Chapter 1
Draco sat on the edge of his bed trying to ignore all the noises from downstairs that were creeping in his room. His father once again managed to excuse him from one of Voldemort meetings, that took place in his dining room. Ever since the Dark Lord helped Lucius Malfoy, to escape from Azkaban, Draco found himself more and more often being excused from meeting and missions, which left a trace of worry in his mind, since that meant, that his father put himself in harms way more and more. Voldemort deemed the love the Malfoys felt for each other weakness and a disgrace on the death eaters name. Luckily the Malfoy patriarchy's cunning ways saved him and his family all the time.
Draco sighed and casted a quick silencing charm on the room, so he can get some well needed sleep. Ever since Voldemort made himself at home in the Malfoy Manor, sleep came hardly to the wizard. First the impossible mission to kill one of the most powerful wizard, the schools headmaster, then all the threats against him and his parents and now his father going on many dangerous missions just so Draco won't be under the evil wizard's attention. Many nights he woke up in sweat because he dreamt about cruel ways in which they can all die. Those nights he hated the man he once adored with every pore in his body. If his father wouldn't have left all the prejudice he felt get him under the Dark Lord's power….if he would have stayed away...if… There was no point, they were pure blood slytherins, the exact kind of people he was recruiting. Any other Slytherin who refused to join him were dead. There was not one scenario in which they get away from Voldemort'e grip unscathed. Deep inside Draco strongly wished for his enemy, the person he hated with passion for years to win the battle. Potter and his stupidly heroic friends were the only one who are able to put this to end.
The blonde put the pillow on his head to try to stop the noise that now was just in his head. He still heard Dumbledore's voice promising protection. He still felt the yearning inside his own heart to accept it and finally feel peace of mind. It was all so close, all so possible, until professor Snape cast the spell that ended his only way out. The image of his old professors dead eyes was still haunting his nightmares every once in a while. The scene was still vivid in his mind. Snape casting the spell and Dumbledore 's eyes widening for a second before losing all light.
Sleep didn't want to come once again. He realised a long time ago that no matter how many silencing charms he casts, no matter how many sleeping potions he takes, he can't sleep while his parents are dealing with all the visitors downstairs and he's forced to play hide and seek with Voldemort. It was worry of how much longer can his mom watch her house, her pride tarnished. Worry of when the mission his father is going on will be the one to kill him and worry of when it will be decided that he hid like a coward long enough. Bellatrix kept on pushing his dad to send him on missions, since the black family "breeds fighters" and not "pussies".
It was already passed two in the morning when Draco started to feel the first signs, that sleep was taking over his body. His limbs felt soft his mind dull and eyes heavy. The wizard was gladly welcoming the long waited rest when the sudden bang of his door opening against the wall made him jump from the bed, wand drawn and body in attack position. His racing mind only calmed when he recognised Lucius frame determined in his direction. "Father" the word left his mouth in quiet whisper. "Did something…" his brain again started to jump to worst case scenarios. "happened to mom." Lucius looked at his son worry plastered all over his face. This times with them alone were more and more rare and more awkward. They used to have great father – son relationship, but now it was all a mocking whisper of the past. "You mother is perfectly fine. The Dark Lord, he has a mission for you." The time has come. His hiding behind the shadows in his own home ended and frankly he was more than ready to man up, no matter how afraid he was. He could not put his parents in danger any longer, just because he was scared.
"What mission?" asked the boy using all his willpower and oculmency to hide all this emotions in the back of his mind. Maybe if he leaves then his dad could stay and could protect his mom. Draco did his best to fight off any snatchers or death eaters who would look at her with lust. But she needed Lucius next to her so no one would see her as an easy target. Gladly nothing bad happened...yet.
