope anyone has to winning this war, I have to care.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry felt a sinking feeling in his stomach; he hated his name said like that./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Harry Potter,' said Harry experimentally. 'I never liked the fame, you know? I know you think I'm some pig-headed celebrity but I never wanted any of it. I never wanted to be something special.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'You are pig-headed, Potter,' Malfoy countered but his expression had softened by the slightest fraction. 'But not because you're a celebrity. And whether you or I like it or not, you span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"are /spanspecial.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry gaped at the compliment; never in his life would he have believed Draco Malfoy ever knew how to complement someone, let alone actually manage it and to complement span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"him /spanas well …/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Don't look like that, it doesn't become you. I can be honest when I want to be, I was, if you care to remember, brought up in a high class family before all this bollocks happened. I am perfectly capable of being charming when the situation calls for it,' he said haughtily./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry swallowed the impulse to laugh again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Do you still hate me?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The question took Harry by as much surprise as it did Malfoy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes,' said Malfoy shortly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry felt his stomach clench, in the last moments of his life, he suddenly realised how senseless their hatred had been./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What if I wasn't who I am?' Harry tried. 'What if you weren't who you are?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I would still hate you,' answered Malfoy immediately, and Harry caught his breath at the same moment he felt something very small inside him break away, leaving him feeling empty./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Perhaps, it had been hope?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I don't hate you because you arespan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" "Harry Potter"/span,' Malfoy was confessing but Harry barely heard him through his life's blood, rushing past his ears. 'You probably won't remember this, but I tried to be nice to you before, and I still wanted to be your friend when I found out who you really were. But you chose a Weasley over me.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry scowled as he thought through what Malfoy had just said, all blood rapidly draining from his face./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry's green eyes bore into Malfoy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'You hate me because I wanted to be friends with Ron?' said Harry outrageously. 'You were horrible to his family, what was I supposed to think?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy flushed again with renewed fervour./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'For generations, his and my family have been at ends! I was told every Weasley was a blood traitor and a thief, what do you expect? Besides, he insulted me first!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No, he didn't!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes, he did! He laughed at my name!' Malfoy sneered./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Well, it is unusual.' said Harry defensively./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'And what is wrong with my name?!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Nothing! It's just different, that's all!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy glowered at him and Harry sighed in exasperation. He had to get going; he did not know why he was still here, anyway./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Look, Malfoy, the truce is going to be over soon, I need to go.' Harry turned back towards the staircase./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Wait!' Malfoy shouted behind him and Harry paused to look over his shoulder./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy was closer than he had been before and his expressed was pleading, 'Don't go.' he told him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry sighed again, feeling hollow and entirely helpless./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I have to. I told you, this is how it was meant to be.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy shook his head. There were tears creeping down his cheeks./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Stay,' he said quietly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy reached out and gripped Harry's sleeve, tugging gently. Harry swallowed heavily as a lump of unexpected emotion swelled in his chest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I can't …' Harry whispered wanting nothing more than to assure Malfoy, and himself, he wasn't going anywhere./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Please … Please don't leave me …'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry looked into the eyes of his former rival, the man whom he had hated for seven long years of their lives and found it deeply ironic it was the first wizard he could remember meeting, who wasn't also a half-giant, who would be the person he said his goodbye to./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was almost poetic, in a sick and twisted way./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry remembered the skinny, pale, blond, snobbish boy he had met in Madame Malkin's on the morning of his eleventh birthday, and he reflected on how much things had changed since that first magical day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy was still tall and svelte but Harry found he had to look in a slight downwards angle to meet Malfoy's eyes now. Those pale eyes which had glared at him across every classroom and meal time in the Great Hall, those same eyes which had always been there to mock him whenever he had conveniently made a complete prat out of himself. Harry would have laughed if he had been told just an hour ago that Malfoy's eyes would at any moment be silently begging him not to go, to stay with him, to span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"live/span. But right then, he had no desire to utter a syllable, unwilling to break the spell those eyes had cast over him. They were beautiful, Harry reflected. They had little aqua blue flecks around the pupils; he had never notice before …/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"… It was then Harry felt an unrecognisable force pulling him forward … his cherished Invisibility Cloak slipping, unnoticed, between his slackened fingers ... which is how he came to be with, not Hermione or Ron, not Ginny or even Cho, in his final hour ... but with Draco Malfoy. Kissing him in a deserted corridor inside the building where their rivalry had manifested, while their friends mourned and Death Eaters prepared to ambush the castle at dawn; and it was span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"perfect/span./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All those years of misguided hatred melted into a desperate passion as their lips locked, tongues duelled and teeth clashed. It was intense. Their hands palmed flesh under clothing and fisted hair, and nails scratched at skin attempting to touch every inch of each other before reality could tear them apart./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before Harry knew he was moving, he had walked Malfoy backwards until his back hit the wall. He trapped Malfoy between the corridor wall and his body, wanting nothing more than to crawl under his soft, smooth skin and never leave. He tasted amazing; incredibly warm and fresh, and Harry just could not get enough. Perhaps, it was just because he knew this would be his last chance at intimacy but Harry had never been so hard in all his young life./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"When breathing became a problem, they had to come up for air. Malfoy was flushed rose-pink and panting; his eyes were huge and glassy, up close. Harry tried to slow his breathing and steadied himself on the wall behind Malfoy while refusing himself the notion of pressing his lips back against where he so wanted them to be./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy leaned into him, but Harry stepped out of reach./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"At the hurt look in Malfoy's eyes, he instantly regretted it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I have to go, before I'm too late.' Harry strived to explain, his lips burning with the heat of Malfoy's kiss./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy's flushed face instantly became livid./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'So that's it; bye then? You make me sick.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy pushed him violently away, and Harry stumbled further back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'So what was that?' Malfoy demanded, 'Sympathy? Some sick punishment? Or did you just fancy some clichéd hero's "farewell kiss" span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"bollocks/span and I'm just span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"convenient/span?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry rubbed at his eyes behind his glasses; it had been an extremely long twenty-four hours./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I can't do this right now, I have to go.' He turned to leave yet again, picking up his discarded Cloak without breaking his stride, determined./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Well, right now is all I've got, isn't it? You're walking off to your span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"death/span for fucks sake!' Malfoy shouted after him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry stopped in his tracks. It was true, and it wasn't fair./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry felt sick because he did not have enough time left./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Just tell me what it meant,' Malfoy said in a small voice./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry looked back and saw Malfoy still leaning against the wall as if without it, he would crumble to the ground, and Harry's chest ached./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I don't know,' answered Harry truthfully. Malfoy closed his eyes and turned his head away, his cheek pressed against the cool stone of the wall behind him. 'I'm sorry, I just… I don't know. I'm so sorry.