Draco
November 1997
Malfoy Manor
Draco sat with an unfocused stare at a round meeting table at Malfoy Manor. He was only meeting with Snatchers that day, and it was hardly worth his effort to keep up the pretense of being a close confidant to the Dark Lord among such low level accomplices. These meetings only required enough attention to pick up on relevant details that were important to him.
"What should we do with the group I collected Sir?"
Draco could tell he was being addressed. He looked up and let his eyes focus. "Two confirmed muggles, both males, and one female blood traitor"
"Take them to Brighton," Draco waved the Snatcher off.
The young Malfoy had recently insisted his talents be used to handle the muggle apprehension mission, but truth be told, he hadn't fully thought out all the details of how he would manage it. Sending the prisoners to his estate in Brighton was at least a tolerable option for the midterm. . It was by no means luxurious accommodations, but he could oversee the operation and ensure there was no barbaric treatment, and if that was all he could do for now, so be it.
Theo, who sat to his left, made a note on a piece of parchment to document the transport of newly captured muggles and traitors. Since the incident at the ministry, Theo and Pansy had approached Draco for occlumency lessons. While they continued their studies in protecting their minds, they both knew for their own safety, they would still be kept on a need to know basis on Malfoy's true intentions.
"I have three muggles confirmed, one female, two males" rasped a dingy looking man, his sour smell reaching every corner of the table. "and one that is being a right twat, can't figure out if he's muggle"
"Just transport them to Brighton," Draco again waved the Snatcher off. Theo went to make another note in the ledger.
The disgusting Snatcher continued. "I hope that red head rots in there," Draco sat straighter in his leather chair and the scratch of Theo's quill stalled.
"Uh," Theo coughed, looking down at the ledger. "Sir, it's been awhile since you've inspected a capture. This may be a decent batch to do quality control on before taking them to Brighton."
Even though Theo and Pansy did not know the extent of what Draco was doing, they got the gist of it. They had some sense that what he was up to had to do with their three classmates who were on the lam.
Draco nodded.
"Why you gotta quality control my bunch?" growled the man, slamming his hands to the table. It only took an icy, even stare from Draco to have him sink back in his seat.
"You will get paid so long as your prisoners appear to be what you say they are." Draco said warningly. "Theo, cut the other men their slips to collect, and you," he turned to the revolting man, "Tell me where your capture is"
—-
Draco apparated to a remote part of a sparse forrest scattered with tall, skinny evergreens that jutted up into the sky, their needles littering the forrest floor. Up ahead was a clearing with two men who looked like younger clones of the Snatcher at the Manor. In front of the Snatchers sat five individuals, bound and with their backs turned away from him.
A second later, Theo apparated to his side. "I left Pansy in charge," Theo drew a breath. "She was already ordering people around so I imagine most of the Death Eaters will be cleared out by the time you go back."
"We should leave her permanently in charge," Draco thought out loud but he sounded distracted. His eyes were fixed on the five sitting bodies.
They were too far for him to make out any particular details, but he was quick to spot the flash of red hair that he was certain was a Weasley. His eyes scanned for long, curly, frizzy hair.
"Come on," Theo nudged Draco, sensing his hesitation.
Regaining his control, Draco walked to the group of Snatchers and captives with Theo in his wake.
Getting closer, he noticed that the one captured witch had a long brown plait of curly hair draped over her shoulder. His breathing stalled. A selfish voice in him rallied with hope that it was her, so he could know where she was and just see her for a second. But he knew better than to give into those selfish desires, and prayed to whatever God that would answer him that she was not there.
"Oy what are you lot doing here," called one of the Snatchers towards Draco and Theo.
"Quality assurance" Theo answered evenly. "Make sure we're not paying out for nothing"
The Snatcher who had yelled realized that the individuals coming his direction were high ranking Death Eaters, and bowed his head.
"Sorry sir, I mean Mr. Malfoy. I didn't see that it was you," the man stammered. At that the mention of the name "Malfoy", the red head craned his neck around.
It was Weasley, Draco noted with an impassive glance at the prisoner. Weasley's eyes widened, then narrowed in contempt on the blonde.
If Weasley was there, there was a chance the woman with the plait was Granger, Draco thought, his heartbeat rallying.
Draco moved to the other side of where the captured individuals sat, and put every ounce of effort into feigning aloofness. When his eyes landed on the woman in the plait, his shoulders relaxed. It wasn't her; she hadn't been captured.
