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The Future is what we make of it	By : BlackDawnRose Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 1485 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters., no money is being made from this story

Chapter List
- 1-The Future is what we make of it
- 2-Concrete Angels
- 1
- 2
The Future is what we make of it

prologue

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy stood atop the newly constructed astronomy tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, looking over the newly completed school grounds. It had been beautifully done; they and many others had made sure of it, and while the construction had taken several months to complete it had at least been done properly and the staff and students that would soon be returning could enjoy the school the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

Neither of them would be among this group, despite the many offers they’d had to teach at the school. After finishing their education both men had gone on to further study and had graduated top of their respective classes meaning they could have a job anywhere they wanted. Working at Hogwarts would be a great use of their talents and they could help shape the next generation of witches and wizards –The minister’s words ringing in their ears as he tried to convince them to agree to the job offers- but they just couldn’t bring themselves to do it. Yes, they’d helped rebuild the school and ensured it was as perfect as it could be. But now the rebuilding was over and without the distraction brought about by continuous planning and construction the grounds were eerily silent and looking at them did nothing but serve to remind both men of what had happened here and what they’d lost.

Despite its newly finished, perfectly pristine appearance, when Harry and Draco looked at the grounds all they could see was what it looked like during the final battle. The rubble on the ground as the castle fell, the still bodies of the dead lying strewn around the place, bright red blood and flashes of magic everywhere. The wind, while silent, seemed to echo with the screams of the dying and the cackle of evil beings as they cut down adults and children alike without so much as a shred of remorse.

The memories haunted their steps wherever they went, but after spending time at Hogwarts the effect was far more noticeable. They already suffered nightmares which caused them to wake up screaming and clawing at the darkness in attempt to fight off remembered enemies, but after being at Hogwarts for the day they were always more vivid. Red eyes and a reptilian face invaded even those dreams that stared off pleasant and turned them into something dark and evil on those nights and the only thing that soothed them after those dreams was each other. They calmed each other, soothed each other and supported each other through it all as best they could, often alternating the days they went to the school so they weren’t both plagued with the nightmares on the same night. While one was weak the other was strong and that was how they survived when everyone else they’d ever loved was gone.

The war had been horrible, but from it they’d both received an amazing and beautiful gift in each other. They’d bonded in the hospital after the final battle.

They’d both chosen the same ledge to jump from and end their lives.

In the end, after much conversation and tears, rather than jump they’d taken each other’s hand and headed back inside with a promise to help the other hold together when they wanted to fall apart. They’d kept that promise to each other ever since and the bond they’d created that night had quickly turned into friendship which had then, after only a few weeks, morphed into love.

They weren’t silly about that love like many other couples were. When Harry realised he was in love with Draco he’d said so and after a few days to think about what he felt himself Draco had returned the sentiment. There wasn’t any awkwardness or fear surrounding their relationship, they didn’t avoid their feelings or sit up at night frightened that it wasn’t going to last and they’d end up hurt. Life was too short for those kinds of fears, they both knew it, and they’d moved headlong into the relationship with an agreement that if they didn’t work out there would be no hard feelings, and if it were to end, their relationship would be beautiful, wonderful and fulfilling until it did.

They were as happy together as they could be, but try as they might they couldn’t shake the guilt and anguish they were swamped with over what they’d done during the war and what they’d lost. They did everything possible to avoid thinking about it, helped everyone they could to try and make up for what they’d done, or failed to do, but in the end nothing worked, there was just too much they couldn’t change.

At least that’s what they’d thought.

It was on one of their rare trips to Hogwarts together that they’d learnt otherwise. Draco and Harry had gone up to the Astronomy tower, a place they’d both found solace and great sadness in over the years, to find it almost completely obliterated. It was a blow to them to see it that way and remember all that had taken place within the broken structure and they’d been holding each other crying when it had happened.

All of a sudden the astronomy tower had seemed to repair itself and while Harry and Draco looked on in shock they’d suddenly found themselves face to face with an ethereal spirit. She’d revealed herself to be the spirit of Hogwarts, an eternal being of energy that lived within the structure and its grounds, watching over all who passed through her doors. She spoke to them for what felt like hours about her sadness, at what had taken place on her property, at how little she’d been able to do to stop it, at what she’d witnessed. She told them how deeply it had hurt to lost the Headmaster, how much he’d come to mean to her over the years, but also how saddened she’d been by what had become of Tom Riddle. She’d held a deep, motherly love for both wizards and had been in mourning since Tom had started creating Horcruxes all those years ago.

She wanted to change what had happened, but she couldn’t and she knew that. That didn’t mean somebody else couldn’t however, and that was where she’d given the men a choice. She had told them that she, along with the spirits of those who had died in the final battle, had the power to send them back. To help them change things so the battle and the blood shed never took place. It would mean those spirits would fade completely from existence in this time, they would never reincarnate or travel to an afterlife, but if Harry and Draco succeeded in changing the future they would be back, and rather than losing their possibility of an afterlife they’d be around to live their real lives in peace and happiness. It was a risk for them to take, but they were willing to put their faith in Harry and Draco’s ability to succeed.

The spirit had told them to think about it and come back to her with their answer. If they agreed she would send them back in time and do whatever she could to help them fix things so the darkness wouldn’t fall as it had in this life. Then, as quickly as she’d come she was gone again, leaving them back in the ruined astronomy tower with a lot to think about.

They had left the school that day deep in thought. They knew, ethically, that altering the timeline was wrong and that they really had no right to change the future of possibly every person on the planet to suit their will. At the same time however, they knew that there were a lot of people who wanted them to do just that, and as worried as they were about how they could affect the time line, stepping on a butterfly and all of that theory, there really wasn’t many ways they could ruin it; it was well and truly in tatters already.

