Disclaimer – Anything you recognise probably, in fact almost certainly, does not belong to me. However the plot and the character Hazel do. Unfortunately for me, her name does not.
Authors Note – This is a Draco Malfloy and the Dark Side centred story. Therefore Harry, Hermione and Ron will probably not make any appearances, and might not even be mentioned (although that's stretching it a tad). The pairing will be Draco/New Character. If any of this is not to your liking I say give it a try at least, you never know you might enjoy it.
Summary – On what seems like an ordinary Muggle-murdering mission, Draco Malfloy is tackled by an intriguing prospect. Read on my fellow readers, read on.
Tackled by an Intriguing Prospect.
Chapter Two – Do You Fear Your Fate?"Albus Dumbledore" she repeated to herself as if sealing it into her memory.
"Yes" he smiled.
"Could, could you tell me about the Malfloy's please, Mr Dumbledore?" For some reason she couldn't bring herself to call him Albus. It just didn't seem right.
"Well," he said, drawing it out "They are a very powerful and old wizarding family who praise Voldemort and his ideals"
"His ideals?"
"Yes. He believes those that a not pureblood, that is to say they do not come from a long line of wizards, are not worthy of learning magic. He wants the world rid of muggles, muggle-borns and half-bloods."
"But why. Are they not as powerful and clever as purebloods?" she said confused.
"He believes that magic should be kept between us wizards and that muggles should never have been involved. He believes that muggles taint the blood of a child. Lily, Harry Potters mother was a muggle-born. And she was one of the most powerful witches I ever saw."
"So he's mad in other words"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Maybe yes"
"And the Malfloy's are mad too?"
"Not quite. Lucius may be called mad but he is a clever man. As is his son Draco. They believe in ridding the world of muggles to. They are what are called Death Eaters, the group that follow Lord Voldemort. Draco and his Father are the most highly regarded in Voldemort's circle. They have killed many a powerful witch and wizard in their time. Draco killed only last week one of our most formidable Aurors. She was a powerful witch, a friend of Harry Potters."
"What was her name?" Hazel asked.
"Ginny Weasley" he replied, bowing his head.
"Poor girl" she murmured. "What was she like?"
"She was beautiful" he said, "She came from a well-respected family. The Weasley's were kind and generous and they gave so much to this war. She had lost her Father only a few weeks before." Dumbledore's words seemed to tail off. He was silent for so long Hazel thought he had collapsed.
"Dumbledore" she called uncertainly.
"Yes child" he replied.
"What is an Auror?"
"A Dark Magic fighter" he said simply, "A witch or wizard who is trained specifically in fighting bad, dark magic, and in catching those who promote it."
"Are you an Auror?"
"No" he laughed, "I was but a simple Headmaster. I was Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Oh" she said, going silent herself.
"Child" he called. "Forgive me for not enquiring before but what is your name?"
"Hazel" she whispered across the darkness.
The tapping of feet along the corridor awakened Hazel. Her first instinct was to hide, but there was no-where to go in her bare cell. She raised her head slowly from the floor. It ached from the contact with the hard, cold surface. She caught a glimpse of the silver hair and sat bolt upright. The sudden movement made her feel sick. But see wanted to see where the door to her cell was hidden. Maybe just maybe she would be able to escape.
But no. Draco stopped outside her cell and again there was a popping sound. Then he was inside standing right in front of her. She had to bend her head so far back to see his face that it was resting on her back.
"How do you do that?" she said, not caring if he found her insolent.
"What you mean Apparate and Disapparate?" he said. With a flick a chair appeared and he sat on it.
"Yeah. That disappearing and appearing somewhere else"
"Magic" he replied.
"Well I kind of guessed that" she said almost sarcastically, "But I mean how?"
He groaned slightly. "It's hard to explain-"
"Well try." she snapped. She bit her lip instantly. She would really have angered him now.
He looked shocked for a moment but it broke into a sly grin. "Feisty. I like that. That's why I'm keeping you. You Apparate by visualising where you want to go or by visualising something that already exists there. The same with Disapparating."
"Why didn't you just Apparate straight down here then"
"I felt like the walk"
"So why are you keeping me?"
"I find you interesting?"
"How?"
"Stop it" he muttered dangerously, "I will not answer incessant questions from a dirty mudblood"
"I'm not a mudblood." she shot back, "I'm a muggle"
"Who's been, how did you?" He craned his neck round the chair staring into the cell opposite. Hazel blanched. Had she got Dumbledore into trouble?
"Professor" he muttered, "Ah yes" he turned back to Hazel. "I had almost forgotten about him" he noticed her face and smiled at it. "Oh no don't worry. You haven't sealed his death for him. That was sealed along time ago when his usefulness had expired"
"That's evil" she spat.
"I know" he replied. The eyes met again, sparks flashing from both. Hazel wanted to back down but his eyes held her. A lock of hair fell into her eye and she hastily pushed it away. He reach out and grabbed her wrist as she did it though. He wasn't forceful or rough he just held it and she let him turn her hand palm upwards.
"What did you do?" he muttered.
"I, I, nothing…" she stammered.
He shook his head and pulled out that wand again. He touched it to the hand he held and whispered words she could not make out. The wand glowed orange and she felt warmth through her fingers and palm, right to the tips.
"The other hand" he commanded.
She held it out to him meekly and he repeated his actions. He let her hands drop and she brought them both to in front of her face. There was no trace of blood or gashes, nothing to show her previous attack on the cell bars. She looked up and stared at the wand he fingered lovingly.
"Is that really a wand?"
"Of course" he snapped, "What do you think? I carry a twig around with me all day. You must think-"
"I was only asking," she snapped back. She crossed her arms and sat sulkily staring at the floor. She was surprised when she found his face swam into her vision.
