The cold night air of mid-February stung any exposed areas of the group's bodies, but complaints were not heard. Instead, they walked the gravel path to large rot iron gates that secured the Malfoy Manner. Behind Draco, Hermione whimpered as her bare feet were forced to cross the frozen stones.
"Ah, home at last." Draco taunted in a joyous tone.
"Keep it up boy, and this will be the last place you ever see." Greyback warned with a rough shove to Draco's shoulder.
"What do you have?" Bellatrix's voice asked Manaclair as the group came to the gate. In response, Manaclair forced Harry's face to the moonlight giving Bellatrix full view of his face.
"Excellent!" Bellatrix beamed with an insane glimmer.
"Also got his friends and Draco!" Nott announced proudly.
"Draco?" Bellatrix asked, shocked.
"Yes, Aunt Bella." Draco stepped to face her.
"I'm taking him." Bella told Greyback. In response, Greyback stepped back releasing Draco's arm. Wordlessly, Bellatrix gripped Draco's arm and led him to the Mansion's entrance. The trip to the drawing room was much quicker than Draco's liking, and his fear increased steadily with each step.
"Found him." Bellatrix pronounced throwing Draco forward causing him to stumble.
"Hello, Father," Draco stared deadly at his father, before changing his composure completely as he turned towards Narcissia, "Mother."
"Don't think for a minute that you can win over your mother's affection this time." Lucius told his son.
"Leave." Bellatrix ordered the other Death Eaters.
"But we-" Manaclair begain.
"Now!" Bellatrix screamed causing the group to turn and walk away quickly.
"You lost boy, and now you will pay your consequences." Lucius told his son. Despite his internal thoughts, Draco kept his composure confident.
"I doubt you could actually do anything that I am not accustomed to." Draco answered, unwilling to bend to his father's threats.
"Lucius, we have Potter." Bellatrix reminded.
"But you would rather have me to destroy, than give the Dark Lord his prize. You were always so loyal, weren't you, Father." Draco supplied.
"Enough!" Lucius struck his son's left cheek leaving a large handprint.
"In the presence of a lady, now that's a low, even for you." Draco returned feeling stronger than his circumstances gave him.
"Take them down stairs, but leave Potter." Lucius told Bellatrix and Narcissia. Nodding, Narcissia gently took her son's arm while Bellatrix roughly pushed Ron and Hermione forward.
"I'm sorry, Mother." Draco told his mother softly so Bellatrix would not hear.
"Do not apologize for something you are not truly sorry for. I only wish I had the bravery you carry." Narcissia told him.
"Potter cannot be given to the Dark Lord." Draco instructed.
"Yes, I know. We will have to distract your father long enough to get him out of here."
"Bait him with me. You know as well as I do that Father wants nothing more than to have a long… chat with me." Draco answered as they approached the dungeon.
"I will do everything I can." Narcissia promised.
"Get the others out also." Draco reminded.
"Naturally. I love you, Draco."
"I love you too, Mother."
Being a prisoner of the Malfoy Manner was much different than watching and holding the prisoners. Since his 14th birthday, Draco had been given the charge of dungeon guard. Though he despised his position greatly, he never appreciated the fear that consumed the prisoners until he was thrown into the darkness that consumed the dungeon.
"Hello," The voice of an old man spoke warmly in the darkness.
"Who's there?" Draco asked not at all kindly.
"Garrick Ollivander." The man replied.
"Mr. Ollivander!" Hermione exclaimed, "Everyone thought you were dead."
"Takes a lot more than a few months in this place to kill me." Mr. Ollivander answered with a chuckle, "Do you have any idea what day it is today?"
"February 20th, sir." Draco answered without hesitation.
"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen sunlight. And who might you be?" Mr. Ollivander asked.
"I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ronald Weasley," Hermione started while Ron gave a quick, 'hello' when introduced, "and Draco Malfoy."
"Draco Malfoy? I never thought I would see you here." The sing song, and absolutely unforgettable, voice of Luna Lovegood told the darkness.
"Luna?" Draco turned to the voice, her small silhouette was barely visible, "I thought you were with your father."
"I was, but apparently your family believes my father has information they need." Luna answered quietly, her voice sounding much less cheery than Draco had ever heard.
"I'm sorry." Draco offered knowing his apology was meaningless.
"It's not that bad." Luna replied her optimistic self shining, "Mr. Ollivander has been wonderful company."
Mr. Ollivander chuckled before replying, "I have to say if I was ever imprisoned somewhere I would be delighted to have Luna as my cell mate."
