Disclaimer: Not mine.

AN: Sorry for the delay. I had troubles to write this. In the end I needed to make some changes to my story plot plan to make it possible to me to write it. I raise this to R now, because there is quite much talking about sex and I'm not completely familiar with those age limits and I'm not sure what this should be. Better safe than sorry. Please review.

Tale of the Great Ferret, Part One

Malfoy's Heir


Chapter 6

Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform 9 ¾. Students hurried out of the train to meat their loved one's. Draco Malfoy sighed and remained little longer in the train. His school years were finally over. On the other hand he was relieved, he hadn't been child long time anymore and it was good that now on people would also recognize him as an adult. On the other hand he was little nostalgic. There had been much fun in his school time. Of course there had also been many humiliating losses and many angry moments because prejudices he and other Slytherins had had to cope with. But there had also been fantastic moments and victories. There had been pure joy of flying and quidditch battles and victories. There had been countless good moments with his Slytherin companions. There had been enjoyable sparring matches with Potter and his friend and he had won quite many of them. There had been lovers from both genders more than he even bothered to count. Also from other houses. Slytherins were quite popular than night came and older students sneaked to find some quiet places for some quality time with the special friend. It was probably their bad boy or girl image. Same Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who didn't even look to Slytherin table at daytime were anxious to try little adventure with some Slytherin at nights. Draco had even had sex with several Gryffindors.

As nice as it was to shag some Hufflepuff girl and know that it would be the wildest thing she would ever dare to try in her life still Draco's best memories from this field were among Slytherins. Their complex relationships and alliances where sex was also the tool not only pleasure lead to many interesting situations. Last night older Slytherins had had orgies in their common room as many times before. In the end Draco had found himself spending his night with Blaise Zabini. They had had sex but they had also talked. Nothing important and nothing revealing but it still was very good memory. He didn't have friends and he seldom spoke with anyone without cunning and ulterior motives. It was small sparkle of almost friendship with the young man who would consider him an enemy after they would step out of the train next day and be officially adults. Sometimes Draco hoped he could have even one genuine friend but he knew it was more than he could afford. It was foolish to even hope anything like that. And there could be a day the former intimate relationship with someone from other side could be a major advantage. You would always remain a human being to people you had had sex with. And often being a person, a human being to your enemy could save your life in the end. It was so much easier to kill just some faceless enemy than a man you had known in the past. Then you looked things that way one could almost say that Draco endless promiscuity was kind of life assurance. Draco snickered to the thought. Well at least it had been a fun way to take assurance even if it wouldn't be the most effective.

Eventually Draco gathered his things and moved to platform. He hadn't got any family members waiting for him. His mother had sent a chauffeur to collect him. Draco assumed that he would probably have one or two days time to spend in the Malfoy Manor with his mother before Dark Lord would want Draco back next to him. True game was just starting.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Summer started smoothly. Draco status among the Death Eaters was steadier, he learned all that Dark Lord wanted him to learn, Voldemort wanted more intimate services less frequently than before and he was gathering important information for the Order. Order also managed to block many Death Eater attacks and prevent many deaths. Draco was almost lulled into an idea that things would go as well also in future. That illusion was wrecked severely in late September. Maybe he had become over confident and arrogant. He forgot how dangerous Dark Lord could be. In Voldemorts eyes he started to remind Lucius little too much. It was time to give another lesson to Draco in humility.

Draco had little bad feeling than Voldemort asked Draco to join him after Death Eater meeting. Something in the way Voldemort looked at him made him want to shiver. Of course he wouldn't. He was a Malfoy and he had been taught all his life to conceal all his emotions then needed, and his teachers had been masters in that themselves, Lucius and Severus. They were so alike and so different in Draco's eyes. Sometimes he really wondered what was their relationship. He was only sure that there was more than what met the eye.

Draco shook himself from those thoughts. It would be best to be sharp now. Voldemort sat down to his chair and left Draco to stand and wait. Dark Lord took his time and admired his own hands and laces in his cuffs. It really was a fine robe. It was so nice to have his body back and chance to live in decent building. It had really been devastating to life all those rat holes so many years without own body. Draco stood patiently waiting his face blank what his Master would want.

"So My Little Dragon, are you happy here with me? Is this fulfilling your hopes, Young One?" Voldemort hissed.

Now Draco was alarmed. This would probably mean no good to him. "Yes My Lord. It's great privilege to be so close to You and receive Your teaching. I hope I will prove myself worth it." Draco answered smoothly with the bow.

"So nice to hear that. I have sometimes been worried that you would think otherwise." Silky voice commented. "Sometimes I even think that maybe you are not as loyal and devoted to me as I would hope." Voldemort bend his finger invitingly and Draco stepped closer. Now the finger stroked Draco's chin. "That would really be a shame, My Pretty Little One, real shame. Pretty little boys who betray their Lord will get their just chastisement. But you wouldn't do anything like that, wouldn't you, My Pet?" Voldemort's voice dripped threat and now Draco was really afraid. Did he really know or even suspect his traitorousness? Or was he only trying to scare him and so obviate traitorous thoughts beforehand?

"But why would I betray you My Lord? You are giving me more than anyone ever has or will. Why would I defy your power?" Draco asked "I want to serve you with all I have. I want to help you to change this world to better place. To make things as they should be. I admire you more than anything. Why would I betray You and our Cause?"

"Indeed, why would you? But maybe I should still remind you." Voldemort took his wand to hand and shouted: "Crucio!"

Draco tried desperately to stay standing and quiet. It hurt so much. Voldemort looked him coldly and finally lift his wand and curse stopped.

