𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙥 | DRACO MALFOY

the choice

authors note
back at it again with 3am updates!!
i have to be up at 6:30am. life is great. this is great. i truly love you guys wow.
ALSO HAPPY 5K READS IM SO GRATEFUL 🥹

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Harper Riddle

The Room of Requrement felt colder tonight than ever before. The walls seemed to watch us now almost waiting as if the room itself could sense the weight of what was about to happen

Draco stood beside me as we both stared at the broken cabinet with a level of frustration. His hands trembled as he adjusted the worn pieces, but the familiar flicker of his inner panic only worsened with each failed attempt.

"It's no use," Draco muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't... I can't fix it."

I looked at him, seeing the same terror I had seen in his eyes ever since this entire mess started. There was a hollow look in his eyes, the kind that only came when you had failed for the thousandth time.

"You don't have to," I said softly. Even though inside I felt like everything was slowly unraveling.

Draco turned to me, confusion clouding his face, "What are you talking about?"

I walked over to the cabinet, tracing my fingers along its worn edges, feeling the connection between the two broken pieces. For a moment, I closed my eyes, concentrating. I could feel the magic pulsing just beneath the surface.

"I'll do it," I whispered, not just to Draco, but to myself as well.

His face softened almost not believing me, "Harp, no this is on me. I'm the one who has to—"

"No," I interrupted firmly, turning to face him.
"You've done enough. We both know this is bigger than you or me. I'm not going to let you destroy yourself over this."

Draco didn't argue further. He realized that this was something I had already made up my mind about. I took a breath and focused on the task at hand.

With a quiet flick of my wrist, I directed the magic, guiding the pieces of the cabinet to merge once more, not the way it had been before, but into something stronger, more dangerous. The hum of the magic surged through me and I could feel the connection to the Dark Lord, as if he himself was watching.

When it was done, the cabinet was whole, far more functional than it had ever been. I could feel the Death Eaters on the other side, ready to step through.

I looked back at Draco, whose face had turned pale. "It's done. The way is open."

Draco took a hesitant step toward me. "You're sure about this, Harper?"

I reached for his hand, "I'm sure. Let's finish this."

We didn't speak again as we moved toward the Great Tower, the echo of our footsteps too loud in the otherwise silent corridor. But even though the air was still, I could feel the tension building with every passing second. We were both walking toward the end of something—toward the final choice.

As we entered the tower, my heart seemed to stop. Dumbledore was waiting for us, leaning slightly against the window, looking out into the night, unaware that the final hour had come.

"Draco, you don't have to be here for this," I said quietly, turning to him. "You can still walk away."

But his eyes were filled with something else—something darker. He shook his head. "I can't. I can't leave you now."