Draco Malfoy's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 48

A/N: Here it is…the really long chapter that took me two days to perfect. Be prepared to bawl you eyes out…I sure did while writing this. Comment, Vote, & Love.

Draco’s POV

I didn’t smirk at all as Aunt Bellatrix and the rest of the deatheaters came into the room. They all looked at me with eagerness and anticipation, each one of them excited for the approaching battle. I felt like the only one that was out of place. It was like I no longer belonged in that group, not that I ever fully did to begin with them. I had always felt like the little kid; the one that was picked last. Being a deatheater may have been in my blood, but it wasn’t who I was.

“Draco, dear,” Aunt Bellatrix laughed. “You have done well. Now, let’s go find that old bag of bones.”

I curtly nodded to her out of respect, but what I really wanted to do was punch her right in the nose. I bet that would set her straight…or turn her into even more of a stark raving lunatic. She was out of her mind, and I was ashamed to be related to her. I just had to let her lead me around. I just had to do it until it was over.

“Astoria?” I asked, noticing her at the end of the line. “What are you doing here?”

She sighed. “I was forced to come,” she rubbed the inside of her arm. “I was made to do more than this.”

“I’m so sorry,” I wanted to reach out to her and wrap her in my arms; she looked so sad, but we were rushed out of the Room of Requirement and straight into Professor McGonagall, who looked upon me with sad eyes.

“Expel-“

“Barmbartum!” Bellatrix cackled as the old woman was thrown through the wall in front of us causing the explosion to sound throughout the castle. “Well, everyone knows we’re here now,” Aunt Bellatrix smirked in delight. “Time to go put the Dark Mark over the castle to get him back here!”

Astoria and I followed the rest of the deatheaters through the castle. I then realized that I had overheard that Harry was taking a class from Dumbledore in which they had to apparate to get to. If they were to apparate somewhere in the castle, where would it be? The easiest place to take the spell off within the castle would be…the Astronomy tower. That had to be where they were at! I ditched the deatheaters and Astoria and headed in the opposite direction from Dumbledore’s tower. I stepped over a body, but I wasn’t sure who it was. It was for the other side though…Courtney’s side.

Time seemed to slow as I made the familiar path up to the tower. I had been there just this morning. I had been there with the love of my life. It was the last place that Courtney and I had been together. Her scent filled my nostrils and her laugh filled my ears, drowning out the battle below me. I loved her so much, and I was about to soil the place where we had been together for the last time. Tears pricked my eyes as I made my way up. How could I do this to her? She had told me that I didn’t have to go through with this. Thanks to her I do know that I have a choice in my life. I needed to finally decide what I chose.

My heart thundered in my ear with every step closer. Thump. Step. Thump. Step. Thump. Step. I was scared out of my mind at the thought of what I was expected to do. If I went with the mission, I would be murdering someone who has been there for me whether I knew it or not. If I went with Courtney, then I would be spared from the agonizing hardship of knowing that I took the life away of one of the greatest wizards of all time.

Which side did I choose?

Which side did I belong on?

I made it to the top, but I then began to tremble. There he was, looking like he was at his weakest and completely alone. It was all set up perfectly – and too easily. It was a creepy feeling that this could have been set up. Did Dumbledore know about my plan? No, he couldn’t have. I was stealthy with my plans, and the only ones who knew where the ones that were supposed to – except for Courtney. She found out by accident, something that I had never meant to happen.