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Chapter 47



Draco's Decision





"Now, Mister Malfoy, tell us what has happened that you feel such as urgent need to talk with us." Dumbledore asked.



"Mother has gone into hiding."



"What!" Snape gasped, but Albus held up his hand.



"Did she say why she has taken this rather unusual action?"



"Yes. Apparently she's under the impression that she's about to be kidnapped and held as a hostage by the Dark Lord. To be used by him to blackmail me into becoming a Death Eater. Here," shoving the letter at Dumbledore, "read it yourself."



Draco started pacing as Dumbledore read through the letter and then handed it to Severus. Turning, he watched Draco stalk the length of the room and back.



"What is it you would have me do, Mister Malfoy?"



"The question is/, sir, what am /I supposed to do? She's out there, somewhere, alone, pregnant and scared to death; for herself and for me, apparently. And she dumps this whole mess in my lap! /What do I do now/?"



"It would seem your mother is safe at the moment and she obviously wanted to remove herself as a part of any decisions you must make about your future. However, beyond her reasons, the fact remains, you will soon be of age and because of your father's death, you will also be the head of the Malfoy family.



"Voldemort's interest in you and your family's wealth are a factor you will have to consider when you make any decisions about yourself and your family: those living and those still to be born.



"Narcissa is doing what she thinks is right for her and her unborn child's safety." Dumbledore looked at him, and smiled slightly. "She is, necessarily therefore, forcing you to grow up and assume your rightful position; rather abruptly, to be sure, but also inevitable."



X # X # X



"Mister Malfoy." Snape turned to him, letter in hand. "You mother says Lucius made it clear he would have taken you to your marking ceremony the night he died. Professor Twigg-Jones was to be the victim of your first killing spell. Were you aware of this?"



"No, I had no idea of his plans, I only heard about it afterwards." Draco returned to pacing the floor. "I hadn't seen Father since his trial. I was sick when Mother went to visit him at New Year's and didn't accompany her. She was with him again when she was summoned to Voldemort's hideout right after the escape but she was port keyed and doesn't have any idea where she was."



Snape and Dumbledore exchanged glances.



"I only found out he had been to the Manor when she regained consciousness and told me who had attacked her. You were there, Professor, you heard her."



"Yes."



"Draco, I must ask you.../are /you thinking of joining the Death Eaters?" Dumbledore said quietly.



Draco stopped, turned and faced them both. He looked confused and shook his head.



"I don't honestly know, now. It seems so far removed from here, from everything I'm used to: school, the Manor. I don't understand why the Dark Lord would want me right now; I'm just a kid. Would he want me as a follower or as just another body to fill my father's empty space?"



"It's your family name and fortune he wants, Draco," Snape explained. "I was recruited for my abilities with potions. Your father's name/, family history and connections in the Ministry, and of course, your family's /resources/, were /his entry into the inner ranks."



"That's another thing." Draco ran his fingers through his hair, distractedly. "/I /don't know how my father's business dealings work. I'm supposed to meet with his solicitors at Gringotts right after school ends, to find out the details and make some decisions that I probably won't understand. I was assuming my mother would be there to help me."



"Has anyone contacted you; your Aunt Bella, perhaps?"



"No. Just this letter from Mother."



"They may not even be aware Narcissa has gone into hiding...yet."



"Hold on! If she's in hiding, who's her Secret Keeper? I don't know of anyone she'd trust. It's not you, is it, Professor?" Draco spun to face Snape, who shook his head no. "Maybe she's just gone somewhere, without doing a 'Fidelius' charm and then could be tracked down and caught. SHIT! Now what do I do?" Draco was looking frantic, then, suddenly, his face turned into a furious mask. "Damn him! It's all his fault!"



"Who is at fault?" Dumbledore asked gently.



"My Father!"



"I think you'll find it goes further than that, Draco. The source of all this death and suffering is Voldemort."



"Trying to influence me, Headmaster?"



"No, just stating a point of view for your consideration."



"I knew you'd say that." Draco smiled slightly. "Still, that puts it all back in my lap. And I don't /want/ /it/."



