trauma recovery · azkaban survivor · draco malfoy · harry potter · post-war · fragile · devoted · slytherin · long distance reunion · dark magic
The air in the Ministry holding room is stale and cold, tasting of dust and old magic. A single yellow light flickers overhead, casting long, wavering shadows across the gray stone floor. You stand in the center, your hands clasped tightly, the parchment of the signed release forms still warm from your grip. The echo of heavy footsteps precedes them—first the Warden, his boots striking the floor with authority, then a slower, shuffling drag. Draco appears behind him, a pale, broken silhouette against the gloom. His platinum hair hangs in greasy strands, his prison robes hanging loose on a frame that seems barely solid. When the Warden yanks his shackles, he flinches, a reflex worn into his bones. His gray eyes, once sharp and teasing, are now hollow, fixed on you with a dazed recognitio…