The Same Mistake

Ellie felt herself pulled in opposite directions, but as she had come to expect, her feelings for Draco won out over common sense. She dropped to her knees beside him, her hand itching to reach out and rub his back. Obviously she was horrified, disgusted by what had happened, but she was willing to hear him out, willing to believe any lie he told that would ease the sickening feeling resting in her heart.

“Who – who knows about –“ Draco couldn’t get all the words out. Ellie leaned back as Draco twisted around to face her, his eyes filled with shame and disbelief.

“Well,” Ellie began, her voice wavering with slowly dissipating anger. “His family was in the hospital wing with him, and at least half of the Gryffindors are aware of the situation. But what does that even matter, Draco? Unless . . . is the Dark Lord is going to punish you for not finishing off the job?”

“His family?” Draco jerked back from Ellie. He stood up, shaking off his ill feels from moments before. “Who the bloody hell are you talking about, Ellie?”

Getting to her feet, Ellie glared at him. “I’m talking about Ronald Weasley as you very well know!”

Draco burst into shaking waves of laughter. He bent his knees, leaning forward as he continued to laugh hysterically. “Weasley?” He asked in gleeful shock, tears of laughter shimmering in his eyes. “Someone tried to kill the blood traitor?”

Disgust rolled over Ellie. “You,” she pointed an unsteady finger at him, “you poisoned the wine that he drank! The wine that was meant to – meant to be given –“

“Don’t!” Draco shouted, his tone shifting from humorous to deadly serious. “Don’t finish that sentence! If you care about me at all, if you care about what we have, you will not say those words.”

“What we have?” Ellie asked outraged. “I was willing to stand behind you no matter what, but I can’t and I won’t support someone who is willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent –“

“Innocent?” Draco roared. “That filthy bastard is part of the reason my father is in jail!”

“Your father is a Death Eater who tried to kill five teenagers!”

“And I’m the Death Eater who tried to kill –“ he faltered then regrouped. “Who almost killed your precious Ronald Weasley. What makes us different, Ellie? What makes me any different from my father?”

“Because you haven’t killed anyone yet, Draco! You have the chance, the opportunity to do things differently than your father! Make the right choice, Draco; stop this before it ruins your life,” Ellie pleaded desperately.

“I don’t have a choice!” he thundered back. Anger seize hold of him, anger at Ellie for not understanding, anger at himself for being in this position, and anger at his family for leaving him no choice. Draco’s hands clamped down on Ellie’s small shoulders, each of his fingertips pressing down into her flesh. “This is my future, my destiny, and you swore to understand that!” He thrust Ellie away, turning his back to her so that she wouldn’t see the self-loathing in his eyes.

The weight of the situation hit Ellie full force. Her mind raced back to her own mission. It didn’t matter how she felt, it didn’t matter what he did, Ellie had no choice but to support Draco. Right or wrong, that was the destiny she chose when she sent her first letter to the Order. “I-I’m sorry, Draco.”

Ellie stepped forward cautiously, lying one hand on his broad shoulder, she turned Draco around. His eyes met her, fierce and determined. “You’re right. I did swear to understand, and I’m trying. Mais, je –“ she stopped herself and started again. “But I need you to help me. Tell me you didn’t mean for Katie to almost die or for Ron.”

“And what if I tell you I did?” Draco challenged.

Ellie titled her head to the side, staring up into his grey eyes. “I wouldn’t believe you. I know, you’re not a bad person, and I’m sorry, so sorry, that for even one second I doubted that, I doubted you.” She grasped both his hands in hers, lifting them up and placing a delicate kiss on each one. “Can you forgive me?”

All of Draco’s internal defenses crumbled. He should have said no, he should have kept the distance Ellie created between them, but he couldn’t. He was too weak to deny Ellie, even if that meant bringing her one step closer to the danger that surrounded him. When the time came, he would protect Ellie, but for now, with the cabinet still on the mend, they could still be together, they had to be, because living without her he feared he’d go insane.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Ellie. I lo-“ the words died in his throat. Draco gathered Ellie in his arms, pressing a firm kiss to the crown of her head. A moment of silence passed between them. Then Draco couldn’t help but ask, because he knew it would matter to Ellie, “So is the Weasel going to suffer any permanent damage?”

Ellie laughed softly into his chest, her arms locked around him, trying to close any lingering distance between them, “No. Ron will be fine once he’s given time to recover properly. Everything,” she said as she pressed a kiss to his cloth covered chest, “is fine.”