Author's Note
Disclaimer: Im not JK Rowling. I know, I was shocked too. I don't own the wonderful world of Harry Potter - I merely play in it - or any of the characters. Cept for Draco. He's mine. He just doesn't know it yet. =]
Ok, well here we go...
Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
He stared down at the lifeless body lying before him.
No!
This wasn't real. It wasn't true. It couldn't be happening.
Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
He reached a quivering hand forward and brushed her hair away from her pale, cold face.
No!
'How precious. You were always every bit your mother's boy Draco. You know, she saw you as nothing short of perfect.' Lucius' cold, mocking voice rang out from across the room.
Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
'But of course, I know better. You're a disgrace! You know that? You bring nothing but shame to me and the Malfoy name.
No!
Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
'You're weak. You're pathetic. Just like her.'
'No!' Draco shouted. He turned abruptly to face his father, his rage and grief rolling off him in waves. Lucius merely glanced at the boy, nay, man standing before him and laughed mockingly.
'So, tell me, son,' Lucius spat the word, 'what exactly do you intend do? Avenge her? Kill me? Or perhaps you'll throw a tantrum, like you always did as a child. You know, they never ceased to amuse me and the Dark Lord knows I need amusing now, after the fiasco that was your mother.'
Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
'I will avenge her.' Draco whispered quietly, though it was just loud enough for his father to hear.
Lucius laughed maniacally.
'How exactly do you plan to do that Draco? You are wandless, and I'm afraid I won't wait for you to run downstairs and retrieve it. I am physically stronger and better than you so it's glaringly obvious who will win if you so choose to resort to Muggle methods. But of course, you won't avenge your pathetic excuse for a mother will you? I doubt you actually have it in you. You're pathetic. Weak. A disgrace. You are not a Malfoy Draco. I am ashamed to call you my son.'
'No!' Draco repeated. He glared at his father. Lucius stared at his son. He could feel it now, the Magyck that permeated the air in his study. He glanced at the source and almost stepped back in fear.
Draco was furious. His magic fused with his overwhelming emotions and radiated off him, bathing him in a strange, dark light.
The air stilled.
Draco breathed in.
It was magic. In its purest form.
It was Magyck of the Ancients.
And Lucius knew it. He envied it. It was what he had been striving for; he had searched and sought after it, spending time and ridiculous amounts of money in vain attempts to find out more. He suspected that it was what made Voldemort so powerful and he wanted it.
But he also knew of its danger.
He stepped back.
Draco stepped forward.
He closed his eyes, revelling in his new found power. It was intense, and unlike anything he had ever felt before. He could sense his father, even though he couldn't actually see him. He could feel his father's fear and hear his frantic heartbeat. Draco let loose a laugh.
Lucius stared as his son laughed. It was a cold, mocking laughter, devoid of any real humour.
He stepped back.
Draco was surrounded by the black glow which constantly pulsated and moved. His shoulder-length pale, blond hair, so much like Lucius' own, floated above his head, moved by an invisible force. The air around him seemed to crackle with Magyck and Lucius could actually see dark sparks shooting off Draco.
He opened his eyes and Lucius stepped back once again in shock.
The pale, startling grey orbs that belonged to his son were now a stormy glowing black. It seemed to be the only source of light in the room, aside from the bright moonlight currently shining upon his son.
Draco stepped forward.
Abruptly, he turned away from his father and moved towards the body of his mother. The black glow seemed to fade, as Draco knelt over Narcissa. Closing his eyes once more, Draco sensed what he should do. Stretching his hand forward, he sent forth a black jet of energy in the direction of his mother for a brief second. It was all that was needed. Draco stepped back and looked. His mother lay on the cold marble floor as before. However, as father and son looked on, a bright, silver light surrounded her, obscuring her body from view. After a few moments, the light faded, leaving behind a transformed Narcissa. Her beautiful face was now clear, all worry lines and scars gone, the dark shadows underneath her eyes removed. Her frail and thin body, which was previously bruised and bloodied due to effects of the Crucio, was restored and her broken bones healed. What Draco's Magyck had not done however, was bring her back to life. Such a thing was not possible and Draco knew it. He hadn't dared hope for it but worked on something more achievable. His mother was now back to her former beauty, her face and body like it was at her prime, before DeathEaters, before the Dark Lord and before her son had been Marked.
It was Draco's final gift.
