AN: I know this work is a little rushed and some parts fall short compared to later chapters, and are weak and sloppy. I've had an eating disorder fic in my mind for like 20 years lmao. I want it here, long, huge and perfect. I'll come back and fix the continuity errors and all my mistakes and the weaker parts of the story once it's entirely finished. I'm sorry for the discrepancies, continuity errors, etc. minor parts and characters like theo kind of came as an after-thought. I'm a single mom that works 3 jobs and I don't have much time. My priority is getting this finished, though. I'll be back to polish it up later. Comments help me write more stories! :P
Narcissa Malfoy stalked the floor of her kitchen, patting her nieces back gently. Delphini fussed and squirmed in her arms. Narcissa sighed.
She has been caring for her Niece, Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter.
She cried often, and hardly ever slept at all, though Narcissa had barely noticed from the lack of sleep she had been getting herself.
She continued to pace through her kitchen hardly paying Delphini any mind besides the rhythmic pats on her back. Her sister would be awake at any moment.
Narcissa had planted a portkey to take her son and niece somewhere safe. She had a contact in Bulgaria who helped her ensure it only went one way and was entirely untraceable, and it was on an entirely unassuming gray rock in her grounds.
Bellatrix and Lord Voldemort had arrived in the evening yesterday to give her son the dark mark. Narcissa had tried to wake up with him before they arrived, but she was intervened and followed by Dolohov. Death Eaters monitored every room in the Manor. No one had discovered the portkey she had prepared for herself, Delphini, and Draco. If they had, all three of them would have been executed. Dolohov patrolled the mansion and Narcissa began to realize their escape was impossible.
Two months prior, Bellatrix came to Narcissa with several other death eaters in tow, and a baby in her arms. Narcissa hadn't even known she was pregnant.
Bellatrix informed Narcissa she was to keep Delphini in the Malfoy manor and host all death eater operations, until further notice, whether Narcissa liked it or not.
Ever since her husband, Lucius Malfoy, had failed the dark lords mission to return the prophecy and destroyed a piece of his soul, the Malfoys were treated like second class citizens by the dark lord and his followers.
Death Eaters completely overran the manner. Bellatrix disappeared to god-knows-where with the dark lord. Only returning as promised to give Draco his dark mark.
Narcissa hadn't been allowed to watch Draco receive the mark, but she was certainly present while Draco hysterically cried to her after. The ceremony disturbed him greatly. She knew they tortured muggles, but she preferred to turn her cheek to the more brutal practices. Out of site out of mind. It was only muggles, after all...
Draco was so sensitive, though.
Narcissa frowned. Bellatrix would begin training him, today. She had absolutely hated having no idea what was to come for her son.
She knew her sister like the back of her hand. She wasn't going to go easy on Draco for being her nephew. If anything, it will be much worse than if he were a stranger to her.
Ever since Lucius failed his mission, Draco was no longer Bellatrix's nephew. He was Lucius' son. He had only been chosen to punish Lucius, and she knew it.
Delphini suddenly calmed herself, startling Narcissa out of her thoughts. Her niece uncharacteristically cooed and reached for the door.
The kettle was furiously whistling behind them, and it broke her from her thoughts for a moment before a shattering crash came smashing through her kitchen window. It was the rock, the portkey.
Bellatrix apparated in her kitchen, causing Narcissa to jump and Delphini to wail hysterically.
"My darling, girl! Say hi to mummy! Give her here, Cissy!" Bella cooed, arms outstretched.
Narcissa passed over Delphini, she rubbed her empty hands together, nervously.
"Such a striking resemblance, don't you believe, Cissy? You can feel the power radiating from off of her. He was so proud!" Bella whispered, eyes widened while she admired her daughter as if she were a trophy.
"I'm sure you both must be." Narcissa said, she tried to smile pleasantly, but it was faltering. "I just was wondering if you spoke with him about reconsidering-"
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and sighed, "No, no, Cissy. Take this back." Bella dismissed, passing off Delphini casually to Narcissa.
