Chapter Ten:
The Dark Lord's Deadly Plan
From a high window in the Hogs Head Inn, Draco Malfoy stood watching the rain pouring down the streets below as Hermione's hazy shrouded figure disappeared from the street corner. With a worried expression on his face, he turned to walk out of the tiny room. The door clicked as he stepped into the sawdust covered halls. He hadn't seen her in a year, and in that one hour since he was with her, everything melted away. The pain and sickness caused by the curse simply vanished the moment he saw her face. But the vow of marriage they were cursed to fulfill would not simply let them by so easily. If there was one thing he knew, it was curses. Until the vow was fulfilled, it would cause them the greatest pain. And deep down Draco knew that no amount of secret meetings would ever suffice.
Draco walked out the Inn, seeing the darkness cloud the streets of Hogsmeade. Within minutes of Apparating, he was standing below the dark gothic gates of Malfoy Manor, the rain still pelting him as he walked the pebbled lane, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. The ominous Yew trees swaying darkly in the wind as he passed them.
He could still feel the touch of her hand between his fingers. Draco moodily stuck his hand in his pockets, trying not to think about her anymore. Just as he splashed up the rain soaked marble steps, his House-Elf Edmee opened the doors, bathing him in a warm light. Draco handed Edmee his dripping coat and nimbly entered the grand foyer.
It was uncharacteristically quiet. No Death Eaters around. The drawing room seemed empty too, as if the Death Eater meeting had ended abruptly. Something was wrong.
Draco shook the rain from his hair, and sprinted up to his father's study. Lucius was sitting in a chair, the candle on his desk casting dark shadows on his face.
"Come in," Lucius said in a low voice, not even looking up from his paper, gesturing Draco to sit across from him.
"Father," Draco replied as a greeting, sitting down. Lucius became silent, but Draco knew enough not to speak first. Draco leaned back against the green leather chaise, closing his eyes, listening to the crackling of the fireplace, and the ruffling of the newspaper as Lucius read on.
"I have news for you, boy," Lucius said, finally looking up after a long silence. He startling blue eyes were like a flash of light. "Tonight, at the Death Eater meeting, the Dark Lord spoke of you."
Draco widened his eyes, gulping despite himself, and then wondered worriedly if Lucius could have heard him. "Me?" Draco asked painfully, "Why would he speak of me?"
Lucius raised his eyebrows, looking down his aquiline nose disgustedly at Draco, "Well, I have no idea why he bothers with you. A petulant child who couldn't even cast a killing curse against a batty old man." His mouth broke into a vague smile, "I'm surprised he spared you after that pathetic incident at Hogwarts last year. He must favor you most peculiarly."
Draco suddenly remembered Hermione's chilling dreams about him becoming the Dark Lord's most faithful servant. He frowned, "And what did the Dark Lord say tonight, Father?"
"Oh yes," Lucius said remembering, putting down his newspaper, "He was very concerned with the state of the wizarding world today. The ancient bloodlines tainted, the wizarding world weakening before our eyes, purebloods being defeated by mudbloods and half-breeds, the ancient Hogwarts relics lost forever," Lucius got up, walking over to the window, "The Dark Lord is right, Draco ... Our world is disappearing before our eyes."
Lucius turned to look at Draco seriously, "He believes that it is time to strengthen the ancient pureblood houses. You are a Malfoy, and after your cousin Sirius, you're the last male heir of the Black family - that noble house of your mother's which carries the blood of Morgana Le Fay - the mother of Salazar Slytherin." Lucius gave Draco a sharp look, continuing, "And quite interestingly, the Dark Lord has just discovered that the Parkinsons have a great ancestry like ours, perhaps stronger - they are the last living relatives of the Gaunt family - the last of Sytherin's own heirs, something which interests the Dark Lord immensely."
Draco closed his eyes, leaning his head back, hoping his father would get on with it soon.
"Listen to me, boy!" Lucius snapped angrily, "I'm not here to sing you to sleep!"
Draco couldn't help biting back, "Whenever you go on about our ancestry, Father, I can't help but nod off!"
Lucius walked over to Draco swiftly, his teeth bared, and slammed his cane powerfully against the bare floor. "Listen to me carefully, Draco ... the Dark Lord wishes you to marry the daughter of a noble pureblood family."
Draco swallowed thickly, his mind racing, "Who is it, Father?"
Lucius smiled grimly, "Since the Black family has lines to Morgana Le Fay, and the Parkinsons are the last relatives of the Gaunt family - who were the last of Salazar Slytherin's heirs ... The Dark Lord wishes for the greatest of bloodlines to come together - that of the Malfoys and the Parkinsons - which will bring the purest of Slytherin's last descendants together ... " Lucius said, sitting down again behind his desk, "Draco, the Dark Lord wishes for you and Pansy to marry within a fortnight ... to produce an heir."
