Chapter Two:
Loyalty
A/N: This takes awhile for it to be a full-on Slash, I hope nobody minds. I like to really build the relationship of trust up first, to make it more realistic and so that they have a stronger bond. Anyway, chapter song is Loyalty by American Head Charge, it refers to Lucius' loyalty to Voldemort.
It's just a reason to deny
All the limits that border
On the thiniest frailties
that makes a sudden change.
I'll pay my soul into sleep
I'll make up words that I keep
Letting nothing go to anyone at all.
Where is your loyalty now
When all the cards have been left on the table?
All of them
Bleed at the nerves
Then take so long
to wear down.
XXXX
The Manor was nearly empty, as it was those days. Severus had just left from one of his visits, spending most of his time with the youngest Malfoy locked inside the Potions room. The House Elves were all busy with their daily chores, Narcissa was currently out to Diagon Alley with a couple of acquaintances including Pansy Parkinson's mother, whereas Lucius had set to work on the Estate finances in his study.
This left Draco quite thoroughly alone, only a week and a half prior to the start of term. He was sitting in his personal library, a book he wasn't particularly interested in his hands, staring stared at its words with bored, silver eyes. He ran a thin, long alabaster hand through his platinum hair, falling perfectly to the shape of his pointed face, and sighed lowly.
He needed something to entertain himself with before he went completely senile with boredom. He had already been through the entire Malfoy library over the years; he had learned all of the forbidden hexes, curses and all of the potions he could brew perfectly. Now that Draco was left to his own devices, it unnerved him. Deciding company was what he needed, he tossed his book aside and sauntered over to the small fireplace which was linked to the Floo Network. He started a Firecall to one of his only friends, Blaise Zabini.
"Zabini!" Draco called once he was connected. After a few moments he heard some scuffling and suddenly an image of Blaise appeared before him. This particular fireplace was in Blaise's room, Draco knew that much, and he also knew the boy barely left it.
"Malfoy, is there any particular reason for this call?" Blaise purred, crossing his arms and raising his brow. Draco sneered through the fire.
"I'm bored out of my skull. Come over," he ordered. Blaise chuckled and shrugged.
"I guess I've nothing better to do myself. Give me a few minutes. May I come through your room?"
"Of course. See you there," Draco ended the call abruptly, knowing it wouldn't take Blaise long to suddenly appear through the fire in his bedroom. He strode out of the library and down the hall, passing the marble statues of past Malfoy's and other famous Pureblood Wizard's and past the moving and still portraits.
He stepped inside his room and saw Blaise Zabini leaning his tall, lean figure up against his mantle place with a playful smirk. He had dark, olive skin and deep, brown eyes that were always masked, just like Draco's. Blaise was used to Draco's quarters by now in the West Wing of the Manor; the dark emerald walls, the drawing room, the vanity, the expansive windows looking across the Malfoy Estate, and the extravagant bed made for a king.
"Malfoy- smashing as always," Blaise drawled smoothly, pushing himself off of the mantle and sauntering over to embrace his friend lightly in a greeting. Draco hugged him back momentarily before detaching and smirking lazily, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Zabini. It is quite nice to see some form of life again other than myself and rotten House Elves," he grinned. Ever since he could remember, Blaise was the only friend of his that he ever felt relatively close to. "A game of Chess then? I have been dying to play,"
Blaise raised an eyebrow amusedly, "I think we should talk first. There are some questions I wanted to ask you,"
"Questions? Whatever you want, Blaise. C'mon," Draco lead him over to the far side of the immaculate room where the largest window was, the sun streaming in through the curtain openings. There were three armchairs there, along with a small coffee table where Draco usually set his Chess set up at. "Winky," Draco called, and suddenly the House Elf appeared beside him as he sat down into his usual armchair, Blaise across from him.
"Yes, Master Draco? What can Winky do for you and Mister Zabini?" Winky bowed lowly, her long, scaly nose nearly grazing the ground as she did so, her tea cozy hanging unattractively.
"Bring us a spot of tea and some éclairs, would you?" he asked.
"Anything for Master Draco," Winky bowed again and disappeared.
"You and your sweets, Draco. Never could get enough of them," Blaise winked.
Draco shook his head, chuckling darkly as strands of blonde hair fell in front of his silver eyes, "Chocolate. It's good for the heart and magical growth, everybody knows that,"
Winky reappeared with a tray of tea and éclairs and placed them on the table and bowed to Draco before disappearing once more. Like a proper host, Draco poured his guest some tea first before his own and he sipped tentatively at it, waiting patiently for Blaise to speak once again.
"You know where my parents stand in terms to this War," Blaise suddenly began- immediately upon mentioning of the War Draco tensed considerably, clutching his cup in his hand, "They're servants of You-Know-Who and always will be loyal. I, however, have thoroughly pronounced my distaste for this waste of a time War and will never join the Death Eaters or Dumbledore, the old coot. I'm neutral, and you must know this by now"
"What are you getting at Blaise? These aren't things we should be discussing..."
"Don't be a fool, Draco, you're my best friend. I don't want to see you ending up in something too big for you to handle. There are dark things happening out there… whether or not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has actually returned is still in question but I believe things are going to get ugly either way. I can't lose you as a friend- I can't lose you at all. My parents support my opinion, and I need you to know that if there ever comes a time when you need assistance, there are those who are there to protect you if need be. There are people who care about you, in case those who are closest try to force you into -"
"Zabini," Draco cut him off in a low growl, "If you are implying that my own Father and Mother would force me to follow the Dark Lord, I suggest you stop this nonsense at once. They too would support whichever path I choose to take," Blaise eyed the hot-tempered boy cautiously.
"Are you sure about that, Draco?" he questioned softly.
Draco sighed and relaxed; he understood where Blaise was coming from, considering who his Father was and all. They had never been a close family, but Draco knew they weren't the kind of family to sell out their own blood and kin. To others, however, it might seem much different than that. "Blaise, lets just not talk about this, okay?"
"I'm not finished," Blaise shrugged, "Do you know if the Dark Lord has truly returned?"
Draco rolled his eyes, "You think I would be privileged enough to know that kind of information?"
Blaise leaned in and spoke seriously, "Draco, your Father is second in Command to the Lord himself. You are looked up at by all other children from Death Eater parents. If anybody was to know for sure it would be you,"
"Well, I don't, alright? Can we just play some Chess now?" Draco asked testily through his clenched teeth- he wanted Blaise to come over so he could have a distraction from all of these usual thoughts and conversations that ran through his head daily.
"Right. Sorry then," Blaise mumbled, taking an éclair and eating it along with his words.
They played a couple rounds of Chess, talking about things that didn't really matter, such as the upcoming term to start in two weeks time, or the gossip from the last Pureblood Gala or Ball they had attended. There was always a closeness and a simple understanding between Blaise and Draco; they didn't even ever have to question when the other leaned forward for a small, chaste kiss, or perhaps a heavy snogging session. They were two boys of fifteen, so did what came naturally to them.
As the hours of the passing afternoon slipped on by, there was a gentle knock at Draco's door and it opened before he could respond. He looked up from the game of Exploding Snap he was currently playing, which caused his cards to explode promptly, a small stream of smoke rising from the table. Blaise grinned and whispered, "I win."
"Draconis, darling, your Father and I would like to speak with you in his study as soon as possible. Please say goodbye to Mister Zabini at once, we are expecting you," Narcissa ordered with tight lips, her face cold as stone as she swept out of his room just as quickly as she had come.
Draco sighed and took out his ivory wand and quickly waved it over the table and all the games were cleared up. Blaise stood and stretched before pulling the blonde into another hug, he lingered there for a few moments, his face pulled back looking up at the taller boys as if expecting something, but Draco merely departed from the embrace.
"Call on me sooner this time, would you Draco? I'm dead bored over there," Blaise groaned, thinking of the loneliness in his own house.
"Of course, depending on what Father wants of me," Draco said crossly, never looking forward to these little family discussions which always turned out to be lessons on how-to-be-a-Malfoy.
"Be careful, Draconis," Blaise teased and then disappeared in through the mantle place in a flash of green flames, just as he had entered.
Draco sighed and quickly gathered himself to stalk out of his quarters, through the West Wing and into the South where his Father and Mother were waiting for him. He entered his Father's study and immediately joined them, sitting across in an armchair from his parents who sat at least a foot apart on the black leather couch. His Father's study always sent shivers down his spine for some reason, the tall looming shelves and the dark, tinted windows.
"Son," Lucius said, leaning forward and elegantly waving his hand at a full cup of tea which then levitated itself and floating towards the boy who took it apprehensively as he eyed his Father.
"What is it?" Draco asked, wishing for them to get to the point because the more time he spent in their presence the more uncomfortable he felt. He had never been close to his parents- the closest they were was the fact that they shared the same gene pool.
Lucius pushed his long, silvery strands of hair away from his face and behind his ears, he leaned on his elbows and had a solemn look about him - more than usual. Narcissa was sitting straight as ever, her hands folded perfectly on her lap as she stared at her son sternly.
"As you well have heard by now, there have been rumours about what exactly occurred at the end of the TriWizard Tournament this year," Lucius began, Draco's eyes went comically wide as he didn't expect to be bluntly talking about this incident, "I would like to explain what really happened, so that your head does not become muddled with rumours,
"The TriWizard Cup was indeed a portkey set in place by Barty Crouch Jr., polyjuiced as Alastor Moody-"
"Father, I know all of this,"
"Draco, you will be quiet when you are being spoken to!" Narcissa hissed heatedly, immediately shushing him up.
"When Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory took that cup, they were transported to the graveyard where Tom Marvolo Riddle's Father was buried. Here, Diggory was immediately killed by Peter Pettigrew and Potter's blood was used to ressurect our Dark Lord," Lucius took a deep, almost shuddering breath and a shaky sip of tea.
"S-so he's really alive, then? And Potter really did meet him...again?" Draco asked in a hoarse whisper, of course there were many speculative rumours, most of them involving Potter's sanity, but to actually be the one whose blood ressurects the Dark Lord and to actually meet him and survive when he wanted you dead...was spectacular.
