Freedom to Choose

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I'm not making any money. Ms. Rowling is a goddess.

This will be nc17 eventually, but it may take a few chapters for the relationship to develop. Oh, and although this will be a Harry/Draco fic, they're gonna be a bit slutty.


Chapter One: A Familiar Tower

Draco Malfoy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The old codger was offering him a choice. Draco had taken the mark and been ordered to kill him, but still Dumbledore was willing to protect his family??

Draco was pulled out of his musings by the noise coming from the tower below them. The battle was raging, and he had to make his decision. His wand hand was shaking badly now. He was no murderer, and Dumbledore knew it.

“There are too many of them.” Draco was hardly speaking above a whisper. “They’ll kill us both.”

“I’ve already mentioned that the Order of the Phoenix is here, Draco,” said Dumbledore as he slipped a little further down the ramparts. “If you fight with us, I am sure we will live through the night.”

Draco could feel tears prickling the corners of his eyes. He hadn’t wanted to become a Death Eater, but his mother was in danger. He was a Slytherin, his first instincts were for self-preservation, and he knew which side was going to win this war. Harry Potter had bested the Dark Lord every year since starting at Hogwarts, that fact alone left no question in Draco’s mind as to who would be the victor. If Dumbledore could save his mother and keep him away from You-Know-Who, then this was his chance.

“I’ll do it.” Draco tried to put off an air of confidence, but his voice came out as little more than a terrified squeak. “I’ll fight with you.”

“Wonderful,” said Dumbledore. “Now if you would just point your wand that way and free Mr. Potter of the freezing charm he is afflicted with, I believe he will be of some assistance.”

Draco whirled in the direction the Headmaster was pointing. “Potter?!”

Harry Potter was in shock. Malfoy was going to fight with them? He didn’t like to trust the git, but if Malfoy was going to unfreeze him then so be it.

“Please Mr. Malfoy, we have precious little time.” Dumbledore sounded calm, but he was looking worse by the second.

Draco threw a confused glance at the Headmaster before he cast the proper charm in the direction the old wizard was pointing. He gasped when sure enough Harry Potter flung aside an invisibility cloak and stood bent double, taking deep, shuddering breaths.

“What the bloody hell are you doing here Pot--.” Draco’s indignant cry was cut short as several Death Eaters came charging through the door.

Harry was firing hexes off before the Death Eaters had a chance to realize what was happening on the tower. He had to protect Dumbledore. He hit one of them with a stunner. Luckily Draco reacted just as quickly and hit a second one with a spell Harry didn’t recognize. Malfoy had always had a disturbingly large repertoire of nasty hexes. This one had the Death Eater wailing and rolling on the ground, trying desperately to stop the flames that were shooting out of his nose and mouth. It smelled as though his insides were cooking.

The mayhem distracted one of the two remaining hooded assailants long enough for Harry to hit her with a binding spell. Now Harry and Draco were squared off against the largest of the four, a grizzled looking man with matted grey hair. He smelled of blood and sweat, and Harry thought he heard the man growling.

Draco was shaking slightly and he hoped no one noticed it. He hadn’t known Greyback was going to show up. The werewolf was unpredictable, and he had a taste for blood even when he was in human form. The man terrified Draco, but he needed to protect Dumbledore, the old wizard was his only hope at freedom.

Harry didn’t like the way Draco was shaking. He didn’t know who this Death Eater was, but obviously Malfoy did, and he didn’t seem thrilled at the prospect of fighting him.

“Hello Fenrir,” said Dumbledore mildly. “I do believe that your plan has failed this evening, it would be wise of you to be on your way.”

“Ha!” The Death Eater barked out a laugh. “But you know how I love young meat, Dumbledore. I think I would rather enjoy spending some time in this castle after I kill you. The young man I tasted earlier hasn’t quite curbed my appetite.”

Harry felt his insides go cold at this proclamation. Someone was hurt. He cast a stunner at the Death Eater, but it was easily dodged. Draco tried another strange hex, but that was dodged as well. The Death Eater fired hexes at both of the boys, causing them to dive away from their positions in front of Dumbledore. Harry turned back towards the man just in time to see him level his wand at the Headmaster and open his mouth to bellow a curse.

“Avada--.”

“NO!” Both Harry and Draco cried out, but the Death Eater never got the rest of the spell past his lips. He toppled to the ground and landed in a heap after a blast of orange light hit him from behind.

