Merciful
Summary- Draco Malfoy had never been one to follow rules. Now that he's in his 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his father is forcing him to make a decision. Upon leaving Hogwarts he must decide his destiny. Shall he join the Death Eaters, or join Dumbledore, and suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord.
But unknown to Draco or his father, someone is about to come into his life that will change everything...
A/N-Listening to Down with the Sickness by Disturbed, so who knows how this will turn out! Please review whether you hate or don't hate!
*Flashback*
Lucius Malfoy, just having gotten away from Azkaban, looked down at his son.
Draco looked at his father in dismay. "What do you mean I have a decision to make?"
"You will decide whether or not to follow the Dark Lord once you leave Hogwarts."
"You mean it's actually my decision?" said Draco in disbelief.
He had been under the impression that his father was going to make all of his decisions in his life for him. He had so far. Draco had no say in his life, and he was accustomed to that. Why the sudden change?
"Yes, the Dark Lord does not wish to force you into his services, because of a prophesy that was made regarding The Dark Lord and yourself. Because if this prophesy he will not force you to join him, so it was your choice. But be warned, if you do not join him, he will probably have you killed, and he will probably make me do it. Do not think that I will hesitate." said Lucius with a scowl.
"I know you won't hesitate to kill me. The only thing from stopping you before was Mother." said Draco accusingly.
"Foolish boy!" screamed Lucius as he brought his hand down against Draco's cheek, "How DARE you speak to me like that? You interefered. You caused a plan to go wrong. You deserved what you got, and trust me, if it weren't for the Prophesy, you WOULD be dead. Get your trunk together. Tomorrow your mother is taking you to Kings Cross to go to Hogwarts."
Draco touched his cheek lightly. It smarted painfully. He quickly got up and went up to his bedroom, where he had spent most of the summer as punishment by his father.
Yes, he had interefered. No, it was not on purpose. He smirked to himself. Who'd thought that a 16, about to turn 17 year old boy could cause that much trouble.
*flashback*
He was making an acne-healing potion during a crucial Death Eaters meeting that was taking place in the Malfoy's spacious and secret basement. He knew the Death Eaters were planning something that would have to be put into action immediately. He didn't dare disturb them.
That's when the potion exploded. The blast was so strong, that it blasted the basement door right off it's hinges. The Death Eaters, all fearing that it was the Ministry, or worse, Dumbledore, fled immediately.
He didn't understand what had gone wrong. He had put in all the ingrediants carefully and precisely. He had never made such an error on a potion.
Lucius Malfoy was walking up the basement stairs with a look of anger in his eyes that Draco had never seen before. Draco knew better than to run, so did the only other thing he could think of; he stood still.
Lucius looked at his son with a look of utter loathing. "Stupid boy!" he spat angrily, "Do you realize what you have done? You have disrupted quite possibly the most important meeting we've had since The Dark Lord rose again. You have stopped us from killing the one person who stands in the way of victory for us." he yelled at his son.
Draco's hand went reflexivly to his pocket that held his wand. "Don't you mean, victory for Voldemort?" he spat at his father, the first time he had dared to stand up Lucius.
All the remaining color drained from Lucius's face.
"Crucio." he muttered under his breath, aiming his wand at his son. Draco was caught so off guard that he hadn't time to raise his wand and counter the attack.
He fell to the ground writhing in agony. The pain was unbelievable. It felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing him.
A small hopeful part of his mind thought that his father would end the curse in a few seconds...it was just punishment. Seconds past and the pain was only getting worse. Draco tried to manage to speak, but nothing came out except a scream of utmost pain.
Narcissa Malfoy heard her son's scream and ran to see what had happened. when she entered the kitchen she saw her husband standing a few feet away from her son, who was rolled up into a ball on the floor writhing and screaming.
"Lucius stop this instant!" she screamed at him in rage.
Lucius lifted the curse and then turned to his wife, "Do you REALIZE that this boy has done? Your son completely ended our meeting. The punishment for that should be death! This meeting was more important that any other!" he shouted.
"Don't you shout at me Lucius Malfoy! You have used a curse used against your enemies on our son! How dare you?" she screeched at him.
