Clean

The Trap

Chapter 28: The Trap

Draco sat at the base of the steps, cradling his head in his hands. He still couldn't believe it had come to this, even after all of the unbelievable things that had happened that year.

This was the worst part, the waiting. It was unbearable. It forced him to be alone with his thoughts - and he couldn't imagine a worse fate than that.

"Theo."

Two days ago.

"Yeah?"

He hadn't even looked up. Of course, Draco had thought. Leave it to Theo to not recognize an important moment.

"I need to talk to you," Draco had said calmly. "It's important."

Theo's usual mask of amusement had slipped around the corners of his mouth and he'd blinked once, then twice, before reaching behind him to uncomfortably take a seat.

"Oh," Theo had said blankly, lowering himself. He'd looked as though he might laugh, perhaps as some kind of flimsy attempt to bring levity to the situation. Ultimately, of course, he'd failed. "I suppose I just forgot, what with you taking your sweet time about it," he'd said morosely. "For a minute there, I thought everything would be fine."

"Yeah," Draco had agreed, shrugging as he'd taken a seat beside his lanky, dark-haired friend. "Well, I'm an arse, so it's probably about time I got what's coming to me."

At that, Theo merely scowled at him. "You're not," he'd said, his voice clipped. His dark green eyes slid over Draco's face. "Do you need anything?"

Draco half-smiled. "I wonder what it says about me," he'd pondered aloud, "that you would even think to ask that." He'd shaken his head, grimacing. "I don't deserve it, you know," he'd remarked.

"Deserve what?"

He'd shrugged. "Your loyalty."

Theo had rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fuck off, Draco," he'd said, kicking his legs out and slouching down in the chair. "You're my brother."

At that, Draco hadn't been able to think of anything to say. He'd just bent his head, thoroughly humbled.

"What's the worst of it, do you think?" Theo had asked after a beat, even as he'd continued to stare ahead vacantly.

"The secrets," Draco replied easily. "The lies. That's the worst."

Theo had nodded, and they'd sat quietly together for several minutes, both wondering if it would be the last time. For his part, Draco had been angrily cursing himself. He was furious - furious that he'd wasted his time, wasted his life, chasing Potter and hunting for approval in all the wrong places. The whole time he could have done everything just a little bit differently. He could have spend that time cultivating a quiet dignity, like Theo. He could have just been a solitary loner, like Theo. He could have just been there, with Theo, who had been his brother the whole time.

"Now's the time, mate," Theo had said after a while, interrupting their mutual reverie. "If you've got anything to share – "

"Just make sure my parents are taken care of," Draco had responded simply, closing his eyes, and Theo had quietly murmured his assent.

Draco had sighed then, unable to resist making one final request.

"And – keep an eye on her, would you?"

He'd felt Theo nod beside him. "Sure," he'd said, placing his hand comfortingly on Draco's shoulder.

That was two days ago.