Chapter 2
I hear a loud whistle and race toward the window.
I'm all the way up in the hallway, right by the portrait of the Fat Lady—it's my last night up here on the rotation.
That whistle can only mean one thing: they've found an intruder. I race down the steps to join the others on a search through the grounds. I wonder what idiot decided to stroll across Hogwarts territory tonight.
Weren't the members of the Order supposed to be going into an ambush at the Leaky Cauldron?
I shake my head as I leave the castle through the giant doors, followed by several other Death Eaters. It's silent, and I run toward the Forbidden Forest. I'm sure that if the intruder is smart, he or she will be on their way to an Apparition Point. The others probably have all the points covered, but we're all required to go after intruders anyway.
Pointless.
A waste of effort.
As soon as I start nearing the Apparition Points, I slow down to a walk. Many Death Eaters are nearby. We're all moving quietly, looking for any sign of someone who isn't one of us.
I catch a glimpse of someone without a hood and am about to call out when I notice that it's a girl with long, bushy hair.
Long… bushy hair…
Granger.
Fuck.
What is she doing here? Shouldn't she be off with the Order, dying in an ambush? Why is she here, within reach?
Why do I just happen to be in the right place to save her?
I consider my options, as though I don't already know what I'm going to do.
As though I even have a choice.
I stopped having a choice years ago.
Years ago, those ridiculously bouncy curls stopped being annoying to me. That know-it-all attitude ceased to frustrate me. The fact that she had "dirty blood" became irrelevant to me. The day that I looked into her eyes and realized just how warm, brown, and fucking beautiful they were… that was the day that I had lost my freedom, lost my choice.
I watch as a silvery otter bounds into the woods.
Several not-so-bright Death Eaters run after it, taking the bait. I wait silently and watch as that bushy head of hair bounds through the woods. Then I run silently along, making a parallel path with her in the woods. I see a Death Eater following closely behind her, and another on her other side.
Some hexes are exchanged, but there's nothing I can do about them.
I don't want to interfere.
If I do anything that even remotely angers the Dark Lord, my parents will die. He made that very clear the last time I saw him, when Longbottom got away on my watch. Not my fault fucking Vincent got in the way.
Although I don't care much for my father, I'll miss my mother. I don't want to interfere. I shouldn't.
But I have to.
When I see her crash into a Death Eater—I recognize from his build that it's Yaxley, my heart clenches.
I Disarm her and snatch her wand out of the air. I don't want it to fall into anyone else's hands. Then I use her wand to fire three Killing Curses rapidly, one after another. Yaxley crumples first, followed by the one behind her and the one on her other side.
I rush over to her, tugging my cloak off.
We don't have much time. I already hear other Death Eaters heading our way. It's impossible that three Killing Curses would have escaped their notice.
I throw my cloak around her shoulders from behind. I can't afford letting her know that I'm the one letting her go. I may be wearing a mask, but I don't want her to see me nevertheless. She turns, trying in vain to see who I am, but I shove her head back to face forward and yank the hood over her head.
"Don't move," I growl into her ear.
I tug the hood up over her head again—it doesn't seem secure, and I don't want it falling off. That bushy hair is too damned obvious. Then I thrust her wand back into her hand and give her a hard shove forward. She stumbles toward the nearest Apparition Point.
When she reaches it, she turns around, and her eyes widen. She must have seen my Death Eater mask. I wave my hand, gesturing for her to leave.
Get the fuck out of here! I want to scream at her.
She's mouthing words at me, but I don't pay attention to her lips. Her eyes already say it all. She's thanking me.
My heart leaps in joy.
Fuck me.
She finally Disapparates, and I can breathe normally. She's safe.
I point my wand at myself.
Stupefy.
It's bright. Too, too, too fucking bright.
I raise a hand to rub my eyes.
My mother's voice sounds out.
"Oh Draco, you're finally awake."
I groan and sit up. With one glance, I know I'm lying in my room. Since when was my room ever bright?
"Mother," I say, looking to my right and finding that sunlight is streaming in, "didn't I tell you not to open those?"
"It gets dreadfully dark with the curtains drawn, Draco. I think it'd be healthier if you got some more sunlight. You're unnaturally pale as it is, just like your father."
"Narcissa!"
Great. Father's coming. Just what I need.
He appears in the doorway looking extremely angry.
"I thought I told you—"
He stops when he sees that I'm sitting up.
"Oh, so you've finally recovered, have you?" he spits at me furiously. "What happened last night? How did that Mudblood escape?"
"Lucius, dear, could you please—"
"Mother, it's fine," I say.
"Narcissa, leave us."
I hold back the desire to glare at my father. I hate how he orders my mother around like she's a servant. But this is normal for him, and I learned the first time I confronted him about it that he wouldn't change. And that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt me for talking back to him.
