Disclaimer: I disclaim the characters.

Draco was staring out the window again. Well, trying, anyway. The windows had fogged up and were obscuring his view of the storm outside, which hadn't let up. He tried to take another drink of his coffee only to realize it was gone. The whiskey had helped him relax, though. He thought about Hermione, and felt even better.

Pansy was trying to wait patiently for a response, for him to continue, something. She didn't want to interrupt, but she was waiting anxiously for him to continue (A/N: just like you are, I'm sure. ;)) She stared at him, enjoying her cigarette. He didn't seem to be getting the point, however. She cleared her throat.

Draco looked up, seeming to realize she was still there. This annoyed Pansy. She wasn't used to being ignored.

"Keep your shirt on. I'll keep talking when I'm good and ready."

Pansy smiled to herself. No matter what happened, he was still his old self, the arrogant prat she was used to.

"OK, OK, hang on." Draco put out his cigarette and motioned for more coffee. If he didn't slow down soon, he was going to have to pee. Well, he had to pee right now, but he didn't feel like getting up. It was a long walk.

After the waitress disappeared, he continued with his story.

XXXXX

Draco walked into the room with his food. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he saw the noodles sitting on his plate, the steam rising into the air. He had never been a fan of noodles, but he also hadn't had anything to eat for 13 hours and was prepared to eat dog food.

After he had his fill (the plate kept refilling itself), he laid on the bed. As soon as he did, memories of last night filled his head. Suddenly the food was sitting in his stomach like a big rock. I always did eat too much, he thought to himself.

Dumbledore appeared in the doorway. Draco sat up. It was strange, seeing him. He hadn't seen Dumbledore in three years, since he finished at Hogwarts. He looked exactly the same, even the bags under his eyes. His eyes, though, weren't sparkling like they usually did. They looked like smooth pebbles, without any emotion.

Draco had never told anyone, but he actually liked Dumbledore. He seemed like a stable rock amidst a raging storm. He didn't blame; he listened and accepted. So unlike Draco's father, who always jumped to conclusions, blaming the first person that came to mind - usually him. It sucked having Lucius Malfoy for a father. He had no control over his temper. He always hit hard and fast. His favorite saying was, "Make sure the punishment is swift and sure. Don't listen to excuses, and show no remorse." He applied it to every aspect of his life. Draco hated it. No affection, no love, not even the slightest bit of caring was ever shown. No, that was a lie. He cared how he appeared to Voldemort, and that was it.

Anyway, Dumbledore was there. He looked at Draco and sat down on the only chair in the room.

"Care to talk?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"Nope. Not even a little."

"Will you answer my questions?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends on if I like the questions."

Dumbledore understood. He went through the same thing with Harry after Sirius died. He told Draco the same thing he told Harry, way back then.

"I know it's hard. I know how you feel-"

Draco leapt off of the bed. "You don't know how I feel! No one does."

"OK. Let's start over. I have a pretty good idea what you're going through."

"Not really. How could you? You didn't watch the man you were told to follow and obey murder your parents on a whim. You didn't feel his wrath when you tried to stop him. You have no idea." Draco sat back on the bed, realizing showing his feelings wasn't as bad as he had been brought up to expect. It almost felt good.

"Draco."

Draco looked up at Dumbledore.

"What I'm trying to say is you feel like shit." Draco looked up, stunned. He had never heard language like that out of the headmaster before. "Now I have your attention. Correct?" Draco nodded. "Don't expect to hear me talk like that again. As I was saying, you have seen some terrible things recently. It was not pleasant in the least, and I'm sure the last thing you want to do is relive it for me. However, it is vital that I know what Voldemort is up to." Draco winced at the name of the Dark Lord, his former master, the spawn from hell – the thing that had tortured him in his dreams for years.

"Well, what exactly do you think you need to know?"

"First, I need to know if you will still follow him. Are you still a servant of Voldemort?"

Draco paused for a moment. He knew if he told Dumbledore 'no', which he really wanted to do, because he wasn't, Dumbledore would try and find a way to get him to work for the 'good' side, which he really, REALLY did not want to do. If he told Dumbledore 'yes', he would be kicked out of this house and would probably be hunted by both sides. After all, if you committed your life to Voldemort, you didn't just walk away. It was a lifelong commitment. He weighed the sides out in his mind. Be hunted by the Death Eaters, or be hunted by the Death Eaters AND the Ministry. He decided his odds of survival were probably best if he chose one hunter instead of two.

"No, I will not follow him any longer."

Dumbledore gave Draco a small smile. "Tough choice, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is."

"My next question is if you want to work against Voldemort. I hope you do, and if you do choose to 'switch sides', I will offer you all the protection I can. I do want you to know, however, that it isn't something to be taken lightly. There will be work involved, and situations that will test your willpower and your ethics. There will be tough decisions to make. It is a difficult path to choose."

Draco felt disappointment wash over him. He began to feel cold inside again. He wished he could just numb his brain to all the thoughts running through his head. Despair began to take over.

"Draco? I know this is a tough decision, but I need to have your answer now."

He thought, What have I got to lose? I have nothing left to live for.

"Yes. I will help you."

"Thank you. That is all I will need from you for now. Please relax if you can. I need to be off; however, Hermione is still in the kitchen. If you feel you need to talk, she will listen." With that, Dumbledore disappeared.

A/N: I know, that was a kind of unfulfilling chapter, but I have to work on my other story. I will update soon, I promise. Please review! Thanks.

-Kat