*~Chapter Two: A New Awakening~*
Exhausted, Draco stopped running after a few minutes. Reluctantly, he shot a glance behind him and was relieved to see that Voldemort had not followed. But he had other ways of transportation and Draco expected to see him soon. Very soon.
Draco quickly shook his head, not wanting to think about what had happened back there. But what exactly had happened? What was that feeling that he had noticed just before he ran away? It was something that he was used to feeling. But, most of the time this feeling was directed at Harry, and other's whom he hated. Draco thought that thinking about Harry would bring up some kind of angry emotion, but nothing happened. He tried again. Hermione? No, nothing. Ron? Blank. Maybe he had to see them. Yeah that was it. Draco thought of trying one more time. Just once to make sure.
Voldemort. A clear image of the cloaked figure played in his head. Draco could feel himself flush with anger. With anger? When had he, Draco Malfoy, felt anything but loyalty toward the Dark Side? He was part of one of the darkest pureblood wizard families there were.
Draco noticed that Adrienne was staring at him with a worried expression on her face. He looked over at her quickly.
"Are you okay Draco?" she said in a quiet voice as if she were afraid to ask him. But why would she be afraid? Oh, that's right. Draco was supposed to be the big bad boy, who didn't have any feelings. Even his own sister was afraid to show any concern for him?
"I'm fine, Adrienne. Thanks," he said, smiling slightly at her. Just looking at her made him want to cry. But.why?
"Why did we have to leave so soon?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Draco didn't know what to say, he wasn't going to tell her about what was going on. If there was anything going on. He had to get home to think.
"I-it was getting late Adrienne and father wouldn't want us staying out.um.that late,"
Draco thought of something. Father. What would his father do? Draco couldn't go to any Death Eater meeting just yet. Not until he was better. His father would surely.
Draco's eyes widened a bit. For his father too? Just like with Voldemort, Draco could feel his face getting hotter. Now he really wanted to get home. The sun started setting as he stumbled down the path to the manor. When they got up to the front of the house Draco fumbled with the door.
"Damn! I forgot the key," he said, digging in his pockets. He pulled out his wand and tapped it to the doorknob.
"Alohomora," the door clicked open. Draco and Adrienne entered a big walkway filled with pictures. The walls were painted a dark shade of gray and the carpets a deep red. Draco shivered as a draft of cold air passed them. He didn't see anyone.
"Mum!...Father!" he called out. No one answered. The manor was so big. most likely no one heard him. He heard movement upstairs.
"Draco! Is that you?" his father called out from somewhere above him. It sounded like the library.
"Yeah!" Draco called out as he handed a house elf his cloak, and proceeded up the stairs. Tiny footsteps followed him. He looked behind him over at Adrienne. Draco needed to get upstairs. He wanted to find out what was going on.
"Adrienne," he said softly, which surprised him. "Do you always have to follow me around?" She thought for a moment.
"Yes," she answered finally. Draco rolled his eyes. He started walking down a long hall. Every few minutes house elves would come up to him offering him food. There was a light on in a room to Draco's right. He slowly went to it and knocked on the hard wood.
"Father.is that you?" he said. Draco opened the door a crack. Lucius' voice answered.
"Draco, we have a visitor," through the small opening Draco spotted a black cloak. He quickly shut the door and turned around, breathing heavily. Why would he be here? Draco had an extremely bad feeling that he was there to see him. What was he going to do?
"Who is it, Draco?" Adrienne asked excitedly. Draco had completely forgotten that she was there. He couldn't tell her, couldn't let her be exposed to that.
"Nobody.it doesn't concern you, Adrienne," he said, blocking her from the doorway.
"Draco, it does concern me. Move aside," she said, trying to push him out of the way. She was much to small to move him and Draco stood his ground. He couldn't let her in there. If he did, she would eventually turn into one of them. He was already so close that he didn't think that he could stop himself from becoming like Voldemort, like his father. But.just yet, he wasn't sure he wanted to stop it.
