"Bound by unseen threads, dancing to a puppeteer's whims, life unfolds in the theatre of fate."
Draco threw the dried dittany leaves and finely crushed rose petals into the already boiling cauldron, stirring with his silver wand in a clockwise direction, carefully counting his movements.
A dim light filled the room, emanating from a solitary candle that cast flickering shadows across the bookcases and the array of ingredients behind him. The room barely afforded Draco enough space to stand and take more than two steps but in his younger years, it was one of his favourite spaces in the manor. Nestled discreetly in a hidden corner, the supply closet hosted a small table and a few used cauldrons that Snape bought him as a birthday gift in his third year. This was the space where he ran after his father's beatings, where he hid after his mother fought with him, and where he felt safe after the Dark Lord resurfaced again and came back to the wizarding world. This enclave, permeated by the thick aroma of currently brewing potions and tinged with magic, held a special place in Draco's heart. The only rival was the Quidditch pitch in the rear garden but flying to get out of his stress became less and less of an option as the years crept on and the wars dragged out. He still missed the exhilaration that swept through him when the snitch was almost between his fingers or when the wind was roaring in his ears, his heartbeat in his throat. In those moments it was like he wasn't even sitting on his broom. It was just him and the vast sky around him.
He cast a fleeting glance at the second cauldron to his left, precariously perched on the table, where a muscle relaxant concoction was simmering, which he always had in stock to ease the long-term effects of the Cruciatus curse they were hit periodically. Leaning over, he stirred the potion, his face contorting with a hiss as he tried to ignore the pain radiating from his stomach. Each movement served as a harsh reminder of the fact that it was not healed properly, and he fought to control his rage at every wince of pain.
The healer he had summoned hours after returning to the manor had advised that it would do more damage to his abdominal muscles to tear through the healing he received on the field, and time would allow Draco's body to resolve any lingering issues. Draco wanted to punch him in the nose, but at Blaise's sharp look, he refrained, and he just scoffed instead.
As Draco tossed fairy wings into the blood-replenishing potion, carefully stirring the concoction, the absurdity of the situation felt like a fever dream. Bloody Granger botched his healing which was almost laughable if it wouldn't have been so infuriating. The whole mission was a clusterfuck, and as soon as he was called in as reinforcement knew, no matter what things would not go according to plan. Encountering Hermione Granger in the midst of it all was beyond unexpected, and the notion of the mental witch attempting to... what? Save him?
Draco scoffed, lowering the flame beneath the muscle relaxant potion, his thoughts swirling. Getting into that situation was... more than amateur. As he was trying to gain on them Weaslette nicked him with a hex in the leg, and as he tried to regain his balance a rebounding spell from her shield struck him, causing him to fucking crumple to the ground like a discarded fabric doll from the childhood games of Daphne and Astoria. Surrounded by the cold bite of the snow he could feel the warm blood oozing out of his stomach, his head swam, vision blurry, and honestly he thought it was a hallucination when a certain bushy-haired witch with big caramel eyes swam into his line of vision. He thought he was dreaming. He tried to grasp her illusion dismissing it like one does a mirage, but when his hands closed around real, physical matter, he was bloody sure he was about to die.
Then the bloody witch crouched and started fucking healing him.
Draco shook his head his hair flopping around his head.
He wasn't willing to think about the fact that he would be dead without her.
He wasn't willing to think about her big amber eyes bearing into him as she fucking healed him, and he definitely wasn't thinking about her leaning in close, her scent eloping him, her hair falling around them like a curtain and her soft breath on his face as she insulted him in a whisper.
He wasn't thinking about her at all.
The door cracked open behind him, and he slowly raised his head watching as Daphne surveyed the cramped cupboard space, her nose wrinkling in distaste.
"How do you manage not to bang your head in here?" She leans against the doorframe, her eyes heavy. Draco glanced over her rumpled clothes, the dark smudges under her eyes, and he sighed.
"How is she?" He asked tightly, turning his attention back to the potions before him.
"Better…I think" Daphne croaked out "She spoke to me today, and she seemed..better"
"Pansy?" Draco asked, slowly packing the littered potion ingredients, that consumed the small table in front of him.
"She couldn't bring herself to go in," Daphne sighed and Draco dragged his eyes onto her. She managed a tight smile. "You know her, "she ran her fingers through her brown locks "after what happened last time she.."
"Indeed," Draco breathed, inspecting the potions again even though he knew they were brewing correctly.
"I am not blaming her" Daphne mumbled and Draco closed his eyes, trying to strengthen his fraying mental walls "If Astoria would have reacted to me that way" she audibly sighed and Draco fought the drag of memories. He had relived that day enough times in his dreams, and it joined the other haunting memories that would haunt him until the end of time.
"I want to kill Rabastan, the whole family, every person.." Daphne's voice trambled"…Who just stood there" she hiccuped at the end of her sentence and Draco flinched. With that, his concentration was shattered and the images rushed in, out of his control.
The shift he sensed in the wards, after transforming the sitting room into a makeshift infirmary, churned his stomach. He practically sprinted to the Floo, Loony close behind. As he rounded the hallway he stopped, and he needed a second to realize what he was seeing.
Astoria, kneeling on the ground, sobbing, her torn robe barely hiding her white skin full of bruises and blood. Her hair was knotted in tangles, her face marred by bruises, she quivered like a leaf, her teeth chattering beneath the weight of her sobs. Draco's blood boiled and he never wanted to kill anybody as much as he wanted to kill Rabastan in that every one of them who watched, and just stood by. His hands tingled, wanting to wrap them around the fat throat of Rabastain.
He watched barely seeing through the rage, as Loony sprinted over to Astoria's form falling onto her knees, talking in hushed words.
Draco forcefully broke out of his trance stuffing the anger deep. He summoned a blanket as his steppes carried him towards the girls, and he quickly placed the fabric onto Astoria's shoulder hiding her from view.
"No!" She screamed as Draco touched her, causing him to recoil with his heart lodged in his throat.
"It is me," he reassured as gently as he could. Astoria slowly looked at him, and in that moment Draco swore that he would kill every one of them. As his gaze locked onto Astoria's, the girl who was always full of light and kindness he only saw the dull and broken irises of hers, not really seeing him.
He swore he would kill them all.
"Tori!" Daphne echoed from somewhere nearby,, and Draco barely had enough time to step back before Daphne was in front of them, carefully lifting her sister. As Astoria stood on her wobbly legs she hissed, and that was when Draco noticed the oozing blood coming from a deep gash at her wounded thigh. He hoped that was where all the blood came from.
He should have known better.
