The Darkness Within

Nothing Compares

It has been weeks since Harry's last encounter with Draco, and ever since things have only gone downhill, and the kiss was the last thing on Harry's mind, there were things bigger than Harry that he need to worry about, however, Draco was slowly becoming Harry's top priority. The atmosphere at Hogwarts kept growing sinister, and Harry could not help but notice that Draco was acting weird, closed up, and if Harry was not wrong scared. Harry could not refrain himself from thinking that Draco's behaviour and the incidents happening at Hogwarts were very closely related, and so he followed his trail and noticed that Draco mysteriously vanished from the map. Harry had tried talking to Dumbledore about his intuitions, only to be dismissed politely but sternly.

 Harry shoved a mouthful of cereal into his mouth while listening to Hermione reading the Daily Prophet out loud, Hermione was reading about three muggle families that mysteriously disappeared last night, when they noticed all the heads turning towards the entrance of the Great Hall, following the gazes of his tablemates, Harry saw that Katie Bell was finally back from Saint Mungo's. Harry's heart skipped a beat as he ran through the possibility of Katie remembering who gave her the cursed necklace. Harry swiftly got on his feet and walked to Katie, who was talking animatedly to her friends.

"Hey, Katie" He greeted his fellow teammate. Katie did not greet him back, instead, she rolled her eyes at Harry and said "Harry, I know what you want to ask me, but for the last time, I don't remember anything"

 As Harry turned to descend back to his table, he saw a horrified Draco standing some feet behind him, his eyes were red-rimmed and he looked much thinner. An expression of mere hurt passed across his face as their eyes met, however, Harry wondered if he had imagined it because Draco hurriedly turned on his heels and marched out of the Great Hall.

This little intimate interaction with Draco had a great impact on Harry, as he was now surer than he had ever been, that it was certainly Draco who was behind all the mishappenings. It was him who had put Katie under the Imperious Curse, it was he who had poisoned the drinks and was, in turn, the reason Harry's best friend almost died.

Draco was plotting to kill Dumbledore.

But no matter how hard Harry tried he could not bring himself to hate Draco as he should, there was something inside of Harry's mind that told him constantly that no matter how cold or insolent Draco Malfoy may seem, he would never kill anyone, lest Dumbledore. While silently cursing himself and his decisions, Harry took off after the other boy.

Harry skidded through the halls and corridors for a couple of minutes looking for Draco checking every classroom that he passed, and then he heard him, he was in the bathroom and Harry could hear his muffled sobs echoing in the hallways. He knew that Draco would hate to be found like this, so Harry refrained himself from walking into the bathroom instead stood outside perfectly still, he could see Draco's slender figure leaning over the sink, and he cried, Harry could also see Draco's golden white hair in the mirror, caught in awe of his perfection, Harry failed to notice the his grey, green eyes staring right at him, their eyes met, and Harry figured that it was too late to turn back now.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Harry asked him.

"Yes, it was me!"  Draco cried and turned to Harry, who noticed how weak and broken Draco seemed, in the dim light of the bathroom, the bags under his eyes looked darker, and his eye bags looked rather red. "I didn't mean to do it, but I was chosen, Harry, I was chosen, it has to be me," Draco said, more to himself than to Harry. 

Harry slowly walked over to where Draco was standing.

"Draco you don't have to do anything," Harry said and regretted saying it almost immediately.

"You don't understand Harry, there is no way for you or for anyone  to understand, Harry, I have to do this and I am utterly alone"

Draco looked as if he was going to pass out, and Harry just stood there at a loss for words, there were things that he could say to Draco, but looking at how adamant he was, Harry refrained himself from doing so.

"Draco, no matter how much Voldemort says that he will be there to save your family, He won't  we can go to and talk to--"

Draco gave a humourless laugh "Talk?" he laughed again, "Harry, there is nothing to talk about, I was chosen, just like you were, and do you think I don't know that Voldemort is using my family? do you think that the Death Eaters are safe from his wrath, Voldemort promises nothing but the promise of death if we fail" Draco seemed to have gone paler than before, Harry noted with surprise that Draco didn't flinch when he said Voldemort's name. Tears were streaming down Draco's face, and he slid down on the floor. "There is nothing I can do" Harry's heart ached for Draco and yet he did not know what to tell him, he knew that the Dark Lord was a sociopath, and Harry could only imagine how he treated his fellow Death Eaters.

Harry sat down on the floor in front of Draco and put his hands on either side of his face, still unsure of what to say, told him what he wished someone would tell him every day. "Draco, everything will be alright, we will find a way out, trust me, I would not let anything happen to you" Draco looked straight into Harry's eyes and then without a warning, closed the distance between by kissing Harry.

Harry was taken by surprise and fell backwards onto the bathroom floor.