Do I need to place this under an M rating? I don't think so, but you guys might feel otherwise. Please tell me.
Alright, I warn you, this is my first fanfic and it will get AU and OOC in some places. Future slash. Way too far in the future really. Sorry guys, it won't be Harry/Draco this time around.
Flames, critiques, and praise welcome (how else do you write better?)
WARNING – I am an American, and know next to nothing about British customs and language usage.
Thanks to Alise Devay for motivating me to get an account.
None of the characters or standard locations are mine, though that would be nice. They belong to J. K. Rowling.
Would anyone be able to tell me the real birthdays of the trio and Draco?
italics - thoughts
"…" - speech
bold - spells/incantations or stressed words
/…/ - sounds/motions
SEVEN FOR A SECRET
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret
Never to be told.
-Old English rhyme
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
-Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear (Dune series by Frank Herbert)
Set after their fourth year…
Choices
"…Draco, the meeting will begin shortly," said an oddly edgy Lucius Malfoy. Of course, if you didn't live with the man, you wouldn't have guessed there was anything behind the cool façade of a Malfoy.
"Yes father. Is anything the matter?"
"No."
A heavy silence fell between the two as both checked their black robes and Lucius donned the mask of a Death Eater.
"What is this trip really for?" asked Draco, puncturing the noiseless atmosphere that clouded the rich and elegant parlor in which they sat. Still in the Manor of course.
"You will find out," was all the answer he could dredge from his father.
Surprising to nearly everone, Lucius Malfoy's service to Voldemort wasn't entirely whole hearted. He agreed with the ideas, not the exact methods. And aside from that slight irritation, his family pride and dignity was dragged through the mud every time he visited his "master".
Why join Voldemort in the first place then? Oh, there was that whole ultimate power deal, and the fact that his reign would take care of that extremely bothersome influx of mudbloods and half-bloods that had been taking hold of the wizarding world. A bonus was the obvious interest in dark arts which Lucius enjoyed immensely, and the return to more traditional ways of wizarding life (backstabbing houses, family feuds, ancient alliances…well, not that far back, but one can dream) in which blood lines were of the utmost importance. Besides, the black robes were fairly elegant in that creepy evil menace kind of way. Black is…just like that.
He hadn't become a spy like Snape, feeling untrustingly towards the doddering old fool known as Dumbledore. Of course he knew about it their arrangement, but he kept his silence. More precious information that could be used in whatever situation the war landed him in.
"…Will I be initiated tonight?" Draco asked, voice schooled into blankness.
"No. Not tonight."
The deep ringing tones of the ornate grandfather clock in the hall signaled midnight, and the two men apparated off to the abandoned house that Voldemort had called them to.
"Ever faithful are you Lucius," said a disembodied voice as the two Malfoys cracked into existence by the ramshackle house.
"Master," said Lucius, bowing low before entering the house. It wasn't standard procedure, but one could never be too careful around Voldemort.
Draco followed the senior Malfoy's lead, and bowed as he entered, emanating his father.
"Welcome Draco."
And with that, the door swung shut with a snap that echoed in the stale air. No other noise could be heard in the house. Nagini had probably killed or driven off all manner of living things, but there was no sign of other death eaters.
Odd…
"Draco," Lucius said quietly, voice warning against doing anything that would put a bad light on the Malfoy name.
"Father," Draco replied, his tone hinting that he had heard the intent and would let his father do as much of the talking as was possible.
Is he that nervous? It can't possibly be that bad. Potter's been bumping into him since first year, so this should be no challenge.
And with a jerk of realization, there he was, facing the Dark Lord on his dark throne, and felt disgust and a dusting of fear slide over what might have been his soul. A face twisted by hatred and power, a body stitched together from the dredges of hell. This was no great power.
It was nothing he could name, but Draco was now on a heightened alert around this fallen monument of rotting ideals.
"Greetings Lord," said Lucius, bowing once again. "What is it you needed of me?"
"Actually, I'd like to discuss that with Draco."
Lucius bowed and stepped back, a hint of steel in the eyes hidden by the movement.
"Yes Lord?" Draco said, glad his voice was empty of emotion. He could not risk anything yet.
"You will be of great power Draco. Your breeding was none but the best, and despite the education of that old fool, you are still here before me."
"Yes Lord."
I sound like a machine.
"Thus, I have decided to induct you ahead of your peers."
WHAT! (The same thought was echoed by his father.)
"Thank you Lord. I am speechless at the honor," his voice said automatically as his mind struggled to catch up. "There are many others with the same…qualifications as I have. May I ask why I am to be distinguished?"
"Do you not agree with my decision?" he asked ever so softly.
"I only wished to know what you would judge me by in the future."
Shit, need to watch that. Will, not would.
"Of course, but first I must set a test of your loyalty," he said, smiling grimly as Wormtail struggled in the flickering shadows with what looked like a little girl, perhaps seven by her size. "This is your test Draco."
"I don't understand my Lord," his voice calm only because of the Malfoy training his father had insisted upon, and for which he was very thankful at the moment.
This isn't good. This is actually very bad.
"I want you to kill her Draco. Torture her. Do anything that you please, as long as she dies by your hand," he hissed, stepping over to the girl and tracing her face with his fingertips.
The girl screamed into the gag that was tied around her mouth, lashing out at Wormtail as he struggled to hold her still. Her hair fell back to reveal fearful hazel eyes, bloodshot from either lack of sleep or one of the various curses Voldemort must have employed. Gashes caked over with blood and still oozing some unnamable liquid marred what must have once been a pretty face, and those gashes extended all the way down her naked body.
