Blaise

Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire.

They had been sitting at the kitchen table for close to twenty minutes and so far neither boy had said more than two words. Blaise watched closely out of the corner of his eye as Draco pushed his food around the plate and stared, narrow eyed, at the three house-elves whispering intensely to each other on the other side of the large kitchen. This was puzzling; in all the years they'd known each other he couldn't remember his friend ever taking any interest in the behaviour of house-elves. He realised however, that the house-elves were probably a welcome distraction from the myriad of other things that could be occupying Draco's thoughts. He watched the three elves briefly before allowing his eyes to wander over the rest of the kitchen.

The room was quite large, and very historic. Overall it was exactly what one would expect to find in a home as old and impressive as Malfoy Manor. It was also, by far, the noisiest room in the house. Because the human inhabitants of the manor rarely, if ever, made their way down to the kitchen, this was the domain of the three Malfoy elves. As younger children Blaise and Draco were in this part of the house often, either looking for food or as part of their quest to explore every room in the ancient manor. When his eyes found their way back to Draco he was unsurprised to find his friends gaze still locked firmly on the three elves. Watching the elves again he noticed that among the excited whispers was the occasional glance at the table where he and Draco sat. Now that he thought on it, he was sure that none of the elves had seemed very surprised upon seeing them tonight either, which was odd because it had been years since either boy was in this part of the house. Perhaps he should pay a bit more attention to exactly what, the three elves were up to, because he was struck with the sudden feeling that they were indeed, up to something.

As intelligent as many humans could be, most were remarkably unobservant. In fact, he was quite sure that many people were completely clueless about most of the things that went on around them on a daily basis. For example, most never took the time to notice just how well their house-elves knew them. It was not uncommon for them to know everything that was going on with their family, whether they were told about it or not, and he had a sharp feeling that these elves knew that very well what may lay ahead for the Malfoy family. Looking back to his friend, he noticed that Draco's face was now impassive; but the occasional wild flicker in his silver eyes said his thought were anything but. If it were anyone else they might have made the mistake of asking Draco if he wanted to talk about it, but Blaise knew that Draco would talk when he was ready and not a moment before. So he was content to sit and eat until Draco broke the silence.

"What do you think is going on with the house-elves?" Draco asked with his eyes locked back on the creatures at the other end of the expansive room.

"What?" of all the things he could ask, or should ask about the events earlier, and he brings up the house-elves. Blaise wasn't sure if he should laugh or throttle him.

"Look at them," Draco said, tilting his head in that direction, "they're whispering and they keep looking over here, don't you think it's odd?"

Blaise just shrugged in response because no, it didn't seem odd to him at all. The three elves obviously knew that the Master and Mistress of the manor had a spectacular fight, and they probably knew that the two of them had listened in as well. The only thing he thought odd was that the elves were being so obvious about it all… no, scratch that, house-elves were about as subtle as a mountain troll in a china shop. The look on Draco's face told him that his friend had just made up his mind on something. "Well, I'm going to ask," he said, "Dottie, come over here." Well, thought Blaise, this ought to prove interesting.

Dottie the House-elf hurried over and dipped into a low bow. She was the oldest of the three Malfoy elves, and if his memory was correct she had come to the family with the Mistress of the manor. Dottie was about as remarkable as any house-elf, with large bat like ears, a long pointed nose, and big bright blue eyes. "Young Master is needing something?"

"What are you three up to over there?" Draco asked.

The little creature wrung her hand together and looked at her feet before answering.

"We is just cleaning dishes, young Master."

"And talking," Draco supplied.

The elf continues to wring her hands as she looked back at Draco. "Oh, we is being too loud for the young Master and his friend? I is going over right now and telling Zerby and Peetry no mores talking." Dottie bowed again and turned quickly to walk away but was stopped after two steps.

"No," said Draco, "You're not being too loud, in fact you're whispering. Why are you whispering?"

Blaise had been watching the exchange with a false disinterest but he could help smirking when the elf let out a small squeak and tugged at her large ears.

"We is being quiet so we is not disturbing young Master or his friend." Huh, Blaise thought, bugger if this elf isn't avoiding the question. That's not what Draco asked and she knows it. Draco seemed to have caught on to this as well.

"And what, exactly, are you whispering about?"

Dottie was now tugging her ears so hard it looked like she was trying to wrap them all the way around her head. "It is not being important young Master; I is not wanting to bother yous about it."

"Well then, you won't mind telling me I'm sure… if it's nothing important why should it bother me?"

The elf let out a loud squeak and her hands let go of her ears and quickly flew to cover her mouth. It became obvious that persuasion was not going to bring about any answers so Draco simply demanded them.

"Dottie, I order you to tell me what you were talking about."

