Chapter 8

Honour To Us All

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I Majasty do not own the characters of this fanfiction except perhaps a few OC's that may make an appearance. Otherwise, all characters belong to JK Rowling. Additionally, this fanfiction gets inspiration from a combination of different movies, books, and real life events. A full reference list will be uploaded at the end of the story. Mischief managed.

This story disregards the Deathly Hallows except for some key dates and times. It also disregards the epilogue. This story is set primarily in the year of 2040 and has some parts of 1997-1998. Hope you enjoy.

12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London, England. July 9, 1997.

After the Order had decided that Draco would be an asset to them he was allowed to stay in Grimmauld Place. Although everyone had accepted him into the house, he knew he wasn't exactly welcome. Often, he would keep to himself, isolated in his own room. That day however, he was sick of staying in his room alone. He decided to make his way down the stairs, until he found himself in a drawing room with an interesting tapestry on the wall.

"Walburga, Cygnus, Alphard, Sirius, Regulus, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Andromeda…Draco." Draco was shocked when he saw a picture of him painted on the wall. Why was he there? He had never even been or heard of this house before and suddenly he was on it's wall?

"Malfoy."

Draco turned around to look at who had interrupted his exploring. After seeing the bushy hair of Hermione Granger, his eyes narrowed, and he suddenly felt like a school child, caught doing something wrong.

"I wasn't being nosy or anything I was just getting bored in my room and got lost." Draco replied lamely. "Besides, I am not a prisoner. I can walk around as I please." Draco sneered at the witch. So perhaps he had joined the Order of The Phoenix, does not mean he had to actually like them.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the young man before here, "well I doubt you'll be bored for much longer…I heard from Ginny, who heard from Neville, who heard from the twins, who eavesdroped on an 'adults meeting' that they are looking to recruit Zabini and Daphne Greengrass." Hermione replied with a shrug. "They're your friends, aren't they? Maybe they are the type of people you would prefer to associate yourself with. Purebloods, Slytherins…death eaters."

"See that's what I don't understand about any of you. If you don't want me here, then why didn't you all just say so?" Draco asked irritated with the muggle-born's tone. "I didn't hear you say no two days ago when you were all discussing my faith."

"Because Malfoy, despite the adults making it look like that we had an option to deny you. We all knew that they had already made up their minds and you were staying whether we like it or not so we all just had to deal with it. The least you could do is actually make it a little bit more bearable by actually being of some use around this place." Hermione huffed with her arms crossed. She didn't give a shit if he was now on their side. As far as she was concerned, he was still an egotistical prick.

"Well, what do you want me to do then huh Granger? Trapeze around with you lot pretending we are all best friends? I don't have any friends Granger," Draco replied angrily. "You think that I'm friends with Zabini and Greengrass and would be thrilled to have them here? No you're wrong. No one is really friends with anyone in Slytherin, we're all just acquaintances that stick together for social status and power. So yes, I stick with Zabini, but Greengrass? None of us really talk to Greengrass. She's the only one in the house that vocalised her lack of hatred for muggle-borns so we all tended to stay clear of her. Maybe she would be friends with the likes of you considering how much Pansy hated her and we all know she also hated you." Draco was so angry. He had grown up thinking he was superior, that it was mudbloods, muggles and half-bloods that should be hiding. Instead, here he was in this forsaken house hiding out in his room that belonged to some man named Regulus.

"Oh…" Hermione replied shocked at Malfoy's outburst. She stood there silently, unsure what she was still doing there, but feeling a great sense of regret at having pushed him with her death eater comment. She instantly felt sad for him, realising that he never really knew what real friendship or love was. "Right well… Molly told me to call you for dinner by the way which was the purpose of me coming to see you, so I'll just…go."

12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London, England. July 10, 1997.

Draco's eyes flew open with the searing pain coming from his left forearm. It was a combination of burning and stinging all at the same time and if he had to describe it he would say that it felt like a hundred scorpions had crawled under his skin and were stinging him from the inside. He wanted to scream at the cruel sensation, but he suddenly felt he had no voice. He opened his mouth but it was though he was silencio'd as no sound came out and all he could muster was a silent scream. No matter how many times he had gone through the same experience, it seemed like it never got better, he would never get used to this.

