DISCLAIMER: Nods Yes, that's right, I am J.K. Rowling and this is my new idea for the seventh Harry Potter book. I just wanted to run it by you guys first. (WARNING: This is a very bad attempt at sarcasm.)

Chapter One: Voldemort's Proposition

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
when the world was younger and you had everything to lose?

–Switchfoot "This Is Your Life"

Chills ran down Draco's spine the moment he stepped into the dark, ice-cold chamber. He felt as if he had just taken a midnight swim in the Hogwarts lake in the middle of January. This unnerved him since he knew it was actually summertime outside. Draco shivered slightly under his billowing robes as his eyes took in the bright blue flames and jet-black candles that hovered around the perimeter of the chamber. It was a starkly-decorated, windowless room. The only furniture Draco could see was a regal-looking throne in the center of the room made out of ebony wood and dark green velvet. A thin figure was sitting upon the throne and Draco gulped at the thought of what awaited him. The last time he had been called upon had been almost a year ago.

The dark-robed figure who had been leading him ceased walking abruptly, bowing down at once to the figure upon the throne. Draco, not missing a beat, followed suit and bowed down as well.

"My lord," the hooded man greeted his master. "Draco Malfoy, as you requested." With that, Severus Snape, double agent extraordinaire, stood up from his kneeled position and made his way towards a corner of the chamber. Draco felt oddly uncomfortable kneeling there alone, but he dared not lift his head and look at the figure sitting on the throne.

"Thank you, Severus," the Dark Lord hissed. Draco could hear a rustling of robes as the Dark Lord rose from his throne. Voldemort slowly circled him twice before finally speaking again, "I am sure you are wondering why I have asked for your presence here today, young Malfoy?" Draco was about to answer when Voldemort started to speak again. "It has been a while since we've last spoken."

This time Voldemort paused, clearly waiting for Draco's response. Draco's heartbeat quickened at the mention of his last mission but quickly said, "It has been too long, Master."

"You've failed me the last time, Malfoy," Voldemort sneered nastily. "Stand up, you fool! I'm afraid I have another opportunity for you to redeem yourself, and you better not mess up this time!" Burning in shame at the mention of his first and last blunder, Draco warily stood up, wincing slightly at the cramp in his left leg. He was now facing Voldemort face to face, and Draco couldn't help thinking miserably about how much better it was when he didn't have to face the fright that was Voldemort. Voldemort, however, appeared calm as he returned back to his throne and settled himself upon it once more, his scarlet eyes regarding Draco quietly. Just as Draco was suddenly overcome with the sudden desire to flee the room and never look back, Voldemort began twirling his wand.

That did it. His feet became firmly rooted to the spot.

"Are you ready to hear my proposition, boy?" Voldemort asked, a hint of amusement apparent in his voice. Draco was scared and anxious to his very core but nodded nonetheless. He was curious this morning when Snape had summoned him and he was still just as curious now. On the other hand, he had been steeling himself for the worse, sure that Voldemort would have punished him for his last blunder. It was only a matter of time. "But before we get to that, we must discuss Hogwart's oh-so-tragic loss. After all... you were there." Voldemort was watching him intently, waiting for what he had to say. Draco shifted uneasily. Voldemort was speaking about Albus Dumbledore's murder. He dropped his head down in shame. He almost screwed up the whole mission if it weren't for Snape.

"Yes, my Lord," murmured Draco softly, remembering his cowardly display almost a year ago. He had been hesitant and afraid. A first timer's mistake. However, Voldemort did not appear raged but instead entirely calm as Draco carefully observed him.

"Well, now that we've got one fool out of the way, it is time to eliminate the other."

Draco did not expect that. He had expected a harsh punishment involving the Cruciatus Curse. Or worse...

"What exactly...do you have in mind, my lord?" Voldemort's eyes grew livid with rage as Draco watched silently in horror. He quickly said, "That is, if I may ask, Master."

Has he finally said something that angered the powerful dark wizard, just when it seemed like he was off the hook? Draco knew perfectly well that Voldemort could turn him into chopped liver if he wanted to with just one, lazy flick of his wand. However, the anger quickly subsided and he merely said, "Do not question me, Draco. You are only to do what I say," he warned dangerously, stroking his wand.

"Yes, Master. It won't happen again," Draco promptly answered, bowing his head. He certainly did not want to cross Voldemort once more. His life was on the line.

"Now, I am sure you have guessed that it is high time for me to finish off Harry Potter?" he paused. "And I suppose you also know about Potter's little Mudblood girlfriend?"

Draco was a bit shocked. He had expected that Voldemort would be keen to get rid of Potter next, but what did Granger have to do with it?

Voldemort noticed the shocked look on Draco's face and smirked, "From the looks of it, I gather that you do. And I'm sure you've heard about their far-from-discreet love life?" Voldemort had asked that so casually that it disturbed Draco a bit. But this time he was not floored by the question. Using his own sources, he knew that Potter, Weasley, and Granger had disappeared all of a sudden the moment Hogwarts had reopened, shortly after Dumbledore died. He himself had not returned but had retreated into Malfoy Manor, an outcast in the wizarding world. For the past year, there had been rumors and sightings about the Golden Trio, trekking all over the world, obviously on some important mission. Of course, Voldemort tried to put a stop to it but the Death Eaters have failed to stop them every single time.