"Get her to the sitting room" Draco mumbled to Daphne, attempting to sound as unthreatening as possible. He knew the others would arrive any second, and standing in the hallway would serve them no good.
"She needs a fucking healer" Daphne jabbed at Draco as she turned to her sister "Hey love" she whispered, as if consoling a wounded animal "Let's get you to the sitting room. Okay?"
"Yeah" Astoria mumbled, and they started walking toward the room.
"Bloody hell" Draco took a breath.
"I can mend her, you know," Loony said, and Draco jumped, completely forgetting she was there.
"You are a slave of the Nott household" He answered, his mind racing to figure out who he could call. The Dark Lord would likely punish him for seeking a healer, but he didn't particularly care at the moment.
"I'm a healer, you see, and if you could just pass me a wa-"
"I am not dumb" Draco bit out, striding toward the room.
"Allow me to advise you on what to do." Loony stomped in front of him and he honestly was so surprised the words stuck in his throat "You might be a creature of darkness, but I, on the other hand, am not." She declaired and for some reason, it hit Draco in the chest.
Isn't that what Granger said too? That he was a monster?
He would rather be a monster than see his friends dead.
"I do-"
"Would you prefer her dead?" Loony inquired instead, and Draco arched an eyebrow. "She's bleeding quite profusely, and it seems they've come perilously close to an artery. The additional blood isn't originating from her thigh, and if she harbours any aspirations for future family or intimate activities, swift medical attention is imperative—faster than your current resources can offer. I presume you lack a Mediwitch on standby."
"We have a heale-"
"A female healer?" Loony asked her head tilted to the side.
"No, bu-" And Draco got it.
He couldn't touch Astoria. She won't let any men touch her and-
"Fuck" He breathed out, deflating
"So, it seems we're on the same page. You do need my assistance."Loony extended her hand, and Draco, as if possessed by some unknown force, maybe the same one that compelled him to write the first letter to the Order, placed his wand into her palm, knowing fully well that what he just did could get them all killed, or worse.
"Draco are you listening?" Daphne questioned and Draco tore his eyes open and shoved the memories back into their place.
"Yes, of course" He mumbled, extinguishing the flame under his nearly boiling potion.
"As I was saying," she continued in a tone that Draco knew meant she didn't believe him "I talked to Pansy before coming here. She is scared."
"She said that?" Draco asked, adjusting the flame under the muscle relaxant potion as well.
"Well, not in so many words but.. but I saw it in her eyes"
"We are all scared" he mumbled as he levitated the first cauldron into the windowsill.
He comprehended why Pansy was frightened, and on some level he understood. It was jarring when Astoria first screamed at him. Astoria whom he thought of as his little sister, was now afraid of him. The girl he gave piggyback rides as a kid, who he threw snowballs with, who always was on his and Daphne's heels even when they really didn't want her to because they were insufferable pre-teens.
"I can still hear her screams" Daphne whispered but Draco could barely make out her words amidst the rush of blood in his ears.
He heard Astoria's screams every night as he lay in bed.
He heard his mother's scream echo in every one of his dreams.
He heard bloody, annoying Granger's screams every time he woke.
He was bloody sick of screaming.
Closing his eyes, he attempted to calm his heart, but his mind spiralled out of control. His ears rang, much like they had that day just a few weeks ago.
In his study on the second floor, Draco had been researching calming potions, trying to devise a variant that wouldn't leave Astoria groggy but would soothe her enough to have a real conversation with her sister. Astoria had been home for a few days, with only Daphne and Loony in her room. Draco had prohibited Theo and Blaise from entering, and Pansy had never shown interest… until that day.
It was the screams that reached him, the blood-chilling cries that made him clutch his wand and sprint towards the sound. Though he didn't sense his wards breached, he knew something was wrong, very very wrong.
Rounding the corner, the first thing he noticed was the open door to Astoria's room, the one that had been shut since her arrival. Taking a deep breath, he cautiously approached the doorway.
"GET OUT!" Astoria screamed with such panic that Draco abandoned all attempts at sneaking and practically bolted into the room.
What he didn't anticipate was finding Pansy, standing at the opposite end of the room from Astoria, her eyes teary and wide, looking at her girlfriend with a frightened expression.
"GET OUT!" Astoria screamed again her eyes full of tears, her blond locks standing in every direction, her whole body shaking. She had deep circles under her eyes, scratches and bruises on her skin that she never let heal, and a desperate look in her eyes.
"Tori, I am he-" Pansy tried in a soothing tone, tentatively taking a step towards her girlfriend.
"NO, NO, NO, "Astroai shook her head frantically "GET OUT, GET OUT RIGHT NOW!" Astoria threw her pillows and blankets everywhere, her eyes raking around the room, not focusing on anything or anyone.
"Please, ba-" Pansy began
"NO" Astoria screamed, crumpling in on herself and starting to claw at her skin. At her arms, legs torso, and every inch of skin that was out of her oversized t-shirt that Daphne got out of Draco's closet.
Draco sprinted towards the bed, grabbing Astoria's wrist and prying it away from herself. She trashed harder at his touch, her whimpers more desperate as she tried to escape his hold, a never ending scream coming from her.
Draco felt sick, his hands clammy and sticky with Astoria's blood as his sister fought him as if he were going to hurt her.
"Bring me a Dreamless Sleep Potion" he ordered Pansy, waiting for the distinct footfalls that never came. He whipped his head around and saw Pansy, standing, with her hands in front of her mouth, eyes wide and full of fear. He hadn't seen her like that since they first went to Hogwarts, and he felt the world around him crumble a little.
"NOW!" He roared, fearing he was hurting Astoria. Pansy, like she was snapped out of a trace, sprinted out of the room.
"It is going to be okay" Draco tried to be soothing but it wasn't his strong suit. He was a Death Eater, not a teddy bear. As Astoria's eyes focused on him for a second, she calmed a little, her movement not as shaky.
"Draco?" She whispered, her voice broken.
"Here" Pansy sprinted into the room, and seeing her Astoria started screaming again.
Draco never thought he would have to force a potion down one of his friend's throats, but he somehow did it. He somehow grabbed her chin and forced it open at which Astoria became so frantic so scared he didn't want to know what they did to her. He quickly poured the potion down her thoughts, making her swallow it. As the potion took effect, he lessened his hold on her, letting her slump into the covers. He climbed off the bed, casting a careful glance at Pansy.
"I didn't do anything" she whispered and Draco wondered if she realized that she was speaking out loud "I just came in to check on her. She saw me and.. oh god.."
"What the fuck is going on?" Theo stepped into the room, his breathing ragged.
