A/N: This is my first fanfic ever so it would be good to get some reviews. I did this without a beta but I would probably need one at least to ensure the characters stay true to the book. While I like Harry Potter, I am not the type to reread books but I have tried my very best to ensure that I have followed as closely to cannon as possible. So if anyone would like to be my beta, I would be very grateful.
*****
Sometimes having no choice is the best choice
He sat stiffly in a corner of the room, his eyes staring blankly at the cold, grey wall in front of him. The memory of the last few hours washed over him, yet he held himself painfully still. You never knew who was watching and he didn’t want anyone to see him so vulnerable.
The room was bare except for a wooden chair he was seated on. Professor Snape had shoved him into the room, tersely warned him to stay put and left. Not that he needed to be told to stay put - there was no where else to go. After his botched attempt on Dumbledore’s life, he expected he no longer had any allies. His father probably saw this as evidence that he was a disgrace to the family. His mother was in no position to do anything. His Slytherin ‘friends’ were likely to distance themselves from him. As for Snape, he didn’t know. Was he a double-agent as many had claimed? Or was he still working for He-who-must-not-be-named? Deemed a coward by the dark side, reviled by the heroes, Draco did not see a bright future ahead.
Hours passed and nothing happened. Draco still sat on the uncomfortable chair. It seemed like no one knew or cared that he was here. It was just as well, he thought. Anyone who came to see him probably would not be there to offer him comfort - not that he needed any. He was a Malfoy and despite his recent failure, he was not going to turn into a sniveling, aimless weakling. He didn’t need anyone. Not He-who-must-not-be-named, not his father and most certainly not Potter. He didn’t need anyone to survive, he told himself firmly. He was more than capable of looking after himself.
Yet, when the door opened moments later, Draco still felt the cold hand of fear grip him. He almost slumped with relief when Snape strode in. But he didn’t. He sat rigidly, looking defiantly at Snape.
“You don’t have to do that. Pretend that everything is ok,” Snape sighed, rubbing his hands over his face.
“I would have done it.”
“Would you? I doubt it.” Snape advanced towards Draco and hauled him out of his seat, tightly gripping his left arm. “You are not your father!”
Snape yanked Draco’s sleeve up, revealing pale, unmarred skin.
“Look!” he snarled, “You are not a Death Eater and you never will be.”
Stung, Draco pulled away from Snape. “Just because I took a little too long to kill Dumbledore does not mean I’m not capable of being a Death Eater! You don’t know anything! I will be a Death Eater and a better one than you! I certainly would not be living in Dumbledore’s …”
“Silencio!”
The silence stretched as Draco eyed Snape warily. He knew what caused his outburst - his whole life, he had been groomed to become a Death Eater. How could Snape stand there and dismiss his ambition? What was worse was that he knew Snape was right. Draco Malfoy was not going to be a Death Eater and that was the worst indignity he could have suffered.
*****
She sat curled up near the window, thinking of the year that had passed, reliving the good memories and shunning the bad. Everybody seemed to be busy, one way or another, preparing for the inevitable. A war was upon them and it seemed everyone had a part to play except her.
It had been a horrible end to the year. Dumbledore was dead, He-who-must-not-be-named was back, school was closed indefinitely and Harry had broken up with her. In the greater scheme of things, her breakup with Harry was insignificant. She knew Harry’s reasons were good ones and their breakup may not be permanent, yet that did not stop the ache in her heart.
“Ginny?”
“Mum?” Ginny was shaken out of her reverie and she got up from her seat.
“It’s dinner time dear. Can you get the rest?”
Ginny ran up the stairs to Ron’s room and knocked. She could hear the three of them chatting inside and they stopped once she poked her head in. Ron grinned at her, seemingly the only one happy to see her as Harry looked away hastily and Hermione was too involved in her reading to notice her.
“Dinner time,” she mumbled before backing out of the room. Why Harry decided to stay on for a while after Bill and Fleur’s wedding, she did not know. All she knew was that it hurt seeing him around.
Thankfully at the table, Harry sat to her right and she did not need to look at him at all. The conversation was light, revolving around quidditch mostly. Ginny noticed Harry did not say much but he was probably fretting over the horcruxes. Often Ginny was torn. She wanted Harry to leave on his search soon so she would not have to see him, yet she knew if he left, he may not return. And if he left, so would Ron and Hermione.
As if reading her thoughts, Hermione suddenly broke into the animated discussion on whether the Chudley Cannons would even have a chance in the coming season.
“I, well Harry, Ron and I really, have something important to tell you.”
