Draco Malfoy knelt before the cloaked figure, a warm fire crackling behind him. It should have been comforting, the warmth. But instead, he felt cornered, unsafe with his back to it.
'My Lord, may I ask..how?' he raised his icy, grey eyes to those of his masters. The tall, snakelike man raised his wand lazily, causing Draco to grunt and hunch over in pain.
'You may. ' He whispered, his voice gravelly. He strolled slowly around the dark room, glancing to the other two people in the room.
A woman, with crazy, unkempt black hair. She was thin, too thin. But the smile she wore reached her black eyes. The man beside her did not match her happiness, but instead looked white, and clammy, his eyes staring down at his son with confusion.
'I have your father, and dear aunt to thank. Harry Potter made a grave mistake when attempting to defeat me. He assumed, he listened to the great Dumbledore - and didn't question.' Voldemort fingered the wand in his hand delicately. '7 horcruxes, yes. 7 is, of course the magical number. But-' he flicked the black wand once again, and smirked at Draco's cries of pain.
'-but why not make more? At last minute, when Bellatrix-' at this, he strode towards the woman, and touched her cheek with his long, dirty finger. '-came to me, and told me that she had travelled back in time to warn me of my impending doom. Of course, their was only one option. Surrounded my so many disposable lives, it was easy. I made one more horcrux that night, young Mr. Malfoy. And that horcrux is in this room.' His eyes stayed on Bellatrix's far too long, his finger straying to her lips. Then, seeming to remember, he turned away, walking to Draco and squatting beside him.
Draco stared at the dusty floor, praying for the torture to end. But he knew it would soon enough. 'Ingenious. But- she was in Azkaban, I saw her. Father and I both visited-'
Voldemort laughed. 'Of course you did. Devoted servant she is, she hid for seven years, awaiting the moment Lucius slipped her a time turner. Then, it was all too easy. After excavating my grave, and performing a rejuvination ritual, I returned. Regretfully, I am not as strong as I once was. But, I hope, after some practice, I will soon return to power. Will you aid us, Draco?' he tilted his bald, pale head questioningly.
Draco raised his head slowly. He met his aunt's dark, excited eyes, then his father's cold, grey face. He held the gaze longer, wishing he could read Lucius' mind. What was he thinking, raising Voldemort again?
Finally, he met the eyes of Voldemort, dark, sunken. He nodded, his blonde hair sticking to the sweat of his face. 'Yes, my lord.'