Draco liked sweets. That's why he liked February. On Valentine's Day, Draco got a pile of chocolates from his admirers. Draco was aware of his great multitude of attractiveness, thanks to his parents' DNA and the Malfoys charm.
He started to notice it at the fourth year. Girls begun to flirt at him and each year the numbers of his admirers increased. At first Draco rejected them with nasty words. But when he discovered piles of Valentine chocolates on his desk, in his bag and dorm, he started to appreciate the girls' attentions. Though he never made any move to flirt back or dated one of them. Maybe that was why everyone entitled him the Slytherin Ice Prince.
This year though, Draco had no desire to touch any of the Valentine chocolates he received. One, because that year Amortentia potion became popular among students at Hogwarts. He didn't want to take a chance of being the receiver of the forbidden potion through the chocolates. Plus, he was too tired to scan for the potion in those big pile of sweets boxes. Second, he lost his appetite because he failed to perform the second task the Dark Lord gave him; to kill Dumbledore.
The poisonous wine he had prepared didn't reach the headmaster. He must find another way.
On the first weekend of March, Draco visited Hogsmeade. He was running out of sweets. After he visited Honeydukes, Draco planned to walk back straight to Hogwarts, leaving Blaise and Pansy to their own devices. It was still too early for the students to leave the village so Draco found himself walking by the road toward Hogwarts alone.
When he passed the Hogsmeade Station and was greeted by crowded trees by the side he was walking, Draco only had millisecond to be alerted by his intuition before a big and strong hand pulled him into the trees.
"What—"
"Hello little Malfoy," the captor greeted him then released Draco's arm.
"Greyback," Draco greeted back with unwavering voice. Oh he was scared, no doubt. Heart pounding fast. But Draco would never show weakness before someone dangerous. Draco noted the mordacious werewolf was alone.
"You smell more and more delicious each time we meet, little Malfoy," Greyback grinned widely, showing his razor sharp teeth.
"Is there anything you need from me? I haven't the time to chit chat with you all day," Draco looked at the Dark Lord's ally challengingly.
"You arrogant kid! I would have eaten you by now if not for the Dark Lord!" Greyback hissed in anger at Draco. It was shown clearly on the werewolf how he tried to hold himself not to cut open and chew Draco's flesh.
"Do you have a message for me from Him?" Draco quickly changed the subject of conversation. He was no fool to fish the Azkaban escapee's anger any further. He knew Greyback could and would kill him if he wanted to, disregarding Draco's position as one of the Dark Lord's pawns in a mission.
"Tch, feeling self-important, are you?" Greyback looked sharp at Draco. When he got no verbal response from Draco, he continued. "The Dark Lord demands to move the headquarter to Malfoy Manor. But as it seems that somehow the ward denied him, and he couldn't get Lucius to deal with it, the Dark Lord wanted you to open it for him."
There was no doubt Greyback saw the instant pale on Draco's face and could sense his horror because the werewolf smirked triumphantly before he disappeared deep into the forest.
As soon as he arrived at Hogwarts, without delay Draco wrote a letter to his mother, alerting her for the news he had just got.
~o~
From the day Fenrir Greyback visited him at Hogsmeade, Draco dedicated all his time and life working on the Vanishing Cabinet. He started to skip meals, withdrawing from Prefect duties, losing focus in study, even discounting sleeping time. Sweets he purchased were all forgotten.
In April, Draco noticed he began losing weight. Dark circles under his eyes. Three glasses of water and a small cut of chocolate bar became his only source of sustenance every day. He still couldn't transfer a small living bird through two Vanishing Cabinets alive. His eyes were dull.
Until on the second week of that month, Draco's eyes lit with hope at the Advanced Potions class.
"This one, ladies and gentlemen," Professor Slughorn taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it from vials holder on the display table and showing it to the class, "is Felix Felicis."
"It's liquid luck!" said Granger excitedly. "It makes you lucky."
The whole class seemed to stand straighter. Draco zoomed his undivided attention at the molten gold liquid splashing merrily in the tiny vial.
"Ten points to Gryffindor! Now turn your Advanced Potion Making to page ten. An hour should be the time to make a Draught of Living Death, and this fabulous liquid luck should be awarded to the decent brew. Off you go!"
Sounds of scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons filled the room briefly and then the class engulfed in silence as every student began to scale ingredients and worked on the formula.
Draco had brewed the potion once before, under Severus' supervision. He remembered the formula by heart. He glanced around the class, noticing the distress faces. He saw Potter crushed the sopophorous bean with the flat side of a dagger.
