A Right Choice

Author: Whispering Hope
Summary: One-shot. AU Spoilers for Half-Blood Prince. Implied HPDM. If Draco had made another choice...?
Pairing: Slight HPDM
Dedication: Xinyi... I think.
Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter and characters.

Come over, Draco. Come onto the right side.

Draco Malfoy could not believe what Albus Dumbledore was sprouting. Already, he had the headmaster at an advantage, but the man was still convinced that Draco was on the wrong side. He wanted to laugh - or even cry. This was the path his father would have wanted him to walk… And this... was a path his mother would have wanted him to walk a long time ago as well - but ever since his father was sent to prison…

But would he really be accepted? He doubted it. Draco knew how much the Weasleys… and almost everyone from the other houses hated him - hated his family. Even Ha - Potter, the chosen one.

"No," he murmured, shaking his head. "I have to kill you…"

There is still time, Draco. Come over to us.

Underneath the gentle voice, Draco thought he heard an underlying message of acceptance.

But would he be accepted?

Would everyone believe him?

Draco Malfoy did not know. He was scared. If he were not accepted - everything he worked for would be gone… And even Lord Voldemort would come after him. Even his housemates would hate him.

And maybe even his father…

He looked into the old, ancient and wise eyes - and saw the truth in them.

"I…"

Death Eaters burst into the room just at that moment.

"Well done, Draco," one of them murmured. "Now kill him and get it over with." The werewolf nodded his agreement, looking at the headmaster with a hungry look on his face, while the other Death Eaters waited impatiently, but Draco did not dare move.

Then the headmaster struck the Death Eaters up in casual conversation. Conversation that Draco tuned out to - still undecided.

"Kill him, Draco! Kill him and fulfil our lord's wish!"

"I'll do it!"

"No, Draco has to kill him!"

The white-blond boy clenched his fist on his wand, and trembled. No… This was the headmaster… This was Albus Dumbledore… This was somebody who could welcome him to the light… The right side? Draco took a deep breath in, and studied the headmaster again - but nothing on the old man's face betrayed his emotions.

"What's wrong?" Draco whirled around, and saw Severus entering the room, with his wand ready for anything. "Draco?"

"The boy does not wish to kill the man."

"But our lord desires it!"

Draco met the older man's searching eyes… And he felt it. The probe of his mind. A few second later, Severus knew everything that Draco had been thinking about.

And he thought he imagined it - but Severus seemed to be jerking his wand lightly towards the werewolf, and smiling…? He turned slightly to face the headmaster, and saw a fleeting smile on the professor's face.

It hit him.

It had been planned all along.

Severus pushed his way to the front. "Stand back, Draco," he muttered, his wand pointed at the headmaster. Draco complied as a pleading look appeared on Dumbledore's face.

"Severus… Please…"

"Avada," Severus yelled, but at the last moment - turned his wand to one of the Death Eaters and yelled the finished curse. The surprised Death Eater, caught off-guarreturned the smile.

There were two things for sure.

Voldemort would come after him.

But he made the right choice.

-owari-

Footnotes: I deny the use of the book while writing this drabble. Written rashly after reading a really bad piece of fanfiction. Might have been due to the fact I wanted to write something slashy. Don't get me wrong. I actually liked the HBP ending.