Thank you again to all that reviewed.
PsychicOracle-Please don't hex me for this chapter, there is a method to my madness...
Tina-Thank you for the encouragement, I appreciate it, and glad you like the story!
amnibay-b-Continue I shall..Thanks!
Chapter IX. The Choice
Harry and Draco stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, staring into the darkness that seemed to go on forever.
Harry turned to look at Draco. "Are you sure she's in there?"
Draco nodded slowly. "Yes. I feel it. Ivy and Lucius are both in there."
Harry walked to the beginning of the woods. "He took her to the clearing, didn't he?"
The clearing. The place where many evil wizards and witches had been given the Dark Mark. Where six years ago Draco had nearly received his. He had refused, and it had cost him his best friend. His father would never forgive or forget the betrayal.
"Yes." Draco finally stated.
"Voldemort is gone," Harry whispered. "Why would he take her there? What does he want?"
Draco walked further in. "Me." Turning back to Harry, Draco slid his hand behind his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Breaking away, he whispered against Harry's mouth. "I love you, Potter, more than life itself. You know that, don't you?"
Harry looked confused. "Of course I know. I love you, too. Why would you ask...."
"STUPEFY!"
Draco's wand had flashed from under his cloak as the spell left his lips. Seconds later, Harry lay on the ground, completely unconscious.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco stated as he continued into the woods. "I can't lose you. I can't risk you going in there. It's me he wants, and I am going to finish this."
Lucius bent over the small figure as he tightened the chains around her wrists.
"OW!" Ivy cried. "You're 'urting me!"
Lucius tilted his head and leaned closer. "Oh, I am so sorry, my dear, are they too tight?"
"Yeah," Ivy sniffed.
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Too bad," he snarled. "They will be the least of your worries soon enough. I imagine by now your dear Mummy and Daddy have figured out where you are, and will be arriving shortly."
"I'm here now," Draco growled as he walked into the clearing.
"Mummy!" Ivy yelled. "Make him stop. He's a bad man!"
Draco continued walking toward his father. "I know, sweetie. I've known that for a long time. Don't worry, mummy will take you home."
"I wouldn't make promises I couldn't keep, if I were you, Draco," Lucius spat.
"Let her go. It's me you want to hurt, not her."
Lucius smiled. "Oh, but it is her I want, because I can hurt you far more through," he bent down to cup her reddened cheek,"this sweet little child."
Draco drew his wand instantly. "Don't you dare touch her! Get your filthy hands off her!"
Lucius stood to full height, pointing his wand directly at Ivy. "Give me your wand boy, or she will have her first taste of Crucio."
Reluctantly, Draco obeyed. "What do you want?"
"You, know, I'm very surprised that the Hero of the Wizard World didn't come with you tonight. Or maybe I shouldn't be. After all, he does have that annoying habit of sending in other people to do the real work, but to leave his daughter...tut, tut..."
"Shut up!" Draco yelled. "You have no idea about anything. I stopped him from coming. This is between you and me..."
"And me!" Both Malfoys turned to see Harry walk into the clearing, wand at the ready.
"Perfect." Lucius smiled.
"What...how..." Draco stammered.
"I was able to fight it off, Dra. How could you? You know how important Ivy is to me.."
"Dammit, Harry! I know! That's why I did it! I have put so many people in danger because of who I am, or who my family is. I love you and Ivy more than anything in this world. Our child was already captive, I couldn't bear the thought of you..."
"How touching," Lucius interrupted. "But if you don't mind, I would like to get on with the festivities. COMMENCE!"
Instantly the entire clearing was filled with cloaked and hooded figures, all with wands pointed directly at Harry and Draco.
Harry spun around to try to make out the faces. "What, who...the Death Eaters all went to prison or were killed!"
"Oh, not quite all," smiled Lucius. "There were a few no one suspected, and I found a wonderful ally in one of the most interesting families." He gestured toward one of the smaller figures. Harry peered into the darkness, dumbstruck by the face he found.
"Percy? Why? Why would you throw your lot in with the likes of Malfoy..."
"As if throwing his lot in with the likes of you turned out to be such a great choice for my brother!" Percy yelled. "You murdered Ron."
Harry stepped back from the advancing redhead. "What are you talking about? Voldemort killed Ron..."
"Voldemort's spell was for you! My brother followed and protected you like a loyal puppy right to his death!"
Harry was beginning to feel the hot tears sliding down his cheek. "I would have done the same for him! I loved Ron. He was like a brother to me..."
