Ch. 4

Kneel

Draco Malfoy was with his grunts in a compartment near the back end of school, along with a few other Slytherins that Harry always had the displeasure of seeing. There was, obviously, Pansy Parkinson, and Daphne Greengrass, as well as Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Harry found the compartment easily and did not bother knocking as he opened it.

"Malfoy," he said.

"What do you want Potter?" Pansy immediately sneered.

Harry ignored her and stared at Draco, their eyes meeting. "I would like to talk with you Malfoy… if you would?" he asked politely, almost submissively.

Malfoy had a thoughtful expression on his face for a moment before nodding. "Draco, where are you going?" Pansy demanded, the others looking at him curiously. Draco gave no answer as he stood up and went with Harry. The two were silent in the corridors until they found an empty storage room at the end of the train car. The two moved inside the small, dark room and Harry lit his wand to give off some light. Draco did the same as well. They were close together, their bodies almost touching. Harry noticed that he was still shorter than Malfoy, and he liked that. "What do you want, Potter?" Draco repeated Parkinson's words.

"You've read my letter," Harry said. "You know."

"So what? This when you kill me or something?" Draco asked, a cocky look on his face.

"Kill you? No… I just want you to know some things, Draco," Harry said, experimenting with using Draco's name.

"What that you're suddenly a dark wizard?" Draco snarled. "Is that supposed to impress me Potter? Think we'll be best buds now that you've learned your first curse? As if."

Harry did his best to hide his frustrated blush, but failed, however thankful for the low lighting for their wands. "No… it's just, I've been reading, you know, about Pureblood society. I just… I want to ask you some questions, before we talk about him."

"I'll bite, what do you want to know?" Draco asked.

"Are you… currently arranged with anyone?" Harry asked. "Parkinson? Perhaps?"

"No, I am not arranged to that disgusting pug, why do you want her?" Malfoy sneered.

"No, no… I'm gay," Harry said.

Draco's face changed, flickering into something Harry couldn't read for a moment before becoming normal again. "I see," was all he said, before saying, "I am arranged to marry the younger Greengrass for some reason, I keep forgetting her name, I've barely heard of her."

"Are you happy with that?" Harry asked.

"Of course not, she's just a child," Draco sneered. "But I have to since our parents arrange it."

"But can't you find your way out of it?" Harry asked. "For example, using the submissive marriage clause to wed someone you actually like."

"How do you know about that… never mind Potter," Malfoy sneered, "it's not like I would find a man or woman to be that for me, so that is out of the question."

I would, Harry thought but did not say. Instead he asked, "Man or woman?"

"Yes, I'm bisexual now shut up about it," Draco said. "Figured it out around third year."

"That was the same with my gayness," Harry said, his cheeks still red.

"Well woo hoo," Draco drawled, "We are both queer, if that is all you wanted to talk about, I am leaving."

"No! I mean… there's more," Harry blushed. "There are things that I liked about Pureblood Society… as well as things that I obviously don't like. I guess that what I'm trying to say is… I want you to teach me about it, your society. There's only so much I can learn from a book and over the summer I'm all but certain that the Dark Lord will bring me to his side to teach me so… when he does, can you teach me too, please?"

Draco stared down at Harry, silently considering his question before an egotistic smirk appeared on his beautiful lips. "You're a submissive," he said.

"I am," Harry nodded.

Draco gave a loud, cold laugh. "You want to be my submissive Potter? Is that it?" he laughed.

"I—no," Harry said quickly. "I just thought it would be better if we buried the hatchet and make up—"

"Kneel."

"Excuse me?" Harry said.

"You heard me," Draco said. "You're a submissive? Then I want you to kneel in front of me for the rest of this talk."

Harry glared at Draco, his grip on his wand tightening before taking a step back in order to get on his knees. He both hated and loved the experience as he looked up at Draco, the teen now seemed incredibly taller than he once was. "You're serious," Draco said, giving a whistle. "Alright then, continue. How did you end up on our side?"

