Draco collapsed onto an overstuffed armchair in the Slytherin common room.
“What took you so long?” Blaise asked him questioningly.
Draco shrugged, stifling a yawn.
“You were chatting up the Weasely girl,” his friend said, a dark grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“I was putting her in her place,” Draco said.
“You know, she’s grown up quite a bit,” Blaise said carefully, studying Draco’s expression.
“Hadn’t noticed and don’t intend to,” Draco said, attempting to sound bored. He had noticed.
“If she wasn’t in that scumbag house and blood traitorous family, I’d have my way with her right here,” Blaise was deliberately trying to get a reaction out of him.
“You’re sick, you know that, Zabini?” Draco scowled at him.
The Weasley girl had actually grown up quite a bit since she first started school. She wasn’t hard to spot usually, what with her disgusting groveling at Potter’s feet. But she’d filled out nicely in four years.
“Where’s Pansy?” Draco asked Blaise.
“Probably in the girls’ dorm crying over her Draco shrine,” Blaise laughed.
Draco rolled his eyes. “She’s not that bad, mate.”
Blaise grinned evilly. “Isn’t she? I just overheard her telling Greengrass about her intentions with you after school.”
He’d been on and off with Pansy since the year before. He knew she liked him more than he did her. He also knew it made all of their parents happy that they were “dating”.
Draco had grown up quite a bit in the past few years. He’d grown accustomed to girls from different houses following him around. Aside from Pansy, he hadn’t really had a “real” relationship with anyone. He tried dating Daphne Greengrass during their fourth year but she was too high maintenance for his taste.
He liked Pansy just fine and he knew it was ordinary for girls to fawn over imaginary weddings at all times, but it still made him queasy to think about the years to come after Hogwarts.
Things would especially be worse for him this year. He’d been dreading returning to school. He hadn’t seen his father in two months since he’d been thrown in Azkaban. Crabbe and Goyle often acted as though this was Draco’s fault, since their fathers had been arrested as well. Sometimes he felt entirely alone with nothing to fall back on except for the Dark Lord’s threats. Those at least promised him something….his life. He didn’t know who his friends were. Blaise was an aloof prat who Draco wasn’t ready to trust even after having shared a dormitory with for five years. And that’s why he needed Pansy around so much. She didn’t judge him like Crabbe and Goyle. She didn’t ask him to buy her ridiculous amounts of sweets and perfume like Daphne.
But a thought had been nagging at him for a long time now. Maybe he just really liked Pansy as a friend.
“Draco! Hurry! Lock the cellar! They’ll be here any moment!” Lucius Malfoy had shoved Draco towards his private apothecary.
“But-“ Draco tried, fumbling desperately for his wand.
“Just do it! There isn’t any time! Where’s Narcissa,” his father asked himself mostly as he walked around aimlessly rearranging miscellaneous ornaments in the manor.
“Lucius!” his mother’s voice rang shrill as she burst through the parlor doors. “They’re here!”
The color seemed to drain from Luicius’ already pale face. “Draco!” he hissed.
“Yes, Father,” Draco hurried to his father, forgetting about the apothecary.
His father placed both hands heavily onto Draco’s shoulders, his gray eyes piercing his son’s. “Listen to me. You must do as the Dark Lord tells you. We owe him everything. I’ll be home soon.”
Narcissa sobbed, “Lucius, please. You’re not going anywhere-“
And suddenly a loud POP! could be heard, followed be three more. Four ministry wizards with solemn expressions on their lined faces had apparated into the Malfoy parlor.
“Oh!” Narcissa cried out, yanking Draco by her side in fear. She began to shudder uncontrollably.
“How dare you enter my home this way,” Lucius snapped at them. Draco recognized one them immediately as a Weasley.
And just as soon as his mother had begun shaking, she stopped. “You are not welcome in here! Leave us be!” she glared daggers at all four men.
The four men seemed unfazed. A squat red faced wizard in purple robes pulled out a rolled piece of parchment. He cleared his throat before reading aloud. “Lucius Abraxas Malfoy you are hereby charged with breaking and entering into Ministry premises without authorization. You are charged with attempting to use forbidden and other related heinous spells against minors. You are charged with withholding suspicious items. You are charged with assisting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a Death Eater.” He spat out the last two words in disgust.
