This is an alternate ending to the original ‘Cutback’. The original has ten chapters. To read this ending properly read original chapters one through six, then read this version.

Title - Cutback

Author - Lena

Website: www.geocities.com/simpleadorationtwo/

Pairing - Ron/Draco, past Ron/Harry

Rating - R

Warning - AU, character death, evil!Ron.

Genre - AU, Romance, Drama

Spoilers - Can't think of any.

Disclaimers - I don't own Harry or Ron or anything in the HP world. JKR does (and Warner Bros, et al).

Feedback - [email protected]

Summary - Ron falls hard for someone new for the first time since his true love's death.

Acknowledgements - Lorien_Eve. She betas and listens to me. I'm so glad.

Author's Note - 'Cutback' is a surfing term for a surfer who reverses the direction they are going, hopefully in a smooth, fluid motion.

Chapter 7 - alternate ending

When Draco got home, he went immediately to his bedroom closet and pulled a brown cardboard box from the top shelf. He placed it on his bed and pulled off the cover. In it were all his important papers, his original birth certificate, and his court papers changing his last name, his passport and other papers. On the bottom was a manila envelope filled with newspaper clippings. He pulled it out and dumped the contents on the bed.

He fingered them, and pulled the largest article away from the others and stared at it. It had a black and white photograph of two battered cars and picture of the same man he had seen in the frame at Ron’s house. His heart seemed to fall out of his body, but he knew it didn’t because it was beating so hard it throbbed in his head. The photo was confirmation of what he knew to be true. It was his father’s fault.

He scanned the article and read bits and pieces of it just to make sure it really was true.

“...confirmed that Lucius Malfoy was driving and it is suspected that alcohol was a contributing factor...”

“...Harry Potter, 22, an employee of the Postal Service, was killed instantly...”

Draco felt something on his cheek. He reached up and touched it, not knowing what it was. He felt wetness and realized he was crying. He hadn’t since he had been four years old and his father beat him for crying over something that Draco could no longer remember. He had never cried again, until now when he realized that his father had reached from beyond to make his life miserable once again.

He could’ve turned out as evil and rotten as his father, but he had refused to let that happen. He didn’t want to be like his father, so he had spent his life doing exactly opposite to ensure he would be a good person. Now, Draco wondered, what did it matter? He was destined for his father’s sins to haunt him and those he loved.

He reached for the obituary of the man who was unknown to him at the time he had clipped it from the paper. It was stapled to his mother’s. He hadn’t clipped his father’s obituary. He scanned Harry’s obituary and read the last line.

“...and he is survived by his partner of six years.”

Nowhere in the obituary was Ron’s name. Draco could only guess that the reason it wasn’t there was because Ron was a police officer and didn’t want the publicity. Six years...Ron had said that they had been together since they were sixteen...what a long time...and as it turned out, a lifetime.

Draco shoved the papers and the box off his bed and sat down heavily on the edge. He leaned slowly onto his side and pulled the pillow into his face. Then he sobbed uncontrollably for the first time since he was four.

He didn’t know someone could cry that much. By the time he had cried himself out, Draco got up and his eyes were so swollen he could barely get them open. He walked into his bathroom and saw his eyes were almost bruised underneath. He washed his face and looked back up in the mirror. He knew he had to tell Ron.

Ron was already at work and wouldn’t be home until the morning, Draco knew. He had to tell him as soon as possible. He clutched his stomach again and turned to the toilet. He threw up again. As he lie on the cold floor of his bathroom, he wondered how he would make it until morning. He decided he would be waiting for Ron on his porch to tell him in the morning.

Draco tossed and turned all night. He got up about two in the morning and sat on his couch for a while, then he tried to go back to bed, but he couldn’t sleep. He finally got up for good at four o’clock. He took a shower and got dressed. He sat on his couch until five-thirty, then got into his van and drove over to Ron’s house. Draco parked on the street, so Ron could get his car in his own driveway. He got out and sat on the step of Ron’s porch and waited.

Ron wondered what had been the matter with Draco earlier in the day, but then when they returned to his house, he seemed to be himself again. Ron decided to not worry about it too much. He didn’t even go on about it to Hermione during work. He drove home with the sunrise just peeking over the horizon.

Ron turned down his alley and saw Draco’s van parked in the street. He frowned, not understanding why Draco’s van was there, but then thought maybe he was here to surprise him. He smiled thinking about that. He pulled into his driveway and saw Draco sitting, shivering on his porch. He had his arms wrapped around himself, trying to stay warm. He had his head down and only lifted it slightly when he heard Ron’s car.

Ron got out of his car and started to walk to his door, thinking Draco would get up to meet him, but he didn’t. He sat on the porch, still shivering. He finally pulled himself up when Ron stood in front of him.

“Draco, what’s wrong?”

Draco wouldn’t look at him. “I have to talk to you.”

“Oh.” Ron got this sick feeling in his stomach. It flashed through his mind that maybe Draco had come to break it off with him.