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Malfoy looked back at him; tears were relentlessly streaking down in face./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I hate you,' he whispered and when Harry searched his storming grey eyes, they confirmed it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All Harry could think of to do was nod and, finally walk down the stationary staircase while his lips tingled detractively. His head was swimming with memories and thoughts about what had happened in the past, and what had happened only a moment ago. He was so confused. Never in his life would he have thought he was attracted to Draco Malfoy, but apparently, he might have been all along./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Flashes of past encounters with his Slytherin counterpart seemed different to him now, as if someone had turned on a light inside his head and he could see everything which had been shadowed before, and he was realising how much he had always cared what Malfoy was doing, where he was and what he was thinking. Although, Harry had reasoned, it was because he was certain Malfoy was evil and always up to something undoubtedly sinister, when in reality it could most likely have been Harry's way of wishing his paranoid suspicions were all a lie./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And, somehow, it had been./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry felt something close to hilarity bubbling up in his aching chest. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Now would be the time for life altering revelations/span, he thought bitterly; when he was only minutes away from death./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It would never have worked out anyway; I'm not gay/span. Harry told himself frankly. They were too different. Everything was against them and would still be even without Voldemort complicating things further. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It is better this way/span. Harry deliberated gravely, and yet, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he felt deep down there was no one he had more chemistry with./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"With Cho and even Ginny – whom he had convinced himself, he was in love with – it had never felt completely right with either of them. There had always been something holding him back, distracting him from making a full commitment like how he had desperately desired. However, on the brink of death he could not help thinking span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"that/span kiss had been phenomenal, and he felt remorse for the fact he would never have the chance to discover whatever had just transpired between him and Draco./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak over himself and descended through the floors, at last walking down the marble staircase into the Entrance Hall. Perhaps some tiny part of him hoped to be sensed, to be seen, to be stopped, /spanfor Draco to come running after him, determined to stop him span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"but the Cloak was, as ever, impenetrable, perfect, and /spanDraco would never be so rash as to expose himself to the Order. He was too Slytherin. It was just who he was, and Harry did not begrudge him for it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Not anymore./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He reached the front doors easily./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"If today was your last daybr /and tomorrow was too latebr /could you say goodbye to yesterday?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you live each moment like your last?br /Leave old pictures in the pastbr /donate every dime you have?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : :* *: : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco sat slumped against the corridor wall listening to the descent of Potter's footsteps on the staircases; his lips were puffy and moist from Potter's kiss. He did not know what had possessed him to try to stop Potter from his span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"stupid/span, and predictable, plan to sacrifice himself so he would not have to watch his little friends die./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was a little distraught at the moment./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He supposed it could have been the trauma of knowing one of his best friends had killed himself. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The foolish idiot. /spanBut then, it could also be the anguish of having to serve the Dark Lord finally catching up with him, and the memories which would haunt him throughout the rest of his days./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not want to move, he wanted to stay exactly where he was. Maybe, Potter would change his mind and come back to find him here? Draco immediately chastised himself; Potter would not change his mind, it was not in his nature./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was not coming back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt the hot tears streaking down his face, and they would not stop no matter how many times or how quickly he blinked them away./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He squeezed his eyes closed tight and let out a shaky breath./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It was not meant to hurt this much./span Potter was nothing but a thorn in his side, and so Draco had been telling himself for years. However, if it were true then why did he still have vivid dreams of the first time he ever saw the scrawny, and scruffy, dark haired boy in Madam Malkin's almost eight years ago? Those almond-shaped and innocent, emerald green eyes had captivated Draco, peeking out from behind the most horrendously glasses he had ever seen. Somehow, the fact the boy had been dressed in ghastly muggle clothing, and was clearly poor, had not mattered. All of Lucius' teachings had flown out of Madam Malkin's window that day, because Draco wanted to be friends with this boy, and he had tried everything he knew to impress him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Nevertheless, Draco had not been good enough. The Malfoy name was not enough to make an impression on this strange, intriguing boy; everything his father had told him would get him everything he could ever want, could not give him this boy's friendship./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was the insult from a Weasley, which had wounded his pride enough to make him careless, and had threw him off his game so much, when Potter had rejected him during his first journey on the Hogwarts Express, it had taken him completely off guard. It had span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"hurt/span./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"No other child had ever hurt Draco before; his father had made sure of it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And Draco had never forgiven Potter for that day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Hurried footsteps echoed around the corridor from out of the dim./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco wiped quickly at his face and came unsteadily to his feet, Crabbe's wand at his side. He did not want to leave, for whatever reason, but he did not want to be caught either. Making a hasty decision, he slipped behind a convenient tapestry and into a hidden alcove since Hogwarts had plenty of both to spare./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The footsteps slowed as the intruders entered the corridor and heavy breathing could be heard as Draco held his own./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'HARRY!' A recognisable voice called out frantically./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco grimaced as if he was in physical pain, repressing a loud, mortified groan. This was all he needed; a confrontation with Potter's lousy sidekicks./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Harry!' And there predictably followed the unmistakable ghoulish grunt of Weaselby./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Where is he?' Granger sounded hysterical. 'You don't think he went out to face Voldemort on his own, do you? Oh, no! He has, hasn't he? Ron, we have to do something!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What? We're no match for You-Know-Who and you know it! Harry has a better chance of surviving then we do. You-Know-Who hasn't been able to kill him yet! What's to say now will be any different?' was the Weasel's reply./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco unexpectedly felt white-hot rage boil inside of him. How span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"dare/span that overgrown goblin call himself, Harry Potter's best friend! span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"This/span is the wizard Potter had picked over him?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Shocking himself, he abruptly stepped out from his hiding place with Crabbe's wand outstretched in front of him. Weasley and Granger saw him at the same moment and both went for their own wands./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The imbeciles had been running about the castle with their wands in their pockets./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry Potter's best friends, defenceless./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'Incarcerous,'/span hissed Draco, his wand slashing through the air./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Ropes rapidly snaked around Weasley's gangly limbs, squeezing tight./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'Expelliarmus!'/span Draco shouted over Granger's smart attempt at a counter curse. Her wand flew into the air before her spell was completed and Draco caught it with his marvellous Seeker reflexes, which were far more advanced than Potter's, by the way./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He trained Crabbe's wand on Granger's tense figure, which surprisingly now actually resembled a figure albeit more curvy than his preference, whilst the stiff lump that was the Undesirable Ginger Git toppled unceremoniously to the floor at her feet./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'LET ME GO, YOU LITTLE PRICK!' Ginger demanded, pathetically struggling against his bounds./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What have you done with Harry?' said Granger, and Draco barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Just barely. At least he was reassured that some things just never change./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Potter has left the building,' said Draco as casually as he could manage./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not want to publicize any weaknesses after all, and he had learned long ago that Potter was definitely a weakness of his./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'WHY, YOU! I'M GONE'NA KILL YOU!