He must have just gotten home because he was still wearing his lab robes, and Draco swore he saw some blood specks on it.
"Is it my fault?" Pansy questioned, her voice barely over a whisper.
"Astoria" Draco muttered drily to Theo, wiping his bloody hands on his things "Take care of Pansy," he said to him in an order-like manner. He was better at feelings, he actually talked about them. He would be good for Pansy.
So Draco just walked out of the room and retched into the closest toilet. Since then Pansy never tried to see Astoria. and Astoria never asked about Pansy.
"Draco?" Daphne questioned, "Did you hear me?"
"Shit" He whipped at his face, extinguishing the flame under the muscle relaxant potion " What were you saying?"
"That Loony is the only one she actually talks to"
"Pansy?" Draco's brows furrowed
"No, Astoria "Dapne stepped into the little room, closing the door behind her "I am just as surprised as you" she sighed " Ever since she helped heal her they have… bonded I guess"
"Ans you know this because?"
"I overheard them" Daphne crossed her arms
"I see" Draco leaned back in his chair "Accidentally?" he lifted his brows in question while carefully stuffing his memories back and rebuilding the wall. Two slips in such a short amount of time was unacceptable.
"For your information, yes" she huffed "I was bringing food to her, and the door was open, and I heard talking and.."
"What would they even talk about?" Draco asks, packing up the last of the parchment in front of him to busy his hands.
"They talked about Narlges?"
"Bless you," Draco said, looking back at her
"I am serious, they were talking about those imaginary creatures Loony always chased down in school"
"Astora? Greengrass?" Draco turned fully toward Daphne
"What about Astora?" Theo opened the door, and Draco had half a second to decide if it would be worth it to curse his ass or not
"She is talking with Loony" Draco answers dryly, not even looking behind her.
"She is?" Theo looked questioningly at Daphne.
"I overheard them" she sighed, standing sideways so Theo could cram into the small space and closed the door behind him.
"Yes of course come on in" Draco said dryly "There is so much space in here anyways"
"Well blimey, I didn't think we were so awful conversationalists" Theo said, pretending he didn't hear Draco
"This is no laughing matter" Daphne forced out behind tight lips
"You have to admit it is kind of funny" Theo looks at Draco, and Draco just stares back. "Okay, party poopers. Luna is actual-"
"Luna?" Draco cuts in
"Loony, you know what I mean" Theo continued "As I was saying-"
"No, no" Daphne straightened looking up at Theo "Why did you just call her by her name?"
"I don't have a clue, I must have slipped" Theo rambled "Anyways, as I wa-"
"You call you slave by the first name?" Draco questionsűed and he could see Theo turn in on himself
"She is not my-"
"She really is" Daphne adds, a small smile on her lips.
"You claimed her and everything" Draco gestured toward his person
"I already explained that to you guys" Theo sighed
"But you didn't explain why you call her by the first name," Draco said, a smirk on his mouth. This was easy, teasing was what he always did, and he was good at it.
"I-" The looked defeatedly at Daphne who just shrugged "I kind of talked to her too a few times"
"Wha-?" Daphne tried
"Look" Theo threw his hands out in surrender "She has been here for like 2 months, and she is technically my responsibility. And she was bored, and wondering the house, and I don't know I was high as a kite, and -"
"Oh my god" Daphne grasped " Tell me you didn't fuck her"
Theo's eyes became the size of saucers.
"Fuck who?" Blaise asks, opening the door nonchalantly and stepping into the space.
"Loony" Draco and Daphne answer in unison. Blaise looked at Theo questioningly as he squeezed between the two and stood next to Daphne, a mere millimetre away from Draco's desk.
"Why don't we invite the whole house in here" Draco mumbled
"I did not fuck her," Theo said, and for some reason, Draco believed him.
"Do you want to?" Blaise questioned
"No" Theo answered way too quickly
"You know she will get killed or reassigned soon," Daphne said
"We ca-"
"The dark lord is already impatient" Draco huffed "We have given him no information, and I have a feeling he will require proof that we are doing everything in our power to question her"
"You mean-?" Theo looked at Draco with an unreadable expression
"You will have to torture her" Daphne answers instead of Draco, all lightness and fun missing from her voice
"You don't have to be there" Draco stands, his papers in his hand "Blaise and I can-"
"I will be there" Theo interrupted "I need to be there or the Dark Lord will think I am too attached"
"But" Daphne whispers "What will we say to Astoria?"
Draco looked at Blaise who just raised a single eyebrow his eyes not leaving Daphne.
"She has grown fond of Loony," Daphne says, eyes cast at Blaise
"I see," Blaise said
"She can hand-" Draco starts but bites back his words.
He wasn't sure Astoria would be able to handle it.
"Fuck" He breathed out, looking into Theo's eyes
"We can't torture her" Draco mumbles
"Well, I don't care about her" Daphne snaps "I care about Tori. If you can get her, and return her without visible damage, torture her away"
Draco raised a brow at Theo who looked white, and his eyes were searching his.
"We have to torture her, or we get tortured" Blaise said in a cold tone
"You can torture me"
The dreamy, airy voice shattering the air made Draco jump just as Daphne's hand shot up, wand at the ready. Theo screamed like a little girl and Blaise had a handout in front of Daphne, shielding her.
"The fuck" Daphne breaths staring down Loony Lovegood. The blond stood in the doorway, eyes wide like saucers looking at them expectantly. She was wearing a simple t-shirt, and pajama pants, with socks, and both of her wrists were adorned with almost invisible shackles that glinted.
"Why would you snea-" Theo panted
"I don't have any information" Loony continued, as if it were a tea party conversation. "And even if I did I would not give it to you no matter what happened" Her eyes sharpen for a second, snagging onto Draco's
"You want to get tortured?" Theo asked mouth agape.
"No" Loony answered her eyes becoming hazed again "but if your endeavours don't appear to be about extracting information from me, they'll likely relocate me to another confinement or subject me to the pleasures of You-Know-Who and meet my demise"
"I forgot you were a bloody Ravenclaw" Daphne muttered, letting her wand fall. A few seconds later Balise's hand fell too, settling on the lower back of Daphne.
Loony just looked at Daphne her head tilted to the side.
Theo's eyes were shooting between Loony and Draco, and Draco already had a headache.
"Tomorrow," Draco said his wand already out "Be ready by four. We will take you over to the dungeons so we can have an audience" He walked towards the door, passing by his friend so closely he could feel them pushing into his aurora. Loony still stood in the door, looking up at him with..the fuck is that… wonder?
" Move," he said coldly
"You are nice," Loony said as she stepped out of his way.
"Is she talking about Draco?" Daphne mumbled as Draco walked away, leaving his friends and Loony, heading right towards his floo. He needed the word to spread. No Death Eater would conceal their torture session, and Draco had to divert all suspicion away from them.
"Theo, Balise! " He called back just as he pulled his robes on "Meet me in the Cauldron in five" He stepped into the floo
"Why wo-"
Theo's word disappeared as the fireplace swallowed Draco, and then spit him right out into the only working pud in the wizarding world, the Leaky Cauldron.
It was a loud and foul place even during Draco's school days, but now, brimming with off-duty Death Eaters, snatchers, and smugglers, it resembled a den of wolves. Draco moved deliberately through the crowd, making sure everyone noticed him, saw him. He didn't particularly frequent this place, his mere presence was an oddity enough to make the chatter quieten as as he approached Tom, the barkeep. Tom raised his bushy brown eyebrows at Draco.
"Three fire whiskeys," Draco said, dropping a gold galleon on the wooden bar, and settling into the dingy chair.
"Right away" Tom mumbled, taking the coin and scurrying back. As soon as the drink arrived, Draco picked up the dirty glass marked with fingerprints and slowly raised it to his mouth, waiting for the other's arrival. His eyes slowly dragged over the crowd, nearly choking on his drink when he spotted Rabastan staring directly at him.
He had a girl, barely older than sixteen sitting on his lap, with barely scraps of clothing, and Draco's stomach churned at the sight. Rabastan smiles and tips his glass toward Draco, who had to maintain his composure to resist killing the fucker on the spot. Slowly, Draco lifted his glass too, channelling all his hatred into his gaze, letting Rabastan know that he was drinking on borrowed time.
"Well well," a voice emanated from Draco's right. He deliberately sipped his drink once more time before glancing over to Antonin Dolohov, who smiled at him with rotting teeth "I didn't expect to see you here, young Malfoy."
"But here I am," Draco said, pointedly taking a sip of his drink, savouring the burn in his throat.
"I can see you like the toy I gifted to Rabastad" Draco gripped his glass harder. The fuck were Theo and Blaise? "Do you like it?" Dolohove nudged Draco's shoulder
"I don't need whores to get laid," Draco retorted, putting his drink down before he smashed the glass in his palm.
"But your young friend Nott does" Antonin smiled wolfishly
This was the opening Draco needed.
"Not all of us can have this" he gestured to himself, forcing a smile "And not like the bitch will be useful for long" He mumbled, just loud enough for Dolohov to hear
"Oh?" Dolohov said "Trouble in paradise?"
"Well" Draco grabbed his glass again, drawing the remainder of his drink, already motioning for another "You won't want to fuck a bruised potato. She will be no more than that after tomorrow afternoon."
He said it way too obviously, but his stomach was empty except for the fire whiskey and he wanted to get away from Dolohov as soon as he could.
"A hole is still a hole" Dolohov laughed, and Draco wanted to punch him. At that exact moment, Theo and Blaise stepped through the Floo, and Draco's second drink arrived.
"Pleasure as always' He said, levitating the glasses and moving towards his friends. Now they just needed to pretend they were out for a casual drink, and when at home, prepare to torture Loony in front of everybody. His gaze collided with Theo's surprised expression, and he just shook his head, leading them to a table in the corner. He already knew the night would be way too fucking long.
Draco had enough of a shitty morning and after one too many fire whiskeys he awoke in a haze, his dark mark burning so fiercely he was surprised he still possessed his arm he knew this morning would be like no other. He somehow stumbled out of his bed, threw his robes on with the grace of a newborn horse, and somehow even managed to button up his trousers before storming out to the hallway and sprinting to the Floo. His head still swimming, he grabbed a handful of Floo powder, bracing himself as the flames consumed him, depositing him in the Lestrange ballroom fireplace.
Stepping out with a semblance of grace, his face remained impassive as his steps echoed through the empty ballroom. His eyes shot to the side, noting through the frosted windows that the sun was about to rise. Oh how much he hated waking up early.
Approaching the throne in the middle, the ache in his arm lessened, and he began to feel his fingers again.
As he shook the sleep out of his head, he realised he could have just apparated here, the mark letting them apparate through protective and anti-apparition wards but he couldn't do anything about that now. So, he just bowed in front of the dark long, ignoring the blood under his boots, and the claw marks on the floor.
"My Lord" he mumbled
"Rise" The Dark Lord hissed, as Draco straightened, looking at the ugly face of the Dark Lond without his eyes latching onto his.
"You summoned me, My Lord?" he asked, allowing his arm to hang limply at his side. He needed to appear as at ease as possible.
"Yes, yes" The Dark Lord flicked his hand in the air nonchalantly "How is dear Mrs Greengrass? Is she healing quite well?"
Draco suddenly wasn't so hungover anymore, as rage burned through the haze in his brain.
"Yes," he bit out.
"Good, good. She gave us quite a show" The Dark Lord chuckled and Draco had to steel his muscles to prevent reaching for his wand. "And how is the Young Nott's little companion?"
Well, Antonin did know how to gossip effortlessly.
"She has not given us any information, yet"
"That is, unfortunate," The Dark Lord said in a tone that sent chills racing down Draco's spine
"We are planning to use a more hands-on approach, this afternoon" Draco added, sensing the Dark Lord's attention shifting
"I see. The reason I summoned you is" he sighed "I possess an item that requires transfer from the central laboratories to my dwelling." He stands, walking around Draco.
"Yes my lord" Draco answered automatically, bowing his head.
"It defies magical transportation. I require you to ensure its delivery to me by early afternoon."
"Yes my Lord" Draco responded
"You may gather a team to streamline your efforts; "The Dark Lord stood in front of Draco, his pendant glinting in the early morning light. It was an intricately detailed pendant, with a yellow stone in the middle glowing fairly. It looked like every other pureblood jewellery, except it lacked the shine of cleaning magic or the distinct pulse of family enchantments.
"The pests of the Order will likely be primed for an attack. Nevertheless, I have confidence that you will secure its safe delivery." He placed the tip of his wand under Draco's chin making him tear his gaze from the necklace and look up at him.
"Yes, my Lord," he said the final time and the Dark Lord grinned, and Draco already knew he is properly fucked.
"Good" The Dark Lord stepped back, walking back to his throne. "You are dismissed"
Draco executed another bow, savouring the moment. His agenda for the day had just expanded significantly, and as he sauntered back home, the sun was already high in the sky, and the hands-on his clock were already ticking away.