The witch was older than Hermione, perhaps in her thirties, with deep blue eyes that looked at him reluctantly. No freckles what so ever. The selfish part of him whined.
But this was good, it was just Weasley that he had to deal with, that was it. That alone made matters infinitely more easy for him.
Draco could feel the little weasel's eyes bore into the side of him as he went on intentionally ignoring him. Theo began the interview process with the captives.
"We still get paid right?" asked the same Snatcher who had called out when they arrived, this time with much more respect. Draco ignored him, instead, paced along the seated prisoners, most of their heads cast down, all except Weasley's.
Draco looked at the former Griffyndor carefully, and he could see that his mouth was moving feverishly. Ah, that's why it was so quiet, they all had a silencing charm placed on them. Thank Merlin above for it.
The red head continued to scream into nothingness up at Draco, his blue eyes deranged and a bit scared. Again, Draco looked over the other captured individuals, and then back to Ron. Why was he separated from Granger and Potter?
"Checks out, these lot are muggle borns," Theo called out to Draco.
Reaching into his robe, Draco pulled out two sacks of coins and tossed them to the Snatchers.
The one who hadn't spoke yet looked down at his bag as if he wanted to take off immediately with money in hand. The vocal one spoke up hesitantly "Usually we get paid by our boss"
Draco realized in the small way the Snatcher stated his concern that he could even be younger than himself. The Snatcher looked petrified of what the man at the manor may do to him if he was paid out of turn.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Draco let out a deep sigh. He was so sick of this war and what it made everyone become.
"That is for enduring a quality check. Those are your payments. Your boss will be paid separately for the captives," Draco then added. "It is your choice if you'd like to report these earnings to your boss. We will not be making note of it to them."
The quiet one immediately left, the glimmer of a gleeful look in his eyes lingered in the air from the point he apperated from.
The vocal one, the one who could be younger than Draco, nodded, and apperated away as well.
Theo wordlessly released the binds on the four muggles sitting on the ground. None of them made to flee. They looked exhausted; like the fight had melted out of them. But Weasley began to thrash, his binds still in tact.
"Draco," Theo approached him as he stood near Ron. "I brought the port keys. Could we use them with this group?"
Theo's eyes went back to the four muggles who were still sitting, no binds, heads sunk low. Draco had his reasons for wanting to have full oversight of the muggle apprehension initiative, but in watching his oldest friend Theo over the past few weeks, it was becoming clear that Theo had made it his mission to get as many muggles out of the country as he possibly could.
Theo had always been softer, more carefree than the other Slytherins, Draco thought. It had always perplexed Draco, seeing as how Theo's upbringing was anything but kind.
Theo's father did everything he could to beat and punish the compassion out of Theo while he was growing up. Draco hardly recalled how Theo Nott Sr. was before his wife passed away, him and Theo couldn't have been older than five, but Draco felt that even before the tragic passing of Theo's mother, he was still an awful person.
With the exception of his aunt Bellatrix, Nott Sr. was the most cruel and psychotic Death Eater around. Before Draco had taken over the muggle apprehension initiative, Nott Sr. had made a sport out of torturing the muggles they had captured one by one as the Death Eaters took bets on when one of the muggles would go insane first. Then, after the muggles were tortured and or insane, Nott Sr. would personally kill each of them after they were no longer of any use to him.
"Yes, use the port keys to France," Draco nodded. Theo turned to the muggles and crouched down to explain what would happen next.
Draco Theo and Pansy having come into possession of spare port keys that conveniently sent the users out of the country was another surprising development in their elusive mission. A week after Draco took charge of the muggle operation, right after repurposing one of the old Malfoy estates to hold the prisoners, Narcissa approached Draco with a velvet pouch that hung heavy in her hand.
"I seemed to have forgot that I had these," she commented casually to Draco, extending out the black velvet bag she held. "I had a stock pile of these port keys as a girl to get to my finishing school in France. I do know how port keys are illegal to have if not registered, so I did want to be sure and report this finding to you."
Draco gave his mother a cautious look, wanting to be absolutely sure he understood her meaning. It was brief, but he caught a flash of rebellion and intrigue in her eyes.
"I found La Maison de la Gentillesse to be a very welcoming place," Narcissa added, barely exaggerating the word "welcoming". And without another word on the matter, Narcissa walked away.
