Howdy everyone. I'm terribly sorry I haven't updated in so long. I was
living in Scotland, now I'm back, I've been working, I'm taking classes...
really, there just hasn't been much time. But this lovely long chapter
should make up for it.
I'd like to say something before you read this chapter... now, I've had the entire story line mapped out since before I started writing this. Whatever happens in this chapter or in any future chapters will be altered because of anyone's comments. So you can scream, cry, kick, and yell—I will listen—but nothing will be changed from the original plot. On that happy note, here is the chapter!
Chapter 17: Choices
A wave of questions washed through his head, numbing his senses: what was she doing here? How had she gotten here? And more importantly, what was he supposed to do now?
His eyes slowly raised to see the Dark Lord's face visibly darken with wicked glee as he realized this girl has struck a soft spot with Draco.
"Draco...I'll do anything." Ginny's tearful plea brought his gaze back to her, the red headed mess kneeling on the ground in front of him
"Ohhh, the muggle-loving wench is begging! We love it when they beg..." the Dark Lord joked viciously, a chorus of laughter sounding out around the circle of hooded minions.
Draco's eyes darted around, looking helplessly at the faces of the Death Eaters blurred by his own confusion. Ginny trembled on her bruised knees, the chill wind and her unknown future working together to create this waking land of torment, and Draco found himself wishing he could stoop to the ground and shield her. But he remained motionless.
Above the buzzing of his brain, Draco heard the impatient voice of his father. "What are you waiting for, Draco? Dispose of the girl."
Draco swallowed, his dry and scratchy throat burning as the moisture of his saliva slid down. He watched as Ginny's small hands clung to the ground for physical support and Draco was reminded of how they had similarly clung to his naked back as he took her virginity just the night before.
"She's just another girl, Draco. A muggle-loving wench!" His father's voice yelled out once again, though more forceful than before.
His father was right. Ginny Weasley was his enemy. She had always been his enemy and Draco was a fool to have gotten so close. It had all been a game...at first. But somehow it had changed. Barriers had not only been crossed, but barriers had been broken. Draco's life had always been meant for one course and he'd be damned before he let Ginny Weasley change that.
Raising his wand shakily and setting his jaw, hate for the girl coursed through Draco's every vein. He would not allow Ginny to do this to him, to change everything.
Ginny's eyes widened as the curse left Draco's lips and the green ball of death fired toward her. Draco's wand slipped from his clammy fingers as he watched Ginny's body fly backwards, land a few feet from where she was kneeling, and crumple to the ground in a heap, her red hair covering her fear frozen face like a curtain.
Draco stared at her lifeless body, too shocked to feel anything. A cruel laughter filled the air and teetering on shaky legs, Draco turned to face the Dark Lord's visibly humoured face.
Hours later, Draco sat on his bed, his back against the head bored, trying to tell his brain to stop playing the events over and over.
"I think we were all a little surprised with that," Draco had heard the Dark Lord announce, though at the time Draco had been too stunned to know or care what any of that meant.
Draco's legs drew up instinctively towards his body, and with folded arms, he buried his face against them, as his brain recounted every horrifying moment. Upon the Dark Lord's gesture, Draco had stepped forward as Lucius prepared his wand for the Dark Mark.
He had lowered himself to the ground at Lucius' feet, and looked up long enough to acknowledge Lucius' face of fury that Draco could not understand. Automatically Draco had rolled up the sleeve of his left arm and displayed the clean untouched flesh of his forearm. He did not have to be told where the Mark was to go. He'd seen it every day of his life; it was like having a perfect older sibling whose greatness you could never achieve.
Lucius had raised his wand and touched it against Draco's icy skin, muttering dark words only used for occasions such as these. Immediately Lucius' wand became hot to Draco's skin until heat flooded Draco's body, simultaneously coating his body with a layer of cold sweat. He had looked at his skin bubbling and melting from the branding curse, knowing it should hurt and he even remembered wishing it would. But he had been too numb from the kill.
Slowly the Mark had begun to appear under the crackling and smoldering of Draco's forearm. Draco's head had hung low, his eyes blank until his father had removed his wand. "I have a feeling our newest member will do great things," the Dark Lord had prophesied amid the murmurings in awe of Draco's pain tolerance.
Draco squinted his eyes shut, praying under his breath that this would be the last time he'd have to relive those moments again. His shirt clung to him again from the fresh perspiration that accompanied the memory, and he took it off, welcoming the idea of getting rid of the soiled and bloodied garment.