"One, that I have to also admit, is perfect for you and luckily for your mom's peace of mind won't be extremely dangerous" Lucius smirked at his boy. "You have to infiltrate in the Order, through Potter and his close friends." Draco stood there and watched his father for a long couple of seconds, now completely in control of his mind and body. "And how do you reckon I would be able to do it? I don't know if you ever noticed but they hate my guts" Lucius just smirked at his son retort. "You are an attractive young man, Draco, maybe you should try to seduce the mudblood" The young wizard barely contained a laugh at his father's ridiculous idea. Granger, wouldn't even look at him long enough to find him attractive, let alone, let herself be seduced by him. He felt like he was sent to wild goose chase. Again. "Even if I would manage to seduce the mudblood. I don't know where are they. So how are suggesting that I will manage to get close to them?" The older man smiled like he was waiting for that question. "Because they just paid us a visit." Draco blinked a couple of times trying to make sense of the words. "A visit?" Lucius smiled wider. "Yeah, some snatchers just found them wandering in the forest and being idiotic enough to trigger the taboo put on the Dark Lords name." Draco knew instantly that Potter was the one stupid enough to say the forbidden name. Always so dumbly proud of himself for never trembling at the name. It was only natural that his cockyness will be the end of him. " We are almost certain that they are the mudblood, the blood traitor and Potter, but you are still needed to identify them." Draco scratched his nose for a long second before he meet his father's eyes. "If Potter is here, then aren't we going to hand him to the Dark Lord,? Wasn't this the plan? Catch Potter, without killing him because he's "HIS". So why am I suppose to infiltrate his inner circle if he was handed us on a platter." Lucius smile grew, making him look scary, just the way he used to be in his eyes, when he was a kid. "Oh, Draco, Draco plans can..." A heart—wrenching scream interrupted Lucius. Draco jumped up and run straight to the door, for second thinking it could be his mother. "I see your aunt is playing with the mudblood." He heard a voice behind him saying. He didn't stop. He ran down three stairs at time until he got into the dinning room, where his old classmate's body was writhing on the floor.
When Bellatrix heard his steps looked up and smiled creepily and waved to him with a bloody knife in her hand. Draco felt sick to his stomach, because of the image unfolding in front of him. Not because he would have cared about the girl, but because he saw multiple times how strong is Bellatrix's Cruciatus curse. He saw adult man cry and be for mercy, while pissing themselves in pain. "Crucio." The world broke him from his racing thoughts.
Hermione Granger the girl he wished death upon, on his second school year, was being tortured in front of him, yet he did not enjoy it in the slightest. This was all wrong. "I didn't take...anything." She whispered over and over again breathlessly as another wave of pain hit her body. Five more minutes passed before her aunt got bored of her prey. Draco's eyes were stuck in hers, like a hypnotic pull. He tried to comfort her by locking his eyes into hers. It was the only thing he was able to do. The blonde shivered remembering the Cruciatus curses he was put through after his failure at murdering Dumbledore.
He couldn't help her, no matter how hard he wished to. His and his family's lives were on the line. One second the boy was standing watching the witch helplessly and the next he was caught in a duel with the idiotic duo. Chaos erupted in the next minutes, Draco barely having time registering what was going. His old house elf managed to save Hermione from Bellatrix's grip by almost dropping the heavy chandelier on her.They all ran to each other and Dobby was ready to aparate them, when Draco in a sudden impulse jumped and joined them. The last thing he remembered before sudden darkness was a sharp pain in his side.
Draco woke up and looked around confused about his whereabouts. The room he resided in was small and obscure. The bed under him lumpy and uncomfortable. He tried to sit up when a sharp pain under his ribs made him fall back with hiss. The memories of the fight in the Malfoy manor came back suddenly. Now what? The wizard asked himself. He was there in the inner circle of the Golden Trio with no plan. Lucius idea was to seduce Granger and get information. But what information? They didn't really finished the conversation. His dad didn't really have time to tell him what was he expected to find out and he had no means to send any information to his father. A part of Draco, one he tried to quiet, wanted to help the Order, rather than betray then.
Malfoy tried to sit up again, this time taking more care of his side. When he managed to push himself up he realised that he was shirtless and his wounds were bandaged. Judging the fact that he was in his enemy's den, they took well care of him. He looked around the room once again. There was a small window on his left and he slowly placed the time between late-afternoon-early-evening. I've been out cold for at least for a day. The blonde thought to himself. At that moment the young man realised how silent it was in the small cottage. Maybe they took care of his wounds and left him alone. Maybe they thought he was danger to their mission and discarded of him in a safe environment. Panic started to rush to his aching head. Where was he? How was he suppose to get back home, when he was barely able to sit up? How was he suppose to complete his mission when he was abandoned? Did he really want to complete that mission?
Draco slowly slid his legs down the bed and tried to carefully stand up. Silencing charms were a thing, so the silence shouldn't scare him. At least not yet. He made a couple of slow steps, testing how to walk with minimal pain to his side. The door was getting closer now and each step was less painful to make. He descended through a short corridor that ended in a closed door. He heard some muffled whispers from the other side of the door. They either didn't put a charm on the room or the charm was already wearing off. No matter the reason he was grateful for the whispered sounds that soothed his ears. They didn't abandon Draco in a forsaken cottage.
The blonde pressed his forhead to the cold door, his mind running through all the options he had now. He could listen and get enough information to bring back to the Dark Lord or he could join them and defeat the evil being and gain salvation for his family. Both options came with great deal of risks. He felt his pacing mind overwhelm him and his only anchor was the cold door under his forhead. What now?