Prompts, 온라인카지노게임 ideas and one...

Dead Man Walking

The minute hand ticked forward. Draco couldn't sleep. How could he? This was all the time he had left. No one came to bid him farewell, which didn't surprise him. The Ministry was handing out summary judgments for even suspected Death Eaters. He wasn't even sure if he had any friends that escaped the crackdown. He knew who didn't: his parents, Pansy, Greg and every other Death Eater he knew. He wasn't sure Theo and Blaise had escaped the roundup.

Another minute passed. He could just hear the clock on the wall just beyond the bars. Distantly, he could hear the guards muttering that it was about time. Time... he winced, as tears came, again. He brought his shaking hands to his face to wipe them away. He'd seen the others taken. Some resound and proud, a few quiet and meek, but most were begging and crying for respite.

Draco wished he could be strong. He was a Malfoy... the last and only Malfoy, but his father had always beaten into him to never embarrass himself. Of course, he saw his father screaming and pleading as they took him to his appointment with Death, so Draco didn't know if it was really necessary to uphold the family honor anymore. There was no one left to impress, anyway.

Fuck... he didn't know why he was the last one. At first, he was thankful that his date was being pushed back. They were arguing about his age and crimes, he guessed. But was once relief, was now torture. Every Death Eater walked past him for their date and no one came back. It only intensified the dread he was feeling. The hopelessness. Even more so when he received the final judgment of the appeal. Dawn was coming.

He looked at the clock, ticking almost to the number three. His hands shook, again. His execution was only hours away. He couldn't sleep his last hours away. He was scared. Breathing was difficult. His chest hurt painfully. He couldn't drink. He couldn't eat. Hell, the guards didn't bother to feed him last night. They said Death Eaters didn't deserve a last meal. Draco ran his hand over his faded Mark and agreed.

He never considered himself one. He didn't enjoy a second of it. Any mistake or misstep would result in a Cruciatus or even an Avada Kedavra if the Dark Lord was feeling irritable. He just wanted to get through it alive. That was the ironic part. He did. He was liberated from the madman only to be immediately arrested and condemned for belonging to him. He wasn't even allowed to speak at his trial. He was Silenced, before he even entered the room. The Court would only allow non-Death Eaters to speak.

Potter did show up. He argued quite forcefully on his behalf and nearly had the place in a riot. A bare majority declared him guilty. The sentence was automatic. No exceptions. But his first date passed by and then the second and third. Then he was pushed to the last spot, to wait for death. He suspected that someone was trying to be nice, but it only elongated his suffering. He let out a sigh and glanced at the controller of his life, the clock. It only went forward.

The guards had left some parchment and a quill, which they had denied him before. They dutifully informed him that there was going to be no last words and he could write his farewells now. But he had no one... he cried quietly. He looked up at the clock as he had lost a few precious minutes in self-deprivation. He could write anyone... that was all he could do. His final appeal was already gone, upholding the sentence and conviction.

Then he remembered he had an aunt. The one who married a muggle and her daughter, his cousin, married a werewolf. He knew they were dead, except Andromeda and her grandson. He didn't even know his name. He wrote a letter to her, saying goodbye and apologizing for her loss. He left a bequeathal of any Malfoy property or income not seized to her and her grandson. He wrote that he wished he could have known her without his father's influence.

He wrote a short letter to Blaise and Theo, as he knew that they weren't condemned like him. They could have been arrested for lesser crimes, but he still wished them the best and he hoped that they were free now that the Dark Lord was gone. When he finished that, he realized that there was no one else. His mind kept going back to Potter though. He had come back for him in the fire and fought for his release at his trial, and probably his appeals. He owed him.

Draco glanced at the clock, again. All he had left was time. He put the quill to the parchment and wrote.

Potter,

Thank you. I can only assume it's you that has been fighting for my appeals. I don't know why. I don't know why you bothered to save me from the fiendfyre, either. I know you tried and you, being you, will probably feel guilty for all this. Don't. This wasn't your fault. I spent a long time coming to terms with your actions... and mine. I can only believe you're doing this because of my inaction when Greyback captured you. Some part of me hates that I denied it was you, thus allowing you to escape, ensuring your victory and resulting in my parents and my own death.

