Wytil: It is people like you that cause me to really work, in all seriousness. Your last review, though kind of knocked me out, forced me to think about what I want my plot to be. I am so sorry for causing the last few chapters to be so crappy. I had chapters for the future, but I didn't know how to get from A to B. If you will forgive some major gaps in time, then hopefully the chapters will be more productive. Thank you so much for reviewing, it really does cause me to work more. Well if they are filled with instruction instead of the unoriginal "Please continue". Thank you again.

Well onto the chapter!

Choices to be made…

"Severus!"

Growling softly, the Slytherin Head of House got out of his much needed sleep and aimed a glare at whatever fool decided to wake him up. In return, he got a laugh where you could simply hear the smirk though it wasn't as gleeful as usual. He finally focused on his godson who transferred his weight from foot to foot in blatant impatience. In his hand, a not of parchment was clasped tightly as if it would vanish if he let up even in the slightest.

"What is so horrible that you decided to wake me up?" Immediately, he regretted his statement as it was clear that Draco was spooked by whatever message was written. But Draco didn't take it as an insult.

"Father is calling again," he replied, forcing every ounce of fear out of his voice, "he says that as a True Malfoy I am to surrender myself to the Dark Lord or suffer the consequences. Why is it that my life was filled with diplomacy and pride? A Malfoy was under no one. Even when I had friends over for the day, I had to act the snob I as raised to be which most of the time, they turned on me. Then again, I would to…" He sat down on the bed of sheer exhaustion, "but now we have a master? Someone to serve on hand and foot? It's degrading!"

Severus had to back away quickly as possible as Draco jumped up in protest. He began a frantic pacing, muttering about the ironic incidences in his life. But Severus didn't really hear all that his young companion was ranting about. He was a veteran confidant between Draco and Albus. The two could go on and on about any given topic if given the chance, no matter how mundane the subject was about. But Draco would absolutely kill him if he even thought of making that connection known.

"Who does he think he is, trying to dishonor my name while his is in the dirt?"

Maybe not a time to even joke. He hadn't been listening during his tirade. Draco usually noticed when this happened and would act all prissy until his whole attention was directed back to the wonderful words of the absolute prince of the world, or at least he was joking called several times in similar situations. But no, Draco did not notice his absence from the discussion. He just continued on and on which caused him to believe that his young charge either truly believe whatever he was saying of was under extremely high emotional and mental stress. His bets were on the latter so he let him vent.

High above the dungeons, Harry Potter, or more precisely Sansone Snape though he doesn't know it, stared out of the highest window of the Gryffindor Common Room. He just sat on the windowsill meters away from the ground as if it happened everyday. His attentions, not on the grounds as he usually watched, were directed to the sky. The star Sirius was in full blaze, taunting Harry with the exuberant amount of energy Sirius used to have whenever in a happy mood. Azkaban had robbed the man of all joy seen many times in the depressing manner of the Black household but around Harry, there were no bound of his happiness, no restrictions, no guidelines. And that brought immense joy to Harry, too. Not just knowing he had a godfather who could take him away from the Dursleys, but the fact that Harry himself caused joy. He knew that many people around the wizarding world looked to him for hope, but Sirius was another reason entirely. He brought a joy not by being the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, but by just being Harry, just Harry.

Understandably, Harry was devastated by Sirius' death. Everyone that was there was pretty shaken up, but they didn't feel the pain Harry had felt day after day. His reason for bringing joy was pretty much beaten into a bloody pulp and then burned into charred bits… if pulp reasoning could be burned. Over the summer, he had considered looking into death, to be with Sirius once again. To accept something that he dodged for years. It was his fault, all his fault. If he had been a good little boy and listened to Professor Snape in the first place, he wouldn't have gotten tricked by Voldemort's vision, or at least could have done something against the demon when he had entered his body. Maybe Dumbledore should have killed him to destroy Voldemort.

But that would be bailing out at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. Who can guarantee that he would be reunited with Sirius once in death? People who learned that through words of mouth and had never experienced anything close? And the prophecy said that it had to be him to kill Voldemort, no one else. Does that mean that if he died, Voldemort would live forever? Or maybe even the other way around? To live forever… Well the possibility couldn't even be fathomed until old' Riddle was vanquished. And that brought him to remember all of the people who could and would die if he, just one person, gave up. It became overly selfish of him to try to end the only hope this world had, even if the world's reasons for looking for a scapegoat were selfish in itself.

"Are you even listening to me anymore?" Draco demanded, hands on his hips glaring squarely in the professor's face, "Father is sending Mother to Hogwarts tomorrow to take me out of the school. What am I to do? No one can stop her as she has no charges against her, but I don't want to go. Dear God, imagine me saying that two years ago…" It seemed as all the adrenaline pumping through him had run out and Draco dropped to the ground. Severus picked up the discarded letter and read:

You can't start to comprehend how disappointed I am with you for leaving your destiny of greatness by running to that idiot, Dumbledore. Maybe you think that he will save you, but I assure you that your time will come. Our Lord tells me that he will overlook your failure this one time as he knows the trauma such a commitment would entail. You are afraid of failing His Excellence, he tells me, but that should not be an excuse. A true Malfoy would be ready for anything and you have failed me. But, as Our Lord deems you worthy of his presence, you will do.

Your Mother will arrive at Hogwarts tomorrow at ten o'clock precisely. You are to meet her with all your possessions at the time to depart before any problems arise. Bring Severus if possible so if any problems occur, he will get you out of it. If you decide to disgrace our name, then you will be marked as an outcast and will suffer as a muggle if caught. Hopefully it will not come to that.

Father

The ceiling became a very interesting source of information to their immediate dilemma. So bland, yet holding the meaning of life if one stared hard enough. Or at least to get out of Narcissa's imminent arrival. Hopefully.

"What did you do to delay your marking, Severus? You said you were able to delay it for three months even though your parents came to the school to collect you."

"Back then any form of suspicious activity wouldn't cause parents to withdrawal their students from the school and in turn look suspicions. The Dark Lord was trying to keep a low profile, so looking suspicious was something he didn't want. All I had to do is convince my parents that and they didn't come. But Narcissa won't be deterred from that, though it is curious that Dumbledore would allow you to go."

"That fool would let anything happen, he doesn't like me. I'm not his Golden Child."

"I would have to disagree with that statement. He wouldn't allow any harm to come to a child, no matter how troublesome they are."

"I tried to get him fired who knows how many times…"

"He's a forgiving soul, to the point of failure, actually. He may seem to be sending you to your doom, but I think he's giving you the choice. Whether you agree with it or not, the Headmaster allowed the letter to be sent to you so you could make the choice of staying or not. He is not all knowing as many people expect him to be. If he had not sent the letter to you, withholding it instead, when you found out, you would be furious. He knows as well as I do that you do not want to become someone's lackey, but you knowing you made the decision will give you more hope in the passing days. You will have a purpose when you feel as if you will break from your classmate's ridicule."

"But what am I to do?"

Severus was silent for a few minutes, thinking every possible avenue they could go through. But finally he answered, "Just leave it to me." He had a plan.

But hopefully it will not be for the worst.

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