"Fetch Draco. You're not still trying to run away with him, are you? Did you honestly think that would work? You're very lucky I caught that before he did, Cissy. You're walking a thin line with us." She spoke in a condescending tone with half lidded eyes placing her hands on her hips. "We have little time to create a soldier out of such a waste-"
"You watch what you say about him." Narcissa warned darkly her eyes narrowing. Bellatrix glared and cocked her head.
All of a sudden Narcissa felt like there was a magnet in her brain pulling all of her thoughts to the surface. "Bella! You told me you weren't going to do that, get out of my head!" She hissed.
"Cissy..." Bellatrix started darkly. "Draco was given a task by our lord. Exactly who do you think you are to question him?"
"Bella, there has to be some other way. I can understand you giving him lessons, but killing Albus? He's only 16. You used to be so reasonable-"
Bellatrix's eyes widened and she gasped slowly, as if Narcissa revealed a scandolous secret, " Does that husband of yours share your thoughts?" Bellatrix probed, lifting one of her brows questioningly at her sister.
Delphini frowned, her eyes searching between the two.
Delphini didn't protest when Bellatrix took her out of Narcissa's arms, but looked back to read her aunt's expression.
"Bella, he's not ready to do this. He can't possibly kill Albus." Narcissa tried again, desperate to reach the part of her sister that stilled loved and cared for her family, " Draco's honestly such a tender boy-"
"Because you've spoiled him, Cissy." Bellatrix bit, cutting her off."He is not ready for this, and that's why our Lord has put me in charge of seeing to it that he will be. You and that husband of yours may have turned your back on us, but there is hope for Draco, yet." Bella said.
"Lucius and I have been devoted and loyal followers as long as you have, Bella, this isn't about that, and you know it!" Narcissa hissed.
"Then what are you suggesting?" Bella challenged, narrowing her eyes.
Narcissa pointed her eyes upwards and blinked her tears back. "Please, Bellatrix, don't kill him. You have a child now, what if she-"
"You thought I would never do any better than Rudolphous, didn't you?" Bellatrix accused, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Narcissa's annoyance almost overrode her desperation. She didn't want to have this argument again.
" He passed me right along to he was happy to do so! Even that useless little worm was rightfully honored to have had such the privilege! You just can't be happy for me, though, could you?!" Bellatrix sneered, flinging her wand in the air, letting red cracks fly. Delphini whined and reached for Narcissa.
Bellatrix sighed and glared, "you're even working on turning my own daughter against me. You think I hadn't noticed?"
"Bella, I would never-" Narcissa tried again, but Bellatrix wouldn't hear it.
"You never truly saw in him what I see! You've always just jumped on the bandwagon for a free ride! He saw me, though, the greatest wizard of all time saw me." Bellatrix said, her stern demeanor deconstructing through her rage towards her sister."You just can't stand that I have finally outdone you, can you?!" She hissed.
Delphini reached for Narcissa quickly but Bellatrix pulled her daughter out of her reach, her wand began to flicker slightly as she aimed it towards Narcissa who was froze with her arms in the air.
"You always got everything you wanted handed to you, Cissy..." Bellatrix said, curling her lip in disgust. "You never had to work for a single thing a day in your life, and you expect Draco to have the same luxury." She sneered, walking in a pattern designed to keep Narcissa out of Delphini's view.
"In war, Cissy, everyone has to get their hands dirty." She said in an almost sing song way strutting casually through the kitchen. "He will serve his purpose as Delphini will hers. We brought her into this world together, to begin his legacy. He taught me with her. Both of our souls together," Bellatrix smiled turning to get a glimpse of her sisters expression.
Narcissa didn't need occlumency to read her sisters mind right then. Her eyes widened, "no..." she whispered. Bellatrix's grin never faltered and she nodded.