"I hope you will remember that." Voldemort said, "Now you could show me how much you really admire me, Pretty One. I will make this the night you will never forget."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Next day Draco stood in the tower of that castle Voldemort headquarters were just then. It was once again old remote little castle that was falling into ruins. For example that tower didn't have stairs anymore and Draco had had to apparate there. Now he looked to ground and thought how easy it would be to just jump. End this all. It would end all this pain and humiliation. He wasn't sure if he could take another night like last one without loosing his mind. It wasn't only the pain even if that alone could make you wanting to die but the mortification. It had been awful. Dark Lord had hurt him before and used him before but never like this. Draco understood that he had nothing to say to what would happen to him, how his body would be used and what he had to do. All the power was Voldemort's. Voldemort could do anything he wanted to him and there was no way he could stop it. Expect dieing. It was only choice he could make independently. And even that Voldemort could take away. But now he still had that choice and it tempt him to use that only power he still had. It would be the easiest and the most dignified way to deal with this all.

But he couldn't. If it were only he, he would have jump from that tower in the heartbeat but it weren't. He was a Malfoy and even more, he was Malfoy's Heir and even only heir. He had his responsibilities. He couldn't refuse them. He didn't have right to choose death. He had to endure everything even if the death was easier and better option. Sometimes he hoped he would be anyone but Malfoy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Harry walked in the streets of muggle London. Yet again one of the OotP's meetings was over. Harry, Ron and Hermione were now full members of the Order and Ministry was educating them and some other former DA members to Aurors in accelerating program. Old prophecy that made Harry main responsible to destroy Voldemort pressed him heavily in these times. He still didn't have an idea how could he kill Voldemort. And when would the last battle take place? Harry was sure he wasn't ready yet but would he ever be? He also felt guilty for all those who died when he was waiting. Now than he was a member he really knew how many lives was lost in this insane war. Harry couldn't understand why so many backed up Voldemort. Did they really want all this suffering? Was it really worth it to them? He knew many of his classmates from Hogwarts had already become Death Eaters. Some he could understand. Someone like Malfoy who was evil from the birth and who's whole family were Death Eaters and who didn't have brains to think himself. But many Slytherins who had been almost bearable in Hogwarts had also joined to Voldemort and it was almost impossible to Harry to understand. Couldn't they see the truth?

Harry shook those thoughts off. He had enough worries without wondering why Slytherins were so evil. Auror education was hard and he had very little time to anything but it and the Order. It had been weeks he had flied last time. He didn't even have time to his friend. Ron was still sulking and wanted nothing to do with Harry or Hermione. Especially Hermione. Somehow Hermione had found time to fall in love. Her crush was little older Rawenclaw boy. His name was Solon Lagerfield and he was probably everything Hermione had ever dreamed of. He was intelligent, nice and handsome. He had great sense of humour but he didn't take life too lightly. He was perfect match to Hermione. Sometimes Harry was little jealous of all the time and effort Hermione used to Solon . But still Hermione was always there for Harry than he needed her. She was nowadays his only confidante whom he could speak about his fears and troubles freely. Solon was a nice guy and overall Harry was happy for her. Unfortunately Ron weren't. He was jealous and didn't like or trust Solon at all. Harry was afraid that things between him, Ron and Hermione would never got well again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ron stepped in to the Leaky Cauldron and took a table and ordered a butterbeer. He felt grumpy. There had been an Order meeting and once again Harry and Hermione had talked together and left him outside. Fortunately that Hermione's new guy wasn't an Order Member. That would be too much. It was already gross as it was. Harry and Hermione had thrown all those years three of them had been best friends to the dumpster. Now it was Harry and Hermione and this Hermione's new lapdog. Ron was cast out to them. He couldn't understand why they did this to him.

Ron was sick of his former best friends and war and even Order. Order didn't get anything done. His brother and many others were dead and culprits walked freely in the streets. Few days ago Ron had even seen Draco Malfoy in the Diagon Alley. He had walked there openly his head held high like any decent wizard though almost everyone knew he was Voldemort's supporter, toy boy and a leader of Death Eaters youth section. It offended Ron more than anything.

While Ron gloomily sorted his thoughts he didn't notice young girl approaching his table before she asked if there was room for her. Leaky Cauldron was now almost full and there wasn't any free tables left. Girl sat down opposite Ron and introduced herself.

"Hi! I'm sorry I disturbed you. My name is Odele Terris." Girl said.

"Hello! You are not disturbing me. It's nice to get some company. I'm Ron Weasley. Are we met before? You look somehow familiar?"

"We were at the Hogwarts same time. I think I was one year higher than you. You were Gryffindor weren't you? I was Hufflepuff."

"Of course. Now I remember seeing you sometimes in corridors or in the Great Hall. It's really nice to meet you." And it really was. Odele was really nice looking girl and her smile made you also smile.

They chatted all night and when they left Ron felt much better. Odele was fantastic girl and she really seemed interested about Ron. She didn't ask questions about Harry or want help in homework from Hermione. She was really interested about Ron. And she seemed very impressed that Ron was in the accelerated Auror program and already member in the Order. She knew about the Order because her father worked in the Ministry. Ron had heard about him. He was from old good Gryffindor family like Ron himself. Odele's mother was muggleborn Hufflepuff and Odele had been sorted Hufflepuff like her. They made a date for next evening and Ron really waited it. Odele was really nice girl and just the perfect date for him. His parents would like her and she was from just fitting family. Ron really hoped she would be a right girl for him. Hermione would see that he also could get other company. And better company. Odele wasn't some spoilsport brainy bookworm but nice and easygoing young witch.