bury a friend • drarry

a l i v e

Chapter Two:

Malfoy struggled to drag Harry's body through the muddy forest. The rain had now only started pouring down harder and harder, beating down on Malfoy's back and soaking through his clothing. He paused, dropping Harry in the mud for a few seconds to wipe his brow, then resumed his task. He knew what his fate would be if he didn't make it to the meeting place in time.

When they reached the open field, shrouded deep, and hidden by a circle of pine trees, Draco was relieved to find that he had shown up early. He propped Harry's body up against one of the pine trees and looked around the area, his wand out, ready to strike at the first sign of The Order.

Malfoy turned back around to face where Harry was still sitting propped up against a tree.

"I guess it's just you and me here." Malfoy sighed, looking over at his glassy green eyes.

Malfoy runs his hands through his hair, slowly realizing that everything he does is just one mistake after another, and that now he's fallen down a rabbit hole of bad mistakes he can never escape.

"I'm sorry." He tells Harry, not looking up from his feet. "I-" Malfoy tried to get the words out, but choked up when he saw a group of shadowy, cloaked figures approaching them. Malfoy stood up, his wand drawn towards the figures.

"Relax, Draco." Lucius spoke, taking the hood of his cloak off. "It's only me." Draco lowered his wand down to his side, but didn't yet put it away. It seemed to him that no one could be trusted in the dark times that were rapidly approaching. As Draco was now learning, a son could trust his father almost as much as he could trust a stranger.

There was once a time when Draco really thought that he could trust his father.

That was before the Death Eaters.

That was before he'd been asked to help kill Harry Potter.

The Dark Lord smirked when he saw the stupefied boy lying just beneath the tree. "You've done well, Draco." Voldemort croaked out, an eerie smile spreading across his already twisted up face. Draco stared back at the Dark Lord, thinking that there were quite a few new wrinkles spreading across his face.

Draco bowed. "Thank you, Dark Lord." He spoke, but said nothing else as the Dark Lord peered behind him, looking down at Harry Potter. Draco turned, staring back at his stunned friend. Harry looked paler than normal, if it was even possible for people who've been stunned to show fear.

"What would you have us do now, my Lord?" a hooded figure near the back of the group asked in a wheezing, hoarse voice.

Draco thought he saw Voldemort nearly crack a smile, across his dry lips. But it was momentary, and gone the moment it appeared, although the Dark Lord did seem to be in a happier mood than usual. After all, he was getting what he wanted.

The only person who could defeat him, gone. Just like that. Draco wanted to turn away, but his father was standing right beside him, watching him. Draco's father put a hand on Draco's shoulder, and in a steady voice whispered. "You've done well, Draco." Draco knew better than  to let the tears fall from his eyes and he watched Voldemort pull his slender white wand out of his pocket.

Draco couldn't help it.

He turned his gaze down to the floor.

🔪

"Hey." Harry greeted Draco, smiling and taking a seat beside him at the now empty Slytherin table. Malfoy gave a weary smile back, thinking of his duty to the Death Eaters.

"Hi." Malfoy gave a small wave. "How are you?" he asked Harry, seeing a more tired look hiding behind his green eyes.

Harry looked back up at him, surprised at the fact that Malfoy, of all people, even cared. Harry had been just about to ask him the exact same question. He knew Malfoy had been having a hard time dealing with things in his life for a while, although Malfoy never quite told him what, and Harry didn't want to pry into Malfoy's privacy.