Draco stared in shock at the black clad figure that was sneering down at the limp body of the werewolf. Snape, oh gods, he would kill Dumbledore. They didn’t even know he was really a Death Eater. The fools thought he was fighting for them!

Harry could have kissed Severus Snape at that moment. He had never been happier to see the snarky git in the six years they had known and loathed each other.

“Perfect timing as always, Severus,” said Dumbledore as he finally slumped to the ground. “Mr. Malfoy has decided to change his mission. He will now be fighting for the order, so I’m glad to say that thanks to the vague wording of the vow you took, you won’t need to kill me after all. Although I dare say you knew that already, judging by what you’ve done to Fenrir.”

“I was going to say he was hit in the crossfire regardless of Draco’s decision,” drawled Snape, as he strode purposefully to the Headmaster. “What has happened to you Albus?”

“Poison,” interjected Harry. “I don’t know what potion it was, but it had him hallucinating and screaming, and it was a concoction of Voldemort’s.”

Draco flinched at the mention of the Dark Lord’s name. The three men he was standing with were the only people he knew who were brave enough, or possibly daft enough, to say that name. He had never been shocked so much in such a short span of time before. Snape had planned the whole thing with Dumbledore, and he would have killed the leader of his side of the war in order to protect Draco. Well, and to protect himself from the backlash of that vow. Draco didn’t think for an instant that Snape’s sense of self-preservation wasn’t as strong as his own. It was a very Slytherin trait after all.

“I’ll need to do some scans and blood tests to figure out exactly what is needed, but for now drink this,” Snape said, as he pulled a small phial of pale violet potion out of his severely tailored robes and held it to the Headmaster’s lips. “It is a general antidote, it should dull the pain and strengthen you enough to be capable of making an appearance below.”

“Thank you Severus.” Dumbledore drank the potion and sat with his eyes closed for a moment before pulling himself to his feet. “Yes, that is much better. Now, Draco, how many more Death Eaters are in the castle?”

“Umm … six at least. I’m not entirely sure, there was going to be some backup if we came across resistance, but they would have arrived after I came out here.”

“They will all more than likely flee at the sight of you anyway, Headmaster.” Snape looked as though he were speaking of something slimy stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Harry couldn’t help but snicker at that.

“Then I shall put in that appearance you mentioned immediately.” Dumbledore looked at Harry and Draco, who had moved to stand next to each other. “Boys I want you both to stay behind Professor Snape at all times. We cannot know the conditions in the tower below us, and you are both far too important to risk yourselves further tonight.”

Harry and Draco nodded and followed the two elder wizards as they strode quickly towards the door and the tower stairs. Harry’s heart was racing. Greyback had hurt someone; he didn’t think he wanted to find out whom.

As they made their way to the bottom of the stairs the sounds of battle assaulted their ears. Harry was having a difficult time staying behind Snape as he had been ordered to do. Remus, Ginny, Ron and Professor McGonagall were all locked in combat with figures in black cloaks. But before Harry could rush into the fray one of the Death Eaters, a huge man with blonde hair, noticed the Headmaster.

“Dumbledore! Retreat!” He bellowed the command into the smoke filled wreckage of the corridor and the Death Eaters began scrambling away from the battle. The order members all seemed too stunned and relieved to respond immediately.

Draco couldn’t hold himself back. These were the men and women who had nearly destroyed his life. He didn’t want to think about what may have happened if he had refused Dumbledore’s offer of help. He smirked at Potter, who he was surprised to see smirking right back. They had come to an unspoken decision, and Draco knew it.

Harry caught Draco’s smirk and he knew what it meant. The Death Eaters were not escaping that easily.

Both boys tore down the corridor, ignoring Snape’s bellowed command to stay put. They leapt over the bodies on the ground. Harry thought he saw red hair on one of them, and he recognized Neville’s surprised squeak, but he couldn’t afford to lose focus. They turned one corner and caught sight of the fleeing Death Eaters, but they were too far ahead to blindly fling hexes. They charged around a few more corners and down a hidden passage that lead to the entrance hall, which was packed with anxious students.

“Harry! What’s going on, were those Death Eaters? What are you doing with Malfoy?” Ernie Macmillan even sounded pompous when he was in his pajamas and shaking like a leaf.

“Out of our way!” Harry roared the order and the students in front of the charging boys leapt out of their path.

Finally they were out of the castle and on the lawns. Draco and Harry threw every nasty curse and hex they could think of at the retreating forms, but somehow they had managed to get even farther ahead. Something hit Harry square in the back, and he fell forward.

