---shoved a quote from J.K.Rowling in here—eagle eyed fans may spot it:D
-
The Fallen
Draco didn't sleep at all that night. He sat in the common room, in front of the fire. Pansy sat opposite him, watching his energy drain away, but still he did not close his eyes, not once. He stroked his lips with his knuckles and didn't speak. Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini had all turned in. They had tried to crack jokes, and make him laugh. Even Nott joined in and they did impressions of his outburst at dinner a week ago, complete with the looks on the gryffindor's faces. But Malfoy didn't flinch. He didn't smile. He was completely gone.
"Draco?" She broke the silence. "You've been sat there for hours…what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" He snapped.
"Fine…be like that!" She snarled and stood up. "I'm going to bed…don't bother coming with us to Charms! I doubt you'll be missed!" She was livid, and she had every right to be. She had hoped her outburst would at least make him look at her.
He didn't. He couldn't. What would be the point? This time tomorrow he would either be dead or hunted by every wizard alive. Friends and faces would have no meaning anymore.
Pansy looked as if she would spit at him, then burst into sobs. Running to the door to the girl's dorms she slammed it shut behind her. He heard her wails echo down the halls for many minutes. They died eventually, and so did the fire.
The others emerged from their rooms, dressed for another day. Most seemed pleased it was a Friday…that meant it was a day closer to Saturday. Malfoy had never felt so awful on a Friday in his life. He didn't know if he'd ever see a tomorrow.
"Malfoy?" Crabbe's low voice snapped him out of his trance. "Have you not…have you not slept?"
Crabbe was hesitant to ask about his health. Malfoy was incredibly horrid these days. One minute he'd smile at you and the next he was snarling. His violent temper always seemed inflamed by the smallest of things…like when Blaise asked him if he could borrow a sickle the other day. Malfoy had pulled out three, and hurled them at him.
Malfoy brushed a hand through his hair, which had matted a little from lack of care. He stood up and swayed. His legs were weak from not having rested properly, and he felt drained. Crabbe grabbed his arm to steady him, and for once Malfoy accepted it. He didn't shrug it off, he didn't snarl. He looked helpless.
"I…er…" He blinked. His eyes were sore and dry, and he had black circles around them. "I…don't feel well…you go on ahead."
Crabbe nodded, then patted Malfoy's back before he departed with the others. Draco noticed each one look at him with mixed feelings. Some looked at him in disgust, some in what could only be described as loathing, some in fear, and a small few looked genuinely concerned. He coughed and went to the boy's dormitories to change. He stank of sweat and he could feel the terrible sickness creeping up on him.
His bed was unmade and untouched. He threw himself down on it. He thought he'd shut his eyes for five minutes before following them.
---
"Draco?" Albus Dumbledore whirled around. "What are you doing?"
"MY JOB!" He snarled from across the room, pointing his wand at the old man's heart.
"AVADA KEDA…" He screamed, but Dumbledore was too fast, his hand whipped out his wand in less than a blink, and Draco was too slow…far too slow. He yelped as a flash of red erupted from the headmaster's wand, and enveloped him in snakelike coils, tying him up.
Dumbledore loomed over him. He no longer looked kind, no longer gentle, he leaned down with a smile. A sneering smile that made Draco tremble. His eyes glowed red, and the whistling of his slitted nostrils as he breathed made Draco's skin crawl.
"Master Malfoy…you failed." Voldemort's soft voice hissed. Draco started to whimper. He struggled against his bonds, trying to crawl away.
"Bring them!" Voldemort snarled. Draco watched helplessly as the circle of deatheaters parted, and his mother and father were dragged in. They were bound and gagged. His father still wore the garments of azkaban. They had stormed the prison just to get to him and bring him here.
The Dark Lord grabbed Lucius by the hair, and turned him toward Draco, pointing his wand at his father's throat. "Aren't you happy to be reunited?" Voldemort smiled, his forked tongue gliding over his teeth.