Draco tilted his head a fraction. How did Potter know about that? Only his godfather and Draco knew that trick. Draco shook his head. He didn't have time to wonder. He needed to brew the potion perfectly. He must get that Felix felicis!
Half the way of brewing, suddenly Draco felt a stinging pain on his left forearm, accidentally stirred the potion the wrong way. As sudden as the pain came, it was gone in a second. Draco hated intensely at whoever wrote his fate at that moment. There gone his chance to finish his secret tasks successfully. Harry bloody Potter got the Felix felicis.
~o~
Draco completely ignored and forgot about the pain on his left forearm he got on the second week of April. The pain didn't visit him again after all. Draco should know better than being ignorant and careless.
At Wednesday night of May the seventh, he had to pay for his ignorance.
"Ah!" Draco was awakened by the acute pain on his left forearm. It felt like his forearm was being pierced by a sharp sword. He rolled his pajama sleeve and grasped his left wrist with his other hand, trying to bear the intense pain that was coming from the Dark Mark decorating his once flawless skin. He quickly put on his robe and ran toward Severus' quarters. He knocked on his godfather's door.
"Come in." Severus, apparently had been expecting Draco, opened his door to let Draco step into his quarter.
Fresh and tender fragrance of herbs immediately greeted Draco's sense of smell. Normally, it would make him calm. But right now, the calming effect of those herbs neatly placed on Severus' potions shelves lining against the shadowy walls induced nothing to Draco's nerve.
"My mark!" Draco told Severus as soon as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor closed the door.
"Sit," Severus ordered, which was obeyed immediately by Draco.
"A message from the Dark Lord." Severus was standing before Draco, putting his stoic face with unwavering voice. He pulled out a small parchment from inside his sleeve and gave it to Draco.
As Draco took the parchment, the pain on his forearm eased and then gone when he unraveled the folded note. His face was almost as white as the albino peacocks at Malfoy Manor.
"He has Mother!" Draco stood up abruptly, looking at Severus in horror. His heart pounding fast and hard. The elegant handwriting on the message was unmistakably his mother's. "How did she get her?"
"You ignored the Dark Lord's previous call," Severus stared down at Draco.
"What? I didn—"
"Last month," Severus cut Draco. He saw the change on his godson's face. Blood lost from the teen's rigid face. Severus sighed inaudibly. "She was...secured upon her arrival in Paris this afternoon," Severus told him. "She refused to invite the Dark Lord into the Malfoy Manor."
"She...she couldn't. Even if she was willing to. I have locked the manor's ward." Draco squeezed the parchment in his hand.
Severus raised one of his jet-black eyebrows at that. He wasn't aware that the mastery of the Malfoy Manor had been handed over to Draco. Seeing the panic and glassy eyes on his godson's face, Severus put his palm on Draco's tensed shoulder.
"She will not be harmed. Set a priority to what the Dark Lord's commands you. Do not test him. Accomplish your task rapidly and without delay."
"He wants the Vanishing Cabinet ready within this term, and that I have to kill Dumbledore immediately," Draco choked at the last task given. Draco raised the crumpled parchment to give it to Severus but the Head of Slytherin House seethed and set it on fire. The small parchment burnt into ashes.
"Keep the tasks to yourself!" Severus hissed. The consequences were dangerous for someone who wasn't given the task get to hear it. Good thing Severus already knew Draco's tasks for he was the Dark Lord's right hand that he was always asked for advices by the lunatic dark wizard for almost every plan.
"What do I do?" Draco's voice started to waver. They all knew the Dark Lord gave him the latter task merely to punish him and his mother. It was clearly impossible for Draco to fulfill the task. If he couldn't kill the headmaster within that month, he and his mother would be put to death.
"Are you capable of finishing the second task?" Severus asked. He already knew about Draco's second task as the Dark Lord himself voiced his wicked plans concerning the Malfoys on Severus' presence last summer.
"I was chosen for this. This is my only opportunity to prove myself to the Dark Lord and Father. That I am worthy." Draco was lying, of course. He must protect his family. He cared no more about his value in the Dark Lord's eyes. He had no choice but to obey the lunatic man who held his parents' lives. But to be honest, he was—
"You're afraid, Draco. You attempt to conceal it, but it's obvious. You are aware that the Dark Lord is giving you the task to punish you and your family." Severus tightened his grip on Draco's shoulder. He knew his godson well. "Let me assist you."