"We will both be immortal together. He chose me." She whispered punctuating each word with her insanity, the hairs on Narcissa's neck stood up.
Narcissa gasped, "You don't mean?!" She said shocked, and rushed to grab Delphini out of Bellatrix arms and wrapping her own around her niece.
Bella let her, her eyes wide and she was grinning from ear to ear. "It's an honor to die for our Lord." Bella hissed.
Narcissa looked between Delphini and Bellatrix horrified. Tears were threatening to spill, and she squeezed her niece tightly.
"Bellatrix no... Please tell me you don't mean what I think you mean?" Narcissa whispered gravely, but not a flicker of emotion went over Bellatrix's face.
"Bella, not Draco, and not your daughter. Please tell me you're not saying what I think you are. I can't stand that." she pleaded. "Please, please, Bella..." Narcissa said, letting tears spill freely. "Please, tell me you're not saying what I think you are. Tell me your own child is not your..." Narcissa couldn't say it.
"She was born with the greatest purpose of all, Cissy, and she will be honored to accept her fate as Draco will do with his." Bellatrix said sternly, casually extending her arms for her daughter, Narcissa held her tighter, and instinctually turned the child away from her, Bella sighed.
"Now, Cissy, you know I'll look after my favorite nephew, always... but in the event I cannot." Bella paused, and her eyes flashed along with the crazed grin spreading over her face, "Sevvy is always there to look after our Draco, isn't he? Why don't we have a chat with him?" Bella continued perkily, it was said although it had been rehearsed.
More tears spilled down her face as Narcissa nodded. She knew that smile. That was the devious grin that shown over Bella's face every time she got her way. When Narcissa's first date was sabotaged, he ended up in the hospital wing all night long regrowing his organs. When she had come to console her sister about missing the ball, Bella had been smiling at her exactly like that. That smile was all Narcissa needed to know Bellatrix was involved with her date's 'accident'.
"I'll go see him." She sobbed out and inhaled three quick breaths and wiped her eyes furiously. Whatever Bella was up to, Draco would be safer if Severus were in on it.
"That's right, Cissy. I'll go with you after I'm done with Draco. We'll make sure he's looked after. Now go fetch me my nephew. Be a good girl." Bella said.
Narcissa couldn't say anything back without breaking down. She obediently turned her heel, her footsteps echoed off the marble manor walls hauntingly, as she forced her legs up the elegant manor staircase.
She took a moment before reaching Draco's room to lay Delphini down, and descended to the hallway to her sons door that seemed to stretch farther away with every step she took. When she finally reached it, she knocked and entered without an answer.
The hallway light eerily illuminated Draco who was already seated on his bed, his brows were furrowed, he was beginning to look gaunt, and his wide eyes were lined with dark heavy bags.
"Draco," Narcissa said softly, but he didn't look up. "They want you to start today, darling." Narcissa said softly and sat on the edge of his bed.
"Mum?" Draco's voice cracked. "I don't think I was chosen because Voldemort thinks I'm incredibly talented. I don't think I should feel honored." He admitted without ever looking up, she could tell he was shaking.
"No, darling, me neither," Narcissa whispered back unblinking. "I'll talk to Severus today, he'll think of something-"
"Mum, I don't want this anymore." Draco admitted his voice was strained and quiet. Narcissa followed Draco's gaze down to his exposed forearm resting on his lap. She instinctually pulled her sons sleeve down and covered his mark with her hand. She wanted to put a giant bandage over that ugly thing and kiss it well.
"Be strong Draco, play along like we talked about, until we figure out something." Narcissa added again, she cupped her sons face in her hand and stared over every detail as if memorizing it. It was like she knew she had to remember him before whatever is about to happen happens.
He wrapped his fingers around his forearm, it still stung. He felt like he was watching a play, it was all so surreal. Ever since his father became one, Draco had dreamed of being a Death Eater. It wasn't anything like he thought.