Draco grimaced, trying desperately to break free. "THIS ISN'T REAL!" he screamed, "IT'S NOT REAL!"
"Is this real?" Voldemort sneered. "Crucio!"
Lucius let out a roar of pain, and fell to the floor, twitching uncontrollably.
"Stop it!" Draco cried. "Stop it NOW!" He slammed his eyes shut and concentrated.
"Its just a dream…wake up! Wake up NOW!" He snarled.
If anything, his father's screams grew louder, as the Dark Lord pushed more and more of his malice into the curse. In any second, Lucius' brain would be mush.
"NO!" Draco screamed. "DON'T KILL HIM!" as he sat bolt upright in bed.
---
A seventh year Slytherin Benedict Pierce had been enjoying his free period in the common room. When terrifying screams erupted from the boy's dorms.
"Professor Snape!" He hollered.
He burst into the dormitory, wand aiming at space. Other student's crowded behind him, looking terrified that they might be witness to a murder. Instead all they saw was Malfoy sitting on his bed, dripping with sweat.
Snape pushed his way past them. "Move!" He hissed, opening the door wide, to see what the commotion was. He had been in his office when screaming from the common room broke his concentration. Not the same screams of childish pranks. These were desperate, chilling screams few should ever have to hear. His name being shouted out for help was enough to tear him away from his homework marking.
Draco clutched his head. It pounded with pain and made his eyes water. He had fallen asleep accidentally.
Snape surveyed the room. There was nobody there. A rumble of mutterings rose from the Slytherins as they crowded around the entrance. He glared at them angrily and they swiftly dispersed.
"What were you doing?" Snape snarled.
"Bad dream…just a dream." Draco cradled his head. It throbbed painfully.
"A serious nightmare more like it!" Snape sighed. Then heaved Draco to his feet. "Why aren't you in lessons?"
"Why aren't you?" Draco retorted with a sneer.
"Mind your manners!" Snape snapped. "I'm still your teacher!"
"You're a deatheater!" Draco hissed back. "Just like me!"
SMACKSnape looked furious, his hand swept out at incredible speed and slapped hard across Draco's jaw. Draco didn't flinch. It was what he wanted. It was what his father would have done. He had hoped the burning sensation on his cheek would be a constant reminder that this was no dream.
"You dare utter that here!" Snape snarled, looking at the open door in fear that someone may have heard. He hovered over to the door to check, wand aimed.
Draco fell silent and looked away ashamedly. Snape seemed to relax a little. "Get off to your classes…the least you can do is save face until your day comes." He said coldly.
Draco nodded and slinked away. He had missed Charms and Transfiguration… Potions was well underway. After the incident in the pensieve, Draco wondered whether Slughorn would talk to him about it.
He hoped so…any excuse to take his mind off tonight's task.
---
Hermione's cauldron had just turned a sickly yellow when the door to the potions classroom opened, and Draco Malfoy waltzed in. She dropped some extra fig leaves in it by accident. "Damn!" She hissed, and tried to fish them out before her liquid turned orange.
"What time do you call this?" Slughorn raised an eyebrow at Malfoy, studying his appearance. The boy looked tired, very tired, and very sick.
"I wasn't feeling well sir…I havn't got a note, Professor Snape will have one for you shortly I presume." Malfoy wasn't sneering like usual. Harry noticed. He looked as if he wanted to ask something.
"Very well." Slughorn waved him off dismissively. "Find a partner and take down notes!"
Draco looked over to the Slytherin table. Pansy was staring at him, still looking visibly hurt from their lack of conversation the night before. They all had partners…Crabbe with Goyle, Nott with Blaise, Pansy with Milicent…not a single Slytherin was available.
Hermione had already spotted this. She turned, looking absolutely petrified at Harry and Ron, who also noticed that she was the only Gryffindor without a partner either. Dean was off sick, so Hermione convinced Neville to be partnered with Seamus today. She could brew this potion with her eyes shut.
