Twists of Fate
Prologue: Life and Death
Draco Malfoy muttered, "No, I don't want more Charms, Professor," and turned over in his sleep.
The door softly swung open, and a shadowed figure quietly strode into the bedroom, wearing black robes and a black mask. The Death Eater raised a wand. "Lumos." The room was filled with a pale glow. Draco's eagle owl gave a soft chirp of sleepy protest.
Draco stirred and opened his eyes.
Lucius Malfoy quickly whipped off his mask, stuffing it deep into a pocket of his robes. "Sorry to wake you, Draco," he whispered.
Draco propped himself up on an elbow, squinting in the sudden light of his father's wand. "No problem. What is it?" he yawned, frowning.
Mr. Malfoy's mind raced as he paused. "I just got an owl from the Ministry," he lied smoothly. "It's urgent, and I need to go in to the office. I was watching the house elves earlier to see that they remembered to put everything in your trunk, and I think I may have left my gloves in here. Have you seen them, Draco?"
Draco thought for a moment. "No, I haven't. Maybe they're in your pockets?" Draco gave a small shrug. "That's usually where I leave my wand."
Lucius frowned and reached into his other pocket, perfectly aware of what he would find. His fingers brushed against fine dragonskin and he gave a slight nod. "Right you are." He turned to leave, and the Dark Mark burned into his arm seared with a sudden pain. He turned back to face his son, carefully schooling his face into calm and forcing a worried smile over his grimace. "Draco, I heard you talking in your sleep. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Father. I just keep having odd dreams, that's all."
Lucius slid open a drawer of Draco's bedside table and removed a small crystal vial. "It's a simple Sleeping Potion. You won't have any odd dreams after you drink this. Here." He handed the vial to Draco, who took a small sip, grimacing at the aftertaste.
Draco sighed sleepily as the potion began to take effect. He lay back down and fell instantly asleep.
The Dark Mark began to burn like fire. Lucius clutched his arm, hissing in pain. He raised his wand, trembling, tears running down his face. "Avada Ke…my God…I can't do this to my own son…I just can't-aarrgh!" He fell to the floor as his whole body erupted in pain.
An icy chill knocked him to his stomach, his face pressed against the cold flagstone floor. A high, cold voice spoke from behind him, and Lucius felt warmth trickle from his ears. He pressed his freezing hands to his equally cold ears, moaning. His palms came away slick with blood.
"I gave you a choice…your son or your wife…I gave you a choice, and you took advantage of my generosity…you have failed me."
The pain oozing from his every pore intensified sharply, and despite himself, Lucius cried out in pain and fear. "Master! Please!" he screamed. "Have mercy! Please!" he begged, writhing on the floor as the pain continued to build. His frantic pleas fell on deaf ears. He might as well have been speaking to the wind outside Draco's window.
The voice laughed, high and shrill. "Quiet, you fool! You chose the boy…you told me your loyalty was beyond your petty human feelings…"
Lucius knew what was coming next, and he pressed his lips firmly together, determined not to give Voldemort the satisfaction of hearing him scream. It did no good.
"Crucio!" Voldemort laughed cruelly as Lucius shrieked in pain.
Through his haze of pain, Lucius managed to twist his head to look at his son, sleeping peacefully in the bed. Please…he thought weakly, don't let him hear me… He twitched madly, jerking in spasms of agony on the floor. The pain ceased, and Lucius staggered to his feet. "Please…Master…I can't…please…he's only sixteen…not my son, ple–aarrgh!" The torture resumed, forcing Lucius to his knees.
Voldemort laughed and flicked his wand, sending Lucius flying into a mirror.
Lucius moaned as the slivers of glass cut rivulets of blood down his face, neck, and arms. He saw his haunted reflection in one of the larger shards…steel grey eyes that knew death was near…blood running from his ringing ears and broken nose…pale skin stained crimson…his white-blond hair clinging to his face, pasted across his cheeks by sweat and blood…
Draco dimly heard the shriek of shattering glass, the screams of pain, the cold, high laughs. I thought I wouldn't have dreams… He struggled to open his eyes, but the potion dragged him back down into sleep.