"Are you two ok?" Hermione asked quietly though the answer was obvious.
"Oh yes," Luna answered hastily.
"They've been feeding us twice a day to keep us alive." Mr. Ollivander answered.
"Sir, if I may ask, why are you here?" Draco asked Mr. Ollivander.
"Mrs. Lestrange had some, er, questions for me." Ollivander answered.
"Concerning what exactly?" Draco interrogated.
"Have you heard the tale of the three brothers?" Ollivander asked.
"Naturally." Draco answered.
"No, actually." Hermione answered quietly.
"Read that old book you are carrying sometime." Draco shot at her quickly.
"Now son, there is no need to treat the lady in that manner." Ollivander answered.
"My apologies," Draco nodded to Hermione, "So they are after the Elder Wand."
"Yes, but I pray they won't be able to obtain it." Ollivander answered.
"Who did it obey to last?" Draco asked.
"Albus Dumbledore." Ollivander answered.
"Of course it did. He was killed by Snape, so it answers to Snape now."
"The Elder Wand is not passed on thru death, but rather defeat. How was the eldest brother killed?" Ollivander asked.
"His throat was slit while he was sleeping." Draco answered.
"Death took him, but his defeat is what gave the wand a new owner. If I were able to duel you and I, say disarmed you, I have not killed you but now am the owner of your wand. If I were to sneak upon you and take your wand by physical power, the wand will still respond to you. Now to a certain extent, the wand will obey my basic commands, but if I were to try and kill you or hurt you with your wand, the wand would back fire on its user."
"So whom does the Elder Wand answer to?" Hermione asked.
"Sadly, I do not know. There were rumors that you were there, Mr. Malfoy, when Albus died." Ollivander smiled in the darkness.
"Yes, I was. He was a clever man, Dumbledore, wasn't he?" Draco smiled understandingly.
"Yes, he was." Ollivander replied, now confident on his theory.
After several hours of Hermione whimpering into Ron's shoulder, Narcissia marched down the stone steps with a battered looking Potter in her grasp. Inwardly, Draco and Ollivander sighed a breath of relief that the Dark Lord had not taken the Chosen One into his clutch, while Hermione and Ron quietly celebrated their friend's return.
"Draco," Narcissia called softly after pushing Harry thru the gate.
"Thank you, Mother." Draco replied kindly as he made his way thru the dungeon entrance. Before leaving, Draco turned to the trio and whispered, "Do whatever she tells you without complaint, if she can, she will only have a small window to get you guy out of here. Go the newest safe house, that's where I sent our bags."
"And what about you?" Hermione asked.
"I do not matter, continue the search at Hogwarts." Draco replied.
"They can offer you protection, Mother." Draco whispered as the two made their way to the Drawing Room.
"I chose my life, and though I regret it, I am of more use to his downfall here than there." Narcissia answered.
"But-"
"No argument." Narcissa pulled her son into a tight embrace, tears threatening to spill over her eyes.
"After this war, I will come and find you." Draco swore.
"When you propose to her, give her this," Narcissia pulled a small ring from her robe pocket. Very simple, the bronze band held two emeralds close together.
"Thank you, but you will have to come to the wedding." Draco smiled taking the ring from his mother's hand and slipping it into his pocket.
"Now, we'd better get going before anyone finds us." Narcissia smiled encouragingly at her son before continuing to Lucius and Bellatrix.
Several hours of interrogation found Draco bound to a metal chair, his mind on the verge of explosion and his body begging for a moment of rest. He kept his composure stone like as his aunt and father threw curses and hexes at him while he refused to give information of the Order to them. Draco could tell that his father began to tire and his aunt's skin was covered in a sheen of sweat.
"Which Horcruxes have they found?" Lucius yelled for the tenth time.
"All of them. None of them. Some of them. I'm not really sure." Draco pondered.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix hissed hitting Draco full on with the Unforgivable Curse. Blinding pain coursed thru Draco's body, and he desperately fought to keep the pain from his aggressors. As if someone were digging into his memories, Draco in a feeble state, though he valiantly tried, could not keep his father from preforming Legitamency on him. Instead he tried to hold certain memories, a trick Severus Snape had taught him.
"Think of the strongest memory you have. Unlike a Patronus Charm, this memory can be good or heartbreaking. But it must be powerful. This is not a solution to blocking your mind from your attacker, merely a blockade." Snape had told the young 13-year-old Draco Malfoy who quietly whimpered in the Potion's dungeon.
