Dedicated to my Eli. I love you.

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Pride of Portree

Chaser Three: Quaffle: Write about a witch or wizard being torn between two different people or groups.

Optional prompts:

2. (word) defeated

8. (song) Stronger - Kelly Clarkson

10. (emotion) disappointment

Word count: 2997

Betaed by my amazing teammates Oni, Morna,Tee, Jessica,Sarah and Aethra! Thank you!

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"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Defeat and disappointment

Emotion and being

Don't give up

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

o0000o

During the war, something had changed for young Draco Malfoy. The little pureblood snob, the one who blindly followed his father's beliefs and actually believed them himself, was long gone.

He didn't know when, exactly, or why his view of things had changed, he just knew they had.

Perhaps everything started when the Muggle Studies professor had been killed before his eyes after begging for mercy. Or maybe even earlier, when his father had told him how disappointed he was in him for letting Professor Snape kill Dumbledore—as if Draco had had any choice. Without the professor's help, he would have been dead.

His mother didn't care about any of that, but she loved his father too much to say something in his defense. She had been so attentive when his father had been in Azkaban; everything had changed now that he was back. Draco was the second best again.

He was disappointed to realise that he still wasn't as important as his father to her. Of course she loved him very much; enough to go and ask his godfather to protect him, but it wasn't enough to be the first in her heart.

How it worked, Draco couldn't understand. He had given up on trying to figure it out a long time ago.

Nevertheless, it brought about a change in Draco. One those closest to him didn't understand. Nobody did really.

Everyone had been shocked when he had gone to apologise to the Golden Trio, and the other Weasleys.

Draco knew it was asking the impossible to expect his friends to understand, because they hadn't lived the war as he had done; in the heart of darkness.

All of his housemates had been sheltered by their parents. All of them had been safe at Hogwarts. None had lived the betrayal of a friend and none had watched said friend dying in front of their eyes, feeling useless. Vincent Crabbe had once been his friend. Seeing Potter trying to save him had been a turning point for Draco.

So for the first time in his life, Draco did something for himself. He moved out of the ancient, stately Malfoy Manor and into his own space. His parents kept insisting that he should get back together with Astoria, but the truth was that he didn't love her—he never had. He didn't want to be with her.

They didn't understand—they hadn't wanted to. They thought that he and Astoria were the perfect couple.

Yes, he had gone along with the charade for a while—escorting Astoria to only the best, most privileged events—but that was before his heart had been stolen by a stranger. Before he had realized that he had had enough of the masquerades and obvious posing, and that he craved something more. Something real.

As real as the beautiful brunette that had stolen his damaged heart with just one smile.

Eli walked aimlessly through the streets, lost in thought. She knew she shouldn't be out in the middle of the night, but she just couldn't stay at home. It was safer outside than back there.

If Clark thought that she would go back to him, he was dead wrong. She didn't need him to be happy; she wasn't the type of girl to go crying to her ex-boyfriend, begging to be taken back.

'Her world hadn't ended with him leaving her; actually the colour was brighter than ever,' she thought, thinking of the young man she had met a little over a week ago. She had been walking just like she was doing now. She had seen him with that miserable look on his face from across the street and she had smiled at him.

'Everyone deserves a smile, no matter what,' she'd thought.

Life had taught her to be strong and give others strength if they needed it.

Her parents hadn't approved of her boyfriend. They had wanted her to do something with her life before she settled down—to choose a career, but Eli believed that one didn't exclude the other.

In the end, her boyfriend had proved to be a horrible person, who thought that the world revolved around him, so much so that Eli wouldn't even be able to sleep without him. Funny how the bed was far more comfortable now that he was gone.

Ever since she had met that oddly-dressed guy, she couldn't help but want to see him again. He was very handsome, but that wasn't the reason. She wished to see him again because she had seen his eyes; they shone like hers. They were defiant, strong, refusing to give up. Somehow, she knew that he was as broken as she was, and yet he seemed to still have that spark in him. It wasn't defeated yet.

"If life fails to destroy you, it had better watch its back, cause it will only make you stronger," she said softly.

Suddenly, she saw him, the boy from the previous week. He was watching her from the corner. Eli couldn't help but blush a bit. He was handsome after all.

Draco was pacing down the dark street again. The night air calmed him somehow, even though he was all alone. His parents were still upset that he had moved out—and his friends? Daphne, of course, was angry that he had abandoned her sister. Blaise agreed with everything Daphne said, so he'd refused to speak to Draco as well.

At that moment, Harry Potter, whom had been a sworn enemy at Hogwarts, was more of his friend than any of his Slytherin brethren. After he had apologised, something had altered between him and the Trio; maybe because they could see he had really changed.

Then he looked up and noticed that the girl who had stolen his heart was mere feet away. Draco stared; she was so beautiful. She had long, curly, brown hair, and piercing blue eyes; she was simply captivating.

How could it be that they'd crossed paths once again?

He saw her watching him warily and he couldn't help but smile in return, something that he rarely did, even now. Draco hated that his mother was disappointed in him. If the war had taught him anything, though, it was that he was better off following his own heart instead of the wishes of others.

He looked around. They were near a Muggle park. He sat down on a nearby bench, tilted his head back and looked up at the stars.

Moments later, he could feel the vibration on the bench that told him that someone was sitting next to him. He looked over, and she was looking at him, smiling shyly.

"Stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?"

"Not as beautiful as you are," he blurted out, looking at her with wide eyes. It was a cliché thing to say, and not very original, but it was the first thing that came to mind now that she was so close.

Eli blushed a deep scarlet. She hadn't received a compliment like that from anyone ever since she had broken up with her ex-boyfriend.

"Why are you here so late at night?" she asked, curious to know more about the mysterious boy.

"My mother… she doesn't agree with my life choices. And… my friends—"

"Don't agree either?"

Draco nodded and looked carefully at her. It was clear from her loose black shirt, pair of jeans, and green hoodie that she was a Muggle; no witch would dress like this in the middle of the night and go to a Muggle park to walk around.

'How did you know?' he wanted to ask, but instead all that came out was: "What's your name?"

The girl smiled again. "I'm Eli! Nice to meet you!"

Draco smiled too. This girl was really something special.

"Well, Eli, my name is Draco, and I'm happy to meet you."

'His smile is beautiful, why doesn't he smile more often?' she wondered.

"So, tell me. Why doesn't anyone agree with you?" Eli asked, bold as always.

"I—I have a choice to make. I'm torn in two directions and I don't know what to do. If I choose to go along with my parents I will be miserable, but if I choose to go with my wishes, I'll make them unhappy and lose everyone I love."

Eli sighed. "Story of my life! But you know what? You gotta choose yourself. Me, myself, and I are enough. We don't need to think about what other people want, or the paths they want us to take. We should choose our own road. 'Cause we'll walk it alone."

Draco didn't know how to respond. She was right, but the same time, was it fair to all of the people he cared about?

"Wise words, Eli. I'd like to see you again if possible," he said, knowing that he shouldn't really do this. He had only just met the girl and besides, if his mother found out—he would have to choose again.

He was afraid of making that choice.

Eight months later...

Draco had been right to fear his mother's reaction when she found out about his relationship. Every time they visited, his family and friends showed their true colours by throwing things he had said or done back in his face; things that he'd done back when he'd been the old Draco, in the hopes of making Eli be disgusted and break up with him. The weight of their judgement and cruelty was like a cold shower.

They hadn't once tried to be happy for him when he finally told them about his relationship with Eli.

Finding her had been the best thing that could have happened to Draco. That chance meeting had changed his life forever. She was his strength.

After that first talk on the bench, they had met every single night at the same spot and just talked. It felt good to pour his heart out to someone who wouldn't judge.

It hadn't been easy. The reporters from the Daily Prophet had had a field day writing articles about how he, Draco Malfoy, was dating a Muggle of all things. Not long after, all his friends and family had tried to make him give up on her.

He had had to tell her he was a wizard; she had reacted pretty well.

"Draco, you being a wizard, it doesn't make a difference to me. I fell in love with you. And when you love someone…nothing else matters. At least that's my belief. You could be a troll's son and I'd still love you."

Tears streamed down his face as he thought of how she didn't deserve to be treated so poorly by everyone he knew. It wasn't fair, but Draco has learned long ago that life was often unfair just when he least needed it to be.

His mother had disliked Eli the most. Even if his dear girlfriend did everything in her power to make herself liked by his parents, Narcissa Malfoy could not be moved.

Draco couldn't visit his childhood home with her; Eli wasn't welcome there. He felt like he was fighting on two fronts. He had to protect his relationship with her from both his parents and his friends.

It had been hard all these months because he still loved his mother and he still wanted to make her proud of him. And it seemed like the only way to do that was to remove Eli from his life. Which he couldn't. He was in love with her.

