*To my reviewers (if I have any who still like me) - Okay, I am REALLY sorry about the horribly long space between my updates. School is killing me, and I have a lot of work. I have also been extremely sick, and I am now on kinda an outpatient thing, and will be home for a while. I won't bore you with the details, because I know that that's not what you want to hear. I have another pathetic excuse, if you're ready for it- I had writers' block. The most horrible writers' block you can imagine. And then, all of a sudden, I got it! When I was blow-drying my hair yesterday, if you care, hahaha. Here is the product of my suffering- hope you like-or tolerate- just review!

Let Slip the Dogs of War

by Balizabeth

"With Ate by his side come hot from hell,

Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice

Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;

That this foul deed shall smell above the earth

With carrion men, groaning for burial."

-William Shakespeare,

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Act III, scene i

Draco Malfoy lay in a bed in the hospital wing, alone, with his hands folded in their customary position behind his head. To the casual observer, he might have looked as if he were simply taking a short, casual break instead of recovering from a concussion.

Which was the way he preferred it. Madam Pomfrey had long since retired for the night, for which he was eternally grateful- he couldn't bear that woman's fussing. So what if Potter had knocked him out- the only thing truly damaged was his pride. The most important thing about a Malfoy was his pride. That was one of the many things his father had drilled into his head when he was younger.

Which was why the only thing Draco was worried about at the moment was how his father would react when he found at that Draco had allowed himself to be attacked. By Potter. By Potter, without a wand. By Potter, without a wand, in front of a crowd. Draco suppressed a shiver. No, his father would not be pleased. Lucius Malfoy. His father. A man of cunning, of wit and perseverance. A man of power. A man to be respected and feared. A Death Eater and supporter of Lord Voldemort.

God, how Draco hated him. He hated him with every part of his being, he hated him with such a passion that he was surprised it hadn't consumed him by now.

Or maybe it had.

His hatred went back for a long time, through endless childhood years devoid of love or warmth. Years that were bitter and strained and tearful. He had looked forward to going to Hogwarts when he was younger. It was his chance to escape, to be free of his father's clutches, at least for a year. He could make friends, maybe even some that weren't from Slytherin or friends of the Malfoy family.

But he blew it. He blew it and he knew it and regretted it every second he strode through the Hogwarts halls. The second he got on that train, the second he saw Harry Potter, the second he opened his mouth to greet him, his father took hold. All those years of cynicism and torment came pouring out through Draco's mouth. It was then that Draco realized, as many before him had, that it was impossible to live with or be near Lucius Malfoy and not be touched by his cruelness. His father's way had been imprinted in him deep, and there was no avoiding it. He was doomed to follow the path of his father.

He was Draco Malfoy. He was his father's son. He was pledged to the Dark ranks the moment he had been conceived. At the terrible point of realization, Draco was filled with anger, despair and hopelessness. His way had been chosen- there was no avoiding it. What could he do but follow, jerked along by his father's tight puppet strings? In that moment he admitted defeat, and continued in the way he was supposed to. Every day the thoughts of what might have been tortured him. But there was nothing he could do. He was a victim of his destiny.

That day on the train simply added more fuel to his hatred. It burned and burned, never ceasing or flickering. He knew only three feelings for his father: the hatred, fear, yes, fear for this man who had made him what he was. He also felt a deep, grudging respect. How strange it was to respect the one you despised so! Yet he did. His father, damn him, had an air, a way about him that made people shut up and follow him. No matter what others said, his father was no fool. He was nothing short of brilliant. And for that, Draco respected him.

At the same time, Draco despised himself. Like his father, Draco was no fool and he knew when to accept the blame. For a part, he was only what he let his father make him be. If he were strong enough, he would break all ties with his family and drop this horrendous façade that was his life. But he couldn't. He remembered the one time he had stood up to his father.

It was this summer. Lucius had returned in the dead of night, undoubtedly from a Death Eater meeting. Lucius had dragged him out of bed, and gone through all the details: those who had been tortured, those who had been recruited, what the Dark Lord's plans were. And, as always, he reminded Draco of his fate: When he was of age, he would pick up his black shroud and join the line of the damned, or so Draco liked to think of them. The horrible unfairness and desolation of this forced Draco to say something he would never had said, had he been alert and not drowsy. He looked up at his father, at those cold, malicious eyes, still gleaming from a night's worth of terror and said,

"Never, in all my life, did I pledge allegiance to HIM." Draco knew after the first word came out of his mouth, that that had been a mistake. Lucius' eyes narrowed, and his jaw jutted out. Without a word he stood up and slapped Draco across the face. Draco did not cry out. He never did. He simply looked up at his father, and this time did not try to conceal the hatred from his eyes. His father had seemed amused at this.

"You hate me, I see," he said, smiling to himself. "How interesting. It matters not, my son, whether you have pledged allegiance to him. He has called you. You are meant for great things among us, and you will join. There is no choice. There is no right or wrong. There is simply the way that has been chosen, and that is the way that you will follow. You will be called, and you- will- come. Say what you might, boy, but never deny your destiny."

Knowing the horrible truth of what he said, but defiant to the last, Draco spat out,

"I hate you, my father," he added, putting all the derision he could muster into his voice. "I hope you are killed by your "Master" and if you are not, I will do it myself." Draco trembled inwardly at his daring, but never showed it. A Malfoy never shows it. His father simply nodded, expressionless. He turned to leave, and said over his shoulder,

"Spoken like a true Malfoy. I do believe you might try." With that he left, leaving Draco with his own hatred and horror. Such, Draco realized after, was Lucius' intention.

So here Draco was, stuck in a pit he had helped to dig himself, with no conceivable way out, save for a miracle. He was determined though, if there were any conceivable way to save himself, his soul, he would cling to it. He was Draco Malfoy, and he was his father's son.

*

Whew! Well, I bet that wasn't what you were expecting! Huh, huh? Was it? Now, my goal here, which I am still not sure if I achieved, was NOT to make you love Draco Malfoy. It was not even to make you pity him. It was simply to make you understand him. And I didn't throw him in here for nothing. He has an extremely important role to play in the future. My saying that should clue you in on a little something a lot of my reviewers were asking about. I tried to express his desperation, his hopelessness, without making him seem pathetic or weak. Because he most certainly is not that. I know it was short, and I am sorry! Don't hate me, please!

While you are here, review my first time-ever HP songfic- love it. hate it? Review it!

Now, I really need reviews to tell me how this is going, and whether it is worth the wait or not. Please, review!

You can all thank WhetherRose for this update, she really motivated me to do it! My author thank-yous are going to be very short, and I apologize. I am putting off homework to do this- a sign of my undying love.

I just really, really want to thank- - -

T.H- thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much your reviews meant to me! You and Rose are my muses, you really keep me going! I will review your story, I promise, as soon as I have time. You are too generous with your compliments, my dear! You will make me think I am good or something…I love you!

Giesbrecht- Merci beaucoup! I love having someone with the guts to tell me my chapter needs work. Thank you!

WhetherRose- aw, what can I say? You know how much I love you!

JaimeyKay- thanks, hon. Don't hate me for my long update lapse! You are awesome!

I am very sorry for all those I missed, but I really need to start my work! You will be included in the next update!

Cheers,

Balizabeth