The Brave at Heart

Chapter 23: A Confession

Following Christmas, Draco began to work tirelessly on the Vanishing Cabinet, his aunt's abuse over Christmas still alive in his mind. He had to keep focused, he had to finish his mission. He had to protect his family. How was he supposed to choose? He was just a sixteen year old boy, how was he supposed to choose between his best friends and his family? It was absurd, it was unfair and there was really no winning for him.

He had to fix the Vanishing Cabinet.

With the institution of a new term, Harry seemed more determined than ever to prove that Draco was up to something. Certainly, Draco did not suspect Harry knew that he had essentially sworn away his soul to the devil, but the curious boy clearly knew that Draco was doing something in the Room of Requirement. Even when Harry was certain he was being sly, Draco could see the Marauder's Map in his hands, checking it constantly as though he would be able to catch Draco in the act of something.

More than anything, Draco was glad that he had a confidant in his godfather, Severus Snape. Draco did not know to whom Snape's true loyalties were given, something that Draco was thankful for. Snape had a foot on both sides of the war, being pulled in two opposing directions. He was able to understand Draco's torment everyday, understand that he was just a boy who was unable to commit to one side or the other. Snape, shockingly, displaying a different character than he usually held in his classes, was willing to listen to Draco's needs and help him complete the Vanishing Cabinet. Draco let his godfather help here and there, knowing he would be unable to complete this task alone.

Draco spent the little free time he possessed in the library with Hermione. When she arrived back at the castle after her Christmas at home, Draco could see the tears prickling at her eyes, forming there. He pulled her into a warm embrace, wishing he could drive away the demons around her. He had pressed a kiss to her cheek, telling her quietly that he was there for her no matter what she needed.

Most of the time, it seemed, she needed to study in the library.

And even when they spent time together, he held Hermione at a distance. She could feel it clearly, neither of them attempting to broach the topic of the night of Slughorn's Christmas party. Instead, they lived in the moment, sometimes giving one another the firework kisses, but mostly studying in comfortable silence.

And the term continued, each day drawing closer to the inevitable end. January fell into February, which melted into March.

Draco felt like he was drowning. Every day, he seemed to plunge further and further into a darkness that he could not escape. He thrashed around, wanting to be free of the water's never ending pull, but in the end, he drowned, falling below the water, into the terrifying depths below. And it was only a matter of time before they found his body.

At the same time, he felt like his life had turned into a symphony. The tempo of the violins increasing as he stepped, each day, into the Room of Requirement, the brass thumping the background, causing the audience to wonder if he was ever going to be able to finish the Vanishing Cabinet in time. The flutes and woodwinds adding their melody here and there, making his heart race.

And the cymbals finally gave that ear-piercing crash on the day of March 1st, the day where everything was going to change. For this was the day of Ron Weasley's seventeenth birthday.

There was nothing particularly new about the day, nothing that would suggest the world would come crashing down.

Ron was poisoned.

And it was all Draco's fault.

It had all started out rather funny. Ron had accidentally eaten some of Harry's chocolate, which apparently had a large amount of love potion in it, and he started raving about how much he loved Romilda Vane. Draco could not stop laughing as Ron went on and on about her in that dazed manner.