Author's Note: First day of a new month! Gosh, I have finals in two weeks. Crazy how fast the summer passed by…
Chapter 45
"Where've you been? I've been waiting for you."
"I was busy. And who are you to question me? Have you talked to him?"
Rowle sighs. "Yes, I have."
"Lose the attitude," I say.
"Malfoy, I missed a summons for this. And now you're late. How can you expect me to—"
"Shut up."
His voice cuts off on command, and he glares at me.
"Do not question me. We both know who's in charge here," I say. "Do you know where it is?"
"He has it locked away, but I saw him glance at the container while we were talking about it."
"Excellent. I want you to retrieve it tomorrow night, at ten o'clock. Come back here, bury it in the backyard, and conjure a rosebush to mark the spot."
"But why can't I just give it to you?"
I smirk. "I can't have anyone knowing that I want it. How are your Memory Charms?"
"Very good," he says.
"Good. If he sees you, make him forget that you ever came. After burying it, you will be finished."
"You'll let me go?"
"Yes, Rowle," I say. "I will let you go."
But I don't know if I'll really let him go. I'll most definitely be modifying his memory so that he only remembers wanting the dagger for himself—that's in case anyone finds out and asks him about it. But then again, if Voldemort decides to break the Memory Charm… maybe I should keep Rowle under the Imperius Curse, even after he's gotten the dagger.
"Is there anything I should do now?" Rowle asks.
"Just be your usual self," I say. "Tomorrow, 10 PM. If you fail and get caught, kill yourself."
His eyes widen. "But—but—I don't want to die."
"Better you than me. If you do your job right, you won't have to die. So I advise you to watch yourself."
Rowle nods obediently.
"Goodbye," I say.
Then I Disapparate, appearing at the Manor moments later. A glance at the clock on my nightstand tells me that it's just past 4 AM. I rub my eyes and consider getting to bed, but I'm starving—I haven't had time to eat since noon. I make my way down to the kitchen to fix myself something to eat.
About twenty minutes later, as I'm returning to my room, I notice a ray of light coming from a crack beneath the door of my parents' chambers. What are they doing up so late? Late night discussions between my parents are never about anything good.
I silently make my way down the hall and press my ear against the door.
"Lucius, I really don't think—"
"I'm tired of having this argument, Narcissa. I am the master of this house, and you will stand down!"
"I don't understand why we can't just wait—"
"Until when?" my father asks. "Until the war is over and the Dark Lord is satisfied? No! You know as well as I do that this will never end. The Malfoy bloodline has lasted for centuries, and it will not end with my son!"
Fuck, I don't like the sound of that.
"These are bad times to bring a child into the world, Lucius."
"We were wed at Draco's age, and he was born into the same type of times as these. He's turned out perfectly fine. In fact, the Dark Lord has even honored him with a seat at the table. What makes you think that Draco's child will not do as well?"
Someone taps my shoulder, and I jump, surprised. I turn to see Aunt Bella standing beside me.
"It's not polite to eavesdrop," she whispers.
I grin. "Would you like to know what I heard?"
She smiles deviously. "Ah, you're becoming more and more like me every day. What is it that you heard?"
"They want me to get married."
Aunt Bella starts cackling, and before I can tell her to be quiet, the door beside us is thrown open.
"Bella, Draco, what are you doing here?" Mother asks.
"Dear Cissy, do you really think Draco will want to settle down right now?" Aunt Bella says.
Father speaks up. "You were listening to our private conversation?"
"No, of course not," Aunt Bella replies. "Draco here was. But before you scold him for being an impertinent child, I'd like to point out that as he was the topic of your conversation, he did have a right to know what you were saying."
"Bellatrix, I allow you to stay in my home. If you cross me—"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Lucius, you know you wouldn't be able to turn me out. The Dark Lord has asked me to keep an eye on you. Imagine what he would think if I went to him with the news that I'd been forcibly removed from your home."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, no, I would never threaten you. I'm just kindly reminding you."
"Lucius, calm down," Mother says. "Draco, dear, what did you hear?"
"That Father wants me to marry."
"Well, what do you think?" she asks.
Aunt Bella speaks before I have a chance to. "Oh Cissy darling, isn't it obvious? He doesn't want to marry. He's so young—hardly two decades old. He's got such a promising future ahead of him. Imagine how much a marriage would hold him back."
She doesn't quite have the right reason why I don't want to get married, but I don't mind letting her believe that what she said is the truth.
"Marriage didn't hold me back," Father says.
"But look at where you stand, and then look at where I stand."
"You were married."
"Yes, but the key word there is 'were'. I was married, and now I'm not. Marriage is such a distraction. How can one properly serve the Dark Lord with such a distraction?"
"Bella, please don't interfere on this matter," Mother says.
"Who did you two have in mind for my nephew, then?"
"Don't tell—" Father starts to say, but it's too late.
"Astoria Greengrass," Mother says.
"You have got to be kidding me," I say without thinking.
"What kind of an attitude is that? What do you have against Miss Greengrass?" my father immediately asks.
"Only that she's about as thick as a cow," I reply, eliciting an amused laugh from my aunt.
"Draco! She's a beautiful young lady. Don't ever let me hear you comparing her to livestock again," Mother reprimands me.
"But it's true. She's dumb as a mule. I can't hold a conversation with her."
"Her intelligence is not a factor—" Father begins.
"Dear god, Lucius, if you think she's pretty, marry her yourself."
"Bella!" Mother exclaims.
I can't help but laugh at that.
"You think this is funny, do you?" Father demands, rounding on me.