Kneeling, Harry looked up and kept eye contact as he spoke about what happened in the graveyard, about his rush of feelings, of hatred, fear, and a bloodthirsty need to see Wormtail dead. "He must have saw something in me," Harry concluded, "something that even I couldn't sense. I've studied the Dark Arts before. I know how to give myself a womb, how make it so that I can give milk… and I have enough anger in me that my Killing Curse kills. However, Draco, that is all I know but for some reason that was enough for our Lord. He'll be in your manor during the summer… that is why I know that we'll see each other again. And… I think it would be easier to meet as friends rather than enemies." He kept his eye contact for awhile after he was finish talking before hanging his head down and closing his eyes. Harry's heart was beating at a ridiculous speed. His face was entirely blushed, and his fingers trembled with nervousness.

Draco was silent as he thought and Harry wouldn't dare look up until the Malfoy decided on his answer. When he did, it was minutes later, and he answered with a question. "How far are you willing to go? Look at me when you answer."

Harry looked up and said, "All the way, I'm willing to do anything."

Draco gave a satisfied look at this answer, "I see…" he hummed. "Fine then Potter, I will think about it, and I will keep this to myself while I do so. However, before I leave… He slid his foot forward and Harry glanced down at the shoe. "Kiss it," Draco commanded. His eyes went wide when Harry bent down without hesitating, pressing his lips to the top of Draco's shoe, holding it for a long second, before coming back up to a kneeling position.

"I think this summer will be interesting," Draco said. "You'll leave after me." And without giving Harry another glance, he opened the supply closet, Harry squinting at the light, and left. Harry waited until he was certain that Draco was away before standing up, brushing off his knees as he did so.

"Egotistic prat," Harry sighed, "stupid heart… falling in love with him of all people." He took a moment to compose himself before leaving the supply closet as well, returning his way back to his compartment.

"You okay Harry, your face is all red," Hermione said as Harry sat down.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Harry said, "just ran into someone… doesn't matter."

Harry did not expect much when he returned to Number 4 Privet Drive. The drive there was particularly uneventful, Uncle Vernon did not speak a word to Harry, which the boy did not mind. As soon as they've parked, Harry unloaded his trunk and Hedwig's cage and returned to his room without even a hello from Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon. Dudley was obviously somewhere else, perhaps bullying a five year old with his gang.

Alone in his bedroom, Harry unpacked in silence, grateful for the small break before the inevitable list of chores and having to keep out of the house to stay away from the Dursleys. He wished he could live with Sirius, be with people who actually care about him instead of the Dursleys. Hell, he would even take up living with Mrs. Figg and her house that smelt of cats than being with the Dursleys. But thoughts of that were quickly pushed aside as Harry's thoughts turned to his Dark Lord. He guessed he couldn't deny it, he was a Dark Wizard now. He wondered when he'll be called for, when his training will begin. Instead of excitement, Harry found that he was feeling nervous, frighten even, of what the Dark Lord will do to teach him he Dark Arts.

He pulled out his books on Pureblood Society and the Dark Arts and laid them on his bed, keeping them there as he kept everything else in his trunk except for his muggle clothes. He plopped on his bed and opened up the nearest book, which was about Pureblood society, and opened to a random passage, which was about something he completely disagreed on.

A Movement towards Superiority

Purebloods are superior to all other bloods by our simple purity. We, the elite few, have been true to our morals and not once have a drop of the inferior muggle blood tainted our pure lines, and never will they be tainted. It is with this thought, that Half-bloods must be treated with a sorrowful hand as their parents or grand parents laid traitorously with the lesser blood. Though treated with scorn, Half-bloods, if they are true to their wizardry blood, can fixed their ancestor's mistake and purify their blood through various ways. First, denouncement of their inferior blood; Second, marriage to a pureblood; Third, a potion that removes all traces of the tainted blood; and fourth after marriage and denouncement, the half-blood must produce a child. Only then will the Half-blood be considered pure, and their family's past mistakes be forgiven by society. With this in mind, however, one must never give their pity towards the muggleborn as their blood is too tainted for forgiveness. Instead, they must be shunned and shown how inferior they are. Treat them as cattle, and they will learn to understand the hierarchy, and beg for our forgiveness, which we can only then properly give as employing them as nothing more than servants. In regards to the submissive clause, always remember that the clause only affects pure and half-bloods, and never muggleborns as they are, in essence, submissive to us Superiors.

