Deathly Hallows with a twist: what if Draco had gone with the Trio on the Horcrux Hunt? Obviously, this is AU and while a lot of the events in this first chapter follow the book, the rest of this will make a huge departure. And, of course, feedback would be wonderful. Enjoy!

It all happened so fast in a blur of colors, flashing in time with the pounding of Harry's head. The red of Ron's hair. The silver of Bellatrix's dagger. Narcissa Malfoy's pale, horrorstruck face. And a platinum streak as Draco rushed forward.

The pain in Harry's head took over as his feet left solid ground, and he focused his concentration on his grip on Dobby's hand and the mantra of Shell Cottage… Shell Cottage… Shell Cottage. Dobby's fingers held tight onto his, and everything around him was spinning, spinning out of control, and just as the pain began to feel unbearable, just as he felt that he might pass out, his knees hit soft earth with a thud, and the goblin slid from his shoulders.

His fingers found purchase in the damp sand just at the edge of the sea, and he breathed a sigh of relief upon finding that yes, this must be the place Ron had told him about. Bill and Fleur's cottage was supposed to be on the coast. This had to be it.

"We made it," he said, almost to himself for he still hadn't gotten his bearings. "This is the right place, isn't it?"

He turned to direct his question to Ron or Dobby, anyone, but when he raised his eyes he was met with none other than Draco Malfoy.

"You."

The other boy scrambled to his feet, hastily brushing off his knees and breathing hard. He still had that look of terror and uncertainty on his face that Harry had seen at the Manor.

Draco spread his arms wide before letting them fall against his sides, hands slapping at his thighs and shoulders sagging. He was the picture of defeat. Certainly not the Draco Harry remembered.

"Me," Draco said and then took a deep breath. "Potter…"

But before he could explain himself, the rest of the world came into focus. Several voices reached Harry through a fog and suddenly Hermione's rang out above the rest. "HARRY!"

He turned toward her voice only to feel his stomach drop at the sight before him. She was only a few feet away, cradling Dobby in her arms. Dobby with a blood-soaked shirt, two sizes too large. Dobby with a dagger sticking out of his tiny heaving chest. Bellatrix's dagger.

"No…"

He crawled on his hands and knees, reaching out for Dobby's shaking form. The elf looked up at him with glassy eyes and trembling lips, and all Harry could do was sit helplessly, holding his hand.

"Hermione, isn't there anything…. do something!"

He looked to her for a sign, any indication at all that there was some hope; if anyone could help Dobby it was Hermione. But she shook her head, tears cascading down her face.

"Harry…"

"No. Hermione, in your bag. You have to have something." Harry frantically looked about him before grasping at Hermione's bag and reaching an arm inside.

"Harry, please. I… I can't…" Hermione said weakly, and he realized then that she was shaking too, and the reality of all that had just happened to her at Malfoy Manor came upon him in a rush. She held Dobby up, offering him over to Harry, and Harry did not protest. The elf felt light in his arms, practically weightless.

"I'm sorry, Dobby," Harry said, feeling his own tears threatening to spill.

And Dobby could only reply with one last refrain of, "Great… wizard…" before falling limp in Harry's arms, the light of life expiring from his large green eyes that had peered at him through the bushes all those years ago.

The pain in Harry's scar was nothing to the ache in his chest, and he groaned as he gasped for air. He heard Hermione do the same.

"It's all right. I've got you," a familiar voice said, and Harry looked up to see Bill supporting Hermione and leading her away. He gave Harry a grim smile over his shoulder. "I'll be right back for you, Harry. But if you could, break up Ron and Malfoy, would you?"

Harry jerked his head and saw that Ron, upon realizing the unexpected addition to their party, had thrown himself at Malfoy. At the moment, Ron had Malfoy in a headlock, which brought Harry back to summer afternoons with Dudley at Privet Drive, and Malfoy was depending on whatever tricks he could come up with to defend himself. Like sinking his teeth into Ron's arm.

"You… slimy… git!" Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Ron," Harry said weakly. He gently placed Dobby on the ground, and struggled to his feet. It felt as though he had weights strapped to his ankles. "Ron, let him go."

"Are you joking?!" Ron exclaimed, flailing his legs in an attempt at using his knees as well as his fists. "After all this wanker has put us through? I don't bloody think so, mate."

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled a wand, (not his wand, he noticed, but a wand nonetheless) and sent a Stinging Jinx at the two boys on the ground.

"Oi!" Ron shouted, rubbing his arm where the spell had hit him. "What was that for?"

Harry looked from Ron's slightly betrayed expression to Draco's unreadable one. "He might be a slimy git," Harry began pointedly, "but he saved our skins back there and you know it."

Ron set his mouth in a grim line, not wanting to admit any such thing. He balled his fists in anger, but didn't speak out against Harry's words. Malfoy only looked down at his feet, arms crossed.

Harry then heard the bang of a door, and saw Fleur rushing toward them from a cottage on the hill a few hundred yards away. He nodded toward her approaching figure. "You two go with her. I have something to take care of," he said, pointing at Dobby's lifeless body.

He had Bill find him a spade and for the next hour, Harry dug at the earth, determined to give Dobby the proper burial he deserved. A burial full of sweat and tears and manual labor. It relieved Harry's swollen heart if only a little, and it was a distraction from the pain that was still shooting daggers across his forehead. But mostly it gave him time to think.

Because Malfoy coming along with them was not part of the plan. The search for Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be increased tenfold now, and Malfoy couldn't know anything about what they were up to. No one but the three of them could know about the Horcruxes. It was too dangerous, and yet…

Harry recalled the way Malfoy had refused to meet his eyes at the Manor, the way he hadn't exposed them, the way he'd lied through his teeth, and for some reason that changed things. For some reason, that gave Harry reason enough to think that perhaps, having Malfoy among them wasn't such a bad thing after all.