I was sitting on the floor of the ornate bedroom where I was being held captive. I don't know how long I was sitting there thinking, how long my hand had repeatedly run the length of Grayson's back. The cat was asleep. And finally, an idea dawned on me. There was no way I was going to marry that son of a bitch. Not a chance in hell. I was determined to find a way out of this, even if it killed me. I started to realize; Draco didn't kill me for a reason. I couldn't yet figure out what that reason was, but something told me he didn't have the guts, or he wouldn't have saved my life the night the Graysons died in that car accident. He wouldn't have done whatever it was he'd done to me. I had to be some part of whatever master plan it was Draco was brewing. Was it a total accident when we met in Boston? Was it fate? I believed things usually happened for a reason. I tried to piece the puzzle together, find some sort of common denominator…how was it that he'd rushed in the moment before Pansy was successful at taking my life? How did he even know she'd seen me and how did he know where I was? As my mind wandered, so did my eyes. My gaze fixed upon the pile of ashes at my feet. The newspaper may have been incinerated, but never could have burned my memory of the front page. I thought about my family, wondering how they were getting through this. And then I also wondered how they could believe it. They had to wonder why I would have even been on the Knight Bus in the first place. Wouldn't they wonder how the bus could have spontaneously combusted? These sorts of freak accidents just didn't happen with magic. I wondered how George was holding up. If he cared about me as much as I believed he did, he wouldn't sit back and accept what it looked like might have happened. Grayson sat up and stretched, making his way to the window. A house elf appeared and placed a tray of something on the table.
"Your lunch, Ms. Angelina," she said.
"Excuse me," I said.
The house elf looked at me for a minute before taking a few steps towards me.
"Do you think you could send a message to someone for me?" I asked. I was determined to find a way out.
"Oh, uh, Lilac isn't allowed to leave the manor, Ms. Angelina," said the elf shyly.
"I'm sorry. Perhaps you can ask master Malfoy—"
"I'll kill him," I said with gritted teeth. The elf backed away from me cautiously. Perhaps my words had scared her. She vanished and I hoped she wouldn't relay what I'd just said to Draco or any of the Malfoys. I sighed. I wasn't hungry. I was too full of rage to eat anything. Instead I grew more and more frustrated, until finally I couldn't contain my anger. It felt like I was going to blow up. I felt a strange sensation, as if something were building up in my very core. It was pure rage. I screamed and threw my hands in frustration, and the next thing I knew, the tray of food the house elf had just put on the table fell on the floor, as if it had been pushed there. Grayson retreated to the bathroom, having been thoroughly frightened. I panted, as if catching my breath, calming down a bit with each exhale. Something warm dripped down over my lip. I thought my nose was running, but when I went to wipe it, I found crimson on my fingers. I gasped, the blood dripping onto the dress I was wearing. My head began to ache, as if somebody was pounding it with a hammer. Grayson stuck his head out of the bathroom door and looked over at me, then slowly approached. My head was killing me. I looked over at the tray on the floor, the food scattered across the glossy hardwood. And I finally realized I'd just done wandless magic. I couldn't recall the last time I'd managed to do something like that. I knew I could apparate without the use of a wand, but the last time I'd done anything seriously magical without my wand must have been when I was four years old. I felt some sort of excitement then. Perhaps I could break my way out of here. I just had to figure out how exactly I'd done it and how to harness it. I smiled, but began to feel a bit lightheaded. My nose would not stop bleeding, and I knew it was probably the result of what I'd just done. The tray wasn't far from the table where the elf put it, but still, I'd managed to move something with my mind. It gave me hope. I heard footsteps approaching and the door swung open. I couldn't see who'd come in, as I was sitting on the floor on the other side of the four poster bed.
"Angelina?" Draco called, and for a moment it sounded as if he was worried. I heard the closet door open and then slam shut. Draco rushed over to the tray on the floor and knelt down. I could just make out some kind of twisted worry on his face from his profile. And then his gaze found me where I sat up against the wall, both hands over my nose.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, standing up and coming towards me. I tried to feel that rage again, focus it on Draco, but nothing happened. My head only hurt more as a result.