Draco whirled around and threw a blood-boiling curse at the death eater behind them. For a moment he was surprised to see the tall blonde Death Eater writing on the ground in pain, but when he saw the others from the tower fleeing the castle doors he realized what had happened. The hidden passage they had taken must have brought them out in front of the Death Eaters. The ones in front of them had been the backups.

“Petrificus Totalis!” Draco roared the spell at the top of his lungs and brought down another of the Death Eaters. Two more of them fell and Draco saw red hair blazing on the steps to the castle. Two of the Weasleys had followed, and it looked like Snape and Lupin were with them. Snape quickly bound the final three Death Eaters from the tower, and Draco turned to follow Potter, who was on his feet again, obviously ignoring his badly burned back, and charging after the rest of the Death Eaters.

Harry could hardly breathe, his legs were burning from the run, and the pain in his back was excruciating, but he refused to stop running. There were four Death Eaters in front of him, and they were almost at the gates to the grounds. He could hear Malfoy panting not far behind him. But the Death Eaters were too far ahead. They made it through the gates and apparated instantly.

“FUCK! Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!” Harry sat down hard on the ground, wheezing and trying desperately to catch his breath.

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Draco collapsed next to Harry and sprawled out on his back in the grass. His chest was rising and falling rapidly and he coughed a few times. How did those Gryffindors manage to do shit like this every year?

“You know some bloody scary curses, Malfoy.” Harry sounded more awed than disturbed.

“Thanks, Potter. How long do you think it will be before You-Know-Who’s put my name second on his To-Kill list?”

“I give you no more than half an hour, Mr. Malfoy,” a familiar voice drawled from behind the boys. “And if you ever put me through this kind of stress again I will gladly deliver your lifeless body to him myself.”

Harry chuckled at that, and Draco gave his favourite professor his best smirk.

“I promise nothing.” The blonde’s bored drawl matched Snape’s perfectly.

Professor Snape chuckled mildly at Draco, shocking both boys. Harry’s head was reeling. Snape really was on their side, and he had just been protecting Malfoy. He felt foolish for having ever questioned Dumbledore’s trust in the man.

“Potter, you’re injured.” Snape didn’t sound overly concerned, more like he was commenting on the weather. “As soon as you two idiots are finished lounging in the grass, go to the infirmary. I must tend to the Headmaster.”

“Yes, Professor.” Harry couldn’t stop himself from grinning at Snape. The Potions Master just rolled his eyes and muttered something about fool Gryffindors before turning on his heal and stalking off towards the castle.

“Come on, Potter.” Malfoy stood up with a groan and held out his hand to Harry. “Whatever hit you in the back has burned you rather badly, and I’d rather not be blamed for causing The-Boy-Who-Lived undue discomfort.”

Harry took the offered hand and climbed stiffly to his feet. He tried to ignore the blinding pain shooting through his body from his burned back, but it was much more difficult now that he was free to think on it. They two boys walked in silence back to the castle and through the empty entrance hall. Snape must have sent the throng of students back to bed. Harry kept sneaking glances at the blonde walking next to him. Draco looked like a different person when he wasn’t sneering and snarling. Harry was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of guilt. He had nearly killed Malfoy with that slashing spell in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, when he should have shown some compassion.

“What is it Potter?” Harry was pulled from his thoughts by Malfoy’s quiet drawl.

“What do you mean?”

“You look like you want to say something, so just spit it out.”

“I – I’m sorry,” whispered Harry. “I nearly killed you, and you must have been going thorough so much shit. I always assumed that you wanted to be a Death Eater, but I never really thought about it. Of course you’re smarter than that, and I --.”

Draco held up a hand to stop Harry’s babbling. “Look Potter, it’s a good thing you nearly killed me, because if you hadn’t I would have killed you. Oh, don’t look so shocked. Snape ranted at length to my father about your failed occulumency lessons, and my father ranted to me about Snape’s obsession with you. So when you saw me crying all I could think of was that You-Know-Who can read your mind, and that if you knew I was weak, he would as well. I was scared, Potter. Terrified. If he knew I was that scared, and that none other than Harry Potter had found me out, then he would have killed my entire family. I would have killed you to save them, Potter.”

“Why are you telling me all of this now? He can still read my mind.”

“I just helped you capture ten Death Eaters. I’m fairly certain being civil with you won’t make any difference at this point.”

Harry chuckled lightly, and Draco flashed him a small smile as they made their way into the hospital wing.

