It was the day before school was to start; a blonde-haired figure lay reclined on his bed staring blankly at the ceiling. Around him lay books and loose items of clothing, scattered haphazardly across the green carpeted floor. The wind outside was pushing persistently at the windows, rattling them and then retreating with a low pitched whistle. Draco slowly let his eyelids relax, gently allowing them to close. He had just been in the middle of packing for the next school year at Hogwarts. Draco let a smile creep over his face as he recalled the letter he had received only a few days prior.

Dear Draco Malfoy,

I would like to congratulate you, as you have been elected as HEAD BOY for the upcoming school year. Please report to the HEADS CARRIAGE when boarding the Hogwarts Express. I wish you well for what is to come.

Yours,

Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore is nothing but an old crackpot

Draco whispered "He knows nothing about me… nothing. If he even had the slightest inclination of the burdens I carry, he would never have designated me to be Head Boy... What a foolish old man… Oh well… his stupidity is to my advantage." Draco sighed loudly and placed his hands behind his head.

Creak…

Someone was coming up the stairs. Draco anticipated the slow turning of his doorknob, however he did not rise to the presence that now stood rigid in his doorframe. Draco sensed the light creep in from the corridor as the intruder moved towards him. Without opening his eyes, Draco released a monotonous greeting.

"What brings you to my bedside, father?"

Lucius brought the end of his silver tipped cane down to thump Draco's bed frame. "Get up you lazy boy! Don't mock me with your disrespectful tongue!"

Draco's eyes remained closed, however he managed a smirk "I mean no such disrespect, father. I have never stated otherwise. Now what business do you come to me with?"

Lucius's face twisted into a harsh grimace. "Why are you soexasperating today, boy? Do you not value me, hmm? Well then you must obviously place no value on our Dark Master!"

Draco's eyes shot open, he had half lifted himself up off the bed when Lucius slammed him into the bed frame, his cane across his chest. Draco's eyes glazed over, like cold marbles, as Lucius's gaze probed his face relentlessly.

"Ah, so you do feel fear…" Lucius pulled back, releasing Draco from his confines.

Draco moved slightly, massaging his arm where he had been smashed into wooden frame. He instantly changed tact, muttering submissively "Father, I don't understand what you want of me."

Lucius gave off a cold laugh. "Why I thought it would have been obvious. I come into your room, define the Dark Lord's supremacy, and you still can't figure out what I want?" Lucius scoffed, pushing his silver hair back over his shoulder. "Do they teach you nothing at that school? No, I forget… it is run by that wizened, dim-witted fool Dumbledore."

Draco sat obediently. He knew it would be unwise to push his father any further; he had a vile temper and had no hesitation when striking his own son. Draco's vast of bruises were proof enough of that. He was a manipulative man, but he was also weak. Draco recalled when he had told his parents about gaining the position of Head Boy. His mother had been thrilled at his success, however his father had just seen his fortune as an opportunity for him to gain more ground with the Dark Lord. Lucius had spent the last week considering how the Dark Lord might benefit from Draco's promotion from the masses.

My pathetic father, always at the beck and call of his Overlord.

Draco frowned, but then what does that me? Always doing the dirty work laid out by my father… Shaking himself mentally he pushed the thought from his head. I am not weak. Neither is my father. We are just doing what's… right?

"DRACO! Are you listening to me?"

Draco was brought out of his stupor by the sound of his father's booming voice.

"Did you hear what I just said? Well? Did you?" Lucius raised his cane threateningly.

Draco visibly blanched. "No, father… Would you mind repeating what you said, please?"

Releasing a tight breath, Lucius brought his cane back down to his side. His knuckles were turning white from gripping his cane, in an attempt to regain control. He spoke through clenched teeth "I said that the Dark Lord has formulated a mission for you to complete."

Although it didn't seem physically possible, Draco went an even paler shade of white. "What does this mission involve?" Draco squeaked.

"He wants you to infiltrate the enemy camp." Lucius smiled, like a cat in the cream. Draco on the other hand sat with his mouth gaping open.

"Oh don't look at me like you just got a quaffle lodged in your throat, I am being serious." Lucius scoffed at his son's bewildered expression.

"Y-you w-want m-me to raid Dumbledore's office?"

Lucius laughed with mock horror "Oh no, of course not! Not something as trivial as that! What would you find in his office? Probably just a bunch of old man trinkets." Lucius then became deadly serious. "No, he want's you to infiltrate the ranks of the 'golden trio'… The Dark Lord wants them all destroyed."

Draco shot off his bed howling "Father! Are you crazy? That's much worse than raiding Dumbledore's office! How the hell am I going to be able to do that? You know Potter has a thing against me, they'd never allow me in their ranks!"

