I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters within the books. That is all JK Rowling. No Copyright infringement meant in the writing of the Fiction.

Please review. I'm always up for some constructive criticism.

And, here you go.

"YOU'RE SO CONVINCED WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE!" I'd never seen him so angry, and I wanted to reach out and scoop the words back into my mouth. I wished I never said anything. His breathing was short and slightly sporadic as he tried to regain his temper. "And maybe you have a choice, but I sure as hell don't. I could have joined you, helped save the world and let my mother die. Or I could have taken the Mark and saved my mother. So you can sit there and call me an evil bastard, a selfish prat and whatever else your Gryffindor mind can come up with. But I did what I had to do to save the person I love most in the world. There never really was a choice. And if you can't understand that, then you're a fool."

I wanted nothing more than to scream his name, to run after him and kiss him with all my might. But I just stood there, staring at his retreating back, my mouth opening and closing, causing me to resemble a fish. He did it for his mother. All of it was for his mother, and we just stood by, judging him for his actions.

Draco Malfoy was a hero without a choice. Given the options he had, I know I would have done the same as he. He was right. He'd done what he'd had to. And, try as I might, I could not fault him for that.

Slowly, I wandered back to the rest, but paused in front of the Great Hall. I didn't want to go back, I didn't want to see Fred, Tonks, Lupin and the rest. I couldn't face their lifeless bodies. I couldn't face the tears for the lost. I couldn't face the rest of my family. So instead, I stood in the destroyed courtyard in front of the school and tried to ignore the bloodstained stone.

"Oh, Tom. What have you done?" I felt a tear fall slowly down my cheek, making the skin itch slightly. "You've ruined everything for a failed cause, Tom. Are you happy now?"

I felt his presence before he spoke, so I wasn't surprised when his cool voice drifted over to me. "Careful, Miss Weasley. Showing a familiarity with the Dark Lord, you could end up somewhere I am quite positive you wouldn't want to be."

"Considering they all know who is at fault for my familiarity, I'm sure I'll be quite alright, Mister Malfoy." I replied just as coolly, wishing he'd just leave.

"Touché, Miss Weasley." He reached my side and reached for my hand. "I want to speak to you before I most assuredly end up in Azkaban. I'm so very sorry, Miss Weasley. For what I have done to you, for what has happened to your family. You saved my boy's life tonight, and for that, I will be eternally grateful. My family is my entire world, and it's my fault they were on the wrong side. I was a fool, and I realized this years ago. But by then it was too late, for all of us. Please, Miss Weasley, make sure the world knows. They cannot be faulted for decisions they did not make."

"I'll give them my full support, sir. I'll make sure they're treated correctly." I would have done so even if he hadn't requested it, but for some strange, inexplicable reason, I felt the need to comfort the doomed man. "I promise."

"Thank you, Miss Weasley. I will never be able to express my gratitude. And, I am truly sorry about your brother. I know how close your family is."

"Thank you, sir."

I watched as he nodded and walked away, wondering what had just happened. Lucius Malfoy had just spoken to me in a most civilized manner, and I'd just acted like it was perfectly normal. I realized I was too numb to care when he spoke to me. From the loss of my brother and some of my dearest friends to the kisses from Harry that made me realize I could never go back to loving him. It had all made me numb to the world. And suddenly, I felt my knees begin to bruise as they hit the ground and I collapsed into a mess of tears and blood, screaming at the top of my lungs.

I felt arms wrap around me, though I didn't open my eyes. I didn't care what happened to me anymore. I just kept screaming, thrashing weakly in the arms of my supposed savior. I heard my head crack on stone more than felt it. And then the world went black.