Thanks for the reviews; I really appreciate it. Harry Potter doesn't belong to me… blah blah blah (you know the drill). Italics are either dreams, thoughts, or flashbacks. I'm pretty sure you can tell which ones they are. If not, tell me and I'll quickly fix that for you!
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Ch. 2 Flashback
"CHANG'S MANOR!" A bright green flame appeared, and Draco pushed Cho into the fire. "Get some medicine or something. Call your mom and dad."
Draco took one last glance at the fireplace and walked out of his room.
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"Mistress! Mistress, you're all right! Nina was so worried! Nina looked everywhere for Mistress Cho. What happened?" Nina, her house-elf, quickly grabbed Cho's arm and tried to pull her up from the ground but to no avail.
"Nothing! *cough* Nothing happened. I was just… just…" Her mind searched for valid reasons for her disappearance. She wouldn't look Nina in the eye, fearing she would frighten her faithful house-elf even more.
"Sleepwalking?" whispered Nina. Cho's head snapped up. Nina looked into Cho's eyes and began to cry. "Nina noticed that Mistress has been wandering off during the night. Nina never feared for Mistress always fell back asleep in the backyard. But, last night, last night Nina couldn't find Mistress, and Nina began to worry!"
Cho could feel her tears forming in her eyes. It was true; there were times when Cho would find herself sprawled out in her backyard or curled up near her mother's rose bush. She couldn't help it. The nightmares featuring Cedric and his white skeleton always appeared whenever she lay down to rest at night. Walking seemed to cure her problem, but the majority of the time Cho never knew where her body took her.
"Mistress, please be careful! The house-elves in the kitchen had to carry Mistress' body inside almost every night for the past two months. This time, Nina will spend the night in front of Mistress' door so that whenever Mistress sleepwalks, Nina will wake up and rescue Mistress immediately!" A flash of determination appeared in the house-elf's eyes, and she gave her fist a tight squeeze. Cho gave a weak smile and touched the top of Nina's head.
"No, Nina, you don't need to do that. I'll be…"
"NO!! Mistress will NOT wander away ANYMORE! Nina will protect Mistress every night!" The little house-elf smiled faintly and looked into Cho's eyes.
Cho gave a weak smile in return and rose onto her feet.
"Thank you, Nina."
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Draco slipped into the kitchen and began to eat his breakfast - two scrambled eggs with a dash of black pepper; 3 strips of Canadian bacon (imported, of course); and one blueberry muffin. Nothing less, nothing more. His personal house-elf scrambled around the kitchen, trying to prepare a glass of pumpkin juice.
"Hurry up, you filthy slave! I haven't got all day, you know." Draco released a gargantuan burp and chortled. "HURRY UP!"
"Yes, Master!" the house-elf squeaked.
"Draco, that was quite rude." Lucius Malfoy entered the kitchen and gave a slight glare at his son. "I hope you're ready for today."
"What do you mean?" Draco shoved a fork-full of eggs into his mouth; a shiver suddenly ran down his spine. He knew he was asking for it.
"Don't toy with me, boy!" Lucius spun around and faced him. He could see anger boiling behind his eyes; of course he knew what was in store for him today. "How could you forget such an important event? The Dark Lord wishes to meet with the future Death Eaters this afternoon. I expect great things from you; you deserve to be at the top. It's in your blood."
Draco gave a snort. Who cares about Mr. Dark Lord? Not I, that's for sure. He continued to finish his breakfast and downed his pumpkin juice. His father sat near him with the Daily Prophet in hand.
"May I be excused?" Draco murmured, and he quickly got onto his feet.
"Oh no, you don't, boy! I'm disgusted with your attitude. What has gotten in you lately?" Lucius grabbed Draco by his collar and pulled him back down into his seat. "Don't you care about our Dark Lord? Why haven't you shown any interest? Are you ashamed of something?" Lucius's words were twisted with spite and enmity. Draco could see that he was upsetting his father with his nonchalant attitude.
That's right, Father. I don't give a damn. I don't care for Lord What's-His-Face. I'm sick of all these threats. I'm sick of all these false hopes. I'm sick of being sick! I WANT THIS ALL TO END. Everyone is acting like a bunch of mindless barbarians.
"DRACO!"
"I don't give a shit, Father! I don't care about the Dark Lord! The thought of being a Death Eater makes me want to vomit all over myself! Why can't you accept that?" Draco couldn't hold back his feelings anymore. It was now or never. Once he meets Lord Voldemort, his fate would be engraved in stone forever.
