After Tonight

Chapter 12: If You're Lucky, That's a Maybe

"I'm Hannah. You probably don't remember me," she said. "We went to Hogwarts together."

"Right."

"Penelope's my girlfriend."

"Er...right." Draco shifted again as he tried to hold Hannah's gaze. He felt awful, looking around the dingy cave these people had called home for months now. He was afraid to give her hope. If Penelope was dead, it was most likely by the hand of his father. How was he supposed to tell her that and how was she supposed to forgive him?

"We don't have much, so I think we're about ready," Ron said, walking up to him with a burlap sack in his hand.

Theo took out his wand, turning to the small group of people. "I've been in communication with the Longbottom's. They have another safe house near Saint Mungo's. We're going to take you there."

Draco stepped near him. "I thought they were..." he whispered, trailing off.

Theo turned to face him. "Batshit crazy? Yeah, they are, but Neville apparently still owns his parents' house. He's put it to the cause."

Draco nodded but said nothing. In this crowded room, he felt like the odd one out, like a misplaced child who was unsure of where he belonged at the birthday party. He knew all his years of prepubescent bullying and Death Eater status was still alive in the minds of the others, but with the news of being removed from the basement, it looked like they might gloss over that fact.

In a single file, they all marched out of the basement and to the surface and Draco watched as the unkept wizards and witches blinked at the brightness.

"I forgot how good the sun feels!" Alicia laughed, opening her arms wide, casting her face upwards.

Draco glanced over quickly to where Augustus laid unconscious and flicked his eyes over to Theo.

"The bloody hell," Ron muttered, following Draco's line of sight. "What's he doing here?"

"That's unimportant," Theo replied. "What are we going to do with him is the real question." Theo rubbed his jaw lightly and Draco bit the inside of his cheek in frustration.

"Kill him," Draco blurted out, but was met with many disapproving looks. "What? If we don't, he'll come after us or report back to my father."

"We can't just...kill him," Hannah retorted, shifting uncomfortably in the grass.

Draco sighed in frustration. This is why they lost the war, he thought.

Everyone in the resistance was so meek, so lighthearted. When it came down to it, they all still valued life, even the lives that had murdered others. He knew that this factor alone is why he would be able to work with them, why most likely they would forgive him. It was in their nature. He thought back to Penelope and Maisie, their sunken in eyes and bloodied clothing, and his blood boiled. Those two girls were in the position they were in because of how soft they all were. They couldn't do what needed to be done.

Draco removed his wand from his coat pocket and with a flick of his wrist whispered, "Diffindo."

A slice was cut along Augustus' throat and he sputtered, gagging on his crimson blood as it spurted from his neck. Draco could hear Ron and Hannah gasp and Theo swore under his breath. Draco could feel his irritation rise. Of course they were horrified, how could they not be? He had just spared them the interaction of a drug addicted Death Eater, yet he was somehow still the one in the wrong.

"Got something to say?" Draco sneered, turning his attention to the shockingly silent group. "He would've told. He would've.... hurt someone." Augustus had stopped gasping, and blood oozed from his wound like lava, slowly spreading across the ground.