Settling back on his bed, Draco's eyes became fixed on the new black marking on his forearm still pulsating from the heat of the incantation. He had always worn the dark mark, Draco thought. It had been etched in his soul long before this night when it was finally just manifested physically. Even if he didn't like the thought, Draco had carried the mark with him since he was conceived and Ginny Weasley hadn't change that.
He slid further down his bed until his head reached the pillow, determined to sleep now that the sun was starting to rise. Yet even after the travails of the night and the comfort he now found in his bed, Draco was wracked with guilt he never expected to feel. He couldn't fall asleep.
Now that you all thoroughly hate me, I will respond to comments.
Mell8: Glad you liked it.
Jeru: I'm glad you didn't REALLY kill me. If you did, there'd be no more story. ;)
Bladefanatic: Yeah, the whole Harry getting beaten up by Draco scene wasn't extremely popular. I know Harry is the hero, but he's not perfect, and that's what I attempted to show. He isn't virtuous ALL the time, and sometimes, the "bad guy" can be surprisingly good, comparatively speaking of course. I actually really like Harry as a character...
ChaoticSlytherin: hahahaha.
LovesFantasy: Hooray, a fellow starving student! Thank you so much for your comment. I really try to keep Draco in character, which is sometimes a struggle. Often I try and write him a different way (for example, I'll try and make him happier or nicer, etc.) but he just REFUSES to be that way. I tell ya', has a mind of his own, this one.
Kaiyu Onibaba: Sorry it took so long to update. I'm cruel, I know. Wahahaha.
Anon: I AM under-reviewed! You are right! Thank you for calling me an exceptional writer, I really appreciate it. I'm also very happy you didn't flame my story and that you have no complaints, that's awesome. I never know what to do with flamers... I've only had one, and I didn't listen to her because she actually didn't even read the story. Haha
Pantspie: Thank you so much! I have such a hard time reading the books or seeing the movies because Draco is so much more to me now. I keep mixing up things that I've written about with the plot of the book, that's how bad it is. And I actually find myself getting annoyed when he isn't mentioned more, even though I've always known he was a secondary character. In my perfect world, he'd have his own series. Yeah, I'm one of those scary obsessed fans JK Rowling is concerned about when she visits America. haha
I'd like to say something before you read this chapter... now, I've had the entire story line mapped out since before I started writing this. Whatever happens in this chapter or in any future chapters will be altered because of anyone's comments. So you can scream, cry, kick, and yell—I will listen—but nothing will be changed from the original plot. On that happy note, here is the chapter!
Chapter 17: Choices
A wave of questions washed through his head, numbing his senses: what was she doing here? How had she gotten here? And more importantly, what was he supposed to do now?
His eyes slowly raised to see the Dark Lord's face visibly darken with wicked glee as he realized this girl has struck a soft spot with Draco.
"Draco...I'll do anything." Ginny's tearful plea brought his gaze back to her, the red headed mess kneeling on the ground in front of him
"Ohhh, the muggle-loving wench is begging! We love it when they beg..." the Dark Lord joked viciously, a chorus of laughter sounding out around the circle of hooded minions.
Draco's eyes darted around, looking helplessly at the faces of the Death Eaters blurred by his own confusion. Ginny trembled on her bruised knees, the chill wind and her unknown future working together to create this waking land of torment, and Draco found himself wishing he could stoop to the ground and shield her. But he remained motionless.
Above the buzzing of his brain, Draco heard the impatient voice of his father. "What are you waiting for, Draco? Dispose of the girl."
Draco swallowed, his dry and scratchy throat burning as the moisture of his saliva slid down. He watched as Ginny's small hands clung to the ground for physical support and Draco was reminded of how they had similarly clung to his naked back as he took her virginity just the night before.
"She's just another girl, Draco. A muggle-loving wench!" His father's voice yelled out once again, though more forceful than before.
His father was right. Ginny Weasley was his enemy. She had always been his enemy and Draco was a fool to have gotten so close. It had all been a game...at first. But somehow it had changed. Barriers had not only been crossed, but barriers had been broken. Draco's life had always been meant for one course and he'd be damned before he let Ginny Weasley change that.
Raising his wand shakily and setting his jaw, hate for the girl coursed through Draco's every vein. He would not allow Ginny to do this to him, to change everything.
