Warning: graphic abuse later in the chapter. Please do not continue if violence upsets you.
Draco woke up slowly at first, and upon realizing it was dark out he rose with a panic. Bellatrix would be here any minute. He flew out of bed and tugged on his dress clothes, a white button down and black slacks, before tying the tie and running his fingers through his hair. He bounded out of his room and took the stairs two at a time, before seeing Bellatrix had already arrived and was chatting animatedly by the door with his parents. He inwardly cursed himself while fighting to keep his expression calm as he approached the door to stand with them. Upon his arrival, the three fell silent and observed him.
"My my, Draco, how very… generous of you to join us" his father drawled, his dislike thinly veiled.
"Don't be silly, Lucius! I am thrilled Draco joined us this evening" Bellatrix exclaimed, and without warning Bellatrix enveloped Draco in a bone crushing hug.
"Good to see you too, Aunt Bella" Draco said sincerely, wincing slightly when she abruptly pulled back.
"What manners the boy has, Cissy. You two should be so proud".
"Indeed, we are, Bella. Did you know that Draco received the highest marks possible on his potions exam?" Narcissa offered conversationally, and with that the two women made their way towards the dining room, Draco and Lucius a few steps behind them.
Before Draco had the chance to apologize, Lucius turned sharply to face him and said "consider this your one and only warning. You better not mess up again or you will be sorry".
Draco gulped. "Yes, sir" he promised, although he knew his father was bound to get mad at him no matter what he did.
Draco trailed behind his father, afraid of what was to come. While he was slightly eased by the animated chatter between Bella and his mother, he couldn't help but let his father's icy words reverberate: You better not mess up again or you will be sorry. The four took their seats at a comically large table as the house elves brought out salad and bread. Draco did his best to be quiet and only speak when spoken to. Bread and salad was followed by soup, which was followed by shrimp cocktail, which was followed by pasta, which was followed by filet mignon. Draco could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel; it was almost over. And then dessert happened.
The kitchen doors opened once more with a flourish and four plates of apple pie came into view.
Four timid house elves carried the plates and each brought one to a waiting face at the table. As Tiki set the plate down in front of Bellatrix , she huffed in disgust. "Are you an idiot? This will not do"
"Tiki is being very sorry, mistress, but Tiki is simply serving what others is cooking"
"How DARE you talk back to me in such a manner, you absolute filth. Apologize. Now."
Tiki cowered and tears trailed down her face as she shrieked "Please mistress! Tiki is apologizing, Tiki is being sorry!"
Completely disregarding the house elf's words, Bellatrix turned her attention to Lucius and sneered "are you going to allow your property to treat me in such a way?"
Lucius' head snapped up from staring at his apple pie and the room grew silent.
"Well? Are you?"
"Of course not, Bella" Lucius said, a slow icy smile turning the corners of his mouth up "Tiki, come with me right this instant"
A small, high-pitched noise came from Tiki as she cast a fearful glance to Draco. Draco, however, was focused on not vomiting at that very moment. He fought to keep even breaths. He knew what that smile meant, knew what the words implied, knew what was about to happen. And all he could do was stare down at the food on his plate and try not to have a full-on panic attack at the dinner table. He was useless.
"You know, it's always best to train them when they're young, I'm sure you could trade it in for something…better" Bellatrix said sympathetically to Narcissa, disgust clear in her words.
Narcissa simply nodded, staring after her husband.
"Draco, dear, eat the pie! You're a growing boy, don't let my dislikes stop you" Bellatrix said, and Draco forced a smile in response.
He picked up his fork, slight tremble evident in his fingers, and brought a piece of pie to his mouth. It was warm, with French vanilla ice cream, and Draco could not even find it in himself to enjoy. He turned the food over in his mouth and forced himself to focus on the sensations: warm, cinnamon, apple, vanilla, crust. He needed to focus. To keep it together. Keep it together, dumbass.
There was suddenly a loud, pained shriek. Draco dropped his fork, although he wasn't sure why, because tortured screams were not an abnormality in the Malfoy house. Neither Narcissa nor Bellatrix showed any sign of noticing. There was another shriek. This one sounded more like a word, more like…a plea.
Draco stood up so fast the table shook. "May I be excused to use the bathroom?"
"Yes, dear" Narcissa said, clearly oblivious to his distress. She always was.
