Friction
Summary: "No gem can be polished without a little friction." Thrust into a world that neither knows, Draco and Hermione discover this truth as they struggle to save a forgotten realm and escape the futures that have been dealt to them. D/Hr!! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wonderful characters that were created by the lovely and talented JK Rowling. However, the plot and all characters and made-up settings that you will encounter and do not recognize belong to me. :)
Chapter 1- The Task
Death.
It is what Draco Malfoy, only son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, had been bred for. He was not the product of a loyal and devoted relationship, nor was he a symbol of the sacred union between a loving husband and wife. To his parents, Draco was but the mere result of the need to produce a child that would partake in the murderous exploits of the Dark Arts and one day join the ranks of the Death Eaters, serving the evil—but powerful—Lord Voldemort.
Throughout his childhood, Draco had been trained to maintain the evil behaviour of the generations of Malfoys before him. His parents had told him over and over that Malfoys were superior—better than most. Draco, in all his pureblood glory, was at the top of the hierarchy, with lowly half-bloods, pitiful mudbloods, and despicable Muggles far beneath him.
Purebloods considered themselves a race all their own—the "perfect" race—and Draco's goal as a member of this race, his parents had said, was to rid the world of all who were unfit to reside in it. Mudbloods, rubbish that put the name wizard to shame, Muggles, the reason wizards had been forced to live in secret, and half-bloods, the mere result of a perfectly pure wizard mating with dirty-blooded filth are all those who are inapt to coexist with kingly purebloods.
All through his young life, Draco was taught these principles again and again until they had been drilled into his head. He was never given a choice as to which path he wanted to follow in life, and Draco never questioned this lack of control over his future. He had everything, and it was his father and mother who gave it to him. If they wanted to control his life, he wasn't fool enough to stop them.
This attitude was why Draco Malfoy was sitting perched upon a chair in the study of the Malfoy Manor on a particularly crisp late summer night with a determined look on his face, patiently awaiting news from his father.
Tonight was to be a milestone in Draco's life. He was set to begin his seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in a short week. Immediately following his graduation, Draco was to be formally admitted into the ranks of the Death Eaters. However, it wasn't exactly a simple process.
Every once in a while, a bad seed would be born into a pureblood family. This child was basically the runt of the litter. The child's brain would prove to be unshapeable, and he or she would rebel against the family, resisting the destiny that it had been born for. Most of these children were outspoken about this, and were quickly disposed of, but some clever ones disguised the truth well, acting the part of the evil servant while in reality becoming a spy for the good side.
It was because of this that Draco and the other soon-to-be followers of the Dark Lord had to prove themselves. Lord Voldemort couldn't let just anybody onto his side. He had to be sure that they were sincere, that they could kill their classmates, teachers, and neighbours without a second thought. His Death Eaters had no feelings. They had hearts as hard and cold as stone, and their children had to prove to be the same, or they would be executed accordingly.
Tonight, the Dark Lord had selected Draco to perform a particularly significant murder as his test. This murder was a key move in Voldemort's strategy, and it would prove young Mr. Malfoy's loyalty to Voldemort 100% if the boy was able to perform the deed.
As the clock in the study struck eleven o'clock, Lucius Malfoy entered the study where his son sat, waiting. Draco rose as his father entered the room.
Lucius gazed upon his son with pride. As Draco stood there, draped in a coal black cloak with an ebony mask concealing his face, all except for his silver eyes that were peering sharply out, Lucius was reminded strongly of himself at that age, draped in the same attire and waiting to be let loose into the world where he could wreak havoc and drive fear into people's hearts.
"Draco," his father addressed him, "the Dark Lord is ready. Your task has been set and everything has been prepared. Follow my instructions carefully and this test should go very smoothly."
As Draco gazed at his father, his stare unwavering and his eyes showing no emotion, Lucius continued, "I trust you will not disappoint me tonight. You have been thoroughly trained and you are more than ready for this, so I expect nothing but the best show of your talents. Come now, Draco. We must not keep the Dark Lord waiting."
