dracoharry100 | Teaching Teddy, 34

Title: Teaching Teddy, 34
Author: twisted_miracle
Team: death eaters
Word count: 100x4
Characters/pairings: Harry/Draco
Challenge: permanent
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, they belong to the clever Scottish lady. I just bend them and love them. Please don't smack me for playing. It isn't like I am going to earn any money from this!

Author's note: Comments are love!

Summary: Draco paces, waiting.

Continued from part 33: https://dracoharry100.dreamwidth.org/246690.html#cutid1

t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t

Draco paced nervously behind the Three Broomsticks. If he wasn’t careful, he thought, he might wear a permanent track in the grass between the back door and Madame Rosmerta’s wild and profuse little herb garden.

Weasley was due any minute. Draco had managed to apologize to Madame Rosmerta already — and she’d been remarkably gracious about it — but could he possibly manage a proper apology for Ronald Weasley? Would his mouth even work when he tried?

Draco knew he’d nearly killed Weasley with that moronic poisoned mead. (He’d been so stupid!) But it wasn’t as though they had been friends beforehand.

t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t

Suddenly, Draco felt eyes boring into the back of his skull. Forcing himself to leave his wand alone, he turned slowly. Weasley was there, leaning against the side of the building, chewing a stalk of timothy, as casual as Draco had ever seen him. He looked nearly indolent, if you ignored the triumphal glint in his eye.

“Been waiting for this day,” Weasley said. “Figured out it was coming a while back.”

“Oh?” Draco said, trying hard to affect a polite tone for his voice.

“So, let’s have it, Malfoy. Before the stain on your soul becomes permanent.”

Draco blanched.

t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t

Weasley was right. He had never learned any such thing, and yet, he knew it into his bones, now that he had heard it voiced. Nearly murdering someone, no matter how indirectly, it was leaving a stain on Draco’s very soul. Was it permanent yet? He reached into his understanding of himself, and came up… unsure.

It was past time, though, that was clear. Draco straightened his spine, took a deep breath, and began to apologize.

“Ronald Weasley,” he said, serious and sad. “I owe you an apology, from the depths of my magic and the center of my soul.

t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t

“I have never been kind to you. I’ve treated you with undeserved contempt since we met on the Hogwarts Express. I behaved as though my father’s money made me better, and as though your father’s kindness and integrity were worthless. I’m ashamed of my childhood envy and foolishness. Most of all, I’m sorry you were hurt, physically, by something I did. I thank Merlin the damage wasn’t permanent. I hope you can accept my apology.”

Draco was surprised to realize he’d closed his eyes. He looked up from his shoes, nervous at what he might see on Weasley’s freckled face.

t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t t-T-t-T-t-T-t-T-t

To be Continued: https://dracoharry100.dreamwidth.org/267176.html#cutid1