Draco bolted from the room and the shrieks became louder. He realized that the shouts were so loud because Lucius had long ago removed the silencing charm in favor of wanting Draco to learn to muffle his screams. Not helping, not helping, not helping. Draco bolted through the foyer, not chancing a glance at the dungeon in case his father had left the door open open, and took the stairs three at a time. He did not slow until he was at his own bathroom. Comforted by his own space, he allowed some of the tension to release from his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, sighing as he fought to take slow, even breaths. He walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on his face. Keep it together, Draco he willed himself as he stared levelly into his own eyes. He took a moment to enjoy the stillness, touching the cool stone rim of the sink to keep himself grounded.Some dirty house-elf's screams shouldn't faze me. The thought jerked him back to the present and he felt cold and hot simultaneously. He paused for a moment, considering his own reflection in the mirror. Those aren't my words…those are my father's words. He shuddered at the realization. He would not be his father. This is hardly the time for an existential crisis. He couldn't find it in himself to laugh at his own small attempt at a joke, and decided there was no better time than the present to get back to dinner. Taking a second to fix his hair in the mirror, he opened the door and stepped out. He paused for a moment, but there was no noise to be heard.
Draco slowly walked down the hallway and paced himself as he went down the stairs. He chanced a glance at the dungeon and saw that although the door was open, there was no light on, so he couldn't see past the top step. He briskly walked back towards the dining room and was greeted by the sight of his father sitting in his seat, not a hair out of place, but no sign of Tiki. Draco grew anxious for her.
"—and that's why I don't even bother with the filthy creatures. After you provide them food and a place to live they still have the audacity to mouth off. Disgusting half-wits" Bella sneered.
"I agree, Bella, but let's not spoil any more of this dinner with talk of it" Lucius said, waving a hand dismissively.
Draco took his seat and tried not to draw any more attention to himself. As the adults continued to talk he pushed the remaining apple pie around on his plate. He flattened it then spread it out, noticing that Bellatrix had a fresh piece of lemon meringue pie, her favorite, with a sole bite taken from it. Draco couldn't help but wince. Tiki had endured so much for that one bite.
"Quit playing with your food, boy, it's disrespectful and bothersome to those of us trying to converse" Lucius snapped suddenly.
"S-sorry, sir"
"Itty-bitty Draco is afraid of you, Lucius! Maybe he's afraid you'll dispose of him like you did that wretched servant"
Dispose. Draco's heart hit the floor in a matter of seconds and before he thought better of it he blurted out "Disposed of Tiki?"
"Draco, I must have heard you wrong, for it sounds like you just questioned my authority in my own house".
Draco paused. What? That's not what I said at all. He's twisting my words.
"No, sir, of course not, I was just-"
"Caring for some filthy animal more than your aunt's happiness?"
The tension was so thick it could have been sliced with a butter knife. Bellatrix looked like she was enjoying it.
"No, sir, please-"
"Please forgive you for caring about some lowly servant? I wish I could, Draco, but I think I need to make sure you have learned your lesson first. We wouldn't want you to make that same humiliating mistake again, now would we?"
Any possible response Draco had was wiped away in a matter of seconds.
"Narcissa, please kindly see Bella out when she is done enjoying her dessert, Draco and I need to have a little chat in the other room"
Narcissa nodded wordlessly while Bellatrix's eyebrow was still raised in amusement at the conversation. Draco wondered if she knew. If she did, he thought bitterly, she's probably too sadistic to see an issue with it.
Draco stood up slowly, pushed in his chair, and followed Lucius out of the room. His brain screamed at him to stop, to turn around and beg his mother to protect him. But the more rational part, the part that was beat down beyond hope, knew there was nothing that could stop the impending explosion. It was this thinking that allowed him to put one foot in front of another as he descended the dungeon stairs after his father. That, and the thought that he might be able to see Tiki.
The stairs ended in blackness until Lucius pulled the string that switched on the lightbulb. Stone walls, stone floor, and no windows all dimly illuminated by the one lone lightbulb. There were several chains on the walls. A closet with the door shut was to the left of the stairs, an old bucket and sponge that sat atop a drain in the far corner, and the damp cold immediately chilled him to the bone. Draco scanned the room quickly for a sign of Tiki and saw nothing. He gulped. Draco had no good memories tied to this room even though he was more than familiar with it.
"Well?" Lucius asked expectantly, and Draco realized it was his cue.
"Father, I am so sorry for my words and actions, it was not my intention to embarrass you in front of mother and Bella."
