Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rowling, except the Inferius.
Thanks to Staticshock for taking me in your C2!
If you see weird expressions, it might be a french something passing by. :) Please review if you like or dislike my feeble atempt to write something good.
Bonne lecture!
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Chapter 1: Inferius
Warm blue eyes… sadness inside… faith
A familiar voice, yet stranger…
Flash of green light.
Murderer
'NO!'
Draco found himself sitting in his bed. A drop of sweat was winding down his neck. The lace curtains were rippling in the breeze through the half-opened window, revealing a clear blue sky.
No more astronomy tower, no more floating Dark Mark, but still these obscure shadows surrounding him.
He reached for his wand and starred at his hands. How could these white palms have killed a weak defenseless old man? His eyes slowly came down to the straight black skull on his forearm which was sticking his snakelike tongue out to him.
The door flew open. Draco gazed with horror at his mother's clothes. Dark hooded cloak…
'Sweet heart, are you alright?'
She passed her refreshing palm on his cheek. Mother love made the shadows vanish. He blinked.
'I knew it from the beginning. You're too young for a task like this. I was so anxious.'
She must have been, but what about him? He couldn't sleep two hours straight, the Dark Lord torturing him in his less worse dreams. And now everything was over, new obsessing ghosts would haunt him.
She hugged him. 'Thank goodness you're safe.'
'But not quite sound…' he thought.
She scanned his blood shot eyes.
'I hope He doesn't call you now. You need some rest. I'm going to get you something to eat.'
'No thank you, mother, I'm not hungry.' It was half a lie: he did feel his stomach empty. But he knew it would empty itself very short after the first bites anyway… 'I'm getting up.'
'No you're not! You look awful.' she retorted magically making the sheets hold back her son.
'I'm okay. I want to get up.' He said with the irresistible puppy look he knew his mother couldn't fight. She hesitated. He smiled, somehow relieved to take back his part in a normal family scene.
Within the second he entered the living room, he was caught by the shoulders, his assailant messing up his blond hair.
'Here's my favorite nephew! I'm so proud of you Dracky!'
'Don't call me that!' he spat struggling out of Bellatrix Lestranges' arms. She beamed at him, as though he was a baby who had just managed to stand on his feet for the first time, all by himself! It was sickening.
'I would have loved to be there.' Her eyes glittered with what definitely was envy. 'You'll be honored. What an achievement! Amycus has been spreading the news to all of us. "Dumby cornered like a filthy rat", "Dumby so miserable", "Dumby this, Dumby that"… But I'd like you to tell me. What exactly happened? How did you do it?'
'I'd be delighted to confide you every detail of this wonderful moment… But not now.' He revealed an acid smile.
She looked very disappointed, but then patted his shoulder compassionately.
'Oh, I see… I was a little confused too after my first killing experience. Don't worry. It'll wash off. Then you will enjoy getting rid of all the vermin in your way.' She shivered excitedly.
It had never been so difficult for Draco to act cold. He didn't recognize his aunt. This hysterical attitude was disgusting him. He hadn't realized before how much pleasure the word "murder" gave her. The time when he was boasting about his father being close to the Dark Lord, proud to talk about people dying with a frightening smirk, the time, when he and his friends were laughing at all of these kind of stories, it seemed so far away, so distant, he wondered if it had been really him.
He didn't want to be a brilliant Death Eater any more, his pure-blood-spoilt-child status was enough. To late, no turning back… He made his way out of the sight of Bellatrix, who was enthusiastically expressing how delighted she was to have such a promising nephew.
Suddenly she fell silent, he froze.
'We're going, Cissy.' The dark haired witch called. 'Thanks for the lunch.' She turned to Draco, tossing him a pack of Chocolate Cauldrons coming out from nowhere. 'You'd better have one quickly. Wouldn't want to gargle in front of Him, would you?'
He was, if possible, less hungry than a minute ago. The Dark Mark was burning his arm. There was a pop. He hid the cakes under his cloak and Disapparated too.
…
Draco Apparated in the backyard of a big old house. The Death Eaters all looked at him, one of them winked at him, the lumps of his face suddenly mixing up. Bellatrix was having her moment of glory, holding her nephew very close to her. Apart from her, there was only those who were at Hogwarts and back, and to Malfoy's great relieve, Fenrir Greyback was missing.
A hunchbacked man crept out of the shadow, caressing his silver right hand with his left.
'The Dark Lord is waiting upstairs. We should enter.'
The house was dark, for all the shutters were closed, condemned. The small group followed Wormtail through dusty corridors, so dusty they were leaving foot-prints on the floor, as though walking in snow. Draco had only been once in this house, but he remembered too well the squeaking wooden staircase, since he had walked down it carrying a heavy task. The steps and whispers stopped in front of a bedroom door. A ray of light was passing underneath it.