"Then you better think of something fast, boy." Lucius smiled cruelly. "Otherwise you won't want to come home for the summer." Lucius slowly backed out of his room, his threat hanging in the very air Draco breathed as he softly closed the bedroom door behind him.

Draco visibly swallowed, his bile swelling up in his throat. What was he going to do? How was he going to do it?

And the most important question of all.

"WHY ME?"

"Blaise, what the hell am I going to do?" Draco lowered his head into his hands, slowly running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I feel like I've been backed into a corner and am being restrained by not only my own father, but bloody Vol- I mean… You know who… God dammit…"

Blaise Zabini leaned indolently against the signpost indicating the platform 9 ¾. "Man… a call from the Dark Lord himself… many would consider that an honour!"

Draco shoved Blaise against the pole, holding the lapels of his coat. He drew him close whispering "Not so loud, you idiot! Anyone could listen in our conversation…" Draco then looked at his hands, stark white against Blaise's jacket.

At such a close proximity, Blaise couldn't help but watch Draco's handsome feature's contort, as if in a state of indecision. Normality or madness… he couldn't help thinking that fear could drive you crazy…

As if snapping out of a trance, Draco abruptly released Blaise from his death grip. His eyes lost their glazed look as he began to massage his temples "I am way in over my head…"

Blaise straightened his rumpled clothes, brushing invisible lint from his shoulders in a futile attempt to dispense with the memory of that frightening encounter "Well all I will say is that you better formulate a plan on how you are going to gain entry and become a certified member of the Golden Trio… otherwise you are pretty much up shit creek without a paddle."

Draco raised his brows "Thanks for that Blaise" his tone shrouded in undisguised sarcasm.

Blaise gave a roguish grin, promptly ignoring it "Your welcome, Draco."

Draco turned to glance back at his father, who stood motionless on the station's platform, scarce metres from where Draco was standing. It was the look in his eyes, that calculating stare which rocked Draco off kilter. "See how he watches me, Blaise?" Draco murmured quietly "I can hardly breathe in fear of him finding out how repulsive I find this mission and our families… bond… with You-know-who…"

Blaise could almost see the waves of paranoia radiating from Draco's unyielding form. Who would have thought that the boy who seems so in control – so very dominating at school would in reality be nothing but a manipulated marionette, pulled to and fro according to his father's will. Hmm… It seems he will do anything for a father's love…

"I really want to discuss this… issue… further with you, however I have been told to report to the Head's carriage." Draco began to gather his belongings together as the train pulled into the station. As most of the student's began to hustle towards the train, Draco and Blaise were slowly being separated by a heavy flow of Hogwarts Students.

"Wha- Wait- You mean to say you made Head Boy?" Blaise's handsome face lit up in blatant surprise. "And you didn't see fit to inform your best friend about this?"

"Yeah... well… I swear I told you earlier…" Draco was being slowly pushed towards the train.

"No Way! Congratulations, man… all that sucking up to Snape has really seemed to pay off!" Blaise laughed jokingly as he gave Draco a good natured slap on the back. "Whoa, who would have guessed eh?"

"Nah… That was just natural favouritism on his part." Draco smirked as he finally turned his back on Blaise, hopping onto the Hogwarts Express.

"HEY DRACO!" Blaise yelled at his retreating form "YOU BETTER HOPE THE HEAD GIRL IS HOT! AREN'T YOU GUYS MEANT TO SHARE A DORM OR SOMETHING? HA… DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE GETTING ANY!" So with those words Blaise gave off a laugh and raced over to join his fellow Slytherins, as they all boarded the train.

Draco had a genuine smile on his face when he stepped into he Head's compartment. At present the trolley was empty, so he simply chucked all his stuff into the overhead compartment. As he sat down, he realised the train was still stationary; in fact he could still see his father from the window. Draco watched him very closely and was not very surprised when he saw his father grasp his forearm, his face twisting as if in intense pain. All of a sudden, Draco felt an odd tingling sensation on his inner wrist, raising his sleeve slightly he could see the vague imprint of the Dark Mark. He'd first sensed its appearance midway through the holidays. At present the image was still quite translucent, however the more he looked at it, the more it stung. Shoving his sleeve down once again, he could still feel his skin burning. He just knew that once he had completed his task, the mark would become permanent. And so would his status as the Dark Lord's follower.

It was all of a sudden that the compartment door opened. A pretty, yet dishevelled girl stood in the open doorway. It wasn't until Draco saw her shocked face with mouth agape, that he thought it prudent to re-evaluate his first impression.

Draco mentally grimaced.