"Johnson…?" Draco trailed off, his eyes widening when he noticed the blood on my dress and hands. I could feel it leaking through my fingers, and I started to feel really sleepy. Grayson hissed at Draco, who looked down at the cat and glared. He pushed Grayson away with his foot and towered over me.
"What have you done? Making messes won't do you any good."
"Why is there blood all over this five hundred galleon dress?" he asked, his eyes widening even more as he knelt next to me. He reached for my hands.
"Don't touch me," I snapped, although it was hard for me to feel properly upset. I was nearly about to pass out. Draco grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands away from my nose to see the blood. His eyes got even wider and I thought they'd pop out of his bloody skull. Grayson hissed at Draco again, and this time I looked over to see the cat arched as if ready to pounce.
"Get up," Draco said, lifting me by both arms. I tried to take a step and fell head first towards the floor. Draco caught me with the reflexes of an agile Seeker. I hadn't passed out, but I was feeling lifeless. Draco picked me up and started for the door. I could see the ceiling as he swept me somewhere, climbing up stairwells which made me dizzy, until finally I was in another room. He laid me on a bed and left my field of vision, which was blurry. Then there was an unfamiliar face in front of me. It appeared to be a nurse. She sat me up, trying to get my attention, but I could barely hear her. I could hear my heart beating. She began to apply pressure to my nose and gave me something until it stopped bleeding and everything became clear to me. For the first time, I noticed Draco standing behind her with his arms crossed and a dissatisfied look on his face.
"She'll be alright, Mr. Malfoy," said the nurse.
"Thank you," he said curtly, and the nurse left the room.
"I don't know what you think you're up to, but it isn't going to work," said Draco, stepping towards me.
"Look at the mess you've made," he snarled, eying the dress which was now stained with my blood.
"Are you crazy? Did you think you were going to try and kill yourself? My, you really don't want this, do you? You'd rather die?" he asked me honestly in a disbelieving way. I'd stopped listening to him, turning my head to gaze out the window, where the sun was coming in and I could hear the birds.
"I wasn't killing anyone," I said blankly. I felt coldness on my chin and recognized it to be Draco's fingers when I found myself looking up into his eyes, which were still wide with something; I couldn't quite tell what.
"Huh? What do you have to say for yourself?" he asked me. I wasn't sure what he was talking about; I wasn't really listening.
"I hate you," I said calmly.
"…We'll see about that," he said, "I can make your life miserable if you make me," said Draco threateningly. I began to pry his fingers off my face. His hand moved to my throat where he didn't quite squeeze, but just held. He leant down into my face and I felt scared for a few seconds.
"You will not embarrass me, do you understand?" he whispered.
"You're going to change and you're going to meet my family for dinner. You will not try anything stupid," he said angrily. And then he let go of my neck and took a few steps back from me.
"Lilac," he shouted angrily. The house elf appeared in a flash.
"Show Angelina back to her room, and have her properly get ready for dinner," he ordered before turning so fast that I felt the breeze as he stormed out of the room. The house elf gently reached for my hand and I stood up.
"Right this way," said Lilac. I wished I could convince the elf to just apparate to George, Alicia, anyone I knew, and let them know I was still alive, that I was okay, aside from being held captive with a death threat if I did not comply. Something told me the elf was too afraid to try; she was otherwise polite to me. She led me to the room that had become so familiar to me.
"Lilac will run you a nice hot bath, Ms. Angelina," said the house elf before rushing into the bathroom. Grayson jumped down off the bed and approached me. I listened to the water running.
"I'm okay," I said to the cat.
"Try to stay out of Draco's way. I don't want him to hurt you," I said, scratching behind the cat's ears, recalling Draco shoving him aside moments before. Lilac appeared again and began to wipe my blood off the floor before she started to my closet.