Sweat was beginning to accumulate on his brow, the fine blond hairs on his body were beginning to stand on end, his palms were beginning to be clammy and then the door to his room slammed open.

"Get up boy!" Severus commanded harshly, throwing back Draco's duvet and tossing robes at his godson. "We're getting summoned."

Draco groaned at the harsh tones that came from the his old potions professor. The pain was more than unbearable and yet he had to attend the stupid death eater meeting because it was his duty. How he hated his father for forcing him into taking the mark. Duty? How could he talk about duty? Was it not his father's duty to ensure safety be bestowed upon them?

"It is your duty on our family Draco, the mark will bring great honour to us all."

Great honour? Yeah if you were alive to actually be blessed with it.

"What are you waiting for?"

Regretfully, Draco got up and dressed to return to his home – for once in his life he really regretted having to go home. He remembered every Christmas holiday from Hogwarts. He was so excited to board the train, to return to 'home' where he was blessed with decorations, endless presents, and yuletide bliss. Now, Voldemort currently occupied the space, and the place that had been his fortress was now the place he most feared.

He glanced at the clock – 4am. Why did the bastard have to summon him at 4am?

Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England. July 10, 1997.

Severus and Draco apparated to the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. Although Draco had grown up there it was as though he no longer recognised the place as there seemed to be an air to the atmosphere that whispered tension and…evil.

He looked at the black, iron gates that stood tall before the large brick manor that he had used to know. The trees were bare of leaves and colour, uncommon for the month of July, yet perfect to signify the coldness and darkness that lied within the old ancestral home.

"Remember your occlumency Draco," Severus whispered under his breath as he dragged the younger boy towards the Manor's entrance and to the dining room.

"My Lord," both Severus and Draco knelt before Lord Voldemort, bowing their heads before standing up to take their seat at the long table.

"It feels as it has been too long since I have seen you both, Draco, Severus," Voldemort hissed nodding once at the two men who had just joined the meeting. "I was just telling the rest of the death eaters here what a good job you both had done at the astronomy tower. Congratulations for mending that cabinet and having Dumbledore killed Draco."

Draco's eyes focused on the wood of the table before him. Afraid to look up to look Draco in the eyes. He nodded once in response to assure the Dark Lord that his praise was heard.

"It has been a week Draco, Severus. Where have you two been hiding?" Voldemort continued to ask, sitting back in his high-back seat.

"We had gone into hiding my lord, only while the Ministry remains to be out of our control. We both won't be beneficial if we are sentenced to Azkaban for the murder of Albus Dumbledore. We shall wait until the Ministry is in your power my lord, before we make our return."

Voldemort nodded at Severus' response. "We have already commenced to infiltrate the ministry. I believe the Order are already beginning to believe that the ministry is now ours."

"You are right my lord. My connections at the ministry deny any connection to Potter now, soon the ministry will be under our reign and Draco and I will be able to return to society and walk the streets freely." Severus replied, hiding well that he was one of the people who was protecting the boy instead.

"My Lord, I have heard differently. Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will be moved by the Ministry, but not until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen."Yaxley cut in, offering his input to the meeting.

"My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish… I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have already infiltrated the Ministry." Severus replied back, quickly thinking on his feet.

"Whether they do protect him or not, the fact of the matter is that Potter remains alive. I think that I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned, some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than to his triumphs. I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best-laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be." Voldemort replied in return. "Is Potter still living with the muggles?"

"I believe he remains there until they move him my lord." Severus replied honestly, making an mental note to alert the order that the Dark Lord knows.

"And when will that be?"

"On the 27th."

"Very well then, all death eaters are to attack the boy in that muggle residence of his on the 27th." Voldemort announced leaning back in his chair. "To more lighter topics I believe you usually host your annual Malfoy ball at the end of this month?" Voldemort continued his full attention now on Lucius and Narcissa.

