Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything written here.
A/N: Written for the DEE Drabble Game. Prompt: Draco Malfoy, Amortentia, Gringotts, Bellatrix, A Muggle, and Crucio.
Cheers,
flames
Draco swore as he bumped into yet another Muggle as he navigated the busy London street. Why Snape couldn't have met him in Diagon Alley was beyond him. He'd hesitated when he reached out to his godfather for help but he didn't know how else to circumvent the Dark Lord's orders. Astoria wouldn't even let herself be in the same room with him after what had happened the previous week. After fucking Potter got caught. He supposed there was less chance of being seen meeting Snape here in Muggle London than in Diagon Alley, but it would be harder to explain to the Dark Lord if anyone noticed him head out in Muggle clothing that morning.
His lip curled as he finally caught sight of the dingy pub Snape had told him to meet him at. It was very similar to the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade with the exception of it being non-magical. He ducked in and surveyed the room for a moment before he spotted Snape sitting at a booth in the corner. He sidled over to him and slid into the seat across from him.
"Did you think about how you could help me protect her?" he asked.
In answer, Snape reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of potion. His eyes widened as he recognized the potion and Snape sneered at him. "Take it, Draco," Snape drawled, "Or do you wish to suffer our Lord's displeasure?"
Draco swallowed hard as he looked at the small vial of silvery pink potion his godfather and potions professor was holding out to him. He shook his head faintly. He didn't think anyone except his Aunt Bellatrix actually wanted the Dark Lord to torture them. Out loud he mumbled, "If our Lord so deems correction is necessary…"
Snape rolled his eyes. "We're alone," he said, "No need to worry about the walls having ears."
"It's not the walls I'm worried about," Draco muttered sullenly and Snape's lips curled up in a lopsided smirk.
"Well," Snape drawled, "I'm glad to see you've learned something in your service." Draco flinched as Astoria Greengrass' face flashed through his mind, her face contorted in pain as he cast the cruciatus curse at her relentlessly.
*DEE*
I'm so sorry, he thought as his wand wavered at his petite fiancée. She was cowering on the floor in front of the Dark Lord, his parents and his Aunt Bellatrix.
"Draco, please," Astoria sobbed, "Please… Don't do this…"
"Draco," the Dark Lord's voice was amused as he watched Astoria whimper and cry at his feet, "It's her or your mother."
Please, he thought as his eyes slid shut, neither. But if he had to choose, it would always be his mother. He had no love for Astoria, despite their engagement. Despite finding her attractive and sweet and funny… someone he could love at some point. But his mother came first and he'd never be able to forgive himself if he had to hurt his mother. Astoria… maybe. But she might never forgive him.
"Draco," the Dark Lord snapped, "Who will it be? Who will bear the brunt of my displeasure for failing to identify Potter when he was brought here by Greyback?"
Draco's eyes opened to look at Astoria sadly, trying to convey how sorry he was. "Draco," she whispered, scrabbling toward him desperately.
He felt his gaze harden watching her and he steeled himself for what he had to do. I'm sorry, he thought one last time, hoping she understood. "Crucio," he hissed, feeling his stomach twist sickly as she screamed, her back arching unnaturally as the torture curse ripped through her body.
*DEE*
He exhaled raggedly remembering the cost for letting Potter and his two sidekicks slip through their fingers. Maybe if the fools hadn't broken into the Lestrange vault in Gringotts less than a week later, the punishment might have been different and he'd feel less guilty about Astoria… He looked at Snape who was watching him with black eyes. "Yeah," he laughed deprecatingly, "I'm learning how to lose my humanity. Real great life skills."
Something flickered in Snape's eyes too quickly for Draco to catch it. "Take the potion, Draco," Snape snapped, "Slip it into Miss Greengrass' tea when your mother has her over and then last week can be but an unpleasant memory for both of you."
"But it can't bring back the relationship we were building," Draco hissed as he grabbed the vial and shook it in Snape's face, "This – the Amortentia – only makes it fake."
Snape's eyes were unreadable. "It's this, or the Dark Lord sells her off to the highest bidder," he said softly, "And I know Thoros Nott has his eyes on her. The Dark Lord must be convinced she still likes you after last week." Draco shuddered at the thought of Theo's father touching Astoria. He was cruel and abusive, and Astoria would be broken within a week of being in his care. And Draco felt responsible for dragging her into this. He had to protect her.
"Fine," he relented, "Fine, I'll do it. But only because if I don't she's likely to be hurt worse."
Snape nodded sharply and turned on his heel to leave. "And Draco," he murmured before he swept out of the room, "I hardly feel like I need to remind you, but no one can know. Not your mother, your father, Miss Greengrass… No one."
Draco nodded tightly, his fist tightening around the vial of potion he held, and Snape swept out of the pub before he could respond further. He drew in a deep breath. This had to work. He had to protect her.