Interlude One

As soon as I walked through the barrier and into the muggle world I knew I was completely fucked.

Father and Mother stood at the barrier, the anger on their faces was so intense that they didn't pause to look condescendingly around at the muggles surrounding them.

All the cover stories that I had been working out since the first meeting of the Order fled from my mind as I mentally cringed away from my father.

Outwardly I showed no emotion. I swear a flicker of pride passed over his face as I stood steadfastly before him. It didn't matter didn't matter for that brief second that he believed I had betrayed him. The Malfoy pride took over and he knew that his years of training me to not show any emotion had finally paid off. That brief look on his face sickened me and I fought not to retch.

'Mother.'

'Draconis.'

'Father.'

'Boy.'

Uh oh. That couldn't be good. If he was too mad to use my name then he would call me son. The absence of that term left me in no doubt as to his anger. As we turned to apparate I pulled my thoughts together and by the time we had appeared at Malfoy Manor, I knew what I doing.

Mother gracefully left the room leaving father and I standing like adversaries at opposite sides of the enormous chamber. I know the punishment for speaking out of turn so I waited.

After about five minutes of trying to meet his steady gaze without flinching he broke the stony silence.

'A number of disturbing reports have reached me from different parts of Britain.'

I raised my eyebrows.

'As different as the parts of this country that these letters came from were, the information was identical.'

Still I was silent.

'These reports contained verifiable information that my son had struck up a friendship with one Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and their Mudblood companion. What do you have to say to this?.'

'It is true.'

I waited for the explosion, but none came. Lucius continued to stare murderously at me.

'And, why may I ask? Why would my son, and heir to the Dark Lords throne strike up a friendship with the vanquisher of our aforesaid dark lord, a Mudblood friend who's family should by rights be in a muggle poorhouse and a Mudblood?'

.

'Answer me.'

'Well, father. Ever since my first year you have asked me to strike up a friendship with the trio. And in their hour of need, when their hero was dead, I did. Now I have the ear of Dumbledore, the son of a ministry member who is Dumbledore's advocate in the ministry and the smartest student in the school under my thumb. I thought you would be pleased.'

'Pray, why didn't my son, who does all these things as it would seem to please me, inform me of what he had done.'

'I believed, sir, it would be too risky. The owl could be intercepted at any time. I believed you would be happier that you found out my true purpose later, instead of all the plans being ruined.'

'And you were quite happy to go through with it even if you were risking a severe punishment for failing to inform me.'

'Well, sir, you have taught me ever since I can remember to think before I act, and to have each plan carefully thought through, as a Slytherin and indeed a Malfoy should. I was acting purely on the skills that you have devoted the past few years of your life to teaching me. I do apologise, if I misused the skills you have trained me in.'

'Enough.'

I nearly smiled in relief, but caught myself in time. I could see his evident self-pride. It was too simple. How ironic that the master of deceit should be deceived by his fifteen year old son, by the methods that he taught him. Rule number one in a Malfoys life: find peoples weaknesses and exploit them. That is what I have done. I have taken my fathers egotistical pride and blinded him with it. He should be proud. I used it against him. Rule number two in a Malfoys life: never let your own weaknesses be exploited by others.

Hmmmmmm, perhaps he should listen to his own lectures for a change. For a person who loves the sound of his own voice he doesn't seem listen to what he is saying.

Well, it seems I will be safe for the holidays as long as I don't let anything slip. I am going to start looking into getting some money into a private account of my own. I refuse to live under my father for too much longer. I want to declare my support for Dumbledore openly and when I do, I shall be out on the streets. I need some money in case I am discovered more quickly than I anticipate. Hopefully my father will be in prison or dead by the time that happens and I will have inherited his millions, but I can't really see that happening. Rule number three in a Malfoys life: be prepared for any eventuality.