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What do you mean? What have you done?' The Brightest Witch of Her Age continued to accuse him, The Brightest Wizard of His Age./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I have done nothing!' said Draco heatedly. Although, he tried to calm himself down with a deep breath, since now was not the time for a Malfoy tantrum. 'He left on his own. I just thought I'd let you know before you end up doing something equally as brainless.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Why did he leave? How do you know he left?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco noticed the tears in the Mudblood's span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"(Muggle-born's?) /spaneyes and his throat constricted unhelpfully./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I saw him leave,' said Draco shortly. 'He said something about him never having supposed to survive and it should have ended then and something about it having to end now. None of it made any sense to me,' he added the last in as off-handed a manner as he could illustrate./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'LIAR! YOU IMPERIOUSED HIM, DIDN'T YOU? WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE YOU'RE DEAD, MALFOY!' Weasley ranted, but his threats went ignored./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco couldn't even be bothered to think of more insults for him, he was span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"that/span distraught./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger's watery brown eyes widened as though struck by sudden inspiration, but then she shook her curly brown head and cried even harder./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'He's seen the memory ...' she sobbed quietly because, evidently it should explain everything. 'He saw Snape's memory.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Professor Snape?' Draco choked out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He did not want to know. He did not want to hear it!/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"However, know-it-all Granger could, ironically, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"not/span read minds and so nodded to him gravely./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Voldemort killed Snape not long ago. We saw him,' she said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Why didn't you save him?' Draco bemoaned as his eyes burned anew, but he already knew the answer was obvious./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'If we had tried then we would all be dead,' said Granger harshly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand and tried again to collect himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"First, his best friend killed himself then his long-standing crush willingly walked into a death trap, and now his godfather was murdered?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Who was next?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He coughed with the effort not to scream./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I want to see the memory,' Draco decided./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"If for nothing else, if all was now lost; he needed to know why Potter would feel like he had to do this, and maybe discover what had caused The Boy Who Lived turned The Man Who Died Cowardly to kiss span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"him/span./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not know, nor did he even carespan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" why/span he had to see it, he just knew hespan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" needed/span to see the memory before the entire Wizarding world literally craved in on its self./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger looked at him curiously./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'NO! DON'T LET HIM, HERMIONE! HE'S JUST GOING TO USE IT AGAINST US!' Weasley warned loudly from his place at their feet./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I don't think it matters at the moment,' said Granger, surprising Draco enough for it to show on his face./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Weasley spluttered on the floor in outrage./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I want to see it too, besides if Harry does …' Granger struggled to find her breath. 'If he does … span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"fail/span …'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt his stomach clench painfully./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'… then we need to know what Harry knows so we can help everyone left behind.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'But Hermione!' Weasley, it seemed, was determined to protest to any and all cooperation. 'He can't find out! It would be like showing You-Know-Who the memory!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger was looking at Draco sternly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'If he does tell then it would be too late anyway. It's not as if he could make much of a difference now.' she proclaimed with confidence Draco didn't think she was faking. Weasley, however, did not seem so sure./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco nodded stiffly, not knowing how else to respond./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'The Pensieve is in Dumbledore's office,' Granger said./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco appeared to be the only one who noticed Granger's slip; McGonagall was the Headmistress now but somehow it was still natural to refer to it as Professor Dumbledore's office./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Natural to everyone but Draco, since he could only shiver with self-revulsion every time he heard the loony codger's dead name./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco nodded as if he had not noticed. He was aware, as was everyone else who had attending Hogwarts during the past seven years, that Potter and his miscreants had been close to the late Headmaster, not half because the old fool had frankly let them get away with anything and everything while he was alive, and even awarded them house points for it too. But then, Professor McGonagall was just the same./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Potter and his pals were always let off far too easily. And the hypocrites accused Professor Snape of favouritism! Snape merely balanced the playing field, marginally, and now he was gone, along with any hope of Slytherin House coming through this War on the other side./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger turned slowly and began to walk towards the crumbled gargoyle lying across the Headmistress' Office entrance./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco resentfully cast a levitation spell on the silent Weasel after an extended moment contemplating the definite pros in leaving the gangly vermin behind, but finally decided against it with a long suffering sigh; he was relieved he wouldn't have to listen to his ghoulish mumbles, at least./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"When Draco caught up with Granger, Weasley floating precariously in tow, she was stepping cautiously over the miserable looking gargoyle between pitiful apologies./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco rolled his eyes as he stepped on the gargoyle, not uttering a word of sentiment while the beastly thing shouted obscenities at his heels./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The door was closed when they reached the top of the moving staircase. Granger looked suspiciously at the ornate carved door before gently turning the golden handle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The room was exactly the same as it had ever looked, Draco remembered from last year when Professor Dumbledore had summoned him to this Office to ask veiled questions about his 'extracurricular activities'. Of course, now when Draco looked back on it, he felt disgusted with how blindly he had convinced himself the Headmaster was oblivious of what he had been up to in his spare time. How he had deluded himself so completely into believing he could fool the one and only Wizard the Dark Lord had always feared./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The night on the Astronomy Tower had proved it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was as if the battle had completely missed this small sanctuary. Draco felt a comforting sense of safety in this room, same as he had done before, as he looked around at all the empty portraits of the past Headmasters until a flicker of flamboyant colour drew his attention to the largest portrait sharply, hanging directly behind the Headmaster's desk./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger gasped beside him as she, too, realized they were not alone in the room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The previous Headmaster was very much there with them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Weasley was, predictably, the last to notice and his chocked gurgle was the only sound to announce the intake of this new slice of information./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco was too shocked to even roll his eyes. The last time he had seen the wizard's wrinkly face was when Draco had pointed his Hawthorn wand at him with the intention to kill./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco had been having nightmares about reprisals on both Dumbledore's part and Potter's, but he had never expected to actually come face to face with the deceased Headmaster again …/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : :* *: : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you call old friends you never see?br /Reminisce of memoriesbr /would you forgive your enemies?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"… Voldemort titled his head a little to the side, considering the boy standing before him, and a singularly mirthless smile curled the lipless mouth./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'Harry Potter,' he said, very softly. His voice might have been part of the spitting fire. 'The boy who lived.'