Draco, still on the floor in pain, dared to speak. "So, Mr. Malfoy. That's what I am to you now, is it? Just your wife's son? have you disowned me now?" said Draco in a low staggering voice full of pain.
Lucious looked down at his son. Under that look of loathing, Draco could have sworn he'd seen what looked to be a smirk.
'So the boy is finally getting his own tongue, eh? He can finally think and speak for himself. In any other surcumstance I would be pleased. He will be punished though.' thought Lucius as that smirk finally emerged completely.
"You are my son, and for your insolence today, I will punish you as my son. Go to your room. You will stay there until time for you to leave for school. Your mother will bring you food three times a day. There will be no owls leaving your room. You're lucky the Dark Lord has forgiven you." said Lucius as his smirk twisted into a leer.
Draco abrubtly turned around and went up into his room, shutting and locking the door. He smirked. Some punishment. His room was complete with anything he could need to keep himself entertained. He had his own large bathroom, so that wouldnt' be a problem, and more luxuries than most got to experience. He would enjoy this punishment...or so he thought.
The only food his father permit his mother to send up was thin soup and crusty bread. He had only water to drink. By the end of the summer he was gaunt, and quite the opposite of happy.
*end flashback*
In some ways he would be happy to get out of this hell that he'd been forced to endure for the duration of the summer. In others, he was afraid of his house-mates reactions to him. He knew he had changed and that there was no point in pretending that he hadn't. He was gaunt, and humbled.
He walked slowly to his mirror. He was gaunt and unkept, quite the opposite of his usual appearance. He would have to clean up well tonight and hopefully Lucius would give him more than soup and bread tonight.
He walked into his bathroom and took a long hot shower. When he got out, he combed through his hair and brushed his teeth. He put a bath-robe on over his boxers and headed out of the bathroom.
When he walked back into his room, he was met with a surprise. His father was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.
"Get dressed, boy! You are eating supper with your mother and I tonight. We can't have people thinking that we're starving you, now can we?" he said with a sneer.
Draco didn't say anything, he meerly went to one of his drawers and grabbed his nearest robes and quickly put them over his boxers. He then dug out a pair of shoes and put them on. After straightening out his robes and combing through his hair, he faced his father.
"Good enough, Lucius?" he asked, glowering.
Lucius meerly motioned for his son to follow him. Draco walked out the door behind his father and closed it. It had been his first time out of his room in over a month. He had stopped to note minor change when his father turned around, noting his hesitance.
"Hurry up, boy, or shall I have to force you to move?" said Lucius without emotion.
Draco snapped back to attention and hurried down the stairs behind his father. They entered the dining room and Draco took his usual seat accross from his mother. Almost immediately the household servants began serving the meal.
Draco looked over the meal hungrily. He immediately started piling his plate with food and then shoveled food into his mouth. His father cleared his throat loudly, and gave Draco a disgusted look. Draco felt his fathers glare on his neck and he sat up straight and looked him square in the eye.
"What, pray tell, do you think you are? A pig? A commoner? Maybe some of the nasty mudbloods at that school of yours eat like that, but the son of Lucius Malfoy WILL NOT eat like he is common swine." said Lucius vehemenantly.
Draco glared right back at his father. He wasn't sure why, but it bothered him how his father refered to Mudbloods. He was starting to see what a jerk he had always been. He had been so naive. He had been what his father wanted him to be. He was through with that. His father spent all his time talking about how much better they were than others, but Draco had seen how his father really was that summer. He had seen that if anything, his family was worse than any other. He thought back to all the times his father had said rude things about the Weasleys. Draco saw the love in their eyes when they would pass each other and the passion they had for defending each other. Draco wished that he had that. He wished that he could believe that his father loved him.
He slowed down his eating and sat up properly. Lucius nodded in approval. Draco glowered. After his supper he immediately went straight back to his room and finished packing up his trunk. He reached for the photos of his parents that he always took with him to Hogwarts. And only grabbed one of them. He knocked the other to the floor, satisfied when he heard the glass break, and hoped that his father would see it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Draco awoke to a gentle knock on his door. He sat up in bed and grabbed his wand from his night stand.