As Draco entered the aggressively lit room, he was seriously surprised that Theo hadn't suffered permanent eye damage from spending all day in there. Draco had visited the labs plenty of times before, they were mostly confined to Theo's private office which was no more than a broom closet with a desk and some big magnifying equipment and an assortment of books, or the main hall where marble floors and walls welcomed the usual Death Eater, with some leather chairs, and a cell to temporarily hold prisoners.
Draco's footfalls reverberated in the hallways, the shoes two sizes too big for him. His gaze swept across the glass cubicles, observing wizards examining or breaking bones, with some cubicles remaining vacant. Draco did not particularly know where he was going, all Theo told him was to Floo into his office, go left on the hallways and go straight until he found a door. It was way too cryptic for his liking, but he did not have time to investigate further as the others were already down in the lobby, waiting for his signal to access the lift and secure it so they could start the transferring process.
As the foreboding 'door' came into view Draco seriously contemplated turning back. Unlike the glass cubicles, this wall had one large, opaque door, reminiscent of the grand entrance to the Malfoy greenhouse. Unlike there, in front of Draco, the glass was not seethrough and the only thing Draco could distinguish was dark shapes moving around inside.
He knocked loudly, and he could visibly see the tension in the shapes before one figure approached the door and opened it, revealing Theo's face. His hair stood in all directions, his eyes a bit too wide, and at that moment, he embodied the image of the crazy scientist Draco and his mates often teased him about.
"Hi mate" He muttered, allowing Draco into the space. It was a large clear room with white walls and grey flooring, full of tables, beakers, claudrons, and parchment. Other than Theo, two men and a petite woman stood there in white coats, eyeing him with accusatory looks. One was a short blond man with a thick beard, and even thicker eyebrows, the other was taller than Draco, skinny as a stick with reddish-brown hair and a barely noticeable moustache. The woman, her wand not so subtly trained on Draco, was about his height, with straight black hair and a pointy, sour face.
"I guess your friends don't particularly like me" Draco muttered, looking each of them in the eye.
"My colleagues" Theo stepped in front of the woman, casually pulling her wand down, "Are just concerned a little, but" He flashed an eye at them "They would not dare disobey the Dark Lord, so they are more than happy to help. Right?" At his shart tone, they reluctantly nodded, and Draco almost laughed.
"So, what is this mysterious thing I am supposed to transfer"
"It is a magical artefact " Sour face answers, her heels clicking on the floor "An exceptional one at last, that should not be mis -"
"Brangwen" the blond man scolded, his voice deep
"I am speaking the truth, Benjamin, he is not capa-"
"That is not for us to decide," The skinny guy says in a quiet voice "What we can do is inform him to the best of our ability"
"Thanks, Wyatt" Theo sighed, his wand moving wildly "Malfoy is more than capable of handling this" he said to Brangwen (who names their kid that?) and his wand elicited sparks of different colours.
"I can speak for myself" Draco added cooly his anger curling around him. It was not often his authority or capabilities were questioned, and he half wished to curse them just to show what he was capable of. "So give me the fucking 'magical artefact' and let me transfer it before the Dark Lord thing it is taking too long, and hexes us all"
At the mention of the Dark Lord, they all bristled, and even the sour expression melted off of Branwhatever's face.
"It is called the Marrowbound Scepter" The bearded one… Benedick? stars levitating a box onto the closest table "It is a serpent-shaped spectre carved from one the most ancient magical creatures known to wizardkind, adorned with silver filigree on the top." He opened the box carefully, and Draco stepped forward, peering into it.
The view was not breathtaking, it looked like a bone snake, with a simple gemstone in its mouth. Most of the Malofy artefacts looked more impressive than that.
"It doesn't look...much" he mumbled
"It is very powerful" The skinny one, Walt? said, "It was excavated from an abandoned graveyard rumoured to host Merlin and his descendants' remains."
"It looks like a stick" Draco scoffed
"It is a lot more than that" Branen scowled, stepping right in front of him "Marrowbound Scepter possesses the unique ability to siphon magical essence directly from the bones of magical creatures." She shook her head at his unimpressed face "The wielder can store the extracted magical essence within the gemstone, creating a reservoir of power that can be tapped into later."
"We have been running some experiments on it" Theo added, closing the box with his wand "It is very potent, and has some promising qualities and if we had a few years we could maybe grasp how it was made. You know, it has run hissed in the scale of the snake that resonates with each other, oh and the gemstone is a-"
"Theo" Draco interrupted
"Sorry" He shook his head "I have no idea why the Dark Lors needs this now, but" He sighed" Be careful with it. It gets activated at human touch, and even though it is meant to only work on animals, let's not try it out on people, okay?"
"The stick stays in the box" Draco said in a bored tone "I get it"
"And don't tussle it too much" Brian added "It could upset it"
"And under no circumstance break the gemstone" Win..Wyatt? warned
"Because I will be flailing it around a throwing it into alles" Draco rolled his eyes "I know how to handle magical artefacts" He waved his wand, trying to lift the most but it didn't move. The sour-faced witch laughed, stepping closer to the box.
"It is charmed to withstand Accio, Levosa, and any other summoning or levitating charms"
"Of course," Draco said sourly, and he took the boy in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy, and as he slightly tilted it, he expected the stick to roll, but it was firmly in place. Nice.
"Just" Theo hurried, opening the door to Draco "Keep the contents of its box to yourself."
"I planned on carolling it around," Draco said flatly "What am I a fucking Hufflepuff?" He puffed, walking towards the lift, with his wand already moving and sending the signal to Blaise.
By the time he arrived at the doors of the lift, Daphne was already standing in it, looking at him expectantly. She wore her death eater robes, black billowing material hiding her body, her mask casually held in her hand. Draco silently stepped into the lift, and as the doors closed, Daphne instantly turned to him.
"So, what's in the box?"
"Confidential"
"What?" Daphne gasped "Come on, you dragged me out of bed at six-"
"You were already awake"
"And forced me on a missio-"
"I asked you"
"And you don't even tell me what we are transferring!"
"Well" Draco dragged his words out "It is a-"
The elevator binged, and the doors slowly slid open in front of them. Draco stepped out without hesitation, leaving Daphne's annoyed puff behind him. Blaise and Goyle were already flanking him, their eyes drifting to the box in his hand silently. The lobby was mostly quiet around them, a few scientists flank the halls but they know better than to notice them, and avert their gaze. As Draco stepped through the double doors, he knew Crabble was already there with a carriage ready for transport. Draco didn't break his stride, nor did he look out at the abandoned street, even as his back prickled with awareness. He couldn't be sure if the Dark Lord's information about the Order was true or if they would be lying in wait for the impromptu arrangements, but he couldn't take a chance. With delicate movements, he stepped into the carriage, closely followed by Blaise who shut the door behind him. The inside of the carriage was stuffy, and it was barely big enough for both of them.
