Chapter 10

Draco woke in the gloom of his bedroom. Every muscle seemed on fire and his head throbbed. He had had strange dreams. He felt his body had been torn apart, and then burned in a cauldron. He saw his mother dead, blasted with green light, he dreamt of power, and of death, of mutilation. He watched an old man die, over and over again. And, oddly enough, he also saw himself enjoying a sandwich with his disgraced cousin Sirius Black.

He shook himself from this confusing dreamworld and looked around him, and was greeted with what he felt was a far odder sight. It was his mother, Narcissa, sat asleep by his bed. In the history of his childhood, Draco had never been attended by his mother, it had always been a nanny or a house -elf.

She awoke, hearing his sheets rustle, and immediately pressed a hand to his forehead.

"You're quite clammy, darling. Let me fetch you something cool."

In a moment, three house-elves had appeared. One pressed a cool cloth to his head and his feet, another held a bowl of a soup and a third waited nearby with fresh clothes.

"Mother, I don't need this fuss." Draco felt irritated and angry. His arm burned , and looking down, just above the dark mark, he saw another mark. This one was red and bled slightly and was in the shape of a crescent moon.

"What is this?", asked Draco.

"I don't know darling. You've been asleep for three days. Do you remember going on a mission with …him?"

Draco furrowed his brow. "I remember leaving the Manor, but not much else. Has it really been three days?"

"Yes. The D…He said you had been tired by your mission. That we needed to care for you diligently."

Draco closed his eyes. He felt like there were voices, people in his head. He shook his head hard. "I feel odd."

"Your father wants to see you when you feel ready."

Draco looked once again at the marks and welts on his arm. "I will not see him" he said, in a voice that was not his, in a voice that was full of imperium. He raised his head and looked at his mother who shuddered as her son's grey eyes flashed a bright red.

"Draco?"

At the sound of her voice, the red in his eyes cooled and he shook his head again. Emotion overtook him and he sobbed openly. "What is happening to me?" The plaintive cry is too much for Narcissa who looks away from her son, her own tears coursing down her face.

Several miles away, Andromeda is frowning at her daughter. Dora has just related the encounter with Bellatrix in the pub and Andromeda's heart hasn't stopped thudding since. She knows what her sister, her mad mad sister is like. She remembers coming upon a bundle of bloodied baby kittens once.

"I don't want you doing this anymore, Nymphadora. Just tell Dumbledore you can't".

"'Andie, don't be an idiot.", This was Sirius, who had accompanied Dora to break the news.

"I'm not an idiot. Siri we both know what Bella can be like. What she can do. And Azkaban could have only driven her more insane."

"I can take Bella, I've never lost to her."

"Childish fights, Siri. When have you gone up against her as an adult?"

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "There was one time, 1979 maybe, a showdown between the Order and that rotting lot. Bella was in the fray."

"And you took her directly did you?"

"Not directly,no."

"So my point stands."

"Mum, forget about Sirius , I'm an accomplished Auror. Top of my class, I can take Auntie Bella."

"No, Nymphadora, you cannot. Because you are not an insane person. You will stay here, and be protected."

"Mum, this is bigger than your fears, we have a chance to bring You Know Who down. And I'm not scared of Auntie Bella or any of her lunatic friends. "

"My fears, my fears? Ever since you became an Auror I cannot sleep for seeing your dead body- every owl at our door sends shivers through me."

"Now, 'Dromeda, you're not being fair." This was Ted, who had been quiet so far.

"No, Ted, I know my sister. Do you remember when she found out i was pregnant? We were practically in hiding for nine months."

"Dora is a grown person, a skilled auror. And she's not fighting alone. Maybe it's time for us to join in the fight too."

"And besides, she's got her werewolf boyfriend on her side.", says Sirius without thinking.

Dora groaned.

"What boyfriend? What werewolf? What the f-"

But Andromeda is cut off by the hooting of an owl at their kitchen window.

Sirius frowns, it's too late for post. He detaches the note, feeds the owl some toast and passed the note to Andromeda. She reads it and silently hands it back to him.

The note reads:

Help me. Cissy.