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Cowardice
“If I don’t do it,” Draco said, too casually, “he’ll kill my parents. I can’t refuse, Weasley.”
Ginny looked at him, sprawling with magnificent arrogance, the fine lines about his eyes the only indications of his unease.
“If you go through with this, you’ll forfeit everything. You’ll forfeit us, Malfoy.”
There was a taut, strained silence. “An ultimatum?”
She frowned unhappily. “Draco, please. I can’t. Not if you become one of…them.”
“That’s not fair, Gin. I can’t just abandon –”
“Fair!” She snarled, the anger flowing hot and strong, a relief from the awkward grief and sorrow. “You’re complaining of fairness? Nothing in this life is fair, Draco, and I thought you’d have learned that by now.”
She drew breath to continue, but he reached out and caught her arm, cutting her off in mid-flow.
“Going through with this won’t make me a Death Eater.”
“Yes it will,” she whispered, feeling herself start to cry. “Yes it will, Draco. You won’t have the Mark, but you’ll still be a Death Eater…”
He reached out, touched her cheek. “Ginny, I can handle this…”
“No!” she snapped, batting his hand away. “No, you can’t! Draco, you can’t ‘handle’ this situation any more! You can’t refuse to make the choice – stop being a coward and take a stand, one way or the other!”
They stared at each other, on the edge of a very painful chasm. No, it had gone too far for that.
“And if you don’t like my choice?” he asked quietly. “If I choose my family?”
Unable to bear his gaze, her eyes slid away. He laughed softly, mirthless and bitter. “I thought so.”
She did not see him get up and walk away, and nor did she watch him as he went.
If he looked back, she never knew.
**
“If I don’t do it,” Draco said, too casually, “he’ll kill my parents. I can’t refuse, Weasley.”
Ginny looked at him, sprawling with magnificent arrogance, the fine lines about his eyes the only indications of his unease.
“If you go through with this, you’ll forfeit everything. You’ll forfeit us, Malfoy.”
There was a taut, strained silence. “An ultimatum?”
She frowned unhappily. “Draco, please. I can’t. Not if you become one of…them.”
“That’s not fair, Gin. I can’t just abandon –”
“Fair!” She snarled, the anger flowing hot and strong, a relief from the awkward grief and sorrow. “You’re complaining of fairness? Nothing in this life is fair, Draco, and I thought you’d have learned that by now.”
She drew breath to continue, but he reached out and caught her arm, cutting her off in mid-flow.
“Going through with this won’t make me a Death Eater.”
“Yes it will,” she whispered, feeling herself start to cry. “Yes it will, Draco. You won’t have the Mark, but you’ll still be a Death Eater…”
He reached out, touched her cheek. “Ginny, I can handle this…”
“No!” she snapped, batting his hand away. “No, you can’t! Draco, you can’t ‘handle’ this situation any more! You can’t refuse to make the choice – stop being a coward and take a stand, one way or the other!”
They stared at each other, on the edge of a very painful chasm. No, it had gone too far for that.
“And if you don’t like my choice?” he asked quietly. “If I choose my family?”
Unable to bear his gaze, her eyes slid away. He laughed softly, mirthless and bitter. “I thought so.”
She did not see him get up and walk away, and nor did she watch him as he went.
If he looked back, she never knew.
**
The End.
LadyRhiyana is the author of 16 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 6 members. Members who liked Cowardice also liked 443 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 6 members. Members who liked Cowardice also liked 443 other stories.
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