Dottie's hands were no longer covering her mouth, instead they we fidgeting with the bottom of the tea towel she was wearing. "I is saying to Zerby and Peetry that we should not be talking with the young Master in the room." Again that was not what Draco meant and she knew it. Blaise couldn't help but be amused at the cheeky little thing as she continued to try and avoid giving a straight answer. Draco however was not amused, and he slammed his hand down on the table causing Dottie to jump.

"That's not what I meant and you know it! Tell me what all of you were talking about, and tell me now," he demanded.

"We is talking about the young Master and his mother, Mistress Narcissa," Dottie answered somewhat reluctantly.

"What about my mother?"

"The Mistress is coming down to the kitchens to talk with the house-elves before she is going back to the study to yell at Master Lucius." This is where Draco interrupted.

"You know about my parents fight?"

"Oh yes Master Draco, we house-elves is always knowing everything that is happening with our families," she said nodding her head and Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Everything?" he asked.

"Yes Master Draco."

"What did my mother say to you and what did they start fighting about? Blaise and I only caught the last bit."

"The Mistress is being very angry at Master Lucius because the snake speaker is coming to Malfoy Manor, and Master is inviting him in…" Blaise was sure, that at right that second, he stopped breathing and he heard Draco gasp as well.

That was an interesting bit of information. Inside Blaise was reeling, but he tried to look as calm as possible on the outside. Draco did not look calm at all, so he understood that he would need to remain composed. Should his best friend get too agitated over the situation, he would need to calm him down and ease his mind. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had to concentrate very hard to keep his thoughts from becoming too overwhelming, for the first time in a very long time he found himself extremely befuddled. How could they have been so careless? The Dark Lord could have come right out to where they were flying and they hadn't even known he was in the area. This made Blaise wonder, did he make frequent visits to the manor even though he was supposed to be hiding out? Judging by Draco's reaction though, that seemed unlikely. Normally he thought of Lucius Malfoy as a very smart man, calculating, politically minded, powerful, and ambitious. He was a bit lacking in the wise decision making department perhaps; but never the less an intelligent man. This obviously fell into the poor decision category; then again, it's not as if he could have told the Dark Lord no, or asked him to leave. Not if he wanted to live to see the sunrise tomorrow anyway, though Lucius Malfoy was smart enough to realise that the Ministry could be watching, or Dumbledore, or anyone really. Showing up here was a bold move on the Dark Lord's part as his reptilian appearance, red eyes, and lack of nose made him rather recognisable. What was he planning that he was so bold as to show up here, what did Lucius have to do with it, and how did Draco factor into all of this? Those were questions that he had no way to answer at the present, so he would file them away as something to think over later.

So far the return of the Dark Lord had gone unnoticed or unrecognised by most of the magical community, and he thought it a fairly safe assumption thinking the Dark Lord wanted to keep it that way. The older Malfoy's involvement with the Dark Lord was a given to anyone with half a brain, but this changed things. If he were caught acting as a Death Eater again there would be no claiming the imperious curse to get him out of it this time. That would be the end of all political clout and respect that the Malfoy name commanded. Blaise had always taken for granted that he would be safe at Malfoy Manor, after all he'd spent half his childhood here. The Dark Lord had been here just a few hours ago while they were outside playing like foolish children. This solidified the fact in his mind that he was no longer safe here and neither was Draco. Not that his sister, whom he lived with, would even consider letting him come back after she heard this, but who was going to look out for Draco?

"The Dark Lord was here tonight? Here… inside the Manor?" Draco chocked out.

"Yes Master, when you and yous friend is out flying, he is talking with Master Lucius in the study. Then he is calling the Mistress in. As soon as he is leaving Mistress Narcissa is coming down here to talk to us elves. After she is leaving the kitchens she is going straight back to the study and telling Master Lucius off."

"What did they say in the study? What did the Dark Lord say?" he asked the elf. When no answer was forthcoming Draco snapped. "Answer him!"

"We is not knowing details Master. We house-elves is staying as far away from the snake speaker as we can." Blaise interrupted with a snort, "smart elves," he muttered.

"Peetry is only hearing a little, just three words – Azkaban, Riddle, and Lestrange. That is all Master Draco." Well at least that made some sense to Blaise; the Lestrange's were in Azkaban. The Riddle part though… well that was another bit to file away for later.

"Well," Draco asked, "what did my mother say when she came down here?"

"She is telling us that the snake man is here and that he wanted to have Master Draco. She is saying that she is not letting him have Master Draco," Dottie answer quickly, but she was back to wringing her hands and Blaise was sure that she was only telling part of the conversation. Draco had gone white as a sheet and his eyes were as wide as Blaise had ever seen them. Since Draco appeared too shaken up to continue questioning the elf Blaise decided to take over.

