AN: sorry if I didn't make this totally clear before (Addie is from an old story and all) Draco and Addie knew each other BEFORE she arrived at the burrow. He didn't just fall in love with her out of the blue. He's always had feelings for her. Also, if the updates get a little less frequent I'm sorry. Apparently according to my dearly beloved parents schoolwork and college applications are more important than fanfiction…go figure…
A cold wind blew over Draco and Addie, pulling strands out of her thick pony-tail and making the back of Draco's cape flutter ominously. He was home. He never thought he'd see it again, but he was home. Addie's eyes were narrowed against the wind and they were fixed upon the tallest tower of the Malfoy Manor. A small light was shining in the window and dark shadows could be seen gathered together, heads bowed.
Was the Dark Lord there?
Who occupied Draco's once-beloved home? He was certain his father was dead. He and his mother had fled. Was it his aunt Bellatrix? He shuddered at the thought of his cruel aunt claiming the house that was rightfully his. He could see her silhouette in the window. He hated her.
Addie moved forward with determination and reached toward the latch on the gate in front of them. Draco quickly pulled back her hand.
"What are you doing?" He asked in a low whisper.
"I'm going in," She replied. "Isn't that the plan?"
"And what, prey tell, do you intend to do once you get in there?" Draco asked.
Addie stood up taller, "We'll go through the plan. Just like we said we would. You'll knock. We'll grovel. They believe us and then we contact the others."
Draco sighed. He had feared that Addie would think that infiltrating the inner circle of Death Eaters would be as simple as a convincing lie. He could not articulate to her the true nature of the world of the Dark Arts, and he felt that she had not even come close to understanding it.
"Addie," He began, "You cannot merely waltz into Malfoy Manor and flash a dazzling smile at the Dark Lord. Your beauty, though striking, will only get you so far. Did you expect to charm the Dark Lord into believing you? That is not the way this world works, Addie. You must be cunning in order to do what we are about to do."
Addie's expression faltered. Clearly, this had been her plan.
"I know what I'm doing, Draco!" She whispered angrily. "I'm not a little girl."
Draco shook his head, "Unfortunately, Addie, you have no idea what you are doing, but we are running out of time and they are bound to notice us here soon enough. Do not touch the gate, if you do, and alarm will sound. Let me do it, the gate knows me."
The gravity of the situation seemed to dawn on Addie and her eyes widened in fright, "What if—What if since you've been gone they—"
"If the gate doesn't recognize me we will be immediately transported to the dungeon below the manor," Draco grimaced. The dungeon was not a place in which he ever wanted to stay.
He slowly reached toward the gate, his hand shaking violently as he pulled up on the lever that kept it closed. He and Addie remained firmly on the ground in front of Malfoy Manor. They had not changed the gate. He and Addie were safe from the dungeon for the time being.
The two walked silently up toward the large oak door that stood between Draco, Addie, and the world of Dark Magic. Draco raised his hand slowly toward the knocker and struck it against the door three times, paused, and then struck it twice more. Hopefully, the signal of knocking that had been in place when he'd lived in the manor was still used. The two waited in anxious silence for the door to be opened. Draco felt the urge to grab Addie's hand, but pushed the thought out of his mind. He could not distract himself now, not with such a daunting task ahead.
The door opened and a pair of pale, skinny arms pulled Addie and Draco into the foyer. The room was dark and lit with dreary floating candles, but Draco needn't light to make out the figures that stood before him. Yaxley, the two Carrows, and his dear aunt Bellatrix glared at him behind raised wands.
Draco bowed his head, and Addie followed suit.
"Draco," Bellatrix whispered, keeping her wand pointed right in between her nephew's eyes, "we thought you were—"
"I escaped," He said.
Bellatrix's eyes narrowed and she jerked her wand in Addie's direction, "Who is the girl?"
Addie opened her mouth but Draco cut in. One does not speak to Bellatrix Lestrange unless addressed by Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Addie White," He replied.
The tension in the room mounted. Addie had been at the ministry and had fought against the Death Eaters a mere two years ago. He knew they were suspicious. He could feel Addie shaking next to him. He hoped that her defenses held against Bellatrix's formidable skill.
"You dare bring a blood traitor into our headquarters!" Bellatrix shrieked.
"Please, Mrs. Lestrange, I've changed!" Addie shouted as Bellatrix pointed her wand at Addie.
They locked eyes, and Draco could tell that Bellatrix was attempting an invasion into Addie's mind. Addie kept her eyes locked on Draco's aunt's. She looked frightened, but determined.
"The truth," Bellatrix sneered, "So the Potter boy left you did he?"
Bellatrix took a step closer and places a cold hand against Addie's flushed cheek. "Pity," She sighed. "Though Potter was never one for taste."
