A/N: Just a little shorty chappie...can get on with the sex soon! Yay! (hears everyone whispering 'Sex you say? What sex?')
Big thank you to all who have reviewed my last chapter: Lossien, total-nirvana, TomsPink and shyngr8. Reviews make me happy, happy me wants to write more!
Draco Apparated to the old Riddle House and was stunned by the silence. He had expected to see many Deatheaters standing around, talking and waiting but instead he was quite alone.
"M-Master Malfoy!" Wormtail said suddenly, sounding very fearful. Draco turned, having almost jumped from his skin at the shock of hearing some ones voice. Wormtail was looking worse than ever, his clothes were pitiful and his skin had drawn into the hollows of his face and neck which was looking more pallid than ever.
"Come, Master wants to see you immediately. There is very little time," Wormtail continued in his hushed but desperate tones. He reached out and began tugging Draco by the sleeve of his robes toward Voldemort's chamber.
Draco said nothing, feeling nervous and confused about what the Dark Lord wanted with Draco this time. He was still feeling nervous about confronting Hermione and concentrated on pushing her from his mind. The Dark Lord could not know.
Wormtail pushed the heavy doors open with all the strength he could muster and stood aside for Draco to enter, his head bowed.
Draco stepped inside the dark room, the only light from the small fire crackling in the fire place. The whole house was dark and dank even though it was the middle of the day.
"Sit," the cold and familiar voice of Lord Voldemort ordered. He was sitting in a chair by the fire with the back to Draco. He slipped in the high backed chair opposite the Lord, not daring to look at him directly.
"Don't think on her, don't think on her," Draco said over and over in his head and instead imagined Potter dying a most horrible and gruesome death.
The Dark Lord chuckled softly which made Draco snap his gaze to him.
"Patience my boy. Patience," Lord Voldemort said, sipping from a short glass.
Draco drew a long breath and exhaled as softly as possible, feeling his heart hammer against his chest and his stomach tie in knots.
"They say great minds think alike Draco. You have indeed proved that more than once," Voldemort continued. He spoke quietly and had not looked at Draco yet, instead his gaze rested on the crackling embers of the fire.
"You have an important year ahead of you; it will either make or break you. Succeed and you will have the wizarding world in your hands. Fail...well I have no use for people who fail."
Draco gulped uncomfortably.
"I have noticed over the years that taking away everything from Potter makes him weak. I said before, a hero's weakness is his loved ones. His beloved parents are gone, Sirius Black is gone. Your very own father disposed of Alastor Moody whom Potter had turned to. All that is left is Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Draco panicked slightly at the mention of Hermione's name but quickly tried to regain his melancholy.
"I want you to befriend Miss Granger. I know that you and she are Head Boy and Girl so it will be very easy. Make her trust you Draco, by any means possible. Take away the girl who seems to be the back bone of Potter's existence and the hero will fall. Understand?"
Draco understood loud and clear. The Dark Lord was telling Draco to go with Hermione but he knew there was a catch. The worst possible catch imaginable.
"Bring her to me when I believe the time is right. We'll see just how much Potter cares for his little Mudblood friend when she's being tortured."
The Dark Lord emitted a sharp laugh whilst Draco could only stare back at him. He had to pretend to relish the thought but how was he supposed to laugh along with his Master when images of Hermione in excruciating pain flashed through his mind?
"Yes, my Lord," Draco managed to croak and got up to leave once again.
Once outside of the chamber, Draco Apparated immediately into Hogsmeade and he collapsed onto the rain soaked grass as soon as his feet touched the ground.
On all fours, Draco retched and retched. Ragged breaths racked his frame as the bile burnt his throat and stomach again and again. His eyes watered and the pressure of him retching made them ache as he curled his fingers into the grass and soil making them ache with pain.
Gasping for breath, he looked toward Hogwarts castle with tired eyes and retched again as the thought of what he had to do came back to him again.
I sure do make Draco puke a lot...ah well, he gets to have fun in later chapters so that's ok.