He would not let her die in shame, in vain. She had resisted and fought with Lucius upon hearing of Draco's mission and pleaded for her son. She would not have him follow his father and doom himself to a life of fear and misery. And for that, for simply protecting her son, she had died. It was his own father that had cast the Avada Kedrava upon her tortured body.
And Draco had seen it all.
Breathing a sigh, Draco turned his attention to his father who stood awestruck. This was power that Lucius had never seen before, and it scared him. The black glow had returned, darker and stronger than ever, and he could feel it emanating off his son, threatening to overpower him.
He stepped back again, only to find his back pressed against a hard wall.
'Father...'
Draco whispered quietly, his voice was a deadly monotone, completely devoid of any emotion.
Lucius looked at his son. Draco's face was blank, an expressionless mask. The only indication to what Draco was feeling was the ominous black glow, which had increased in power and size and would at times release pulses of energy.
'Father... dearest father...'
'Look at me. Are you not proud? I am strong Father. So, so strong. Are you not pleased?' Draco asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Understanding dawned on Lucius' face. He was using his teachings against him.
'A Malfoy does not show emotions Draco. Not ever. They can be used against you. Do not let your enemy win because of your failure to do something as simple as conceal your anger!'
He glanced at his son's expressionless face.
'You must plan Draco. A Malfoy does not act rashly. He plots. He thinks. He rationalises. He never, ever, acts on impulse. Recklessness leads to mistakes. And your mistakes lead to your downfall.
Draco took calm, deliberate steps towards his father.
'Draco. Know your enemy. Learn his strengths, and his weaknesses. What he treasures, what he despises. Who he holds dear, who mean the most. Do not live in ignorance! Use that knowledge my son. Manipulation is so much better than trust.'
Lucius was cornered.
'Poor Father. Look at you, hiding in the corner, like a scared little boy. Who is weak now Father? Who is stronger?'
Lucius straightened. He would not give his son the satisfaction of seeing him trembling and shaking, fearing for his life.
'What are you going to do Father? You are weak. Pathetic. A disgrace to the Malfoy name. Look at you, cowering in the corner, before your own son!'
Lucius could feel his anger growing. He looked down and noticed that he was still holding his wand. Although it was nothing compared to the power that Draco held, it gave him a sense of power.
'Watch yourself my son. It would do you good to remember who I am. As much as it pains me to say it, you are my son. And you will act like it!' Lucius raged and marched forward. At his words, Draco stopped walking and bowed his head. The black glow receded within him suddenly and Lucius drew himself to his full height, confident now that Draco's Magyck was temporary.
'Good. I see that you still lack proper respect for your father. But don't worry. I shall see that you give respect where respect is due.' Lucius proclaimed as he felt his anger threatening to overflow.
Draco nodded submissively.
'Forgive me Father. I was wrong'
'You have not learned Draco. Perhaps this will help...Crucio!' Lucius screamed, pushing all his anger behind it. A blinding white light shot out of his wand and flew towards Draco.
And disappeared.
Draco laughed.
Stunned, Lucius reeled. He withdrew and, calling forth all his rage, screamed 'Crucio' again. A stronger, more intense brightness shot out only to disappear a moment after.
'Care to try again Father?'
Lucius paled. It had been a trick.
The dark, foreboding glow returned just as suddenly as it disappeared, stronger and larger than ever before. It swathed Draco, obscuring everything from his shoulders downwards.
Draco stepped forward again.
In his hand, floated two bright shining orbs, one of which was slightly smaller than the other. Wordlessly, he sent one towards his father. Lucius had suspected that they were his deflected Unforgivables and so had conjured up the strongest protection spell he knew. It was not enough however, and suddenly he was hit by agonising, severe pain.
He screamed.
Lucius writhed and twisted in agony for a few, quick seconds before Draco called the spell back. He lay panting, gasping for breath on the cold floor.
'Just so you know Father, that was your own spell. I did not add to it, as you suspect. I do not wish to stoop to your level.'
Moving closer, Draco knelt down next to his father and gently whispered into his ear.
'You never answered me, father dearest, who is stronger now?'
Author's Note
Ta-Da!
Ok, how was that guys? First Fic, did ya like it? Should I continue?
Oh and, is it just me, or does Draco pull off the whole Dark/Independent thing better? Im not talking about silly DeathEater Draco, but immensely strong, powerful Not-Quite-Evil-Not-Quite-Good Draco. No? Just me. Ok.
Reviews please dears, I wanna know if I should carry on writing this or not.
=]