Now How Did This Happen
Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Harry Potter
A.N. Well, I'm getting a little better about updating. It's only been a little over a month and in that time I've been on two vacations. Aren't you guys proud of me? As I have the rest of the summer off hopefully I can motivate myself to have at least semi-regular updates. Thanks again to all who reviewed. Oh, and this may come as a shock, but this fanfiction does have a plot! It starts coming into play in this chapter.
Chapter 4
Ginny, as could be expected, was quite shocked. For hours she laid, sprawled haphazardly across her bed, thinking about the night's occurrences. It had never even crossed her mind that somewhere inside Draco's arrogant exterior there could be a small portion of something nice. Tonight she had seen what she would have thought impossible; a kind side of Draco.
Draco, on the other hand, was quite disgusted. He too laid awake for many hours thinking over what had happened that night, but his thoughts were quite different from hers. He hadn't even realized until after he left the counseling room that he had been being what most people would call 'nice', and to a Weasley. He comforted himself with the thought that it had only been to get her to stop crying, but somewhere in the back of his mind a small, nagging voice told him otherwise, and if what it was saying wasn't true, then why did it make him so uncomfortable.
The next morning Ginny was awakened by an extremely loud beeping from somewhere in her naval. Quite disconcerted, she sat up immediately to try to determine the source, as she figured bodily beeping was probably not a good sign.
It wasn't until she was almost in a sitting position that she realized she had fallen asleep stretched out across her bedside table. She had no idea how exactly it was that she had gotten there, but she was somewhat comforted to find out that the beeping was coming from her alarm clock and not from her. That is, until the pain registered.
Groaning, she sat back against her pillow, not even bothering to turn off her alarm clock. Apparently it was not a good idea to sleep on one's table, as her whole body now horrendously ached.
"STOP THAT INFERNAL BEEPING!" yelled Augustine Finch, the most irritable of her three roommates, before leaning back down on her head and pulling a pillow over her ears.
"Oh, sorry," Ginny mumbled, muttering a spell to silence the clock. It was then that she noticed what time it was; 5:30 am.
Groaning again, she bashed her head quite unceremoniously against the wall, to which Augustine growled.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, lying back down.
She had not idea how her alarm clock had been set for so early. She supposed she must have pressed some very wrong buttons while she was laying on it. And she had only just gotten to sleep two hours ago too. Ah well, there was no way she was getting back to sleep now.
Sighing deeply, she made her way into the common room and flopped down on the couch. The rest of the dorm was silent. She sighed again, wishing she could join them in their glorious sleep.
She got her wish. Within the next ten minutes she was asleep.
About an hour and a half later the earliest of the Gryffindors began to make their way into the common room. None of them seemed terribly inclined to awaken Ginny, as she was known to have a nasty temper, so she just slept straight through.
By the time any of her friends got down, there was only forty-five minutes until breakfast was over.
She finally awakened to find Colin's rather large head swimming in and out of focus above her own. "Ginny?" he asked.
"Wha?" she murmured sleepily.
"It's 8:00," he stated shortly.
There wasn't even a pause between the finishing of his comment and Ginny's rather graceful leap into a standing position, which, of course, knocked Colin backwards onto the floor.
"Sorry," she said distractedly as she sprinted upstairs to the dorm, not even looking back to see if he was okay.
He sadly rubbed his head, "I guess that's what I get," he muttered to the side of the sofa.
Before he could even retake his previous standing position Ginny was downstairs and at his side.
"What are you doing down there?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
He just sighed and shook his head.
Draco, on the other hand, woke up to a loud rapping on the window of his dormitory. He slowly removed himself from his bed, not even bothering to be silent. His only dorm mates were Crabb, Goyle, and Blaise, who all slept like the dead. The incessant tapping hadn't even stirred them.
The owl at the window was his father's: expensive and refined, just like everything they owned.
He wondered idly what had happened this time. He only received letters from his father in his dorm, and the news was always something dire.