"So a shoebox?" Blaise asked, pulling in the curtains tight
"Yes," Draco said as the carriage started under them
"You are lucky that, Daph keeps her heels in similar ones" Blaise added, eyes settling on Draco
"Fortunately, I don't wear heels" Draco rolled his eyes, ear straining for any sound outside of the groans of the carriage.
They decided this was the safest option, as with a broom, they would have been an easy target to pick off. Even though the carriage stood out as a sore thumb between the abandoned building, and rubble, Draco trusted in his plan. If everything went according to plan they would even have time to drag Loony down into the dungeons and question her. He knew they were flanked by the others wearing disillusionment charms, grabbing onto the side of the carriage as it rode in the sunlight. He suspected the order wouldn't expect them to transfer something like this in broad daylight, and because he arrived by floo, and the carriage got there only a few minutes before he exited the building, even if they had scouts they wouldn't be prepared enough. The carriage veered left, and Draco sighed. They had to take a longer route, knowing that the residence of the Dark Lord was well known, and they would expect them to take the fastest path. He felt fidgety, the plan wasn't fully developed, and on a mission like this he would have planned for an entire week before even attempting a transfer, it is as valuable as they said.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and Blaise looked up at Draco with a tired expression.
"You're ready?" Draco asked calmly leaning back into the deep cushions of the carriage.
"As ready as ever" Blaise mumbled, extracting two vials from his pocket. He grumbled as he tore a piece of hair out, placed it into one of the vials, and then handed it to Draco. Acting similarly, Draco plucked a hair and dropped it into the vial in Blaise's hand. Blaise nodded at Draco, and, simultaneously clicking their vials, they downed the Polyjuice Potion in one go.
He had to dip into his emergency reserve, and he wasn't sure about its shelf life but it had to be enough. Crafting a tailored potion for the mission, one with an accelerated reaction time would have been ideal, granting them ample time to accomplish the task.
The transformation was instant, Draco felt taller, his skin darkened, and he could feel his shoes that had been a few sizes too big now fit comfortably. The biggest shock still was looking ahead and seeing himself, so familiar yet completely different.
"I do despise your plans," Blaise remarked, as he pulled out one of Daphne's shoe boxes from the bottom of the carriage holding it close to him.
"Just act like me and we will be fine"
"So be insufferable?" Blaise raised a single eyebrow just as the carriage door opened, and Daphne's face filled the doorway.
"We are here" She looked at Blaise her eyes expectant, then stole a glance at Draco before her attention snapped back to Blaise. "Wa-" She started, but Blaise hardened his eyes and scowled, and damn he looked convincing.
Blaise only nodded at Draco before stepping out of the carriage, leaving him inside. Draco could see the innkeeper looking at the frightenedly before the door closed in his face, locking him in. After a few seconds, the carriage started again, this time guiding him toward the most logical road to Zabini manor, which coincidentally was just a few streets over from the Lestrange manor. Draco was almost alone now, only Daphne remained somewhere around the carriage guarding him and the artefact. They had to sell it, it needed to look like Draco was at the inn, and he, Blaise, was just going home, nothing noteworthy about him.
Draco even opened the curtains of his carriage and watched as the streets passed by him. Some were abandoned without any sign of life, some with haggling people in torn clothes, and then in the select few, he saw the remnants of life. Of course, none of them was really busy, especially compared to Knockturn Alley which has bloomed over the years, and every day was full of witches and wizards, taking over the hold Diagon Allly had on the wizarding world pre-war. Diagon Alley these days was just an abandoned strip, with no shops, no magic, just ruined buildings and rubble littering the street. The only thing that remained was Gringotts, which still served as the main wizarding bank, but now was fully under the order of the Dark Lord, just like the ministry.
Draco bristled thinking about it. His father, before it was apparent that the Dark Lord returned wanted him to be a politician, to work a job in the ministry to uphold the Malfoy name. As a kid Draco imagined himself as a pro quidditch player or potions master, and as he neared the age of an adult a ministry official, working on papers and.. bloody knows what. Still, it never called to him, and every time he had to visit the building as a pre-teen he could feel the wrongness of it. Now, as it was so full of corruption one could hardly breathe, he didn't even put his foot in it. it was more than unnecessary. Everybody knew it was just a facade, and Draco sometimes wondered how would one start to rebuild it.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Draco's head shot up, looking around the carriage. He knew he was alone, and Daphne would not knock on a moving carriage. Still, he gripped his wand and cast a perception charm. Nobody inside. He swallowed, letting his shoulders fall.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"The fuck" He mumbled looking out the little window and seeing nothing else but a house elf, looking at him menacingly their ears flapping aggressively in the wind.
"Fuck" He jumped back just as he felt the first wave of curses hit the carriage.
He stumbled, his balance teetering on the edge of disaster as the small house-elf furiously worked to pry the door open. Suddenly Draco was very glad he took his family's carriage and not just rented one out. The Malfoy family magic only allowed people to enter who Draco invited, and that might have just saved his life. Despite the urgency, Draco strained to glimpse the ongoing chaos outside. The elf, however, effectively shielded the view, obscuring the unfolding events. The Order shouldn't have unravelled the switch yet. They should have only realized when Draco was deeper into the city, more protected by a building occupied by Death Eaters. None among them, not even the supposedly astute professors, possessed the intellect to discern the Polyjuice Potion's effects from such a distance. Other than his friend nobody knew him well enough to recognize his movements.
A loud thud resonated as the elf pounded on the glass, accompanied by a feminine shout that Draco couldn't identify. He couldn't take any chances; he already brought harm to one of the Greengrass sisters, and he would rather die than let the other one get injured. Glancing at the shoebox in his hand, Draco hoped it wouldn't eat his hand as he cast a Reducio charm on it. The box shuttered for a moment, clearly resisting before it became as small as a penny. With a satisfied smile, Draco pocketed the miniature box, warded the pocket with his wand, and, with a swift kick, forced the door open, sending the elf tumbling away.
With the door open the shouts, cries, and the howl of the wind assaulted Draco and he dripped the frame harder. The carriage was still going full speed, and the wind bit Draco's face as he ducked out, one hand holding the doorframe stead. Circling around them, four or five Order members on brooms unleashed a barrage of curses aimed at the top of the carriage. As the sunlight reflected off the snow around them, Draco had to shield his eyes to try and distinguish their faces under the hoods.