"That's the problem, Draco. You never think."
"I know, sir."
"You're stupid. You're worthless and pathetic and if you weren't my only child I would have disowned you by now."
"Yes, sir".
"I've tried so hard to raise you right and you just won't listen. You do this to yourself, Draco. You realize that. This is all your fault. I don't like to hurt you, but it's for your own good."
"Of course, sir."
"Now tell me. What exactly did you do wrong."
Draco felt panic rise "I-I inquired about Tiki—"
Smack. The force knocked Draco to the ground and he can't help but reach out a hand to cup his cheek instinctively.
"Do not use its name".
Draco choked down a sob and started again, not bothering to stand up "I inquired about…about the filthy servant's well-being"
Lucius nodded in approval. "And why is that wrong?"
Draco paused for a second as the thought crossed his mind. Why was it wrong? Lucius felt the hesitation and kicked Draco in the gut. Draco gasped audibly, not expecting the pain.
"Malfoys. Do. Not. Care. About. Anyone's. Well-being. But. Their. Own." Lucius growled, each word punctuated by a kick.
Draco, seeing spots, repeated his father without a second thought. "Malfoys do not…do not care about any-anyone's well-being but…but their own", he moaned, breathing heavily and fighting the urge to vomit again.
"Very good, Draco" Lucius drawled, and although Draco couldn't find the energy to look at him he was sure Lucius was smiling. "Now give me your belt".
Draco wordlessly took off his belt and handed it to his father, then positioned himself so he was on all fours.
"Take off your shirt"
Draco shuddered as he did, his stomach screaming in pain.
"How many lashes is fair, Draco?"
Draco hated this. He didn't want it to be his decision, his father did this so he felt responsible.
"Um…20, sir?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"20, sir".
"I would've said less, but it is obviously your decision."
Draco fought the urge to vomit for the third time that night, and before he could even prepare himself, the blows started.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Draco's back stung and he hissed through clenched teeth.
Five. Six. Seven.
Draco hadn't realized he was crying until he saw his tears hit the floor.
Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven.
White hot pain radiated through his whole being and Draco's vision swam.
Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.
Draco's arms gave out and he fell forward.
"You earned yourself an extra three lashes" eighteen "Do it again and I'll start over".
Draco focused all his effort into pushing himself up off the ground.
Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one.
Draco didn't remember a time when his body didn't hurt.
Twenty-two. Twenty-three.
He could no longer feel the pain, he realized suddenly. It was as if he was completely disconnected from his own body; watching from a distance. Draco held his stance, unmoving, not even realizing the punishment was over.
"Good boy, Draco. Clean up this mess by hand, so you don't forget any time soon. Once it's spotless, you may go directly to your room."
"Okay, sir".
Lucius paused, as if expecting something else, and it suddenly dawned on Draco that Lucius wanted a thank you.
"Thank you, sir, for teaching me such an important lesson".
"Of course, Draco, any time" Lucius said, and with that he heard Lucius ascend the stairs and then slam the door. The sound released Draco from his position and he fell to the ground, suddenly realizing that there was blood. His blood.
Draco attempted to stand to retrieve the sponge and bucket but his legs failed him and he fell to the ground. Through the fog in his mind he was able to mutter a summoning charm and got to work cleaning before the blood dried. It was always harder to clean once dried. Muttering another spell to fill the bucket with water, he got to work scrubbing. He could use a cleaning charm, but his father told him to clean it by hand and he didn't dare disobey even when his father was nowhere to be seen. Draco scrubbed until his hands and knees were raw and until there was not a speck of blood to be seen. With newfound strength, he returned the sponge and bucket to their corner, dumping the bucket down the drain he assumed had been meant for sewage at one point and time. Once the dungeon looked as it had before Lucius had begun his punishment Draco finally felt safe enough to go to bed. He ascended the stairs without a thought and slowly cracked the door open to make sure no one was around, and then he ran all the way from the dungeon to his bedroom, adrenaline guiding his messy steps. Once in the relative safety of his room Draco collapsed onto his bed, all adrenaline gone, and within minutes he was fast asleep.
A/N: Thanks again for reading and the reviews! I decided that I should post this for now, so people can get a better sense of what to expect, and from now on I will be updating roughly once a week unless I find myself with an abundance of free time. Next chapter is when things become new, I'm excited for you guys to see it. Give me your questions, comments, and concerns!