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting; everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, and Bellatrix was panting, and Harry /spantried to thinkspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /spanofspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /spanGinny in what he knew to be his last seconds on Earth, but storming grey eyes with pale flashes of lightning invaded his mind and the continued feel of his tingling lips suddenly burned with the recent memory of his and Draco's intensely passionate first kiss span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"–/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?br /Swear up and down to God abovebr /that you finally fall in lovebr /if today was your last day/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : :**: : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'P-Professor?' Granger's voice shook with an emotion, Draco didn't recognize./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes, my dear, it is me,' the Portrait spoke softly. The piecing forget-me-not blue eyes smiled sadly down at them as Draco, Granger and Weasley stared up in astonishment. 'Do not be frightened. I am merely a memory of my former self, as are all wizarding portraits. I was not supposed to make my presence known until later, but you have caught me a bit off guard.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'P-Professor, we-we're so sorry –' Granger began, but the phantom memory raised his painted palm to stop her proceeding./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Do not apologise, my dear. It isspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" I,/span who should be doing so. For persons so young, you three have exceeded so many of my expectations. I am very proud of what you have accomplished.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco frowned at the Headmaster's assertions./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Did you say, the three of us?' Draco asked, so bewildered he momentarily forgot his overwhelming need to shrink into the shadows where he would be more welcome./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'That I did, my boy.' The daft, wise man smiled sadly at Draco, causing a chill to race down the lone Slytherin's spine. 'I am very proud of Harry, Miss Granger and young Mister Weasley, of course, but do not think I have not thought about the challenges you have faced throughout it all. You, Mister Malfoy, have had the most difficult battle of all; an internal battle which would force a difficult decision from you. A choice, between what is right, and what is easy. But, of course, these choices are never easy when family is involved. Harry, himself has had to make the same decision, and he chose wisely. As have you, isn't that right?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco's pale cheeks flushed brightly pink, hearing what was surely an implication that Professor Dumbledore, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"somehow/span, knew about the kiss Draco and Potter had shared in the corridor beyond this room. And he could see Granger at the corner of his eye, watching him peculiarly, as if he would ever, even unintentionally, give away the answer to her silent bombard of questions. At least, Weasley was still gaping ogrishly, hovering in the air on his side, behind Draco./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mischief./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I-I don't know what you mean,' Draco stammered, trying to regain his composure when a heavy feeling of foreboding had fallen upon his shoulders./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Oh, I think you do, Draco. Do not be ashamed of who you are. Some wizards were simply not meant for the dark,' Professor Dumbledore pressed good-naturedly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I – Of span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"course/span, I'm made for the dark! My whole family is span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"made for the dark/span. Why shouldn't I be?' Draco said defensively./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It struck Draco straight in his chest when the late Headmaster pierced him with a patiently disbelieving look./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'And I was so sure your mother wasn't either. She never did get branded with the Dark Mark, isn't that correct? And she wished for you not to wear it also, but Lord Voldemort is a powerful man to disagree with, wouldn't you say?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes … Professor,' said Draco, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He didn't want to return to the Dark Lord's services anyway, not after the things he had seen, now he span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"knew/span, so why bother trying to defend the tatters of his honour? 'I don't think I want to fight for the dark, anymore.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No, I thought not. Not to worry, my boy. All will be well soon enough,' the likeness assured./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Professor?' said Granger keenly, with a clear question on the tip of her tongue./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes, my dear?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'We think Harry went out to face V-Voldemort, on his own –'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Ah, yes. That is correct,' the Professor confirmed gravely. 'It was the right decision, and Voldemort will be mortal once more.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'You mean he can be killed?' Granger probed with enthusiasm Draco didn't understand./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What about, Potter?' Draco said before he could stop himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger looked at him even more curiously as Draco held his breath./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yes, Miss Granger, he can be killed. And Harry has fulfilled the prophecy,' Dumbledore answered with an all-knowing smile, and Draco's teeth began to grind./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'So, he'll be alright?' Weasley spoke at last, no longer impersonating an incompetent wizard who had been stupefied./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Why don't you see for yourselves?' The likeness of Dumbledore avoided unexpectedly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What do you mean, Professor?' Granger inquired in anticipation when all Draco wanted to do, was scream./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I mean, Miss Granger, that sunrise is on the horizon. It is time to face the morning.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco gritted his teeth to silence the scrapping, and looked passed the window to see the sky lightening in the distance./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The truce was over./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger and Weasley looked to one another, the fright shinning in their wide eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The moment of truth had arrived./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger saw Draco watching them and gave him a heavy look full of confusion./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Not ever wanting to deal with her inquisitiveness, Draco turned back to the previous Headmaster's portrait only to see an empty frame./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He'd gone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And so must they go, to join the others and wait for whatever the morning will bring./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Against the grain should be a way of lifebr /What's worth the prize is always worth the fightbr /Every second counts 'cause there's no second trybr /So live like you'll never live it twicebr /Don't take the free ride in your own life/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco, Granger and Weasley ran through the corridors, heading towards the Great Hall. Granger had rightly said they were needed amongst the wounded, before the Dark Lord's army attacked again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Everybody had to be warned that Harry had fulfilled the prophecy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Nevertheless, Draco had only one thing on his mind since he had left the Headmistress' office, and he carried on running past the Great Hall and on through the Entrance Hall./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Malfoy!' Granger called after him. And Draco begrudgingly paused, huffing. 'Where are you going? We agreed to stay in the Great Hall!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I'm going out there,' Draco gasped out, his mind already outside and racing away from them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What? You planning on facing You-Know-Who yourself, are you?' Weasley scoffed at him sceptically./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I have to see whether Potter's d – span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"dead/span. They don't know I've switched sides, they won't suspect me,' said Draco in a flutter of anxiety./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Don't be ridiculous, you can't predict what the Death Eaters will do now. You can't take a risk like that, we have to stay together!' said Granger with determination./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt a shiver of respect for the Mudblood – er, Muggle-born –She had backbone, which was a bloody good thing because she was going to need it being in a long term commitment with the Weasel who sure as hell didn't have any./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It had been so span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"obvious/span they would get together, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"everyone /spanknew it; it was sickening to watch./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I can't go in there, I'll be cursed on the spot,' Draco protested. 'I just have to see for myself whether Potter is alive or not.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Why do you even care? I don't get it,' said Weasley, finally voicing his inner grumblings. 'You're suddenly on our side? Since when?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco sighed heavily. He did not have the time or the patience to explain anything to a Weasley./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I don't – Just … trust Dumbledore,' said Draco tiredly. It was bad enough the kook of a Headmaster seemed to know about his weak moment with Potter, he was not about to tell Potter's friends./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Suddenly a high, cold voice spoke so close, it sounded as if he was standing right behind him. Draco jumped and spun around with Crabbe's wand raised frightfully, where only air greeted him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The Dark Lord had magically magnified his voice so it swelled through the grounds, reverberated from the walls and floor, to crash upon their eardrums./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco all of a sudden felt a piecing pain in his chest as his knees buckled under him. He began to panic when he could not draw breath; he crumpled onto the stone floor. He hurt all over./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"God/span, it hurt span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"so/span much. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt sick to his stomach./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Granger's face was as bloodless as ash, and Weasley looked shattered. The whole of the castle seemed to be petrified by the news of Harry Potter, no one wanted to believe it, no one wanted to find out if it was true./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No. No, no, no…' whispered Draco, squeezing his eyes closed tight./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was not real./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not believe it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'Come.'/span The Dark Lord taunted him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Slowly, Draco begun to hear footsteps from inside the Great Hall, and they were coming closer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco was weeping pitifully, clutching at his chest as if he was attempting to rip out his own heart. It would make no difference if he had, Draco reflected absent from his internal torment; nothing could feel worse than this./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Nothing/span./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco barely acknowledged the hands underneath his unresisting arms as he was being dragged somewhere by someone, he barely heard the hysterical voices or the harsh whispers near him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"There was nothing./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Nothing ... but the pain./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The grief./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The loss./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Malfoy? Stay here, okay? Can you hear me?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Someone was talking to him, whispering soothingly and rubbing at his arms as if they were trying to starve off a chill./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"However, Draco was not cold./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was not anything./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was completely unfeeling; numb./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco never recognized that he was left on his own./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not mind./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He wanted it this way./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was dark where he was, but it was okay./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not want to see./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was deadly quiet wherever he had been lead, but it was just fine./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not want to hear./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And somewhere, in some withdrawn part of his senses, he knew it was cold where he sat, rigid and motionless./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"However, that did not matter to him either./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He could not feel./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : :* *: : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"If today was your last daybr /would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?br /You know it's never too late to shoot for the starsbr /Regardless of who you are/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"So do whatever it takesbr /'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this lifebr /Let nothin' stand in your waybr /Cause the hands of time are never on your side/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : :* *: : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Draco?!' the distant echo of a woman's voice called out his name repeatedly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'…Draco!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco stared unseeingly at the stone floor at his feet. His vision was blurred and distorted, possibly through the tears he could feel burning behind his eyelids every time he blinked./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"246, he had counted thus far./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The number of times he had blinked since he had broken./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Draco?!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman's voice insisted on calling to him over and over again, he thought it was coming closer, but he could not be sure. He could not be sure of anything, anymore./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"254 … it felt comforting to count; it was productive, distracting … 258 …/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'My darling? Where are you?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman's voice was familiar, and it sparked an emotion deep inside him. A longing … span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"longing/span for a mother's touch, the type of touch which could sooth any pain./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'My dragon, there you are,' said Narcissa Malfoy with astounded relief./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She wrapped her arms around her motionless son and held him close, breathing in his scent to assure herself that she had him again, that he was safe and he was real./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Oh, my darling, don't ever leave my side again,' she whispered into his feather soft hair, placing a kiss on the crown of his head./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco remained stiff in his mother's arms, his tears coming faster and harsher when he realised the pain was still there, that even his mother's touch could not starve away his grief./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Draco, what is wrong?' said Narcissa worriedly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She pulled back to look her anguished son over, frantically looking for injuries./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Oh, mother,' Draco sobbed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He could not help himself from falling back into his mother's embrace. He clung to her as if she was his only lifeline./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'It hurts span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"so/span much … I can't stand it …'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What, darling? What hurts, where?' said Narcissa fretfully./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'He's gone,' whispered Draco harshly, his body shaking violently. 'He's span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"dead/span, and I never got to tell him …'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Who?' Narcissa pressed quietly, aware of how distressed her son was./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"love /spanhim.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco wanted to scream it at her, to try and make her understand his pain, but he could not. He felt abused and lifeless, and it reflected in his voice./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I love him span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"so much /span…'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Oh, Draco…' Narcissa sighed, bringing her son closer to herself, letting him cry against her neck./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was no surprise to her; purebloods had nothing against same sex relationships as long as the bloodlines were continued, (always the very first priority), and she had long since known her son favoured men. Of course, Lucius was none the wiser, both she and Draco feared his response should he ever discover the truth./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"But with all her precious boy had been through the past three years since the Dark Lord's return, she had hoped he could find comfort in a companion, at the very least, but it seemed Draco could not even be permitted that much./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Shhhh now,' she whispered soothingly, stroking his fine hair like she used to when he had been small; before the Dark Lord had isolated him from her and Lucius, before his childhood innocence had been stripped from him through torture and forced committing of crimes, under the threat of death. 'It will all be over soon. The Light, they have the advantage now, and once the Potter boy has dealt with the Dark Lord –'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco went rigid in her arms, his ragged breathing the only sound in the small broom cupboard./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa watched with growing concern as Draco lifted his head slowly and peered at her through red rimmed eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He stared at her impassively./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'W-what?' he whispered, his breathing unsteady./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa frowned at her son and reached out to stroke his wet cheek, but his hand shot up to stop her, holding her soft hand in a vice-like grip which told of his urgency./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa's blue eyes went wide in astonishment./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'W-what d-id you say?' he repeated more forcefully this time, his breaths coming faster./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I – I think the Light will win, Draco,' said Narcissa carefully. 'Potter is battling the Dark Lord as we speak and even though he is only a half-blood boy –'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No,' said Draco quickly. 'Potter's dead. I heard the Dark Lord –'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'He did not know…' she trailed off, understanding suddenly dawning on her and she looked at her son as a sharp pang of guilt pieced her heart. 'The Dark Lord had me check Potter's pulse when the Killing Curse backfired. Potter faked his death, so he could strike when the Dark Lord no longer considered him a threat. Oh, my dragon … I'm so sorry you thought –'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Potter's alive?' whispered Draco in disbelieve./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not see his mother affirm with a short nod, his heart was thundering in his throat and his ears were buzzing loudly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Potter's alive…' he repeated even quieter than before./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He closed his eyes and felt fresh tears wet his lashes, only these were not tears of painful loss ... but of joyous relief./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I'm going to kill him,' said Draco with a hoarse laugh./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa watched as her son came back to himself, a love so pure shinning in his grey eyes, burning through, there was no doubt in her mind it could even warm a heart made of stone. She had never seen him look so happy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I'm going to kill him,' Draco repeated louder this time, anger making its way sluggishly into his pin-prickling system. 