"Oh no!" she mouthed, and looked absolutely disgusted as Malfoy's eyes hesitantly creeped to the Gryffndor table.
He let out the same gasp of distaste as he realised that Granger was the only person in the room that had no partner. "Brilliant!" He muttered sarcastically under his breath with a sneer.
"All sorted?" Slughorn smiled. "Miss Granger, lend him your notes would you?" He turned his back on them and started to clean his blackboard. Malfoy, keen to show he had no desire whatsoever to be next to this girl, grabbed a stool from the Slytherin table and dragged it slowly toward her. The high pitched, loud squeaking of the wood against the stone floor caused the class to wince, and Malfoy dragged it all the way over to Hermione, a nasty smile stretched across his pointed face.
Hermione did her best to ignore him. He perched on his stool opposite her and folded his arms across his chest, and she didn't even dare look up. She cut up her gilliweed into tiny segments and dropped them in carefully. The potion bubbled and throthed, and Malfoy leant over the cauldron to see that it had turned from yellow into a clear blue.
"Quite nifty at magic…for a mudblood!" He sneered.
"Quite pathetic at magic…for a pure-blood!" She sneered back.
Malfoy's sneer faded in an instant. He grabbed the excess gilliweed glob and chucked it into the cauldron angrily. "Woops!" He said sarcastically. "Butterfingers me!"
Hermione's eyes started to water as she realised there'd be no way she was getting top marks this lesson. She grabbed her notebook and threw it at him in frustration.
"Well I was going to ask for them, but thanks mudblood!" He smiled. Then took out his parchment and quill to jot them down.
Slughorn hovered over to the couple's cauldron. "Dear, dear Miss Granger…it was going so well, what happened?" He grimaced as Hermione's clear blue potion turned white and creamy.
"I have absolutely no idea professor." Hermione glared at Malfoy, who smirked and carried on writing.
Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron, who looked at her with deepest sympathy, and shrugged.
"Oh well…I'm sure you'll do it better next time! Finish writing up and watch the others." Slughorn chimed, then waltzed off to inspect Neville and Dean's progress.
Malfoy lazily jotted down half of Hermione's notes and pushed the book back to her. There was no point. He could misbehave as much as he liked today, as long as he didn't expel himself, today would be his last day at Hogwarts.
Hermione retrieved her notebook, to find the word 'Mudblood' written across the top. Her lower lip trembled as she read it. It was a foul word, and to use it in public would have got you detention for a week. Hermione had heard it many, many times from Malfoy, and thought she had cushioned herself against it, but seeing it written all over her hard work…was heartbreaking.
She looked at Malfoy through tear soaked eyes, as if to say… "Why?"
Malfoy's smile faded, and he glared coldly. He didn't know why. Was it her muggle parents? Was it because she was Potter's friend? Did he get some kind of sadistic pleasure from seeing her cry? No…he did it because he was expected to do it. It was what his father expected him to do.
He went silent. He had brought her to sobs in less than five minutes…that was enough for now.
Seeing Hermione wipe her eyes almost caused Harry to throw himself at Malfoy with an army of fists. However, Malfoy seemed to shut up. Hermione scribbled something off her notebook, and then sat down looking visibly upset. Ron grabbed his shoulder and pointed to their cauldron, which had turned from a horrid yellow, to an even more horrid green.
Hermione, seeing there was no use trying to amend her potion disaster, sat down in a sulk and avoided Malfoy's gaze. Her eyes nervously jumped to his face and just as quickly darted away again. Then she noticed something…on his cheek. She dared a second glance. There… A vivid red hand shape was forming. He had been hit.
He noticed her looking. Angrily he pulled out the band holding his hair back and let it hang down over his eyes and face, covering his bruise in shadow and shielding his cheek from wandering eyes. "See something did you Granger?"
He dared her to ask. His blue eyes seared into her own, and for a second she trembled, as if Lucius Malfoy himself was threatening to curse her.