"Come on, let's go to my room. Okay?" Draco said. He headed toward the other side of the hall where there was another flight of steps. He looked back and motioned Adrienne to come with him. Reluctantly she followed. Once they were on the third floor Draco was able to breathe easier. To his right there was a large black door. He opened it and entered the room. His luggage had already been brought up. He plopped down on the bed and put his head in his hands. He didn't know what exactly was going on. He felt something next to him and noticed that Adrienne had sat down too.
"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked him, concerned again. The only thing that he could see was the inside of his hands but Draco suspected that his sister was looking at him worried.again.
"I dunno," he said quietly. Adrienne leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked over at her. Any other time he would have made her get off but something inside him let her stay.
"Draco, there's something wrong.I can feel it," she whispered. He laughed slightly. Her head bounced up and down as his shoulders did.
"I wish it were that easy," he said. Because there was something wrong. But, unlike most things, you couldn't just see it coming. You had to go to it and figure it out for yourself. That's the part Draco didn't like. Figure it out for yourself. And what exactly was he going to have to figure out? That he had been wrong all along? That he didn't want to be a Death Eater now, despite what he was raised up to be and what he was taught? Or that this was some kind of odd dream, though; he had never had dreams like these before if that were true. Maybe he was mistaken and was having an off day. That was it.an off day.
Just then the door opened and a small house elf walked in. His fingers were twining in and out of each of in fear. He stepped up to Draco and in a squeaky voice spoke to him.
"Master Draco.Master Lucius would like to see you in the library. Urgently," he said, bowing his head low after he finished. Draco moaned and looked at the ground. Slowly he got up off of his bed.
"I wanna go too Draco!" Draco held out his hand to stop her.
"No, stay here. You don't want to go there," Draco started to leave the room.
"But why." He was already down the stairs before she could finish her sentence. He got to the library and held up a balled fist to knock on the door. He couldn't go in there. What was going to happen? He was almost certain that their 'visitor' was Lord Voldemort. In the words of Adrienne.he could feel it. Be brought his hand down against the hard wood door several times. There was shuffling noises inside and the door opened. Draco looked around the large room. Shelves upon shelves lined the walls and were filled with books. The fireplace over to his right held the glowing ashes that remained of a fired that had died out not long ago.
"Draco, how come you didn't come in earlier?" his father asked in a stern voice. Draco tried to make up an excuse.
"I...I was tired. You know, riding a train all day can be exhausting," he said quickly. Lucius bent down low and spoke so only Draco could hear him.
"You will not do that again," he said in a voice much like Snape's, he didn't have to raise his voice barely over a whisper and still have people pay undivided attention to his words, "Especially not when our Lord comes to visit," Draco shuddered when he said that. He's not MY Lord, Draco thought, not any more.
"Now," Lucius' voice was still quiet, "Go pay your respects to our guest," Draco slowly walked toward a tall chair where he knew Voldemort was. It was facing away from him. He went around to the front of the chair and seeing the figure in it he bent into a deep bow.
"Your Lordship, I am at your humble service," Draco said, as his father had told him to do so when addressing him. Voldemort got up.
"You have taught him well, Lucius. But I wonder.is it well enough?" Voldemort said, standing now. Draco stared awkwardly at him. What was he talking about?
"I have, My Lord, most efficiently," Lucius said, flashing a menacing smile. He turned to Draco. "Lord Voldemort has told me that you experienced something quite entertaining this afternoon."
Draco gave a puzzled looked. Quite entertaining? Only if you call something as savage as that had been quite entertaining. Again, Draco became disgusted at the figure that loomed before him. This man killed and tortured people and thought it amusing. No, that wasn't true.he wasn't a man. Draco didn't know what he was but he certainly couldn't be human, no living person could be as sadistic as him.
"Well.I." Draco found himself choking on his words. He looked around at the two familiar faces that were in the room. But for some reason Draco felt as if he didn't know them. He didn't even know himself at the moment. It didn't seem like he had since that afternoon, since that 'entertaining' event.
Lucius and Voldemort exchanged glances with each other. Voldemort nodded with an eerie look over at Draco. His eyes widened. What was hidden behind those red slits? What happened to the little boy that those eyes used to belong to? The eyes that now dwelled on the blood and agony of others.