Lucius' last four words rang across the study. Draco's ears were ringing. He felt the room began to swim. Laying his head back against the chair, Draco began to breathe erratically. Hadn't he had enough of surprise engagements for a lifetime? The very idea of marrying Granger was enough to give him nightmares ... but this?
"Draco," Lucius said slowly, "That isn't all."
"What else is there, Father?" Draco snapped tetchily, "What other ridiculous curse or - or - ancient bloodline nonsense could possibly be left? Do I have to marry Millicent Bulstrode because Merlin forbid her family preponsity for girth may die out? Have some curse force me to marry Goyle? Make me get engaged to the Giant Squid?"
"Don't be ridiculous, boy," Lucius yelled, "Now listen carefully. This is quite serious."
Draco sat down, breathing angrily.
Lucius' face became pale, "The Dark Lord plans for the Malfoys and the Parkinsons to wed ... because he wishes to keep your heir as his own. Because of your pureblood ancestry and for reasons only he knows ... he wants you to father the next Dark Lord."
Nothing more had to be said. Lucius became quiet again, and Draco was lost in those dark words.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the hallway of someone running. The door creaked open, and Bellatrix Lestrange stood in the doorway, smiling widely at Draco. Her hair was graying and frazzled, her hooded eyes were darting excitedly. Her long black robes were tattered, showing pale flesh through the seams. Narcissa stood behind her, looking at Draco anxiously.
"Did you tell him, Lucius?" Bellatrix asked feverishly, "Does the boy know of his great task?"
"He knows," Draco replied sardonically, an uneasy smile twisting on his face.
"Are you not pleased, Draco?" Narcissa asked stood back, watching him carefully.
"Don't be absurd, Cissy!" Bellatrix cackled, "Draco not pleased?" She laughed again, "He would know no higher pleasure than to serve the Dark Lord! It will be his honor to marry the pureblooded Parkinson daughter for our noble cause!"
"What say you, boy?" Lucius asked silkily, looking at Draco with sharp eyes, trying to read his son's face. "You haven't said a word since the announcement."
Draco cleared his throat, and put on the best smile he could summon. "Father, Pansy was my girlfriend in Hogwarts. If there's anyone in the world that I'd willingly marry, It would be her." Draco said believably, smiling at his aunt Bellatrix too, "I couldn't be happier with the Dark Lord's wishes. In fact, It may be my easiest mission yet."
Narcissa beamed happily, "I'm so happy, Draco!" She bent down to give Draco a warm hug, "Mrs. Parkinson will be so pleased! She was beside herself when she heard the Dark Lord's decree! Now our two families will be joined together, and you and Pansy will be married! The last time there was a marriage in the Black family, it was Andromeda who ran away with that Tonks ... "
Bellatrix screamed, "Don't you speak her name! She is nothing more than blood traitor - she isn't our sister anymore! And don't you dare speak of the filthy Mudblood she married! The shame she brought to our family! A Mudblood! Andromeda married a filthy, despicable Mudblood! And her daughter, that - that Nymphadora - she has just married a half-breed werewolf! They are the shame of our noble flesh!"
Draco's head shot jerkily to his Aunt Bella's tortured face. Andromeda Tonks, his mother's sister, was burned from the Black family tree after she had married a muggle-born wizard. His mind uneasily wandered to his own predicament. He wondered what would happen to him if he told his family about the curse of marriage in the Cave ...
"Let's not speak of such terrible things, Bella dear, "A sugary voice suddenly broke in, "We've got more important things to worry about now." Draco looked up to see Mrs. Parkinson standing in the doorway, holding a black stole around her shoulders, her gray hair wrapped tightly in a chignon, wearing pale velvet robes, and grinning like a banshee at Narcissa. They both screamed happily and hugged each other tightly.
"I can't believe your son is finally marrying my daughter!" Mrs. Parkinson shrieked happily, "Can you imagine us as grandmothers? With Draco's good looks, the grandchildren will be stunning!"
"Hyacinth, there was no one more stunning than Pansy at Hogwarts! Draco is lucky to have her as a bride! By the way, where is she?" Narcissa asked, looking around.
Mrs. Parkinson winked at Draco, "She's waiting upstairs in your room, Draco dear. I believe you'll have lots of things to talk about! Now leave us women to plan your grand affair! We haven't much time, Cissy, we've only got a fortnight!"