"I don't need protection! I don't want any help! I can, and will do this by myself! If he knows I get help, he will kill Mother!" Draco tried to release his shoulder from Severus' grip and failed.
"I swore to protect you! I made the Unbreakable Vow with your mother!" Severus whispered in controlled anger.
"No!" Draco was aghast at the news. His next words were spoken in almost sob. "I can't… I can't risk Mother."
Severus fell into silent, contemplating the situation. He didn't want his close friend's only son to dive into danger. He had considered Draco as his own family. But if Severus intruded Draco's task, that would mean he was gambling with the teen and his mother's lives.
"How is your Occlumency?" Severus was giving Draco a piercing look. The blond stared back.
"How was it, Sir?" Draco asked, realized a moment later that Severus had just performed Legilimency on him.
"Good. Always on alert." Severus nodded in satisfaction. Severus squeezed Draco's shoulder briefly then released his grip on the teen. "You are smart and strong, Draco."
Maybe, Draco thought, if he fixed the Vanishing Cabinet immediately, the Dark Lord would dismiss or even forget his second task.
~o~
At lunchtime the next day, Draco paced toward the Room of Requirement. He could sense Potter was following him behind. He sped up his steps. As soon as he arrived before the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on the seventh floor, Draco concentrated on his thought to open the room he needed. And when finally a door emerged from the wall, Draco hastily walked into the room so the door would disappear before Potter reached the corridor.
A bird, the third parakeet Draco captured to test the cabinet, was put into the Vanishing Cabinet. Draco closed the door and pulled out his Hawthorn wand, concentrating his mind on the magical device.
"Harmonia nectere passus," Draco whispered the incantation to repair the broken cabinet. He repeated once again. After a moment, a soft swish was heard from inside the cabinet. Draco opened one of the doors and the bird was gone. He stared at the empty cabinet hopefully. Closing the door again, Draco concentrated and repeated the incantation.
When he opened it again, Draco looked as though he was fighting the urge to cry. The bird was there again, alive, but one of its wings was gone and was unable to stand.
~o~
Harry was lying on his bed, checking his Marauder's Map. He didn't have the appetite to eat anything that lunchtime. He had been retrieving from everyone since he returned to Hogwarts, including from Ron and Hermione. The Golden Trio was rarely to be seen that term, raising wonders among the student body and even professors and the ghosts.
Harry would visit the Great Lake alone in his free time. And only whenever he remembered Draco's balanced diet plan, he would visit Hogwarts kitchen to chew some food. Harry didn't actually need to continue the diet as he had gained healthy weight now, credits went to Draco.
Speaking of Draco, Harry was curious why the blond was rarely to be seen in this term. The Slytherin Price's existence was usually so pronounced every day in Hogwarts. Harry's wonder was then answered when one night he couldn't sleep and decided to play with the Marauder's Map. During his exploration on the magical parchment, he spotted Draco Malfoy label. Harry followed the label until it was suddenly gone at one corridor of the seventh floor.
"What? Where did he go?" Harry sat up on the bed, blinking and widening his eyes for he thought his tired eyes were playing trick on him. He scrunched up his eyes at the spot on the map. Harry remembered what place that was. "The Room of Requirement."
It was then becoming Harry Potter's new habit, keeping his eyes on Draco Malfoy through his stalking device. Twice Ron and Hermione caught him staring at Draco's dotted label on the Marauder's Map.
"Stop it, Harry! You are obsessed with Malfoy," Hermione told him. Ron nodded behind her. Harry didn't say anything to them.
Draco was suspiciously visiting the Room regularly and the blond had been spending plenty of times within the room. Harry tried several times to get inside the Room while Draco was there but no matter how he rephrased his requests to see Draco, the wall remained firmly doorless.
Today was an uneventful Thursday.
Draco was visiting the Room again. Harry had followed him behind but he was late. When he arrived, the door to the Room was already gone. So Harry went back to his dorm and opened his Marauder's Map. Harry waited until the blond's label reappeared on the map.
Usually, that dot would disappear into the Slytherin dungeon after Draco visited the Room. But today was different.
Harry rose from his bed when he saw Draco's label wasn't taking the stairs down toward the ground floor, but the label was moving faster toward a boy's bathroom on the floor below. That was unusual, Harry thought.
Without further ado, Harry hurried to that bathroom. When he arrived, Harry could not hear anything outside the closed bathroom. So he carefully pushed the door open.
Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, hands clutching either side of the sink. His blond head bowed and his whole body was shaking. And Harry realized with a shock.
Draco Malfoy was crying.