The small wizard knocked. A hissing voice replied, making Draco's hair rise on the nape of his neck. It wasn't the time to break loose. The young Death Eater pulled himself together.
Lord Voldemort was sitting in an armchair, nearly the only furniture in the room. A huge snake was winding on the wooden floor. Snape was standing nearby, his face unreadable. Wormtail closed the door and crept to a shadowy corner.
The Dark Lord rose. His words of congratulations didn't hide how thrilled he was. Harry Potter's main shield had fallen. The leader of his enemys was dead at last. Modest smiles were seen while He reminded the events of the previous night. Malfoy bowed silently, trying to conceal his feelings, when his name was said.
The Death Eaters were soon dismissed, were left Malfoy, Lestrange and Snape. The two later were sent to hide Narcissa and plan a break out of Azkaban. They walked out with a moaning Wormtail.
The door closed, Draco gulped.
'My dear Draco…' The young boy faced his master, not daring to look up from his shoes. 'You did very well. So I have decided to assign you to another task. Of course you want to keep it secret.'
'Of course, Milord.'
The Dark Lord gave out a short hiss. Something moved in Draco's back, very silent footsteps, as though gliding more than walking. Careful not to show his back to the Dark Lord, Draco turned to face…
…a dark haired girl, probably as old as him, wearing an old fashioned Hogwarts' uniform under a hooded black cloak. She looked quite normal, if it wasn't for her livid skin and her foggy eyes. The only color in her features was a magnificent ruby pendant, like a drop of fire. She stood, rigid, waiting for orders.
'As you see,' commented Lord Voldemort, 'this "girl" is an Inferius, and your task as well. You have guessed that it is not an ordinary one. This one could almost be considered as living. It can talk and react. All I want you to do is to see if you can teach it magic.'
Draco's face wore a disgusted it-must-be-a-joke expression. Why would he have to play the teacher with a dead body? A thin hand, very convincing, rested on his shoulder, making him freeze.
'I am sure you understand that this is an important task.'
'Yes, Milord' he answered feeling the chilling fingers tighten their hold.
'Very well… You may leave. Make sure it isn't seen.'
The interview was over. Malfoy bowed, avoiding the red slit-shaped eyes, and walked out.
Stepping outside was a blinding experience. Draco pressed his palms on his eyes, his head falling backwards.
'Great! What now?'
What was he supposed to do with a human-size puppet? How could he hide it from everyone? What was so important about it? The Dark lord must be toying with him… Well, the Dark Lord was toying with each of his servants. That zomby-girl wasn't His only puppet…
She, or it, was standing silent behind him. His mouth twisted.
'Er… can you Disapparate?' he asked trying to sound cold.
Without a blink, she answered a short and blank 'No', and she was so statue-looking Draco wondered for a second if she had even talked.
'…Ok. Well, hold on tight to my arm and don't let go.' Gathering back the dead parts of this corpse was the very last thing he needed to do.
He closed his eyes, held his breath, tried not to bother about the spooky thing clutching his sleeve, half hoping that he would be alone when he would Apparate.
…
'Cissy?'
Narcissa looked from Severus to Bellatrix, then from Bellatrix to Severus, then again.
'If I may suggest, you should choose Bellatrix. She is hoping you would do so. She wants to protect her family after all it is understandable. And the Secret would be safer with her…'
Bellatrix frowned, sensing a note of irony in the last statement. She cast an I-still-don't-like-you-at-all look toward Snape before turning back to her sister.
'It is your choice Cissy, but I do admit that I'ld like to be useful. I want to help you and my nephew. If you choose me you may be sure I won't betray you, even under torture. You know I have already resisted torture, and I would again.'
Narcissa bit her lip, saw Severus nod, and smiled.
'Alright then.'
Snape moved back a few paces. The two witches grasped left hands. Narcissa drew her wand and pointed it at her lips. A small blue light glowed at he tip. She whispered the spell, as though confiding a secret to the bead of magical light. None was able to hear the incantation, nor to read the words on her lips, as the light was hiding them. A short while later she guided the sphere to the tip of Bellatrix's wand, still clutching her left hand. The Secret Keeper lifted the Secret to her ear, listened to the murmur carefully then lowered it to seal it in her heart.
She smiled to her sister. Both turned to face Snape who looked distant. Bellatrix watched him a few seconds before speaking, savoring the too short moment during which she would possess something he didn't, and thinking about how to enounce something evident, though Secret. She gave up all studied statement.
'Cissy's under your nose.'
Snape looked at Narcissa then back to Bellatrix and smirked.
'Well, now the Malfoy family can be sure they won't be found.'
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