"Alohamora" he said quietly and watched the door open. He had never had to worry about the ministry expelling him for underage use of magic. Lucius had always seen to that, and even now that Lucius was a convicted criminal, the ministry didn't dare mess with the Malfoy's. To his relief, it was his mother, not his father, that stepped through. She looked sheepish and ashamed.
"Draco, dear, it's time to get ready to go." she said nervously.
"You don't have to worry, mum. It's not like I'm going to slap you like your husband probably would." he said with annoyance.
Narcissa Malfoy was taken aback. Her son had never said anything so horrible about his father to her face. "Draco! Don't talk about your father that way!" she said quietly.
"First of all, he isn't my father. Father's don't do things like he did to their children. Father's love their children. Second, I'll talk about him whatever way I like. At least I don't curse him." said Draco angrily. He couldn't believe his mom had the nerve to defend Lucius in front of him.
Narcissa sighed. She turned around to walk away and quietly said, "I'm sorry, Draco. For everything." she quietly walked out of the room to let him get ready.
About an hour later Draco stepped out of his room with his trunk suspended behind, following him down the stairs. He had showered and changed into nice robes. When he reached the end of the stairs his mother walked into the hallway.
"Oh Draco don't be silly! Put that thing down this instant! I wouldn't dream of sending you off without proper breakfast!" she said ushering him into the kitchen.
"You didn't seem too worried this summer when I was half-starving." he said. Narcissa sniffed. Draco knew it hurt his mother, but he didn't care. She had just stood by all summer and watched her husband torment him. He wasn't going to let her forget it either. And if they expected him to be coming home after this year, his final year at Hogwarts, they were sorely mistaken. There was no way he was coming back to his hell-hole. He smiled to himself. So this was what it felt like to be Harry Potter, unloved and under-fed. He smirked at his own thought.
His smirk quickly changed to a scowl when he saw that apparently his father would be joining him for breakfast as well.
"Stop smirking boy. Sit down and eat." said Lucius, not kindly, but not with loathing either.
"I stopped smirking the moment I saw who my breakfast company would be." Draco sneered.
Lucius rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You are not to treat your mother badly, son. She has done nothing to you."
"That's the problem now isn't it? She just sat back and let you torture me and then starve me. I don't think it's fair for me to pretend like she hasn't." said Draco evenly. He was no longer afraid of what his father would do to him. Lucius wouldn't want anyone to think the boy had been hurt recently, so he was safe for now.
Lucius glared at his son in anger. "Your mother wanted to help you. I wouldn't let her."
Now it was Draco's turn to be annoyed. "You insufferable ass-hole. Of course, she is such a good mother for wanting to help me! A great mother! I now know just how much either of you love me. She loved me enough to just watch me starve because YOU told her not to. I can feel the love emanating from you. You love me so much as to put an illegal curse on me to cause me more pain than most people can bear!!! Thanks, daddy!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lucius jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand.
"I'm warning you...one more word and!" but he was cut off.
"That's enough, both of you!" roared Narcissa Malfoy. Both men looked up, thoroughly shocked. They'd forgotten she was even in the room. "Draco, get your trunk, now. Lucius, sit down and finish eating. DO NOT point that wand at our son ever again or you will face wrath twice-fold than the Dark Lord's." yelled Narcissa.
Lucius sat down. He knew better than to test his wife's patience when she was worked up. He was surprised she hadn't already forced him to let Draco have more food. She may not've shown it much, but Narcissa Malfoy was one hell of a witch. She could curse the socks off of many of the aurors that the ministry had employed.
Narcissa, still glowering, led Draco to the car that the ministry had provided and drove him down to King's Cross. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, though it was emotionless, more a formality than anything.
"I'll be here at Christmas break to pick you up." she said.
"Don't count on it. I'm not coming home for Christmas." said Draco shortly as he slammed the door. Narcissa looked like she'd been slapped in the face.
Draco grabbed his trunk and pulled it out of the car. He started dragging it until he found a trolly to rest it on. He pushed his trolly until he finally found the Wall between Platforms 9 and 10. He casually strolled up to it and walked through onto Platform 9&3/4, Hogsmeade Station.
A/N - So what did you think? Please please please review!!! *You feel the uncontrollable call of the "submit review" button...you just have to click!* Thanks for reading, guys!