They walked into the house, but Draco only came in a few feet. Ron walked towards his coffee table, pulling a gun out of the back of his waistband, from under his jacket. He then unsnapped a holster under his left arm and pulled it out, along with another gun. Draco’s mouth fell open, staring at the guns Ron tossed haphazardly on the table. Ron turned back to Draco and saw his face.

“I went on an undercover ride-along last night with Hermione and another officer.” Ron looked amused at Draco’s reaction. He stopped smiling when he noticed Draco didn't smile back. “What did you need to talk to me about?”

Draco lifted his eyes from the guns. "I have to tell you something."

Ron ran a hand over his hair. "You don't want to see me anymore." He said it with such a finality that he knew it must be true.

"No! No, not at all!" shouted Draco, louder than he meant.

"Then what is it?" Ron was getting irritated. He just wanted Draco to be out with it.

Draco felt his hands start to tremble. "When you told me yesterday about...Harry...I didn't realize it...until then...and then...I--"

"You are not making any fucking sense!" shouted Ron, who became angry the moment Draco said Harry's name.

"I know, I know...you see...it's my father...he, um...” stammered Draco.

Ron's face was turning red from anger and he crossed the room to stand in front of Draco. He grabbed Draco's upper arms and gripped them, painfully. He began shaking Draco and yelled, "Tell me! What are you trying to tell me?"

*Draco tells Ron, his father had something to do with it*

Ron immediately let go of Draco. He turned his head slightly, looking at him with disgust. "What?" whispered Ron. He knew what he had heard, but he couldn't believe it.

Draco was silent. He glanced at the guns again on the table. Ron saw him and Draco turned away from the table quickly.

"What, Draco, afraid of what I might do?" Ron's voice was eerily calm.

Draco looked down, frightened, not knowing what to do.

Ron made a step towards the table and glanced down. He looked up at Draco. “I can’t believe I let you...let you...touch me.” Ron became nauseous that he had allowed Draco in his body, in his soul, and in...their bed.

His mind began to calculate what he should do. He wanted to finally avenge Harry’s death. He was sick of everyone telling him to get on with his life and to love again, that Harry would want that. Well, Ron didn’t want that and he wondered what Harry would do in his situation of the roles were in reverse.

Ron thought for another moment...I’d have to use my personal gun...they would track the service revolver...

He made another step towards the table and gently picked up the smaller of the two guns. He held it in his palm, looking at it. Pondering...I could get rid of the body...I could get rid of his van...no one would look for him...

Draco broke the silence. “Ron, I--”

Ron snapped. He jerked his head up and saw nothing but blind rage. “SHUT UP!” He lifted his gun and pulled the trigger, three times.

Draco’s widened as he stumbled back. His car keys fell to the ground, making the only other noise in the room. He was dead before his body crumpled to the floor.

Ron casually strolled over and looked. There wasn’t too much blood. It was just a tiny gun, but Ron was a good marksman. Policemen were always taught to kill

For just a moment, he had some regret, but that was only because he worried about being caught. He’d have to get rid of everything. He hoped the neighbors didn’t hear anything.

He continued looking at Draco’s body and started chuckling. He vaguely wondered if there was anyone he could call to help him, but there was no one. He know Hermione would turn him in, hoping that he could cop an insanity plea. He actually had been acting a little insane the past year.

He went out to the garage. He got a big duffle bag that he and Harry had used for camping. He dragged it back in the house. He went to his fishing equipment and got out an old pair of gloves. He knew he was playing with fire. There would always be a chance, even years later, that he would be caught. He knew all about DNA and crime labs and how they figured it all out. He didn’t care. He would deal with that later. Later, is when he could use his insanity plea.

He knew he wasn’t insane. He had never felt more awake and sane in his life than at the moment he pulled the trigger.

Thank God, he didn’t have to work that night.

Ron laughed out loud this time. Well, Draco would be here...

Ron sat down on his couch and leaned back.

He woke with a start a few hours later. He opened his eyes and remembered what he had done. He looked over at the body, with no remorse.

He put on the gloves, got up and picked up the duffle bag. He measured it with Draco’s body and, of course, it wasn’t big enough. Ron wondered if he could stuff it in. Bend him or something...cut off his legs...

He attempted to move Draco and saw blood had seeped into the carpet.

He pulled Draco’s arms and tried to roll his body in the bag. Ron grunted and groaned, trying. He eventually succeeded, although it took the better part of an hour. He bent Draco’s legs at the knees and crammed the lower half of his legs under him. He zipped up the bag.

He got up and went to the kitchen to get carpet cleaner. As he crouched on his hands and knees scrubbing the carpet, he thought of Harry. He smiled. He thought of Draco. He smiled broader.

When he finished, Ron put the cleansers away and walked to his bedroom. He lay down on the bed, turning his head towards Harry's picture. He reached out and put it in it's rightful place. Facing towards the bed. Ron went to sleep, looking at Harry's face watching him.