'Where is he?' he demanded of his mother, who was smirking at his behaviour./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Well, the Dark Lord was in the Great Hall last I saw, so I would think ...'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before she could even finish her sentence, Draco had barged his way out of the cramped cupboard, which he now realised he had been dumped in and was storming towards the Entrance Hall./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa smiled indulgently before following her love struck child./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco stalked to the Great Hall entrance; the huge oak doors were open wide permitting anyone who passed admittance inside. Wizards, Witches and magical creatures alike, had fallen back on the sidelines, and Draco and Narcissa joined them without notice. Every eye was trained on the two dangerous, and powerful, wizards circling each other in the centre of the Hall./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco's breath caught in his throat./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Potter was there, alive and looking stronger than ever./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Now Draco had realised his true feelings towards the Gryffindor hero, he recognized the familiar tightening in his chest he had been accustomed to for a long time and, finally acknowledged what it was./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'…I removed it from its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!' the Dark Lord's voice shook with malicious pleasure./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A vicious shiver crawled down Draco's spine./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'You still don't get it, Riddle, do you?'/span Potter's voice was firm, aggressive even and Draco's stomach fluttered with sudden excitement and style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" 'Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? strong style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The wand chooses the wizard /strong… the Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance …'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly, and /spanDraco watched with baited breath as Potter continued to circle with the Dark Lord. His posture was tense with anticipation but his face was completely void of emotion, his gaze impenetrable./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy.'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt his heart skip a beat, barely able to believe the devastating statement./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He had not known that; how could he not know that?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Blank shock showed in the Dark Lord's face for a moment, but then it was gone./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'But what does it matter?' he said softly. 'Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: we duel on skill alone … and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy …'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco took an involuntary step backwards, his eyes wide and terrified. He felt his mother encircle her arms protectively around him, but it did little to keep the icy fist of fear from enveloping him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'But you're too late,' said /spanPotterspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;". 'You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him.' /spanAnd Potterspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" twitched /spanDraco's belovedspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" hawthorn wand /spanand Draco stared at the length of dark wood in his rival's grasp, his fear melting away as a new emotion gripped him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Somehow, the fact Potter possessed his wand sent a thrill from the roots of his hair all the way down to the tips of his toes. It felt right that his wand belonged to the unlikely hero, just like span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Draco/span belonged solely, and irrevocably, to him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"'So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?' whispered /spanPotterspan style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;". 'Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does… I am the true master of the Elder Wand.'/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt his stomach clench and his heart soar./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"If today was your last daybr /and tomorrow was too latebr /could you say goodbye to yesterday?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you live each moment like your last?br /Leave old pictures in the pastbr /donate every dime you have?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco stood at the edge of the Great Hall, not having moved from where he had witness the man he loved defeat the most powerful Dark Lord in history./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He watched with glowing pride and a heavy heart as hundreds of wizards and witches, and an assortment of various other magical creatures, surrounded his heart's desire, and with a stab of resolve, he realised this was the way things were always going to be./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He could never reach him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It should have come as no surprise to him, but somehow, it did./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Potter was made for this; he had more than proved it. He was a hero through and through, and he would always be surrounded with those who admired him, who would do anything for him … who would love him…/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco was not needed, not by Harry Potter. It hurt; of course it did, but at least this way he would know Potter was okay. He was alive, and he was happy; that was all Draco needed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt his mother's hand on his shoulder, stroking soothing circles, her warmth seeping through his school shirt. Draco looked down at his Slytherin uniform, and suddenly had the violent urge to tear it from his body and burn it, but he reframed. Instead, he looked up into the concerned face of his mother and braved a watery smile./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Let's go,' said Draco decisively./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa frowned at him and then glowered over toward the huge crowd in the centre of the Hall, no doubt in search of one, Harry Potter./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'It's not his fault, mother,' Draco insisted. 'This is the way it was supposed to be.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'You deserve better than this, Draco,' said Narcissa defiantly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco was touched by her sentiment./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I just want to go rest,' whispered Draco with the utmost honesty./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa stared into the exhausted eyes of her son and nodded with a worn sigh of her own./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Draco!' a shout suddenly caught their attention./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa and her son looked to the beseeching man's voice to see Lucius Malfoy walking swiftly towards his estranged family. Draco watched his father in astonishment when the strong arms of the Death Eater promptly encircled him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Lucius had not held his son since he was of the young age of seven./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Forgive me,' Lucius whispered into his son's white-blond hair which so resembled his own./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco's eyes widened over his father's broad shoulder./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Forgive me. I have failed to protect you for so long, I was a coward and I do not deserve your love. Please, forgive me, my son.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Narcissa's eyes filled with unshed tears at the sight of her husband's open affection and the sound of his melodic voice full of compassion, like she had so missed: since before the Dark Lord had returned, Lucius had turned cold toward those who loved him, never trusting, never allowing his unyielding guard to be torn down. He had not been the Lucius Malfoy she had fallen in love with./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Oh father,' Draco half-sobbed, half-sighed into the collar of his father's Death Eater robe. 'Of course, I forgive you. I've missed you.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"There were tears in Lucius' usually steel-grey eyes, but now they were warm and full of light, like a mild thunderstorm sweeping steadily across the otherwise clear grey sky./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I've missed you too, my precious boy,' Lucius breathed through his joyous tears. He looked uncertainly up at his wife, feeling guilty for his neglect of their once harmonious marriage, but she only smiled adoringly back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All was forgiven./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I love you, father,' said Draco, feeling content within his father's embrace once more./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I love you too, Draco,' Lucius whispered in return./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"With a smile of encouragement, Narcissa took hold of her husband's hand amongst the celebratory chaos, feeling the familiar warmth of his skin seeping into her own. The jubilation of the crowded Hall was deafening but people were finally coming back to themselves, grouping together and becoming organised. A tall wizard had called control over the masses, and the suffocating mass of fans flocking Potter, slowly dispersed and the House tables reappeared./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Lucius took his eyes off of the loving sight of his reunited family to peer around them more cautiously. No one seemed to be paying them any attention, even as Magical Law Enforcement subdued and captured all the remaining opposition, although it was obvious most of the survivors had already gotten away. He was confused, however grateful, when nobody swooped down on them to separate him from his son and wife once more. And as others settled down at the wooden furniture offered to them, Lucius coaxed his wary family out of the way of the milling and intimidating crowd between the nearest tables, backs against the wall, willing his wife and son to rest while they still could./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco huddled between his parents, watching as the Dark Lord's body was levitated and dumped through the closest door into the rarely used chamber beyond./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco didn't know how he felt right now. Relieved would be a reasonable assumption but really, Draco thought he felt nothing much at all. Maybe, he was still numb from his earlier scare?