The Weight

The Weight

Chapter Three: The Decision

Author: Prongs

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all things \'Harry Potter.\'

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has commented on or reviewed this story. I really appreciate all of the feedback!

~*~

\"Incredible,\" Draco murmured, staring at his father.

Harry sighed unhappily and stared down at the floor. This was a terrible development. He had very little time left before he had to make a decision and now this! What on earth was he supposed to do?

\"Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you, Harry,\" Lucius said quietly.

Harry shook his head slightly and then looked up at Lucius. \"No, I\'m glad you told me. I need to know all of the facts. It\'s just that…well, I wonder why…\"

\"What?\" Draco asked gently. He ran his fingers through Harry\'s unruly hair and then patted his lover on the back.

\"Why didn\'t Remus tell me about this?\"

\"That\'s the way he is,\" Lucius replied. \"He knew it would only complicate things, and he didn\'t want to do that to you.\"

\"What am I supposed to do now?\" Harry moaned. \"I can\'t possibly make everyone happy! No matter what I do, someone will be lonely.\"

\"Not necessarily,\" Draco said, softly.

Harry just glanced at his boyfriend curiously.

\"Someone won\'t be lonely because they will have friends alive. And you, Harry. You\'re very important to all of them, you know.\"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. \"I don\'t know, Draco. I still think someone will be lonely and unhappy. In fact, I know it. If I choose my dad and Sirius, then Remus will be unhappy. If I choose my parents, then my dad will be unhappy. And if I choose Sirius and my mum, then Sirius will be unhappy.\"

Lucius leaned forward and looked at Harry intently. \"Who do you want to see the most, Harry?\"

\"I feel awful answering a question like that,\" Harry said honestly. \"Gods, why do I have to make a decision like this? The weight of it is killing me! This isn\'t fair at all!\"

\"No, it isn\'t,\" Draco agreed. \"I wish I could help you, Harry, but-\"

\"It\'s up to methe the end. I know that,\" Harry groaned and then looked thoughtful. \"You know, I never really knew my mum and dad. The only person who has ever felt like a parent to me was Sirius. And I always felt so bad for him. His life sounded so painful in so many ways…what with his family treating him horribly and going to Azkaban and being on the run. I was always amazed that he could still care for me so much. He was a wonderful person. I was always so impressed with his strength and his ability to survive despite what he\'d been through. I…I…is it wrong of me to want to bring him back? I know he\'s not related to me, but he\'s…I feel closer to him than my real parents, and…\" Harry bit his lip and stared at the door. \"He deserves a second chance after everything he\'s been through.\"

Draco smiled slightly and squeezed Harry\'s hand. \"I know you, Harry. You have to choose Sirius. You will regret it forever if you don\'t. It\'s not wrong of you to want to bring him back. In fact, it makes the most sense.\"

Lucius nodded his head. \"I agree with Draco, Harry. I can tell that you really want Sirius to come back. I think you\'re making the right decision.\"

\"Thank you,\" Harry murmured.

\"I should probably be going now,\" Lucius said, getting up. \"I wish you lwithwith everything, Harry.\"

\"Thanks,\" Harry said. \"I appreciate your stopping by and telling me everything.\"

\"You\'re welcome,\" Lucius said as he opened the door. \"I\'ll see both of you later.\"

\"Bye dad,\" Draco said before returning his gaze to Harry. \"Who else will you pick?\"

\"If I truly want Sirius to be happy, I have to choose my dad. Besides, I really do want to meet my dad. I want to know what he\'s really like. It\'s just that I would also love to know what my mother is really like, too. I feel so guilty about Remus, also. Gods, Draco, what a mess!\"

\"I think you have already made up your mind, Harry. You need to concentrate on seeing Sirius again and meeting your dad. Try not to worry about Remus. I know it\'s hard, but-\"

\"I know, I know,\" Harry mumbled. \"I feel so bad for him, though. And I really do want to meet my mum. She sounds like such a wonderful person, you know?\"

\"She d\" D\" Draco agreed as he wrapped his arms around Harry. \"I love you,\" he whispered, gently kissing Harry\'s forehead.

\"I love you, too,\" Harry replied, closing his eyes and falling into Draco\'s warm embrace. \"I\'m nervous about telling Dumbledore.

\"Do you want to go right now?\" Draco asked, still clutching Harry tightly.

Harry tensed. \"Maybe I should.\"

\"I\'ll go with you, love.\"

\"Please do,\" Harry murmured.

\"Of course,\" Draco replied as he let go of Harry and stood up. He held his hand out to his lover, and the two left the room.

~*~

\"Aww, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy. Would you like some tea, perhaps?\" Dumbledore offered.

\"No thank you,\" Draco replied.

Harry shook his head. \"Sir, I\'ve decided.\"

\"I figured as much,\" Dumbledore spoke quietly. \"And?\"

\"Are you sure I can only pick two people?\" Harry asked hesitantly.

Dumbledore nodded his head sadly.

\"Sirius and my father,\" Harry said slowly.

The Headmaster\'s eyes twinkled. \"I had a feeling that would be your decision.\"

\"Do you think it\'s the right one?\" Harry asked, worriedly.

\"It\'s right,\" Draco whispered, putting his arm around Harry.

\"Indeed I cannot answer your question, Mr. Potter,\" Dumbledore replied, but his eyes were stilininining.

\"What do we do now?\" Harry asked.

The Headmaster smiled slightly. \"You have done your part. I will notify you when I have brought your fathed Sid Sirius back to life.\"

\"You mean I don\'t get to stay here for-\"

\"I\'m sorry,\" Dumbledore interrupted. \"I promise I will immediately notify you when they are alive again.\"

\"Why can\'t you tell me how?\" Harry asked. \"How can you bring them back? And why only two people? And why did I get to decide whwo pwo people?\"

\"I cannot tell you that information right now, but I will tell you eventually.\"

\"All right,\" Harry sighed.

\"There is one more thing,\" Dumbledore spoke slowly, with his fingers gently tapping his large desk.

\"Yes?\" Harry swallowed and looked at Draco nervously.

\"When I bring them back to life, they will be the age they were when they died.\"

Harry stared at the headmaster for a moment and then sighed. \"My dad will be just few years older than I am.\"

\"Exactly.\"

\"Isn\'t there something you can do tke hke him older?\" Draco asked.

Dumbledore nodded his head. \"If you would like, Harry, I can give him an aging potion, which will make him exactly the age he would be right now if he had lived. I can do the same for Sirius, although that wouldn\'t matter as much.\"

\"Should this decision really be up to me or should it be up to them?\" Harry asked, warily.

\"Wouldn\'t it almost confuse your father to wake up really young and see Sirius older?\" Draco questioned.

\"Yeah, I guess,\" Harry agreed, looking at his boyfriend. He then returned his gaze to the headmaster. \"What do you think?\"

\"I\'m inclined to agree with Mr. Malfoy. I also knew your father quite well, and I feel very confident that James wouldn\'t want to be the age he was when he died.\"

\"Then we, erm, you should give him the aging potion,\" Harry said firmly. \"And Sirius, too.\"

Dumbledore stood up and smiled at both teenagers. \"Excellent then. I will get to work immediately.\"

\"Thank you,\" Harry said softly as he and Draco left the headmaster\'s office.

~*~

TBC (In the next chapter, you will get to see Sirius or James…maybe both…you\'ll have to wait and see!)