"I'm sure you ladies will manage somehow," Lucius' voice echoed from the other end of the empty room, "Starting tomorrow, you can get all the house-elves to work. Unfortunately, I can't be here as I have important work in the Ministry, but Draco surely can spare a few hours from his desk to assist you both, can't you, Draco?"
Draco gave a tight-lipped smile, "Yes, Father."
Draco got up unsteadily, and bowing slightly to everyone, left his father's study. A vague uneasiness swept over him as he sprinted up the marble stairs, and opened the doors to his suite looking for Pansy. She wasn't there. He turned confusedly, when suddenly, Pansy ran up behind him, grabbing his hands, twirling him around, pushing him up against the door, and kissed him strongly.
"Surprise!" She cried, laughing happily, "Oh Drakey, Isn't this the best thing ever? We can finally be together! When Mother told me what had happened today, I couldn't believe it! Nobody even knew how much the Dark Lord favors you!"
Draco gave her a deadpan look, "Pansy, what are you doing here? How long have you known?"
"Silly Draco," She said, running a finger up his chin to his nose, "Always so serious!"
Giggling, Pansy wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head against his chest. He was about to pull away, but surprising himself, he leaned into her, holding her close. It had been so long since he'd seen her. Everything from work at the Auror office to Death Eater meetings to a little vow of marriage to a swotty Gryffindor, Draco had been torn from his old simple life at Hogwarts - warm afternoons by the Black Lake with Pansy, playing Quidditch with Blaise, plotting Potter's death with Crabbe and Goyle. He hadn't realized how much his life had changed, and for the first time, life would be normal again. A marriage to Pansy was something he had expected all his life ... he just didn't know how to handle the curse of marriage to Granger.
"What's wrong?" Pansy asked curiously, looking up at his face, "You look upset."
"It's nothing," Draco replied quietly, unable to shake off the feeling of unease thinking of the curse.
"You do want to marry me, don't you, Draco?" She asked in a quiet voice, gasping suddenly as a thought came to her, "Is there another girl?"
He spluttered, "What - what do you mean? Of course there isn't! You're the only girl I've ever ..."
"So you love me more than any other girl?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, "Daphne's sister Astoria looked really upset when she found out we were getting married."
"I barely know her," Draco replied, pulling away from Pansy, "You don't have to worry."
Looking pleased, Pansy stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a long kiss. She brushed the dark hair over her eyes, and looked down at her hand, "Draco, I need a ring."
Draco smiled at her, taking her hand gently in his, "I promise you'll have one tomorrow. My great-grandmother's ring in our vault at Gringotts. It was goblin made in the eleventh century."
Suddenly, Pansy was looking at his wrist, "Draco," She cried loudly, "Where'd you get that strange-looking scar?"
Draco looked down at the shimmering opalescent scar circling his wrist. He had a memory of the glimmering eyes of the Mouth of Truth drinking his and Hermione's blood after the vow, the twinkling faerie lights around them as they kissed, her hair shimmering in the light.
Shaking his head, trying to forget, Draco shrugged, "You honestly expect me to remember how I get every scar?" He smiled grimly, trying to forget Granger's deep brown eyes, but couldn't. He walked Pansy downstairs to the front door, "I have a long day tomorrow, Pans. I've got to head in early to the Auror office to handle some paperwork. I'll see you later, all right, love?"
Nodding, she said, still unable to let go of him, "Send me an owl as soon as you get home tomorrow?"
"Sure, Pansy." Draco said, kissing her on the lips, before closing the door. He loped up to his suite, taking off his shoes, and fell back on the bed, looking up at the chandelier-lit ceiling.
His hands tugging at his tie, Draco found himself falling back into his dark thoughts that happened everytime he was alone. Just this afternoon, he was with Hermione, a meeting which had healed him of the curse sucking his strength till they were together. Their secret meetings was keeping them alive, and was keeping their secret safe. And now, in just one evening, his life had fallen apart again. Somehow, very soon, the truth would be known by everyone.
He couldn't help the nagging feeling that something terribly wrong was going to happen. He couldn't do this. Some part of him knew that he was destined to die … either by the curse taking his life if he didn't marry Granger … or by the Dark Lord killing him for refusing to marry Pansy.
As Draco Malfoy went to sleep, he realized that in his miserable life, he had just one choice. Die by an ancient curse or die by the Dark Lord's hand.
Even worse than that, Draco had to choose between Pansy Parkinson or Hermione Granger ... for a wife.
Author's Note:
Edited. I was waiting to keep some of the Dark Lord's plans about wanting Draco's heir secret till a few chapters later, but this is the best place for it. Also, the last part of Draco and Pansy's conversation about the scar is inspired from a scene in New Moon.