"I am quite sure you will be pleased with the news I have for you young Malfoy," Voldemort said. Draco swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat. No, I won't.I.I refuse to.
"This coming Sunday, there is going to be a Meeting. And, if things go correctly, you will be the youngest person to ever become a Death Eater."
Draco looked horrified. Not now! Can't it wait? Lucius looked over at Draco and turned back to Voldemort.
"Lord, don't you think that we should just tell Draco what will be required, just so he can prepare?" he said. Voldemort squinted his eyes as if he didn't like being told what to do. His expression lifted.
"Yes.that would be appropriate," Voldemort turned to Draco. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop. What was he supposed to do? Did he really want to be a Death Eater? He had waited most of his life for this, but now that he would get it.did he actually want it?
"The Becoming has three parts to it. Three test. One for strength, one for knowledge, and one for loyalty. It starts at midnight on the full moon, which happens to be this Sunday. And," his red eyes flashed, "if I gave you any more information I'd be giving the whole thing away."
Loyalty? He couldn't show his loyalty now. This Sunday? That was in two days! Shouldn't he want this? Shouldn't he be elated to be accepted to the Dark Side? He should...but he wasn't. He was scared. Scared of what he was going to have to do.and what was going to happen to him. There was great security concerning Death Eaters these days and Draco certainly didn't want to end up in Azkaban. And what exactly were these test that Voldemort was talking about. Surely, they were created for adult wizards and took a tremendous amount of magic to complete. Was he even going to have to worry about going to Azkaban?
Voldemort was still staring at Draco, penetrating his thoughts. Trying to extract bits and pieces of emotion.
"Thank you, My Lord," he said imperceptibly, looking down at his shoes. Voldemort turned his attention over to Lucius.
"Now, I think I must be going," he hissed. Hot air escaping from the black hole centered above his chin.
"Yes, My Lord. I am honored that you will be seeing my son this coming Sunday," Lucius answered. Voldemort nodded and disappeared.
Draco looked in the spot where he had been. He didn't want to think about what he was going to do this full moon. His breathing increased and he started shaking slightly. He had to get out of here. Quickly he ran out of the room and back up to his chambers. Surprisingly, Adrienne was still sitting on his bed waiting for him. Draco hastily asked her to leave and laid down, resting his head on the soft pillows. There was one thing that he couldn't seem to find an answer too.
What exactly was going on? All these years he had despised Muggles, turned his nose up at them. His whole family hated them and was always fighting to get rid of them as much as possible. Why had he mad fun of people that had Muggle parents even though they were probably as magical as him? The more he thought of it, the less he actually saw wrong with that Granger girl. Or Ron. And Harry for that matter. He could see everyone that he had ever tease or fought with in a new sort of light. Why was everything changing all of a sudden?
Draco's head shot up and he pulled his hands away from his face.
"That girl." he said slowly.
It must have been that girl back in the Muggle village. It must have done something to him. Changed him somehow. He felt so sorry for her. What Voldemort had done to her was wrong. That's the only thing that could describe it. Wrong. She hadn't done anything. The only reason was because she was a Muggle. And, unfortunately, she crossed his path.causing her to pay the price. A price that should never have been made. What else was going to be bought by the lives of innocent bystanders?
This must have been some sort of new awakening. He was seeing everything different. Everything that he had used to be was slipping down the drain after just a few minutes of torture. His father's life revolved around the Dark Side. Around making Purebloods the dominators again. Witches and wizards had always kept they lives a secret. Hiding out in small communities. If there were no Muggles to hide from there would be no need for that. That's always what Draco and his family had believed. But not anymore. At the moment Draco wasn't sure what he believed.
And now he was going to a Death Eater meeting. And the meeting was for him. He was going to have to go through a series of test. But what would they be? Knowledge? Draco tried remembering everything that he was ever taught but for some reason his mind was going blank. Strength.he had plenty of that, but under pressure would he be able to pull it off? And loyalty. how exactly were they going to test him for that one? There was absolutely no way to prepare for that test. Especially concerning that he didn't have much loyalty.
Draco sighed and looked out the window. Would he even survive to see Hogwarts again?