He couldn't get the noises those muggles made out of his head. He had to crucio one. He simply demonstrated that he knew the spell, and they all laughed at how weak his was. Another boy, Solomon... he was initiated the same day and kept all 5 captives under the cruciatus for a few hours just to show Draco up. He'd have traded spots in a heart beat. He felt nauseous at the thought of people jealous of what he had been 'chosen' for...
He squeezed his forearm tighter and allowed the burning sensation to shoot farther down his arm. It wasn't a dream.
"We have to go, Draco. It's only going to get worse if we don't." Narcissa said, stroking his hair gently.
She coaxed him up and he slowly followed her out of his room.
He paused in front of his door. Taking in a deep breath and shrugging his shoulders back before exiting. He turned to his mother one last time and gave her a reassuring nod before descending down the hallway.
He felt disoriented walking through the hall way. The portraits of his family members were sneering, and going in-between paintings, looking at him while whispering to each other. Word of his hesitance is floating around quite a lot, and if he doesn't try to prove himself he'll put himself and his parents in a lot of danger.
"Draco!" Beckoned Bellatrix cheerily when she noticed his arrival. Draco was too unsure of himself to speak to her. Narcissa walked quickly behind him fear apparent on her face.
"You'll be leaving us to it, won't you, then, Cissy?" Bella said perkily, taking Narcissa by the arm, and escorting her out the door.
"Wait!" Narcissa jerked her arm out of Bellatrix's hand and whipped around abruptly. "Bella what if-"
"He mustn't have any distractions," Bella tsk'd wagging her finger as she cut her off, shoving her sister through the doorway. "I know you always found our work too much for your stomach, Cissy-" Bellatrix added, giving her sister a knowing look.
"He's only a boy, Bella, he's your nephew. Please, don't-" Narcissa began to beg, but Bellatrix slammed and locked the door in her face before she could finish.
"Don't you worry about a thing, Cissy!" She called through the door. "Your son will be one of the most well trained and devoted followers of our Lord when I'm done! I wouldn't expect any less from my nephew." She beamed through the doorway, perhaps the most genuine thing she's ever wanted for him.
"Come along, Draco." Bella started down the longest blackest hallway of his mansion and motioned for him to follow.
Draco's stomach sank, he could think of a lot of things he wanted to say to Bellatrix, and every one of them a terrible idea.
He followed behind her, along a corridor he'd never laid eyes on before. The manor was ancient and massive. It was only half the size of Hogwarts but twice as restricted in where Draco could go. There were several passageways he's never seen, and rooms he hasn't been in. This hallway was almost as huge as the volts in Gringotts and seemed to go downwards.
"You must be so excited. You've never been in the study." She said as they passed by portraits of his ancestors who were all eyeing them both suspiciously and whispering amongst themselves.
Draco kept his mouth shut, and stalked behind his aunt cautiously.
"The manor was entirely built around it, you know. Every mission that has ever furthered the pure blood's cause throughout history has started in this room, Draco. It's almost an honor as great as being before our Lord himself." Bellatrix explained happily as the heals of her boots clacked quickly along the halls and up to two large and elegantly carved massive wooden doors.
They reached a massive marble door, Draco felt like he was fighting his feet not to go back. It towered over them, and had an elegant yet aggressive-looking golden lock securing it in place.
'Haeretici peribunt,' Bellatrix whispered and the golden levers and gears whirred and made thick heavy clunking sounds as the door slowly revealed a large bare floor surrounded by pitch black nothing. It was like someone took a door-shaped cookie cutter, pressed it against the wall and cut a piece of the world out.
Bella grabbed a small oil lantern casting a pale yellow light that flickered creepily on her face. The room seemed to swallow the light from her hand and it cast strange shadows between them.
Draco cautiously followed, the floor looked like he could have fallen through into the nothing surrounding the rest of this strange room, but the ground was completely solid and he was provided with the same dim light around his feet as his aunts.
