03
Draco made his way back down Diagon Alley to Flourish and Blotts, the bell above the door rang as he entered and he was greeted by a beautiful young shopkeeper.
"Mister Malfoy! How good it is to see you again. Here for the usual I presume?" She asked as she made her way back behind the counter and reached for a package sitting on the shelf behind her.
The blonde wizard approached the counter and examined the brown wrapping on the parcel, fiddling with the string it was bound by.
"How was the last few you received?"
"Absolutely perfect."
"Well I'm glad we were able to do this for you; your total is 5 galleons please."
Draco passed over a handful of galleons and placed the parcel in his arms.
"Keep the change, see you next week."
The shopkeeper waved goodbye as he turned and left the store, bell ringing behind him.
An older woman who watched the exchange came up to the girl, placing her book on Magical Maladies on the counter.
"I don't see why you don't try to go for a good-looking gent like him."
"He's not interested, trust me. I've tried a million times. It's like he's oblivious to my womanly charms. Comes in every week, and pre-orders books off a list from our files, it's some big hush-hush thing the name and all on the files, the boss tells me he's purchasing every single book off old invoices in order, copying whoever the first purchaser was. Bloody weird if you ask me, but who am I to question the head death eater himself? That's how you end up dead, or worse."
"What a shame, poor fellow. I imagine he leads a lonely and dangerous existence."
…
"EEEEEKKKK DRAKEY!"
Draco froze mid step as his ear drums shattered and he was assaulted from behind. The blonde wizard attempted to untangle himself from the overly touchy-feely hands of one Daphne Greengrass.
"I haven't seen you in forever!"
"Yeah I've been keeping busy Daph."
"You will simply have to come over for tea sometime." She fluttered her eyelashes and looked up at him.
The effect was the opposite of what she intended, of that he was sure.
"You must have forgot, I serve the Dark Lord and don't have time for such frivolities. Or do you not like to be ruled by such a leader? Receiving mud blood slaves for your families use? Thereby having the honour of being part of the new world order?"
The oldest Greengrass sister was taken aback by that.
"N-no of course not Draco, I just thought-."
"Well you thought wrong, we're not children anymore. I have important work to do and don't have time to entertain such a silly, silly girl."
The witch teared up at that and wiped her eyes on her gloved hand.
"Well if that's how you feel!"
"I sincerely do, now may I see your papers?"
"WHAT. Draco. You know I'm pureblood. Part of the sacred 28. You're kidding."
"I'm dead serious."
She growled, mumbling under her breath as she whipped said papers out of her designer clutch purse, presenting them to the wizard. Draco checked for the appropriate signatures, stamps, and magical wards preventing alteration designed by the Dark Lord himself.
"All seems to be in order Miss. Greengrass, now if you'll excuse me."
He motioned for her to be on her way with a condescending flick of his wrist as he turned on his heel in the opposite direction and disapparated.
…
He appeared in the foyer of the Malfoy Manor, and headed straight down the hall to the dining room that was actually used for meals, not death eater meetings. He was a little late he realized as he opened the doors and was greeted by his mother and father who were already seated at either end of the table.
"My darling boy!"
"Mother."
He nodded his head as he took his seat.
"Father."
"Son."
As he sat the first course appeared before them, and various elves scrambled out to fill wine glasses and the like.
The sufferable silence was broken by the Malfoy matriarch.
"So, when are we going to see the debut of a new Mrs. Malfoy?" Narcissa enquired as she took a sip of her wine.
"Not for a long while, I'm busy doing our esteemed lords bidding."
"See Narcissa, he's focused. Determined. There's no need for him to get a wife right yet."
"But we were married long before his age Lucius."
"BE that as it may, our son holds a position of power that needs to be fulfilled."
"Thank you, father."
"My pleasure."
"Well I do wish you would come visit more in the least Draco."
What was it with the people in his life demanding his presence of late, he was busy Merlin. Dammit.
"I have more important things to do."
"Narcissa stop nagging the boy."
The youngest wizard twirled his spoon around in his soup, bored expression on his face.
Time to take a hold of this disaster of a conversation.
"Father, how is your research faring?"
"Exponentially well, it is impeccably easy as you can well imagine finding shareholders for any of the Dark Lords interests, especially those that aid the slave trade."
"I'm pleased to hear that father, if you need any hands-on assistance don't be afraid to requisition anybody from my various teams."
"Of course."
The eldest Master Malfoy dropped his soup spoon and grasped his forearm, hissing in pain.
"I suppose we will need to finish this conversation another time, I'll see you at tomorrow evenings meeting." He nodded towards his son before excusing himself from the table and bowing out the double doors.
"So, Draco… How are you doing, truly?" His mother reached across the table to take his hand in both of hers.
The Malfoy heir snatched his hand out of his mother's as if it had been aflame and his hand instantly disappeared under the table.
"Fine. Mother."
"You've just seemed so distraught since the battle of Hogwarts, more and more so every day. And we haven't had much of a chance alone for me to raise concerns."
"Come now Mother, you of all people must know by now that none of us are ever alone." He glanced to the doors his father had just disappeared through hoping to convey the unsaid message to her.
"I'm doing quite well serving under our Lord, never been better in life."
Narcissa opened her mouth to argue but he pleaded to her with his eyes. Motherly instincts went a long way, she understood immediately.
There were just too many of the Dark Lords followers lurking about in every nook and cranny, free speech let alone thought was not something to indulge in, even in present company. Draco held too high of a position, many people we're jealous and constantly looking for ways to unsurp him from the power he held.