So, in secret, and whenever possible, typically with larger groups to get the most out of each remaining port key, Theo and Draco would send groups of Muggles to an a finishing school in France. Draco trusted his mother beyond anything, but there was still a fear that their plan would fall in on itself, which would remove Draco from his position of monitoring all captures of muggle borns, and likely also resulting in his death.
Theo did have a clever plan though, Draco thought. Before sending the muggle away, Theo would explain to them they were to go to Brighton where they would be held until further notice. When they touched the coin though, they would be transported to France. They had plausible deniability that even they didn't know that they were sending the muggles out of country.
But all of that wasn't Draco's concern right now. His concern was with this idiot Ron Weasley, who went and got himself caught by a bunch of half wit Snatchers, leaving Granger alone with the hapless Potter.
Once the muggles had left by port key, Theo turned to face Ron with Draco.
"Do you think he'll tire himself out, thrashing around like that?" Theo mused, watching Ron scream into nothingness and writhe.
"If only," Draco replied, placing a hand on his wand and wordlessly removing Weasley's silencing charm.
"I'll kill you Malfoy, I swear to Merlin I will. And you'll never find them and I'll never…." it hardly made sense what he was saying, but Malfoy got the gist of it.
"Weasley," Draco finally said, calmly.
"Fuck you Malfoy," Ron screamed, spitting a little.
Draco rubbed at his eyes in a frustrated manner. He then turned to Theo and nodded, who took the cue to walk out of hearing range to keep the need to know basis on what Draco was really doing intact. As Theo walked away, a moment of panic crossed over Weasley's features at being left alone with the Slytherin.
Draco finally spoke quietly down to the red head "Why are you not with Granger and Potter?"
"I would never tell you where they are," Ron hissed.
Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. Weasley was a daft right idiot. "I did not ask you where they are. I asked you why you are not with them."
Ron's complexion blanched. Was that shame Draco noted?
It was clear Ron was unwilling to provide insight. "Fine, we'll do it the easy way then. Stand up"
"No"
Draco sighed, then pointed his wand at Ron, which propelled him into a standing position.
"Let me go"
"No," Draco replied, pointing his wand level with Ron's head and then spoke "Legimmines"
"We don't even know what we're looking for! There is no plan Harry!" Weasley shouted, pacing around what Draco thought was a ratty old tent. The only thing in this vision so far was Potter, red in the face.
"I didn't promise this was going to be a walk in the park Ron!" Potter yelled back, but Weasley was turning away from him before he even finished.
"Dumbledore didn't give you anything! Nothing! We don't know what we're doing!" Weasley screamed.
"Ron, please" came a small voice from behind him. Draco's throat tightened, willing Weasley to just turn around for a second.
"Hermione are you seriously OK with all of this?" Weasley yelled, still pacing around the tent, picking up loose items and throwing them into a bag.
"We told Harry we were with him no matter what" her voice called out, sounding strained and desperate. Finally Weasley turned, and there she was.
Draco could feel himself trying to move towards her even though he was locked in place as it was only a memory seen through Weasley's beady little eyes. He took her in as quickly and desperately as he could, noting that her frame seemed even more slight than it was the last time he saw her. Her clothes looked severely worn, with tears and freys appearing over her pants and hoodie.
Then he was looking into her face, and it was like a man dying of thirst getting his first sip of water in days. Her warm brown eyes glimmered in the lamp light that lit the tent. He saw even more freckles than before on her face, a sign that they were often outside, he thought.
And that damn hair. He was coming to terms with the fact he never hated it. It had always been a fixation, yes but perhaps the anger he previously felt was a means to cauterize anything else materializing.
"Hermione, lets go" Weasley said again, now holding a hand out to her.
Her face looked at Weasley's hand, then back to his face.
"Ron, we can't leave Harry, he needs us" she spoke, tears forming at her lids.
"Fine! Choose Harry. You always do." Weasley said coldly, his head turning from her, but not before Draco could see the ultimate devastation sweep across her face.
Draco felt the memory move with Weasley's feet towards the tent flap.
"Ron please don't go!" Hermione cried out desperately. "Ron don't!"
His steps didn't even falter at her plea, he kept walking until he was clear enough from the tent and their wards.
"I'm begging you Ron!" was the last sound of Hermione's voice from the memory. Weasley then turned on the spot, appariting away from their camp site.
The next memory was of Weasley being grabbed by the shoulders and wrestled to the ground by the Snatchers.