She looked away from them. "What do I care? …you probably deserved it!" she mumbled.
"Hmmm?" Slughorn hovered past. Then eyed Draco suspiciously… the long white hair brought back memories. "Everything alright?"
"Yes sir." Draco muttered.
"Excuse me?" Slughorn asked.
What is he...deaf? "I'm fine sir!" Malfoy said louder, looking up at his teacher from the desk.
Slughorn's eye wandered to the reddish mark, which Malfoy's hair was trying to hide. He seemed to shift uncomfortably.
"Well…carry on." He coughed.
Draco groaned and could have slammed his head on the desk. There was no way Slughorn would talk to him now. The man was avoiding him enough as it is. He looked absolutely furious at himself and grabbed his head, which was still pounding with pain.
Pansy approached, sensing his discomfort. She gave Hermione a cold predatorial look. Hermione couldn't help but let out a snigger. 'As if I would even try…' She laughed to herself.
"Draco…" Pansy started, but Draco raised his hand to stop her. He wasn't interested. As far as he was concerned…nobody should get close to him…it just made it worse.
"Don't!" he waved his fingers dismissively. "Just…don't!"
Hermione didn't know what Pansy was more angry at. The fact that Draco had brushed her off him like an insect, or the fact that he had brushed her off like an insect, in front of Hermione Granger of all people. She just stood there as if Draco had slapped her across the face. She had to be led away by Bullstrode, who flashed both Draco and Hermione the most ruthless look she could muster.
"He's in for it now!" Ron sniggered as Pansy sat down practically stabbed at her parchment with her quill.
Malfoy heard him and glared brutally. "What are you laughing at 'Won won'? At least I can keep my girlfriends!" He sneered toward Lavender Brown, with whom Ron had been romantically attached, and had been given the pleasure of a nickname that sounded like one of Fred and George's experiments.
Ron flushed a bright red. Harry threatened to retort, but both received an angry glare, not from Malfoy, but Hermione.
"Oh just shut up! All of you!" She glared at each in turn, resting on Ron and Harry "…you're just as bad as he is!" She waved a finger at Draco, whose face matched Harry and Ron's…utter bewilderment. His mouth twitched into an angry sneer, but he couldn't think of a retort quick enough…Hermione Granger had lost her mind.
"And YOU!" She pointed at Draco, absolutely livid. "You are just like your father! You call me a mud blood one more time I swear it's not just a punch you'll get!" She was referring to an incident in third year, where once again, he had driven her over the edge of reason. "Daddy can't save you from where I'll send you!" She seethed.
"Miss Granger!" Slughorn scoffed. He was as shocked as the boys at Hermione's little outburst. "Five points from Gryffindor!"
Draco stood up defensively. "Is that right?" He snapped. "I'd rather have a Father like mine given the choice…who would want a muggle for a parent!" He spat.
A large gasp erupted from the class. Most students at the school were half bloods or less.
"Draco!" Slughorn barked. "20 points from Slytherin!"
They weren't listening.
"One muggle is more valuable than all the deatheaters put together...including your excuse for a father!" She snapped.
"HERMIONE!" Slughorn roared. "50 POINTS FROM BOTH HOUSES!"
"WITH PARENTS LIKE YOURS IM SURPRISED YOU'VE SURVIVED THIS LONG!" Draco hollered.
"AT LEAST MY FATHER ISN'T ROTTING IN AZKABAN!" She screamed, then fled the classroom in tears. Draco was seething.
"YEAH YOU BETTER RUN MUDBLOOD!"
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Slughorn's voice boomed. "CLASS DISMISSED!" He roared. "MALFOY…get over here now!" He hissed. "Potter! See to Granger! I'll speak to her on Monday!"
The class bustled out of the room, wittering excitedly. Yet another Malfoy moment to add to the countless list of rumours. Slughorn slammed the door shut.