"Now, maybe, you'll have a better understanding of the reality Harry Potter deals with on a daily basis."



"Don't bring Potter into this! That's all I need; Mister Goody-Two-Shoes held up as an example for me to follow."



"And that would be a bad idea /because.../?" Dumbledore smiled at Draco.



"Because...being who he is might get him killed and that's one good reason not to follow him. I'd rather not be there when it happens." Looking at Severus, Draco smiled. "'Self preservation is a strong instinct' isn't it Professor Snape?"



"Too true, Mister Malfoy, too true, and touche." Snape gave him a small smile.



X # X # X



"You asked for my opinion and advice, Mister Malfoy, so here it is:" Dumbledore calmly began.



"First, send your Mother an owl, telling her that you understand her position and her reasoning. Tell her you will stay in touch, but only at odd intervals, to prevent the owls from being traced. A 'no news is good news' policy, if you will."



Draco nodded.



"Secondly, tell her you have informed me, and Professor Snape, of the situation. We will be here to help if you need our assistance. More importantly, if she should want help, tell her I am extending an open invitation to her to come here to Hogwarts, if her circumstances should change."



"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, that's very generous of you." Draco answered, looking a little startled.



"Narcissa is a former student, who might require our help. We wouldn't refuse her. And thirdly; tell your mother that you are finishing the school year and will send word of your summer holiday plans in the next month. That buys you some time to mull everything over."



"Yes, sir."



"Can you think of anything else, Professor Snape?"



"No. But, I do have to ask one question; your opinion, actually. Do you think Narcissa is just out there, hiding on her own, or has she indeed found a Secret Keeper?"



"I venture to guess that, from the tone of her letter, she has indeed had a 'Fidelius' charm performed, as I doubt she would take any chances of being found. Don't you agree, Draco?"



"I think you're right, but /who/? That's going to bug me, that is!"



"Indeed," Albus chuckled. "Well, while we think about the endless possibilities, shall we return to our breakfast?"



"Thank you, Professors, for listening to me and...for caring." Draco put out his hand and shook first Dumbledore's and then Snape's hands.



"Anytime, Mister Malfoy...anytime."



X # X # X



Anna had finished her breakfast and was standing behind Dumbledore's chair, looking over an article in the Daily Prophet with Professor McGonagall, when the trio emerged from the anteroom. Draco walked back to his place, said a few words to Pansy and they walked out together.



Professor Dumbledore, followed by Professor Snape, walked up and Minerva McGonagall could contain herself no longer.



"Albus, what is going on?" she hissed.



"Narcissa Malfoy has gone into hiding."



"/NO/! Whatever for?"



"She believed she was soon to be kidnapped, by Voldemort, to be used to force Draco Malfoy to join the Death Eaters."



"What is Mister Malfoy going to do?"



"Nothing for now; except to send his mother an owl, telling her he understands."



"Well, Albus, you...well, we'll all be there for him, won't we?" Minerva looked around and Anna nodded in agreement. "That's all we can do, I suppose."



Snape was watching Anna and as the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall walked away, he stepped closer and asked her quietly, "You're being uncharacteristically quiet. Do you know anything about this?"



"No," she shook her head, looking down at the folded newspaper in her hand, "I just saw the shock and confusion in his eyes when he looked at me. I feared the worst, but if Narcissa is safe somewhere, that's something, don't you agree?"



"Hummm," Severus replied, brows knit.



"See you at lunch?" She still hadn't raised her head or looked at him.



"Yes."



"Ditto" She gave him a small smile and turned to leave.



Severus took his seat and watched as Anna walked out of the Great Hall, greeting various students along the way. His forehead was wrinkled in a frown. Then he shook his head.



No, he thought, that's not possible. What an absurd idea.



X # X # X



Draco Malfoy sat alone at the Slytherin table. His house mates, including Pansy, had been avoiding him for the past week or so, as he had shown no interest in company. He stared, unseeing at his breakfast.



"Knut for your thoughts, Mister Malfoy."