Silence descended and everyone looked nervously at Hermione. They all knew what she was going to say, yet no one wanted to hear it. The three of them were leaving. Ginny glanced at their faces. Behind their stoic expressions, she sensed fear. She wanted to tell them not to go. She wanted to beg them to stay but she knew it would not change their minds.
He sat stiffly in a corner of the room, his eyes staring blankly at the cold, grey wall in front of him. The memory of the last few hours washed over him, yet he held himself painfully still. You never knew who was watching and he didn’t want anyone to see him so vulnerable.
The room was bare except for a wooden chair he was seated on. Professor Snape had shoved him into the room, tersely warned him to stay put and left. Not that he needed to be told to stay put - there was no where else to go. After his botched attempt on Dumbledore’s life, he expected he no longer had any allies. His father probably saw this as evidence that he was a disgrace to the family. His mother was in no position to do anything. His Slytherin ‘friends’ were likely to distance themselves from him. As for Snape, he didn’t know. Was he a double-agent as many had claimed? Or was he still working for He-who-must-not-be-named? Deemed a coward by the dark side, reviled by the heroes, Draco did not see a bright future ahead.
Hours passed and nothing happened. Draco still sat on the uncomfortable chair. It seemed like no one knew or cared that he was here. It was just as well, he thought. Anyone who came to see him probably would not be there to offer him comfort - not that he needed any. He was a Malfoy and despite his recent failure, he was not going to turn into a sniveling, aimless weakling. He didn’t need anyone. Not He-who-must-not-be-named, not his father and most certainly not Potter. He didn’t need anyone to survive, he told himself firmly. He was more than capable of looking after himself.
Yet, when the door opened moments later, Draco still felt the cold hand of fear grip him. He almost slumped with relief when Snape strode in. But he didn’t. He sat rigidly, looking defiantly at Snape.
“You don’t have to do that. Pretend that everything is ok,” Snape sighed, rubbing his hands over his face.
“I would have done it.”
“Would you? I doubt it.” Snape advanced towards Draco and hauled him out of his seat, tightly gripping his left arm. “You are not your father!”
Snape yanked Draco’s sleeve up, revealing pale, unmarred skin.
“Look!” he snarled, “You are not a Death Eater and you never will be.”
Stung, Draco pulled away from Snape. “Just because I took a little too long to kill Dumbledore does not mean I’m not capable of being a Death Eater! You don’t know anything! I will be a Death Eater and a better one than you! I certainly would not be living in Dumbledore’s …”
“Silencio!”
The silence stretched as Draco eyed Snape warily. He knew what caused his outburst - his whole life, he had been groomed to become a Death Eater. How could Snape stand there and dismiss his ambition? What was worse was that he knew Snape was right. Draco Malfoy was not going to be a Death Eater and that was the worst indignity he could have suffered.
She sat curled up near the window, thinking of the year that had passed, reliving the good memories and shunning the bad. Everybody seemed to be busy, one way or another, preparing for the inevitable. A war was upon them and it seemed everyone had a part to play except her.
It had been a horrible end to the year. Dumbledore was dead, He-who-must-not-be-named was back, school was closed indefinitely and Harry had broken up with her. In the greater scheme of things, her breakup with Harry was insignificant. She knew Harry’s reasons were good ones and their breakup may not be permanent, yet that did not stop the ache in her heart.
“Ginny?”
“Mum?” Ginny was shaken out of her reverie and she got up from her seat.
“It’s dinner time dear. Can you get the rest?”
Ginny ran up the stairs to Ron’s room and knocked. She could hear the three of them chatting inside and they stopped once she poked her head in. Ron grinned at her, seemingly the only one happy to see her as Harry looked away hastily and Hermione was too involved in her reading to notice her.
“Dinner time,” she mumbled before backing out of the room. Why Harry decided to stay on for a while after Bill and Fleur’s wedding, she did not know. All she knew was that it hurt seeing him around.
Thankfully at the table, Harry sat to her right and she did not need to look at him at all. The conversation was light, revolving around quidditch mostly. Ginny noticed Harry did not say much but he was probably fretting over the horcruxes. Often Ginny was torn. She wanted Harry to leave on his search soon so she would not have to see him, yet she knew if he left, he may not return. And if he left, so would Ron and Hermione.
As if reading her thoughts, Hermione suddenly broke into the animated discussion on whether the Chudley Cannons would even have a chance in the coming season.
“I, well Harry, Ron and I really, have something important to tell you.”
Silence descended and everyone looked nervously at Hermione. They all knew what she was going to say, yet no one wanted to hear it. The three of them were leaving. Ginny glanced at their faces. Behind their stoic expressions, she sensed fear. She wanted to tell them not to go. She wanted to beg them to stay but she knew it would not change their minds.
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