AN: After a ridiculously long hiatus, I'm back. And obviously it's too late to participate in the challenges I was writing this for, so I'm not gonna worry too much about the prompts, but I'll still use some of them.

The Hunger Games Competition – "If desperate times call for desperate measures, then I'm free to act as desperately as I wish.";

Word count:738

III

Dusk fell and Draco was still sitting in his family's library. Certain books, he had discovered, could be far more appealing than bright summer days. His hungry eyes only left the page when the door burst open and interrupted them.

Two people in black travelling cloaks stormed in. The first was Draco's mother, whose unusually brisk and heavy walk did not match her graceful physique. The second was Bellatrix, who nearly jogged after her sister.

"Is it true?" Narcissa demanded, but her uneasiness was apparent.

"What?" Draco asked.

Narcissa clicked her tongue impatiently and in very few strides she crossed the room. Her hand darted towards Draco's left sleeve and yanked it up. With a thud, the volume he had been holding fell to the floor.

It was a paralysing sight: the symbol that had brought more fear than power to the Malfoys now blemished her son's skin. Narcissa's hand covered her open mouth as she slowly sank into the seat beside Draco. She fixed a vacant stare at her knees.

"We were with the Dark Lord," said Bellatrix, in response to a questioning look from her new apprentice. "He has told her of the plan."

"We'll run away," Narcissa blurted. Then she looked up. "We'll run away, we'll hide, we'll do something –"

Bellatrix was ready to argue, but it was Draco that spoke. "No, Mother, I want this."

The Dark Lord's best lieutenant grinned and crossed her arms triumphantly. It disgusted Narcissa that Bellatrix encouraged this absurdity as if oblivious to her nephew's naiveté.

"Draco..." said Narcissa.

"I chose to take the Mark," he continued, indignant. "I want to fight for the Dark Lord. Father would want it, too."

"Your father would never want you to be a Death Eater." The last two words came out in a choked voice Draco had never heard from his mother.

An unbearable guilt washed over Narcissa when she thought of everything she and Lucius had hidden from their son. They had hoped Draco would never need to know his father's occupation was far from glamorous, and now there he was, idealising his future serving the Dark Lord. The agony that grew in Narcissa's chest began to sting behind her eyes. She blinked several times. It was too late to tell the truth: the Mark would never fade, no matter what. All Narcissa could do was cling onto the morbid hope that Draco would succeed in his task.

She flung herself at her son, in a poor excuse for an apology. Draco, however, stayed immobile.

"You think I can't do it, don't you?" he snapped.

Frustrated at how unwelcome her touch was, Narcissa let go. "Draco, you just don't understand, this is not about whether–"

"I will do it, Mother. And then he will reward us and you will be proud."

Narcissa sighed and looked away from Draco, away from the disquieting determination in his expression. It was then that she caught a glimpse of the book lying open near the hem of her robes. "This is supposed to be stored in the cellar, why is it here?"

"The Ministry's people have no reason to come after it," Bellatrix replied, "without Lucius to attract them."

Draco frowned at his aunt, but Narcissa ignored the snide remark. "Draco's not supposed to be reading this!" she said.

"He's been doing his homework, Cissy," said Bellatrix. "As a good boy should."

Narcissa looked daggers at her sister. "Homework? You've been teaching him these–" she fumbled for the right word, but everything that crossed her mind was too distressing to be said out loud. "Stay away from my son, Bellatrix," she said finally.

"A mission like Draco's requires preparation," retorted Bellatrix. "Or would you rather your son died instead of the old fool?"

Narcissa got to her feet. "That's it, I'm going to seek help."

"Mother!" Draco protested.

"You can't, Cissy, we're not to tell anyone!" Bellatrix warned.

But Narcissa was not listening. "Severus, yes... He's one of his most loyal followers, he might–"

"Snape?" sneered Bellatrix. "You must be truly desperate to go to Snape for help."

"If desperate times call for desperate measures," said Narcissa, "then I'm free to act as desperately as I wish." And she put up the hood of her cloak, ready for another trip.

"No, wait, he can't be trusted!" Bellatrix reached for her sister's arm in a swift movement, but Narcissa had already Disapparated.

AN: Yay, a "Thor 2" reference – yes, I started writing this when that film came out and only finished now. Don't forget to review! :)