The Coward's Way Out

The Coward's Way Out

I can feel the sweat on the back of my neck. Fire. I'm on the ground, struggling to breath. What's happening? Where am I?

I let out a cough and look around. There's a girl laying besides me. It's Hermione Granger.

I try to stand up, but I just fall back to the ground.

"Draco?" I hear Hermione mutter.

"I'm here, Hermione," I say, trying to get my legs to work. But they won't. I'm stuck.

Then, I see a dark figure pushing his way through the fire.

"Professor Snape?" I choke out.

He nods. He reaches for my hand and pulls me up. My legs are so weak. He picks up Hermione, her frail body covered with ashes.

"We have to go. Now," Professor Snape tells me.

We're running now. Running as quickly as we can. Hermione's trying to say something, but her lips barely move.

At the end of a hallways, we come to a stop. "Take her," Professor Snape says. "Get her out of here."

The next thing I know, I'm holding Hermione in my arms, watching Professor Snape run in the opposite direction.

I have to find an exit, I think to myself. I have to get her out of here.

"Let her go, Malfoy!" I turn. It's Weasley.

"Do you want her to die?" I ask.

I can tell my the look on his face that he took it the wrong way. "Hurt her and you're dead!"

I don't have time for this, I think. My legs start moving. I'm running, Hermione in my arms. Weasley's chasing after me, I know it.

Then, I come to a large window. I give it a kick and the glass shatters. I set Hermione down on the other side, on the grass. She's muttering something, but I don't know what.

"Crucio!"

I know immediately that I've been hit. I fall to the ground, screaming. Then, it stops. I look up. Weasley's been hit and he's unconscious. As I stand up, I groan. I begin to walk away. But, then, I stop. I know I can't just leave him there in the fire and let him die. I drag him across the ground. I lift him up, letting him tumble out the window. I hope he doesn't know what's going on. I don't want him to know I saved his life.

I'm running, now. Running as fast as I can. Then, I see the true battle scene.

It's Potter. And him. Potter's on the ground, looking up, eyes filled with fear. His wand is just out of reach.

He opens his mouth, raising his wand. I can see the killing curse at the tip of his tongue.

A green flash.

But, Potter is not dead.

I shake my head, unable to believe what I just saw.

Professor Snape had ran into the room, a vengeful look of hate in his eyes. Who that look was intended for, I don't know. But, what I do know is that he threw himself in front of Potter. He's dead.

He is surprised. The look on his face, his red eyes wide, says that much. Potter uses that moment to reach for his hand. Another green flash. Potter stands up, stepping over the two bodies on the ground.

"You," he says, looking at me, hate in his eyes.

I know that if I stay, he will kill me. Or I will kill him. So, I run. Run like the coward I am.

I'm outside now. I'm so confused. What's happening?

I hadn't noticed till now that I'm crying. Professor Snape. He's dead. He died to save Potter's life. And Potter doesn't even care, does he?

I apparate in a second. I start running, blindly. If I had stayed, either I would've killed or been killed. Both sides are against me. I'm a traitor to each.

Taking the cowards way out, as usual, a horrible voice says in my head.

What am I supposed to do? I ask.

Anything but run, the voice says.

Then what? I ask. Kill? That's all that would've happened. I don't want to kill any more than I want to be killed. It's better this way.

Always taking the cowards way out, the voice mocks.

Sometimes, I say, there are worse things than taking the cowards way out. Death and killing are two of them.

I'm still running. It's over. This stupid war is over.

Now what?

I stop. It's pointless. Running is pointless. I am a coward. A horrible, stupid, traitorous coward.

But, there are worse things to be.