Choices - Easy Way Out

Darkness was an option. Though, Draco figured, to be a minion of the Dark Lord, darkness was more of a necessity. It came with the whole package, he supposed, secretly fingering the newly scorched Dark Mark on his forearm and grimaced in pain; death, torture, darkness and yadda, yadda, yadda.

In the alleyway that he and Theodore Nott stood, there was definitely no lack of darkness. It was a particular dodgy part of Muggle London, having a reputation of mysterious but bizarre cases of murder, where the victim would have no visible signs of wounds on their body, but rather, seemingly to have been scared to death. The police, of course, were constantly assuring the residents that the murders were 'investigations in progress', but everyone knew that these would remain unsolved mysteries, maybe forever.

Among Death Eaters, however, the murderers were no secret. In fact, a few of them were quite well known. Lucius Malfoy, for example. Notorious killer, known for and loyalty to the Dark Lord his cruelty to others, had tortured and killed far more than many of the other Death Eaters added together, and that was just in that part of London.

It was right there in the alley where all Malfoys would celebrate their initiations to various dark circles by killing a Muggle. Draco's uncles, aunts, cousins, mother and father had all taken lives in that particular alley; it was like tradition, almost a Malfoy family legacy.

Draco snorted out loud, drawing a stare from Nott. 'Legacy' indeed. It was nothing to be proud of, killing helpless Muggles. He'd like to have proper duels to determine whether he lives or dies. This way of sneaking up to them and giving a blow behind their backs was dishonourable, though his father told him it was that kind of thinking that would get him killed.

The more Draco thought about it, the more he was convinced that Muggles weren't as bad and filthy as his father made them out to be, if they were clever enough to invent someone like the television. Draco liked to watch television; he found it highly entertaining. So far as the TV sits in his room, it has done nothing wrong. At least, not until his father had somehow managed to find out about its origins and had deduced it into a burning heap on his cold bedroom floor.

Draco scowled as he thought of his destroyed television set. He had missed the season finale of a show he quite enjoyed. Perhaps it was time to visit the 'video stores' he had heard so much about.

But right now? He had some traditions to carry on.

Theodore Nott tapped his foot impatiently. He had been initiated last February, on his birthday, and according to him, the Dark Lord was most pleased of his display of loyalty.

A drunk staggered past the alley singing a song in a foreign language. Nott looked at Draco expectantly, raising an eyebrow. Draco just shrugged; apparently that wasn't the reaction Nott was looking for.

"You're not going to do this one, then?" Nott asked, drawing out his own wand.

"No." Draco stopped his hand as he was about to utter a spell, and waited until the drunk had staggered out of sight before letting go. "He is not worthy."

Nott spat on the ground and swore, slipping his wand back into the folds of his robe, furious. "The Dark Lord said 'tonight', Malfoy, you are to show your loyalty to him tonight. Prove yourself."

Draco laughed. "I will prove myself when the time comes. There is nothing honourable about killing defenceless Muggles. They'll dirty my hand, if anything."

"You are too afraid," Nott accused.

"That's ridiculous!" Draco snapped back, "Malfoys have no fear."

Nott sensed that he had hit a nerve, and smirked gloatingly. "Admit it, Malfoy, you're dead scared," he taunted, "you're too afraid and you're trying to hide behind some lame excuse of Muggles being 'not worthy'. Truth is, Malfoy, you're the one who's not worthy. I don't know what the dark lord sees in you. 'Greatness', indeed."

Draco tried to stop his anger from surfacing. "Don't tempt me, Nott..."

"To do what? Curse me? You don't dare."

"Nott, I'm warning you-"

"Face it, Malfoy. You're a coward, that's all you'll ever be; a disloyal, untrustworthy son of a bitch who'll never amount to anything."

Draco felt something snap inside him. "You leave my mother out of this," he said through gritted teeth, whipping out his wand.