"Ms. Angelina, would you like to get undressed so I can take your dress and wash it before the blood settles?" she asked cautiously.
"You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not mean like them," I said. Lilac approached me slowly, and smiled.
"I really wish I could help you," she said, "But I would be putting not only myself at risk of danger, but also my family." I felt very sad. The elf turned away from me and just stood there. And then I realized she was waiting for me to disrobe so she could take my clothes. I slipped out of the dress and walked into the bathroom, and closed the door. I heard Grayson meowing on the other side. I sighed and approached the bathtub. I turned the water off and slipped in. I didn't want to lose hope of getting out of all of this, but my heart began to sink uncontrollably…
I was sat at the large table in a dining room that to me was pretty much a hall. I wondered how big this place was, as it was only the third room in the house I was seeing. I was beside Draco who hadn't even looked at me since the moment I'd sat down. And it wasn't just the Malfoy's seated there; I also recognized a familiar face, but I couldn't quite place it. Draco took a sip and rather hard swallow from the glass he had beside his plate.
"Blaise, how has it gone at Oxford?" Draco asked. The familiar face responded and I recalled him from Hogwarts, a former student in Slytherin House.
"Very well, Draco. It's going very well," said Blaise. I noticed Pansy glaring at me for the first time in several minutes. She chewed rather harshly, as if she were angry. I didn't feel safe near her, but I kept sat up to my full height as not to let her know. There were two other young men seated on the opposite side of the table. I didn't recognize either of them, but it became clear that they were all friends of Draco's. I was eating slowly, giving into how hungry I felt. I kept my eyes on everyone, but no one seemed to really be acknowledging my presence, save for Draco's parents, Narcissa seated at one end of the table and Lucius at the other. Two house elves came in to clear our plates and set new ones for dessert. I tried to listen to what Draco and the others were talking about but there seemed to be a lot of information purposefully left out of the conversation due to my presence. Draco clinked his glass with a fork, and then all eyes were on me. I felt something cold on my hand where it rested on my leg under the table and nearly jumped, but settled for a gasp. Draco gripped my finger and seemed to be trying to feel for something there. I pulled my hand away as casually as I could.
"Well," said Narcissa, as if waiting for some sort of answer. Draco cleared his throat.
"I guess I have a bit of an announcement," said Draco, looking at me at last. I averted my gaze to the chandelier.
"Angelina is one of us. We're engaged," he said. There was just about as much emotion in Draco's tone as a head of lettuce. I saw him smile and I wanted to laugh. I felt Draco's hand on mine again under the table. He gripped it and I wanted nothing more than to get up and run away, but I knew I wouldn't have taken more than two steps before he'd stop me.
"So, you're saying she's in on this? That she agrees with everything we're doing?" Pansy asked, but in a tone that was more so insulting.
"Now, now, Pansy," Lucius said, "shouldn't you be happy you won't be on every mission with a load of lads? You should be grateful; we've swayed more wizards than witches over the past year. The ratio of witches to wizards in our ranks is vastly disproportionate," Lucius informed.
"Perhaps that's because witches—" I was abruptly cut off when Draco raised his glass and spoke.
"To a better future," he said, sparing me a look through the corners of his eyes, "One where Muggles are extinct and the pure rule not only the wizarding world, but the whole thing," he said cocking a brow confidently. Lucius laughed and raised his glass. Draco squeezed my thigh and I took the hint that I wasn't supposed to be talking.
"Congratulations, son," said Narcissa.
"Excuse me," said Pansy a bit dramatically, pushing back in her chair and walking away. I had the feeling she was jealous, yet she had no idea that there was nothing to be jealous of. I didn't want Draco. I didn't want any of this!
"Angelina," said Lucius, addressing me directly. It was quiet then and I looked down the table at him.
"Angelina Malfoy," he said and I felt my stomach lurch uncomfortably. I was going to be sick.