They also knew that if they refused the offer they would never forgive themselves, and in actual fact, agreeing was probably the only way they’d ever be able to live in peace without the cloud of guilt and loss hanging over their heads.

So, they’d agreed. They returned to help with the rebuilding of the castle; wanting her to be pristine before they left. They ensured everybody who died during the final battle was located and laid to rest in a dignified fashion and they worked their hardest to achieve the top level of competency in their chosen fields of study in the shortest time, knowing that when they arrived in whatever time the castle sent them they would need to be able to work to support themselves should their original plans fail. They studied the history of their families, wanting to be prepared for who they may encounter and finally, they travelled to Gringotts and cleaned out the family vaults they were both entitled to.

They kept the contents of the Malfoy and Potter family vaults, each quite a substantial amount and combined an altogether ridiculous amount. Between them they could build Malfoy manor several times over and still have enough left over to never work a day in their lives. If all went well they wouldn’t need the money they were taking, but in case it didn’t they had it there as a backup.

The Black family vault they divided between Andromeda, who was now caring for Teddy after Remus and Nymphadora’s deaths and who rightly deserved it in both of their opinions, the Weasley family who were still reeling from the loss of so many of their children, Hogwarts to help with the reconstruction and St Mungo's to help those still recovering from the war. The Black fortune was a very sizable one and the division of the funds would support both families for a lifetime and fund a good deal of the rebuilding and research needed to repair the damage from the war.

They paid a final visit to anyone they still cared for, ensured their wills were in order, made up a story that they were going to travel for a while in case anyone became suspicious of what they were doing and prepared to leave their world behind.

The very last order of business was the destruction of Malfoy Manor. True, they could have left the structure standing, but nobody would be living in it and as selfish as it sounded Draco didn’t want his family home sold or auctioned off when the authorities finally realized he and Harry were never coming back.

It was a simple spell to caste for someone of the Malfoy blood, one that had been created centuries before in case the Manor was ever invaded or anything of the sort. It hurt Draco more than he’d ever say to caste it, to destroy everything his forbearers had worked so hard to build and gather, all the family heirlooms, but it had to be done. The only things he kept for himself were his father’s cane, both his parents’ wands, his mother’s wedding and engagement rings and the painting of them that sat above the fireplace in the middle of the entryway.

As soon as he’d gathered everything he wanted or needed to take, Draco set the spell in motion, tears spilling from his eyes from the very first word, and Harry comforted him through the experience before pulling him out of the manor as it started to burn around them. Despite the pain it caused him Draco wanted to stay and watch for a while to ensure the spell had taken properly, so Harry stayed with him, offering silent support until the blonde was satisfied and ready to go. The painting of his parents, which Draco had shrunk to fit in his pocket, spoke soothingly to him as well and Draco cuddled it close, the voices of his parents bringing more tears to his eyes.

Now it was all said and done and here they were, standing atop the newly rebuilt astronomy tower, time-turner in their hands, taking one last look at the school before they left this world forever hopefully to create a better one.

Harry felt Draco’s hand tighten on his and the blonde asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Harry replied squeezing back.

No sooner had the words left his mouth the Hogwarts spirit appeared before them. She gave them both a sad smile and held out her arms. Bright light filled the tower and one by one the spirits of those who’d died in the final battle began appearing in the tower. Harry and Draco recognized almost every one of them and tears slipped down their faces as they came into view.

“Mother, Father, Severus, Blaise,” Draco said shakily holding out his hands to the ghostly figures who came forward to stand beside him.

“Hermione, Ron, Remus, Luna,” Harry greeted his own companions who joined him as Draco’s had.

The ghostly figures smiled at them but didn’t speak and the Hogwarts spirit quickly explained that they couldn’t, the energy they had been channelling into the school, building up for this spell, had taken all but their ghostly form from them. It saddened both men but they understood and were grateful to at least see their loved ones one last time.

The pair bid them all a tearful goodbye and they retreated into the circle of spirits, surrounding the pair and filling the room with bright white light. A strange humming of magic neither man had ever encountered pulsed through the tower and the world around them began to fade leaving only the light and ghostly figures surrounding them. Then, one by one the figures began to fade as their magic was depleted and their souls lost.

Eventually only those who’d come to greet them and the Hogwarts spirit remained. Draco looked tearfully at his parents and Severus as they too began to fade and sobbed, “I will save you, I promise, I won’t let you suffer like you did in this life. I’ll be there to protect you, to love you, I swear it.”

Warm smiles lit their faces and all three mouthed, “I love you” before they faded into the light.

Harry for his part stared at Ron and Hermione, wanting to keep their faces in his memory forever. He had photos, but those could always fade and he never wanted to forget his friends. “Thank you,” he said tearfully. “For everything, I love you both so much.”

They gave him a sad smile and Hermione blew him a kiss before they faded and he was left facing Remus.

“I will see you again soon, you and Sirius. I’ll keep you away from Greyback and I’ll keep him out of prison, I promise,” he swore to the man who smiled back at him warmly and mouthed “I believe in you, pup” before he too faded away.

Harry and Draco pulled each other into a hug and sobbed out the pain of losing the only life they’d ever known forever. This was it now, they’d never come back and they wouldn’t have any more time to dwell on what they’d lost. From now on they had to work only toward the future they were trying to create. The magic enveloped them and the Hogwarts spirit whispered her thanks before the light overtook their senses and they felt themselves falling … falling … falling…

XX

End of chapter
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The Future is what we make of it