Bellatrix now looked slightly amused and began to twirl her wand in her long fingers. She allowed a twisted smiled to spread across her face as she paced in front of the two terrified teenagers who dared not make a move.
"So, you wish to join the Dark Lord?" She asked, stopping in front of Addie.
Addie nodded. Draco felt as though she had lost her ability to speak from fear.
"What makes you think you are worthy?" Bellatrix spat, her demeanor changing instantly from amusement to outrage. "After the damage you've already done? What do you have to offer?"
Draco and Addie exchanged glances.
"I—I am a Touch Healer," She stammered.
Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, "Show me."
She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Draco. With a wave of her hand a gaping wound formed on his forearm. He did not allow himself to cry out in pain, though he could feel the blood loss taking a toll on his health.
Addie rushed over and put her hands over the wound. Instantly, the pain subsided and when she removed her hands it was only the blood that had poured over his arm that showed any sign that the gash had ever existed.
Bellatrix nodded in a rare gesture of approval. This was magic the Death Eaters could use; magic that none of them possessed.
"The Dark Lord is not here," She told them, eyeing Addie with increasing interest.
"Where is he?" She asked.
Draco winced. You did not question the Dark Lord. Addie's curiosity would cost her.
"How dare you!" Bellatrix spat. "How dare you ask the whereabouts of the Dark Lord when even his most trusted—most loyal servants—"
"I'm sorry!" Addie cried.
"You dare interrupt?" Bellatrix said in a venomous whisper. "Crucio!"
Draco felt his heart break as Addie collapsed to the floor, screaming for mercy.
"PLEASE!" She cried as Bellatrix watched. "PLEASE I'M HERE TO HELP!"
Addie writhed on the floor and it took all of Draco's strength not to go to her. It would be worse for the both of them if he did.
The curse ended and Addie feebly stood back up. Draco admired her strength, though he could see a glimmer of defeat in her eyes.
"You will learn your place here," Bellatrix spat. "Until the Dark Lord returns, it's to the dungeon with you."
Addie squeaked, and Draco, due to a moment's vulnerability, made a move to go to her. Bellatrix laughed a terrible laugh. The gesture had not gone unnoticed.
"You want to protect her Draco?" Bellatrix cooed. "You've always been soft."
Draco remained silent. He'd taken worse abuse from Bellatrix.
"Life under the watch of Harry Potter and his mudblood brats must have made it worse. Did they feed you, Draco? Try to reform you?" She laughed as she mocked him.
"I remained in solitary confinement for most of my stay," He responded.
"Where is my sister?" She asked. "Why didn't you bring her with you?"
"My mother was too weak to escape. They were worse to her than they were to me," He tried to leave all emotion out of his speech.
Bellatrix laughed, "Leaving your own mother? And here I would have expected you to try and save her. You may not be entirely hopeless, Draco, but you're still too soft. You can stay in the dungeon with the girl."
She jerked her head and the two Carrows grabbed hold of the teenagers.
"Your wands," Bellatrix commanded, holding out her long hands.
Draco gave his immediately. He had learned long ago not to disobey a command from his aunt, Addie, however, hesitated.
"Now," Bellatrix snapped.
Addie put her want into Bellatrix's cold hand.
"Won't Lucius want to see him?" Alecto asked.
Bellatrix paused.
"Yes," She smiled, "let Lucius see what's become of his son."
Draco was shocked. He was sure his father had been killed after Draco's failure to complete the task sent to him by the Dark Lord. The thought that his father was alive complicated his task exponentially. Draco did not know if he could lie to his father. He'd never done so before.
"Alecto," Bellatrix called, "come with me."
Alecto followed Bellatrix up the stairs leaving Draco and Addie in the care of Yaxley and Amycus. Amycus, who had taken over his sister's position of holding Addie, laughed silkily.
"I've heard about you, Miss White," He sneered, running his fingers along her arm.
Draco saw Addie's muscles tighten out of the corner of his eye. He hoped she would not attempt to fight back.
"Take your hands off me," She spat.
Draco grimaced. Was Addie really that thick-headed? Did she really think she could command a high ranking Death Eater?
Amycus laughed.
"Little girl wants to play?" He turned her to face him. Addie's eyes grew wide with fear as Amycus lifted his hand to play with loose ends of her ponytail.
"Such a pretty little girl," He smiled. "What do you think, Yaxley?"
Yaxley sneered, "Very pretty. Soft, too, I would imagine…"
Amycus continued to stroke Addie's hair, "Very soft."
Draco felt as though he was going to ignite with rage. He had forgotten how disgusting male Death Eaters could be, especially in the presence of beauty. Death Eaters like Yaxley and Amycus had long forgotten how to appreciate beauty.
"What do you think Draco?" Yaxley whispered. "How long do you think it would take before Amycus and I could make your little friend scream?"