"I know you were reluctant at first, but I'm glad you now see things our way. Despite what you may have thought, it is better for you to be on the stronger side when we begin to take over. You've made the right decision," he said.
"Welcome to the family." I was going to throw up. I had to get away. The house elves returned with some cakes and other deserts. I stared at the plate in front of me until dinner was over. When it was, and the guests had gone, Draco didn't waste a moment to drag me away. I couldn't bare his cold grasp a second longer, and halfway to my room, I pulled my hand away from him so hard that I fell to the floor. Draco turned around in an instant.
"Are you daft?" he asked me, "I'm doing you a favor, Johnson. They'd have you killed if they knew I was lying. You never should have gone to the States…you should've died in that car accident," he snarled.
"What? You're the one who brought me here, asshole!" I said. Draco reached down and pulled me to my feet.
"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into—"
"You saved me that night, remember? …You're not as evil as you might think. Why are you doing this, to save me again?"
Draco looked away for a few seconds.
"What is it? Do I have something you want? Why did you even save me that night? Why did you bother to open my eyes to see if I was still alive? Why didn't you just throw me away with all the evidence?"
"Shut up," Draco said. I was getting to him somehow. He looked uncomfortable.
"Is that what you want me to do? Alright," he said carelessly, pulling me towards the stairwell.
"What are you doing? …Draco, wait!"
"We're going to tell everyone right now that this is all a farce, and then they're going to enjoy watching me kill you," Draco said, hurrying down the stairs.
"No!" I shouted, desperate to survive.
"No—don't, don't, I'll do it! I'll marry you, make it seem real," I said, my eyes watering. Perhaps I was wrong and Draco was pure evil. He was willing to throw me away just like that. He stopped and looked at me in a triumphant way. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
"There's something wrong with you," I whispered.
"Look," he said, shoving me up against a wall.
"I don't want to kill you. I don't want to…" he closed his eyes for a few seconds, and then shook his head.
"Johnson, that's what will happen if you don't just play along," he said.
"And then what? After I play along, will you help me? It seems to me you want something out of this, otherwise you never would've saved me when…wait, how did you know to come when Pansy tried to kill me? Is it because of what you did to me that night, that spell?"
"Stop asking questions," he said, leading me back up the stairs so quickly that I tripped and fell. My knee was hurting very badly, and when I looked at it, I found it to be cut.
"Look at what you did," I said. Draco sighed.
"Get up," he said, reaching out his hand. I took it slowly and he pulled me up…
Pansy leant against the table with a disgusted look on her face while four other ladies helped me get ready. They pulled fast the strings of my dress, the corset taking my breath out for a few seconds.
"It looks wonderful," said a tall black-haired girl whose name was Mona.
I laughed jovially, inside wanting to kill each and every one of them. I was starting to surprise myself at how well I could act. I was only doing this to save my life.
"I think it's repugnant," said Pansy, finally walking over where another girl was taking my measurements.
"I thought you'd finally agree on this one," said Mona, "You goddamned picked it out yourself."
"She's only tried on fifteen different dresses," Pansy replied, smiling in a manner that looked as if she was seriously paining herself to do it.
"Try another one," she said.
My smile left me.
"I like this one. Aren't you supposed to be helping me, not deciding for me?" I asked.
"Look, Johnson, we're not friends. But I'll tell you one thing, you don't fool me, because I know something no one else knows. You won't get away with any of this. If you think you can just marry your way into one of the most prominent families and insert yourself into—"
"Shut up!" the blonde yelled, slapping Pansy across her pale face. She looked flabbergasted at the young Death Eater who'd hit her.
"You wouldn't dare speak to a Malfoy that way—"
"She isn't a Malfoy!" Pansy spat.
"You should be happy we won't be the only witches anymore. Only two others have agreed to join the movement. You should be rejoicing, not bitching. Do you really want to live in a world where men still rule you?"
Pansy frowned and looked like she was going to cry before storming out of Twilfit and Tattings. Draco still had my wand.