WHAM
Harry reeled from the blow, falling into the clutches of the New Death Eaters.
Percy stood over him. "Don't you ever refer to Ron in that way again!"
Facing the cloaked figures, he addressed them next. "Take his wand."
Harry was fighting to stay conscious as he felt the wood leave his hand; the spell earlier was still quite fresh, and the blow didn't help matters.
"HARRY!" Draco yelled. He watched helplessly as they dragged him to the middle of the clearing.
Lucius' gaze drifted from Harry to Draco to Ivy. Finally he spoke.
"I know you still have questions of why you are here tonight, my son. Do you remember the last time we were here? I believe this was even the very tree your friend was chained to, what was her name again?"
"Padma," Draco spat.
"Oh, yes, Padma. Very sweet girl. Pretty, too. It was such a shame to have to kill her, but you did make your choice."
Lucius walked closer to Draco. "Tonight, I want to give you another choice. Although in this case, I'm not so sure you will see a right or wrong."
Draco looked at his crying daughter, chains wrapped around her wrists and then around the killing tree. She trusted him and Harry to take care of her, to make everything alright.
"Why are you doing this again?" Draco cried. "Voldemort is dead. There is no Dark Mark to take. This is insane."
Lucius smiled with pure evil. "My dear Draco, the choice is not between you or your child, it is between your child and your lover."
Draco stood in shock as the New Death Eaters surrounded Harry and Ivy, all wands pointed to them.
"I will let one of them go, as well as you, Draco, I give you my word," Lucius continued. "But only one. Your choice will decide who lives. You will know what it is like to lose the most important thing in your life!"
"He chooses Ivy!" Harry yelled. "Draco, you know what you have to do!"
"Quiet Potter!" Lucius growled. "It is Draco's choice, and no one else."
Draco looked between the two, his breath becoming more ragged before dropping to his knees, his body racked with sobs.
"How could you ask me to make this choice?" he cried.
"You will make it, or I will make it for you." Lucius stated coldly.
Draco finally looked back up at the man who had made his life miserable for so many years.
"Well," Lucius asked. "Who shall it be. Which one lives?"
Draco dropped his head and whispered slowly.
"Harry."
End of Chapter IX.
PsychicOracle-Please don't hex me for this chapter, there is a method to my madness...
Tina-Thank you for the encouragement, I appreciate it, and glad you like the story!
amnibay-b-Continue I shall..Thanks!
Chapter IX. The Choice
Harry and Draco stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, staring into the darkness that seemed to go on forever.
Harry turned to look at Draco. "Are you sure she's in there?"
Draco nodded slowly. "Yes. I feel it. Ivy and Lucius are both in there."
Harry walked to the beginning of the woods. "He took her to the clearing, didn't he?"
The clearing. The place where many evil wizards and witches had been given the Dark Mark. Where six years ago Draco had nearly received his. He had refused, and it had cost him his best friend. His father would never forgive or forget the betrayal.
"Yes." Draco finally stated.
"Voldemort is gone," Harry whispered. "Why would he take her there? What does he want?"
Draco walked further in. "Me." Turning back to Harry, Draco slid his hand behind his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Breaking away, he whispered against Harry's mouth. "I love you, Potter, more than life itself. You know that, don't you?"
Harry looked confused. "Of course I know. I love you, too. Why would you ask...."
"STUPEFY!"
Draco's wand had flashed from under his cloak as the spell left his lips. Seconds later, Harry lay on the ground, completely unconscious.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco stated as he continued into the woods. "I can't lose you. I can't risk you going in there. It's me he wants, and I am going to finish this."
Lucius bent over the small figure as he tightened the chains around her wrists.
"OW!" Ivy cried. "You're 'urting me!"
Lucius tilted his head and leaned closer. "Oh, I am so sorry, my dear, are they too tight?"
"Yeah," Ivy sniffed.
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Too bad," he snarled. "They will be the least of your worries soon enough. I imagine by now your dear Mummy and Daddy have figured out where you are, and will be arriving shortly."
"I'm here now," Draco growled as he walked into the clearing.
"Mummy!" Ivy yelled. "Make him stop. He's a bad man!"
Draco continued walking toward his father. "I know, sweetie. I've known that for a long time. Don't worry, mummy will take you home."
"I wouldn't make promises I couldn't keep, if I were you, Draco," Lucius spat.
"Let her go. It's me you want to hurt, not her."
