Draco stared at the man before him, the man that he, his father, his mother and his aunt and basically almost all death eaters and followers acknowledged as their master. The Dark Lord Voldemort. However, Draco didn't have the guts to call the man by his name as he felt ever since his failure at eliminating Dumbledore, the man had a great dislike towards him. He had yet to see a pleased smile on his face at something he had done and ever since he had returned to Hogwarts, the world almost fully taken over by the dark lord, he had spied something Voldemort didn't need Draco for. However, the good news of spying was that there was a lot to report and long before Harrykins had realized it, Snape had reported his open disloyalty toward his master. Voldemort hadn't shown the full extent of his displeasure to his followers but his anger had been flared with rage and fear. Voldemort had felt the call of one of his followers and had allowed it to activate, pulling the follower from whatever location and forcing them to disapparate to his presence. It had surprised him that Draco of all people, had something to say. His dark crimson eyes stared at Draco, displeasure within him. Despite no longer baring the hideous appearance of 3 years ago, when he had returned to his body, his followers still feared him. His slitted eyes had returned to human appearance, bringing back Tom Riddle's dark blue eyes which when angered turned crimson. But as he was displeased all the time, they remained red for the most part. He maintained his cold eyes on his follower as he finally made his appearance, in all honesty, he was late from when he had called but he let it slide as the boy had probably been within the castle. Allowing him to rise, he listened to what the boy had to say and what he heard, made him raise an eyebrow.
"Really, Draco?" He said, his voice quiet. "And what news might that be?"
Draco was nervous as he stared at Voldemort but his Malfoy pride made him hide his true emotions. Voldemort stared at him, impatient to hear the news as ever since his pet had escaped his grasp during his mission, he had been in a towering temper. Even his wife had left his presence and maintained a great deal of distance from him, to avoid getting struck or cursed, if he ever lost his patience. It displeased him but for her safety, he allowed her to stay away and he delt with his lonliness and his frustration.
"I saw Potter and his friends leaving the castle, my lord. They were heading to the gates." He said, trying to sound important. Voldemort stared at him for a long moment in silence and Draco immediately began to think he was in for it. "You mean to tell me, you interrupted my precious time to inform me of Potter, possibly going for a stroll? Crucio." He hissed, voice dangerously quiet and the threat within it sounded real. The spell was whispered with upmost ease yet hatred, that when Draco clenched his teeth and fell to his knees, he felt as if he were going to die in that pain. Yet, he refused to scream and the spell was over. The dark lord was for the most part impressed that he didn't have a weak servant to a curse.
"Rise." He said and Draco pulled himself to his feet. "If that is all, leave. I have no time to waste." Draco shook his head. "My lord! There's more!" he was desperately trying not to disappoint him. Voldemort looked at him, irritation clearly beginning to show through his mask. "Well hurry up, boy!" he snapped.
"The minister went to see them today. He was up at the school and he took them into a room to talk to them." He said, hurriedly. He didn't want another curse. Voldemort stayed silent for a moment but to the young Malfoy's relief, he didn't look angry but rather, less. He looked pleased. "The minister?" he said, sounding more like he was speaking to himself than Draco. However, Draco remained silent. "Do you have any idea why? Did you hear anything?" He asked him. Draco shook his head, tempted to take a step back but Voldemort didn't curse him. "Very well. You have pleased me after your first blunder. I know that my pet escaped my hold but it will not be too late to fix it." And at those words, Draco remembered how he hadn't seen Harrykins with them at all. "My lord." He began and Voldemort looked at him again. "Harrykins wasn't with them. I haven't seen him for about 2 days now. He wasn't with them when they left or when they went to the minister." And suddenly, it was like Draco had struck gold as a smile spread across his lips. So his pet wasn't with them. Without the beast's protection, Potter was as vulnerable as a newborn kitten. Blind and helpless. He smirked. "Good. You've done well. I will inform your father of your good work. You are dismissed." Draco bowed one last time and immediately disapparated on the spot. The dark lord however, didn't move for a long time as he pondered the information he had received. Potter and his friends were alone, away from the school's protection, his pet was nowhere to be seen and the Minister knew something he didn't. He didn't turn until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and he turned his head only a fraction, not enough to see the person behind him. He knew who it was before he had moved.
"Something pleases you at last?" A feminine voice said with amusement. He smiled, a true one.
"Yes. I have recently been given new information."
"And that is?" she was curious. Voldemort turned to face his lady, looking at her beautiful face, a face that not only seemed to tame the wild beast within him, but soothed him. "Potter is on his own with his friends." Lady Amoret raised her eyebrows, taking her hand off his shoulder but he caught it in his own pale long fingered hands and pressed a light kiss to the back of it. She blushed, something that made him smirk and he merely wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. He had missed it, the few days to weeks he had been away from her, her fear of getting hurt. He had never hurt her in the past, never laid a hand or cursed her. She had hurt him of course but never past the point of slapping him and to him, it was arousing more than angering. In the end, all was well.
"I must tell my death eaters to bring Rufus Scrimgeour to me." He said in a promising voice. "But I however, will personally come as well. There is to be no failure this time." She looked curious at those words. "Why him?" He looked her straight in the eye, red eyes now returned to blue due to his bad mood having been sated with good news. "He knows where Potter is and without my pet's protection, this will be too easy." He laughed and she immediately looked a bit shocked. "He's left Potter alone?" "It would seem so for Draco has said he hasn't seen him for more than 24 hours." This made her smile and he looked more pleased than ever. "Come. We have work to do." The smirk never left his face as he led her away.
Meanwhile, a shadow stared at the scene, having followed the young Malfoy all the way to the dark lord. It had witnessed Kappy, Ron and Hermione's leave and had seen Draco spying so it had detoured to follow, attaching itself to the blonde's soul for the time being. Now that he had the picture, or what he thought was most of it, it was time to rest. Two dull green orbs blinked and glittered an suddenly vanished.