Lucius stood stoically, staring at the wizards defiantly.
“Father-,” Draco choked.
Lucius flashed him a look as if to quiet him. He allowed the squat wizard to bind his wrists with magical handcuffs. Two other wizards took a hold of either of Lucius’ arms.
“Narcissa,” Lucius said simply. Then he turned to Draco. “Remember.” Draco looked not at his father, but his mother, who try as she might to remain in control, looked like she was breaking inside.
And then in an instant they were gone.
His mother had left the room without a word. It took Draco a moment to register the cries that followed to be those of his mother’s.
Just hold your head up and whatever you do, don’t cry. Draco inched forward, trying to appear calm. The Dark Lord sat at the end of the dark room in a tattered armchair. An overgrown snake slithered around his neck, hissing softly as Draco approached them.
Draco shuddered involuntarily. He wasn’t sure why the Dark Lord had taken residence in an abandoned Muggle home. Nobody else seemed to be in sight. He suddenly wished his mother were with him. You’re so weak! He chided himself for his vulnerability.
“Young Malfoy, come closer,” the Dark Lord ordered. Draco hurried forward, avoiding eye contact with the red pools of light staring down at him from hooded robes.
A spine-chilling laugh erupted from the Dark Lord. “Why do you fear me so, Young Malfoy?”
Draco swallowed hard. “Forgive me, my Lord.” Draco finally stood five feet away from the Dark Lord. He bowed deeply.
“Do you know why I have asked you here?” the Dark Lord asked seriously, the echoes of his laughter having long since disappeared.
“No, my Lord,” Draco said quietly.
There was a pause before the Dark Lord continued. “I have a special task for you.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I would hope that you will one day join my ranks, Young Malfoy.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“And that means I would require your utmost loyalty. I come before all else.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“This is an honor, Young Malfoy.”
“Yes, my Lord, thank you.”
“Will you do it, Young Malfoy?”
For a moment Draco wasn’t sure what to say. His heart was racing. He had no idea what he was about to promise to the Dark Lord. He hated to imagine what would happen should he not accept.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Very well, Young Malfoy.”
Draco suddenly felt utterly helpless and alone.
“What took you so long?” Blaise asked him questioningly.
Draco shrugged, stifling a yawn.
“You were chatting up the Weasely girl,” his friend said, a dark grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“I was putting her in her place,” Draco said.
“You know, she’s grown up quite a bit,” Blaise said carefully, studying Draco’s expression.
“Hadn’t noticed and don’t intend to,” Draco said, attempting to sound bored. He had noticed.
“If she wasn’t in that scumbag house and blood traitorous family, I’d have my way with her right here,” Blaise was deliberately trying to get a reaction out of him.
“You’re sick, you know that, Zabini?” Draco scowled at him.
The Weasley girl had actually grown up quite a bit since she first started school. She wasn’t hard to spot usually, what with her disgusting groveling at Potter’s feet. But she’d filled out nicely in four years.
“Where’s Pansy?” Draco asked Blaise.
“Probably in the girls’ dorm crying over her Draco shrine,” Blaise laughed.
Draco rolled his eyes. “She’s not that bad, mate.”
Blaise grinned evilly. “Isn’t she? I just overheard her telling Greengrass about her intentions with you after school.”
He’d been on and off with Pansy since the year before. He knew she liked him more than he did her. He also knew it made all of their parents happy that they were “dating”.
Draco had grown up quite a bit in the past few years. He’d grown accustomed to girls from different houses following him around. Aside from Pansy, he hadn’t really had a “real” relationship with anyone. He tried dating Daphne Greengrass during their fourth year but she was too high maintenance for his taste.
He liked Pansy just fine and he knew it was ordinary for girls to fawn over imaginary weddings at all times, but it still made him queasy to think about the years to come after Hogwarts.
Things would especially be worse for him this year. He’d been dreading returning to school. He hadn’t seen his father in two months since he’d been thrown in Azkaban. Crabbe and Goyle often acted as though this was Draco’s fault, since their fathers had been arrested as well. Sometimes he felt entirely alone with nothing to fall back on except for the Dark Lord’s threats. Those at least promised him something….his life. He didn’t know who his friends were. Blaise was an aloof prat who Draco wasn’t ready to trust even after having shared a dormitory with for five years. And that’s why he needed Pansy around so much. She didn’t judge him like Crabbe and Goyle. She didn’t ask him to buy her ridiculous amounts of sweets and perfume like Daphne.
