Blood Runs Forever

She's giving it all away (she's all the way there)

She's giving it all (she is prepared)

to take her place, to follow it along

she steps into the dark tonight

Rise, rise from the ashes.

Sink teeth into her, she becomes the cure.

Blood runs forever, blood runs forever.

……

Draco

8/26/10

8:32 p.m.

Late summer before Draco's 7th year

"How dare you refuse the Dark Lord?! Are you trying to kill this family, kill yourself?! Were you so afraid to kill a fat old man?" My father roared, kicking a table in his anger. I sat rigid in my high backed chair, watching the fire. "I was barely able to convince the Dark Lord that you are an impertinent child, and that all you need is punishment to bend to his will." He said, coming over and standing in front of me, blocking my view of the mesmerizing flames.

I hated my father. I hated being a Slytherin. But most of all, I hated how deeply trapped I was in the Dark Arts. Even though I had been ordered by the Dark Lord to kill Dumbledore, I hadn't actually been the one to cast the spell, it had been that greasy git Snape. My father had spent all summer with the Dark Lord, trying to spare the Malfoy family, when I didn't care if it went to hell or not. I hadn't learned any of their plans, and had no desire to.

"Now, you listen to me. Greyback has agreed to take you Muggle Murdering-"

"Absolutely not." I said fiercely, standing up. "I can't go to some random Muggle house and murder them! Yes, they are scum, but-"

"Which is exactly why you will not say another word. You are going with Greyback Muggle Murdering. It will give you a spine, and you will save this family from the brink of destruction. Do not disappoint me." He said dangerously, picking me up by the collar out of my chair and pushing me towards the door. Apprehension and slight nausea rose in me. Could I murder an innocent person, no matter how ignorant and stupid they were?

"Ready for some fresh meat, lad?" Greyback cackled in the foyer. His wand was stuck in his belt, and he was shirtless, his massive hairy bulk already intimidating me. I nodded meekly, trying to look determined to prove myself. If I had bullshitted my way this far, perhaps I could get just a bit farther. "Lucius, I promise you, this lad will learn quickly on how to play with his food, and to show no mercy." Greyback said in almost a happy tone, and I tried not to lurch. Of course Greyback was going to play with the poor soul I was going to help him murder tonight.

"Excellent, the Dark Lord will be pleased. Good luck, and don't disappoint." He added one more time before Greyback seized my arm in a vice like grip, and after a moment of an air-less dark vacuum, we were on a muggy and dimly lit street. Once and a while, a car would idle by. Crickets chirped and once, an owl hooted. All the houses still had some lights on, even though it was after 8 o'clock.

"Lad, this is one of the most popular kind of Muggle living areas. They love this 'organized housing'. Fortunately, their houses are so unguarded, making it's easy to get in and have some fun." He emphasized the word fun and started to briskly yet silently stalk in the shadows, lightly looking over windowsills, cursing when there where too many people, or if there was a dog. The whole time he did this, he narrated and described 'the perfect target' and how easily and quickly they could be disposed of, and why all the houses we past by weren't good enough. "Aha! Take a look lad. She's a beauty, and she's alone." He shoved me over to the windowsill, and I reluctantly looked inside. A beautiful blond girl was cooking something. Music was playing, and she was gently swaying to it. She was tall for a girl, and very slender and fit. She definitely had some muscle, but I wasn't about to point that out to Greyback. "Now, watch closely, and don't get in my way. I'll demonstrate how to play with them, then you can finish her off." He strode up the front walk like it was his own house, and kicked in the door. "Honey, I'm home!" He called in a normal Muggle-ish voice.

"Brian? Is that you, because that's not-" She appeared in the doorway, an egg in one hand, "-funny." She breathed, getting a good look at the now two intruders in her home. Greyback drew his wand, and she glanced at it once, then focused her attention on the two of us with a cold, calculating gaze. "Might I ask you what the bloody hell you think you're doing?" She asked calmly, and Greyback laughed dangerously.

"This one has a bit of fire in her, I like that. Get your wand out, Draco, for Merlin's sake." He snapped, and I quickly drew it, and almost a look of comprehension dawned on her, but she stayed still, even when Greyback stepped closer. She looked deep in thought, and her eye flashed down to his Dark Mark. (He is shirtless, remember?) She couldn't possibly know what it was, or what our wands were…

"Gentlemen, if you would simply leave my house, I won't call the police. However, if you intend to do me harm, I will have to fight you." She said it seriously enough, and Greyback howled with laughter, flicking his wand once over his shoulder to close the door silently, but the lock turning made her pale slightly. Wondering what was going through her head, I hesitantly stepped closer, and seconds later, something yellow and gooey was all over me, and my cheek was incredibly sore. It took me a moment to realize she had thrown her egg at me, and had turned and fled into her kitchen. Greyback threw me in by the collar and locked that door too. She stood uncertainly in front of the sink as Greyback set his wand down.