Exhausted, Draco stopped running after a few minutes. Reluctantly, he shot a glance behind him and was relieved to see that Voldemort had not followed. But he had other ways of transportation and Draco expected to see him soon. Very soon.
Draco quickly shook his head, not wanting to think about what had happened back there. But what exactly had happened? What was that feeling that he had noticed just before he ran away? It was something that he was used to feeling. But, most of the time this feeling was directed at Harry, and other's whom he hated. Draco thought that thinking about Harry would bring up some kind of angry emotion, but nothing happened. He tried again. Hermione? No, nothing. Ron? Blank. Maybe he had to see them. Yeah that was it. Draco thought of trying one more time. Just once to make sure.
Voldemort. A clear image of the cloaked figure played in his head. Draco could feel himself flush with anger. With anger? When had he, Draco Malfoy, felt anything but loyalty toward the Dark Side? He was part of one of the darkest pureblood wizard families there were.
Draco noticed that Adrienne was staring at him with a worried expression on her face. He looked over at her quickly.
"Are you okay Draco?" she said in a quiet voice as if she were afraid to ask him. But why would she be afraid? Oh, that's right. Draco was supposed to be the big bad boy, who didn't have any feelings. Even his own sister was afraid to show any concern for him?
"I'm fine, Adrienne. Thanks," he said, smiling slightly at her. Just looking at her made him want to cry. But.why?
"Why did we have to leave so soon?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Draco didn't know what to say, he wasn't going to tell her about what was going on. If there was anything going on. He had to get home to think.
"I-it was getting late Adrienne and father wouldn't want us staying out.um.that late,"
Draco thought of something. Father. What would his father do? Draco couldn't go to any Death Eater meeting just yet. Not until he was better. His father would surely.
Draco's eyes widened a bit. For his father too? Just like with Voldemort, Draco could feel his face getting hotter. Now he really wanted to get home. The sun started setting as he stumbled down the path to the manor. When they got up to the front of the house Draco fumbled with the door.
"Damn! I forgot the key," he said, digging in his pockets. He pulled out his wand and tapped it to the doorknob.
"Alohomora," the door clicked open. Draco and Adrienne entered a big walkway filled with pictures. The walls were painted a dark shade of gray and the carpets a deep red. Draco shivered as a draft of cold air passed them. He didn't see anyone.
"Mum!...Father!" he called out. No one answered. The manor was so big. most likely no one heard him. He heard movement upstairs.
"Draco! Is that you?" his father called out from somewhere above him. It sounded like the library.
"Yeah!" Draco called out as he handed a house elf his cloak, and proceeded up the stairs. Tiny footsteps followed him. He looked behind him over at Adrienne. Draco needed to get upstairs. He wanted to find out what was going on.
"Adrienne," he said softly, which surprised him. "Do you always have to follow me around?" She thought for a moment.
"Yes," she answered finally. Draco rolled his eyes. He started walking down a long hall. Every few minutes house elves would come up to him offering him food. There was a light on in a room to Draco's right. He slowly went to it and knocked on the hard wood.
"Father.is that you?" he said. Draco opened the door a crack. Lucius' voice answered.
"Draco, we have a visitor," through the small opening Draco spotted a black cloak. He quickly shut the door and turned around, breathing heavily. Why would he be here? Draco had an extremely bad feeling that he was there to see him. What was he going to do?
"Who is it, Draco?" Adrienne asked excitedly. Draco had completely forgotten that she was there. He couldn't tell her, couldn't let her be exposed to that.
"Nobody.it doesn't concern you, Adrienne," he said, blocking her from the doorway.
"Draco, it does concern me. Move aside," she said, trying to push him out of the way. She was much to small to move him and Draco stood his ground. He couldn't let her in there. If he did, she would eventually turn into one of them. He was already so close that he didn't think that he could stop himself from becoming like Voldemort, like his father. But.just yet, he wasn't sure he wanted to stop it.