Tilly came to pour more wine for the remaining Malfoys and vanished the soup bowls away with a wave of her hand, the main course appearing before them.
Narcissa frowned when she caught a glimpse of her sons still filled soup bowl, he really did need to start eating more.
Draco grasped his wine goblet and took a few long swallows.
And drinking less.
…
Draco entered The Leaky Cauldron at a rather good time if he did say so himself, he managed to escape his Mothers prying long before dessert which while enabling him to arrive at a half decent time while also saved him from having to choke down the offending course, preventing him from getting sick later on in the evening.
That's what he called effectiveness, getting two birds stoned at once. He frowned inwardly or something like that.
Shaking himself from his reverie he scanned the pub, spotting Theo in no time he made his way over to the table.
The dark-haired wizard rose as his friend approached the table.
"Draco mate, thanks for coming out!"
"Of course, Theo anytime, as long as you're paying."
"Yeah, yeah."
Theo waved his hand in dismissal and the duo took their seats. Draco waved down a bar maid.
"Two glasses of your finest scotch would you love?"
The red-haired witch smiled lavishly as she spotted the marks on their arms, clueing in just as to how fortunate she was to be assigned this particular section this evening, she could see the galleons for miles. Especially if the blonde man's wardrobe and finery was any indication as to his vault size.
"Absolutely sir, is there anything else I can get you two this evening?"
She looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes, she was heavy handed on the make-up charms.
"That will be all for now." Draco dismissed her and she stalked off in disappointment. The dark-haired wizard rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"Mate! I just don't get it. I wish I had blokes throwing their selves at me the way you have witches chasing after you."
Draco shrugged in answer.
"I'm just not interested Theo, you know that."
"Yeah, but I still have absolutely no idea as to why."
"One minute you were the Slythern king of fornication, a new tart in your bed night after night during the majority of Hogwarts years the next minute it was like you'd completely gone sack-o-hammers in that department."
The blonde shut his eyes and took a deep, even breath.
"I've told you time and time again to leave it be Theo, tonight is not any different."
"Whatever you say boss."
I'll just have to ply you with liquor to get you talking
"Oh, for Merlins sake, stop calling me that as well!"
"Fine. Fine. Ruin my fun as usual, fun sucker you!"
The red-haired witch approached their table again dropping off their drink orders and giving Draco a wink before turning around and walking slowly away, hips swaying exaggeratedly.
The blonde wizard didn't even look up from his drink.
Theo sighed deeply and dramatically.
This was going to be a long night.
…
Draco stumbled through the front entrance of number 12 Grimmauld place into the wee hours of the morning.
Fuck I've had too much to drink.
He tripped on the rug and fell head first into the portrait of Mrs. Black
Way too much.
Creature popped into the foyer. "Master Malfoy, shall I assist you to your rooms now?"
The master in question made not a sound, he had passed out cold.
Creature grabbed a hold of his sleeve and disappeared with another POP.
Depositing his newest master into his bed he snapped his fingers and 3 potions and a glass of water appeared on the bedside table, he lit the fire in the hearth with a wave of his hand and POPPED out of the room.
Sometime before dawn Draco awoke with a start, groaning and rolling over in a cold sweat. Usually plastering himself with liquor helped with easing the nightmares that plagued his dreams so frequently.
He sat up, the room spinning before him and glanced over to his nightstand. Creature always knew what to do when he wasn't able to find himself to his own quarters. Reaching over he uncorked potion bottle after potion bottle downing the contents, ignoring the glass of water placed on the stand entirely.
He groaned and slumped back in bed, preparing to make an attempt at sleep again when his forearm began to burn.
"Of fucking course."
He scrambled to get dressed and apparated to the Dark Lords quarters.
Draco stuck his landing with ease, the pepper up potion definitely having done its job. Thankfully.
My arse could have been royally fucked. Figuratively.
He shuddered when he got some not so fun mental pictures of what the literal situation would have been.
And now I'm mentally scared. Well, more so then before.
"My Lord? You have requested my presence?"
"Yes, come and take a seat Draco."
Voldemort beckoned for Draco to join him in the armchair opposite his near the fireplace.
The blonde wizard approached and sank down in the chair with ease, he looked to Voldemort to continue.
"I've called you here to ask about your fellow young death eaters presence and progress into my ranks. A few of the older members distrust their loyalty and perseverance. They have brought it to my attention."
Draco snorted.
"The only thing lacking here is Roddys general competence, and Yaxleys yearn for his missing ego stroke from you My Lord."
The snake eyed man waved his hand.
"That is what I thought as well, you've been doing an exceptional job as of late bringing the sheer number of recruits to our fold, as well as raising your previous house mates far in our ranks. It pleases me."
"Thank you, My Lord."
"You've been my top death eater for a long time at this point young Mr. Malfoy."
Voldemort gazed into the fire, contemplating. Nagini came to slither around the top of Draco's chair, he didn't blink an eye in response.
"You show no fear, no emotion. You are cruel and calculating, demanding much of your lower ranked officers. It serves me well."
Draco was taken aback at the amount of praise he was receiving.
"While I've trusted you with many sensitive missions, and quite a bit of sensitive information I do believe you have earned a great deal more, especially given your current situation."
"My Lord?"
Voldemort turned from the fire to lock eyes with the blonde wizard, hole-like nostrils flaring.
"Draco, do you know what a Horcrux is?"