Lucius turned and strode briskly from the study, his own coal black Death Eater apparel billowing menacingly behind him. Draco was right on his tail, and the two cloaked figures made their way through the Manor and out into the cool night.
As soon as the two men reached the outer boundaries of the grounds, Lucius whispered hurriedly to his son their destination, and with two loud pops, the men disappeared.
Looking around at where they had arrived, Draco noticed that they were on a quiet little residential street. The houses were all rather similar looking and placed quite close together. Here and there a faint light shone through a window but it seemed that Lucius and Draco's arrival had gone relatively unnoticed.
As Draco stood staring at his surroundings, his father cruelly grabbed his arm and led him harshly into a shadowy, well-kept playground on one side of the street. There were no lights at all to light the playground at night, so Draco allowed himself to be led blindly through a small forest of trees on the far side of the playground.
Deep within a grove of large, overgrown pine trees, Lucius stopped. As Draco came to a halt, he saw before him a faint light being held by a tall, cloaked man. Around this man, four Death Eaters were kneeling on the ground, apparently bowing before their master, and Lucius quickly joined them. Draco deduced rather quickly that the man in the center was none other than the Dark Lord himself. For some reason, a shiver ran down Draco's spine and he gulped down a sudden bout of nervousness.
Draco had never actually met Voldemort before. Yes, he often bragged about knowing the powerful, menacing Dark Lord, and his fellow Slytherins fell for it, listening eagerly to the tales of torture and bloodshed that Draco had witnessed, but these stories were merely the result of eavesdropping on his father's 'private' conversations with the other Death Eaters.
Now, for a brief, fleeting moment as Voldemort raised his head, revealing two bright crimson eyes that pierced Draco's silver one's, Draco wished he was anywhere but actually in the presence of the Dark Lord. He quickly shook his head lightly to rid himself of these thoughts, and concentrated on the task that was set before him. Taking a few steps forward so that he was within five feet of Voldemort, Draco stood and waited until the Dark Lord spoke to him.
"Come, my dear boy. You must be most curious to discover what you will be performing for me tonight. Your father tells me that you are quite a powerful wizard, and I see in your eyes that you are indeed. As a result, I have appointed you the task of performing one of the most important murders in my scheme. Are you willing to accept that responsibility?"
Voldemort continued to stare hard into Draco's eyes, and with an equally unwavering stare, Draco replied, "Yes, my master. I am prepared to serve you in whatever way you see fit, and if you believe that this is the task for me, I am most willing to perform it for you."
Voldemort smiled. The boy seemed to be very obedient. He would be a remarkable addition to his Death Eaters, and with his obvious strength, power and abilities, he would help him conquer the wizarding world quite quickly.
"Very well. We must now promptly get started. As you know, that wretched classmate of yours, Harry Potter, is the only possible danger for me at this time. Destroying him would guarantee my future success, and it will be a rapid success if I am to encounter no more setbacks caused by that despicable boy. That vile Dumbledore has got Potter protected under every protection spell possible, however, and to seek him out would be nearly impossible. Do you know what the solution to this is Draco, my dear boy?"
Draco was startled momentarily when he was addressed by Voldemort, but quickly recovered and thought hard. He believed that he knew the solution, but was quite afraid to present the Dark Lord with an incorrect thought. Finally, he spoke.
"Er...Well, I believe that the solution would be to lure the filthy halfblood to us."
"Exactly, Draco," Voldemort answered with what Draco thought must be a cross between a smile and a sneer. "This was attempted a year and a half ago when I lured him to the Ministry of Magic to retrieve the prophecy for me. The attempt was unsuccessful, but as a result of that attempt I now am certain about how to lure him to us, as well as knowing my fault in my plan last time."
"What was this fault, my Lord?"
"Silence Draco. You do not speak unless spoken to. I see you still have a lot to learn."
Draco stood still as a stone as Voldemort stood staring at him, waiting for him to say anything else. Draco stayed silent however, and Voldemort continued.
