One's True Nature

23

Draco didn't understand any of this. Why had Potter come to bother him just now? Harry was angry, he was pressing Draco into the wall furiously. His eyes made Draco flinch. He was afraid of Harry, for the first time, he was genuinely terrified of the boy who lived, whose hands were holding him up by the front of his robes as he tried to turn away, but could not.

"What would you know about anything Malfoy, ever lose anyone important to you?" Harry spat, his venom hot.

What could Draco say? He didn't even understand what Harry was talking about. He didn't react in any way though, he didn't want any move to be misinterpreted by Potter and risk a hex. "Look at me Malfoy, look at me!" And Draco's face jerked around to fully face the fury of Harry's rage. He prepared for the strike he knew would eventually come. He hadn't even said anything that deserved the boy's rage, but here he was. "What would you know?" And Draco watched in confusion as he felt Harry's hand release the front of his robes.

Draco couldn't help noticing the pain in his eyes. It stopped him from becoming angry with Harry. Harry tried to compose himself but he knew it was too late. "What do you know?" And then Draco saw the eyes in a way he never had, as vunerable. And then, tears came. Hot and think painful tears. Draco reacted without thinking and Ran a thumb under one of those eyes. Harry grabbed his hand just before he could pull it back.

"Why did you come here Potter?" Draco's voice was calmer than he thought it would be.

Harry shook his head. "I hate this. All of this." Harry's body started to slump to the ground and Draco, despite his better judgement, he went with him. "Why can't everyone just leave me alone?" And Harry started shaking as his body unleashed the years and years of lonliness he had learned would always be his companion. "I don't know, because I was angry at myself." Harry spoke, finally ansewering Draco's question, because I understand how to hurt you and I wanted someone to hurt as much as I do." And Draco couldn't even be angry. He couldn't look at this broken boy and say anything other than he was sorry.

"I'm sorry Potter, I don't understand any of this." But despite his words, he pulled Harry into his arms and let him finish crying. Perhaps it was his own personal lonliness that had allowed Draco this understanding of Harry. He didn't care about any consequences just now, he identified with Potter, more than he had ever realized. He went against his better judgement by doing this, but his mother's letter had robbed him of will to do anything and he was all but ready to accept that he was probably going to die.


Albus Potter stood face to face with the Tyrant known as Rasputin. He felt hot anger. He had almost let Scorpious die. It wasn't anything more than pure concentrated rage. He extended his arms from his side. His robes, which were greatly wrinkled flapped in response to the pressure of the two powers clashing their magic.

"How could he do that?" Scorpious said looking at Ron.

"I don't know Scorpious." Ron was at a loss to understand anything that had happened. Something had calmed him though and he wasn't sure what it had been. He looked down to Draco and Harry, to the clasped hands of the two and hoped this wasn't the last thing that they would share, so soon after finding eachother. Ron had taken scorpious to his side making sure if anything did happen, despite what he'd been told by Malfoy's son, that they atleast had a chance to escape from this place.

"This can't be-how did you-?" And Rasputin's words were caught in a gasp.

"I always watch for the ones like you." Albus' voice wasn't his own. "I felt this boy's pain at the suffering of others and knew that he could be the one to beat you." He smirked. "It's time I finished you." He lifted his hand and watched as the man in front of him wavered in fear.

Scorpious watched in amazement as Albus unleashed a fury of strong magic that rocked his foe harshly. He could not understand how someone usually so timd and sometimes so afraid could turn around and do this. He watched as the other man staggered to his feet from being knocked backward, Albus, graceful and determined, struck again with a flame that wrapped around the other man, who looked rather ragged and skinny and Scorpious didn't understand how his father and Albus father had been defeated by him. He was so confused.

"I am clearly stronger than you this time Rasputin." Albus cool voice carried throughout the room. Scorpious shivered at it's calmness.

"YOU'RE NOT STRONGER THAN ME!" Rasputin's voice boomed in a rage, he tried to attack, but some kind of barrier spell prevented any of the spells from getting through to their target. Rasputin gritted his teeth angrily and Albus smirked.

"You look awfuly mad." Albus replied warmly. Scorpious cringed. "A Free shot then?" Scorpious froze, what was Albus doing?!

"NO DON'T-" And the momentary distraction of Scorpious' voice broke his friend's concentration and Albus recieved a powerful spell square in the chest. Scorpious made to run to him, but Ron's quick thinking prevented the panicked boy from making this worse. "ALBUS!" Scorpious screamed as he struggled against Ron's one armed death grip.

"That was unexpected." Albus said with a cheerful groan. "Sorry." He appologized to himself as he stood up and smiled. Rasputin tried to grab the advantage by tossing red streams of magic at the boy, who only continued to smile as they seemed to pass around him. He wasn't even sure why he seemed so pleased with himself, but he did. He drew his hand up and a spell froze in mid air. He met it at eye level, inspecting the red beam as though it held a secret, then he blew on it. Rasputin didn't even have time to react as the beam torn open his upper left arm and he screamed in pain, leaving even Scorpious uneasy about the results. This wasn't his friend anymore.

