Left Behind 3: Curses

The Truth

A Long chapter for everyone. Please enjoy <3 

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Harry returned to find Draco looking off into the distance calmly. Something about the Slytherin Boy's disposition had changed drastically in the few hours since Harry had last seen him.

It was slightly disconcerting to see him so calm and Harry shivered slightly as the gnawing feeling that something wasn't right continued to grow.

Of course something isn't right, he told himself, Hermione is unconscious and may die there is no world in which that could be right.

Draco's eyes came to rest on Harry and he saw no hate there. Only pain and...peace.

He shouldn't be allowed to feel peaceful, thought Harry darkly.

Professor Lupin administered the potion to Draco and both Harry and his old teacher were surprised   when Draco simply drank it down without fighting.

A moment passed and Draco's face scrunched into a distasteful frown.

"What are the Dark Lord's plans?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," answered Draco. 

Harry folded his arms across his chest. 

"He doesn't monologue often," added Draco.

Harry resisted the urge to give Draco a good smack across the side of the head for the snarky comment managing to hold himself back.

It didn't seem to help Ron find any answers...Harry pushed away the thought focusing on the task at hand. Yet there was another question burned in Harry: one that had nothing to do with the Dark Lord's future plans and everything to do with his best friend. 

"How could you do what you did to Hermione?"

"I had to," the answer slipped out of Draco's lips before he could fight it and Harry saw the regret at speaking flash across Draco's face before it was replaced with an anguished expression.

"Bullshit." Harry turned away. "That's what the guards in world war two said who put people to death in the camps. 'I was following orders 'I had to'" Harry scoffed in disgust.

"Harry..." came Remus voice as a warning.

Harry could feel his tempter rising and he knew why his teacher had spoken.

"It's fine," said Harry and he took a steadying breath he turned back to Draco and saw...pain in the blond's eyes.

Is he afraid of what we'll do to him? Harry thought of all the times Draco had run instead of standing to fight. Would he run now if he had the chance? Most likely. Still, if Malfoy's silence was out of fear of repercussion maybe trying a different tactic would work better. After all, beating him half to death hadn't gotten them anywhere.

"Do you know anything that could help us?" asked Harry trying a more gentle approach.

"Yes," answered Draco flatly, his teeth grinding in frustration.

"Well..." said Harry waiting for Draco to elaborate. "Tell me."

"Why?" asked Draco. "Why should I?" There was something in Draco's voice that made Harry feel like he was being tested rather Draco just trying to be difficult.

"If you are worried what the Dark Lord will do if you tell us-" started Harry.

"I'm not," Draco cut him off abruptly. "I really don't care if he kills me anymore. I'm not afraid of dying." Draco's voice held no waver in it and Harry realized he wasn't fighting the serum to tell the truth he was now speaking the truth of his own volition.