Draco wrenched the window open and the owl stepped gracefully onto the sill, sticking out it's handsome, well-groomed leg on which was a scroll tied with a piece of black ribbon and stamped with the Malfoy crest.
As soon as he removed the message the owl was gone, lost in the early morning light. So his father didn't expect a response.
Taking a deep breath Draco unfolded the scroll to find his father's elegant handwriting.
Draco,
The time has come at last for you to join us. With the impending war your help could be imperative. This coming weekend I expect you to meet me at the side of the lake closest to the forbidden forest.
Lucious Malfoy
The letter was everything his father was: Cool, curt, and unemotional. Draco felt no emotion as he read. He had known the time was coming soon. He had been prepared for this day since he was a small child. It was his duty, and even though he felt no real desire to participate, and he would fulfill it.
Without really thinking about it, Draco got dressed and made his way down to breakfast. It was still quite early, maybe 6:30, and the only people there were a few tired-looking Ravenclaws hunched over ridiculously large books.
He smirked at a group of girls as he made his way past. They cowered behind their books. His smirk widened.
Draco would have no trouble leaving for a weekend. The teachers weren't really terribly concerned with the comings and goings of students on their breaks, and he was sure Ginny would be happy for the time away from him.
He leaned back in his chair and gracefully flicked a piece of white-blonde hair from his face, thinking of the past. Draco almost always thought of the past. For him, the future had always been a thing of uncertainty that was best left alone. It would come when it came, and there was not use dwelling on it.
People started to trickle in more and more around 7:15 and by 7:45 they were entering in droves.
Blaise showed up with the earlier crowds and tried to make conversation, but after awhile of annoyingly awkward silence he gave up and just focused on eating.
At 8:15 he watched a very hurried looking Ginny, dragging Colin Creevy quite unceremoniously by the hand, push past all the crowds and take a seat next to Luna, who looked suspiciously like she was waiting for someone.
It became apparent whom when Harry Potter walked in. He smiled lightly as Ginny very conspicuously turned away from the couple and began talking to Creevy. They didn't even seem to notice.
For the most part, the counseling session was completed in silence. Neither had any idea what to say, and even if they had, the atmosphere of the room conveyed that noise was neither needed nor wanted.
Finally, as they were about to leave, Draco finally turned to her.
"I just wanted to let you know that this will be our last session until Monday," he said curtly as he picked his stuff up off the floor.
This got Ginny's attention, "What? Why?"
"My father is taking me out for the weekend. We have an important event to attend."
Ginny nodded, "Okay," she said suspiciously. "Well, I guess I'll see you Monday then," she muttered as she opened the classroom door.
"Maybe," he whispered at her retreating back. In truth he had no idea whether he would ever return to Hogwarts. If Voldemort needed him, he would be gone in a second.
As he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling for the second night in a row, he let his mind wonder to the future. He wondered if maybe he should pack his stuff, as he might not be coming back, but he figured that would be a little to conspicuous. He had to admit he would miss this place; it marked his brief stint of childhood.
Ever since he could remember he had been living life with the burdens of an adult. Hogwarts had allowed him to be his own age for once in his short life.
He didn't resent his father. He didn't resent the Death Eaters. He didn't resent Voldemort. It was expected for him to be mature and jaded so he could manipulate the naiveties of others.
Draco's life had never been one of freedom. He had known that since he was old enough to spell his name. His decisions were made for him, and he was not to go against or be displeased with them in any way. He was a pawn.
Ginny, of course, was quite suspicious about the 'important event' Draco had mentioned. All she had known about Draco Malfoy before they started their counseling sessions suggested that this meeting was his Death Eater initiation, but she couldn't bring herself to mention it to anyone. Dumbledore, of course, must know Draco was leaving, and he hadn't done anything about it. She decided not to worry for the moment. There was no use jumping to conclusions.
For Draco the night went all too quickly and before he knew it he was standing at the edge of the lake with his back to the forbidden forest. It was cold, and he was shivering slightly.