When Ron woke many hours later, it was dark. He put on a jacket and walked out to the living room. He picked up Draco's keys and pulled the duffle bag over his back. Ron was strong, but the bag was very heavy and Ron had to half carry, half drag it to Draco's van.

He opened the back and heaved the bag into the van. Ron slammed the doors and walked around to the side. He open the driver's door and slid into the seat. He sat there for a moment before he turned on the engine. His mind was blank. He could only say Harry‘s name to himself, over and over and over...

He was on auto-pilot, without a clue to what he was doing.

He drove to the beach and got as close to the pier as he could. Before he got the bag out of the back of the van, he looked around for someone who might be suspicious.

He dragged the bag to the end of the pier and unzipped it. He rolled Draco’s body out and let it fall with a splash into the cold water below. He smiled.

He then threw the bag in the van and drove up to old Highway 53, where all the stolen cars went to die. It took Ron a half an hour to get there. When he did, he got as close to the edge of the cliff as possible and left the van in neutral with the brake off. It only took a couple of pushes before the van edged towards the cliff and then finally plummeted.

Ron took off his gloves and stuffed them into his back pocket. He walked down the hill towards a sleepy small town where in a few hours he knew he could catch a bus back to his own city.

Next night -

Ron yawned and stretched, before getting into the passenger side of the patrol car. Hermione was driving, as Ron said he hadn’t had much sleep lately.

“How’s Draco?”

Ron made his voice remain calm. “Dunno. We kind of broke up.”

“Ron! He seemed like a nice guy!”

“I don’t know.” Ron shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Hermione sighed loudly, expressing her displeasure.

“You know, with all these undercover jobs we’ve been doing lately, I think I’m interested in promoting to detective.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Ron smiled. “Maybe do something a little different than patrol.”

“Well, if you think you might like it. Whatever you do, Ron, you know you’ll be good at it.”

One day soon after, Ron walked in and saw an upset gentleman at the desk talking to the officer. As Ron passed, then lingered, he heard bits of the conversation...

“...I even went over to his apartment and there was no answer. The landlord opened it and there was no one inside.”

“Well, maybe he went away for a couple of days.”

“No, I’m his boss at the surf shop. He’s responsible. He’s doesn’t take off like that.”

“Well, why isn’t his family here to file a missing persons report?”

“He doesn’t have any. I know he was seeing someone for awhile, but I never met the guy.”

Ron took off down the hall, far away from the conversation.

Later, he snuck a peek at the missing persons report. It had all of Draco’s information on it. But it did not include his real last name of Malfoy. Ron made up his resolve right then. He would become a detective, not so he could solve crimes, but to make sure one case would end up closed.

Over the next year, Ron took extra assignments and even a class at the community college, to show his sergeant he was serious about becoming a detective. He scored high on both the written and interview and a year and a half after he had dated Draco, he became a police detective.

It was about this time, a badly decomposed body washed up on shore about three hundred miles north. The body had three tiny bullets holes. He was identified by dental records and the missing person report was matched up. It was Draco Black...Malfoy

Ron was at his desk, when he heard. Hermione walked into his office and told him. Ron feigned shock and horror, but in the back of his mind, he was wondering how to explain to his boss why he wanted that case.

“Didn’t you ever see him after you broke up?”

“Hermione, did you see your old boyfriends? No, it was painful. I didn’t want to see him.” He put his hands to his face, covering his eyes. “This is horrible. God, who could hate him so much to do that? He really was a great guy.”

Hermione was getting unnerved by the conversation. She didn’t think Ron was really all that upset, but decided she didn’t want to know why Ron was almost...passive about the whole thing.

As soon as Hermione left his office, he headed for the lieutenant’s office.

He knocked. “Yeah, come in!” The lieutenant lifted his head and said, “Hey, Ron, what’s up?”

“Could I have that Black case? The fellow was an acquaintance of mine for a while. I’d like to be part of bringing to justice whoever did this.”

The lieutenant pulled the file from his desk. “There’s not much here. You were a friend of his?”

“Oh, no. Just acquaintances. We would run into each other when I’d go fishing and he’d go surfing.”

“Oh, okay. Well, you can have a crack at it. It might be a dead case, unfortunately.”

Ron slowly picked up the file. “Well, I’d like to try.”

“Sure.”

Ron left clutching the file in his hand and immediately ran into Hermione. She glimpsed the file in his hand and said, “You asked for it?”

“Well, yeah…the lieutenant said there’s not much to go on, but I guess it’s the least I can do.”

Hermione peered at him. “I suppose, the very least.”

Ron’s insides quivered a bit. Hermione was too smart for her own fucking good.

Ron continued to his office and pulled the door closed behind him. He sat at his desk and rifled through the too few papers in the file. He looked at the name on the side. ‘Black, Draco‘.

He looked at the frame on his desk. It was his Harry. Ron smiled, as he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and shoved the file under all the others. He closed the drawer and began whistling. He was in a good mood today.