Draco looked up from his plate to find Professor Dumbledore smiling down at him.



"I doubt they'd be worth even that much, Professor."



"Let me be the judge." The Headmaster countered, as he sat down on the bench across the table from Draco.



Draco was astonished. In his six years at Hogwarts, he'd never seen the Headmaster sit anywhere but at the staff table, in the center chair.



"Now, what's troubling you?" Dumbledore folded his hands and put them on the table, his expression showing his rapt interest in what Draco was about to say. Draco heaved a sigh.



"My birthday's in a few days and I'm trying to sort everything out. I've been putting off making any decision, but I can't any longer."



"I've always found that when faced with a decision as monumental as yours; it is best to think of the advantages and disadvantages of both sides of the argument and pick the one you would be most comfortable with. That's not to say it would necessarily be the easiest course of action, or the most popular, but what /you/, in good conscious, can live with."



"So flipping a coin is out, then?" Draco smiled weakly.



"I should think so."



"I keep coming back to the fact that my own mother doesn't want anything to do with....Voldemort."



Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Draco's saying the name instead of 'the Dark Lord' and he nodded.



"I'm not sure she was ever really a supporter, but had to follow your father's dictates. You did as your father told you, also, until you saw Lucius' true nature, at his worst."



Draco nodded. Students were giving the two wide berth, so Draco knew he was not being overheard.



"She wants me to decide for myself."



"Yes, she does."



"The war is about to start, isn't it?"



"Yes, it is."



"So... in reality, no matter which side I'm on, I will be fighting for my life."



"Yes, you will."



"Well, if that's true, then I'd rather be on the side where, when the war is over, I can live my life and take care of my family the way I want. Not worrying about somebody controlling my life. Voldemort promises power, but it's his power, not mine he's talking about. I won't be a slave, to anyone/. I've seen what /that life style has done and I'm not about to wind up like my father.



Dumbledore nodded sagely, then smiled and leaned forward.



"Having made your decision, what, exactly, will be your first act as a free wizard?"



Draco looked at the Headmaster for a few seconds and then down at his plate.



"Finish my breakfast and then go out and enjoy my Saturday." He looked up at Dumbledore and smiled. "Then I'll work up the courage to go and talk to Professor Twigg-Jones. She needs to know. And write to Mother. Not necessarily in that order."



"Very good, Mister Malfoy; your priorities are in order."



"But...if you don't mind, Professor, this is just between you and me for now, ok?"



"Certainly, Mister Malfoy." Albus rose. "Enjoy the beautiful weather. We can talk again, later, if need be."



"Yes, sir and thank you."



"That's quite alright, Mister Malfoy, part of my job, you know." He winked. "Well," he straightened up and looked around, "my breakfast will be stone cold if I don't hurry."



With a wave of his hand, he turned and swept to the front table of the Great Hall, greeting other students as he passed. Draco took a big mouthful of eggs. Breakfast had never tasted so good.



X # X # X



"When I get my hands on that sister of mine! How DARE she!" Bella paced the floor, watched with a flicker of amusement by Voldemort and with outright glee by Peter Pettigrew.



Not the high and mighty bitch anymore/, thought Wormtail. /No more teacher's pet/. /HA!



"I'll deal with your sister later, Bella. Just because she fled, doesn't mean that Draco won't come to me as soon as he finishes his school year."



"Tell him to leave Hogwarts, /now/, Master. Join you as soon as he comes of age!" Bella was on her knees in front of Voldemort's chair.



"Patience, Bella, patience. If I start demanding he come, he won't. He has to want to come. Narcissa's abandonment of him will steer him right to us. We're the only family he has left."



"Yes, Master."



"The prey I'm after is Anna Twigg-Jones. I think it would be a nice surprise for Draco to see that his father's plans for his marking ceremony are carried out. She shall be his first victim. But we must maneuver her carefully before we spring our trap. She'll not be easily caught, as Lucius and those other fools found out. Wormtail!"



"Yes, Master."



"Go to his hiding place and bring Nott here to me. I have work for the two of you, in the near future."



"Yes, Master."