Chapter 1: Family Pride
Draco Malfoy angrily pushed the book away from himself. Not even his favorite copy of DragonBlood, could distract him. The story about an epic tale of a young wizard who could control dragons seemed just too childish at the moment.
His mother had started reading the books to him as a child and they had always helped calm his nerves. Tonight, however, it was just another book.
Draco sighed and glanced at the large oriental clock hanging on the wall. Half past ten. He only had an hour and a half to go. Frowning and feeling the nervousness starting to creep into him again he got up from the desk and left the library.
The cool manor house was dark and shadowy, as Draco made his way to his room. Just as he opened the door his mothers' voice sounded behind him.
"Draco dear, your father wants to see you in his study." His mothers' eyes were distant and worried.
"Yes mother." He said quickly. She appeared to have more to say, but he stalked past her his head held high. He was no longer a child.
Hesitating for only a second, Draco knocked on the door of his fathers study.
"Enter."
Draco pushed the door open. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was sitting in a high backed chair at his desk.
"Well, well Draco." He beckoned his son to sit in the chair opposite him. "You know the importance of tonight. You understand what this means."
Draco nodded once, his face cleared of emotion.
"Whatever you are asked, I want you to complete your task, whatever it takes. We are counting on you. Our family is at stake here. You cannot risk us by failing. The Dark Lord is already displeased. Do not fail us Draco."
His fathers face, usually cold and strict, was creased with worry.
"You'll do that for us? Won't you?" Lucius said a slightly desperate plead in his voice.
"Yes father. Of course." Draco said without hesitation, anything to help calm his father whom he'd never seen look so anxious.
Lucius smiled a small, quick smile, before standing up.
"Well then, you better get ready. We don't wish to keep the Dark Lord waiting, do we?"
Draco nodded once more and left his fathers study. He headed to his room in silence.
A house elf had laid out his best robes on his bed. He changed quickly, his nerves growing as each minute brought him closer to midnight. Glancing at the clock every few seconds, he smoothed his sleek blonde hair back and brushed his robes.
Tasks of murder and torture flashed by his mind but he tried to ignore them and focused on how the second hand slowly ticked around the clock.
Finally at quarter to twelve his mother knocked on his door.
"It's time Draco."
Closing his eyes for just a second then carefully composing his face into blank, emotionless calm, he picked up his wand and opened the door. Narcissa Malfoy was paler than usual. She managed to smile at her only son though and led him to the large marble fireplace in the parlor.
"You'll be going to the Lestranges." Narcissa said offering him a large bag of floo powder. He took a handful and threw it into the burning flames.
"Lestrange Manor." He said clearly after stepping into the green flickering flames.
Lestrange Manor was dark and drafty, do to the fact that the usual occupants of the house had been imprisoned in Azkaban for the past fifteen years. Since their return, most of the rooms had been scrubbed clean by house elves, but a few retained there vacant manor.
The moment he stepped out of the fire his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange rushed forward.
"Come on. You don't want to be late." She grabbed his arm and led him out of the room. They walked down a dimly lit hallway toward a large black door. She stopped them just outside it.
"Now Draco, the Dark Lord is just behind this door." She said hurriedly. "You should be proud that he has requested you for this assignment! Many would kill to be given such an honor!" She smiled at him, a wild look in her eye, and pushed him through the door.
The room beyond it was lit only by a crackling fire. Bookcases lined the walls and a few comfortable chairs were circled around the fire. Draco's father stood in the far corner next to one of the bookshelves.
The minute they entered the room, Bellatrix hurried to stand next to him; her face lit with wild excitement. Lord Voldemort stood silently next to the fire. As soon as Draco was in the room the door slammed shut behind him.
"Come here boy."
Heart pounding in his chest, Draco stepped forward until he was within three feet of the man. Voldemort gazed down at him; his face hard and cold.
"You failed me once. How can I know you will not fail me this time?"
His cold gaze made Draco shiver, but he forced himself to look at the snakelike face.
"Anything to prove myself Master." Voldemort smiled a thin lipped smile, and Draco repressed another shiver and lowered his eyes.
"Very well then," He said "Do not fail me this time."
"No, of course not Master." Draco muttered, not meeting his gaze. Voldemort paused, studying him.
"Your loyalties do not lay with me, do they boy? Do not lie to Lord Voldemort; he always knows."
"Of course he's loyal to you My Lord! He wishes nothing more than to serve you! Any task you-"
"Enough."
Bellatrix stopped talking abruptly and she gave a little bow before stepping back to stand next to Lucius.
"But you wish to prove yourself." Voldemort spun his wand around his long, white, fingers. "Lord Voldemort will offer you that chance."
Draco tried not to show emotion, to clear his mind, as his aunt had taught him so many months ago. He tried not to think about what he was going to be asked to do to prove his loyalties.
"I believe you know of a girl, just a year younger then yourself, a Miss Ginny Weasley."
The Weasley! Of everything and anyone it had to be the Weasley, the stupid blood traitor girl. Draco paced back and forth across his room. He had to do it though. He was the only one who could bring his family back into the Dark Lords trusted circle.
The Dark Lord knew what she was to him. This task was almost as impossible as the first. But he would not fail this time. Snape could not cover for him again, the foolish man. Why did he have to interfere? He was about to do it, all he needed was a little more time.
But maybe I wasn't. He thought. Did he really have the strength to kill Dumbledore?
No, of course he did. He would've done it if Snape hadn't snatched the chance from him. He blocked the possibility that he wouldn't from his mind and focused on the task at hand. It would require everything within him, every last ounce of cunning.
But he could do it. He had to.
