Marked

The Leverage

Chapter 27: The Leverage

"No," Draco said stiffly, shoving the tent flap aside as he swiftly moved to exit. "We have to tell her."

Harry was chasing after him. "Draco," he panted, reaching out to grip his arm. "Draco, you can't, okay?"

"Why not?" Draco demanded, pivoting quickly. "It's just a prophecy, Potter, it doesn't mean anything - "

"If that's the case, then why give her a reason to doubt it?" Harry asked pointedly, looking around and lowering his voice.

Granger was sleeping, but clearly, Draco was inclined to yell. He was unraveling, and had been since the extremely unwelcome visit from the Dark Lord. His mind was invaded. Nothing was safe.

"What do you want from me," he'd said, teeth gritted.

"Nothing, yet," the Dark Lord replied silkily. "Though you really should have just stayed dead."

"It doesn't necessarily mean her," Draco said, jaw clenched. "Just because it might be doesn't mean it is."

"If you tell her, the prophecy might become self-fulfilling," Harry pointed out. "Dumbledore told me that You-Know-Who made me the Chosen One by killing my parents. But it was never necessarily me."

"She's smarter than that," Draco snarled, not sure what was making him so aggressive. He felt - prickly, somehow. "She won't just - mindlessly believe it - "

"If you really think that's true, why didn't you just tell her right away?" Harry asked sharply, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you really believe that, why doesn't she already know?"

"I'm fucking scared, that's why!" Draco shouted, and Harry shot him a warning glance. "That prophecy is about my death, Harry!" He started pacing, his hands shaking. "I don't want to imagine something happening to her if I'm not even there!"

"Either you think it's about her or you don't," Harry said coolly, watching him through dispassionate eyes. "Which is it?"

Draco dragged his hand through his hair, tousling it in his frustration. "I don't want to believe that the girl I love could become a 'conduit of chaos and suffering' but damn it, Harry, everything else - the outsider piece, the 'born of a different world' bit, the connection to you - " He sighed angrily. "I don't know."

"So you want to do what, exactly?" Harry asked, setting his jaw in frustration. "Tell her you think there's a chance she's, I don't know - evil?"

"No," Draco spat. "No, that's - that's not what I think, not at all - "

"Are you hoping she'll tell you it's not her?" Harry demanded, stepping forward and gripping Draco's shoulders. "Is that what you want? Her reassurance?"

"No!" Draco turned his face away, knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

"Then what - "

"I just - I - I love her," Draco stammered, sinking to the ground. "I told her a long time ago that I would never lie to her - I promised I wouldn't keep anything from her - "

"This is purely speculation, not a secret," Harry reminded him. "You told her as much about the prophecy as she needed to know."

"But - "

"If this were reversed, would you expect her to tell you?" Harry prodded.

A fair point. Historically, Granger had always been choosy with the information she shared.