"My Lord!" Lucius gasped. "Please, Master, my son…he has done nothing to deserve this!"
"Do you think I care about your son?" Voldemort whispered in a deadly voice. "I only care about those select few who can break the necks of Muggles and Mudbloods…those who can spill the blood of wizards who have disgraced their names…I would only care for your pathetic son if he could kill his mother…kill you…rid me of a faithless Death Eater such as yourself…"
"Master, I am only human…please don't ask this of me…my loyalty to you has never wavered. Grant your humble servant mercy…I beg of you…"
"Your loyalty has never wavered?" Voldemort asked mockingly. "I told you to kill either him or your wife…repentance for running away from my Mark two years ago. During the true test, you fail me yet again…you allow your foolish emotions and sentimental attachments to blind you…you have a soul, Lucius…" Voldemort casually twisted his long hand.
Lucius felt icy fingers stab his heart, and he fell to his knees, retching. Another slight movement from Voldemort's hand had him bent over double, choking. Blood ran from his mouth to spatter on the stone floor. He looked up one last time at Draco, and his eyes caught a picture in a gilded gold frame…his beautiful wife and the son who always made him swell with pride…Draco would never know how proud he made his father. "Please…be safe…" he whispered, blood spilling from his lips.
"I have no use for a servant who has a soul," cackled Voldemort.
Lucius squeezed his eyes shut, knowing in his final moments of life that this was what he should have been fighting for all along- his family. He opened his tortured eyes, tears falling down his once-proud face. The last thing he ever saw was a pair of terrified grey eyes staring, transfixed with horror and shock, into his own.
…It was too late for apologies…death was coming. A green light rushed. Green met grey…and Lucius crumpled, words on his bloodied lips…"My son…my wife…I love you…I'm sorry…" And with that, Lucius Malfoy died, blood staining his only son's floor…screams of agony contained within the bedroom by magic…stone grey eyes pleading for redemption…a redemption that would never come…
Prologue: Life and Death
Draco Malfoy muttered, "No, I don't want more Charms, Professor," and turned over in his sleep.
The door softly swung open, and a shadowed figure quietly strode into the bedroom, wearing black robes and a black mask. The Death Eater raised a wand. "Lumos." The room was filled with a pale glow. Draco's eagle owl gave a soft chirp of sleepy protest.
Draco stirred and opened his eyes.
Lucius Malfoy quickly whipped off his mask, stuffing it deep into a pocket of his robes. "Sorry to wake you, Draco," he whispered.
Draco propped himself up on an elbow, squinting in the sudden light of his father's wand. "No problem. What is it?" he yawned, frowning.
Mr. Malfoy's mind raced as he paused. "I just got an owl from the Ministry," he lied smoothly. "It's urgent, and I need to go in to the office. I was watching the house elves earlier to see that they remembered to put everything in your trunk, and I think I may have left my gloves in here. Have you seen them, Draco?"
Draco thought for a moment. "No, I haven't. Maybe they're in your pockets?" Draco gave a small shrug. "That's usually where I leave my wand."
Lucius frowned and reached into his other pocket, perfectly aware of what he would find. His fingers brushed against fine dragonskin and he gave a slight nod. "Right you are." He turned to leave, and the Dark Mark burned into his arm seared with a sudden pain. He turned back to face his son, carefully schooling his face into calm and forcing a worried smile over his grimace. "Draco, I heard you talking in your sleep. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Father. I just keep having odd dreams, that's all."
Lucius slid open a drawer of Draco's bedside table and removed a small crystal vial. "It's a simple Sleeping Potion. You won't have any odd dreams after you drink this. Here." He handed the vial to Draco, who took a small sip, grimacing at the aftertaste.
Draco sighed sleepily as the potion began to take effect. He lay back down and fell instantly asleep.
The Dark Mark began to burn like fire. Lucius clutched his arm, hissing in pain. He raised his wand, trembling, tears running down his face. "Avada Ke…my God…I can't do this to my own son…I just can't-aarrgh!" He fell to the floor as his whole body erupted in pain.
