Chapter 9: Out Of The Frying Pan...
He hadn't heard her enter his room. All his focus had been on getting rid of his headache. He'd tried a standard pain relief potion, but it hadn't touched the endless throb branching out in his head. He'd made his room as dark as possible and lay down, trying not to move. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been trying to fall asleep when he finally noticed someone near his bed.
Draco's eyes opened slowly. The black shape to his side finally took form as his sight adjusted to the dark. It was his mother. How disappointing.
"What is it?" His voice was thick and dull.
Narcissa sat herself gently down onto the side of the bed.
"I wanted to check on you. You didn't seem well after supper." Her hand reached out. She brushed her fingertips softly over his forehead. Narcissa lightly stroked his hair.
Draco appreciated the calming effect the rhythmic motion had on him. He couldn't remember the last time she had taken care of him when he was sick. He usually took care of himself.
Narcissa watched her son and a smile came to her face as she noticed the tension ebbing from his. He was almost ready.
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Michelle shifted in her bed. She couldn't sleep. There was nothing wrong with the room. The bed was great if the truth be told. It was definitely the house. Or rather, the people in the house. Michelle felt okay with Draco around, but his parents were another story.
After tossing and turning for the millionth time, Michelle got out of bed. She tiptoed around the room. She wished she'd brought something to read. Picking up her bag, she began digging through it in hopes of finding something to entertain herself with. It was then that a flash of green light caught her attention.
Michelle moved towards the window. The light had come from outside. Straining to see in the bleak dark of night, Michelle could just make out shapes moving over the lawn. It was too dark to tell if they were human or not. The hair on her arms went up prompting her to throw on her shoes and grab her wand.
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Draco heard his mother telling him to sit up. He heard her telling him to open his mouth and drink the potion she so readily poured down his throat. He felt her taking his face in her hands. He heard her murmuring a spell he was unfamiliar with in his ear. As the last word of the spell freed itself from her lips, all hell broke loose in his head.
The pain was almost more than he could stand. Searing, blinding, nauseating pain coursed through his neck and down into the rest of his body.
Stop, please make it stop. Draco could hear himself begging, but couldn't feel himself saying the words. He forced his eyes open to see his mother's face directly in front of him. Why wasn't she doing anything to help him? Couldn't she see how much he was in pain?
Narcissa's head tilted as she watched her son quake. Almost there, she told herself.
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The last place she wanted to go was Draco's room, but she didn't have much of a choice. Michelle was not going to just roam the house alone. She tried to reason away the light she had seen. Maybe it was a part of the Malfoy security? If so, Draco would know and she could go back to bed.
Michelle paused outside his door. She pressed her ear to the wood and could just hear some sort of moaning inside. Her stomach turned. Oh, crap, I hope he's not doing what it sounds like he's doing. She made herself listen again just to be sure. Her eyes flew open wide. The moaning had combined with a plea for help. Michelle hastily opened the door.
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Narcissa leaned in closer. She began to whisper another spell to him. A shaft of light suddenly broke through the dark of the room. Narcissa turned to see Michelle standing in the open doorway.
"What the hell?" Michelle had not expected to see Narcissa in Draco's room. Her wand raised, but it was too late.
Narcissa had uttered her spell before Michelle could even think of one herself. Narcissa felt better hearing the smack of Michelle's body hitting the wall as the spell sent her flying backward. She could just make out Michelle's head taking a hard hit as her body crashed to the floor.
"Lucius..." Narcissa called out.
Her husand appeared in the hallway, standing over Michelle's limp body. "Yes, my dear?"
"Pick that up will you?" Narcissa lazily motioned to Michelle.
"Of course." Lucius bent down and gathered her up into his arms. He jostled her, not bothering to mind her ankles as he spun in the hall causing them to thud against the door frame. "Where would you like me to put this?"
"Where we discussed darling...or don't you remember?" Narcissa's eyes gleamed from delight.
"To the front gate I go then..." He started to walk away, but came back. "Do you need help with Draco?"
Narcissa smiled. "Have I ever darling? I will take care of our son then everything will be ready."
"I will meet you in our room when I return."
"I will be waiting most readily for you my love..."
Lucius felt a shiver go up his spine. Tonight was a very good night to be Lucius Malfoy.
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It was the pain in her ankles that awoke Michelle. She sat up too quickly and almost passed out again. Her head hurt, her back hurt, her ankles hurt...what the bloody hell had happened? She remembered going to check on Draco. Ewww...why was Draco's mom in his room? Damn this family was twisted. Michelle rubbed her eyes trying to clear her vision.
