"CREEK!" protested the large ornate gates leading into Malfoy Manor, as they swung open to allow us into the long narrow driveway leading to the marbled front steps. Snow was swirling around us in the bitter cold evening air. The long hedge outlining the front and driveway had shed its leaves for the winter, giving us a clear view into the vast yard surrounding their towering Manor.
The yard was barren, all the flowerbeds dead, and the pond frozen over. I tightened my scarf around my neck and mouth, crossing my arms over my chest trying to retain heat, the wind had picked up and was now practically howling. Night was falling quickly causing the drive to darken considerably. I could barely make out the two house elves hastily making their way towards us to take our bags.
"Lumos", Draco muttered. The end of his wand ignited with a bright light. The path lit considerably, showing the long shadows of the struggling house elves as they took our bags to his room. We strode up to the door, quiet the whole time, seeing as I had my face buried in my scarf. I focused on the tip of Draco's wand, remembering what I had learned about wands. Their core and their wood meant something, which is why the wand chose the wizard. If I was not mistaken I had read it in Draco's drawing room one stormy night. I couldn't for the life of me remember what exactly was said though.
Rather than going straight to Draco's room as I normally would, I ignored him as he said in a drawling tone, "Astoria where are you going?"
"Son, you're home." Came Lucius's hard, cold voice from the dining room, they must have already started eating… no matter.
"Ah Draco, we've missed you." I heard Narcissa say, they both truly loved Draco. Draco would be very upset if anything ever happened to either one of them, and this frequently concerned me, if Lucius was ever caught… but that was impossible, right?
Grabbing Wand's, They Choose You from the book shelf, I flipped to the page that spoke of Hawthorn wands with Unicorn hair core, as this was Draco's wand. I was very fascinated by wand lore. It read:
"Hawthorn
The wandmaker Gregorovitch wrote that hawthorn 'makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.' While I disagree with many of Gregorovitch's conclusions, we concur about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them. Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire.
Unicorn
Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard.
Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may 'die' and need replacing."
As I read this I reviewed Draco and his personality, he was certainly of a conflicted nature. As cold, cunning, and cruel as he could be, he also had a rarely seen, but dominant soft side. Curious, I then flipped to the page describing my wand. My wand was 11 ¾ inches Unicorn and Ash, a very peculiar wand as Ollivander once told me….
"Ash
The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. This tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn. Old superstitions regarding wands rarely bear close examination, but I find that the old rhyme regarding rowan, chestnut, ash and hazel wands (rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans) contains a small nugget of truth. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects.
Unicorn
Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard.
Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may 'die' and need replacing."
Satisfied now, I burned this information into my memory, smelling a delicious scent of fish and chips wafting from the dining room I hurried in there. Sitting at the long table was Bellatrix, the Dark Lord, Theodore Nott's father, as well as Crabbe and Goyle's. Snape, the Carrows', Dolohov, Avery, Yaxley, Macnair, Rowle, Rookwood, Wormtail and Rodolphus Lestrange sat on the opposite of the table. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco sat down from Bellatrix, her mouth twisting into a wicked smile as I walked in. Many of them were not used to such young Death Eaters, but they were all acting especially uncomfortable tonight.
"Ah, Tori, so nice of you to join us." Purred the Dark Lord, the hair on my arms stood up, I feared I did something wrong, had I known everyone was here, I wouldn't have been impulsive in my quest for knowledge.
I gulped, "My Lord", I said, eyes to the ground.
"Now to continue our meeting", he said as I sat next to Draco, "as you know, I am presumed to be the last living descendent of the great Salazar Slytherin… after doing further research, in an effort to weed out any liars in my ranks. The lower ranks had some liars, who were taken care of…"
Bellatrix grinned, and stroked her wand at these words. Lucius straightened in his chair, everyone remained silent. Nagini slithered against my leg, and as strange as it may be, it was as if I could hear words in her hissing. This was not the first time, by any means, the few times I heard the Dark Lord speaking with her, I felt as if deep down, I understood the conversation.
"Itsssssssss you", It sounded like.
"Our very own Astoria is family to me; it seems your mother was not exactly faithful to your father, for it is on your true father's side we are related, a very old wizard, deceased shortly after your conception."
My head was spinning, could it really be? This was all so sudden, ridiculously sudden, and beyond unexpected. I sat in a daze the rest of the meeting. I moseyed on up to Draco's room afterwards, stopping briefly to glance at my dress for the ball hanging in the corner of his large room. Slytherin hangings and banners were all over the wall, as well as Quidditch gear. His furniture was a dark mahogany, with a king sized four-poster in the center of the room, with Slytherin curtains and bedding. Everything was very elegant. I climbed in bed, and lay there watching the bright moonlight streaming in the window. After about an hour Draco came in, without speaking he came and got in bed. I was lying on my back in the center of the bed.
"You are mine." He whispered as he rose above me, his hips and chest pressed into me as he kissed me, ever so deeply. His eyes glinted hungrily. I pulled him down on me closer, wanting him as close as humanly possible.
"Yes I am", I whispered back, his blonde hair shown bright in the moonlight, and he was so handsome. Slowly removing his clothes, he went back to work on mine. It was cold outside, but warm with the heat of our bodies, moving in rhythm. He brought me more pleasure and happiness than anyone could ever hope to.
"I love you", I whispered sleepily as I lay in his arms afterwards.
As hard as it was for Draco to admit his feelings, he replied back, with self-pride consuming his voice, "As I love you."