Best Laid Plans
By Rebecca Starflower
A/N: The first chapter of a new novel! Hooray! I have a new project! My infinite thanks to my darling Alex for beta-ing. It made the chapter a lot better. Enjoy!
Chapter One: Beginnings
It was a thick, moonless night, the kind where you can't see an inch before your nose and the silence around you is deafening. On this dark night, Draco lay restless in his bed, staring unseeingly at the ceiling of his four-poster bed. School began the next day: tonight was his last chance to go to a Death Eater meeting. He hadn't been called at all since he had been initiated on his sixteenth birthday the previous July; and he knew that once he got to Hogwarts, he wouldn't be able to apparate to meetings. He chafed his arm impatiently, willing it to burn, wishing fervently for the niggling pain. He sighed in aggravation and reached out to light a lamp. He lay still for a while watching the flames dance upon the walls. He eventually decided to continue writing his novel. Propping himself up on his pillows, he reached for a quill and parchment. He had barely written three sentences when a sudden pain in his arm made him drop his quill in surprise. He scrambled out of bed, muttering, 'Accio clothes,' as he clasped his wand. The robes flew into his hand and he hurriedly pulled them on. He thrust his wand into his pocket as he threw himself into the hallway, pelting down the stairs to meet his father standing in the grand foyer. If Draco had expected praise for his speed, he would be disappointed. Lucius gave him only a cold nod before roughly grasping Draco's wrist and apparating them away from the mansion.
'I can't wait 'til I'm 18,' Draco thought for a glum moment, before landing somewhere in the middle of nowhere. He looked around at the circle of dark hooded figures, before his eyes rested on two shapes in the centre of the group. One was small and hunched over, his eyes staying firmly on the ground. The other was tall and majestic; his head seemed to move imperiously. His eyes, two glowing red embers in the shadow of his hood, raked the circle - counting. After a while a forked tongue darted out and a hiss of pleasure filled the air. Draco shivered in respectful fear.
'Thank you for your swift arrival,' Voldemort hissed, lowering his hood to display his white skin to the moonless sky.
'However, I only need the Malfoys and the Averys tonight. You may leave.' With a dismissive wave of his hand, he watched the other Death Eaters disapparate. Alone with the two death eaters and the dark lord, Draco suddenly noticed the unknown figure standing with them. The unknown person was tall and lithe, but the cloak covered most of their body. Draco involuntarily cocked an eyebrow -what was going on? Voldemort noticed his expression and laughed, a high unnatural sound. Draco winced slightly, but quickly made his face an impassive mask.
'Would you care to explain to your son what is happening, Lucius?'
'Yes, my Lord. Draco,' he said in a business-like tone, turning to face his son. 'Our Master has been kind enough to arrange a marriage for you.'
Draco went into temporary shock. 'I'm-I'm sorry?!' he sputtered.
'Our Master has arranged a very advantageous marriage for you. You should be very grateful.'
Draco couldn't speak. His mind was buzzing. 'An arranged marriage?' he thought frantically. 'What is this, the Middle Ages? It's 1996 for God's sake!' His thoughts were interrupted as he realised his father was speaking to him.
'I said, thank your kind master,' Lucius repeated icily. The next thing Draco knew he was floating.something.some*one* was saying something.just say thank you.say thank you.so easy, just say it.'Yes.' Draco thought.
'Thank you,' he said aloud, as if from a great distance. And just like that, he was himself again and his father was pocketing his wand.
'Very good,' Lucius said remarked coolly. 'Now allow me to introduce you to your bride.' The mysterious figure stepped forward. 'This is Mariette Vert, daughter of Francois Vert. He was one of our circle who was killed by an Auror,' Lucius wrinkled his nose disdainfully at the word, 'and our Mr Avery has brought her over from the wizarding school in France. Well, show yourself, girl!' he snapped when the figure remained still and hooded. Almost reluctantly, it seemed, a pair of shapely hands reached up and pulled down the hood, releasing a shower of silver-blonde hair. She lifted her chin and pushed her hair over her shoulder. Draco looked appraisingly at her: she had pale skin, blue eyes surrounded by thick dark lashes and a small pouting rosebud mouth. She had an indignant set to her chin, which Draco found somewhat unappealing, along with a large square nose which seemed to stick out incongruously from her face. He noticed that she, too, was looking over him, one eyebrow imperiously arched. Draco scowled at her and she scowled right back. He grinned inwardly; she might be a match for him after all.
'She could be a stunner,' Draco mused, 'if only it weren't for that awful nose.why doesn't she try a concealing spell.' His eyes glazed over as his thoughts wandered. All the other girls he'd been with before were exotic, perfect brunettes, without a single unattractive feature on their body. Indeed, some of their features had been extremely attractive.but no, Draco had never had a blonde.
'Maybe it's because she would remind me too much of myself,' he contemplated. After all, there are times when your own person can't satisfy you.which is when he'd call in the brunettes. He suddenly realised that once again he hadn't been paying attention.
'.You will not be required to marry at once, of course,' Lucius was saying smoothly. 'We thought it would be wise to tell you now, to allow you to get to know each other.'
'Um.right.thanks,' Draco stuttered, dazed.
'You are quite welcome,' Voldemort said intoned, breaking his silence.
'Is there anything else, my Lord?' Lucius asked reverently.
'No, Lucius. You may all leave.'
One by one they disapparated.
So, first chapter. Tell me what you think: please review.
Next chapter will be up in a week or so, maybe more.
Thank you! I love you all!
