Gilded Soul

Chapter 31 Draco’s Decision

“If you do not make your choice soon, Draco, they will both perish,” came the familiar drawl of the imitation Lucius, now standing beside him.

“Isn’t there some other way?” Draco pleaded. “Some way I can save Harry and my mother?”

Lucious gave a quick shake of his head. “You must choose the one you love the most, the person you cannot live without.” Judging from the look on his face, the specter seemed certain Draco would choose his mother.

Narsissa was bound to the stone dais and her face matched that of the specter. She appeared haughty and assured that her son would choose her over the Gryffindor tied up across from her. “Just end his suffering, my love,” she said quietly. If only she knew how his mind was whirring, she might not look so confident.

He looked over to his former lover, the boy who haunted Draco’s every dream, waking or sleeping. Harry’s eyes locked with his own, green meeting gray, and he spoke with a firm determined voice. “Draco, save your mother.”

Draco nodded. Yes that would be the obvious choice. His mother would no doubt take him back after this, after Harry was gone and he saved her life. She would welcome him back to her and he could start his life over, resume things to the way they were before Harry. He would forget. He would move on.

It made so much more sense than saving Harry, who would never take him back, who was even now, telling him not to bother, to save his mother instead. It made so much more sense.

Draco grudgingly realized, however, that love rarely made sense, and if he were to think about it, really think about it, the choice was clear.

“Harry,” Draco said quietly, a deep frown set into his perfect features, and watched how the boy nodded and winced against the upcoming flames, and his mother smiled triumphantly.

“I choose Harry. I love Harry.”

His mother’s lovely face fell into confusion then contorted in agony as her pedestal sank lower into the pit, and the flames licked higher muffling her screams with their roar. He winced, but didn’t dare look away; his mother deserved that much at least.

Once the flames settled, Draco looked to Harry, who was now lying in a sobbing heap on the ground, and then his world plummeted into darkness.

--

Draco woke up, his heart and mind numb. There was no peace, no calm before the images from the maze rushed into his consciousness. He had woken with the images of his mother, burning alive, embedded deep within him, coming to life every time he blinked. He could still smell the foul stench; still see her disappointment and anguish.

Heartrending sobs filled the room, and at first he thought they came from his own body, but looked quickly over to the other bed to find Harry. His legs were pulled up to his chest and his head was bent over them and he visibly shook from the cries escaping his lips. Was he crying over Draco’s mother? It had been quite a traumatic sight, but seeing Harry’s grief so plain, made Draco feel like a poor excuse for a son. How could this other boy, who didn’t even know her, care so much, while Draco himself was so numb?

He climbed out of his own bed and into Harry’s, covering the boy’s hands with his own. “Harry, it’s alright. You’re safe.” The sobs didn’t lessen, so he tried another approach. “She wouldn’t have wanted to keep living in fear. What if you can’t beat Voldemort? She would have dies by his hand soon I’m sure.”

Harry looked up then, his face streaked with tears, and his eyes alight with anger. “How the hell can you say that? She was an innocent,” he rasped, “she didn’t deserve that!”

Draco nodded to appease the Gryffindor, but was still perplexed over his reaction. “I admit it was horrible, I would never ever wish that upon anyone, especially not my own mother, but…”

“What does your mother have to do with anything?” Harry interrupted.

Draco opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. What was Harry playing at? “I thought… well, why are you so upset if it’s not about my mother?” Draco was starting to feel indignant. Was Harry this upset because Draco chose him? Was he afraid he owed him now? He couldn’t begin to comprehend the Gryffindor’s flitting emotions.

“Why in the world would I be upset about your mother, when I just condemned Hermione…” He didn’t finish the statement but an idea suddenly dawned on Draco.

“It wasn’t real,” he whispered, as much to himself as to Harry.

“Pardon?” Harry asked, still looking slightly outraged and distraught.

“Tell me, you were forced to make a choice, right?” Harry nodded, looking impatient and confused. “Between Hermione and who?”

“You of course,” he sputtered as if it were clear. Draco heart swelled at those words. Harry had picked him over Hermione, his longest and best friend. That had to mean something.

Draco shook his head. “It was an illusion. I wasn’t there. I was somewhere else, making my own choice.”

Harry continued to look confused and then suddenly his eyes lit up with another emotion. “You chose me over your mother didn’t you?” he whispered, looking slightly awe struck.

Draco nodded sheepishly, feeling suddenly embarrassed. He didn’t have time to respond though, before Harry was capturing his lips. He melted against him, feeling weightless and giddy, all thoughts and fears erased from his troubled mind as his fingers found their place in Harry’s wild hair.

When they broke apart it was only to catch their breath, but Harry seemed to remember something and his face fell. “Do you think that they’re alright then? Your mum and Mione?”

Draco nodded, wanting to go back to kissing Harry, but thought it couldn’t hurt to check. “Let’s go find out.”

--

Harry ran faster than he ever had before trying to get up to the Gryffindor tower. He flung open the portrait with a flick of his finger and without uttering a password. The Fat Lady shrieked at him incredulously but he ignored her and continued up to the girl’s dorms.

He banged viciously on the door until a girl he barely knew opened it, looking livid and disheveled. “What,” she hissed.

“Hermione. I need to speak with her, is she in there? Have her come out, please. Never mind,” he babbled as he pushed her aside and made his way into the girl’s dormitory, ‘I’ll get her myself.”

He scanned the faces, some still in bed, pulling their sheets up to cover things that were not exposed in the first place, some now standing and shooting scathing looks at their intruder. Finally he spotted Hermione, who looked angry, but otherwise well. He scooped her up into his arms and crushed her in an enormous hug.

“Harry Potter, what is the meaning of this?” she choked out.

He lessened his hold but didn’t let go entirely. “I am so glad you’re safe,” he answered, squeezing her once more before letting go.

“Harry,” she huffed, no longer as angry and now looking red faced and embarrassed. “Get out of here. We’ll talk about whatever it is that happened tomorrow,” she looked like she wanted to know right then, but her roommates were all giving her the stink eye, so she shooed Harry from the room and promptly closed the door.

--

When Harry made it back to the Room of Requirement, Draco was there, sitting in his usual armchair by the fireplace. “She’s fine!” Harry shouted, practically skipping over to kiss the Slytherin softly on the lips.

“So is mother. I had Twinkie, our house elf, check on her. She’s sound asleep and just fine,” Draco stated, sounding equally relieved.

Harry sat on the floor at Draco’s feet and leaned his head against his legs. They were silent for some time before the Gryffindor sighed. “I love you, Draco.”

Draco’s heart skipped several beats at those words and reached his hand down to stroke Harry’s soft black hair through his fingertips. “I love you too, Harry.”

The Gryffindor sighed again and leaned into Draco’s hand. “We’ll have this one day, won’t we? This peaceful calm, just being together?”

“Is that what you want? For us to be together?” Draco dared not hope.

Harry turned around and looked up into his pale dragon’s sparkling silver eyes. “Yes, that’s what I want,” Harry responded, tugging Draco down into his lap. “That’s all I’ll ever want.”

Draco kissed him then, and it was slow and sure and luxurious. “Then I will make sure you have it.”

--

Author's note: Don't get to complacent...Draco could probably still find a way to mess things up, and it's not over yet. lol. I'm also slightly disappointed. I expected you all to be much more upset over Hermione's death. lol. I guess I need to work on her character a little. I thought she was endearing. lol