Disclaimer: Draco Malfoy, in all his silver-green glory, lies in the hands of J.K.Rowling, not me.
slytherin-kittycat: Thanks! The blocked off part will fit in a little later...hope you enjoy this one...now the excitement is seeping in...
Yun Fei: Thanks for your review! I'm sorry about my grammatical errors I'm real bad at those. Ron isn't dirty, just that he's jealous Hermione doesn't spend as much time with him and Harry and only stones all the time - and since she stood up for Draco, he's obviously pissed off with her. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Draco looked at himself in the mirror and adjusted his stiff collar with rather tentative fingers. The frills made his skin itch uncontrollably, but he refrained from scratching his neck raw. He smoothened down the frills in front and pulled down his cloak into a comfortable position. But he was far from comfortable. I look like those music Muggles…like Beethoven.
With that thought, he scowled furiously at his reflection and contemplated his attire for a while. It was befitting of the occasion since it was a formal induction, and that the cloak was the symbolic attire of the Malfoys. However, Draco would rather have been inducted in his Hogwarts robes if he chose to. If he chose to – even want to be a Death Eater.
I hate this.
He straightened his posture, smoothened down his now-slightly spiked blonde hair with silver streaks, then marched out of the Slytherin male dormitory. There was no one in there, or in the common-room either, because they were having lessons. Draco had been excused from them because of the induction. He sneered to himself, but stopped in time to be annoyed at the fact that he was attending something he totally didn't want to attempt.
Actually, it was much, far much deeper than annoyance. It was like a repelling force – this whole induction. Draco knew he had a rather sadistic nature of enjoying pain, anger and hurt in others, but he also had a rather moral sense altogether that he felt Death Eaters went far too overboard in what he considered were his moral values. As a Malfoy, Draco was brought up very strictly with principles such that his own individual ones were set out with as much pride and carried out with as much discipline. And the nightmares! He felt a tremor rise in him as he stepped out of the common-room into the empty corridors. It was as though he could understand what the Dark Lord wanted in him even before they met face-to-face. Draco clenched his fists to destress himself a bit as he made his way down to the ground level.
I want you to do something.
That sinister voice kept echoing in his head even as he walked towards the huge fireplace near the dining hall. He dipped his hand into his cloak pocket, feeling for the powder that nestled within the fabric.
I want…YOU…to do something.
Shut up! He mentally reprimanded the echoes as he fished out a handful of Floo powder. Then he stepped into the unlighted but rather sooty fireplace, breathing in deeply. His cloak swept against the coal pieces, and he lifted it up slightly so that it wouldn't be too dirty.
"Malfoy Manor!"
A flash of green flames erupted around him – the flames seemed to reflect in his eyes – but they were burning red, scaldingly crimson in colour…
-
Hermione felt a knot of pain tightening in her stomach all of a sudden. She clutched her robes rather weakly as she tried to concentrate on her Transfiguration lesson, but the pain grew to be rather unbearable. Ron, who was sitting awkwardly beside her, noticed her discomfort and asked rather gruffly if she was okay. Hermione bit her lip – she could barely answer from the pain. Ron looked rather alarmed instantly, then cried, "Professor!" very loudly.
All the students looked up at Ron's cry. Professor McGonagall spun around in the middle of the aisle and rushed towards Hermione. The bushy-haired girl was rocking back and forth with her hand still placed on her stomach – it was obvious the pain was excruciating as tears were now running down her cheeks. Immediately, Professor McGonagall swept out of the classroom, carrying Hermione to the Hospital Wing (it was amazing the amount of strength Professor McGonagall had sometimes despite the bony figure).
"What the…" Ron gulped.
Harry narrowed his eyes onto Hermione's paper. The quill lying on it looked a bit bent at the tip, and there were random blue scrawls around the edge…something Hermione would never do to a piece of parchment…
-
"Madam Pomfrey!"