He and the Trio, mainly Potter, had come to some kind of understanding. They weren't friends, but they were no longer enemies. And all of it was thanks to Eli. She had given him the courage to continue trying to befriend them.

Now, though, he didn't know what to do. His mother's words still rung in his ears.

"Please son. Please, if you love me, marry Astoria. Don't let her child be fatherless. Please. Don't let your father's name be dragged through the mud. Do it for me."

His father was—Draco had no words foul enough to describe him. Apparently, Astoria hadn't been all that upset when he had broken up with her, because she quickly found another wizard to occupy her time: his own father. It was something so...so…expected. And yet, he hadn't seen it.

It had happened only once—after all his father did love his mother in his twisted way—but now he, and his whole family, were facing the fact that he was about to be a brother to a half-sibling, and if he didn't step up to claim the child, then they would all suffer. Of course, his mother had forgiven his father, but she had never admitted that her husband had cheated on her until after she had learned that Astoria was with child.

Worse yet, no one had told him; not even when his father had died three months ago. No, his mother had simply redoubled her efforts to try and convince him to leave his girlfriend.

Eli had taken everything in stride, but...he could see how it affected her.

Everything was so rushed. Even their relationship. Maybe they shouldn't have gotten together in the first place. At least that was what Draco thought once in awhile. But other times—the majority of times—he believed her to be the best thing that had ever happened to him.

They stood outside the maternity ward at St. Mungo's. Draco stood with a numb look on his face as his mother begged Draco to claim Astoria's newborn son—her last connection to her dead husband.

Eli watched everything with a sense of detachment. She knew that her boyfriend's inner turmoil was about to end. She didn't want to make him choose, it would hurt too much if…if he chose to comply with his mother's wishes and leave her to enter a sham marriage. Eli wanted them to stay friends at the very least. Draco had been the first to treat her differently. To treat her right.

But...as the saying went, if you love someone, you have to let them go.

And that was exactly what she was going to do.

She was strong enough. She had faced her own family not long ago; she could face Draco too.

"We need to talk," she said two days later when he came back from the manor. Inside her mind there was an ongoing battle between what she needed to do for Draco and what she wanted to do for herself.

He gave her a tired smile. It was nowhere close to the one that had stolen her heart eight months earlier. Eight months that seemed forever ago.

"What do you want us to talk about?" he asked, his eyes curious and sad at the same time, without that spark. As if they already knew what she was about to say.

"I...love you, Draco. Very much. But there's a time when you realise that staying with the one you love isn't the best thing for them. And you need to let go. That's what I'm doing. Letting it go. "

When he opened his mouth to speak she shook her head, cutting him off.

"No, Draco. Please. Don't make this any harder for me."

Draco couldn't speak. She knew him so well, and he loved her so much...and yet, she was right.

"But..." he whispered, tears streaming down his face, "you'll be alone. You fought with your parents for me...for us..."

Eli put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

"Yes, because I made my choice. Also I know what yours will be. The battle that is in your heart is in mine too. I am torn, Draco. But I have still made a choice. This is for the best. And don't worry about me. Just because I'm alone doesn't mean that I'm lonely," she murmured.

"I—" Draco shook his head, unable to speak.

"Goodbye Draco," she whispered and leaned in for a final kiss.

Twelve years later...

Scorpius was finally going to Hogwarts. It was the happiest day of Draco's life.

Today he could finally start anew. He'd explained the situation to Scorpius; the boy now knew who his father really was and why Draco was finally going to leave his mother.

Despite the fact that Draco had consented to marry her and claim her son, Astoria had become a serial cheater. With Harry's help, he had managed to collect enough evidence to prove that she couldn't take care of her son so that he could get full custody. She loved Scorpius very much, but Draco knew that it took more than love to be a good mother.

Potter was watching him and Draco returned his glance, nodding in his direction. It was almost time.

Later that day, Draco found himself wandering the streets, watching the moonlight.

Finally, he sat on a bench in a park and began counting the stars. He knew it was impossible to count them all, but he figured he ought to try. There was nowhere he had to be, after all.

"Stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" a voice asked, and his heart skipped a beat. It was her. His Eli.

"Not as beautiful as you are," he answered with a smile, a real smile, the first one in twelve years.

He had only survived all this time because of her support and friendship. Without her...he would have never been able to make it.

But she had lent him her strength. As always, his Eli was his light in the darkness.

o0000o

"Thanks to you I got a new thing started, thanks to you a new chapter begins
Thanks to you I'm not broken-hearted
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking About me,

Thanks to you I finally know my choice

In the end"

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