"The light is sucked out of the room, darkness keeps our missions safe from prying eyes." Bellatrix explained, setting the lantern down but it hardly was enough light to make out much. The air around them seemed to suck it away.
A muffled scream came from somewhere in the blackness, Draco tensed and hovered his hand above his wand.
Bella's robes made a thick wooshing sound as she held her arms up, "Go on then, hit me." She demanded, casually.
Draco gripped his wand tight, he felt a knot in his throat, "what?" he choked out.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and sighed, "ATTACK ME!" She bellowed, hitting her hands on her chest, "HIT ME!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, but her expression was incredulous, as if what she wanted from Draco was obvious.
Draco pointed his wand, but was too unsure of himself to think of any spells quickly enough.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and lowered her arms." I need to see where you are and how much work we have to do," she explained, annoyed, marching towards Draco until her wand was inches away from his chin. "I've heard reports from your initiation. I'm very unimpressed, Draco. How can you kill one of the most powerful wizards that ever lived if you can't knock out your auntie?" She teased dangerously.
"You expect me to duel you?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised higher in his forehead and his eyes got wide, he didn't like where this was going.
"Crucio," Bellatrix whispered, her wand cracked with bright red light. "NO!" Draco screamed before a bright red light struck him directly in the chest.
Immediately he doubled over as white hot pain shot through his body. It felt like his skin was lit on fire and being sliced apart with dull burning knives all at once.
"Pick your wand up, try to strike me," Bella instructed, circling around him like vulture as he picked himself up off the floor. A glimmer of pride flashed over her face when Draco struggled to sit himself up.
His head was wooshing, he wordlessly disarmed her, but she summoned her wand back silently with her bare hands. Draco gawked at the skill and Bella aimed her wand at him again.
"You'll learn to keep up with me, and you better learn quickly," Bella said, her words were slow and venomous. "You were chosen for this on the merits of your prestigious heritage. Don't doubt yourself, you were already born with everything you need." she cooed, she noted by the way Draco's head perked up at the praise, she touched a vulnerable spot. "HIT ME!" She commanded.
Draco reached outright for his wand and wordlessly shifted it, but it pathetically spluttered back on the ground.
'You're not born for this, she's going to kill you this is how you're going to die.' He thought grimly.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and waved her wand, immediately it felt like a worm had crawled into Draco's brain. He could feel something dig around deep inside his head and sucking out all of his thoughts and memories. He frantically tried to find other thoughts himself to block them, momentarily he managed a memory of his father teaching him to ride a broom stick.
The pride on his father's face when he took to flying like a fish to water.
Concentrating on it became increasingly difficult as memories flashed through his head so fast he was spinning and unable to focus on a single one.
A memory of his father screaming at him for placing second to a mudblood. She saw Lucius pinch his lovehandles and tease him for having to buy his spot on the team. 'They'd never let anyone that pudgy chase after a snitch in my day.' Lucius whispered while ghostly images and voices inundated everything around him.
It's like all of his insecurities sinking at the bottom of his body were being pulled up front to the top of his head. He'd never be good enough, never quite measured up to anyone's standards.' He doesn't get his porkiness from my side of the family'. That fucking mudblood effortlessly outperforming him, all the fantasies and failed attempts of poisoning Hermione Granger's breakfasts with idiocy inducing potions.
Images from his life flashed across his brain like lightening. Until one became very prominent. She saw him receive his mark, they had practically held a celebration.
Then they informed him about killing Albus... She looked through his thoughts, and he felt too scared to move when he began to realize she was discovering how he truly felt about becoming a death eater and his suspicions of her and the Dark Lord. As suddenly as it happened, the invasion was gone and Draco felt a new appreciation for peace that he didn't know he should have had.
When it was over his aunt was glaring at him, and If looks could kill Draco would have been erased out of existence.
Bellatrix's face was twisted incredulously.