But it's better this way, for everyone. I know that. The Dark Lord was a monster and you freed us all from him. If that price is my death, then it was worth it. It is a small price to pay for freedom. After everything that you've done, I have a few requests, and I don't have anyone left who cares about me enough to see them through. I will be grateful if you can find it in you to honor them.

First, I did write to my Aunt Andromeda, requesting that she accept whatever is left of the Malfoy fortune. I trust that you will assist her in getting as much of it as possible? Thank you, if you do. My next requests are considerably easier. I do not feel it's appropriate for me to write them directly.

Please tell Granger that I'm terribly sorry for how I treated her. There's no excuse for the names I called her, but let her know why it started. My father beat me nearly every day that summer between our first and second years, when he found out that she had beat me in class. I'm sorry that I directed my anger and pain onto her. Please tell her that she is the smartest and best student in the school and I hope she finds some solstice in that admission from me.

I'll admit, the day you three came to my house was one of the scariest days in my life. Watching her being torturing in front of me, almost made me turn on my family right there. But I am a coward and I saw no way to escape. How Dobby turned up, I will never know. I let you have the wands to escape, but I wish I had done more for her. But please, tell her sorry and I hope that she has healed from it.

Next, I guess to apologize to Weasley. I know how badly I bullied him, but he never gave in. Our families were always feuding and I'm sorry that I let that influence how I treated him. If I can offer some reconciliation, it is all I can do. His family, despite their financial situation, is so much better and wholesome than mine. His mother must be a great lady to raise a nice family and adopt you into it.

My last request, Potter, is that you accept my apology. That rejected handshake in our first year, turned me into a petulant prat. I'm sure I was a prick. The fact that I'm gay and always had a crush on you, didn't help either. You were just something out of my reach as a straight, Gryffindor who was the Chosen One. Most of the things I did were childish... messing with you in Snape's class and dressing up as a dementor, but for the things that were cruel, I'm sorry. Your nose, Hagrid, and bringing up your parents... I'm so sorry.

They gave me all the parchment I could want and other than I brief message to Blaise and Theo, I have no one left. Even if the others were alive, I wouldn't have said anything but a brief farewell. No, you are closer to me than anyone. Isn't that sad? And we aren't even friends... in the traditional sense. But by the end, I considered you an ally and I hope you will remember me in a little better light, now, and perhaps as a friend that you once knew.

Goodbye, Harry. I wish you a happy, wholesome life that you deserve.

Draco Lucius Malfoy

He couldn't stop a few tears from falling to the parchment. He was almost out of time as time sped closer. He folded it up, with the others and approached the bars.

"Guard?" he called.

"What, Death Eater?"

"Can you put these in the post, please?" he said, hoping. The guards weren't exactly friendly.

"Post? Your family is dead. Who are you writing?" he asked, walking to the door and snatching them and reading the name on the outside. "Harry Potter?"

He nodded and stared at the ground. "I needed to apologize for the things I've done."

The Auror stayed in his spot. "You're the only one of them that did that, you know? I'll post it for you. Shift change is coming up. But it's almost time for you."

He nodded and glanced at the time. The letter had been a large distraction... a blessing really. The guard went back to his chair. The guards switched out at five and were loudly talking about how glad they were that this was over. They were taking bets on if he'd cry and beg for his mother or not. He tried to resolve himself not to, but he wasn't sure he had that strength.

Minutes ticked on. Five after. Ten after. Half-past. Fuck, it was going faster. The clock was just laughing at him. He went to the sink basin and washed his face, in an attempt to stay the tears. Time was up.

The door to the ward opened. Footsteps came down the hall and stopped outside of his cell. His heart felt like it was turning sludge. They were here to take him down the one-way hallway.

"Death Eater! Put your hands through the bars!" one ordered.

Though they had the power of magic, they enjoyed manhandling him and others.

"Death Eater... we can pull you out by your fingertips just like your scummy father."

Draco swallowed and glanced at them, before making the slow walk to the door. He offered his wrists which they bound. They opened the door and he tried to back away, but they each grabbed an arm and pulled him out. The one on the left put restraints on his legs, too. No running. He looked up at the clock, one last time. Five-fifty. He couldn't stop shaking.

"Set. Let's go."

"Dead man walking!" announced the Auror on his right.