Draco began to quake with silent anger. He knew better than to say a word, but if he'd had his wand and free will, he would have turned it on Yaxley right then.
"Yaxley, Amycus," Bellatrix called from the stairwell, "enough. That's no way to treat our guest."
Amycus begrudgingly handed Addie back over to his sister as Bellatrix and Lucius appeared in the doorway. Draco could make out his father's face in the dim candlelight. His eyes were shining with what could only be repressed tears. Had he missed his son? Draco stood up straighter and puffed out his shoulders. He didn't want his father to see him defeated.
"Draco," He choked, pacing himself against the urge to run to his son. "I thought you were—I thought you were—"
"Dead?" Draco supplied. "Forgive me father, but I also thought you were dead."
"As good as," Bellatrix snorted. "The Malfoy glamour died with your failure, Draco."
Draco had never seen his father allow himself to become subordinate before anyone but the Dark Lord. He waited for Lucius to rebuff his sister-in-law for his jibe, but his rebuttal never came.
"Where is your mother?" He asked after a short pause.
"We couldn't get her in time." Draco said. "She is very weak."
Lucius hung his head.
"How touching," Bellatrix sneered. "Well, say goodbye, Lucius. It's to the dungeons with these two."
Lucius' head snapped up at the word 'dungeon', his eyes were filled with fear and hurt.
"Please, Bellatrix," He pleaded. "My son—your nephew—do not put him in such a terrible place."
"And the girl?" She asked. "What do we do with her?"
"I've known Addie White for quite some time," Lucius began. "but furthermore, I know my son, if he says we can trust her, we can."
"You're as soft as your pathetic son," Bellatrix spat. "It isn't for you to decide who we trust, Lucius; you don't make the decisions here. Take them to the dungeon; we will wait for the Dark Lord to decide."
Alecto and Yaxley pushed Draco and Addie in the direction of the metal door that, as a boy, Draco dared not go near. In all of his life at Malfoy Manor he had only gone down into the dungeon once, and it was an experience he would never forget. The wandmaker, Ollivander, had been kidnapped by the Dark Lord and put in a holding cell below the Malfoy Manor. He was to be kept alive, and Draco was asked to bring him his evening meal.
Draco shuddered as they walked down the same pathway he had walked nearly a year before. He wondered if they were to be held in the same place as Ollivander. He wondered if Ollivander was even alive.
"You can stay over here," Yaxley brandish his wand, making the door to a large steel cage swing open revealing a dark crevice in which Draco and Addie were meant to stay.
"It's a favor, Draco," Yaxley whispered. "You should be thanking us, such close quarters with such a pretty little thing. We could have fit you in the cell with the wandmaker."
The two Death Eaters pushed Draco and Addie into the crevice and closed the gate. They were engulfed in darkness. It seemed that the door had been enchanted, like a twisted double-sided mirror. The Death Eaters could see in, but they could not see out.
"We'll be back in the morning with your breakfast," Yaxley's voice called. "Don't have too much fun."
"Don't leave us!" Addie cried, here eyes filling with tears.
Yaxley's cold laugh filled their cell. "It's no use sweetie, we can't even hear a word you're saying."
They heard footsteps hurry up the stairs.
"How do we know they're not watching?" She whispered.
"They're not," Draco said, leaning up against the dirty stone wall behind him. "No one stays in the dungeon for longer than they need to. Bellatrix won't even come down here, it reminds her too much of Azkaban."
Addie put her face in her hands and began to weep silently. Draco was unsure of what to do. He was not used to such open displays of emotion, especially from someone he cared for. He decided to place a claming hand on her shoulder, but further than that Draco was lost in the art of consolation.
"I—I didn't think it would be like this!" She sobbed.
"I tried to tell you," Draco said. "You're very thick-headed, Addie."
"H—How can people be so cruel?" She cried, tugging at the locket around her neck. "I wish they'd let us know what was going on—"
"They'll contact us when they have a chance," Draco reassured her. "Who knows when they'll be able to ditch the werewolf?"
Addie shot Draco an angry glance, "Don't talk about Remus that way!"
Draco felt ashamed, and removed his hand from Addie's shoulder, "I'm sorry. Old habits, I suppose."
"Well you'd best get rid of them!" She scolded. "Remus is a wonderful person!"
"I'm sure," Draco drawled, leaning his head back against the cold stone. He was not in the mood for a lecture on werewolf rights. He needed sleep, and he doubted he would get it in the cold Malfoy dungeon.
"There's a leak," Addie said quietly, as water began to drip from the ceiling onto Draco's nose.
"I'm aware," He yawned, positioning himself so he now only just missed the droplets. Addie scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He felt hot at her touch and could smell the perfume in her hair.
Now, He thought, is not the time for this…
"I'm going to sleep, Draco," She yawned. "Maybe things will be better in the morning."
"Maybe," Draco sighed, "maybe…"