"Come on, let's go to my room. Okay?" Draco said. He headed toward the other side of the hall where there was another flight of steps. He looked back and motioned Adrienne to come with him. Reluctantly she followed. Once they were on the third floor Draco was able to breathe easier. To his right there was a large black door. He opened it and entered the room. His luggage had already been brought up. He plopped down on the bed and put his head in his hands. He didn't know what exactly was going on. He felt something next to him and noticed that Adrienne had sat down too.
"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked him, concerned again. The only thing that he could see was the inside of his hands but Draco suspected that his sister was looking at him worried.again.
"I dunno," he said quietly. Adrienne leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked over at her. Any other time he would have made her get off but something inside him let her stay.
"Draco, there's something wrong.I can feel it," she whispered. He laughed slightly. Her head bounced up and down as his shoulders did.
"I wish it were that easy," he said. Because there was something wrong. But, unlike most things, you couldn't just see it coming. You had to go to it and figure it out for yourself. That's the part Draco didn't like. Figure it out for yourself. And what exactly was he going to have to figure out? That he had been wrong all along? That he didn't want to be a Death Eater now, despite what he was raised up to be and what he was taught? Or that this was some kind of odd dream, though; he had never had dreams like these before if that were true. Maybe he was mistaken and was having an off day. That was it.an off day.
Just then the door opened and a small house elf walked in. His fingers were twining in and out of each of in fear. He stepped up to Draco and in a squeaky voice spoke to him.
"Master Draco.Master Lucius would like to see you in the library. Urgently," he said, bowing his head low after he finished. Draco moaned and looked at the ground. Slowly he got up off of his bed.
"I wanna go too Draco!" Draco held out his hand to stop her.
"No, stay here. You don't want to go there," Draco started to leave the room.
"But why." He was already down the stairs before she could finish her sentence. He got to the library and held up a balled fist to knock on the door. He couldn't go in there. What was going to happen? He was almost certain that their 'visitor' was Lord Voldemort. In the words of Adrienne.he could feel it. Be brought his hand down against the hard wood door several times. There was shuffling noises inside and the door opened. Draco looked around the large room. Shelves upon shelves lined the walls and were filled with books. The fireplace over to his right held the glowing ashes that remained of a fired that had died out not long ago.
"Draco, how come you didn't come in earlier?" his father asked in a stern voice. Draco tried to make up an excuse.
"I...I was tired. You know, riding a train all day can be exhausting," he said quickly. Lucius bent down low and spoke so only Draco could hear him.
"You will not do that again," he said in a voice much like Snape's, he didn't have to raise his voice barely over a whisper and still have people pay undivided attention to his words, "Especially not when our Lord comes to visit," Draco shuddered when he said that. He's not MY Lord, Draco thought, not any more.
"Now," Lucius' voice was still quiet, "Go pay your respects to our guest," Draco slowly walked toward a tall chair where he knew Voldemort was. It was facing away from him. He went around to the front of the chair and seeing the figure in it he bent into a deep bow.
"Your Lordship, I am at your humble service," Draco said, as his father had told him to do so when addressing him. Voldemort got up.
"You have taught him well, Lucius. But I wonder.is it well enough?" Voldemort said, standing now. Draco stared awkwardly at him. What was he talking about?
"I have, My Lord, most efficiently," Lucius said, flashing a menacing smile. He turned to Draco. "Lord Voldemort has told me that you experienced something quite entertaining this afternoon."
Draco gave a puzzled looked. Quite entertaining? Only if you call something as savage as that had been quite entertaining. Again, Draco became disgusted at the figure that loomed before him. This man killed and tortured people and thought it amusing. No, that wasn't true.he wasn't a man. Draco didn't know what he was but he certainly couldn't be human, no living person could be as sadistic as him.
"Well.I." Draco found himself choking on his words. He looked around at the two familiar faces that were in the room. But for some reason Draco felt as if he didn't know them. He didn't even know himself at the moment. It didn't seem like he had since that afternoon, since that 'entertaining' event.
Lucius and Voldemort exchanged glances with each other. Voldemort nodded with an eerie look over at Draco. His eyes widened. What was hidden behind those red slits? What happened to the little boy that those eyes used to belong to? The eyes that now dwelled on the blood and agony of others.