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seeing Potter, completely surrounded, by all walks of magical race, compelled to talk to them, witness their tears, received their thanks and be touched by them. And Draco was still so far way, unable to talk to him, unable to give his thanks, unable to touch./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Potter's disappearance went unnoticed by all./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco felt the fine hairs on his nape stand up, the feeling of those familiar eyes upon him. However, when Draco's eyes scanned the Hall and could no longer find one, Harry Potter, he knew in his heart it was time to give into his exhaustion, finally./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you call old friends you never see?br /Reminisce of memoriesbr /would you forgive your enemies?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Telling Ron and Hermione, he was not heading back to the Gryffindor dormitory with them just as they were climbing through the portrait hole was not a difficult decision, especially when his best friends were clearly eyeing each other as if they were already alone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry hurried along the third floor corridor, making his way steadily towards his destination. He had been to see Dumbledore's Portrait with Hermione and Ron, and he felt utterly drained after the day's mourning and celebration./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The familiar warmth of his phoenix feather wand, newly repaired, was soaking through the pocket of his jeans into his much-abused skin, soothing all his aches./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Absently, Harry wondered how many scars he had now, he had counted three so far but it was likely there were many more. When he had showered earlier, before the celebrations had really gotten started, he had not taken the time to fully inspect his injuries which Miss Pomfrey would definitely scold him for later, considering he had been avoiding her all day for a reason./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"After everything he had been through, he supposed his body could tell a story all on its own, but he was too exhausted to care./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"There was only one thing he wanted to do before collapsing onto a wide, soft mattress./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Clambering down the stone stairs off the side of the Entrance Hall and wondering deeper under the castle, Harry was relieved he remembered where the Slytherin common room was hidden since his first and only visit in second year./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry was surprised to find the concealed stone wall entrance left open, admitting anyone inside./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Cautiously, Harry ventured in …/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Erm … Hello?' he called uncertainly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The eerie green tinged light leaching from the Black Lake beyond the tall arched windows illuminated the empty common room; it looked smaller then Harry remembered, darker too with the black and green sofas, as well as the other dark wood furniture./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He stepped inside and walked across the cold stone floor, his footsteps echoing in the hollow dungeon. There were haphazardly discarded books, parchment, quills and various magical games paused in progress, and there was already a thin line of dust building since the Slytherins had left the battle through the Room of Requirement./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The ones whom had returned to the battle, lead by Professor Slughorn seemed not to have returned to the dungeons for whatever reason … maybe they were celebrating with rest of the victors? Or maybe they had all left the post-battle grounds for their homes, not waiting for their comrades' judgement?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Last night./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"So much had happened in such a sort amount of time. Only nine hours had passed since Harry had been convinced he was about to die./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Nine hours, since he had shared an impulsive, desperately passionate kiss with one, Draco Malfoy. And now, at mid-afternoon, Harry was about to confront the blond Slytherin, and he didn't know quite what he was going to say to him. He didn't really even know what had happened between them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Hello?!' said Harry, louder this time./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He slowly made his way across the room towards the staircase, he assumed, led to the dormitories./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He had been up since yesterday morning and was feeling the strain as he pushed himself up the remorseless stone staircase, his calf muscles complaining with every step he conquered. And the muffled sound of the gentle waves, swishing against each window Harry passed as he climbed steadily, above the waterline was like a siren to his shattered body, and a banshee to his remaining resistance against the overwhelming need for food and rest when he peeked out over the calm, slumberous lake./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Draco?!' Harry called, a little desperately./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was not sure if he had the right to call Draco by his first name; the last thing the man had said to him was that he hated him, and Harry was not entirely sure what his reaction would be to Harry's surprise presence./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry turned a sharp corner on his left, which he hoped was the way to the boys' dorms and he wasn't about to run into a barrier charm; his assumption was immediately confirmed by the figure suddenly blocking his path./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What do you want, Potter?' Draco sneered./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was standing with his arms folded defensively across his chest, drawing Harry's gaze to the tight roundness of his biceps, his stance deliberately casual but subconsciously guarded. Harry stared at him, taking in the long white nightshirt which fell past his knees revealing pale, seemingly hairless and well-muscled calves, and mussed, thin, white-blond tresses falling into his sleep-bright eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He had never seen Draco look so … span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"dishevelled/span. Harry tilted his head to one side thoughtfully, and quickly decided he liked this look on his rival./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Potter,' said Draco sharply after Harry had failed to answer his question. His pale grey eyes were narrowed suspiciously when he caught Harry's attention. 'Why are you here?' he demanded./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry shook his head quickly, clearing it and dislodging the thick, black strands from around his shoulders, then dug around in his jean pockets, searching and pulling out a Hawthorn wand./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco's old wand./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I came to give you this,' said Harry, offering the wand to Draco gracelessly. 'I have mine back now,' he explained, feeling rather nervous all of a sudden. 'I thought you might like yours back as well.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry was surprised when an intense sadness flashed through Draco's eyes before he slowly took his wand from Harry's lax grasp./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry had thought Draco would be pleased, hadn't this been why Draco followed Harry into the Room Of Hidden Things just the other night? But as soon as Draco gasped once the familiar, friendly heat of his true wand flushed up his arm; his expression remained grim, and full of … remorse?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Don't you want it back?' asked Harry in confusion./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco's eyes snapped up from where he had been gazing at his wand to meet Harry's questing gaze, his expression immediately wiped of all emotion, and he looked back coldly. It was so alike to how Draco had always looked at him, when they had been sworn enemies and had fought for so many years, it sent an unnerving chill through Harry's body./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He had always really hated that look./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Of course I want it back,' Draco bit-out. He raised his pointy chin arrogantly, looking down his narrow nose at Harry. 'I'm just surprised to get it back, what with all the trouble to when through to steal it.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I didn't steal it,' said Harry through gritted teeth, quickly losing his patience. He did not come here to fight but he was too tired to have any rein on his emotions. 'I disarmed you. I was trying to protect myself and my friends. It's not my fault you got in the way.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No,' said Draco unpleasantly. 'But it worked out quite well for you, didn't it?' he scorned bitterly. 'What with you being the Master of the most powerful wand in history. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Convenient/span, wouldn't you say?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'What's span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"that/span supposed to mean?' said Harry angrily./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'It means, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Potter/span,' Draco spat. 'I wouldn't be surprised if it was your plan all along. Get captured and brought to span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"my/span home and disarm span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"me/span, while leaving me and my family to deal with the consequences. Meanwhile, you're counting down the days until you can gloat to all your little supporters, not to mention to the Dark Lord himself, about how you defeated me so easily. It was just a bonus for you to trick me into letting my guard down. You and the Weasel must have had a right laugh about our little kissing session before you span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"died/span. Oh, no wait. That's right, you span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"didn't/span!