"Now, as I was saying, there was a fault in my previous plan that I have dealt with in this strategy. I lured Potter to the Hall of Prophecies with the image of his tortured godfather, Sirius Black. Potter's weakness, and the weakness of most other humans, was his emotions. His so-called 'love' for Black and his heroic ways led him straight into the palm of my hand. But upon arriving at the destination of the image, he discovered that his godfather was, in fact, safe. This was the error I made. Potter was then able to fight back, with few or no emotions clouding his mind and affecting his ability to battle. As a result, Potter and his little friends escaped, and I did not have the prophecy."
Voldemort stopped here with a look of hatred on his face and then raised his arms, motioning around him.
"This, my boy, is where my new, successful plan begins, and you will be the one to begin it. We are in the neighbourhood of one of Potter's best friends: the mudblood girl. We will not lure Potter with a vision; this time we will lure him with the girl. He, having to always act the hero, will come to rescue her. We, of course, will have a little fun with her first, and upon seeing the mudblood, or what's left of her, Potter's emotions will intrude on his fighting abilities so much that I will swiftly gain the upper hand and the Boy-Who-Lived will become the Boy-Who-Was-Murdered-By-Lord-Voldemort. Now, Draco, do you see your part in all of this?"
"Not clearly, my Lord. I would be honoured if you could enlighten me as to my role in this."
"Of course," Voldemort replied with a sneer. "You will capture the mudblood, later torturing her to death, and you will dispose of the despicable Muggles that produced her."
Draco stayed very silent. This would be his first murder, and it would involve Granger? Sure, he had said that he hoped the mudblood know-it-all died in second year, but he never thought he would actually be a part of that death. Taking a deep breath, Draco said, "I thank you, my Lord, for entrusting me with this excellent task. When shall I begin?"
"We will start immediately. Lucius!" Voldemort yelled suddenly, "you will remain with your son and I at the front of the house. Goyle, MacNair, Dolohov, and Mulciber, you must surround the house. If the mudblood tries to escape, stun her."
A chorus of 'Yes, my Lord' was heard from the Death Eaters, and they quickly rose and crept quietly through the trees, back towards the street. Lucius remained with Draco and Voldemort and the three stood perfectly silent within the grove of trees, with Voldemort staring into the star covered sky, as if waiting for something.
Several minutes later, that something was revealed as a single, silent red flare was sent into the sky.
"It is time, Draco. Come."
Voldemort walked through the trees, blasting them silently out of the way as he went. Draco was close behind him, his silver eyes set straight ahead, and Lucius followed his son. The three cloaked figures emerged from the forest and assembled in front of a small, two-story house. It appeared that everyone inside of the house was asleep.
"Your father is here in case you fail to perform this task I have set. He will take over in the event of your inability," Voldemort told him warningly.
Here Draco's father intervened and walked up to his son, grabbing him roughly by the arm and twirling him around to face him. With his face merely inches away from Draco's, Lucius said sternly, "I must tell you, Draco, that if you refuse to complete this assignment, you will not live to see the sun rise again. I did not raise a traitor, and I have faith that you will breeze through this task. However, this is your warning."
Lucius released his son and strode over to the side of the yard, disappearing into the shadows but still staring intently at his son.
"I will not fail you, my Lord," Draco replied to Voldemort.
"Very well, Draco. A silencing charm has been placed around this house, so do not hesitate to be as loud as you wish. You may begin."
Voldemort stepped back as Draco placed himself directly in front of the door, raised his wand determinedly, and whispered a quick spell. A blue light shot from Draco's wand and hit the door with so much force and power that the door was shattered into a million pieces.
This was it.
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A/N- I'M BAAAAAAAACK!:) I hope you all enjoyed the beginning to this story! It's mostly background, but bear with me; It'll get better! I did originally have much more action in this chapter, but it made it much too long, so I decided to move it all to chapter 2. It took me a while to think of a simple, fitting title, but I did it, and this story is finally up! I hope it won't be long until the next chapter goes up, but it might depend on how many reviews I get! ;) Chapter 2 has a passage that involves rhyming, so it might take me a little while to write, so be patient! In the meantime, review, and I'll keep writing! :) :) --FieryPhoenix--