My mother exits the room without complaint, and I reach over to grab the wand on my nightstand. I wave it once, and the curtains slide shut.
Much better.
"Last night, I was patrolling up near Gryffindor Tower when the whistle was blown. I went out to join the others. I eventually caught sight of Granger and chased her. That's all I remember," I lie.
"Do you know where you were found?"
I frown. "I was on the grounds, wasn't I?"
"You were found by the dead bodies of three Death Eaters. Why is it that the others around you were killed while you were spared?"
I hadn't thought of that last night.
Stupid. Stupid, stupid me.
"I don't know," I reply lamely.
My father gives me a very cold, penetrating gaze. "If there's something going on between you and Granger, you'd better tell me now."
I shake my head. "There's nothing between us. You can use Veritaserum on me."
"You think you're so clever, don't you? I already know your Aunt Bellatrix taught you to resist it."
"Then take my word for it."
"You're lucky the Dark Lord isn't concerned with that Mudblood right now," he says venomously.
"Really? I'd like to think it's more that we are lucky that he isn't concerned about the Mudblood. I was under the impression that if one of us fails, then all of us will die. Isn't that right, Father?"
He's livid, but I can't seem to stop the words from coming out of my mouth.
"So really, I think it's in your own best interest not to say a word about what happened last night. The other Death Eaters will have said enough without you fanning the fire. Like you said, Mudblood Granger isn't top priority right now. And if you think about it, I'm really lucky to be alive. You know what, I think it's because I was smaller than the other ones. Maybe she thought I was a student and took pity on me."
I don't bother to mention that I'm not any smaller than the Death Eaters around me. I've only just stopped growing, and at six foot one, I'm one of the taller Death Eaters.
"Boy, don't speak to me in that tone. Have you forgotten—"
"No, I haven't forgotten."
"Don't interrupt me! Are you asking for a beating? It's about time you had one."
I glare at him and spread my arms out to the sides to show him I'm not afraid.
"Fine. If that's what makes you feel powerful, go right ahead."
Pain assaults me, surrounds me, stabs through me.
Bastard!
Pain.
Pain.
The surface beneath me is hard.
Pain.
Have I fallen off the bed?
Pain.
Is that my father's voice I hear? Is he laughing?
Pain.
I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being.
I feel like my head is splitting in half.
When will I die?
As suddenly as it began, it stops.
Interesting, this time was shorter than usual.
I gasp for air and look around. Yes, it seems I've fallen off the bed.
My father is smiling smugly. "Was that enough for you?" he asks.
"Why yes, thank you so much," I reply sarcastically.
He frowns at my tone but decides not to reply, exiting the room without another word. I'm grateful to be left alone at last.
As I get to my feet, Aunt Bellatrix enters the room.
Why does no one ever decide to knock?
"Draco," she says, smiling sympathetically.
She thinks that she's the only person who understands me. But I suppose it's my fault she's under that false impression.
"Hey, Aunt Bella."
"It'll be easier for you if you stop talking back to Lucius. He's a moron, and we both know it. Don't bother with him."
"Sure."
"But tell me, what happened last night? It must have been something serious, to have him worried like that."
"Mudblood Granger got away from Hogwarts. I don't know why she was there."
"And he blames it on you?"
"Supposedly the other Death Eaters found four people unconscious near the Apparition Point that she used. Three of them were dead, and I was just Stunned."
My aunt narrows her eyes. "That is suspicious. Did she know your identity?"
"I didn't take my mask off, if that's what you're asking. I don't remember anything. The last thing I remember is chasing after her."
"Well, the Dark Lord doesn't care much for that Mudblood right now."
"So my father said. How was the ambush at the Leaky Cauldron?" I ask, trying not to look too interested. I just hope that Granger didn't join the fight there and get herself killed, not after I risked my neck to get her to safety.
"Those Order of the Phoenix members… they're like cockroaches. Impossible to kill," Aunt Bella says with narrowed eyes.
"It didn't go so well, then?" I prod.
"I saw the half-goblin professor go down dueling Antonin."
Dolohov. He was responsible for several deaths in the Order.
"Professor Flitwick?" I inquire, and she nods.
"Yes, yes, that was his name. And what a shame. I was dueling your cousin, Nymphadora, but that blasted werewolf got in the way, and then they bolted."
"Yeah, shame, that is," I echo. After a moment of silence, I ask her, "Where is the Dark Lord?"
"Oh Draco, dear boy, don't fret. Of all my…" she pauses to think of a word, "…students, you've always been my favorite. I will make sure you are taken care of. After all, you can't be blamed for a Mudblood's weak heart. You'll make her regret her decision the next time she's within reach, won't you?"
I nod, a wicked grin stretching my lips.
"You bet I will."