Summary- Draco Malfoy had never been one to follow rules. Now that he's in his 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his father is forcing him to make a decision. Upon leaving Hogwarts he must decide his destiny. Shall he join the Death Eaters, or join Dumbledore, and suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord.
But unknown to Draco or his father, someone is about to come into his life that will change everything...
A/N-Listening to Down with the Sickness by Disturbed, so who knows how this will turn out! Please review whether you hate or don't hate!
*Flashback*
Lucius Malfoy, just having gotten away from Azkaban, looked down at his son.
Draco looked at his father in dismay. "What do you mean I have a decision to make?"
"You will decide whether or not to follow the Dark Lord once you leave Hogwarts."
"You mean it's actually my decision?" said Draco in disbelief.
He had been under the impression that his father was going to make all of his decisions in his life for him. He had so far. Draco had no say in his life, and he was accustomed to that. Why the sudden change?
"Yes, the Dark Lord does not wish to force you into his services, because of a prophesy that was made regarding The Dark Lord and yourself. Because if this prophesy he will not force you to join him, so it was your choice. But be warned, if you do not join him, he will probably have you killed, and he will probably make me do it. Do not think that I will hesitate." said Lucius with a scowl.
"I know you won't hesitate to kill me. The only thing from stopping you before was Mother." said Draco accusingly.
"Foolish boy!" screamed Lucius as he brought his hand down against Draco's cheek, "How DARE you speak to me like that? You interefered. You caused a plan to go wrong. You deserved what you got, and trust me, if it weren't for the Prophesy, you WOULD be dead. Get your trunk together. Tomorrow your mother is taking you to Kings Cross to go to Hogwarts."
Draco touched his cheek lightly. It smarted painfully. He quickly got up and went up to his bedroom, where he had spent most of the summer as punishment by his father.
Yes, he had interefered. No, it was not on purpose. He smirked to himself. Who'd thought that a 16, about to turn 17 year old boy could cause that much trouble.
*flashback*
He was making an acne-healing potion during a crucial Death Eaters meeting that was taking place in the Malfoy's spacious and secret basement. He knew the Death Eaters were planning something that would have to be put into action immediately. He didn't dare disturb them.
That's when the potion exploded. The blast was so strong, that it blasted the basement door right off it's hinges. The Death Eaters, all fearing that it was the Ministry, or worse, Dumbledore, fled immediately.
He didn't understand what had gone wrong. He had put in all the ingrediants carefully and precisely. He had never made such an error on a potion.
Lucius Malfoy was walking up the basement stairs with a look of anger in his eyes that Draco had never seen before. Draco knew better than to run, so did the only other thing he could think of; he stood still.
Lucius looked at his son with a look of utter loathing. "Stupid boy!" he spat angrily, "Do you realize what you have done? You have disrupted quite possibly the most important meeting we've had since The Dark Lord rose again. You have stopped us from killing the one person who stands in the way of victory for us." he yelled at his son.
Draco's hand went reflexivly to his pocket that held his wand. "Don't you mean, victory for Voldemort?" he spat at his father, the first time he had dared to stand up Lucius.
All the remaining color drained from Lucius's face.
"Crucio." he muttered under his breath, aiming his wand at his son. Draco was caught so off guard that he hadn't time to raise his wand and counter the attack.
He fell to the ground writhing in agony. The pain was unbelievable. It felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing him.
A small hopeful part of his mind thought that his father would end the curse in a few seconds...it was just punishment. Seconds past and the pain was only getting worse. Draco tried to manage to speak, but nothing came out except a scream of utmost pain.
Narcissa Malfoy heard her son's scream and ran to see what had happened. when she entered the kitchen she saw her husband standing a few feet away from her son, who was rolled up into a ball on the floor writhing and screaming.
"Lucius stop this instant!" she screamed at him in rage.
Lucius lifted the curse and then turned to his wife, "Do you REALIZE that this boy has done? Your son completely ended our meeting. The punishment for that should be death! This meeting was more important that any other!" he shouted.
"Don't you shout at me Lucius Malfoy! You have used a curse used against your enemies on our son! How dare you?" she screeched at him.