Then, if he remembered correctly, just a few months ago Witch Weekly and The Daily Prophet have had a field day acknowledging Harry Potter's "secret" relationship with Hermione Granger, one of his loyal best friends. According to the media, it was during one of the Golden Trio's jaunts around the world that he pledged his undying love to Granger, so to speak. They were keeping their relationship under wraps for now, but there were wild rumors about an engagement that was soon about to take place.

When Draco finally answered Voldemort, he spoke in his most sincere tone, "Yes I did, my Lord." At his confirmation, an eery smirk appeared on Voldemort's pallid features.

His ruby-red eyes glimmered with excitement as he said, "Very well then, Draco. We have just one more thing to attend to before I give you your instructions..."

Before Draco could even say "Cruciatus", Voldemort had pointed his wand at him in a flash and cried out, "Crucio!" Caught completely by surprise, he fell to his knees and doubled over in pain as the tormenting feeling coursed through his body. He felt as if his intestines have been ripped inside out and his blood literally boiling...

Voldemort watched with apparent boredom and kept it at for a few more minutes until he finally stopped. Shaking and weak, Draco remained curled up on the floor.

When he was finally able to lift his head with difficulty, Voldemort looked at him with disgust and sneered menacingly, "You didn't think I would have easily forgiven you for your last mistake, did you?"

00000

Draco steadied himself automatically as the portkey dropped from his hand. Still weak and slightly dazed from the previous torture, he slumped back onto his canopy bed and closed his eyes.

What Voldemort had told him afterwards repeated itself clearly in his head. I want you to bring the girl to me...or else, Voldemort's sinister voice had commanded him. Draco recalled his initial fear at Voldemort's words. He knew what the Dark Lord had meant when he said "or else." He knew that Voldemort would not hesitate to kill Lucius, Narcissa, and himself all in one go if he had not agreed to the plan.

Draco sighed and curled his hands into fists. Then again, he desperately wanted another chance to prove himself. He had definitely grown up in the course of a year. Gone was the stuck-up little rich boy he once was. This time around he would be damned if he messed up again. Never again would he hesitate in murder and soiling the Malfoy name any further.

"Draco?"

He opened his eyes quickly and sat up. Narcissa Malfoy's slim figure was framed in his bedroom doorway, one hand on the doorknob. At the sight of the lines under his mother's eyes and her slightly hollowed cheeks, Draco felt a pang deep inside him. His aristocratic mother was not meant to live this way; terrified in every waking moment and shunned by the rest of the world.

Narcissa, oblivious to her son's stare, entered his vast room and sat down next to Draco on his bed. She wrung her pale hands nervously as she asked softly, "What did he want this time?" She was, of course, referring to the Dark Lord's summon. Her gaze was fixed solely on the rich-green carpeting and she tensed up as if fearing Draco's answer.

"He just wants me to do another...favor for him. It's nothing I can't handle," he said at last, patting his mother's back awkwardly. Once she registered his words, Narcissa tore her eyes from the floor and instantly searched Draco's immediately.

"You've got to be joking," she breathed out, her face turning as white as a sheet. "He wants you to go on ANOTHER life-threatening mission!" Narcissa had leapt from the bed in rage and fear, pacing madly around the confines of the room. "No, no, no, no, no," she muttered feverishly under her breath. "Not again."

Draco, alarmed, stood up and wrapped his arms around his mother to calm her down. He winced as he realized just how skinny she had become. Narcissa sobbed into his shoulder, her bony shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

"No!" she yelled against his shirt. "I won't let you go! I've lost Lucius and I've almost lost you once! I won't risk losing you again!" His mother was near hysterics and Draco did not know what to do so he feebly patted her back again wordlessly. All of a sudden, Narcissa broke away, "I'm going to talk to him! I'll plead if I have to–"

Her heated words were cut short by Draco's, "NO! You are not going to him for my sake!" He seemed to have finally found his voice again as he gripped his mother's shoulders with both hands. Narcissa, still sobbing, struggled against his grip. "The Dark Lord cannot be bargained with, Mother! He'll kill you! And I can handle it this time. I'm ready! If doing this will mean saving you, Father, and myself, I'll have no choice but to go! Do you understand me?"

Gray eyes pierced upon gray as he looked down at Narcissa, wordlessly willing her to understand. After a while he knew that his mother had no choice but to accept his decision.

Trembling in grief, Narcissa buried her face in her hands and fled the room without another word. It hurt him to have caused his mother so much pain, but deep down inside he knew what he must do.

Locking his jaw determinedly, he knew that he must do Voldemort's bidding, whether he liked it or not.

A/N: Okay okay! NOW what do you think? This is my first story so please cut me some slack! . Although, constructive criticism and comments are always welcome! So, please press that little button down there that says "Submit Review" and... YOU'LL GET A COOKIE! That's right! So go on, go on... I won't keep you with this pointless author's note! (Oh, and by the way, I will post Chapter 2 once I get at least FIVE reviews. Reviews are really important for me since I learn from them and grow as a writer! Much appreciated!)