A/N: This fic could not exist without my cheerleader, ZieZie13! Lots of love to ZieZie13.
Leave this place behind, in silence
And the weight we find inside us
Lead me to the edge of night
'Till the dawn
The end of time
'Till the fire blazing light
Shines again within our eyes
Half awake and almost dead
Keeping empty beds elsewhere
We're yet to bleed
We're yet to bleed
All the time and energy
— Hearts like Ours by The Naked And Famous
Say it. Say it! "Crucio." SAY IT!
The girl's pleading eyes reminded Draco of a rabbit fattened for slaughter. The Hufflepuff badge, polished to shine with a mother's love, was brand new. She was brand new: a first year Hufflepuff in detention for sobbing in a Charms lesson. Draco raised his wand with a ramrod straight arm and looked into the eleven-year-old's panicked eyes. He said with conviction, "Crucio."
Red jets of light spurred from his wand. She squealed like a piglet, fingers clawing over her twisting body.
Draco always did the same. If he touched the places that hurt, maybe he could soothe it.
But Unforgivable Curses were never soothed, not until the caster willed it. Stopped enjoying it.
And Draco enjoyed it.
If he failed to torture this girl, then his family could suffer. Professor Carrow might force a student to practice on Draco instead. He enjoyed not being in her position. He observed as her tiny body writhed and screams tore from her throat.
Carrow stalked down the classroom aisles as N.E.W.T. level Defense students practiced the Cruciatus Curse on those in detention. Carrow inspected everyone's execution.
Draco wanted her to know that Hogwarts had not always been hell. Hogwarts filled children with wonder and excitement and glee over the potential accomplishments of the magic within them. Hogwarts let children charm feathers to float high above their heads. First years soared over Hogwarts grounds on borrowed broomsticks in their flying lessons. Hogwarts never tortured children in detention.
He did not want her to know that he had welcomed Carrow into Hogwarts.
But he had.
Were he not too weak-willed and had he found a way to enjoy it, he would have killed Dumbledore, too.
Carrow loomed behind him.
"Well done, Mr. Malfoy," said Carrow, close. Draco's neck itched from the gravity of his presence warping the air around him. He clutched his wand tighter. Closer now, Carrow whispered, the vowels longer, thicker, "Relax, Draco." He massaged Draco's shoulders.
Reflexively, Draco stiffened and itched to bolt away, but then Carrow found the tense knots that lived beneath his skin since the summer before sixth year. Carrow kneaded the aches in firm strokes. Despite every impulse shouting at him, Draco relaxed. The stress of the past year melted under the soothing, rhythmic touch. The hold on his wand loosened, magic coming fluidly, easily.
The girl's screams pierced through all the others in the room.
Her limbs convulsed. Her head thrashed wilder than ever.
A knot in his shoulder bled away to pure bliss. His eyes fluttered at the catharsis. He saw flashes of a black void and the Hufflepuff's tortured body.
He swallowed down rising bile.
Carrow called out for all the entire classroom to hear, "Students! Cease your incantations and observe Mr. Malfoy, his wand work and control. It takes conviction to achieve magic this powerful."
Carrow leaned close, his lips wet with saliva and touching Draco's ear. He hissed, "Do you remember how the Dark Lord killed that Muggle-lover with only two words? It feels better than this. Like nothing you can imagine."
Draco imagined little. He only observed. Her screams, her convulsing body. Red stained the corner of her mouth. She must have bitten the inside of her mouth hard. Draco would have. He enjoyed not being her. He enjoyed that tremendously. That pleasure fueled his magic and deepened the louder that her screams rose.
He very much so enjoyed being Draco Malfoy.
A/N: The next update will be in a few months because I'm still writing it. This is just a prologue, which is why it's so short. I'm not sure how long this fic will be, but it's going to be long. I'm guessing over 150k. Subscribe if you'd like. I love your reviews, follows, favs, everything. This fic started out as just wanting Draco to go back in time and snog a Marauder, and now it's my baby. lol Hope you enjoy Draco and Sirius's wild ride of murder, love, and redemption. :) If you want to see moodboards, playlists, and other stuff for the fic, you can go to my tumblr mydearestprongs and check out the tag "detectivemalfoyseries."
Content Warning: Draco has panic disorder in this fic. He'll have a lot of panic attacks and anxiety relating to them, as well as minor agoraphobia after recovering from particularly intense panic attacks.