Draco, still on the floor in pain, dared to speak. "So, Mr. Malfoy. That's what I am to you now, is it? Just your wife's son? have you disowned me now?" said Draco in a low staggering voice full of pain.
Lucious looked down at his son. Under that look of loathing, Draco could have sworn he'd seen what looked to be a smirk.
'So the boy is finally getting his own tongue, eh? He can finally think and speak for himself. In any other surcumstance I would be pleased. He will be punished though.' thought Lucius as that smirk finally emerged completely.
"You are my son, and for your insolence today, I will punish you as my son. Go to your room. You will stay there until time for you to leave for school. Your mother will bring you food three times a day. There will be no owls leaving your room. You're lucky the Dark Lord has forgiven you." said Lucius as his smirk twisted into a leer.
Draco abrubtly turned around and went up into his room, shutting and locking the door. He smirked. Some punishment. His room was complete with anything he could need to keep himself entertained. He had his own large bathroom, so that wouldnt' be a problem, and more luxuries than most got to experience. He would enjoy this punishment...or so he thought.
The only food his father permit his mother to send up was thin soup and crusty bread. He had only water to drink. By the end of the summer he was gaunt, and quite the opposite of happy.
*end flashback*
In some ways he would be happy to get out of this hell that he'd been forced to endure for the duration of the summer. In others, he was afraid of his house-mates reactions to him. He knew he had changed and that there was no point in pretending that he hadn't. He was gaunt, and humbled.
He walked slowly to his mirror. He was gaunt and unkept, quite the opposite of his usual appearance. He would have to clean up well tonight and hopefully Lucius would give him more than soup and bread tonight.
He walked into his bathroom and took a long hot shower. When he got out, he combed through his hair and brushed his teeth. He put a bath-robe on over his boxers and headed out of the bathroom.
When he walked back into his room, he was met with a surprise. His father was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.
"Get dressed, boy! You are eating supper with your mother and I tonight. We can't have people thinking that we're starving you, now can we?" he said with a sneer.
Draco didn't say anything, he meerly went to one of his drawers and grabbed his nearest robes and quickly put them over his boxers. He then dug out a pair of shoes and put them on. After straightening out his robes and combing through his hair, he faced his father.
"Good enough, Lucius?" he asked, glowering.
Lucius meerly motioned for his son to follow him. Draco walked out the door behind his father and closed it. It had been his first time out of his room in over a month. He had stopped to note minor change when his father turned around, noting his hesitance.
"Hurry up, boy, or shall I have to force you to move?" said Lucius without emotion.
Draco snapped back to attention and hurried down the stairs behind his father. They entered the dining room and Draco took his usual seat accross from his mother. Almost immediately the household servants began serving the meal.
Draco looked over the meal hungrily. He immediately started piling his plate with food and then shoveled food into his mouth. His father cleared his throat loudly, and gave Draco a disgusted look. Draco felt his fathers glare on his neck and he sat up straight and looked him square in the eye.
"What, pray tell, do you think you are? A pig? A commoner? Maybe some of the nasty mudbloods at that school of yours eat like that, but the son of Lucius Malfoy WILL NOT eat like he is common swine." said Lucius vehemenantly.
Draco glared right back at his father. He wasn't sure why, but it bothered him how his father refered to Mudbloods. He was starting to see what a jerk he had always been. He had been so naive. He had been what his father wanted him to be. He was through with that. His father spent all his time talking about how much better they were than others, but Draco had seen how his father really was that summer. He had seen that if anything, his family was worse than any other. He thought back to all the times his father had said rude things about the Weasleys. Draco saw the love in their eyes when they would pass each other and the passion they had for defending each other. Draco wished that he had that. He wished that he could believe that his father loved him.
He slowed down his eating and sat up properly. Lucius nodded in approval. Draco glowered. After his supper he immediately went straight back to his room and finished packing up his trunk. He reached for the photos of his parents that he always took with him to Hogwarts. And only grabbed one of them. He knocked the other to the floor, satisfied when he heard the glass break, and hoped that his father would see it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Draco awoke to a gentle knock on his door. He sat up in bed and grabbed his wand from his night stand.