A curse was hurled toward Draco, but he quickly threw up a Protego and promptly sent the prick of them off their broom before they could even try and shield. He really didn't plan on getting his hands dirty before noon.
"Zambini!" A shout pierced the air, momentarily confusing Draco as he instinctively looked behind, half-expecting to find Blaise, when he realized. They didn't know who he was. Suppressing a victorious grin, he retaliated by hurling a curse upward, seizing the tail end of one of the Order members' brooms. The charm of the spell sparkled in the air, but the surrounding snow, accumulating thickly, threatened to envelop them in a blinding snowstorm. Storms were always drawn to magical energy, and he really did hope this one would find them, rather quickly.
He cast another curse just as a foot slipped into his view, almost kicking him in the head. Glancing over, he spotted Daphne perilously close to the edge of the carriage almost falling off the side. She shot a look at him and scrambled back up, whirling curses left and right. Draco, quickly conjuring a protective shield around himself, clambered onto the top of the carriage.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Daphne's muffled voice reached Draco through her Death Eater mask, obscuring her features.
Draco realized he had forgotten his mask. "What does it look like?" he retorted, shielding her from an incoming attack and shooting a curse towards one of the closely flying Order members. The wind tore at his clothes, and it took everything in him to maintain his footing on the uneven speeding carriage.
He glanced around, searching for any advantage they could seize. The order members were around them, they could not hide, and if they were captured, the Dark Lord would unleash torment upon the others, a fate he couldn't allow. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a tunnel, a passageway leading to the streets surrounding Zabini Manor. If they could make it through the tunnel, the magical barriers shielding the manor would prevent the Order members from pursuing them. The idea sparked a glimmer of hope in Draco's mind. They just needed to hold out until they reached the safety of the wards.
Draco shot another curse, trying the sidestep the ones hurled at him. The faces of the older members were concealed by hoods, but he saw enough flash of red hair to know they really wanted that stick hidden in his pocket.
He felt his skin fluck and as he looked down his hand, he saw the dark skin slowly lighten, and he could feel himself losing his height.
"Bollocks" Draco mumbled.
He stole a panicked glance behind, the tunnel looming perilously close. He pretended not to notice, as Draco unleashed the next curse, causing an Order member to lose grip of their wand, which vanished into the melting snow. He tried to mask his face as the heat climbed up his cheekbones.
"Get them!" a voice commanded, but Draco knew it was too late for them.
"Duck!" Draco bellowed, propelling himself toward Daphne. He pressed her against the carriage roof, creating a scant few centimetres of space between them and the narrow entrance of the approaching tunnel.
He could feel the brick scraping his back and heared the shouts echoing through the tunnel but they were distant enough for Draco to ease his hold. As the distinct pop of them penetrating the wards sounded he could breathe for a second.
A second later, the pressure disappeared and he stood hauling Daphne up, looking at the Lestrange manor trying to hide his distaste.
"I" Daphne huffed, her dishevelled hair standing in every direction, "fucking hate you Draco"
"You do?" Draco shouted over the wind, winking at Daphne who looked at him like she was ready to murder him. "Don't waste your energy," He said, trying to make himself look presentable as the carriage started to slow down. The burn disappeared and he was sure he looked like himself again "The hard part comes now"
Daphne responded with a silent, intense gaze. As soon as the carriage came to a halt in front of the ornate door of the Lestrange manor, she just leapt off. Draco followed suit, retrieving the stick from his pocket and restoring it to its original size. The weight of it made him huff as he ascended the stairs, navigating through his aunt's house, making a conscious effort to look straight ahead. The house always sent shivers down his spine. He had visited it once when his mother attempted to maintain appearances while her sister was in Azkaban, but Draco sensed something inherently wrong with the house even then. The mere walls radiated dark magic that seeped through him just by stepping into the hallways.
"Go home" Draco muttered, stepping next to Daphne
"Bu-"
"Check on Astoria," he interjected, just as they turned towards the double doors of the ballroom.
The doors he held Daphne back as Astoria was raped. The doors he wanted to burn down. He swallowed, steeling himself, and pushing the screams from his consciousness. "Go"
To his surprise, Daphne did. Stepping to the floo, she cast one sad look at him before she disappeared into the green flames. Without hesitation, Draco turned around and entered the ballroom, his gaze fixed on the ground, the box securely cradled in his arms.
"Draco" The Dark Lord hissed and Draco put his mental walls up, building them higher and higher until he could only see what was in front of him and the past so distant and foggy, his own name was unfamiliar.
"My lord" Draco bowed respectfully, keeping the box securely cradled in his arms.
"You brought my treasure," The Dark Lord said in a satisfied tone.
"Yes," Draco responded, opening the box, and revealing the… staff? Stick?
"Very good" the Dark Lord praised, but the words felt hollow to Draco's ears. He knew better than to fully accept such praise. "Place it on the table"
Slowly, Draco walked over to a small table at the side of the throne and carefully positioned the box on it. As he lifted his hands away, the Dark Lord gripped his wrist tightly. Unintentionally, Draco's eyes shot up, meeting the serpent-like pupils of his master.
"I hear you are planning to have some fun," The Dark Lord hissed, leaning in close to Draco "Don't you think you should invite others too?"
Draco swallowed, then nodded. "Yes my lord" he answered, unsure of what else to say.
"That's precisely what I hoped," the Dark Lord said, smiling as he released Draco's wrist. With a wave of his wand, Loony appeared, shackled and led by Blaise, who cast a warning glance at Draco. Rationally, Draco knew Blaise had returned home before him, but an unease lingered in his gut.
"And let's not forget our main guest" The Dark Lord chuckled pointing his want toward his Dark Mark. Draco braced himself for the familiar burning sensation, but it didn't come. Instead, with a loud pop, Theo appeared, still in his white coat, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. First Loony, then Blaise, Draco, and finally, the Dark Lord. Quickly, Theo sank to his knees.
"You called me my lord," He said, his voice controlled.
"Indeed," The Dark Lord said, "I heard of your intentions to interrogate the blood traitor."
"Yes my lord" Theo answered automatically
"I pondered," he continued, as if the idea had just dawned upon him, "why not demonstrate to the others how it's properly executed? Right, Zambini?"
"Yes," Blaise replied with a frigid tone, guiding Loony into the centre of the ballroom.
"Wonderful" the Dark Lord mused, conjuring a chair then he lifted his want toward his dark mark. Now Draco could feel the burs, and moments after loud pop echoed around the Death Eater arriving, surrounding them.