The hospital nurse ran out to receive Hermione from Professor McGonagall, who was very worried for the girl. She had earlier assumed Hermione to be having some stress-related problems, but from the pain in the stomach it didn't look like any ordinary student stress. Madam Pomfrey assured Professor McGonagall that Hermione would be alright after being dosed, but the thin professor decided to stay put beside the moaning Gryffindor.
Especially since she had heard Hermione mutter in pain,
"Draco Malfoy is going to become a Death Eater…"
-
"I will NOT stand this from you now…" Lucius gritted his teeth as he pointed his wand at his son's neck, causing Draco to tilt his head back. Draco had a defiant expression plastered on his face, smirking occasionally at the rage written all over Lucius Malfoy's countenance. "You will go in and be inducted as a minion of the Dark Lord without any complaint or whatsoever."
Lucius' attempt at being calm wasn't working very well, for he was trembling all over. It only served to intensify Draco's defiance, for the boy merely backed away from the wand, fishing in his cloak pocket for his own wand. Lucius grew wide-eyed when he saw what Draco was doing.
"GET YOUR HAND AWAY!" he roared, sticking his wand further at Draco. "You know I will not use the Cruciatus curse during such an important and prestigious occasion. You will NOT make me lose face in this situation and you will OBEY me."
With that, Lucius cried "Impedimenta!" without a warning, sending a horrified Draco reeling backwards…
"Well, well, well, excellent boy we have here…leader of all my new inductees…"
"Yes, my Lord, I will entrust him in your care."
"I will treat him well, unless of course, he turns out to be an absolute fool…"
"My Lord, my son is a capable young man whom you can place 100 trust in to carrying out your orders faithfully. He will be a good leader to all."
"That is good news indeed. Now Draco Malfoy, you will now officially become a Death Eater who will serve me loyally and wholeheartedly, carrying out my orders to the best of your abilities, and to be a faithful minion to me always. Is that understood?"
"Yes, my Lord. I will be your faithful minion. I will be your faithful servant who will obey all your orders and carry them out well."
"Such a talented boy will be an excellent spy within Hogwarts…"
"Long Live the Dark Lord for his wisdom!"
"Long Live the Dark Lord for his nobility!"
"Long Live the Dark Lord…"
A smile crossed her face as she saw him, silvery streaked blond hair and all, kneel down in front of the Dark Lord to receive the mark on his shoulder blade, then bow down to him to obtain final recognition as leader of the inductees. Her eyes became slit-like as she whispered,
"My dear Draco, you have made the right decision. At last, at last…"
-
Professor McGonagall felt her eyelids droop a little, then she shook herself awake.
"I must be going...", but not before looking at Hermione with a worried expression...
-
Hermione jerked awake, her eyes darting about fearfully as she scanned the dark hospital ceiling above her. Her fingers clutched the bedspread, and beads of perspiration rolled down her face furiously.
"I must be crazy," Hermione muttered under her breath, as she sat up in a hurry. "What was I doing during all my lessons? It must have been those nightmares…" and as soon as she mentioned "nightmares", her eyes grew wide open and she bit her lip rather hard. "Nightmares…"
"Argh, why the hell do I keep dreaming of that stupid git!" She burst out in rage as she swung her legs out of the bed. Then she put a hand to her stomach. "It doesn't hurt anymore," she whispered to herself. She tried to compose herself, breathing in deeply. But questions seemed to bombard her mind with every inhalation she made. Why am I dreaming of Draco Malfoy?
"He's becoming a Death Eater…" She whispered, feeling rather bewildered, her fingers clutching the bedspread even more tightly. "Why do I know it? I can…I can sense it. He's becoming a Death Eater this very moment…I can feel it…"
Somehow, as much as Draco Malfoy had teased her, taunted her, shamed her with Harry and Ron…Hermione couldn't help feeling a sharp pang of pain in her heart that this "silver greenhead" was going to become an official member of the enemy…he was going to have his life dictated by Voldemort…and somehow she could feel that this choice wasn't exactly his own choice…she wished he hadn't made it…but he had to…
Or was this all just a horrible nightmare?
How I wish it was…