"Well…with your return my lord, and your current residence here in the manor…we had assumed that you would have wanted the event cancelled," Lucius explained, looking down into his lap. "I just thought you would have wanted more focus on the upcoming war."

"Nonsense," Voldemort replied with a wave of his hand. "If anything, this ball would be a great opportunity to have all of us come together. I doubt the Order would attempt to attack on that day with so many death eaters present. Perhaps you would even like to invite that shameless family member of yours." Voldemort stated sarcastically, his lips in a thin line.

"Pardon my lord?" It was Bellatrix who had replied. "A shameless family member of Narcissa and Lucius would mean a shameless family member of mine."

"I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud." Voldemort replied to Bellatrix's outburst as he twirled Lucius' wand in his hand.

"She is no niece of ours, my Lord. We — Narcissa and I — have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries." Bellatrix replied, her eyes cast in slits.

"What say you, Draco? Will you babysit the cubs?... Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest." Voldemort turned towards the youngest member of his circle, intimidating the young boy.

Draco was confused. Niece? His mother and aunt Bellatrix had a niece? That would mean he had a first cousin, yet Draco did not know of any cousins in his family.

"I beg your pardon My Lord, but I am not even aware that my mother and aunt had a niece," Draco retorted truthfully with slight disappointment. He was an only child, he might have liked having a cousin if he had known that he had one. Draco quickly changed his demeanour once he noticed the room remained to look in his direction. "However, I do believe that her being a secret was of good reason yes?" Draco stated attentively. "You did say that my family tree needed to be pruned. I can only assume that it had been pruned a long time ago considering I do not even know that this cousin of mine exists. If the annual ball is to continue as it has for generations, I assure you no…fallen branches will be invited, and if they do make an appearance, I'm sure they will do quite well…in the fireplace…where offcuts from trees belong." Draco replied, his tone sounding confident however, feeling the pressure from within. Cousin? Since when did he have a cousin? Then suddenly it all began to make sense. The tapestry in the house he was currently living in, it wasn't just any tapestry...it was a family tree. Draco's was interrupted from his thoughts when Voldemort's voice bellowed into the quiet room.

"Hrmm...you know who would approve of that niece of yours Bellatrix?" Voldemort stated flatly as he pointed to the ceiling of the manor where a woman hung suspended by rope still, and almost lifeless, but sobbing. "She would."

The occupants of the room gasped, some from horror others from excitement.

"Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage here wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance…she would have us all mate with muggles…or no doubt, werewolves." Voldemort laughed a chilling laugh which prompted Bellatrix and the rest of the death eaters to laugh accordingly. "Do you not all think we should…prune the world of her?"

"No please," the voice was barely a whimper; however, it was audible in the cold marble dining room of Malfoy Manor. The captive's eye's scanned the room, landing on a familiar face. "Severus. Severus…please. Please help me. I thought…I thought we were friends." Severus sat stoically, seeming impassive to the ordeal of the witch before him who he had worked with for almost four years. He knew how it would be. He could not save her even if he wanted to. It was either she died there and then, or he be killed with her. He was in the Dark Lord's good books for so long to have his cover unveiled now.

Everyone in the room laughed at the muggle studies' professor's pleas for help.

"Avada Kedavra! Dinner, Nagini."


Author's Note: So sorry I took so long to update. I was in search for a beta...which I still have not found :( So apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors that may have made an appearance.

Additionally, for anyone that is interested I now have a facebook group that will upload extra content in its files. Including: fact sheets, maps, timelines, and an updated reference list - a list of movies/bookies/plays/real life events that helped shape and inspire this story. That list will be updated as new inspirations and ideas come along.

Link to facebook group can be found in my author's page.

-Majasty

Trivia #1: The title of this chapter is inspired by the song "Honour To Us All" from the movie Mulan - the song I was listening to whilst writing this chapter.

Trivia #2: A majority of this chapter actually occurred in Deathly Hallows, however was just reworked in order to fit this story.