The Choice He Made

If Ginevra ever found out, she would never forgive him. Nevertheless, he had to keep her safe. If she knew of the impending attack on Hogwarts, she would try to stop it. That only he could do, and her efforts would be pointless and most likely result in her death. So he kept his burning secret and scorched his soul with his wrongs.

He had never thought it possible, him falling in love with a Weasley. Even now, he could only say the word “love” to her in his head. She knew, though, that he loved her. She saw it in his eyes whenever he looked at her…or so he hoped. This love, confined to the shadows and hidden niches of Hogwarts, was the most beautiful thing in his life. Destined to be tainted by the Dark Mark, he did not deserve her…but sweet Circe save him, he wanted her.

He did not know what he would do if she died because of him. In fact, he did not know what he would do if she died at all. Snape, the closest thing to a father that Draco had, did not know of the upcoming attack on Hogwarts. In fact, Snape did not even know that Voldemort planned to kill him tonight in front of the entire school as punishment for his betrayal of the Dark Side. There was no way to tell him without endangering Draco’s knowledge of the mission. And without knowledge of the mission, Draco would not be able to save Ginevra…his Fire, his Angel.

Love was so real, so true…It held his world together. Ginevra was love. All through his classes, his mind filled with thoughts of chocolate eyes and hair of fire. He had a choice…save her, or save what she fought for, what she believed in. He wished for Gryffindor courage at times like this…the power to do right and not be selfish. Sometimes he thought he might even have it. Ginevra thought he did. With her, he could defy destiny, defy everything in the world but her love. As soon as she was gone, the make-believe disappeared and the reality of darkness, hate and turmoil emerged. He kept so many things from her to save her from herself. She did not know who he was, but she loved him all the same. She even knew that he kept things from her, but she accepted that just as willingly as she had accepted him.

He wished she would let him go and be safe. She had refused, the very essence of hope and optimism. However, he knew that there was no going back for him even thought that was his deepest desire. He was fighting for the Dark Side, even though his heart remained with the Light. He would only get one chance for betrayal and then would be killed before he could even speak again. He could not stop from thinking what would have happened if he had never been weak and had never glanced at her. She would be safe now. It tore him apart inside.

He hoped so badly that he could do both…save her and the Light. However, he only had one chance, and he knew what choice he would make. And it killed him inside…maybe they would meet some day on the Other Side of life and death. She passed him in the hall and smiled at him…he could have sworn he heard his heart shatter. Tears welled up and she came rushing up to him, kissing them away as they fell faster than he could stop them. The whole school stared…let them, it would not matter in a few hours. Slytherins had not seen anything; that was the important thing.

She hurried him away to their favorite spot under the fringe of the Forbidden Forest and asked him just as urgently what was wrong. He shook his head, unable to speak. She seemed to understand and held him close as the tears ran down, soaking her robes. Silently, they trekked back up to the castle and went their separate ways, looking back at each other until Draco turned around a corner.

The same thoughts came running through his head again and again, torturing him incessantly. He was glad he would not survive to see the results of his choice. He wished he could know what Ginevra, the thing he had lived for through pain and torment, would feel about his choice. He wished more than ever that she had not graced his life and had kept safe with her crush on Potter. He would sacrifice anything, even her being with Potter, as long as she was safe.

She…She could turn his world with a single look. He was giving up his life and he would never know whether she would live. He still was not sure whether it was worth it, because while everything that he had been forced to and hated would be destroyed, it was probable that his hope and his life would be destroyed too.

It was all going to fall apart as soon as he opened his mouth. He hoped that she got time to read the letter that he had slipped her in the hallway before it happened. He hoped that she would be the only one who knew what he was doing. It would mean that she accepted it just as she had with him. And she would know that even though he never said it, he meant it more than words…he loved her, and that is why he was doing this.

He wandered down to Dumbledore’s office and slowly began to speak to the venerable man. And within an instant of the end of his speech, he crumpled to the floor, his mercurial eyes glazing over. In the same instant, in a distant part of the castle, a fiery young lady collapsed over a letter she had just finished reading. Her friends found no pulse on her pale neck. The last lines of the letter said,

“What you believe in, the Light, has been saved through the sacrifice we made with our love. I hope you understand why I chose saving the Light over you…I knew that you wouldn’t live with all your ideals annihilated. I hope you understand that it killed me to choose sacrificing you for the Light…but for once, I had the Gryffindor courage and selflessness to do it. I love you always, because Death knows no bounds…not even the names Malfoy and Weasley. – D.M.”

Fin

A/N - I left this plot cryptic on purpose. I wanted to give you, as a reader, leeway to create your own reason as to why Ginevra died. If you want to know my reason as to why Ginny died, email me with subject line reading: Why Ginny Died in The Choice He Made.