"Alohamora" he said quietly and watched the door open. He had never had to worry about the ministry expelling him for underage use of magic. Lucius had always seen to that, and even now that Lucius was a convicted criminal, the ministry didn't dare mess with the Malfoy's. To his relief, it was his mother, not his father, that stepped through. She looked sheepish and ashamed.
"Draco, dear, it's time to get ready to go." she said nervously.
"You don't have to worry, mum. It's not like I'm going to slap you like your husband probably would." he said with annoyance.
Narcissa Malfoy was taken aback. Her son had never said anything so horrible about his father to her face. "Draco! Don't talk about your father that way!" she said quietly.
"First of all, he isn't my father. Father's don't do things like he did to their children. Father's love their children. Second, I'll talk about him whatever way I like. At least I don't curse him." said Draco angrily. He couldn't believe his mom had the nerve to defend Lucius in front of him.
Narcissa sighed. She turned around to walk away and quietly said, "I'm sorry, Draco. For everything." she quietly walked out of the room to let him get ready.
About an hour later Draco stepped out of his room with his trunk suspended behind, following him down the stairs. He had showered and changed into nice robes. When he reached the end of the stairs his mother walked into the hallway.
"Oh Draco don't be silly! Put that thing down this instant! I wouldn't dream of sending you off without proper breakfast!" she said ushering him into the kitchen.
"You didn't seem too worried this summer when I was half-starving." he said. Narcissa sniffed. Draco knew it hurt his mother, but he didn't care. She had just stood by all summer and watched her husband torment him. He wasn't going to let her forget it either. And if they expected him to be coming home after this year, his final year at Hogwarts, they were sorely mistaken. There was no way he was coming back to his hell-hole. He smiled to himself. So this was what it felt like to be Harry Potter, unloved and under-fed. He smirked at his own thought.
His smirk quickly changed to a scowl when he saw that apparently his father would be joining him for breakfast as well.
"Stop smirking boy. Sit down and eat." said Lucius, not kindly, but not with loathing either.
"I stopped smirking the moment I saw who my breakfast company would be." Draco sneered.
Lucius rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You are not to treat your mother badly, son. She has done nothing to you."
"That's the problem now isn't it? She just sat back and let you torture me and then starve me. I don't think it's fair for me to pretend like she hasn't." said Draco evenly. He was no longer afraid of what his father would do to him. Lucius wouldn't want anyone to think the boy had been hurt recently, so he was safe for now.
Lucius glared at his son in anger. "Your mother wanted to help you. I wouldn't let her."
Now it was Draco's turn to be annoyed. "You insufferable ass-hole. Of course, she is such a good mother for wanting to help me! A great mother! I now know just how much either of you love me. She loved me enough to just watch me starve because YOU told her not to. I can feel the love emanating from you. You love me so much as to put an illegal curse on me to cause me more pain than most people can bear!!! Thanks, daddy!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lucius jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand.
"I'm warning you...one more word and!" but he was cut off.
"That's enough, both of you!" roared Narcissa Malfoy. Both men looked up, thoroughly shocked. They'd forgotten she was even in the room. "Draco, get your trunk, now. Lucius, sit down and finish eating. DO NOT point that wand at our son ever again or you will face wrath twice-fold than the Dark Lord's." yelled Narcissa.
Lucius sat down. He knew better than to test his wife's patience when she was worked up. He was surprised she hadn't already forced him to let Draco have more food. She may not've shown it much, but Narcissa Malfoy was one hell of a witch. She could curse the socks off of many of the aurors that the ministry had employed.
Narcissa, still glowering, led Draco to the car that the ministry had provided and drove him down to King's Cross. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, though it was emotionless, more a formality than anything.
"I'll be here at Christmas break to pick you up." she said.
"Don't count on it. I'm not coming home for Christmas." said Draco shortly as he slammed the door. Narcissa looked like she'd been slapped in the face.
Draco grabbed his trunk and pulled it out of the car. He started dragging it until he found a trolly to rest it on. He pushed his trolly until he finally found the Wall between Platforms 9 and 10. He casually strolled up to it and walked through onto Platform 9&3/4, Hogsmeade Station.
A/N - So what did you think? Please please please review!!! *You feel the uncontrollable call of the "submit review" button...you just have to click!* Thanks for reading, guys!