Chapter 11
Draco knew the moment she Apparated away. He couldn't have said how, couldn't have explained the nearly physical pull inside of him, but he knew.
His lips thinned, anger burning in his mercury gaze. He had no reason to be angry. This should have been expected - all of it. Ginny's duplicity he had predicted from the beginning for all that he'd indulged in ignorance of her motives. He had wanted it to be something more than another product of the shite existence Voldemort had created for everyone. He had wanted that abandon he found with her, the fire she used to consume thoughts and worries and reality. For all that, Draco had always been suspicious of her.
Astoria though … he had never thought to examine her for betrayal. She hadn't sought him, had been truly reluctant to wed him. He knew she had only chosen him in hopes that he was a better circumstance than the one she had previously known. He had felt for her, for her loss and the way she had been betrayed by her own blood – more than she even knew. He had stayed his hand for her, had deliberately chosen not to overly examine her as he had been bid to by the Dark Lord.
He had learned to trust Astoria and she had played him a fool. She truly had been in contact with the freedom fighters as suspected, and not just her half-blood brother the regime wanted so much, but Ginny damn Weasley. Everything had been a lie. Every smile, every tinkle of laughter – the way she had kissed him as if she was helpless to stop, the way his name had whispered past her lips. Draco's jaw clenched as he strode toward the manor, his hard gaze and burning anger parting people before him.
Astoria was a lie. Her delicacy of person roused protection and her wary, dark eyes made a person want to earn her trust. Her laughter and smiles were inviting and contagious, and her temper only recalled the passion that was in her, made a person want to know her buttons and tells. She was the most beautiful of lies, tempting and lovely, and he had fallen for it, all of it.
"Nephew, you taste good," Bellatrix purred, dusky blue eyes heavy-lidded and intent on him as he ascended the stairs to where Voldemort sat watching over the night's festivities.
Draco's gaze darted to her and his eyes were hard. "Are you succubus now to drink the air of emotion?"
"Not all," she drawled. "But Black anger is heady, is it not? One could get lost in it." The slow smile that curled her lips helped his aunt fell her prey, the pouting red curve dangerous seduction, but Draco dismissed her and her madness to turn his gaze to the Voldemort.
"My lord," he said, head bowing as he dropped to his knee. "Your wisdom and foresight is unparalleled. The woman I was bid to wed has betrayed herself." He kept his gaze on the hard stones. Despite the anger wanting to burst from him, the vengeance he would have for being made fool of, he knew that he had to thread this most dangerous of needles. "She is with the freedom fighters, and Ginevra Weasley has been flushed to the surface as well. They have been in collusion."
Draco could feel the weight of Voldemort's gaze, heard him sit forward in his chair, and fought not to shudder. He was a revolting, terrifying thing. "And where are these women, young Malfoy?"
"I learned the truth of their alliance tonight, my lord, as I spied them escaping together, undoubtedly to meet the half-blood."
"You are sure of nothing then," Voldemort said, voice hard and unforgiving. "You have failed twice over in detecting their true motives."
"I will find them," Draco nearly hissed as he raised his head to meet the Dark Lord's unnerving red eyes. "I can track my wife. I will not fail," he said, eyes blazing. "She will lead us to them as you planned."
Voldemort's fingers steepled and he tipped his head in a way that was more animal than human. "I can see in your eyes that you believe what you say," he mused thoughtfully. "You feel her, do you not?"
He sounded truly curious and Draco nearly frowned at the odd question. "My lord?"
"The binding. It is strong. We all felt it this night, young Malfoy." He tipped his head the other way and Draco was reminded of a predator curious at the antics of its prey. "You feel her through your binding."
"I …" Draco paused, caution piercing through his anger. "… I feel that she is mine, my lord. Mine to keep." His eyes darkened. "To punish."
"Very good, young Malfoy. Very good," Voldemort nearly purred. "Yes, I do think you will find her." He set his hands to the arms of the chair then and his voice changed once more, commanding. "Your mission is to locate her and identify those she travels with. You will immediately report your findings and we shall punish them, shall we not?"
"Yes, my lord," Draco said, eyes glittering steel. "They will pay for their sins."
In that moment the Dark Mark appeared in the sky and Draco's gaze was drawn to the green stain, lit moments later in a truly dazzling finale of fireworks to the cheers of the crowds below.
He would hunt the woman that had once been his lover, and he would hunt his wife. Hope for something better, pure and untainted by Voldemort and what he had done to their world was nothing more than trust in illusions and empty promises. If the disappointment of his mother weighed on his shoulders, it was ignored as he stood and moved to stand next to his aunt at Voldemort's right side.
He was a damned man, but he was not going to hell alone. Ginny would pay. Astoria would pay.
Fin
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Notes & Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I'd like to extend another ginormous thank you to all the awesome women who helped me make this story publishable. To Liz, my grammar nazi, thank you for reading everything I've ever written. To Sam who always gives me honest critique whether it be glowing or not, and whose suggestion for plot continuity resulted in a scenelet being added into the Prologue. To Vicky who read and assured me it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was, and that Draco actually was in character. And last, but not least at all, to Kate who makes me sound more clear and concise than I really am and who gave me a juicy plot element for the sequel. I couldn't have done it without these women.
Now, for notes on the story.
As you might have noticed, not all was resolved at the end of Dark Heart Silhouette. When I had the idea for this story in late 2009, I knew it was big - too big to be written in the time allotted for the dracobigbang at LiveJournal (about 6 months). Thus, when plotting out how the story was to go, I kept in mind that I needed to plan for two stories instead of one. Consider Dark Heart Silhouette part one of a two-part book. There was always a sequel planned.
At present (November 2010), I'm in the process of plotting out the sequel, Silhouette Serenade. I've got some scenes written, but I don't expect to have it finished until sometime in 2011, and I never start posting something until it's completed. I'd love to hear thoughts on what you expect to see, or what you'd like to see in the sequel, and what you thought about Dark Heart Silhouette overall.
If you've made it this far into my notes - THANK YOU! I hope to see y'all soon at Silhouette Serenade!