"Who the HELL do you think you are!" He whirled around. "You dare say that word in my classroom, let alone in front of other students, most of whom being half-blood or less!"
"She insulted my father's name sir!"
"That is no excuse! Your father was a deatheater! Yes…a deatheater Mr. Malfoy, and you have to live with that! They have disrupted so many lives...Mr Potter has no Parents, neither does Longbottom, poor Miss Bones lost half her family! The list is endless! HAVE YOU NO COMMON SENSE?"
"He may be an evil, violent, bastard, and he may be 'rotting' in Azkaban, but he's still my father!" Draco stood defiant.
"His name will no longer be looked on with respect, unless you, as his heir, act RESPECTFUL!" Slughorn snapped.
"I am not going to apologise to her sir!" He stammered.
"Then you will be spending the next three months in detention!" Slughorn sighed.
"Fine sir." Draco sneered. He was going to be leaving tonight anyway.
Slughorn breathed heavily and calmed himself. This was the second time Draco had seen him so livid. He clearly had a problem with suppressed aggression. He noticed the red patch on Draco's cheek once more. His face fell.
"Who did that?"
"Sir?"
"Who hit you?"
"Just an argument that got out of hand...rather like this one."
"Who was it?"
"A friend."
"Who?"
"I'm not at liberty to say!"
"Damn it Lucius tell me!" Slughorn snapped.
Draco's head snapped up as his father's name was mentioned. Slughorn realised his mistake, and a hand flew to his mouth.
"My name's Draco…sir…" Malfoy said coolly.
Slughorn tried to repress the memory that had risen, forget it ever happened.
"Was he always covered in bruises?" Malfoy asked. He was not going to let Slughorn ignore him…he wanted to know more.
Slughorn looked at Malfoy in surprise. The boy knew. Then he gathered either Lucius told him many years ago, or he found out from Dumbledore.
"No." Slughorn nodded. "Well…sometimes…but I never suspected foul play, I gathered they were from scraps with other students. Lucius' temper was…considerably bad… as is yours it seems."
"My father doesn't hate me Professor...and he most certainly never beat me either."
"Sometimes indifference and neglect often do more damage than outright dislike." Slughorn said softly, thinking to himself.
Draco fell silent. The man was right. Lucius didn't have to raise his hand to hurt him. A sneer or a glare from him felt as bad as a smack across the face. It was only after his capture, did Lucius realise that he had a son to lose, and Draco realised he actually needed his father.
"I just wanted to know what he was like professor…all I ever hear about is his violent temper… his…Deatheater activities…I want to know about before all that…was he…good?"
"That's pretty hard to say…" Slughorn smiled weakly. "He was very quiet…didn't speak much to those outside his circle."
"I just want some proof! That he is not the demon they all think he is!" Draco waved toward the doors. "That I'm not a demon…" He looked down at the floor.
"I suppose you are the only one who knows who he really was Draco…what proof is there other than a son's devotion? If he were truly as horrible as people say, why would you stand up for him so?"
He patted Draco encouragingly on the back. "I have no doubt…he was as good a father as he could have been…but he made a mistake…and he must be punished for that mistake…and there is no need to punish yourself over it."
Draco smiled weakly. "When I was five…I fell off my broom…I was crying …Mother couldn't stop me…and then he came marching out of the house. He looked really mad…he picked me up and put me back on the broom…then he said, When we fall…the only thing we can do…is get back up.'"
"Wise words…but he fell too far into the darkness…he got in too deep…don't make his mistake Draco, or you won't be able to climb back out either."
It was too late for that now…he could have used this advice years ago, he could have confronted his father, he could have warned him, brought him back…but it was too late, and now Draco had to fall, so that Lucius could live. He nodded to Slughorn silently, and was dismissed. Slughorn had seemed to have forgotten Draco was in detention, or just wanted to get the boy out of his sight quicker than ever. Either way, Draco was glad he didn't have to stay.
---