The Enlightened Chapter 3: Hollow Threats, a harry potter fanfic

Hollow Threats

Down the marble staircases he went, his overly expensive boots clacking on every step and echoing throughout the manor. A black robe flowed behind him from the air moving against him as he quickly moved down the stairs towards an anxious Narcissa. Her countenance showed nervousness for the letter she held between her dainty, pale thumb and index finger. It had been a long while since they had received any mail, especially one sealed with black wax and a stamp of the Dark Mark. "Draco, it's from them," she uttered when he was nearing the last steps of the staircase. Her comment needed no other explanation, he knew who she meant. He had been expecting some form of contact from the people his father supported for some time since his father's arrest. They would try to recruit him, he suspected. When he stepped off the last step his mother presented the letter to him, and he grabbed it. Idly, he ran a porcelain digit over the wax seal, staring at it with loathe.

"Open it!" Narcissa hissed as her anticipation grew. A finger went under the envelope flap and slid sideways, opening the letter. He pulled out the letter and unfolded it and began to read it to his self, causing Narcissa to nearly snatch it from his hands in order to read it. "Don't just stand there, Draco! Read it aloud." Slowly, he began to read the letter to his mother, pausing at times to fully take in the words.

Draco Malfoy,

Your lack of participation with the new plans disheartens us. Your damned father is in prison and you haven't even bothered to replace him for the time being – what a bloody ungrateful prat of a son you've turning out to be. Lucius brought you up among power and strength, and you've turned into a weakling even though all of his lessons.

Such a lovely way to start out a letter. Draco's expression was growing angry from reading. He did not like being insulted by people who had really no room to talk.

We're getting him out, we have to. There is no one else that is qualified for what we need him for. We had hoped that you would have shown something promising, but so far we have received nothing from you. You are connected to us, Draco, by your father. Lucius isn't here to protect you from the evils and truths, boy, and you are not immune to our attacks.

Their threats were hollow in his mind, and they held no real meaning and struck no fear in the teenager's heart. In his mind he was invincible, as many his age felt. For years he had had his father there to protect him, so he had nothing to fear.

You must realize your Destiny, Mr. Malfoy. You were not born to live a normal life. You were born to follow in your father's footsteps and take your place next to Lord Voldemort when he takes power of the world. Mark my words, boy, there will be Hell to pay if you do not start taking pride in the things your Father was grateful enough to show you. Your father can't save you anymore.

The letter ended with more threats that Draco didn't take to heart. There was no name given of the Death Eater who had taken the time to write him a letter full of hollow threats and insults, probably out of fear of being intercepted. Either way, the letter didn't have the desired affect on Draco. It was sent to get him to join the Death Eaters, which he had no aspiration to do.

Narcissa on the other hand took their threats seriously, and by the end her expression showed great fear. "Draco, take heed their warning." She was never good at giving him advice, or advising him about what he should do. It wasn't her place to tell him what to do, it was always Lucius'. The teenager simply shrugged off the warnings, they were nothing. His father would be free soon enough and the pressure for Draco to take his place would no longer exist. It would all come in due time. Until then, he knew he wouldn't be killed. They wouldn't kill a Malfoy.

After rereading the letter once more, he crumpled it up and tossed it to the ground. "Like they would touch me." He scoffed, walking towards the freshly cleaned study. Inside, he took a seat again in the wooden chair at the desk. Once in the chair he was able to lean back and prop his feet up onto the cleared desk top. His mind wandered on what the letter said. Did he secretly want to replace his father at Voldemort's side? Was the power he offered desired? Or did he simply want to be left alone to make the best of the last two years he had at Hogwarts? Maybe even make good marks and go on to further his education and make something of himself. He was torn between the right thing to do, and the thing that would gain him more wealth and power than he could ever imagine.

He reached into the desk drawer and took out a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. At the top, he put the date, and then started his own letter. It was full of blasphemous insults towards the Death Eaters, and even Voldemort. He of course had no intention of ever sending the letter, but it felt good to get out all his emotions and anger onto the paper. As he scrawled untidily, he smirked, thinking of all of the things he's wanted to say to them for ages. The letter began to grow until it was a good three or so feet long (far longer than any of his essays for school turned out to be) and full of insults. His anger had subsided by the time Narcissa entered the study, announcing that they would be having an early dinner, and that he needed to be in the dining room in ten minutes. She eyed the letter with interest, but refrained from inquiring about its purpose.

In roughly ten minutes, he closed the bottle of ink and pushed in the wooden chair in before going to the dining hall where the fresh scent of lamb filled the air. The letter was left unattended on the top of the desk as the ink dried.+

Again, edited by me. Expect errors. (: