Title: Shades of Gray
(Story Text)
Author Name: kumydabookworm
Owl the author: here.
Rating:
PG-13
Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP. Written after Half-Blood Prince.
Genre: Romance, Angst
Era: Other
Main Character(s): D, G
Ship(s): None
Summary: Draco betrayed their love and broke a promise he swore he'd keep. Pure and simple. But is
the world always black and white? Or does she still love him enough to set him free? One Shot
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various
publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc.
No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: A/N - Dementors were brought under control after the destruction of Voldemort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginevra Weasley took a deep breath and stepped into the Azkaban cell of her old love...her betrayer.
He looked at her for a long time. She looked well. The eyes were fiery as he remembered, the hair just as scarlet. She was dressed in black...he supposed it was in mourning for the countless dead. Black suited her.
He pushed away memories of their love, their passion, that suddenly flooded him as the dementors left the room. She wasn't his any longer. He had no right anymore. It was his own fault.
She watched him carefully. His eyes burned silver and she knew he was hurting. She wanted to go and comfort him. Silently she recited the names of the dead to enforce the fact that he had betrayed her...betrayed their love.
She said bluntly, "You promised me that you would fight for the Light."
"I promised many people many things." It wasn't really an answer and he knew it. But it was all he had left to give. He had already given her his heart, given her his life. He died a long time ago inside. For her. Because she needed to be safe...away from him. Watched her go to the man who didn't deserve her. Watched her forget him...or maybe not. After all, she was here.
Ginny laughed. "God, Draco, I loved you. I believed you. Did I ever mean a thing to you? Or was it all a façade just to use me?"
He looked away, his eyes gray slate with hurt. "You meant everything to me. Everything."
Ginny smiled bitterly. "I'm not as innocent as I used to be, Draco. I don't take romantic bull from people like you anymore."
Draco smiled. "You think it's bull because you always do what is right, because it keeps things simple. It wasn't right for me to love you...we didn't belong together. What I did wasn't right...but I did what I did because I loved you. And you betrayed me. You did what was right...as always. I should have never hoped."
She glared back in anger. "Do you blame me? You followed the Dark Lord!"
He winced. "You wouldn't understand. I never expected you to. That was why I was so surprised why you came to visit. You have nothing to explain to me. You did what was right and that's all there is to it. Hell, I'm surprised you remembered me."
She looked at him angrily. "One doesn't forget the love of her life that easily."
He spat, "Really? That's why you're marrying Potter. To forget me? To do what is right? Why, Ginny? Why did you come here? To torture me a bit more?"
He looked at her with something like anger in platinum eyes. "Do you know what it's been like for me? I can't remember you...anything from our love at Hogwarts. I can only remember you looking at me with horror in your eyes. I can remember you betraying me to the Aurors when I came to you hiding from them."
She winced, and pleaded with him, not knowing why...because he was clearly wrong this time. She explained, "Draco, the Light was the most important thing for me. You betrayed it."
Draco replied, "Yes, to you it was. But you expected me to place you in front of the Dark...while I was second to the Light for you."
"Because -" Ginny snapped.
Draco finished, "It was right. Yes. It's always because of what's right...God, Ginny, there is no clear right and wrong sometimes! Sometimes you have to make a choice between two evils! Everything isn't black and white in this world!
Looking at his eyes, Ginny sighed. They were stormy gray now.
"No, it is all shades of gray," she said dreamily. Draco looked at her in shock. She recoiled in horror. What had she said?
He smiled smugly. "You may try to forget me, Ginevra Weasley, but you never will. You love me as much as I love you...even if you never admit it. And Ginny, to be frank, Potter may be everything you dreamed of...but he isn't everything you need. I'm what you need, passion, flaws and all. Because you're not perfect either...like Potter...you have flaws like me. We fit together. We always will."
She looked at him in shock. And knew he was right.
"Now I have one favor to ask you," he said, interrupting her thoughts.
She nodded blankly. He smiled.
"Kill me."
She recoiled. "Kill you?"
"Yes. I don't want to watch you marry another man...or have children...or live happily. I don't want to live with the choices I made."
"That's a coward's way out," murmured Ginny.
Draco shrugged. "I never claimed to be anything better."
"I always thought you could be."
Draco said quietly, "Ginny, I made my choice and lived with it for five years even as I knew that while you'd be safe, you'd never be mine again. I've lived with the memories of what I threw away for another seven years in this prison. I don't want to see the love of my life spend her life forgetting me, while all I can do is remember her. Is that a lot to ask?"
Tears ran down her face. "I can't, Draco."
He smiled at her sadly. "You already have...when you betrayed me, a piece of me died. Because I knew then, there was no hope for redemption. There was no chance you'd forgive me. I knew that our love...well, we'd always love each other, but you'd never let it happen. I'm already dead inside, Ginevra Weasley. I don't have you. It's not really killing me...it's setting me free."
Her hand shook as she raised her wand. No matter how much she hated him for betraying her...for being the man he was, she still loved him. Loved him enough to let him go...spare him the misery of watching her move on. If she could move on.
Her hand dropped. "You know you deserve to live this life." His eyes turned silver again, and he turned away. "That would be right...but you were right too. There is no black and white, right and wrong. You loved me...maybe you still do. And I love you...maybe enough to let you go...set you free. No matter how much I hate you, maybe I still love you enough for that much."
She looked at him for a long time, and he merely watched her. Calmly.
Her wand raised, and she spoke, "Avada Kedavra."
She walked up to his fallen body. Slowly, she whispered, "I love you, Draco Malfoy."
She found the amulet she knew would be around his neck: a gray stone that constantly changed shades like his eyes...she bought it for him on their first year anniversary of their romance at Hogwarts. She slipped it into the palm of her hand.
Ministry of Magic officials came up to her and took her wand from her. Led her to a cell and gave her a number: A11970. Harry forgot about the fiery redhead and moved on to marry Hermione Granger.
Epilogue
Termination Report: A11970
Prisoner refused to eat and drink.
When asked why she was ending her own life systematically she merely smiled and said, "All I want is for someone to set me free. Can you do that?"
The questioner obviously refused and told her she was dangerous to society because she had killed someone else.
A11970 merely sighed and said, "It's all in shades of gray. I will see you soon, Draco."
Draco was not the questioner's name so we assume she was hallucinating and delusional from lack of nutrition.
Despite the best efforts from all Azkaban staff and removal of dementors from her presence, A11970 died of severe malnutrition.
She was buried with the only personal belonging she had: an amulet of varying shades of gray.
Signed,
Dolores Umbridge, Primary Caretaker
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