"I am quite sure you will be pleased with the news I have for you young Malfoy," Voldemort said. Draco swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat. No, I won't.I.I refuse to.
"This coming Sunday, there is going to be a Meeting. And, if things go correctly, you will be the youngest person to ever become a Death Eater."
Draco looked horrified. Not now! Can't it wait? Lucius looked over at Draco and turned back to Voldemort.
"Lord, don't you think that we should just tell Draco what will be required, just so he can prepare?" he said. Voldemort squinted his eyes as if he didn't like being told what to do. His expression lifted.
"Yes.that would be appropriate," Voldemort turned to Draco. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop. What was he supposed to do? Did he really want to be a Death Eater? He had waited most of his life for this, but now that he would get it.did he actually want it?
"The Becoming has three parts to it. Three test. One for strength, one for knowledge, and one for loyalty. It starts at midnight on the full moon, which happens to be this Sunday. And," his red eyes flashed, "if I gave you any more information I'd be giving the whole thing away."
Loyalty? He couldn't show his loyalty now. This Sunday? That was in two days! Shouldn't he want this? Shouldn't he be elated to be accepted to the Dark Side? He should...but he wasn't. He was scared. Scared of what he was going to have to do.and what was going to happen to him. There was great security concerning Death Eaters these days and Draco certainly didn't want to end up in Azkaban. And what exactly were these test that Voldemort was talking about. Surely, they were created for adult wizards and took a tremendous amount of magic to complete. Was he even going to have to worry about going to Azkaban?
Voldemort was still staring at Draco, penetrating his thoughts. Trying to extract bits and pieces of emotion.
"Thank you, My Lord," he said imperceptibly, looking down at his shoes. Voldemort turned his attention over to Lucius.
"Now, I think I must be going," he hissed. Hot air escaping from the black hole centered above his chin.
"Yes, My Lord. I am honored that you will be seeing my son this coming Sunday," Lucius answered. Voldemort nodded and disappeared.
Draco looked in the spot where he had been. He didn't want to think about what he was going to do this full moon. His breathing increased and he started shaking slightly. He had to get out of here. Quickly he ran out of the room and back up to his chambers. Surprisingly, Adrienne was still sitting on his bed waiting for him. Draco hastily asked her to leave and laid down, resting his head on the soft pillows. There was one thing that he couldn't seem to find an answer too.
What exactly was going on? All these years he had despised Muggles, turned his nose up at them. His whole family hated them and was always fighting to get rid of them as much as possible. Why had he mad fun of people that had Muggle parents even though they were probably as magical as him? The more he thought of it, the less he actually saw wrong with that Granger girl. Or Ron. And Harry for that matter. He could see everyone that he had ever tease or fought with in a new sort of light. Why was everything changing all of a sudden?
Draco's head shot up and he pulled his hands away from his face.
"That girl." he said slowly.
It must have been that girl back in the Muggle village. It must have done something to him. Changed him somehow. He felt so sorry for her. What Voldemort had done to her was wrong. That's the only thing that could describe it. Wrong. She hadn't done anything. The only reason was because she was a Muggle. And, unfortunately, she crossed his path.causing her to pay the price. A price that should never have been made. What else was going to be bought by the lives of innocent bystanders?
This must have been some sort of new awakening. He was seeing everything different. Everything that he had used to be was slipping down the drain after just a few minutes of torture. His father's life revolved around the Dark Side. Around making Purebloods the dominators again. Witches and wizards had always kept they lives a secret. Hiding out in small communities. If there were no Muggles to hide from there would be no need for that. That's always what Draco and his family had believed. But not anymore. At the moment Draco wasn't sure what he believed.
And now he was going to a Death Eater meeting. And the meeting was for him. He was going to have to go through a series of test. But what would they be? Knowledge? Draco tried remembering everything that he was ever taught but for some reason his mind was going blank. Strength.he had plenty of that, but under pressure would he be able to pull it off? And loyalty. how exactly were they going to test him for that one? There was absolutely no way to prepare for that test. Especially concerning that he didn't have much loyalty.
Draco sighed and looked out the window. Would he even survive to see Hogwarts again?