"Don't get all sulkily and girly on me mudblood. That's not what made you so interesting"
"Then what did?" she said snottily.
She heard his angry intake of breath and relaxed her body slightly.
"I don't know." he replied honestly. "You're the first mudblood that has ever fought us. Normally they don't understand what is happening and they scream and beg and cry but you, you fought. You actually stopped me killing, risked your own life for that mudblood child."
"Your disgusting" she said, "You enjoy it don't you? Killing off innocent humans who have never so much as-"
He grabbed her face with his hands, applying just enough pressure to scare her.
"The world needs to be rid of your tainted blood" he spat.
"My blood is not tainted. Nor is the blood of any other muggle"
"Dumbledore been teaching you well has he?" Even Draco seemed afraid to say his fist name.
"Yes. He explained everything to me about how you are a Death Eater and want to rid the world of people"
"Not quite" he said silkily, "Just mudbloods"
"And all about your master, Voldemort"
Draco jumped as if he thought Voldemort would strike them down.
"Don't-ever-say-his-named" he hissed as if Voldemort was present in the room.
"Why not. What else am I going to call him? Stark-raving mad?"
This earned her another smack across the face. She tasted blood in her mouth and gingerly wiped it away. For a moment his face was stone and then he said, "Come here"
She didn't move as he held his wand out at her. She was frozen, this was it, the end of her life.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said holding out his empty hand also, "I just want to heal that"
She crawled across to him and he placed his free hand on her shoulder while he whispered more words. Her face felt warm and then as quick as it came the sensation was gone.
"Why?" she said, "Why hit me and then decided to heal me"
He didn't answer.
"You know you could learn form muggle men. They don't hit women. Its considered disgusting-"
"Be quiet," he said, almost as if she were a bee nosily buzzing at him. But she did.
He stared at the floor.
"Penny for them?" she said instinctively.
"What?" he said, gaze, lifting.
"Sorry just a muggle saying. You wouldn't know it I suppose"
"No" he muttered.
"Why can't you say, Vol-er, his name?"
"Because you are not worthy to utter it. You will call him the Dark Lord. When you beg for your life."
"I will not beg for it to please your sadistic desires"
"Your screams will be enough" he sneered.
"I will make it my goal now not to scream."
Confusion crossed his face, "Do you not fear this fate?" he asked.
"No" she replied. "Why should I fear this Dark Lord? I don't know him, yet. I have heard only tales. I haven't witnessed his cruelty. He mightn't even existed for all I know"
"Of course he exists." Draco sneered again, "Honestly"
"Ok so he exists. But I'm not a part of this war Dumbledore spoke of. I'll probably just die right here of starvation anyway."
"Oh" muttered Draco and with an absent-minded flick of his wrist a veritable meal appeared before them. Hazel eyed a roll nervously but grabbed it as soon as Draco began to drink some orange-coloured juice from a goblet. She ate quickly, believing this might be her last meal.
Draco watched her with amusement. "Don't worry," he said, "I'm not going to starve you. That just wouldn't be fun"
She snarled at him between bites. Swallowing she said, "So what are you going to do with me?"
"I'm not sure," he said, "But first of all I want to know who you are"
"I told you. My name is Hazel. Hazel Kinnerly. I'm nineteen and I go to dancing college. Well at least I did until you came along. I have two older brothers, Donny and Joey. My parents are Sammie and Kevin Kinnerly. I read a lot and-"
"Aren't you worried about your family?"
"Yes of course" she said, "I'm worried about how worried about me they are, I'm worried I'll never see them again, I-"
"Ah" he almost shouted, "So you are worried about death."
"No. I'm not worried about death itself. I'm just worried about how my parents will react to never seeing me again. I don't want them to hurt. I love them. Although you probably can't understand that."
"Can't understand it?" he spat, "It was taken away from me at a very young age, love. I don't understand it."
"I can tell," she whispered sarcastically.
"Quiet." He snapped.
"Sorry" she muttered in a high-pitched tone. He growled.
"You don't even understand these things," he said standing abruptly.
"Wait" she said but he had gone. Disapparated.
She crawled across to the cell bars and called into the darkness, "Dumbledore Dumbledore?"
She heard slow, laborious movements and then his kindly face appeared.
"What did Draco mean, love was taken form him at a young age?"
Dumbledore sighed deeply, "He means that he has been conditioned for the life of a Death Eater from a young age. They consider love, emotions, and feelings weak and he was hardened to it. His Father married not for love but for prestige and bloodline, and Draco is conditioned to do the same. Maybe if someone had spoken to him and awoken feelings his Father would not then perhaps Draco would not be the person he is today."
"How do you mean? He seems as if he's always been an evil git" she suddenly felt shamed for swearing in front of the elderly man. He didn't comment though.
"Lucius forced him to hate him, forced him to hate his Mother so he couldn't feel love. It was drummed into him how emotions were weak and how love was the undoing. The only emotion Draco was allowed to feel was hate. And Draco has so much hate. And he channels it all into the Dark Lord's bidding. Lucius would beat and torment Draco as a child; he even once forced a group of muggles to beat him continually using a controlling curse. Draco associates not obeying his Father and also muggles with pain. His Father made him a Death Eater before Draco could even talk. He couldn't rebel against it; he had no chance of being anything else. Draco had no choice in his life path and now he fights for the Dark Lord because he wants his life. All this for his Fathers glory and pride"
"How, how do you become a Death Eater?"
"A mark, a skull is burned into your left forearm. Dangerous as it was at Draco's age, Lucius insisted it was done. It was as if he was scared Draco would grow up and disobey his wishes. Perhaps he would have. We will never know now"