Draco pulled back from Weasley's mind. The latter shook his head, never having been legimmens before, but the look on his face determined he felt invaded none the less.
"What the fuck was that?" Weasley called out, faintly and a bit confused.
Draco closed the space between himself and Weasley and violently shoved the Gryffindor backwards sending him tumbling into the dirt and pine needles behind him.
"You left her!" Draco roared, following Weasley to where he had fallen.
Weasley got to his feet and charged at Draco.
At full height, Draco was just slightly taller than Weasley. Draco grabbed Weasley's shirt by the shoulders and held him at bay.
"She begged you to stay, and you left her!" Draco shouted dangerously directly into Weasley's face.
"Hey now, lets all cool down," Theo stepped in, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco curled his fists into Weasley's shirt, and then pushed him back.
"You're a coward" Draco spat, prowling towards Weasley again, but it seemed like the fight had left the red head at the realization that Draco had seen what had happened.
"You don't know what it was like," Weasley said, almost too soft to hear.
A manic laugh ripped through Draco's lips. "I don't care what it was like. You were suppose to stay with her!"
Weasley shook his head, like he was just now coming out of some type of daze. "I just kept having these dark and terrible thoughts…"
"I'm not your fucking therapist Weasley," Draco growled, marching towards him again. This time Theo stepped in between them. "You heard her beg. You heard her say you both promised Potter you would stick with him. You are a coward."
Draco's shoulders were heaving. Months of pent up rage and concern all erupted out of him in this one moment, at Weasley, which he didn't object to.
"I know," Weasley finally said, getting back up to his feet, his entire posture slack.
"Go back to them, now." Draco ordered.
"Draco, you have to modify…" Theo stepped in, reminding Draco of procedure. He was too blinded by pure rage.
"I can't," Ron croaked out. "They move every 24 hours. I've been held for 48"
Draco's wand was out, pointing at Weasley who appeared as if he would welcome whatever punishment Draco gave him. Theo gently pressed Draco's wand down.
"You don't deserve her," Draco hissed, looking Weasley up and down.
Weasley raised his eyes to Draco's. "You care about her?"
Draco held Ron's stare but said nothing.
Theo uncomfortably shifted between the two wizards.
"In the library…." Weasley began, eyes screwing up at the memory. "She was there, wasn't she."
Draco moved closer, now inches away from Weasley's face. Theo stood by in case matters escalated.
"I found her, drunk and crying that night because of what you did," Draco sounded nearly feral. "And then, low and behold, you show up. With that witch you used to make Hermione jealous," Weasley's eyes narrowed when Draco said 'Hermione' but he didn't care. "You did it to hurt her. Everything you do hurts her, and you just can't seem to stop yourself, can you?"
Weasley's mouth was agape. Theo, standing by, was doing his best not to listen.
As Ron was about to say something, Draco raised his wand to Weasley's forehead and spoke "Obliviate".
Eyes glazed over, Weasley now stood in front of Draco like a zombie.
Theo gradually cleared his throat. Draco realized he could not just murder Weasley, and had to assist him in getting him back to Hermione and Potter.
"What now?" Theo asked, scratching his neck.
"Give me one of the confiscated wands" Draco held out his hand. Theo pulled out a wand from a bag he had been carrying and handed it to him, which Draco then shoved into Weasley's back pocket.
"What's the status of the other Weasley's?" Draco asked, eyes unfocused on the red head in front of him.
"They're unaccounted for. Likely underground. There are rumors the oldest is off on his own with that Veela girl. At some seaside cottage. No one can find it though"
Draco took a breath. "He'll need to find him then"
"Yeah but what will the memory be of how he got away?" Theo asked.
"That he pissed his pants and the Snatchers were so disgusted with how much of a coward he was that they gave him a wand out of pity and left him be." Draco offered as an option.
"While I love that," Theo replied, brows raising in approval, "I feel like that memory is not very plausible and may fall in on itself"
Draco sighed. "I suppose I can have it be that he wrestled away a wand and was able to apparate," Draco resigned, now looking at Theo. "But I am going to give him the memory that he pissed his pants when he was caught."
A smile tugged at theo's lips. "I think that's completely plausible"
Draco finished the memory, and set it to have Weasley come to in a few moments. Looking at Weasley's slack jaw, Draco prayed to Merlin that this idiot could find his way back.