"Otherwise you'll what? Poke me with that stick in your hand? Hah-"

Draco concentrated. "Crucio!"

"Argh!" With a yell, Nott was thrown off his feet and smashed against a wall. He curled into a foetal position and started to whimper piteously.

"Apologise!" Draco snarled, his anger inputting more to the spell, causing the other boy to yell in pain. "Apologise!" Draco repeated.

Before either of them said anything else, there was a scream from the end of the alley. Draco looked up to see Hermione standing besides a flight of stairs, terrified, staring wide-eyed at Nott's shivering frame and the wand in Draco's hand.

"Granger..." Draco stalled. Run, Granger, run and pretend you saw nothing, and I'll pretend I didn't see you. He willed Hermione to go away; he didn't want anyone to see this, not because it was incriminating, but because he knew he would have to kill her afterwards if she did not go now.

Draco raised his wand and shot a streak of orange light to Hermione's left, just for show. It seemed to jolt Hermione. With one last horrified glance at Nott, she ran past Draco, nearly knocking him over.

Just when she'd nearly reached the safety of the streetlights, however, several Death Eaters have already Apparated in front of her, forming a semi circle and blocking her way.

"This is your chance, Malfoy, your chance of proving yourself." One of the Death Eaters stepped forward and grabbed Hermione's arm, pushing her towards Draco. She stumbled and Draco caught her, holding her up by the shoulders.

Hermione's eyes widened with fear as she struggled. "Don't touch me!" she squealed, "let go!"

Draco tried to hold on to her but she slipped out of his grasp and slapped him across the face before anyone realised what had happened.

There was a stunned silence. Hermione tried to make a dash for it, but just rebounded off the human wall formed by the Death Eaters.

Draco looked up as his anger flared. On his face was a perfect five-fingered handprint, which stood out against his pale skin like a rash.

"Bitch," he spat on the ground. The Malfoy family pride welled in his chest; no one humiliates Malfoys in public. "You are going to regret doing that."

Draco raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione. His fellow Death Eaters hooted and clapped.

He concentrated. A moment's hesitation, then the stinging on his face reminded him of who he was, of what he was about to become...

"Avada Kedavra!"

... A murderer, he realised as green light filled the alley, illuminating the faces behind the hoods. I am a murderer.

Hermione's body slumped to the ground with a small thumping noise.

The head Death Eater patted Draco on the back. He flinched, the spell leaving him hypersensitive. The Death Eater laughed.

"You are one of us now, Malfoy," she said, "welcome to... 'The gang'..."

Grinning, she led the other Death Eaters out of the alley, presumably going somewhere to 'celebrate', leaving only Draco, Nott, and the body.

Nott stood up shakily. "You did it. Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Draco gave him a long hard look. "Fuck off, Nott," he growled.

Nott cowered instinctively and limped away quickly.

And Draco just stood there, staring at Hermione's body, with only the stinging on his face to remind his that this body, just moments ago, was full of life and energy.

A murderer. That was all he was. No matter what he would do in later life, this was something he would never escape.

I killed Hermione Granger. I never meant it to be this way. It was only because of my stupid family pride. I remember hesitating, but I did it, nonetheless. I never meant to do it. I never wanted to be a Death Eater. I had a choice, and I chose the easy way out. I never...

For the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy was truly scared. He pointed his wand at himself; he took the easy way out once, it would be nothing if he did it again...

<><><>

"It's so sad, Edwards."

"Yer."

"They looked so young."

"Yer."

"They were beautiful people, Edwards. Especially the lad with the silver blond hair. The most handsome boy I've ever set my eyes on. It's a pity, innit?"

"Yer."

"D' you think they coulda bin lovers? Kinda like Romeo and Juliet, y' think?"

"Maybe."

"Think the lad coulda bin one of 'em rebels? That tattoo on 'is arm. That was scary."

"Yer."

"S' still a pity."

"Yer."

"Wanna ham sandwich?"

"Yer."

~End