This story was written for a challenge where I had to follow the outline of the story 'The Princess and the Tiger'.

The Prince and the Quintaped

It was a cold autumn night when he discovered them. He had just left The Hog's Head after a 'business meeting' when he catch a glimpse of silvery blonde hair some meters away and had decided to follow them. Draco had some girl by the wrist, although she was walking on her own free will, and they were headed for the Shrieking Shack. Lucius couldn't see her face because she was wearing a hat, but he was positive that was his son ditching school. Not that he was supporter of rules or anything, but why on earth could Draco be doing at this late hour if he had no orders specifically to do so, and even less, with a girl.

When Lucius got to the entrance of the Shrieking Shack, he discovered that there was no apparent entrance and also, Draco and the girl were not in sight. It didn't take him too much time to figure out that there was a back door that could be opened by a simple Alohomora Charm.

It would have been hard to tell where they could be, as the house's own noises would hide almost any sound nearby, but they were just at the other end of the empty room Lucius had found himself in.

And there they were. She had taken her hat off and Draco was holding her very close to him, and apparently about to kiss her too. Lucius raised an eyebrow. The scene might have been irrelevant, if not for the girl Draco was holding. It was just too hard to believe… His only son, his only heir with that… disgrace of a witch

"What the hell are you doing with that blood traitor Draco!" he could feel himself burning in anger as the girl, Ginny Weasley turned to face him with a horrified expression on her freckled face.

"Father, I – ah…" certainly things hadn't been going on too well among them since Lucius got out of Azkaban. He had blamed Draco for it and the latter had finally started to get tired of him and his stupid orders. "Whatever I am doing doesn't concern you." He finished in a defiant way as he crossed an arm in front of Ginny.

"Have you completely lost it?" the Malfoy elder couldn't seem to believe what he was witnessing. His face was red with anger and his upper teeth kept clashing against his lower ones.

"No. It's you who lost it. It's all over, you can't tell me what to do or who to fall in love with anymore"

"Fall in love? Don't you think this place already has enough madness to it? Stop saying nonsense and get over here. You are mine and will do as I say or else I will –"

"What? Kill us?" Draco almost found it funny, but Ginny, who hadn't been able to say a word since Malfoy Senior had appeared, was really scared. She knew very well what Lucius was capable of, and though she had helplessly fallen for Draco, he sometimes frightened her too…

"That could certainly be an option" Lucius stated a bit more composed. A malicious smile on his face. "But what would be the fun in that? You have defied me enough times Draco, it's time you learned a lesson. And she has to pay for what she's done… Luring you into this weakness…" and with a mere snap of fingers, the three of them found themselves in some kind of ruins.

Draco recognized the place at once. He had been there many times before. They were near the Isle of Drear, the place had been destroyed many years ago and no one visited, except his father and some other Death Eaters.

Ginny had asked what they were doing there, and thus, Lucius proceeded to explain. "You see, it doesn't really matters. Whatever happens here you two won't be seeing each other the same way again. You are not to mess with the Malfoys, ever!"

"I am feeling rather benevolent today" he continued after a while, savoring their confused expressions of horror. "I want to make a point here to Draco, as you don't really count or matter," he turned to Ginny. "you don't love people. Love makes you weak. I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to let you choose her destiny instead, son."

There would be two portkeys. The first one would take Ginny back to Hogwarts safely, but there was a catch: she'd be forced-fed a Love Potion and kept away from Draco so she would fall for the first person she saw. She'd forget everything they had been through and have a happy life with someone else, but Draco would have to watch her from afar being with someone other than himself.

The other portkey would take her to the Isle of Drear. Draco knew what was there. He'd witnessed enough times when his father portkeyd some poor guy who fed him up there. The Isle of Drear held the foulest and most dangerous creature known to the wizarding world: a Quintaped. A highly dangerous carnivore covered in thick reddish-brown hair with a particular taste for humans.

The thing is, although Draco knew which portkey would take her where, she didn't. She would have to trust him to make the right decision for her. Lucius gave them ten minutes to decide.

Ginny hadn't dared to look at Draco and was silently fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. Draco had been gaping at her the whole time with his mind in blank, he couldn't think, he couldn't speak. He wanted so much to hold her but his body wouldn't move…

"Time's up" Lucius stated as he drew two small boxes out of his robes. He opened them to reveal a stone in each one, one red and one green.

The red haired girl crossed the gap between her and Draco and put her arms around him in what would be their last embrace. "I love you," she said "no matter what."

"Which one Draco?" Lucius urged.

"I – I don't know… I don't want either…" he could feel Ginny's wet face against his chest as he tightened his arms around her.

"Now!"

"But –"

"Choose, or I will!"

"Father, please –"

"Last chance son"

"The green one!" –Draco closed his eyes tight as he felt Ginny being separated from him. He didn't need to see what would happen. Lucius had torn them apart and thrown the box containing the green portkey at Ginny. The stone flew out of it's case and landed on Ginny's lap and a moment later, she was gone with the wind.

How would it be to live looking at the person you loved the most being with someone else? Would it be hard to forget? Would it tear Draco's heart apart? Who could that other person be?

Either way, he would never find out, as he had sent her to her death… The green stone had taken her away from him forever. And away from everyone else as well, for as much as he loved her, he couldn't stand the idea of not having her. It was the very first thing he had to himself, the only person who truly loved him, not for what he was, but despite of it,and whoever said that love guaranteed youhappiness didn't knew Lucius Malfoy.

And with that last embrace, and her last words to him, he looked at the skies and craved with all his heart for her forgiveness, wherever she might be now…