Aunt Bella glares at him, all amusement vanishing from her features in an instant. "If you hurt that boy again, I swear to you—"
"He is my son, and I will punish him as I see fit!"
He points his wand at me, but Mother grabs his wand arm to stop him. Father throws her off and points his wand at her instead.
"And you!" he roars. "I've had enough of your insubordination. You will obey me!"
"Lucius, that's enough!" Aunt Bella shouts.
Then Mother is writhing on the ground, a sight too familiar to my eyes. Despite all my years of schooling and all the time I spent practicing spells, I feel like I'm four years old again, unable to lift a finger.
Aunt Bella flicks her wand, throwing Father up against the wall.
"I said, enough!" she bellows. "Draco, take his wand from him."
I glance at my mother, who's breathing heavily on the ground. She'll be all right. I step over to my father and pry his wand out of his hands.
"I never liked you, Lucius," Aunt Bella says venomously. "As long as Cissy loves you, I will not hurt you. But I will not stand by and watch them suffer at your hands."
"That's more than slightly hypocritical, don't you think, Bellatrix? You've tortured Draco more than once, yourself," Father says disdainfully.
"Bella please, put him down," Mother says.
She's gotten to her feet and is looking between Father and Aunt Bella worriedly.
"Fine. But consider yourself warned, Lucius."
She releases the spell holding him up and spins on her heel, walking away swiftly. I toss my father's wand at him, and he catches it.
"Mother, Father," I say in farewell.
I turn and follow Aunt Bella down the hall. When we're downstairs, she finally turns around to face me—she knows that I have questions.
"What the hell was that about?" I ask her.
"Contrary to popular belief, I do care for my family."
I nod. "Dark Lord first, family second. I know. But I've never seen you lose it like that before, and this has been going on for years."
"Well, better late than never," she says. "I am sick and tired of listening to Cissy's screams. I told her not to marry into this cursed family."
"Hey, this is my family you're talking about," I say, grinning.
She only sighs in response.
A moment later, she asks, "When will you meet the Dark Lord tomorrow?"
"Nine thirty, at night," I reply.
"Ah, that's too bad," she says. "I was going to ask you to accompany me to pay Mundungus Fletcher a visit."
I frown. "Isn't he a member of the Order? Why would he—"
"Oh, you don't know yet! Tonight, we finally infiltrated the Order's headquarters. You weren't at home when we struck. Unfortunately, Mundungus must not have known all of their locations, because most of them disappeared to some alternate location. We're taking turns, seeing if we can torture it out of him."
"Can the Fidelius Charm be broken by torture?" I ask.
"It's worth a try."
I nod. "I suppose so."
Aunt Bella looks down the hall, in the direction of her quarters. "It's very late, and I have things to do tomorrow, as do you. Go to bed, Draco. And don't worry about your parents. They'll come around."
She starts walking away.
"Aunt Bella…"
She looks at me over her shoulder.
"…thanks."
She gives me a half-smile before disappearing down the dark hallway. I hear her footsteps slowly fade away, and then I head back up to my room.
Lying down on the bed, my head is jumbled up with all the things that happened in the past few hours.
I thought they'd had Mundungus in custody already. How the fuck did he get out? His escape from the Order headquarters explains how the Death Eaters would know where to attack, but I don't see how he could have gotten out.
I can't believe my father is thinking about my marriage. Out of all the things he could be worrying about, he chooses my marriage. Fuck, I don't want to marry Astoria. I'd take Daphne over her. Even Pansy—at least she's got a brain, even if she's a bit pug-faced and unpleasant to look at.
But it's all right. They can't force me to marry her. I'll just reject the marriage. Mother doesn't think it's a good time to be wed, anyway.
I ponder whether or not Rowle will be able to pull off the little heist I have planned for him. It's pretty simple, but Rowle is not the brightest man there is. I'm not as worried about his success as I am about covering my tracks. If Voldemort gets wind that his dagger has been stolen, he'll probably go mad. I can't have him finding a connection between Rowle and me—that's why I told Rowle to go at ten o'clock tomorrow evening. At that time, I'm certain I'll still be at Voldemort's side, throwing suspicion off me.
But I still have the sinking feeling that there's a huge chance that this won't work out. My last night in this bed might be coming soon. And then it'll be a bed of earth that I'll forever sleep on.
How bloody poetic of me. Fucking hell.
I close my eyes and inhale deeply through my nose. I can still smell Granger—her distinctive, fresh, flowery scent is so clear in my memory. Just thinking about our kiss has the blood in my body rushing south, and I feel myself hardening.
Fuck, Granger.
I chuckle. I do want to fuck Granger.
Laughing at my own thoughts. I must be tired.
I remember the light kiss that she'd given me, the first one she'd initiated. Her lips pressed so, so softly against mine, and all I wanted was to take her, right then and there. It didn't matter to me that Ginevra Weasley was lying one bed over, or that Blaise, Potter, and Weasley were only separated from us by two doors. I wanted to pound into her until she was screaming my name, loud enough so that the whole world would know that she was mine.
Fuck, I'm hard as a rock.
I take a few deep, controlled breaths to slow my heart rate and calm myself down.
Take care of yourself.
She'd said that so sincerely. It's miraculous that so much tenderness for me could reside in her eyes, even after the pain that I put her through.
If you don't come back, I'll never forgive you.
I'll be back, Granger. I promise I will.
Author's Note: So, what did you think of the little glimpse into my version of life at the Manor? Let me know! (:
By the way, I just posted my first songfic, titled Addicted. It was the product of my writer's block for this story, so it has nothing to do with the war, whatsoever. I'd love it if you guys checked it out! Yep, shameless self-promotion ;)