Lucius Malfoy jumped out of his chair and grabbed Draco's face with one hand. Draco wasn't expecting his father to act so hastily. He could feel his father's grip growing tighter and tighter; his jaw was about to break.
I can feel it. His hands are crushing my cheek and jaw bone. Draco, you git! Expect a heavy bruise tomorrow. Argh!!! Draco thought he heard something crack beneath his skin, but fear once again was playing tricks on him.
"As long as you are my son, you will become a Death Eater, you understand? Is this seeping into that thick skull of yours?"
"Father, you're hurting me…" whispered Draco. His nails dug into his father's hand, begging for release. Lucius slammed Draco's head into the table and whispered, "Like I give a damn."
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For the past two weeks, Nina would wake up every night by the sound of Cho's door opening. She would quickly pull Cho's nightgown and call out her name, shaking her mistress out of her nocturnal stupor. The dreams continued, however, and they slowly grew worse…
"Cedric, do you love me?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course, I love you." Cedric ran his fingers through her silky hair and nuzzled her neck. "I love the way you smell…" His fingertips touched her cheeks. "I love the way your skin is smooth to perfection…" His lips casually touched hers. "I love the way you taste…"
His words caused her emotions to flutter inside of her. Nobody ever made her feel this special, this good. As her eyes slowly shut, she could feel his body move beside her.
"And I love the fact that your heart belongs to me…"
His hands slowly went up her shirt; her skin burned beneath his touch.
"Cedric, wait…" But he continued to touch her, and the sensation grew worse. She felt as if the tips of five scorching rods were touching her delicate skin, and she screamed in pain. There was no way to stop it. Her eyes popped open, and there he was, Cedric, with his flesh melting off of his skull and bones.
Her shirt was being ripped apart by his hands; the skirt that once covered her legs was now covered in flames. Her legs were quickly exposed to the hot air, and Cho's body was soon naked.
"Cedric, help… STOP IT!"
Cho shook the remnants of her dreams out of her mind. The clock in the living room flashed 2:47 PM, and the afternoon sun outside invited her for a walk. A sigh left her lips, and she carefully pushed herself off of the soft couch.
"Nina! I'm going outside for a walk. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine!"
She quickly slipped out into the backyard before her house-elf protested and ran through her mother's garden. The soft grass kissed her bare feet, and the air was filled with different fragrances. Every house in the neighborhood did not have fences marking each territory; everyone's backyard connected into one massive field full of scattered trees and flowers. Her eyes spotted a mansion that belonged to Mrs. Lawrence, the witch that brewed the best sleeping potion in town, and right across from her was the Montague Manor. Off in the distance, she noticed the tall manor that belonged to the boy that saved her the other night.
"I can't believe I walked that far." Cho reached into her back pocket of her Muggle jeans and pulled out her wand. "Accio sneakers!" A pair of shoes flew out of her bedroom window and landed softly near her feet. She quickly put them on and began walking out into the field.
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Draco looked at his arm and traced an empty spot on his skin. He knew the mark was there; he couldn't deny it. After that incident with his father two weeks ago, he knew that nothing could change his life for the better.
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"Draco, honey, sit still!" Narcissa whispered a healing spell, and all the bruises from Lucius' fingertips quickly vanished. The large cut on the side of Draco's temple caused by the encounter with the breakfast table slowly faded, and Narcissa gave a small smirk.
"What did I tell you, Draco? Don't fight with your father; this happens every time!"
"Mother, you don't understand. Every time I try to talk to him, he beats the living daylights out of me."
"That's because you're talking nonsense, dear." She walked over to her full-length mirror and inspected her attire. "Hmmm, I hope the Dark Lord approves this outfit." Her hands straightened out her skirt, and she turned slightly to her right.
"Does it matter, mum? You'll be wearing a black cloak over it! Plus, your made-up face will be hidden by that stupid mask!"
Narcissa twirled around, and clenched her fist. "What has gotten into you? You're about to meet the Dark Lord himself! Lucius was right; something in you has changed. Well, FORGET IT! Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy." She faced herself towards the mirror and whispered, "And… once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."
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Yes, once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. Even though the mark would not burn until after his years of Hogwarts, his body already belonged to the Dark Lord. Instead of furthering his career or attending a wizard college, he was forced to serve Voldemort until his last breath escapes his body. You might as well accept it, Draco. You're a Death Eater…
"Why is this happening to me?" Draco slowly stood up and headed straight out the door. "No, don't answer that. Accept it, accept it all. This is your life, your path. There's no turning back, and there's no other solution." He shoved his hands into his pocket and headed out towards the field behind his house.
I need a cigarette.