"Now, Lad, I don't recommend setting down your wand unless you become like me, where you don't need it. Come on; let's have a look at the pretty little lass." He cooed, stepping right up close to her. She still looked almost panicked, like she was trying to remember something. Greyback stroked her face, and in a flash of movement, he was suddenly winded next to me, bruises rising on his face and arms, but wand in hand. I was shocked. She had hit Greyback, attacked him. She picked up what looked like glass goblets, looking coldly determined, and went to throw them. "So this one is a fighter, eh? I'll show her, Crucio!" Greyback hissed, and the goblets shattered as she dropped them, starting to gasp, then scream in pain. I felt sick as I watched her writhe, sinking to her knees, then to the floor.

"This is how you play with the tough ones. The curse wears them down, so they can't fight back." Greyback said factually as he lifted the curse, leaving her gasping on the floor. Thinking fast, she opened a cabinet at her level, and suddenly plates were flying at us, shattering on my arm, thigh and back until Greyback charmed them away, making them explode; bits of ceramic going everywhere as she scrambled shakily to her feet. I felt sick; I somehow knew she would fight until she couldn't anymore, and I'd have to watch Greyback torture her again.

"Pig, pigwedge…no," She murmured distractedly, throwing eggs at us, hitting me, but making Greyback lean against the counter laughing, charming them away, even though they flew at incredibly fast speeds. He then moved almost as fast as she did, suddenly pinning her against the counter, biting her shoulder. She shuddered and gasped, her knuckles turning white on the counter until he stopped, only to lean down and take a bite of her side, almost purring with pleasure when she arched her back, starting to scream.

"P-pig, pidgwed-" I turned away as I began to be able to smell the blood she was losing. As it started to pool on the floor, she groaned as Greyback bit her a third time, on the other shoulder. "Pidgewedgon! Pidgewedgon!" She gasped suddenly, almost desperate, and when I looked up, her hand was closing around some knives in a knife case. Before I could react, she threw one at me clear across the room, and it sunk into my thigh with a sick squelch, making me fall over. She seized the biggest one with a shaking hand as Greyback slurped away, oblivious, and she stabbed it straight into his neck, blood spraying upward, onto the cupboards, her face, the ceiling, everywhere as Greyback gurgled.

At the same time, I could hear footsteps and voices. They were definitely wizards, they unlocked the first door, and I could hear them cautiously fanning out. "You…" Greyback gurgled, and even though she pushed harder on the knife, leaned forward and bit her neck, making her scream softly, yet push harder. Footsteps came racing over, and the door was kicked open. Professor Lupin, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, a woman with grossly pink hair and Ron Weasley's father entered the room, wands drawn, but froze in the doorway.

"Oh, Merlin," Mr. Weasley breathed as his eyes swept the room. Greyback fell to the floor with a thud as the girl finally let go of the knife, then she fell too. She didn't get up. The woman came over and kicked my wand away.

"This one is Draco Malfoy." She said calmly, pocketing my wand, but shooting a nervous, almost horrified glance over at the bloody scene by the sink. The rest of her group fanned out while my mind whirred. The girl must have used a Taboo to call them here. But she was a Muggle, that didn't make any sense.

"Fenrir Greyback, stay back." Professor Lupin's voice was sharp, but he took a deep breath and stepped around the pools of blood to crouch in-between the girl on the ground and Greyback. He felt for a pulse on Greyback and paled. "She killed him." He sounded shocked, and spun on his heels to take the girls pulse but stopped. "And he bit her multiple times…she's still alive." His voice turned bitter, and he turned a truly hateful glare onto the now dead Greyback's body. I suddenly realized that we were close to the full moon, close enough for those bites to change her if she lived. Deep and sickening regret and guilt started to hurt me more than the knife in my leg. I had stood by and let this happen to a human being.

"That little Muggle killed Fenrir Greyback?" Kingsley scoffed, sounding incredulous as Lupin cast a quick spell on the girl.

"Yes, even though he used the Cruciatus Curse." Lupin's voice was livid as he scooped her up. "We need to get back to the Order, now." He cradled the girl gently, like she was his own daughter. I thought I saw her eyelids flutter, but I couldn't be sure.

"What about this one? He's got a kitchen knife in his leg, and he's a Death Eater." The woman said coldly, flicking her wand to roll back my left sleeve. I glared at her and pushed it back down.

"He's coming with. Tonks, you get they boy, Shacklebolt, you get Greyback. Mr. Weasley, were going to need you at headquarters, let's go." Lupin stressed, and Apparated.

"On your feet then," Tonks said in an unfriendly way, flicking her wand to lift me up. Then she took my upper arm and the bloody, stained kitchen vanished.