But a thought had been nagging at him for a long time now. Maybe he just really liked Pansy as a friend.
“Draco! Hurry! Lock the cellar! They’ll be here any moment!” Lucius Malfoy had shoved Draco towards his private apothecary.
“But-“ Draco tried, fumbling desperately for his wand.
“Just do it! There isn’t any time! Where’s Narcissa,” his father asked himself mostly as he walked around aimlessly rearranging miscellaneous ornaments in the manor.
“Lucius!” his mother’s voice rang shrill as she burst through the parlor doors. “They’re here!”
The color seemed to drain from Luicius’ already pale face. “Draco!” he hissed.
“Yes, Father,” Draco hurried to his father, forgetting about the apothecary.
His father placed both hands heavily onto Draco’s shoulders, his gray eyes piercing his son’s. “Listen to me. You must do as the Dark Lord tells you. We owe him everything. I’ll be home soon.”
Narcissa sobbed, “Lucius, please. You’re not going anywhere-“
And suddenly a loud POP! could be heard, followed be three more. Four ministry wizards with solemn expressions on their lined faces had apparated into the Malfoy parlor.
“Oh!” Narcissa cried out, yanking Draco by her side in fear. She began to shudder uncontrollably.
“How dare you enter my home this way,” Lucius snapped at them. Draco recognized one them immediately as a Weasley.
And just as soon as his mother had begun shaking, she stopped. “You are not welcome in here! Leave us be!” she glared daggers at all four men.
The four men seemed unfazed. A squat red faced wizard in purple robes pulled out a rolled piece of parchment. He cleared his throat before reading aloud. “Lucius Abraxas Malfoy you are hereby charged with breaking and entering into Ministry premises without authorization. You are charged with attempting to use forbidden and other related heinous spells against minors. You are charged with withholding suspicious items. You are charged with assisting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a Death Eater.” He spat out the last two words in disgust.
Lucius stood stoically, staring at the wizards defiantly.
“Father-,” Draco choked.
Lucius flashed him a look as if to quiet him. He allowed the squat wizard to bind his wrists with magical handcuffs. Two other wizards took a hold of either of Lucius’ arms.
“Narcissa,” Lucius said simply. Then he turned to Draco. “Remember.” Draco looked not at his father, but his mother, who try as she might to remain in control, looked like she was breaking inside.
And then in an instant they were gone.
His mother had left the room without a word. It took Draco a moment to register the cries that followed to be those of his mother’s.
Just hold your head up and whatever you do, don’t cry. Draco inched forward, trying to appear calm. The Dark Lord sat at the end of the dark room in a tattered armchair. An overgrown snake slithered around his neck, hissing softly as Draco approached them.
Draco shuddered involuntarily. He wasn’t sure why the Dark Lord had taken residence in an abandoned Muggle home. Nobody else seemed to be in sight. He suddenly wished his mother were with him. You’re so weak! He chided himself for his vulnerability.
“Young Malfoy, come closer,” the Dark Lord ordered. Draco hurried forward, avoiding eye contact with the red pools of light staring down at him from hooded robes.
A spine-chilling laugh erupted from the Dark Lord. “Why do you fear me so, Young Malfoy?”
Draco swallowed hard. “Forgive me, my Lord.” Draco finally stood five feet away from the Dark Lord. He bowed deeply.
“Do you know why I have asked you here?” the Dark Lord asked seriously, the echoes of his laughter having long since disappeared.
“No, my Lord,” Draco said quietly.
There was a pause before the Dark Lord continued. “I have a special task for you.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I would hope that you will one day join my ranks, Young Malfoy.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“And that means I would require your utmost loyalty. I come before all else.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“This is an honor, Young Malfoy.”
“Yes, my Lord, thank you.”
“Will you do it, Young Malfoy?”
For a moment Draco wasn’t sure what to say. His heart was racing. He had no idea what he was about to promise to the Dark Lord. He hated to imagine what would happen should he not accept.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Very well, Young Malfoy.”
Draco suddenly felt utterly helpless and alone.
Leave a Review