"Yes, I know this because I was summoned there that night along with the closer of his followers," Lucius sighed, "Now, when I joined him, it was during the height of his first reign. He was a powerful Dark Wizard who could appeal and persuade nearly anybody he wanted to into joining him, except the small few who created a resistance that failed until the night Harry Potter came along. Nobody knows for certain what happened that night that nearly killed our Lord, only the two of them can understand it. But now it is different. Now the resistance is larger and Albus Dumbledore is more aware, and Harry Potter is older and has grown in his magical potential tenfold. Narcissa and I have looked thoroughly at our position and have decided what needs to be done," Lucuis stopped and looked at his Son expectantly.
Draco didn't know what to say, or what to react. "We're switching sides?" he finally croaked out.
"In a manner of terms, yes, Son. I believe it to be best for the survival of our family. I have already spoken to Albus concerning this matter and he has offered us his protection, so long as I stay undercover as our Lord's follower still. So life shall remain as it is, though when the time for true War comes we will be protected by the winning side, that I am sure of," Lucius shook his head, his eyes looked tired and drained. This was obviously not an easy decision for him, but Draco couldn't help but see the bravery in this bold move.
"What am I supposed to do Father?" Draco asked quietly.
"Your task is of most importance. Did you hear what happened to Harry Potter this summer?"
Draco was taken aback, "Yeah, it was all over the papers. Saint Potter can't return to Hogwarts, good riddance is-"
"He is our only hope for survival, Draco!" Narcissa cut him off angrily, "And his only hope for survival is the protection that those at Hogwarts can offer him! Now he is being sent to Durmstrang Academy where he is in the most danger of all other places!"
"S-so what am I supposed to do about it?"
"We have already arranged for your schooling to be changed, Draco. You are to attend Durmstrang Acadamy for Magic and protect Harry Potter at all costs. He is the only hope for putting a final end to this War, he is the only one able to defeat our Lord, and your task is to bring him back to Hogwarts under protection as soon as possible," Lucius said seriously, ignoring the completely agape look on his son's face .
"A Wizard's Unbreakable Vow will tie you to it," Narcissa added in, taking out her wand.
Draco's eyes went wider than he thought possible. "Is this what you want from me, Father?" he gulped.
"Yes, Son, I do believe that if anyone can complete the task of keeping Harry Potter safe, it is you. I trust you to fulfil this task, and remember all that I have taught you," Lucius said and held out his hand expectantly, which Draco took in his own cold, shaking one.
"And am I supposed to keep a cover as well?"
"As best as possible, Draconis," Narcissa said softly, obviously feeling at least a synch of sympathy for her son. She held out her wand to where their connected hands were, and Lucius locked eyes heavily with his Son.
"I, Draco Malfoy," Narcissa said.
"I, Draco Malfoy,"
"Do bind myself to one Lucius Malfoy,"
"Do bind myself to one Lucius Malfoy,"
"In the promise that I shall keep Harry Potter safe at all costs and return him to the safety of Hogwarts,"
"In the promise that I shall keep Harry Potter safe at all costs and return him to the safety of Hogwarts,"
"If I cannot fulfil my duties, then this Vow shall be repaid by my life,"
"If I cannot fulfil my duties, then this Vow shall be repaid by my life," Draco swallowed heavily as he watched the magic entwine him and his Father's hands, it crept up his arms and soon the magic disappeared into his skin, leaving the mark of the Unbreakable Vow heavily itched in. "May I be excused?" he asked haughtily.
Lucius and Narcissa both nodded wordlessly, completely understand the sacrifice they were willing to make for the good of this war, that sacrifice being their son. They also knew he understood it, even though it might be difficult to cope with.
Draco didn't hurry back to his chambers but instead he rushed down the many staircases of the Manor until he reached the Grounds. He stomped angrily across the Estate, his breath hitched angrily in his throat with bits of fear running through his mind.
"Saint-bloody-Potter needing my protection now, does he? It's always all about Potter. He fucking ruins everything, and now I can't even go back to Hogwarts because of him...now if he dies, I die. Fuck, sod it all, fuck!" Draco swore as he raged across the Estate and slipped through the large, barred gates. Once on the outskirts, he did something he knew to be illegal for those underage but his Father had taught him years ago for another form of protection. Draco apparated and disappeared to the only man he could truly trust in the world, to the only person he could speak freely to without concern or worry, to the only man he really felt was his real family.
He reappeared in a solemn looking, British neighbourhood and knocked on the door he now stood in front of. A tall, thin man with greasy black hair and a long nose appeared before him in black robes and crossed arms, though immediately upon seeing the anger on Draco's face he softened up. "Draco," he said softly.
"Sev, I need to talk to somebody," Draco hissed heatedly, and was hurriedly escorted inside by Severus Snape.
This time I have made enough mistakes
For you to bear against me in direct break
Our original ideals, you let us down
And betrayed our trust with all your promises.
Where is your loyalty now
When all the cards have been left on the table?