“Harry!” Ginny ran up to her boyfriend and threw her arms around his neck, ignoring his pained whimper. “Oh Harry, you’re alright! I saw you chasing after those Death Eaters and I was so worried!”

“S’all right Gin,” whimpered Harry. Gods his back hurt.
“Umm Weasley?” Draco pried the youngest redhead off of her boyfriend, then caught Harry’s arm as he nearly collapsed. “He’s been hurt, and I don’t think crushing him will help speed his recovery.”

Draco helped Harry climb into a bed and lay down on his stomach. Harry glanced around the room, ignoring everyone’s shocked silence. His eyes came across Neville sitting up in one bed, and then he focused on Bill. Oh gods, what had happened to Bill?! Fleur and Mrs. Weasley were sitting on either side of his bed, and both had tears streaming down their faces. Mr. Weasley stood with his hands on his wife’s shoulders looking utterly defeated. Remus and Tonks were looking sadly at Harry from their positions at the foot of Bill’s bed. Even Ron was crying quietly into Hermione’s shoulder in one corner of the infirmary.

“Is that…what…Bill?!” Harry wanted to be sick. Bill was unconscious and his face was mangled beyond recognition. Ginny gave Harry a gentle pat on the shoulder then walked over to hug her weeping mother.

“He was bitten by Greyback,” whispered Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley choked out a sob. She was gently tending to Bill’s wounds while Madame Pomfrey was looking after Neville.

“We aren’t sure what will happen to him yet,” Remus sighed tiredly. “I’ve never heard of a werewolf biting while in human form. Hopefully Bill won’t be affected by the lycanthropy, but I’m afraid those wounds will leave some rather nasty scars.”

With those words Fleur let out a strangled sob and rested her head on Bill’s chest, gripping his robes tightly, as though he were going to disappear should she let go.

“He fought bravely,” said Dumbledore from his position in another bed.

“Headmaster,” squeaked Harry. “Are you…?”

“I am fine, Harry. Professor Snape is in his dungeons right now brewing up an antidote to the poison.” Professors Snape and McGonagall strode into the infirmary as if on cue, and approached the Headmaster.

“I have isolated the poison, Headmaster. However the antidote needs to stew for a further 2 hours before it can be administered.”

“Thank you Severus, I will be fine until then. And what of our unexpected guests, Minerva? Have they been tended to?”

“Kingsley has just left, Albus. He and a team of aurors are bringing them to Azkaban as we speak. Potter! What has happened to your back?” Professor McGonagall’s sudden outburst drew everyone’s attention back to Harry.

“I’m not sure, but it really hurts.” Harry’s back had been getting worse. It felt like hot pokers were being steadily applied to the already burned flesh. Harry winced at a sudden spasm of pain and was surprised when a soft hand gripped his. He looked up at Draco, who was sitting next to his bed and crying silently. He flashed the blonde a grateful smiled and gripped his hand lightly.

“It looks like a burning curse, and it seems as though it is still at work on your back, Mr. Potter.” Madame Pomfrey rushed over to Harry. “Mr. Malfoy, please administer this slave while I get the necessary potions.”

Draco took the offered slave without question. He gently peeled the tattered remnants of Harry’s clothing away from his back, and took a large dollop of the frigid slave in his hand. This whole ordeal was his fault, and he was intent on helping in any way he could. He began carefully rubbing a generous amount of the slave into Harry’s blistered skin. Harry groaned and arched his back appreciatively at the cooling touch. Draco just smirked and continued rubbing in the potion. He marveled at the smooth tan skin that was revealed as the slave healed the blisters on Harry’s broad back. Gods Potter was sexy. Draco forced that thought out of his head as quickly as it had arrived. Potter may be stunning, but he also had a girlfriend, which meant he was very much heterosexual.

Draco finished applying the slave and Harry obediently took the potions that Madame Pomfrey brought him. Harry was exhausted now that all of the excitement was over. He would ask Dumbledore about the Horcrux from the cave tomorrow. Right now he just wanted to sleep.

“Right, now that we’re sure everyone is going to be alright, out with the lot of you! My patients need rest. Severus, you may return when the Headmaster’s potion is complete, and Molly you, Arthur and Fleur are welcome to stay with Bill. The rest of you may come back in the morning.” Madam Pomfrey seemed to be reading Harry’s mind, which left him in no doubt that one of the potions she had given him was a sleeping draught.

As the hospital wing emptied around him Harry drifted into a deep and dreamless sleep.