Christmas 1990
It had been a hour since Draco Malfoy had seen his sister. When they had returned to the party, he had tried not to be concerned at her appearance, but he could not help it. She was unusually pale for a Malfoy and since pale was their natural shade, that said something. He would glance over at her as the hours past, wondering inside if should say something to his father. However he could see out of the corner of his eye, his father glancing every so often in his sister's direction. Trying desperately not to look as if he was doing so. He had seen it as well. As the night wore on he watched as she seemed to grow paler, fighting every urge to alert their parents of her condition in the hall. He sat quietly reading his book, hoping beyond hope that someone would do something. He got his wish when around a quarter to eleven, their mother had stolen a few moments away from her husband's side, and more than likely at his insistence, and ordered Morgaine to bed. Prunus, who as usual was hanging around his sister like an annoying dog, accompanied her on their mother's behalf. Draco tried to follow, but was stopped by his mother.
"Leave her be Draco," she said. "She needs her rest right now. You may visit her after the party."
So Draco had sat down and continued into his book. His feet tapping impatiently as he watched the guests slowly begin to pile out, thanking his father for a wonderful evening and wishing that his sister felt better. When there was no one left but a few of his father's closest friends and their children, Draco was given permission to visit his sister. He had practically ran down the long hall and up the flight of stairs to the bedrooms. However, when he had arrived at his sister's room, he had found it to be empty.
Draco ran down the marble hallway that held ten of the twenty two master bedrooms in the Manor. Nothing. Not a sign of Morgaine, or Prunus. He had headed back down stairs to the ballroom to find it empty. As Draco backpedaled and took each room between the ballroom and the set of stairs leading to the bedrooms, he found not a sign of life. Not his sister or Prunus, his parents and the remainders of their guests. Not a soul could be found. As he headed toward the main staircase that led to downstairs parlor, where his father and his guests had more than likely retired to, he heard what sounded like shouting coming from his father's study. As he reached the door, which was slightly ajar, he recognized who voices it was.
"How dare you!" Morgaine shouted in a furious tone the likes of which he had never heard his sister display.
Draco peered thru the small crack of the door to see Morgaine behind her father's desk. Her left hand gripping the armchair for support while he right grasped what looked like a piece of parchment.
"I did what your father asked of me," Prunus Parkinson replied in his familiar shrill. "Besides the manor at which you were behaving. . . you had this coming Morgaine."
"I had this coming? You lying, manipulative little weasel!"
Morgaine picked up one of their father's rather heavy books and flung it at Prunus, who managed to duck out of the way.
"Morgaine, contain yourself," he said taking a step closer to his sister. "You are already ill, there is no need to work yourself into a fit."
"I'll show you a fit, Prunus Parkinson," she replied grabbing almost anything she could find and started to throw it at him. "You're jealous. That is what this is all about isn't it? Its because I don't love you."
"And what do you love Morgaine? That waste for a wizard."
"He's smart. He's funny. He's a Pure Blood. I don't see the problem."
"The problem is," Prunus fumed stepping uncomfortably close to Morgaine, "That boy is a Weasley. A Muggle lover. There is no sadder excuse for a Wizard than that. How could you even think of tainting the name of Slytherin by even being seen with that Gryffindor scum."
"That Gryffindor scum," Morgaine replied with clenched teeth. "That scum has a name. Remember it. Because you Prunus, could do good to take a page from that man's book. "
Morgaine walked away from Prunus. In a mad rage Parkinson grabbed Morgaine's right wrist and flung her around.
"Let go of me."
"You listen to me good, woman," Prunus snarled in a tone that eerily matched his father's. "I would sooner see you dead than let you near that Weasley again."
"Is that a threat?" Morgaine asked her face etched with fury.
"No," he said letting go of her wrist. "That's a promise."
As Prunus shoved Morgaine, who fell against the armchair adjacent to the serpent shaped fireplace, Draco flung the door open.
"Get your hands off my sister Parkinson."
"Well look who we have hear, a little eavesdropper."
"Prunus, leave him alone," Morgaine gasped as she managed to pick herself up.
Prunus walked toward Draco, a mischievous grin planted on his face.
"No, Morgaine. I think I am going to have myself some fun."
Draco backed away, and made a beeline for the door with his eyes as Prunus pulled out his wand. But before either one of them could act, they were interrupted a large thud. Draco turned to see his sister unconscious on the floor. Before he could act Prunus turned around, his face stricken with what seemed like abject terror.
"Get your father," he whispered before running to Morgaine's side.
Draco didn't hesitate. But it did no good. He would get his father. He and his hysterical mother would Apparate to St. Mungo's. Draco would stay behind with the Parkinson's only to be awoken early that next morning to learn she had died. That final moment would haunt him. He would suffer nightmares for a good month or so afterwards. He would be emotionally shut down for a long time to come.
As Draco mounted the stairs making his way towards his father's office, he remember that following September. Beginning his first year at Hogwarts. He remembered that he wanted to go to Durmstrang. He felt that Hogwarts would be too much of a reminder for him of Morgaine. However it was too much for his mother to handle. She thought Durmstrang was just too far away. She wanted Draco to be close, and after losing her daughter, Narcissa became almost frighteningly attached to her only son.
So much was going thru his mind that first year at Hogwarts. In the short time from the funeral to his train ride on the Hogwarts Express, he had begun taking his pain out on others. Anyone who tried to get close to him. Anyone who even attempted to be nice to him. He became bitter, angry and quite the vindictive little bastard. In short, he had become a mirror image of his father. Draco became very attached to his father. Mainly because in light of his sister's death, his father began to pay attention to him. Something he wasn't used to. All the hopes of the Malfoy family now fell on his shoulders. Draco reveled in the attention at the time. However he was too young to understand. He didn't see how quickly his father had washed his hands of his sister. He never acted like her death hurt him any nor did he participate in any of the grieving that the family and close friends had done. All of her pictures had been removed from the house. Her room was gutted, locked and about a year after her death covered up by a wall.
He had never heard his father speak of her. Only of his beloved Dark Lord. As time went on Draco learned that it was all that Lucius cared about. He had always thought that his sister was the apple of his father's eye but in reality she was nothing more than another life for Lord Voldemort. A life that was easily replaceable once she was gone. Draco looked back and realized that its was for that reason his father had languished so much attention on him. It wasn't because he loved his son. Or that he was showing his grief over his daughter's death by being closer to his son, as Draco had initially thought was the case. No, he was paying so much attention to Draco because the original child that he was grooming for service with the Dark Lord was dead and in order to stay in the Dark Lord's good graces, he began to groom his remaining child for that position.
It wasn't until after his first year in Hogwarts did he realize that. He wasn't sure what to make of it at first, but as time went on he realized that he didn't want to follow his father. Didn't want to join the ranks of the Dark Lord. He knew that he would have to make that choice known soon and Draco wasn't all too excited about having to tell his father that. He hesitated as he stood outside his father's office door, wondering if that day would be today. With a great sigh he knocked on the open door.
"You wished to speak with me Father," Draco said trying to hide the fear in his voice.
"Yes, Draco," Lucius said as he turned away from the window to greet his son. "Have a seat. We have much to discuss."