"I've already had a bit of fun with her Draco. Why don't you have yours?" he said mockingly. Draco didn't even want to think about what the Dark Lord would consider 'fun'.
No. I can't do it. I won't. Hell, she's just seven!
"Well…this is a surprise," hissed the Dark Lord.
"What do you mean my Lord?" asked Lucius from the back of the room.
"Did I permit you to speak Lucius? No matter. I've been listening to you young Malfoy, and you are of no use to me."
Draco had no time to say anything before he was bound by the coils of Nagini, whose tightening grip threatened to suffocate him.
Lucius remained standing where he was, watching as Voldemort circled Draco like a carrion bird. Now he had a choice to make as well.
"Well, well, well. Who would have guessed? Lucius, it seems you did a poor job raising him after all. Or perhaps it was Dumbledore's influence. Though I don't doubt you yet, I do hope that this goes smoothly," he cackled, stroking Nagini. "Crucio!"
Draco tried to keep silent, he tried to hold back his screams, but the fire that was eating him made it impossible. All the while, Voldemort was laughing and committing bits of random violence to Draco's body.
"Finite. And now Draco, you will watch Wormtail do your work for you."
The girl kept screaming. She wouldn't stop. And Voldemort tore out her vocal cords with a spell. After that, it was like she was just a doll, lifeless and still.
Wormtail didn't do only what the Dark Lord had required either. Animalistic sounds escaped him as he zipped open his pants and raped her unresponsive form. Blood and semen dripped down to the already tainted floor, mixing with years of dust.
And then he killed her. No quick end for the innocent whose name Draco didn't even know. Wormtail slit her wrists, stood, and walked out as a crimson stain pooled about her unseeing body.
"Now, what should be done with you young Master Malfoy," Voldemort jeered. "You are a beautiful little boy. It would be such a waste to miss this opportunity, don't you think?"
No, I beg to differ.
"It seems that both Dumbledore and his little pet hero have…made an impression on you. What did it take Draco? Did that senile relic offer you power? Fame and glory? Did Potter make his way into your bed? Did he make you plead and moan in dark corners of the school?"
You know what that's called? A fetish. You seem to have a problem with fetishes, only one of which is Potter.
"Oh dear, you're still trying to fight back. We'll fix that soon enough though, and then you'll be just as…compliant as your little girlfriend lying on the floor there. Is Nagini being a bit too rough with you? You look pale."
Draco did his best to glare back at Voldemort, though the sharp comments and ready banter that he had always possesed failed to make an appearance as Nagini's fangs pressed against his back.
Shit I can't move at all! Why am I always on the wrong side of everything?
Agonizingly slowly, Voldemort reached forward and grazed the skin of his cheeks, then violently gripped his chin as he leaned forward to tear at Draco's neck with his teeth.
Damn it, why can't I move!
"Do you like it Draco. I wouldn't be surprised," said Lucuis as he stepped out of the shadows. "You are a disgrace to the family. You don't deserve to carry the Malfoy name."
"Father!" he whimpered, trying to reach out to Lucius, and disgusted by the way he must look and sound. Malfoys were never weak.
"I think I might need a bit of time to show you exactly what that means Draco. Unless of course, you absolutely need him at the moment my Lord?"
"Go ahead Lucius. I look forward to the show."
A whip appeared in Lucius' hand and he unwound it carefully as Draco watched.
"I'm sure you can't have forgotten this."
Would anyone like to enlighten me as to just what the fuck is going on!
With a wave of his wand, Voldemort vanished Draco's robes and raised the immobile boy several feet in the air with arms and legs outstretched for greatest possible surface area.
"There, much better," laughed Voldemort as Nagini quietly slipped down to the floor.
With a crack, the whip flew through the air and tore a wet red trail across Draco's shoulders.
One hundred lashes, one thousand gashes from a silver topped cane. Ten thousand tears and a lifetime's worth of Voldemort's cackling later, part of Draco remained unbroken.
Fuck. I can still feel the rest of my body. I thought by this time I should have gone numb, or passed out, or something! That's what all those trauma books lead you to believe. And I bet it's just me. Wonderful luck you have Draco Malfoy.
"Alas, I would love to see more of your work Lucius, but I must leave."
"Of course my Lord. Would you like to watch the finishing touches?"
Oh, am I a cake now? A bit on the bloody side don't you think!
A bloody cake.
A bloody cake!
A bloody cake. Stop!
Bloody cake.
Bloody bloody cake. Stop that!
Bloody cake.
BLOODY CAKE!
Bloody cake…
…Stop, please stop.
"Always Lucius. But I must insist on a bit of insurance," he hissed an order to Nagini who had been patiently waiting the entire evening.
She tensed and struck from the floor, sending crippling poison into Draco's arm and finally tasting that coveted pure wizard's blood. Oh how sweet was this particular specimen. How lovely he did scream. A pity that she couldn't eat him.
"Draco, stand up," Lucius said as he ended the levitating charm and dropped Draco.
"Aaugh! …I can't," he sobbed
You can fucking rot in hell.
"Stand!" Lucius shouted, lashing out with his cane, which was now all the more painful.
"Father…"
"Stand! You are not my son. You're a disgrace! A failure! Now GET UP!"
Ever so slowly did Draco rise, first on all fours, and then leaning against a wall for precious support as he stumbled and inched his way higher.
"Perhaps…" he gasped. "…but at least…I…am a Malfoy."
"Avada Kedavra."
Woot! An all new and improved chapter 1!
More yummy goodness for anyone who likes.
Heh, and abit of torture.
Please, review. Press the magic button! The magic button!