By Rebecca Starflower
A/N: The first chapter of a new novel! Hooray! I have a new project! My infinite thanks to my darling Alex for beta-ing. It made the chapter a lot better. Enjoy!
Chapter One: Beginnings
It was a thick, moonless night, the kind where you can't see an inch before your nose and the silence around you is deafening. On this dark night, Draco lay restless in his bed, staring unseeingly at the ceiling of his four-poster bed. School began the next day: tonight was his last chance to go to a Death Eater meeting. He hadn't been called at all since he had been initiated on his sixteenth birthday the previous July; and he knew that once he got to Hogwarts, he wouldn't be able to apparate to meetings. He chafed his arm impatiently, willing it to burn, wishing fervently for the niggling pain. He sighed in aggravation and reached out to light a lamp. He lay still for a while watching the flames dance upon the walls. He eventually decided to continue writing his novel. Propping himself up on his pillows, he reached for a quill and parchment. He had barely written three sentences when a sudden pain in his arm made him drop his quill in surprise. He scrambled out of bed, muttering, 'Accio clothes,' as he clasped his wand. The robes flew into his hand and he hurriedly pulled them on. He thrust his wand into his pocket as he threw himself into the hallway, pelting down the stairs to meet his father standing in the grand foyer. If Draco had expected praise for his speed, he would be disappointed. Lucius gave him only a cold nod before roughly grasping Draco's wrist and apparating them away from the mansion.
'I can't wait 'til I'm 18,' Draco thought for a glum moment, before landing somewhere in the middle of nowhere. He looked around at the circle of dark hooded figures, before his eyes rested on two shapes in the centre of the group. One was small and hunched over, his eyes staying firmly on the ground. The other was tall and majestic; his head seemed to move imperiously. His eyes, two glowing red embers in the shadow of his hood, raked the circle - counting. After a while a forked tongue darted out and a hiss of pleasure filled the air. Draco shivered in respectful fear.
'Thank you for your swift arrival,' Voldemort hissed, lowering his hood to display his white skin to the moonless sky.
'However, I only need the Malfoys and the Averys tonight. You may leave.' With a dismissive wave of his hand, he watched the other Death Eaters disapparate. Alone with the two death eaters and the dark lord, Draco suddenly noticed the unknown figure standing with them. The unknown person was tall and lithe, but the cloak covered most of their body. Draco involuntarily cocked an eyebrow -what was going on? Voldemort noticed his expression and laughed, a high unnatural sound. Draco winced slightly, but quickly made his face an impassive mask.
'Would you care to explain to your son what is happening, Lucius?'
'Yes, my Lord. Draco,' he said in a business-like tone, turning to face his son. 'Our Master has been kind enough to arrange a marriage for you.'
Draco went into temporary shock. 'I'm-I'm sorry?!' he sputtered.
'Our Master has arranged a very advantageous marriage for you. You should be very grateful.'
Draco couldn't speak. His mind was buzzing. 'An arranged marriage?' he thought frantically. 'What is this, the Middle Ages? It's 1996 for God's sake!' His thoughts were interrupted as he realised his father was speaking to him.
'I said, thank your kind master,' Lucius repeated icily. The next thing Draco knew he was floating.something.some*one* was saying something.just say thank you.say thank you.so easy, just say it.'Yes.' Draco thought.
'Thank you,' he said aloud, as if from a great distance. And just like that, he was himself again and his father was pocketing his wand.
'Very good,' Lucius said remarked coolly. 'Now allow me to introduce you to your bride.' The mysterious figure stepped forward. 'This is Mariette Vert, daughter of Francois Vert. He was one of our circle who was killed by an Auror,' Lucius wrinkled his nose disdainfully at the word, 'and our Mr Avery has brought her over from the wizarding school in France. Well, show yourself, girl!' he snapped when the figure remained still and hooded. Almost reluctantly, it seemed, a pair of shapely hands reached up and pulled down the hood, releasing a shower of silver-blonde hair. She lifted her chin and pushed her hair over her shoulder. Draco looked appraisingly at her: she had pale skin, blue eyes surrounded by thick dark lashes and a small pouting rosebud mouth. She had an indignant set to her chin, which Draco found somewhat unappealing, along with a large square nose which seemed to stick out incongruously from her face. He noticed that she, too, was looking over him, one eyebrow imperiously arched. Draco scowled at her and she scowled right back. He grinned inwardly; she might be a match for him after all.
'She could be a stunner,' Draco mused, 'if only it weren't for that awful nose.why doesn't she try a concealing spell.' His eyes glazed over as his thoughts wandered. All the other girls he'd been with before were exotic, perfect brunettes, without a single unattractive feature on their body. Indeed, some of their features had been extremely attractive.but no, Draco had never had a blonde.
'Maybe it's because she would remind me too much of myself,' he contemplated. After all, there are times when your own person can't satisfy you.which is when he'd call in the brunettes. He suddenly realised that once again he hadn't been paying attention.
'.You will not be required to marry at once, of course,' Lucius was saying smoothly. 'We thought it would be wise to tell you now, to allow you to get to know each other.'
'Um.right.thanks,' Draco stuttered, dazed.
'You are quite welcome,' Voldemort said intoned, breaking his silence.
'Is there anything else, my Lord?' Lucius asked reverently.
'No, Lucius. You may all leave.'
One by one they disapparated.
So, first chapter. Tell me what you think: please review.
Next chapter will be up in a week or so, maybe more.
Thank you! I love you all!