situation... what the hell was so important about a circle? A square would serve just as well, or even a
triangle, for the game they were playing. A killing game.
Mirror images facing off, the only difference between them their age and there cause. The eyes most of all,
were the same, wild and frenzied fire behind a wall of glacial ice miles thick. Eyes that were locked together,
as were hands on throats, trying to drive the life out of the other. Draco Malfoy and his father Lucius, in a
circle in the snow.
Draco was surprised his father hadn’t instantly drawn his wand with his unnerving skill at hexes, but then it
occurred to him that Lucius didn’t know how truly serious this was- how truly serious Draco was. This
wasn’t the stupid joke there current exchanges would leave to believe... trying to choke someone. Stupid.
A moment later Draco showed him just how stupid it was, suddenly releasing his father’s throat and falling
straight back into the snow, pumping his legs up beneath him. Lucius let out a loud grunt as he suddenly
found himself airborne, smashing onto his back hard despite his cushioned landing. His son was on his feet
much faster with the energy of his youth, and to Lucius’ surprise calmly pulled his wand out from under his
sleeve. He went to laugh at the boy, just enough to throw him off for a moment, but the mocking laughter
was cut short by a fit of coughing.
Across the circle, Draco smiled. Old age was so pathetic, it took your body from you when you needed it
the most. But soon he’d be the one taking his father’s body from him, blowing it into pieces if he had to.
First, he realized, I need to take his weapon. Calmly, the blonde man raised his wand. “Experillamus,” he
almost said almost in a whisper, but the effect was the same. A silver beam of light launched out towards
Lucius, who managed to drop below it just in time, using a surprising amount of speed the belied his physical
shape. His wand which he’d hastily drawn leveled dead even with Draco’s eyes, and fired a dark cloud that
blinded the young man momentarily, causing him to lose his footing on the icy terrain.
~Flash~
Twenty minutes ago his father had greeted him as always, not with open arms but at the very least with an
open hand to shake, and with the same fierce possessive pride that has always gleamed in his eyes, even 10
years ago when Draco had only been 11 and on his way to Hogwarts. Until Draco had told him the news of
his engagement. To Harry Potter.
The screaming that followed was inconsequential, it only mattered how the fight had ended. His father trying
to resume his position as Draco’s complete master by giving him a direct order: ‘You will not shame out
family this way. I’d rather you were dead first.’
That had set it off. Finally Draco’s only true question about his father had been confirmed as well as a
sneaking suspicion... that Lucius not only valued his own life above Draco’s, but his pride as well. So slowly
and deliberately, Draco had traced a circle in the snow with his foot, and then turned to his father. “Try me.”
~Back~
Draco reeled backwards as his father plowed into him, still trying to wipe the stinging feeling from his eyes,
and he felt the wand slip from his fingers and sink into the snow. Lucius rose up above his prone form,
breathing hard, a look of triumph on his face. He lifted his wand high above his head, and Draco could sense
the forbidden lips forming on his father’s lips, ready to blast him into oblivion. It was the moment he had
been waiting for, and he doubled over quickly, reaching into his boot and pulling out a second wand- his true
wand- to brandish it in front of him as a shield. The two spells were cast at the same time, which was the
only true way it could work.
“Avada Kervada!”
“Flectos!”
A green light launched from Lucius’ wand towards Draco, only to strike into a towering red screen of light
that had erected itself in front of the boy. The two forces battled for a moment, and behind the shield Draco
could see his protection beginning to cave in, and wondered if his plan hadn’t been so good after all...
-but the green light launched back, striking his father, enveloping him. He managed to utter a high pitched
scream before collapsing into the ground, eyes wide in shock, unmoving.
~
Draco checked himself out quickly in the mirror by the door as the knock came, making sure he’d fully
healed the cut his father had bashed open above his lip. It was perfect. He heaved a sigh of relief as he
opened the door- he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fix himself up in time, a reflection spell took a lot out of
you even if the spell you were bouncing back was minor- to see Harry standing there, a smile on his face; but
it was a nervous smile. Happy to see Draco but expecting bad news. “Come on in,” Draco said, spreading a
fake grin across his face. He was too tired to be truly happy, even at the site of his lover.
Timidly, Harry stepped over the threshold to his house, looking around in amazement. Oh yeah, the awe
factor of the mansion... Draco had forgotten about that. He took another quick look at him sense and saw a
spot of blood on the back of his neck, which he quickly wiped off with his index finger. Harry started to turn
around, and with no where else to hide the blood, Draco quickly popped the digit in his mouth. When Harry
saw Malfoy sucking his finger like a lollipop he grinned for real, and wrapped his arms around him for a kiss.
“So how’d he take it,” he asked, voicing the source of his nervousness.
Take it... oh yeah, Harry knew why he’d gone there that morning. He really must be tired if he’d forgotten
that. Draco glanced in the mirror a final time, staring through the reflection around a wall and out the
mansion window, where the still figure of his father was lying, in a circle in the snow. He looked back to
Harry and smiled, “Better than expected.”