"Draco," A sharp, cold voice said behind him. He jumped a few inches off the ground. He managed to turn himself on the decent, and by the time he reached the ground he was facing his father.
"Hello father," he said composedly. It was a Malfoy trait to be able to compose oneself on extremely short notice. He hadn't quite reached his father's level of being able to show no unintended emotion whatsoever, but he was getting close.
"Come," he said, waving his hand towards the forest. As soon as they were inside the forest he was instructed to apparate (which he had been able to do since long before he was 17) to the Malfoy mansion, which he did without even a sign of recognition that he had heard the man.
He apparated directly into the entrance hall, where he was surprised to find he was surrounded by numerous Death Eaters. They didn't even speak when he arrived, but he could feel an air of malicious tension. He wondered if this was how it felt to be on trial for murder.
A second later his dad appeared beside him with a 'pop'. The tension in the air got even more pronounced.
"Are we ready to begin Lucious?" One asked. It was impossible to tell which one. They all seemed to blur together.
Lucious nodded curtly. All the Death Eaters turned and made their way into the main sitting room, Lucious taking up the rear. Draco figured this was his cue to follow.
He carefully shut the door behind him as he entered and turned to see all the Death Eaters in a circular formation, all staring in his direction. Lucious motioned for him to walk to the center.
It was the most awkward walk he had ever taken. By the time he reached the center he was almost shaking, but his Malfoy breeding allowed him to resist the urge.
They all stood in silence for a few moments. Draco wondered if he was supposed to be doing something, but no one seemed inclined to tell him.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, everything finally came clear. With a loud, deafening 'crack' –much louder than the regular pop- a tall, clocked figure appeared beside him.
The figure emanated darkness. Just being around him filled Draco with terror. This figure was Voldemort.
"As you all know," He hissed, sounding very much like a snake, "You are all here to oversee the initiation of the son of Lucious Malfoy, one of my most trusted followers." He paused, supposedly waiting for some sort of answer, but he didn't seem surprised when one never came.
"Come here boy," he told Draco.
Draco carefully arranged his face into one of cool composure, hoping against all hope that he was fooling the man in front of him. Carefully he took one step forward and then another until he was standing face to face with Voldemort. He could see his slit-like red eyes through the mask.
'State your name."
"Draco Lucious Malfoy," Draco said coolly.
"Draco Lucious Malfoy, do you agree to follow me with complete devotion and never stray from my path again?"
"Yes," Draco bowed his head, waiting for the Dark Lord to say something else. It never happened.
All that came next was Voldemort yanking his shirtsleeve roughly up and placing his finger on the upper part of his arm. There was a searing pain and the Dark Mark appeared on his arm.
"Good," Voldemort said before turning to the rest of the group, "I'll leave you to discuss his first mission with him. I have important business to attend to." With another 'crack' he was gone.
Through all of this Draco had been so stunned he was unable to move. He had expected the initiation to be a little, well, harder. He wondered if that was really all there was to it.
There was another long, drawn out silence. Draco had a sneaking feeling all the Death Eaters were as shocked as he was.
Finally Lucious stepped out of the circle, "We have decided your first mission." Draco had to hold his confusion in. Did Lucious mean they had decided while they were standing there? When? How? They hadn't even moved. He decided to let it go for the moment.
He nodded for Lucious to continue.
"I understand you have been undergoing counseling sessions with one Ginny Weasley?" Lucious asked.
He nodded again.
"Good, that will make this easier," Draco didn't like the sound of that. Did his first mission have something to do with Ginny, "Well, in short, we want you to seduce her."
Draco coughed, "What?"
"We want you to seduce her," he repeated, "You know, get her to trust you so she'll tell you the Order's secrets. With all her family connections even if she is not in the Order chances are she'll still no more than other outsiders."
He opened his mouth to argue, "You have agreed to be ever faithful, did you not?" Lucious said, warning in his voice.
Draco snapped his mouth shut and nodded. Although he didn't like the idea, he decided then and there that he would do whatever it took to complete the mission; to prove himself; to become an even more perfect pawn. He had nothing else.