(Author's Note: Finally, I update! Thanks a lot for your reviews, but I don't see this story's amazing-ness… well, this is the concluding chapter! Enjoy, I suppose?)

"Tonight, I am teaching you the meaning of resistance and how to oppose to power. Not yet, however. There is no need to shield yourself from me… so far." Lucius drawls.

I challenge him with a hard gaze and abruptly begin eating, trying to shut the voice up that's screaming in the back of my head, screaming how stupid I was to allow him this opportunity.

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Lucius leads me to his room silently, hand biting at my skin. Once the majestic door is open, he gestures for me to enter. I do and sit upon his bed, waiting for the serpent's next move. He trails my figure with his gray eyes and smirks in a refined manner.

"To fight off a curse, Draco, you must learn about the origins of it. You much learn how it is produced and use these facts in reverse to diminish the curse. However, you were unfortunate to be born such scum, so I do not think you could muster the wit to do such thinking while under someone's physical or mental control." Lucius allowed these words to sink in, smiling lightly at me, draining hurt from my face.

I spit, "I know how to fight a curse! I mean, it just gets less and less efficient… soon your dear Crucio won't hurt me." If anything was true, it was this. I remember being put under this Curse from the day I turned thirteen. Alas, there was no number for the times Lucius hissed this word… maybe a million zeroes could follow a one, but that would not suffice to explain.

Lucius' eyes narrow. "That's becoming accustomed to the pain, boy. No, you must learn to fight it off before you become so used to it that it doesn't bother you much. Scream as much as you want and cry, but no one will hear you. That is not fighting. That's merely surrender."

"I'm afraid of you! How am I supposed to stand up and fight it off? I wouldn't, not even if I knew how to, Father! You cannot say these things in such a hypocritical fashion!"

"I can say them in whatever fashion I wish to!" Lucius roars, slapping my cheek; I gasp and fall upon the bed, propping myself up on my elbows.

Lucius towers over me, glaring at the meek body that lay upon his lilac covers.

"Then do not expect me to fall for your bait because I'd much rather you just beat me than embarrass me and play games! Take me, I'm all yours!" I howl, tears trickling from my eyes.

The older man unbuckles his belt and brings it from the loops of his pants. He cracks the leather but I don't flinch. Instead, I spread my hands, palms up and offer them to my father.

When Lucius gives me a questioning look, I shrug. "Maybe whipping my hands isn't enough. What shall we progress to, Father? My feet?" I rip off my shoes and tear the clean socks.

"How dare you?" my father snarls, toying with the belt he was holding.

I chuckle softly, wiping away tears. "I dare because you'll just beat the crap out of me, anyways. Why should I hold my silence while you scream your glee? No, Father. Today I'd much rather go down with a flame, shall we say?"
Lucius gives a very dry, prolonged laugh and stares at me, wondering what else I wanted to say. "You're only asking for more."

"It hurts less on scar-tissue, I hope you know. Go ahead. Nothing you do will make me scream. You want to teach me resistance? I truthfully want you to try. Go, get whatever you have in those dungeons—but be warned, you may just lose yourself along the way." My words are meant to be an obstacle but Lucius merely gazes at me stoically.

"I am going to kill you, Draco."

I burst out laughing, collapsing across the bed once more; the ceiling makes me dizzy looking at it, so I smirk crudely and fix my eyes on him. "I've wanted naught more but death for it's been years since I stand prisoner of your twisted mentality! Your killing would only drench me of my pain. But then again, wasn't your plan to make me hurt more than I can imagine? Yes, yes it was," I answer my own question. "Good job. You did it."

"I am going to rip your limbs off one by one and hang you over a fire to bleed into the ashes." His voice tells that there is no lie staining his words. I am certain he will do just that, but what glory is there in having your father tear your body into two and allow you to smoke over kindling fire?

I mock, "Are you really? Why not do it now? I mean, I'm all yours, just waiting to be ripped apart mercilessly. Can't you see? Take me now, Father. Cut me open and feed my entrails to my mother, why don't you?"

Lucius' temper is a raging storm within him, but he says nothing, staring at me coldly as if he wished for nothing more but my demise. "You are going to regret ever telling me these things. Draco, I am going to make you do a little more than scream tonight."

I snort and roll my eyes. "Easy talk, shallow words. So, mastermind, why not just do it? You've kept me caged for a million, billion hours and days. Do you not think that your constant screams of Crucio and twisted Dark Arts spells I can't even try to pronounce daily would not steal my sane mind? Then surely, Father, something but be deranged in your head."

"Do you like provoking me?" Lucius whispers. "I hope you get some satisfaction from it. I will hold true to my word."

"No, because I don't care. You can leave me to rot in a cell or take a sharp knife and engrave 'scum' all over my body. You know, nothing really quite does match up to the night when you made that curse of yours cut open all of my veins. In fact, that was the most bliss I've felt in a long, long time because I thought for a fleeting moment you'd let me die. No, I was sadly mistaken." I smile sadly.

"So, Father—" I begin to say but am cut off with a swift cry of, "Crucio!"

The pain curse ripples through my body and I can feel the needles and knives dragging their selves across my stomach and insides. My skin is on fire, a blazing inferno washing across the pale flesh, while my head is being compacted under pressure.

"How long can you last, Draco, how long!" he laughs evilly, focusing greatly, when…

A sudden surge of mind-blowing pain tears through me. My mouth is shut and I don't yell or scream at all, just maintain perfect eye contact with him while he tortures me slowly into insanity.