"What a load of disgusting garbage," Harry muttered. But that was the world that Draco lived in, a world that Harry now found himself plunging into. So, he had to know it, and had to swim through it, otherwise there was no way he would be able to have Draco as his boyfriend. Still, Harry would never do that, he would never denounce his mother. There were noises downstairs and he could hear the all familiar stomps of his uncle coming up the stairs towards his room. "I can denounce the Dursleys, however," he muttered. He closed the book and rolled off his bed just as Uncle Vernon slammed the door opened. "Boy! Get downstairs and clean up the garden! Figg's cats got to it again, the ruddy things!"

"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry sighed, going outside without complaint. It was better than getting into an argument and losing dinner. Outside was sunny, Harry went to the plants around the house and saw that the cats simply played in them, however there was a good number of weeds among them. Getting to his knees, Harry began to long annoying task of pulling weeds with his bare hands, grumbling and boiling to himself as every now and again he got scratches from the plants.

It was evening when he was done, the sun starting to set and a full moon on the horizon of a pink sky. Tired and sweaty, Harry returned back into the house to wash off. After a bland dinner where he was ignored completely, Harry turned to his room where he saw, in the shadow, red eyes. He turned off the lights and closed the blinds, letting the shadows grow before turning back towards the red eyes. "Hello?" he said uncertainly.

The red eyes moved and seemed to multiply. The shadow-walkers skirted in the darkness, their eyes always on Harry, always unblinking, until one stepped forward into the light. It was an immense creature, one that Harry has never saw or dreamt of before. It looked to be somewhat resembling a horse, except twelve skinny legs jutted out of it instead of four, and its head was larger, its red eyes staring fixedly onto Harry. "Umm, Hello," Harry said uncertainly. "Do you… have a message for me?"

The creature stared at Harry for a long moment before turning around. Confused, Harry watched as it returned to the shadows and another creature, or maybe it was the same one, emerged. This one, at least, had a human-like head, however Harry couldn't see any real details. It opened its mouth, revealing black teeth that seemed to stand apart from the rest of the shadow-walker's black body, and out came his Lord's voice. "Potter, these creatures can transport more than letters. They also have an ability to mimic human speech perfectly, as well as allow ourselves to travel with them through the Darkness once they've accepted you. I doubt they will easily accept you as they have me. Dumbledore has kept your dwelling a hard-kept secret up until now, boy. In an hour, I will be there. Make it presentable." The figure closed its mouth and turned, the red eyes disappearing as the shadows lightened immensely.

Harry's heart, however, was too sunken to give a response. The Dark Lord was coming here. To Little Whinging. He did not know how to respond to this; however, he was scared. Not for his Lord appearing so suddenly, but what he will do to his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. Harry was scared of what the Dark Lord will do once he has learned that he lives with muggles… and these muggles do not treat his new apprentice all too well. What do I do? What do I do? Harry worried, he had an hour to think of something! But for all his worrying and wondering and panicking… all he could think of was nothing. His mind drew a blank.

And an hour passed, just like that.

A/N: Yeah, that seems like a good place to end it. Your reviews keep me motivated as I love reading people's reactions, thank you all so much for reading. Also, I'm trying to read more fanfictions myself, honestly. Stories where Harry goes to the Dark Side, so if you have suggestions, please tell me, either in the reviews or my DMs are always open.

Littlesprout: Thanks!

Chris Darkheart: I'm glad you like this new story.

Retired10: Thank you very much, however I do have a question. Who is Crack?

DS2010: The shadow-walkers will play an interesting role in this story. It's just a bit of irony that the first shadow-walker took an appearance of a snake. Nobody, however, knows their true form. Not even Voldemort.

Lilly-flower15: You've been with me for a long time and I'm glad to see your name whenever it pops up! Thank you very much!