Our Choices Show What We Truly Are

Notes/Warning: DH spoilers, very mild swearing, originally posted on the live journal community Dramionedrabbles 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. Prompt: sled.

The first time Draco Malfoy saw “It’s a Wonderful Life” was at Hermione Granger’s holiday party. He had not been personally invited; instead he was there as Ginny Weasley’s date. Ginny & Potter were on a break. Ginny wanted to get married; Potter was commitment shy. Ginny understood his issues but felt that enough was enough after five years of dating. Draco believed the words she had used were “piss or get off the pot.” Draco thought Ginny needed to stop watching the telly. His job, according to Ginny, was to “help Harry make a decision.” Draco had interpreted this as “get under Potter’s skin as much as possible.”

The party had been awkward initially. Potter and the Weasel sent Draco death glares every time he whispered in Ginny’s ear or got Ginny punch or gave Ginny the patented Malfoy sexy pout. Draco thought it was probably harder to shoot fish in a barrel. Everyone else was uncomfortably watching the tense scene develop until Granger waved one of her infamous lists and announced it was time to decorate the tree. There was a universal groan, several cries of, “Yes, your majesty!” and then everyone laughed, breaking the tension.

An hour later, after decorating the tree, charades and cracker pulling, they all settled in the living room to nosh on biscuits and watch a film. Draco didn’t absorb much of the movie, watching it only to cull ammunition for his current mission: Operation Provoke Potter. The film was charmingly obliging in aiding Draco’s efforts. George Bailey was as nauseatingly good as Potter himself. Every scene with Mary was a chance to seductively murmur those lines to Ginny. The villain’s name was Henry Potter, for Merlin’s sake. Clearly, the universe was on his side. Granger gave Draco and Ginny so many sharp looks, he was sure she wasn’t, but she didn’t stop him either. As it turned out, the universe was on Ginny’s side as well. Less than a year later, she was Mrs. Potter. Draco was not invited to the wedding.

The second time Draco saw “It’s a Wonderful Life” was at Hermione Granger’s holiday party the following year. When he commented on the lack of variety, Potter made an overexaggerated face of surprise and said, “Malfoy, did you just object to a tradition?” Draco and Harry shared a mutual smirk of appreciation, the first of anything they had congenially shared in the history of Wizardkind.

Without a mission, Malfoy was able to concentrate on the film this time. He wondered if the punch had been spiked. The scene where George’s brother fell off the makeshift sled and into the river made him think of Crabbe and Goyle; the banker Potter reminded him of his father. He thought about the differences his absence would have made, had Draco been erased from his world. He noticed that Granger was giving him sharp glances again, but his overburdened mind shied away from reasoned analysis. In the end, he left abruptly after the movie finished, without saying goodbye to anyone.

And ended up on Harry’s doorstep three days later. Potter was clearly astonished to see him there, but invited him in and showed Draco to his study.

“What brings you here, Draco?”

“I… That movie we watched at Granger’s, it got me thinking.”

Harry said nothing, waiting for Draco to finish.

“You saved Goyle and me in the Room of Requirement. I never thanked you for that. George… ”

“George?”

“George Bailey made a difference in people’s lives. I thought about my life… if it had never been... would the world be better? Would Snape, or Crabbe or… Dumbledore still be alive? I’ve never done anything that wasn’t for me.”

“You tried to kill Dumbledore to save your family from a mad man.”

Draco made a dismissive gesture - that had been for him too.

“It’s never too late, Draco. Our choices show what we truly are, far more than our past."

“Thank you, Potter.” He sneered in a snide tone. He couldn't help it. His 'sarcasm in the face of sentimentality' reflex was too deeply ingrained.

“I forgive you for dating Ginny.” Twinkled the Boy-Who-Was-Dumbledore's-Man.

Draco made a choice and just grinned at Harry.

The third time Draco saw “It’s A Wonderful Life” was at Hermione’s flat the following year. She hadn’t felt like throwing a holiday party. She had broken up with Ron in June, and he was still giving her a hard time about it, making friends and relatives take sides. “As if we were all still in school,” Ginny scoffed dismissively. She and Harry and Draco and Hermione had decorated the tree, skipped the charades (they had been Ron’s idea), pulled crackers and settled in to nosh on biscuits and watch the movie. This time, Draco thought of Severus Snape, his life erased, Draco’s world unrecognizable without him. Ginny and Harry said goodbye soon after the movie had ended. Draco stayed behind to help tidy up.

“You’re very quiet tonight, Draco.”

“Mmm… I was thinking of Snape… and choices and the past.”

“The world would be very different without any one of us.”

“I wish he had seen it like that.”

“Maybe, in the end, he did.” Hermione smiled sadly.

Draco made a choice. He gathered Hermione is his arms, brushed a finger gently against one petal soft cheek, tilted up her chin, and kissed her.

It changed his world.

A/N “Our choices show what we truly are, Harry, far more than our abilities.” – CoS