A/N: Da da! Chapter two, finally. This was a bitch of a chapter to write, mostly because a family tree had to be drawn up prior to Lucinda and Constance telling Draco anything about their very odd family histories. And this chapter only just begins to introduce that. This is still an information chapter, first telling you of some Voldy related stuff, then some of Lucinda's family stuff. It's still not very serious, but this story *will* get serious later on, when it really picks up. Other than that...I can think of nothing more to say.
Disclaimer: JRK owns Harry Potter an stuff. I don't. Blah blah blah. Lucinda, Constance, Blood contracts, and other stuff that I made up are mine.
Also, thanks to moongirl13 and SatanSaphire for putting up with my slacking (but I still updated before you did, SatanSaphire!! So, HA!!!!).
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Chapter Two: Surgit Amari Aliquid (Something Bitter Arises)
"I do?" Draco looked up; he hadn't thought Snape was actually there to see him.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I do. However, I would prefer to
speak to you in a more...private setting." Snape glanced at the girls,
then pulled his wand out. He pointed it at Draco. "Solvo. Now come with
me."
The thread that had been bind Draco disentangled itself and Draco was thrown from the chair. "Yes, professor."
He stood up, and followed Snape out. The journey to Snape's office was a long and silent one. Once they arrived, Snape seated himself behind his desk. Draco saw that his expression had turned from unamused to quite serious.
"Sit."
"Yes, sir," he sat in one of the stiff looking wooden chairs opposite Snape's desk.
"Do you really not know why I have called upon you tonight?"
"No, sir, I don't," Draco hoped he didn't look as annoyed as he felt. "Might you explain a bit?"
"Well, seeing as we won't get anywhere in this discussion if I don't," Snape looked at Draco evenly. "Well, it seems your father determined your future before you were even born."
"What do you mean?"
"It seems he made an agreement of sorts with the Dark Lord," Snape paused. "A blood contract."
"A what?"
"A blood contract merely states that the first-born or oldest living child of the signing party shall take up their affairs and position if anything were to happen to them." A slightly disdainful look passed over Snape's features. "It is something the Dark Lord uses to keep certain families bound to him whether the family likes it or not."
"So, what you're saying is," Draco narrowed his eyes slightly. "That I'm to assume his position in the Dark Lord's service?"
"That would be rather simplified way of looking at it," Snape looked at Draco pointedly. "You have to remember just how, shall we say, dedicated your father was, and most likely still is, to his Dark Lord. It would be disrespectful to say he isn't, at the very least, an impressive servant. However-"
Draco cut him off. "Tell me, professor, just who ordered you to tell me this?"
"However, it remains to be seen as to just how many of your father's duties he might expect you to be capable of doing." An annoyed glare flashed in Snape's eyes at the interruption. It faded to a slightly reproachful look before he answered Draco's question. "On no one's orders am I telling you this. That is not to say that others on both sides of this little war are not also aware of the situation."
"In other words, you just wanted to get me before they did, is that right?"
"No, Mr. Malfoy, my only concern is that you make a proper decision without being influenced by the opinions of others."
"So, tell me," Draco raised an eyebrow. "What would a "proper" decision be?"
"A "proper" decision, Mr. Malfoy, is one you make yourself," Snape replied simply. "I am not going to tell you how to handle this."
Draco stood up, slamming his palms onto Snape's desk. "Then I suppose this discussion is over, professor?"
"If you wish it to be." Snape appeared unaffected by Draco's actions.
"Good." Draco turned sharply, and left without another word. He hadn't walked very far, when he saw a figure turn into the corridor some ways down from where he was. He turned and walked the other way.
"HEY!" The voice was shrill and very female.
"Eh-?" He turned around to look at the speaker, who was now running at him full throttle. "AHH-!"
He found his arms bound to his sides and his feet tied together by a familiar green thread, and promptly fell over.
"You are not getting away this time!" Her voice was less shrill now, but still irritated. "Constance, for God's sake, help me!"
Constance appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and came to stand next to Lucinda, who was glaring at her. "Are you sure you need my help? You seem like you're doing just fine without it."
"What am I, some sort of toy?" Draco glowered up at them; they smiled. He let out a sigh of defeat. "I shouldn't have had to ask, right?"
They giggled at his masterful grasping of the obvious. He glowered at them again, feeling the urge to bang his head into the ground he was lying on. Constance stooped, and grabbed his left cheek and pulled. "Awww, I don't think he's enjoying this, Lucinda."
"Ow!!!!" He turned his head sharply, trying to bite her hand as it let go. "Why are you doing this to me?!"
"What?" Lucinda looked at him in astonishment. "You don't think there's an actual reason?"
"Wha-?" He looked at her in disbelief. "You mean you have a reason?"