"What else did Mrs Malfoy have to say Dottie?" he asked, "and do you know what she meant by the Dark Lord wanting to have Draco?"

"Mistress is saying that the snake man is not taking aways her son for no army's. She is saying not now, not ever. She is also making the house-elves promise things." Dottie answered.

Alright so that bit about taking Draco away for an army made more sense, but he was going to need more details about these promises though. However, he was cut off as Draco came back to his senses and asked first.

"Promise what things?"

"She is saying, no matter what Master Lucius or anyone else is saying that we is never to obey any order that would be bringing any bad things to Master Draco."

"That makes sense, what else?" Draco interjected.

"She is also telling us the is maybe coming a time when she is saying to take the young Master far away to the safe place and not bring the young Master back."

"What safe place?" Blaise asked. So someone was going to look out for Draco, or he hoped that's what this meant.

Realisation and Trepidation

"She is not saying yet, she is just saying she will tells us when the time is right." Dottie replied.

Blaise was watching Draco now, and he could see his friend's inner struggle as clear as if it were written on his face. It was all a lot to take in and Draco had been abnormally quiet most of the night, judging by the look in his eyes now though, that quiet was about to come to a rather abrupt end. Blaise dismissed the elf with a wave of his hand and continued to watch Draco with slight trepidation, knowing that a full on outburst was coming any minute. When Draco began to drum his fingers on the table he started his inner count down. Meltdown mode active in 3…2…1…

"What the hell is going on here? Apparently the Dark Lord's now popping round for afternoon tea whenever he pleases, my father just invites him into the manor like it's perfectly normal. Doesn't he consider the thought that we're being watched, if not by the Ministry then by Dumbledore? The Dark Lord is asking my parents about me and he may or may not want me for some, possibly imaginary, army. My parents are screaming at each other, I've never, in all my life, heard them yell at each other.

I mean, they're even throwing things and slamming doors. It seems my mother has gone all secret-bloody- agent now, extracting promises from the house-elves, and conspiring to hide me away at some undisclosed location. All we did was go flying for a few hours, Blaise, and the whole bloody world goes sodding sideways," he was waving his arms slightly in emphasis and paused for a breath before continuing.

"My parents told me all my life that the Dark Lord had the right idea. That the Muggles and the Mudbloods had their place and it was below ours. That purity and power matter above all else, that it is the highest honour to be marked as one of his chosen few, and they've also told me over and over that the Malfoy family bow to know one. Now my mother is telling my father that he's no better than a glorified serving boy… But she's right though isn't she, he falls right in line with those idiots Crabbe and Goyle, he bows at his feet, and calls him 'Lord,' the Dark Lord, My Lord.

It's like I can't tell up from down right now, they say one thing and then turn right around and contradict it. I've always thought my mother supported the Dark Lord, telling me great things about him and his cause, but now that I think about it I guess it was my father who did most of the talking… I just always assumed that she agreed with him. She threatened him, Blaise, she told my father, her husband, that she would kill him. What the hell do you think she's up to? Because to me it sounds like she's starting to turn her back on the Dark Lord."

Blaise thought, yes, that was indeed exactly it sounded like. Since he knew Draco wasn't, and may never be ready to hear that, he would need to choose his word carefully.

"Not necessarily," he supplied.

"You heard what she said to my father, and now the house-elves. I thought she supported all of it, now though, I'm not so sure." Blaise could see the doubt swimming in Draco's eyes; he wasn't sure what he thought himself, let alone worrying about his mother's thoughts on the matter.

"Draco, supporting the Dark Lord is one thing… but sending her only son off to fight for him is another. You heard what she said; she doesn't want you to get hurt or worse, killed. What mother in her right mind wouldn't worry about that?" When Draco didn't speak, just nodded in reluctant agreement, Blaise continued.

"What about what you think… do you really think you're ready to consider pledging lifelong service to the Dark Lord? A service, I might remind you, that you know essentially nothing about." He watched Draco carefully as he answered, the only way he'd be able to tell if Draco was lying would be the slightest shift in his grey eyes.

"I don't know Blaise – I just don't know. After everything I've been raised to believe, I should be. I should be thrilled at the thought of it, but really? Hell, I'm only fifteen you know… What would he want with a Death Eater that can't even use magic outside of school? Shouldn't I have a little more time before…? The thing is I – I don't think I've got a choice. I don't think I've ever really had a choice, you know? " Draco met his eyes and Blaise say nothing but truth in his expression. They lapsed back into a thoughtful silence for a long time before Draco spoke again.

"What about you Blaise, what would you do?" he asked.

It had been a very interesting day, upsetting, confusing, enlightening, and downright terrifying, but interesting to say the least. Draco's honest reluctance brought Blaise an immense sense of relief so he answered his friend honestly.

"You know how I feel Draco, I bow to no one."