Alternate Universe - brothers Draco & Harry

Chapter 54 - Whispers in the Dark

It was a warmer day than usual. The tides were turning, trouble was brewing, but for some reason it felt like the Malfoy family was pushed right in the middle of it. Hercules knew he was not special. Why would he be? He was just a boy, a regular boy. He played a sport, went to school, pranked his friends, had a girlfriend, and he often fought with his brother on who was the best Malfoy. There was nothing special about him at all. Yet why was he here now? Why was he having yet another vision of himself and the Dark Lord, standing side by side. Why was he seeing Dumbledore's face drain of all life? Why was he seeing his brother commit an act of murder? Why were his dreams full of scenes of the muggle world burning and wizards rising above it like kings.

'Why me?' was the only thought he had as he watched his own reflection in The Mirror of Erised, the mirror that revealed ones deepest desires. Hercules just watched his own reflection, surprised by what his desire had turned into, how his wished had morphed and shifted into something completely different.

"Hercules," a voice snapped him out of his trance. Turning, the boy came face to face with his brother, his other half.

"Draco," he spoke, getting back up on his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because you're here," he said. Hercules could see a strange look in his brother's eyes, a look of suspicion. "Why are you here? Quite vain to be sitting at a mirror, drooling at your reflection."

But Hercules was not in the mood for jokes. "I know we said we'd tell each other everything," he spoke spoke, his voice quite cold. "But I'm not sure I can share this time. I'm not even sure what's happening."

"You share more with your snake than you do me," Draco voiced, getting closer. "You start to worry me, Hercules."

"You should worry about yourself more," he spat back. "Why are you suddenly keeping such a close eye on me, huh? Don't think I haven't noticed how you suddenly appear everywhere I go. How you know of conversations that I've had which you were not part of. How you follow me, how you ask around about me."

"You're my brother-"

"AND YOU ARE MINE!" Hercules yelled, rattling the castle walls, rattling the mirror. "WE ARE ONE AND THE SAME, BORN TO THE SAME FAMILY, BOTH MALFOYS, BOTH 16, BOTH LIVING THE SAME LIFE, YET WHY IS IT ME, HUH? WHY IS IT ME THAT HAS TO BE HIS CHOSEN? WHY IS IT ME THAT SEES VISIONS? WHY IS IT ME THAT IS BEING WATCHED AND FOLLOWED! CALLED A MURDERED SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD!"

"Hercules, just calm down-"

"NO!" his hands were made into fists. "I am so tired... Tired of everyone always being on my back, always expecting something from me, always lying to me, always putting their needs and wants on me. You were the one person I could count on but now you're acting like the rest of them."

"STOP TALKING!" Draco finally snapped, exhaling a deep breath. "You don't know what you are saying. I have always been here. Don't think that just because your load is different, that mine is any less heavy..." Hercules averted his eyes, his jaw clenched. So Draco continued speaking, "I have been here for you. Always. Even when you chose the Dark Lord's side all those years ago, before we even knew how deep our family was involved. You chose him from the start, and now you complain that he has chosen you? You are lucky!"

"Lucky?" Hercules spat. "You say that as if you know what he's asking of me!"

"BECAUSE YOU WON'T TELL ME!"

Another silence fell over the two as they stared at each other. Their silver gazes connected, no one said a word. That was until Hercules, taking in a deep breath, whispered, "Draco, look at what I've become... I can't tell right from wrong anymore. When I do what the Dark Lord asks of me, then I feel like I'm betraying a part of myself. But the same goes for when I'm with her, when I'm with Aurelia. I cannot make the choices that come naturally for her, if I do then it feels like the other part of me is being betrayed."