"Do you actually think we'd just do this for the kicks?" Constance raised an eyebrow at him.
"Honestly?" He looked at them, eyebrows raised, a questioning and sarcastic looked on his face. They both looked at him as if waiting for him to finish. "Yes, I think you would."
"You don't know us very well then," Lucinda replied, smiling. "We usually are much more picky when it comes to selecting someone to play with."
Draco wasn't sure whether to offended or worried. "So why choose me?"
"That may take a bit of time to explain," Constance stood up as she answered him, throwing an odd look to Lucinda. "Shall we?"
"I suppose so," Lucinda nodded. "We ought to be getting back to the common room, anyways."
They turned away from him, as if to begin walking back the way they had come. Draco didn't have a chance to ask before it became obvious what they were intending. He felt the thread binding him get tighter, and then realized he was being dragged.
"Ow- Stop- Ow!" He gave up attempting to protest rather quickly, deciding it would be more constructive to simply sulk the entire way to the common room than it would be to complain.
After dragging him through what seemed to the route with the most stairs, Draco saw the floor of the common room moving beneath him at last. He was then violently thrown into one of the less than squashy chairs; he found himself unbound at that same moment. He glared at them; they smiled as if nothing was amiss.
"Alright, explain," he eyed them, as if he was feeling quite put-upon. Constance looked at him innocently; Lucinda blinked. "That is what you dragged me back here for, isn't it?"
"Hmm?" Lucinda blinked again, then cocked her head to the side; her expression suddenly turned to one of realization, as if she had just remembered something important. "Oh, yes. That."
Constance nodded, in agreement. "We do owe him that much, I guess."
"You should, seeing as you already told me you were going to explain yourselves.."
"Quiet, you," Constance pulled on his cheek again; he scowled and sent daggers from his eyes. "Shall we then, Lucinda?"
"I suppose so," Lucinda smiled crookedly. "It is funny, though, that we should have to explain this. I don't think he could possibly fathom half of what we have to say."
"Just get on with it!" He sent her a rather fierce look; she back away from him a bit and sat down in a chair across from Draco's.
"Well, we're going to assume our dear professor already explained the blood contract deal with you," Constance smacked the side of his face lightly, and perched herself on the arm of Lucinda's chair.
Draco nodded. "And what about the blood contract?"
"Well," Lucinda began slowly. "You could say that's something that be have in common."
"Eh-? How?" Draco looked at her in surprise. "Why would you be under a blood contract?"
"I haven't told you my last name, have I?" The crooked smile returned. Constance looked at warily, as if this was something she preferred to stay out of. "My full name is Lucinda Adelaide Black."
"Black-?" It took Draco a few moments before the meaning of that name dawned on him; he then realized it didn't quite add up in his head. "Shouldn't I have heard of someone with the last name of Black attending Hogwarts by now?"
"Not if they usually go by their mother's maiden name," Lucinda said in a rather sharp tone.
"Oh. I suppose that would explain it," Draco nodded. "But how on earth is it possible for you be a Black?"
"Well considering my father is dead," she raised her eyebrows as if that were something he should have been able to figure out. "Its not entirely impossible."
"Uhm, well I guess that makes sense," he agreed, feeling a bit stupid not to have been able to deduce that. "Who was your father then?"
"Regulus Black," she replied simply.
He gaped at her in shock. "That can't be right."
"It is," she replied. "Even if he wasn't, though, I'd probably be under a blood contract anyway."
"How's that?" he looked at her, perplexed.
"I'm pure blood on both sides," she said matter-of-factly. "My mum is your father's cousin, on his mum's side."
Draco about fell out of his chair. "No, that isn't possible.."
"You think I like it?" She gave him a disdainful look.
"But- Why hadn't anyone told me of this?"
"Simple," she gave him an odd look. "The Malfoys stopped associating with us when my grandmother made, shall we say, "nice" with an incubus."
Draco paled. Constance glanced at Lucinda, then commented of Draco's current state. "I think you've told him enough for one night."
"You're probably right," Lucinda agreed after considering Constance's comment. "And to think, we haven't even told him about your family."
"You mean to tell me," Draco looked at them, somewhat scared. "That there's more?"
"Of course," Constance looked at him as if that should be obvious. "We're both pure bloods, after all."
"But," Lucinda continued. "As was just said, you've been told enough for now."
"You'll find out more later," Constance added. "It would just be cruel to tell you everything all at once."
"Since when does "cruel" make any difference to you?" Draco retorted; they smiled.
"Well," Lucinda countered. "We would like to keep sane, at the very least."
Constance nodded, and both stood up. "I think we'll be getting to bed now. It is rather late."
"Good ni~ight," Lucinda called behind them as they left.
Draco stared at their wake, and wondered what on earth he had done to be punished with such a terrible fate.