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry gaped at him, gobsmacked./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'You think I span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"tricked /spanyou into kissing me?!' asked Harry incredulously./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco opened his mouth to either agree or argue, but Harry did not give him the chance to find out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I didn't span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"know/span I was going to survive, not this time! I thought I was done for! And I didn't span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"plan/span to be captured and taken to your house, how stupid do you think I am?! I lost a span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"friend/span that night! Not that span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"you/span would think a house-elf could be considered a friend, but he was to span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"me/span! And, for the record I was not span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"gloating/span, I was just buying myself more time before Voldemort was about to try and kill me span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"again/span! I wasn't even sure the Elder wand would work for me! It was all by chance I survived, again, last night! I didn't know span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"what /spanwas going to happen but I took a chance, just like I took a chance on kissing you back.' Harry was breathing heavily by the time he had concluded his little rant, he was shaking with adrenaline and exhaustion, and he did not know which one would win out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco was shaking as well, but his eyes reflected something different, something new./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before Harry could determine what that might be, Draco had moved so fast, Harry was helpless to stop him. Harry's gasp was swallowed by Draco's needy mouth, as his lips crushed against Harry's. Draco's arms wrapped around his neck and long fingers threaded through his thick and wild tuffs of black hair. And Harry was too tired to attempt to fight him, if he had even wanted to, pitifully giving in within seconds./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry sighed as his mouth opened for Draco's exploration, his arms winding around Draco's too thin waist. They spent long minutes just tasting and touching each other, filling each other's senses with the other. Harry felt blissfully at peace now he had Draco back within the circle of his arms, and this time, knowing he was not going to be abruptly torn away again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry backed Draco into the opposite wall, pressing his weight into him. He was so fatigued, but his mouth and hands kept moving, not ever wanting to stop again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He eventually rested his forehead against Draco's while they both broke apart for air, albeit reluctantly, panting and clinging to each other. Harry kept his eyes closed; his lids too heavy and Harry too exhausted to pry them open, leaning further into the warm body in front of him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'So,' he breathed unevenly. 'Am I forgiven?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"There was a breathy chuckle in response and then he felt moistened, swollen lips brush teasingly along his own./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'No,' whispered Draco, and Harry's heart jumped in his chest even though he could hear the smirk in his low, drawling voice. 'But I'll allow this … for now.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Okay,' Harry sighed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He knew they still had a lot to talk about, and even more history to work through, but he was content for now./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"They would deal with all of it tomorrow …/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"… Because they had tomorrow./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Which brought the question; 'Can I stay with you?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'…you really want that?' asked Draco cautiously. Maybe, it was wishful thinking but Harry could have sworn he heard a hint of hope in his voice./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Yeah ... if that's okay with you?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Hands pushed at Harry's shoulders and he opened his eyes reluctantly to see pale eyes, up close and staring back at him. Draco searched his face, and Harry smiled encouragingly which earned a small smile in return./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'It's okay with me,' whispered Draco./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry leaned in and gave him a gentle, chaste kiss before, grudgingly pulling away from the comfortable warmth and looked to the door Draco must have come through./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Is that your dorm?' asked Harry, gesturing to the nearest door, the first of many inside the long, cold stone tunnel Harry now realised they had been snogging in./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco nodded and took Harry's left hand to lead him into the seventh year boys' dormitory./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'My mother and father are sleeping in the dorm down the hall,' said Draco conversationally while Harry looked around at the four-poster beds with silk hangings in Slytherin green. The five beds appeared ancient with their ornate carvings in the head-and-tailboards, and the expensive looking bedding and pillows were embroidered with glinting silver threat./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Besides being overtly pretentious, Harry thought they seemed awfully inviting./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Which one's yours?' said Harry, not listening in the slightest; his mind was fully focused on sleep now./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not catch Draco's knowing smirk./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'That one.' said Draco, pointing to the bed furthest into the room, the only one with the covers turned down./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Oh, how had Harry missed it? Bugger it; he was much too tired to be playing spot-the-difference with Draco right now. Speaking of which .../p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry grabbed Draco's wrist and made a beeline for the bed, shedding his crinkled t-shirt which had spent too many long months inside Hermione's never ending purse, as he lengthened his stride with purpose. He kicked off his trainers, which were beyond magical repair at this point, and shimmied out of his tattered jeans with Draco watching his every fumbling move with amusement, until he was just gloriously in his still half-way decent boxers, with his well-muscled and tanned figure exposed to Draco's appraising eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"With a lopsided, vaguely cocky grin, Harry slid under the covers, moaning in relief and pulling them up to his chin. The mattress was soft and the silk lined sheets felt bloody amazing as it glided over his tender skin./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He did not even mind that he was being drowned in Slytherin green. It was comfortably warm from before Harry had impulsively invaded Slytherin House and dragged Draco away from thawing his cold sheets with his body heat, and above everything else, with Draco's flowery, earthy scent clouded his mind further./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He no longer felt hungry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"However, Harry thought he knew what would make this moment, this feeling even better./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He boldly opened his arms, and with a darn well charming smile, he coaxed Draco to join him in his bed. Draco smirked, although he was blushing slightly – the faint pink colour blending with Draco's pale complexion was very pretty in Harry's drowsy opinion – and eagerly climbed in after Harry, visibly withholding himself from snuggling in close./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry didn't mind Draco's hesitance, it was still too new to know what this was between them, however despite the underwhelming fear of not knowing what lay before them; he couldn't help the sigh of deep contentment that breezed past his lacked lips./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Potter?' Draco whispered against a sensitive tendon along Harry's neck, his hot breath tickled him and caused Harry to smile./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'Hmmm?' Harry hummed; his throat and chest vibrating with the low, soothing sound./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Draco took a deep breath and entwined himself more firmly around Harry, breathing in his pine and spice scent and feeling utterly at peace with himself for the first time in years./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"'I'm glad you came back.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was such a strange way to say it, and so typical of Draco to say more with his careful choice of words than most anyone else can with more said, but Harry felt himself smile in understanding./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"They would definitely deal with span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"that/span in the morning. Though, for now; Harry was extremely cosy with the steady, lapping of the lake water against the dormitory windows lulling him into a deep sleep, the heat of the body on top of him allaying his soul, and he had taken the first positive step towards a promising future./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"All of which would still be there; tomorrow./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". :*: ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?br /Swear up and down to God abovebr /that you finally fallen in lovebr /strong style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"If Today Was Your Last Day/strong/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : : :* * *: : : ./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"THE END/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 16.065px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center". : : :* * *: : : ./p