An icy chill knocked him to his stomach, his face pressed against the cold flagstone floor. A high, cold voice spoke from behind him, and Lucius felt warmth trickle from his ears. He pressed his freezing hands to his equally cold ears, moaning. His palms came away slick with blood.
"I gave you a choice…your son or your wife…I gave you a choice, and you took advantage of my generosity…you have failed me."
The pain oozing from his every pore intensified sharply, and despite himself, Lucius cried out in pain and fear. "Master! Please!" he screamed. "Have mercy! Please!" he begged, writhing on the floor as the pain continued to build. His frantic pleas fell on deaf ears. He might as well have been speaking to the wind outside Draco's window.
The voice laughed, high and shrill. "Quiet, you fool! You chose the boy…you told me your loyalty was beyond your petty human feelings…"
Lucius knew what was coming next, and he pressed his lips firmly together, determined not to give Voldemort the satisfaction of hearing him scream. It did no good.
"Crucio!" Voldemort laughed cruelly as Lucius shrieked in pain.
Through his haze of pain, Lucius managed to twist his head to look at his son, sleeping peacefully in the bed. Please…he thought weakly, don't let him hear me… He twitched madly, jerking in spasms of agony on the floor. The pain ceased, and Lucius staggered to his feet. "Please…Master…I can't…please…he's only sixteen…not my son, ple–aarrgh!" The torture resumed, forcing Lucius to his knees.
Voldemort laughed and flicked his wand, sending Lucius flying into a mirror.
Lucius moaned as the slivers of glass cut rivulets of blood down his face, neck, and arms. He saw his haunted reflection in one of the larger shards…steel grey eyes that knew death was near…blood running from his ringing ears and broken nose…pale skin stained crimson…his white-blond hair clinging to his face, pasted across his cheeks by sweat and blood…
Draco dimly heard the shriek of shattering glass, the screams of pain, the cold, high laughs. I thought I wouldn't have dreams… He struggled to open his eyes, but the potion dragged him back down into sleep.
"My Lord!" Lucius gasped. "Please, Master, my son…he has done nothing to deserve this!"
"Do you think I care about your son?" Voldemort whispered in a deadly voice. "I only care about those select few who can break the necks of Muggles and Mudbloods…those who can spill the blood of wizards who have disgraced their names…I would only care for your pathetic son if he could kill his mother…kill you…rid me of a faithless Death Eater such as yourself…"
"Master, I am only human…please don't ask this of me…my loyalty to you has never wavered. Grant your humble servant mercy…I beg of you…"
"Your loyalty has never wavered?" Voldemort asked mockingly. "I told you to kill either him or your wife…repentance for running away from my Mark two years ago. During the true test, you fail me yet again…you allow your foolish emotions and sentimental attachments to blind you…you have a soul, Lucius…" Voldemort casually twisted his long hand.
Lucius felt icy fingers stab his heart, and he fell to his knees, retching. Another slight movement from Voldemort's hand had him bent over double, choking. Blood ran from his mouth to spatter on the stone floor. He looked up one last time at Draco, and his eyes caught a picture in a gilded gold frame…his beautiful wife and the son who always made him swell with pride…Draco would never know how proud he made his father. "Please…be safe…" he whispered, blood spilling from his lips.
"I have no use for a servant who has a soul," cackled Voldemort.
Lucius squeezed his eyes shut, knowing in his final moments of life that this was what he should have been fighting for all along- his family. He opened his tortured eyes, tears falling down his once-proud face. The last thing he ever saw was a pair of terrified grey eyes staring, transfixed with horror and shock, into his own.
…It was too late for apologies…death was coming. A green light rushed. Green met grey…and Lucius crumpled, words on his bloodied lips…"My son…my wife…I love you…I'm sorry…" And with that, Lucius Malfoy died, blood staining his only son's floor…screams of agony contained within the bedroom by magic…stone grey eyes pleading for redemption…a redemption that would never come…