Slowly, she discovered she was outside. The grass was cool and damp making her butt cold. She rose to her feet. As she brushed the debris from her body, she took inventory of herself and her surroundings. She had no wand. She could see the Malfoy Mansion from where she was, but she was standing at the front gate. Her body tensed. How did she get out here? What was she going to do if she ran into Worth...or something worse? Tentatively, she touched the front gate. Strangely, it was unlocked. Part of her brain was screaming at her to get out of there and run. The other part was screaming at her to stay put, that the gate being open was just a little to convenient. Turns out, she didn't have to do anything.
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Draco was a few feet from the front gate. He was unclear as to how he got outside, but he knew what he was supposed to do. He could just make out Michelle from where he stood. He could hear his mother's voice in his head. He came closer silently. Raising his wand, he hit her from behind and she fell to the ground. He jogged to her and checked that she was still breathing. Standing up, he lit his wand and signaled to the shadowy figures that had been hoveringby the trees. Four hooded figures came to join him. One carried a cauldron to his side. Draco watched with no expression as another figure waved his wand and lifted Michelle's body. Pushing the gate open, the four figures, Michelle, and Draco went off of Malfoy grounds. They walked only a few yards before Michelle started twitching. She was waking up. Quickly, her body was lowered to the ground. Taking a bit of rope from his robe pocket, one figure tied Michelle's wrist to the handle of the cauldron. Everyone else grabbed on and in seconds the port key took them to a new location.
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"Michelle...time to wake up..."
"Just five more minutes..." Michelle sighed still stuck somewhere in her own head.
"You need to wake up now."
Michelle felt someone's foot push up against her back to bring the point home.
"Wake up before I make you wake up."
Michelle opened her eyes and saw Draco standing over her. She sat up and again felt cold ground under her. This time she was not in the Malfoy's front yard. Michelle had no idea where she was exactly.
"What's happening?" She extended her hand hoping Draco would take hold of it and help her stand.
Draco ignored her gesture for assistance.
Michelle frowned. She pushed herself up onto her feet. Her flannel pants and t-shirt were covered with bits of grass and dirt. Damn, it was chilly out here.
"Didn't you hear me? I asked what was happening...what's going on?" She came closer to Draco and tried to look him in the eye.
"You'll find out soon enough." He took a step forward, hovering over her.
Michelle couldn't read his face. He didn't seem like himself. Or he didn't seem like the Draco she'd been spending time with for most of the day. Something was wrong. She began to back away from him. Michelle's eyes darted around, but all she could see was forest. She spotted the smallest of paths to her right. Michelle took off running but was cut off just as she reached it.
A hooded figure stepped into her way, a wand protruding from the sleeve of the robe. Michelle skidded to a stop and veered in another direction. There was no path, but she wasn't hanging around here. A second figure came from behind a tree. Out of the corner of her eye, Michelle could see a third and a fourth figure appearing not far from where she was. Her heart beat madly. She tried to apperate, but went no where. Maybe she was still on the Malfoy grounds after all. Michelle turned to face Draco. He hadn't moved. He didn't even seem to be aware of his surroundings.
Michelle ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders harshly. She shook him, trying desperately to get some sort of reaction. Nothing was working.
"What did you do to him?" Michelle's gaze fell on each figure as they came closer. She moved so Draco was behind her, trying to protect him as best she could.
"They didn't do anything to me." Draco's voice was like ice in her ears.
She yelped as he pushed her roughly to the ground. Falling on her knees, she was bent down in front of one of the figures. His hand extended to grab her shoulder and that's when she saw the mark...the mark of a Death Eater. Her blood ran cold as she was lifted to her feet. The figures had circled around her, leaving a small gap through which Draco could approach. He moved slowly towards her. Stopping just inches from her body, he lifted his hand and ran one finger down her cheek before grabbing her by the nape of the neck. He brought her face closer till his nose brushed hers. His mouth lifted into a smirk.
"Looks like your vision was wrong...welcome to my initiation..."
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A/N First off, Happy Late Birthday to rockbaby67! Hope it was a good one. So I went ahead and put this chapter up even though I haven't heard from anyone in about a week. I'm feeling a bit lonely and I had this chapter half written when I posted Ch. 8 so I've been anxious to get it up here. Ch. 10 is also done, but I don't want to get too far ahead because there are only 2-3 chapters left till the story is done. So once I've heard from you crazy folks out there Ch. 10 will be on its way.
