Chapter 2
Draco yelped and stumbled forward, so he was standing right in front of his father.
"What happened?" Draco said softly, trying to stay calm.
Lucius said nothing. His eyes were transfixed on his wife's dead body. He wasn't moving. He was just staring, his cold eyes like stone.
"Father?" Draco said.
Lucius didn't move. Just then a movement came from below the chair and a small house elf appeared. Cautiously it moved out into the light and looked at Draco.
"Your mother was killed." The elf said shyly.
"Yes I can see that," Draco snapped.
The elf looked startled and backed away.
"I'm sorry," Draco apologised. "What happened?"
"I saw it happen." Said the elf. "It happened right before my eyes."
"And..." Draco prompted.
"Well, I was in your room, cleaning when your mother came in and I hid because I knew she didn't like me. It seemed she was looking for something, she made a huge mess in the process though, throwing things out of your drawers and looking in the cupboards. She was determined to find something. And then she found it. A small gold box. She looked so excited, opening the lid and retrieving the parchment from inside."
The elf stopped and looked up at the limp body of Narcissa. Draco was just staring at the elf. Why had his mother wanted to read his letters? She knew how private Draco liked to keep his life.
"And then..." the elf continued. "I saw Him."
"Uh, who?" Draco asked.
"Him." The elf said, terror obvious in his voice.
"Who's Him?" Draco asked again, but he had a fair idea of who it was."
"V...Voldemort." The elf whispered, he was shaking now and his eyes were wide. The elf dissolved into a nervous wreck and was rocking back and forth on the floor, cradling his head in his arms.
Draco stared at the elf piteously. Then turned back to his father who still hadn't moved. Why had Voldemort killed his mother? And how did he know she was in his room?
Just then Lucius broke his gaze and looked up at Draco.
"What's going on?" Lucius asked Draco.
Draco looked confused. Then he realised what his father was holding in his hand. They were the letters that he and Ron had been writing to each other.
"That's none of your business." Draco said bluntly.
Lucius looked at Draco. A strange calmness about him, that made Draco feel uncomfortable.
'Just tell me Draco." Lucius said, so calmly that Draco wasn't sure it was actually his father speaking. "I have read these letters and it disgusts me to even think that you would get within a five metre radius of Weasley."
Draco didn't know what to say, and even if he did try to defend himself it would be of no use.
Lucius threw the letters at Draco, with malus.
"Get to the tower." Lucius yelled. "NOW!"
"Why?" Draco responded. "I haven't done anything wrong!"
Lucius placed the body of his dead wife on the bed and loomed over Draco. "GET TO THE TOWER." He yelled again.
"No!" Draco yelled back.
Before Draco could move, Lucius's strong arm had slapped him across the face sending Draco onto the floor. Blood started trickling from the large gash Draco already had on his forehead. His eye started blackening. Just then Lucius loomed over him again and gave him one last punch in the stomach.
"I am your father, and you will do what I say!" said Lucius.
Draco couldn't say anything. He was clutching his stomach, willing himself not to throw up. Lucius muttered a spell under his breath and pointed his wand at Draco. Draco started twitching and writhing on the floor. Muffled screams trying to escape. Vomit came pouring out his mouth all over the floor. Lucius stood by watching, he seemed to think this was a suitable punishment for his son. Lord Voldemort had taught him how to do the Cruciatus Curse perfectly, without faultering. Lucius then muttered another spell and Draco found himself on the cold stone floor of the tower room. The Cruciatus Curse had been lifted but Draco lay huddled on the floor, shivering. His face was now swollen and blood had started to dry in patches. Draco struggled to look out of the window and saw that it was black outside. He knew he would not be leaving this room for a while. He lay back down and everything went black.
Draco yelped and stumbled forward, so he was standing right in front of his father.
"What happened?" Draco said softly, trying to stay calm.
Lucius said nothing. His eyes were transfixed on his wife's dead body. He wasn't moving. He was just staring, his cold eyes like stone.
"Father?" Draco said.
Lucius didn't move. Just then a movement came from below the chair and a small house elf appeared. Cautiously it moved out into the light and looked at Draco.
"Your mother was killed." The elf said shyly.
"Yes I can see that," Draco snapped.
The elf looked startled and backed away.
"I'm sorry," Draco apologised. "What happened?"
"I saw it happen." Said the elf. "It happened right before my eyes."
"And..." Draco prompted.
"Well, I was in your room, cleaning when your mother came in and I hid because I knew she didn't like me. It seemed she was looking for something, she made a huge mess in the process though, throwing things out of your drawers and looking in the cupboards. She was determined to find something. And then she found it. A small gold box. She looked so excited, opening the lid and retrieving the parchment from inside."
The elf stopped and looked up at the limp body of Narcissa. Draco was just staring at the elf. Why had his mother wanted to read his letters? She knew how private Draco liked to keep his life.
"And then..." the elf continued. "I saw Him."
"Uh, who?" Draco asked.
"Him." The elf said, terror obvious in his voice.
"Who's Him?" Draco asked again, but he had a fair idea of who it was."
"V...Voldemort." The elf whispered, he was shaking now and his eyes were wide. The elf dissolved into a nervous wreck and was rocking back and forth on the floor, cradling his head in his arms.
Draco stared at the elf piteously. Then turned back to his father who still hadn't moved. Why had Voldemort killed his mother? And how did he know she was in his room?
Just then Lucius broke his gaze and looked up at Draco.
"What's going on?" Lucius asked Draco.
Draco looked confused. Then he realised what his father was holding in his hand. They were the letters that he and Ron had been writing to each other.
"That's none of your business." Draco said bluntly.
Lucius looked at Draco. A strange calmness about him, that made Draco feel uncomfortable.
'Just tell me Draco." Lucius said, so calmly that Draco wasn't sure it was actually his father speaking. "I have read these letters and it disgusts me to even think that you would get within a five metre radius of Weasley."
Draco didn't know what to say, and even if he did try to defend himself it would be of no use.
Lucius threw the letters at Draco, with malus.
"Get to the tower." Lucius yelled. "NOW!"
"Why?" Draco responded. "I haven't done anything wrong!"
Lucius placed the body of his dead wife on the bed and loomed over Draco. "GET TO THE TOWER." He yelled again.
"No!" Draco yelled back.
Before Draco could move, Lucius's strong arm had slapped him across the face sending Draco onto the floor. Blood started trickling from the large gash Draco already had on his forehead. His eye started blackening. Just then Lucius loomed over him again and gave him one last punch in the stomach.
"I am your father, and you will do what I say!" said Lucius.
Draco couldn't say anything. He was clutching his stomach, willing himself not to throw up. Lucius muttered a spell under his breath and pointed his wand at Draco. Draco started twitching and writhing on the floor. Muffled screams trying to escape. Vomit came pouring out his mouth all over the floor. Lucius stood by watching, he seemed to think this was a suitable punishment for his son. Lord Voldemort had taught him how to do the Cruciatus Curse perfectly, without faultering. Lucius then muttered another spell and Draco found himself on the cold stone floor of the tower room. The Cruciatus Curse had been lifted but Draco lay huddled on the floor, shivering. His face was now swollen and blood had started to dry in patches. Draco struggled to look out of the window and saw that it was black outside. He knew he would not be leaving this room for a while. He lay back down and everything went black.