I know I can't last under this amount of pain and ripping sensations that promise invisible wounds, I inhale sharply and allow the hurt to run across me, knives being thrown into my heart. No, I can't last, no I can't… for how could anyone… oh, it hurts, it hurts so badly…

"SUFFER!" Lucius roars and I twitch painfully under the Curse. "Suffer you little brat, you piece of scum! Suffer!"

"I—WON'T!" I cry out, finding that my voice is instable due to the excruciating pain. "I will not crack, not under this pathetic attempt at pressure. You're stupid to think that this will make me 'scream,' Father. Listen to me now!" I laugh merrily, screaming like a bellowing monster within.

Never have I felt such saws cutting through my entrails, not have I experienced such…

Relief.

He lifts the Curse and scowls at me. My body is limp on his bed and I feel that if I'd try to move, that everything would shatter.

"I can't say it wasn't a nice try, Father. But, you know, it's hard for me to allow you to feel my pain when this thing has become my best friend; I see more of this Curse than I see of you." I jest, "I like this pain. It feels so… good. I bet you'd cry like a child if I put you under it."

Lucius sneers at me and twirls his wand. "Maybe so, but that's just because I'm not used to it, not like you. I haven't misbehaved… Not. Like. You."

"Well, I'm sorry for being born." I retort, shaking gently. The Curse was a melody of power, the harmonies twisting into a delicate vine that tangled across my bones. I simply watch him with my eyes, knowing that maybe he'll set me free tonight. Maybe I can be a lost soul at the crack of dawn.

Lost souls always find their way, anyhow.

Lucius' lips sneer dirtily and he spits, "Give me your hand, Draco."

I ponder over this inquiringly, but stretch my palms out and he grasps the wrist painfully. I gasp lightly as the fingers tighten as harshly as they can, cutting off my circulation. The wrist has a pale blue creeping along the flesh and the sadistic hands grab my other wrist.

Lucius holds my limp hands on one of his, grabbing his wand with his free hand. A small, songlike spell he hisses, and the most solid and unyielding chains wrap themselves around the already bruised flesh. He gives me a small smile and kisses my cheek, the lips misting across my skin. I know what he means to do, but not entirely. My father snaps his fingers lazily and laughs, "Oh, my boy… I could take this any way I wanted to… you're going to beg me for mercy that I will give upon request."

"Me, beg? Never." I chortle, feeling my veins clotting with pulsing blood. I can't decide what's worse—having to suffer painfully tonight and die, or let a small scream escape and endure another torturous years as his punch bag.

Lucius doesn't reply but stands up and takes the chains that bind me. He drags me across the room by the hand and out to the serpentine hallways. I want to scream, but only to hear the last echoes of my heart beating and lungs breathing.

I have made up my mind.

He kicks open the door to my room and flicks his wand, conjuring a dozen candles that groggily shine. I am near tears, but only because of the surprise of it all. Whatever happened to sleeping in his bed? I regret not eating for dinner—how was I to know it was my last?

Lucius glares at me and presses me against the wall, clutching my throat. My feet levitate above the ground and he pins his wand into my chest. Another spell issues and he chains me to the wall by the neck, stomach and feet. It's not like a hangman; it's a lot worse. I can breathe, but only just. I crave death.

Stepping back, he conjures a knife. It's rather big, almost a sword, but akin to a butcher's knife. I don't know what he means by it, but I assess it states trouble. Still, I won't scream.

Lucius' eyes shine darkly. "Beg now, or forever hold your peace."

"For all of eternity," I breathe, "Forever, Father…"

"Very well, then." He takes the knife and drags it across my chest, cutting the fabric clothing me. Soon, his pressure increases and the blade plunges deeper into me, at last drawing blood. It's a long line that stretches across my pastel skin, it's fingers playing darkly across it. Lucius focuses and the knife cuts more and more, until he stops at me navel. Now, it's a horizontal line he constructs, and I feel hot blood spilling down my abdomen.

"You're mine, Draco. Mine for all of eternity," he uses my words on me. "I mar your skin; I am your personal Dark Mark."

At first, I don't understand, but then it dawns on me—he carved an L into my flesh.

I growl, "And my presence is to haunt you, Father!"

"Take your last breath, Draco," he best advises. Lucius stabs my stomach quickly. The blood spurs out, casting the darkest shadows on the moonlit floor. He drags his thumb across my lip and kisses the tear stained cheek. "Die, my darling."

I am tempted to scream, but only because I know he didn't stab hard enough, not enough for instant death. He drops the knife and smiles evilly, the delicate features devilish in the milky light.

He leaves the room and binds the door shut by chains again. I wait a few minutes and start to scream, the sound innate to my ears. Echoes surround me and I sob my desperation out. Why'd you do it, Father? Why didn't you just kill me? Now I must suffer… what joy is there in this?

My gray eyes slide to the window across me and the moon is there. It smiles sadly at me and its light kisses my wounds gently, making sure not to hurt me anymore. My beautiful moon.

Soon, it starts to cry, the ground wetting with its sorrow and tears. I mirror the pain and try my best to feign happiness.

I shut my fluttering eyes and whisper, "Thank you, Moon. Goodnight."

The sad End.

(Author's Note: It could have been worse! Hey, at least that was somewhat poetic. And I have no idea why you people like this story so much. But anyways… Review!)