Confessions of Stone Hearts
Chapter 2: Leaving Love Behind
Draco wearily opened his eyes. He was in an unfamiliar room that was bathed in red and gold. As his vision cleared and he heard Ginny's voice he realized where he was. Draco was in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny must have noticed that he had awoken, because she turned around and rushed to his side.
"You're awake!" she cried, sitting down on the edge of the couch Draco was on.
"How did I get here?" Draco asked, attempting to sit up. This failed; he was sore all over.
"I can explain that." interrupted Ron. "Harry and I decided to go check on Ginny, seeing as neither of us were tired. When we found that she was not in her bed at the Hospital Wing, we went looking for her. Then I knocked you out and Ginny brought you back here, threatening to curse anyone who came near you into the next century!" Ron finished angrily.
"Are you okay?" Ginny asked as she stroked Draco's hair.
"Ginny!" Ron cried, "He calls Hermione mudblood!"
"His father's a Death Eater!" added Harry, joining the fight. Ginny's face became wild and she began to snap back her response but Draco placed a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her.
"I've got to go," he said and got up from the couch, wincing. He pushed through the wary faces and out the door.
He made his way back to the Slytherin common room. He should have known that it could never happen. No one would accept that there was more to him than the evil child of a Death Eater. Out of no where Snape came running towards him.
"Where have you been!" he snapped. "I've been looking everywhere. Dumbledore and Potter have left the castle. It's time."
A cold fear spread through Draco. He had hoped that somehow, this day would never come. He had been given a mission from the Dark Lord and it was a task that, although he accepted, he knew he would not be able to complete. He was to kill Dumbledore. As he leapt into action, Draco tried not to show the panic that had seized him.
He raced to the Room of Requirement, and walked past it three times, thinking I need the Vanishing Cabinet, I need the Vanishing Cabinet, I need the Vanishing Cabinet. The door appeared on the wall and Draco hurried in. He found the cabinet among mountains of things that Hogwarts students and teachers had hidden and opened it up. He stepped inside and found himself inside Borgin and Burkes, a shop on Knockturn Ally that was full of dark objects. Normally, the shop would be close to empty, but tonight it was occupied by a large crowd of Death Eaters.
"It's time," Draco said and the Death Eaters piled into the Vanishing Cabinet. In seconds, they were back in the Room of Requirement and Draco paired them off, telling some to take care of anyone patrolling the halls, some to watch for Dumbledore's return, and some to send the Dark Mark up over the castle.
He told them that once they had done that, to meet him in the Astronomy Tower so he would have their assistance, if needed. They dispersed to do this.
Draco, as he left, thought he saw someone slip out of the cabinet and join the Death Eaters but decided it was a trick of the light.
Dumbledore returned much sooner than expected, but Draco was ready nonetheless.
Catching the old man off guard as he came in the door he shouted "Expelliarmus!"
Dumbledore's wand flew through the air. He greeted Draco quite calmly, as if he had not just been disarmed by one of his own students.
Draco glanced at the broom beside Dumbledore's and looked around for Potter, who was supposed to have been there as well.
Dumbledore talked to him like he would to someone at a party, casually discussing the situation they were in. He told Draco that he wasn't a killer and Draco burst that Dumbledore did not know what he was capable of, all the while hating the words that came from his own mouth. Had he not feared for his life, and all those he cared about, he would not be here.
Dumbledore spoke again, but a shout from somewhere behind him stopped Draco's reply.
As he revealed his plan to Dumbledore, there were more shouts from the staircase that led to where he stood.
When Dumbledore began to discuss his option Draco screamed that he didn't have any options; that his family would be killed if he didn't finish the job.
Dumbledore tried to tell Draco that if he came over to their side, they could protect him.
But Draco knew all to well that this would be no use. How many times had he seen the Dark Lord shout "Crucio!" while Draco watched his father scream in pain? He simply hoped that Ginny would see what really happened, and that Draco had wanted, above all, for her to be safe, whatever it took.
Suddenly, the Death Eaters burst into the scene. Draco was shoved away while they began to laugh at the frail, helpless Dumbledore.
Draco did not listen to a word of what they were saying, except that Fenrir Greyback, a fierce werewolf who liked to prey on children, had gotten into the school. Draco was leaning on the hope that the Death Eaters would kill Dumbledore for him, but he soon found that this would not happen. They had been given orders that only Draco was to kill him.
Draco tried to point his wand but found that all courage had left him. His hand shook, and the Death Eaters shouted for him to do it.
But then, Snape burst in and Draco looked away as Dumbledore began to plead. It took all of his will to not scream in horror as he heard Snape's harsh shout of "Avada Kedavra" and Dumbledore's limp body soared out of sight.
Snape grabbed the back of Draco's robes and pulled him along. As he stumbled foreword, he saw Ginny, jumping to avoid curses as a Death Eater shouted
"Crucio, Crucio!"
He began to strain against Snape's hold, but Potter came out of nowhere and cursed the Death Eater. Draco glared at him. He knew that Ginny was going out with Potter but that was because she had a child's crush that had quickly worn off.
Suddenly, Snape pushed him foreword and Shouted "Run, Draco!" as he turned to face Potter, who had caught up whit them. Draco ran and ran until he no longer recognized where he was. He was exhausted and could run no more.
Draco shouted "Accio Broom," waited a few minutes before his broom came soaring to his side.
He mounted it and took off, letting the cool air rush around him. The wind whipped back his sleeve revealing the Dark Mark imprinted on his arm.
Tears poured down his pale cheeks. He knew that he would never see Ginny again, for he cold not return to Hogwarts. Draco knew he could also never return to the Dark Lord
because all of the pain and suffering in his life was caused by that inhuman thing that was once a man. As the ghostly glow of the Dark Mark over Hogwarts faded away, Draco wished that where ever Ginny was right now, she was thinking of him and maybe, missing him; as much as he would always miss her.