Lucius smiled. "Oh, but it is her I want, because I can hurt you far more through," he bent down to cup her reddened cheek,"this sweet little child."
Draco drew his wand instantly. "Don't you dare touch her! Get your filthy hands off her!"
Lucius stood to full height, pointing his wand directly at Ivy. "Give me your wand boy, or she will have her first taste of Crucio."
Reluctantly, Draco obeyed. "What do you want?"
"You, know, I'm very surprised that the Hero of the Wizard World didn't come with you tonight. Or maybe I shouldn't be. After all, he does have that annoying habit of sending in other people to do the real work, but to leave his daughter...tut, tut..."
"Shut up!" Draco yelled. "You have no idea about anything. I stopped him from coming. This is between you and me..."
"And me!" Both Malfoys turned to see Harry walk into the clearing, wand at the ready.
"Perfect." Lucius smiled.
"What...how..." Draco stammered.
"I was able to fight it off, Dra. How could you? You know how important Ivy is to me.."
"Dammit, Harry! I know! That's why I did it! I have put so many people in danger because of who I am, or who my family is. I love you and Ivy more than anything in this world. Our child was already captive, I couldn't bear the thought of you..."
"How touching," Lucius interrupted. "But if you don't mind, I would like to get on with the festivities. COMMENCE!"
Instantly the entire clearing was filled with cloaked and hooded figures, all with wands pointed directly at Harry and Draco.
Harry spun around to try to make out the faces. "What, who...the Death Eaters all went to prison or were killed!"
"Oh, not quite all," smiled Lucius. "There were a few no one suspected, and I found a wonderful ally in one of the most interesting families." He gestured toward one of the smaller figures. Harry peered into the darkness, dumbstruck by the face he found.
"Percy? Why? Why would you throw your lot in with the likes of Malfoy..."
"As if throwing his lot in with the likes of you turned out to be such a great choice for my brother!" Percy yelled. "You murdered Ron."
Harry stepped back from the advancing redhead. "What are you talking about? Voldemort killed Ron..."
"Voldemort's spell was for you! My brother followed and protected you like a loyal puppy right to his death!"
Harry was beginning to feel the hot tears sliding down his cheek. "I would have done the same for him! I loved Ron. He was like a brother to me..."
WHAM
Harry reeled from the blow, falling into the clutches of the New Death Eaters.
Percy stood over him. "Don't you ever refer to Ron in that way again!"
Facing the cloaked figures, he addressed them next. "Take his wand."
Harry was fighting to stay conscious as he felt the wood leave his hand; the spell earlier was still quite fresh, and the blow didn't help matters.
"HARRY!" Draco yelled. He watched helplessly as they dragged him to the middle of the clearing.
Lucius' gaze drifted from Harry to Draco to Ivy. Finally he spoke.
"I know you still have questions of why you are here tonight, my son. Do you remember the last time we were here? I believe this was even the very tree your friend was chained to, what was her name again?"
"Padma," Draco spat.
"Oh, yes, Padma. Very sweet girl. Pretty, too. It was such a shame to have to kill her, but you did make your choice."
Lucius walked closer to Draco. "Tonight, I want to give you another choice. Although in this case, I'm not so sure you will see a right or wrong."
Draco looked at his crying daughter, chains wrapped around her wrists and then around the killing tree. She trusted him and Harry to take care of her, to make everything alright.
"Why are you doing this again?" Draco cried. "Voldemort is dead. There is no Dark Mark to take. This is insane."
Lucius smiled with pure evil. "My dear Draco, the choice is not between you or your child, it is between your child and your lover."
Draco stood in shock as the New Death Eaters surrounded Harry and Ivy, all wands pointed to them.
"I will let one of them go, as well as you, Draco, I give you my word," Lucius continued. "But only one. Your choice will decide who lives. You will know what it is like to lose the most important thing in your life!"
"He chooses Ivy!" Harry yelled. "Draco, you know what you have to do!"
"Quiet Potter!" Lucius growled. "It is Draco's choice, and no one else."
Draco looked between the two, his breath becoming more ragged before dropping to his knees, his body racked with sobs.
"How could you ask me to make this choice?" he cried.
"You will make it, or I will make it for you." Lucius stated coldly.
Draco finally looked back up at the man who had made his life miserable for so many years.
"Well," Lucius asked. "Who shall it be. Which one lives?"
Draco dropped his head and whispered slowly.
"Harry."
End of Chapter IX.