'None of us are fat. She said her nose crinkling with offense. 'How dare Lucius? Have you met your aunt Belladonna? She's as wide as she is tall!'
Draco's head was still spinning and starting to ache, her words sounded like they were coming through water.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated with her nephew's disorientation. 'I had no idea you were such a sensitive little thing, Draco, I'm disappointed.' Bellatrix sneered. 'Crucio.'
Draco doubled over, it was like his skin was being split open just to introduce bolts of lightening inside of his body.
He tried to beg for mercy but he could no longer form words. He couldn't even see straight when he was finally released from what felt like a millenia of the inside of his skin being electrocuted.
He was still seizing from the after shock when he finally regained enough composure to heave and cough hard as he tried to breathe again.
"Hit me," Bellatrix whispered. Draco lifted his wand, but looked between it and Bellatrix, he started to whisper the spell but the zaps and pain he experienced made him very reluctant to. Bellatrix rolled her eyes and made a motion to strike him again but Draco noticed this and before she could lift her arm back up, he shouted, "Crucio!" in panic inbetween his dry heaves.
Bellatrix was on the floor and screaming in agony. Her back twisted sideways and tears flooded out the corners of her eyes. The ungodly expression of pain twisting her face made Draco feel sick and she was immediately released.
She snapped her arm back and cracked her wand at Draco as if she were striking a whip, and the force of the hex knocked Draco down, his entire arm bent backwards with three sickeningly loud cracks before it hung limp and broken.
Draco screamed and cried at the top of his lungs. The pain never subsided like when she used the cruciatus. She really broke his arm.
"You're an absolute psychopath!" Draco hissed in horror.
Bellatrix giggled as if she were complimented. "You have to love doing it, Draco!" She gushed. "Once you mean it, once you're truly filled with glee to see your opponent suffering, that's how you master the cruciatus curse. " She explained proudly and waved her hands behind her releasing the latch to a cupboard Draco hadn't noticed had been there. Perhaps it even materialized.
"I only want you to be the best you can be, Draco. You have so much potential. You were chosen for this, you were chosen to not fail us like that worthless father of yours." She said as a man, tied up with ropes and white cloth gagged over his mouth fell out of the cupboard and onto the floor. He was struggling against the rope and pleading at Draco with his eyes.
Draco could feel his stomach drop like the first kick off in the air on a broom. He wanted to chase after his mum in the hallway and hide behind her like he did when he was a child.
Bellatrix crawled to Draco on the floor and tauntingly looked him directly in the face. "This is what happens when you fail. When you betray us, you're worthless, do you understand? This is the sort of filth we will eradicate from our Lord's version of the new world." She ended that last bit in a way that made Draco think this was more about his father messing up than Rowle.
Draco sat himself up and grabbed his wand with his good arm as he slowly stood back up on his feet. He looked between Rowle and Bellatrix nervously, he was going to be sick.
"I'm going to give you your most important lesson, yet, nephew." Bellatrix said. Pulling herself up to stand. She grabbed his broken arm and pulled it straight with three agonizing snaps, as she stood Draco up. He moaned, exhausted with the agony, as she raised the hand holding his wand to point at Rowle.
" Hogwarts hasn't become so liberal and useless that they don't teach it anymore, has it? They taught it to you, didn't they, Draco? The killing curse?" She bit, Draco froze.
"Point your wand, Draco," She instructed.
Draco hesitated and it was here he swore to himself if he survived this he would never be needlessly cruel to anyone ever again. He was going to make it up to mudblood, uh, Granger, Potter, and Weasley.
He would apologize to all the house elves in the manor. He started to think of what he was going to do in regards of his involvment with the dark lord but an idea that made his skin feel tight struck him.
"What are you waiting for, don't tell me you inherited both of your parents spinelessness, Draco. It's going to be him or both of you." Bellatrix warned, lifting her wans slightly as a threat, but Draco kept his down.
His automatic response was thinking of how to flee, but what if Bellatrix invaded his mind again?