"Do you think I don't have anything that can hurt you little one?" Rasputin's voice rasped as he held his severely wounded arm, blood dripping down his robe sleeve. "You are an Arrogant one, you always were." And with a flash of bright yellow light, Albus Potter found himself bound by all major organs to strings of magic. He couldn't scream even if he wanted to.

Scorpious put his face in Ron's shoulder and Ron closed his own eyes to say a prayer. He was glad Harry couldn't see this at all. There was nothing he could do.


"Please...just take them out." Draco begged. "I don't want to remember anymore." Draco looked at the face of his wife as she looked for even a hint of doubt about his decision. She found it hard to do after He had told her everything and the pain of seeing Harry at the train station had clearly upset him to the very core his existence.

"Draco, you should just tell him-"

"No, he's married, he looks happy. I don't have any right to-" And he closed his eyes still seeing the smile from the night when he'd taken Harry's choice away from him. It had been right perhaps, but it had cost him the only person who had ever said the words 'Draco I love you.' He was shaking. "Please, I just don't want to remember anymore. It's better that way." And reluctantly, his wife obeyed him. Her wand pulling a pair of long silvery bright strands from his head and she stored them in a flask.

"What do you want me to do with them?" She asked him softly.

"Get rid of them." He said in a dead tone. "They don't matter anyway." Draco watched her as she left the room. Wondering just how much more of his mind he had lost because of the damned war.


'Dad, you're always so brave. I don't think I can do this.' Albus' mind struggled as the magic that bound him by all his organs wracked him with pin pricks of pain. 'You're so much stronger than me.' 'But if I can't do this,' in his mind he dropped to his knees. 'Dad, Scorpious' everyone I'm going to lose them all.' And in a sudden outburst, his body jerked and with a roar of pain he begain to pull himself free.

Albus once free rose to his full magic enhanced height and started to step forward. He stopped, raised his hands and cast a flurry of spells so intense, Ron had to close his eyes. Rasputin clearly shocked didn't have any choice but to try and block them and he did the best he could. When he was finished with this flurry, he dropped his arms and smiled oddly.

Rasputin dropped his arms, clearly shocked that he was still completely unharmed. He looked around and smiled evily. He stood straight up, triumphant. Until he saw the look on Albus Potter's face.

"Sure you blocked everything?" The boy's voice was cool and cruel. He pointed his finger down. A signal for Rasputin to look at his feet. When the man did, he became very aware of what he had missed. At his feet, was a intricate carving of a binding charm. Albus, watched the man's expression change from one of triumph to one of anger and then finally fear when he realized he couldn't move his arms anymore.

'Mister Weasely, can you hear me?' Ron jerked out of his stupor and didn't know if he had actually heard the voice or not. 'Mister-' Ron shook his head.

"I can hear you Albus, what's happening?"

'I need your help.'

"What can I do?"

'Get them out of here'

"I can't move son, I'm keeping your dad from dying"

'I know, I'm going to get you out of the building'

"How?"

'that doesn't matter, but when I do, you need to get someone here to help them all. And please take care of Scorpious.'

Ron didn't have the time to respond or even to protest as he and everyone else was suddenly outside and suffering the affects of being whirrled around very quickily. Scorpious was panicked and tried to run back toward the church which was now three-hundred yards away.

"STOP" Ron Barked at the boy.

"But-" Scorpious looked torn.

"You can't help him now." Ron said, ashamed that he had to admit that.


Albus turned his focus back toward his enemy who was smiling despite his inability to move. Albus looked tired, he'd underestimated how much energy he'd used on his attacks. His enemy seemed to know this. Albus closed his eyes and drew his arms out out his sides and began to try and extend his magic to topple the building. He'd probably die, but it was the only way to stop this man.

"Do you even have enough strength for this next attack?" Rasputin laughed. "Once this bind wears off, I will kill you and kill all those you sought to save."

Albus wasn't listening and he spoke in a strained voice. "Father, you're still there, I feel it. Please dad, help me." He groaned.

"Huh?" Rasputin was confused.

Albus looked up furiously at his enemy. "You hurt my dad, you tried to kill my friend." And Rasputin watched as the building began to waver and collapse on top of them. Scorpious could only watch with terror and a hole in his heart as the building collapsed ontop of his best friend.

"Noooooo, Albus!" Scorpious ran as fast as he could and this time Ron wouldn't stop him.


"Blaise please, I don't, I can't, I'm rubbish at memory charms." Draco whined.

"Why me, why this?" Blaise snapped. "Why did you do this, it was stupid, you know how close the war is."

"Please Blaise, I-" Draco gulped. "If you can't help me-" Draco was trying to stop himself from breaking. "I know you still love me, please." And Draco knew that he hit the right button. Draco felt the slap across his face.

"Fine." Blaise said bitterly. Draco hated and feared trusting blaise with this, but he had no choice.

End Chapter 23
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A/N: The slip between memorys of Harry and Draco together in the past will come together soon. Please review and be ready to shed some tears.