[168.] Weapons
Title: Weapons
Author: felixfvlicis
Pairing: Harry / Draco
Rating: PG
Word Count: 365
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury / Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Unbeta'd. Written for hogwarts365 prompt 168: "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!"
Summary: Sixth year -- Harry heads to the Restricted Section of the library in an attempt to gather information about the Half-Blood Prince's book. He soon realizes he isn't alone, Draco's looking for something, too.
Slivers of moonlight illuminated the cobblestone floor of the castle as Harry made his way, to the Restricted section of the library, invisibility cloak draped over him. He had to find out more about the half-blood prince to understand the magnitude of the spells contained within the cursive-scrawled pages.
He began in, of course, the H’s. Everything always led back to Hogwarts. It wasn’t long before he heard shuffling feet and the tumbling thud of books a few aisles down.
In true Gryffindor fashion, his curiosity got the better of him. He was certain the sound was coming from the back half of the alphabetical stacks, though Harry paused at each stack he passed, just to make sure.
It wasn’t until he reached the ‘O’ section that he nearly yelped in surprise at the sight in front of him.
Draco Malfoy sat in the middle of the aisle, dressed in head-to-toe black, looking gaunt, pale and frustrated. His knuckles a faint shade of red. The sleeves of his black button down tabbed, bony fingers flipping furiously through page after page.
Harry swiftly removed his cloak. Draco didn’t even flinch.
“Malfoy?”
He looked up, then, his expression fraught with sadness, exhaustion, and fear.
“What are you doing here, Potter?” Draco practically growled -- teeth clenched as if his jaw was wired shut with invisible pins.
“I could ask you the same question.”
Draco inhaled sharply, jerking his head back toward his book.
“I have to be here, okay? I was chosen.”
“Chosen to --”
That’s when Harry saw it -- the inside of Draco’s wrist angled toward him in the light -- dark and pulsing, alive.
“See?”
Draco looked completely helpless. The dark circles underneath his eyes resembling deep bruises.
Harry swallowed. His throat stung with betrayal and something reminiscent of his own childlike sadness -- the feeling of getting caught in the crossfires, no matter what his intentions.
"You want weapons to defeat the Dark Lord, Potter? You’re in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal you could have. Arm yourself! Don’t be a fool like me."
He sounded so much like Hermione -- Harry wondered if he even knew Draco at all.
Author: felixfvlicis
Pairing: Harry / Draco
Rating: PG
Word Count: 365
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury / Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Unbeta'd. Written for hogwarts365 prompt 168: "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!"
Summary: Sixth year -- Harry heads to the Restricted Section of the library in an attempt to gather information about the Half-Blood Prince's book. He soon realizes he isn't alone, Draco's looking for something, too.
Slivers of moonlight illuminated the cobblestone floor of the castle as Harry made his way, to the Restricted section of the library, invisibility cloak draped over him. He had to find out more about the half-blood prince to understand the magnitude of the spells contained within the cursive-scrawled pages.
He began in, of course, the H’s. Everything always led back to Hogwarts. It wasn’t long before he heard shuffling feet and the tumbling thud of books a few aisles down.
In true Gryffindor fashion, his curiosity got the better of him. He was certain the sound was coming from the back half of the alphabetical stacks, though Harry paused at each stack he passed, just to make sure.
It wasn’t until he reached the ‘O’ section that he nearly yelped in surprise at the sight in front of him.
Draco Malfoy sat in the middle of the aisle, dressed in head-to-toe black, looking gaunt, pale and frustrated. His knuckles a faint shade of red. The sleeves of his black button down tabbed, bony fingers flipping furiously through page after page.
Harry swiftly removed his cloak. Draco didn’t even flinch.
“Malfoy?”
He looked up, then, his expression fraught with sadness, exhaustion, and fear.
“What are you doing here, Potter?” Draco practically growled -- teeth clenched as if his jaw was wired shut with invisible pins.
“I could ask you the same question.”
Draco inhaled sharply, jerking his head back toward his book.
“I have to be here, okay? I was chosen.”
“Chosen to --”
That’s when Harry saw it -- the inside of Draco’s wrist angled toward him in the light -- dark and pulsing, alive.
“See?”
Draco looked completely helpless. The dark circles underneath his eyes resembling deep bruises.
Harry swallowed. His throat stung with betrayal and something reminiscent of his own childlike sadness -- the feeling of getting caught in the crossfires, no matter what his intentions.
"You want weapons to defeat the Dark Lord, Potter? You’re in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal you could have. Arm yourself! Don’t be a fool like me."
He sounded so much like Hermione -- Harry wondered if he even knew Draco at all.