Loony shook like a leaf as Blaise forced her into the chair, swiftly binding her to it with a flick of his wand. Loony's eyes darted anxiously between Draco and Theo, her fear escalating.
"Please" Loony whispered and Draco could see Theo's go rigid as he stood.
"This shall prove most entertaining" The Dark Lord said leaning back into his chair.
Draco nodded at Blaise, who just stepped in front of Loony, circling her. Draco could feel the stares of the masked Death Eaters on them, waiting, anticipating. He couldn't dee Dolohov yet, but Draoc knew he would show up. Dark Lord wanted a demonstration, and he would get it.
"What is your name?" Blaise asked calmly, drawing a knife from somewhere and lightly tracing it over his fingers.
"Luna Elphias Lovegood" Loony responded in a shaky voice.
Draco fortified his mental defences and forced a laugh "You mean Loony Lovegood right?" Loony flinched visibly, as did Theo, who risked exposure to anyone observant enough.
He had to play his part. They planned to give Loony a numbing potion, but he wasn't sure if it finished brewing by the time Blaise arrived home, and if they had time to give it to her.
"Good" Blaise continued, crouching before Loony "See how adept you are at answering questions" He traced the blade over her calves "Now" He swists the blase, drawing blood.
Loony didn't scream but still visibly flinched.
"What was your clearance level in the order?" Blaise calmly pressed.
The Death Eaters had discovered the significance of the clearance system a few months prior, and now, every torture session commenced with that particular question. While the members of the Order perceived it as a relatively harmless inquiry, unbeknownst to them those with too low of a rank would just get killed, or sold into slavery. It acually made Blaise's job easyer.
"I am not telling you" Loony declared, and as Blaise withdrew the blade from her leg, she cried out.
"What was your clearance level in the order?" Blaise posed the question once more, this time encircling the blade around Loony's throat. Draco knew he wouldn't kill her, well.. he hoped.
"I-" Loony cast a panicked glance at Theo who discreetly nodded " Level six" she whispered.
Well, at least they wouldn't have to resort to killing her. Anyone below level 5 was deemed unusable.
"Good" Blaise Blaise pulled back, leisurely circling Loony, and Draco braced himself for the arduous hours ahead.
Draco winced as Loony's piercing scream reverberated through his ears, the sound becoming increasingly unbearable. Dolohov finally made his entrance, and Draco noted the Dark Lord's expression shifting to one of mild boredom. It was about time, as the numbing potion Blaise had to give Loony to withstand the lever of torture was about to wear off, and she would be in real fucking pain if they didn't give her another one. Loony was bloody and bruised, and true to her bloody word because she didn't tell them anything. She told them about Nargles, and creatures stealing tears of broken-hearted girls, but basically nothing about the order they didn't already know.
"Where is the headquarters?" Blaise demanded
"I am not the secret keeper" Loony retorted
"Where do you have safehouses?" Blaise pressed
"I cannot possibly know the location of all of them"
"Where is Bloody Potter?" Blaise leaned into her face, brows furrowed
"I assume he is having lunch"
And on, and on.
Theo was fidgety and losing it. He was never fond of torture, or war, and Draco had his wand ready to Scourgify his vomit when it inevitably happened.
"She passed out" Blaise commented, as Draco looked over to the bloody blond locks that looked so much like Astoria, her screams that sounded so much like a witch he would think of that he needed to look away.
The night wrapped around Draco as he stepped out into the French countryside. Apparating such a long distance always drained his magical reserves to almost nothing, but he still took a step forward, making his way toward the Black family château barely visible in the dark. It was well after midnight as the questioning of Loony drew out into the early night. She was barely breathing, the numbing pontoon long word off when the Dark Lord dismissed them, letting Theo keep her as his prisoner for some reason. Draco wanted nothing more than to return home and have a shower but the Dark Lord had other plans. Before he could even get his wand out, he was ordered to return to the French countryside, to help squats the new surge of French resistance.
That is how he found himself looking up at the building where he had spent summer there, with only his mother who spent all of her childhood in the rooms of the building. Draco did not know nearly enough about his mother's childhood, but he knew enough to feel a step closer to her just by being here. His steps were relentless as he, instead of the overgrown path that leads to the château, darted toward the small shack, just outside the bound of the family magic that was tightly wrapped around the ancient building.
As he arrived in front of the skewed door his shoulders became lighter, and as he opened it fully, he felt like stepping back into memory.
"What's that?" Draco asked in a creaky voice, barely more than a whine. He was just tall enough to see over the hedges of the garden when he was in his mother's arms.
"What my darling?" His mother asks, hiking him higher on her hips.
"That" Draco pointed furiously at the little building he didn't know existed. He knew their house more than his own hand, and not knowing about the little structure made him incredibly angry.
"It-" His mother's voice laughs, which did not happen often if his father was far away "Just a shack outside of our lot. Nothing note wordy"
Even at small Draco could hear the sadness in his mother's voice.
Draco shook the memory away, casting Lumo's charm and advancing into the little thing. The first time he visited it, he was scared out of his wits, and he bolted when the door creaky a bit too loud. The second time was after his mother's death.
Draco didn't want to remember. He felt himself slipping and he cemented himself in reality. He stared extra hard at the wooden walls, at the small table and chair, at the parchment that housed non-legible ink marks, and at the spots of snow leaking in through the holes in the roofing.
Exhaling heavily, he eased into the chair, challenging it to give way beneath him. As his head barely found reprieve, the rhythmic beats of wings caught his attention. Lifting his gaze, he spotted a lone brown owl, now perched before him, bearing a solitary parchment secured to its leg. Anticipation coursed through Draco as he reached out, unfurling the note.
'I don't trust you'
The words glared at him, by smudged bloody fingerprints.
Whose blood was that?
Did it belong to the person who responded?
Why didn't they trust him?
He gave them good information, he sacrificed everything by giving them that information.
A bitter laugh escaped his throat as he crumpled the paper.
In the darkness, amid the crisp air, he didn't trust himself either. He tried to look at his actions, the letters that somehow, against his better judgment, he sent to them.
But they answered.
Draco had no idea who they were, but they did answer every time. Draco absently drew on the wooden table with his wand, letting his thoughts whirl around him.
Maybe Draco was going insane, and this one was the first step to becoming his father. Messaging with the bloody Order.
He shook his head.
Yeah, he was definitely going insane.
He rose, extinguishing his Lumos, and strolled back toward the château. The letter remained clutched in his other hand as he passed the magical barriers surrounding it. A faint pop echoed around the countryside, but it did not reach Draco, as he was inside the barriers.