He was running, his breath rapid and ragged. It wasn't the type of running one might do as a form of exercise, not that of one running from the perils of doom. In fact, Draco could not manage to bring himself back to earth, as the muggles say. Excitement and bliss skyrocketed his adrenaline.
"Where are you running to, Malfoy? The dungeon peddler went the other way." A female voice mocked.
"NO! Get out of here! He'll find you! Run!" Draco told the female desperately.
"Where's my kiss, love?" The female asked, her body now in Draco's full view.
"I think I left it in the locker room." Memory Draco answered with a seductive smile.
"That's a shame." Ginny slowly approached his body, and he ached for her touch. When they were inches apart, he pulled her to his body as if afraid she would leave.
"He'll kill you! Run!" Draco screamed.
"I love you, Draco." Ginny whispered before closing the distance to their lips. They had barely touched when Draco pulled away. At her confused look, he smiled broadly.
"Not as much as I love you, Ginevra."
Imagine yourself in the best dream possible. Now imagine desperately wanting to leave that dream, to save someone you really, truly loved. Think of the sharpest pair of scissors your mother or grandmother owns. As a child, you might have observed how clean those scissors sliced thru even the thickest materials with a metallic, 'snip, snip, snip'. Combine this sensation with the mixture of ice water being dumped on you when you were peacefully dozing in the summer rays, and you will experience what Draco felt when he was pulled from the intrusion of his memories.
After a second of heaving, Draco caught his breath. Looking up, Draco dared to catch his father's eye. Eye color cannot change in an instant, but since that moment, Draco never believed that fact. Replacing the stony grey color, Lucius' eyes were two large orbs of furry, wrath, disbelief, and pain. The color of flaming red, but at the same instant, the deepest and darkest black Draco had ever seen. Slowly, Lucius raised his wand arm, and without forming the words on his lips, sliced Draco's back open in a diagonal line of blood. Refusing to let his father feel pleasure in his pain, Draco bit back a scream, and dug his nails into his palm deeper than he had prior.
"Traitor!" Lucius screamed at his son while Bellatrix's furry silently built.
"A traitor does not deserve the honor or wearing the Dark Mark." Bellatrix told Draco, her voice soft and icy sending a chill of fear down Draco's back. She moved to her leather belt and pulled out her favorite curved knife, the one that came dangerously close to killing Ginny a few months ago.
"How could you do this to me?" Lucius screamed, "After everything I have given you and this is how you repay me?"
Bellatrix pulled up Draco's left sleeve revealing his Dark Mark. Draco quickly realized what she was planning to do and fear set into his body. Bellatrix must have put a body binding curse on Draco holding his entire body, save his head, completely immobilized. Slowly, she sank her knife into Draco's arm cutting a square around the branded skin. Draco was too fatigued to fight back his emotions as pain erupted through his body. Blood dripped around his arm as Bellatrix continued to cut the skin. Draco could feel the muscles and nerves being cut away as the knife slowly and agonizingly pulled the skin off his arm. When she finished, she gleefully held the bloody skin to Draco's eyes.
"You were given the honor of taking this mark," Bellatrix hissed holding the skin inches from his eyes as he attempted to hold in a whimper, "A MALFOY carries their mark with HONOR. A traitor," Bellatrix's iced features made Draco more fearful for her next actions, "will carry their mark with shame."
With a cackle, Bellatrix slapped the piece of bloody skin onto Draco's forehead before adding a permanent sticking charm. Warm blood trickled down Draco's forehead and a few droplets dripped into his eyes. More forceful then previously, the two Death Eaters threw curses at the young Malfoy without hesitation or pause.
"Give him a rest, were not going to get anything out of the rat." Lucius told Bellatrix softly, "Narcissia!"
"Yes, Lucius?" Narcissia asked in a hollow and shaky voice stepping into the Drawing Room.
"Get Potter, I will give him to the Dark Lord tonight." Lucius ordered.
"I just came from the dungeons," Narcissa began.
"So go back, you lazy fool." Lucius hissed while Draco bit back some choice words for his father.
"They are gone." Narcissa whispered.
"What?" Bellatrix asked her sister in horrified shock.
"They are gone. All of them." Narcissa answered softly.
"Wench!" Lucius shouted at his wife advancing upon her.
"Don't call her that!" Draco summoned his remaining strength, but his voice was strained.
"Don't tell me what to say to my wife, blood-traitor." Lucius spat before turning to his wife, "Avada kedavra!"
Gently, her soft, loving body fell to the floor.
Lifeless.
Gone.