Harry Potter One-shots

Battle Scars (Draco)

You were not nearly as many as you had been. Some had quit in the way, others had been forced to leave, others were killed, some had even betrayed your cause. One thing was for sure; not all of you had made it to the end.

None had managed to get out of this hell unscathed.

As you looked at the people in your common room, you did not know what you should think. Hufflepuffs had always been known for their sweet and caring nature, always wishing to make others happy, people filled with positivity. However, you could not say that for the people in front of you.

They looked beaten and tired, even if they exchanged smiles once in a while. A joke could be heard and some group would chuckle but that sound would not last for long. The war was over, but you and your housemates did not really feel relieved.

Not all of you had made it to the end of your journey, and even if you were happy that you were alive and could have some more time to live, you could not help but think of all the people you had lost in the way.

Cedric Diggory. Parvati Patil. Fred Weasley. Colin Creevy. Dennis Creevy. Nymphadora Tonks. Remus Lupin. Albus Dumbledore.

The list went on and on, never ending. You did not wish to think of those that had quit their tries, but still, you could not help but think of one person.

Draco Malfoy.

If anyone heard you, they would say that you were insane to think for a second that the young man had ever been in your side of the war. However, you could not help but think that if he actually had a choice, he would choose to fight by your side. But regardless the side he was in, he had quit trying. He had accepted the decisions others made for his own life without much protest. It pained you to think that one could be so fed up with the way life was on them that they would simply not bother with how everything turned out to be.

You shook your head so as to clear your thoughts as you turned your gaze away from the Hufflepuffs in the common room. Without saying anything, you turned around, with the intention of leaving that place. Silence was a better option.

As the barrels closed behind you, you decided that it would be nice if you headed to a window of the castle in order to watch the view. You got up some floors, knowing that you would be able to watch the view better from up there. However, soon enough, you realised that your feet were taking you to the Astronomy Tower. You climbed the stairs, lost in your thoughts the whole time.

No matter how many years of peace passed after the war, everything you had seen and felt would be scarred in your mind. Your hours of torture by the Carrows would never fade, forever haunting you when you were the most vulnerable. Contrary to popular belief, you are way more vulnerable when awake than asleep. You did not know which was worse; reliving your nightmares while being awake or in the form of a dream? Was it better to suffer from your dreams or your imagination?

"This place is taken."

You blinked as you were dragged out of your thoughts by a masculine voice. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you had not paid attention to where you were going before. You had reached the Astronomy Tower, and as you looked around you, you saw just in front of the railing a young man you rarely saw these days.

Draco Malfoy.

He had not even turned around to take a look at whom had entered the tower, he just continued looking down at the ground below the Tower, as if he could envision something. You tilted your head to the side as you watched him, and to your surprise, you saw him flinch before screwing his eyes shut. You wondered whether he had a problem with his imagination creating nasty pictures as well.