He quickly ran to a certain oak tree and grabbed his wand from his back pocket. His wrist gave a quick flick, and a little compartment appeared. His fingers reached into it and pulled out a packet of cigarettes.
Great way to start the day. I have four cigarettes left, and I'm going to get another pack tomorrow hopefully. Might as well smoke them all.
He shoved the content into his back pocket along with his wand and headed out straight towards the field. As his manor disappeared behind him, he pulled out a cigarette and began smoking.
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"Draco Malfoy." He could see the Dark Lord's eyes glaring into his. His mind prayed that Lord Voldemort couldn't read the emotions flowing through his veins right now; his life might have ended then and there. "I expect great things from you. Your father served me well after all these years. I expect you to do so too."
"Yes, my lord." Draco slowly bowed his head. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest; his ribs were about to break against the pressure.
"Give me your arm."
One of the followers came from behind Draco and handed a rod with the mark searing at the end. He kept his head down; he couldn't show the Dark Lord his fear.
"I said, give me your arm!"
Draco stuck out his arm with his wrist facing the ceiling. His breathing became raspy, and cold sweat seeped through every pore on his body.
"Though the mark will not burn until you are completely out of Hogwarts, this symbol represents your faith in me." Lord Voldemort raised the rod into the air and held it above Draco's arm. "Draco, do you accept this? I can put my faith into you?"
Draco paused for a second. He could see his father glowering for his hesitation.
"Yes, my lord."
He felt the rod digging into his upper arm; the pain was indescribable. The smell of burning flesh filled the room and caused Draco to suppress his cries. Soon his mind began to black out, but he remained kneeling.
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"Hey!"
Draco snapped back to reality and spotted Cho a few feet away from where he stood. He quickly looked around and noticed he strayed further away than he intended to. His cigarette dangled near his lips, and as he opened his mouth to speak, it fell onto the ground near his feet.
"What do you want? Damn it! Look, I dropped my cigarette because of you!" He picked up the filter and carefully inspected what was left. Hmmm, I smoked it down to the filter and didn't even realize it.
"How is it my fault? You opened that fat mouth of yours on your own." Cho stuck out her tongue at him and flicked him off.
"Shut it!" Draco reached for another cigarette and carefully placed one into his mouth. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Walking."
"You're not lost, right? Remember what happened last time? You looked like a lost puppy in the harsh cold rain."
"Great analogy," Cho mumbled.
"Is that sarcasm, I hear? Well, it sucked. Trust me, I know." He pulled out his wand and muttered, "Incendio".
Cho walked a few feet away and sat near a tree. She stretched her legs and slowly tucked them underneath her arms. Draco sauntered over and plopped right beside her. A few minutes of awkward silence passed by, and a cloud of smoke slowly floated near their heads.
"Remember when I saw you naked? That was great!" Draco chuckled and took another drag of his cigarette. He turned to face her and blew smoke into her face. That'll make her say something. Cho reached into her back pocket and pulled out her wand. She pointed it straight towards Draco's face and uttered something unintelligible.
"What are you… AHHHHH!!!" A gust of wind flew out of Cho's wand, and Draco rolled a few feet away from his previous spot. It took a while for his senses to come back. He crawled on all four trying to find his packet of cigarettes; they were blown away by the wind. "Damn it, Cho! What was that for?!"
"I didn't feel like getting cancer today."
"Cancer? Screw the cancer! That was my last pack! You know how hard it is for me to buy those things?!"
"Like I give a damn…"
His head popped up, and a smirk flashed on his face; he loved women who were feisty. He crawled next to her and placed an arm onto her shoulder. Cho tried to squirm away, but Draco held onto her tightly. His nose nuzzled her hair; it smelled like raspberries.
"Mmmm, Cho, you smell good. So what are your plans for this evening?"
"Quit it, Draco." As she looked up into his eyes, she forgot what else to say. She couldn't help but be hypnotized by his icy blue eyes; they were full of passion and made her heart beat faster. Cho's cheek began to turn red, and she quickly turned away. What are you doing, Cho? Don't look at him like that! He's a jerk, a total jerk.
"Two weeks till Hogwarts… maybe I'll see you on the train." Draco slowly massaged her arm and smiled into her hair.
"Uhhh yeah, sure. I have to go. See you, Draco." Cho quickly stood up and ran home. She forced herself not to look back; she was sure he saw her blush.
Draco watched her as Cho's figure disappeared. He couldn't help himself; she was beyond beautiful. The energy that came from Cho was tempting Draco's emotions. He let out a long sigh and noticed his packet of cigarettes and his wand beside him.
"Tricky girl…"
He continued to sit near the tree and smoked until the afternoon faded into the evening.