Ginny's eyes widened as the curse left Draco's lips and the green ball of death fired toward her. Draco's wand slipped from his clammy fingers as he watched Ginny's body fly backwards, land a few feet from where she was kneeling, and crumple to the ground in a heap, her red hair covering her fear frozen face like a curtain.
Draco stared at her lifeless body, too shocked to feel anything. A cruel laughter filled the air and teetering on shaky legs, Draco turned to face the Dark Lord's visibly humoured face.
Hours later, Draco sat on his bed, his back against the head bored, trying to tell his brain to stop playing the events over and over.
"I think we were all a little surprised with that," Draco had heard the Dark Lord announce, though at the time Draco had been too stunned to know or care what any of that meant.
Draco's legs drew up instinctively towards his body, and with folded arms, he buried his face against them, as his brain recounted every horrifying moment. Upon the Dark Lord's gesture, Draco had stepped forward as Lucius prepared his wand for the Dark Mark.
He had lowered himself to the ground at Lucius' feet, and looked up long enough to acknowledge Lucius' face of fury that Draco could not understand. Automatically Draco had rolled up the sleeve of his left arm and displayed the clean untouched flesh of his forearm. He did not have to be told where the Mark was to go. He'd seen it every day of his life; it was like having a perfect older sibling whose greatness you could never achieve.
Lucius had raised his wand and touched it against Draco's icy skin, muttering dark words only used for occasions such as these. Immediately Lucius' wand became hot to Draco's skin until heat flooded Draco's body, simultaneously coating his body with a layer of cold sweat. He had looked at his skin bubbling and melting from the branding curse, knowing it should hurt and he even remembered wishing it would. But he had been too numb from the kill.
Slowly the Mark had begun to appear under the crackling and smoldering of Draco's forearm. Draco's head had hung low, his eyes blank until his father had removed his wand. "I have a feeling our newest member will do great things," the Dark Lord had prophesied amid the murmurings in awe of Draco's pain tolerance.
Draco squinted his eyes shut, praying under his breath that this would be the last time he'd have to relive those moments again. His shirt clung to him again from the fresh perspiration that accompanied the memory, and he took it off, welcoming the idea of getting rid of the soiled and bloodied garment.
Settling back on his bed, Draco's eyes became fixed on the new black marking on his forearm still pulsating from the heat of the incantation. He had always worn the dark mark, Draco thought. It had been etched in his soul long before this night when it was finally just manifested physically. Even if he didn't like the thought, Draco had carried the mark with him since he was conceived and Ginny Weasley hadn't change that.
He slid further down his bed until his head reached the pillow, determined to sleep now that the sun was starting to rise. Yet even after the travails of the night and the comfort he now found in his bed, Draco was wracked with guilt he never expected to feel. He couldn't fall asleep.
Now that you all thoroughly hate me, I will respond to comments.
Mell8: Glad you liked it.
Jeru: I'm glad you didn't REALLY kill me. If you did, there'd be no more story. ;)
Bladefanatic: Yeah, the whole Harry getting beaten up by Draco scene wasn't extremely popular. I know Harry is the hero, but he's not perfect, and that's what I attempted to show. He isn't virtuous ALL the time, and sometimes, the "bad guy" can be surprisingly good, comparatively speaking of course. I actually really like Harry as a character...
ChaoticSlytherin: hahahaha.
LovesFantasy: Hooray, a fellow starving student! Thank you so much for your comment. I really try to keep Draco in character, which is sometimes a struggle. Often I try and write him a different way (for example, I'll try and make him happier or nicer, etc.) but he just REFUSES to be that way. I tell ya', has a mind of his own, this one.
Kaiyu Onibaba: Sorry it took so long to update. I'm cruel, I know. Wahahaha.
Anon: I AM under-reviewed! You are right! Thank you for calling me an exceptional writer, I really appreciate it. I'm also very happy you didn't flame my story and that you have no complaints, that's awesome. I never know what to do with flamers... I've only had one, and I didn't listen to her because she actually didn't even read the story. Haha
Pantspie: Thank you so much! I have such a hard time reading the books or seeing the movies because Draco is so much more to me now. I keep mixing up things that I've written about with the plot of the book, that's how bad it is. And I actually find myself getting annoyed when he isn't mentioned more, even though I've always known he was a secondary character. In my perfect world, he'd have his own series. Yeah, I'm one of those scary obsessed fans JK Rowling is concerned about when she visits America. haha