He's supposed to be killing a traitor, Draco wasn't even informed of the crime. What would happen to Draco if she went inside of his mind right now?
"My patience is wearing thin, Draco. If you don't do it soon, we'll have to get more bodies for you to practice cursing. He's not the only filthy traitorous scum we need to take care of..." She glared expectingly but Draco wouldn't aim.
"NARCISSA!" She beckoned her sisters name sickeningly sweet.
"I can't..." Draco admitted shaking his head grimly.
"Do you think I won't hurt you!? Or my sister?! If anyone in my family were to turn their backs on their blood and our Lord, I will not hesitate to blow you all into oblivion!" Bellatrix shouted holding her wand to his throat.
Rowle's muffled screams were more frantic as he shook his head fast and desperately.
"Aunt Bella, I can't kill him. Don't make me kill him." Draco pleaded.
Bellatrix cringed, "DON'T SOUND SO PATHETIC! Crucio!" She shouted knocking Draco off of his feet like a rag doll with the force of her curse.
"Get your fat lazy arse off of the ground, Draco! TEACH HIM A LESSON! BOTH OF YOU OUGHT TO LEARN ONE! Crucio!"
He could never get used to being under the ungodly agony, and this time if Draco could talk at all he would have screamed 'Avada Kedavera' and killed him then and there just to make it stop.
"I want your cruciatus this effective, Draco! Crucio!" Bellatrix lectured circling around her nephew. "Get into their heads and find their deepest pain, you can combine magic if you know what you're doing. Picture yourself in someone's head. Find out how to use it. Crucio."
Draco screamed and while pain shot through his body, vivid images of himself naked, exposed to his entire year at Hogwarts, his best friends, Potter and his fanclub, and his father were all front and center.
Lucius was shaking his head in disgust while his entire year laughed at how he was too fat to be lifted up on his broomstick.
Draco shook and sputtered, shame was burning his face red hot, and he actually felt his face was on fire the more ashamed and embarrassed he got with each situation the hotter his skin seared.
Then he saw all the muggles killed in initiation. Their mouths bleeding and they were all crawling to him, speaking delerius nonsense as though they were chanting in some sort of hellish tongues exactly how he saw them die except they were crawling to him.
Tears spilled from his eyes, and they sizzled and evaporated into the air before they could roll down his cheeks.
"It will keep getting worse, Draco. I'll do it again, and I'll call dear Cissy in here if you continue to refuse to do as I-"
"Crucio!" Draco bit and he was able to knock Bellatrix over, her back bent and she sputtered horrific choking noises, but this time Draco pulled his arm upwards and twisted his fist in the air. Bellatrix was
Now screaming in agony. He held her in the curse until it had almost drained his energy entirely.
When the curse worse off he fell to his knees and steadied himself with his remaining good arm. Both he and Bellatrix were panting and coughing. As she collected herself off the ground Bellatrix started chuckling madly and clapping for her nephew.
"Well done, Draco! You're learning so fast! I would have never been able to strike anyone with such force at your age!" She beamed, but Draco's eyes narrowed.
Bellatrix suddenly became very stern, "I'm quite proud, Draco, but I wouldn't try anything else cute." She warned seriously.
Bellatrix sighed and pointed her wand at Draco again, he flinched as soon as she lifted her arm, "Do what we came here to do." She demanded.
When Draco still hesitated she waved her arm to emphasize her aim at his head.
He lowered his wand and flinched for the attack but he only saw visions of his mother getting ripped to shreds, of Voldemort taking over the world, of serving in his army, and murdering muggles.
While surrounded by death and chaos white hot pain immersed his entire body.
He felt like he fell from 3 stories on rocks while burning on fire, and being skinned alive all at the same time. Briefly, he genuinely felt like he had completely lost his mind, suffering and watching everyone he loved burn to the ground. He forgot who and where he was through out half of it.
When the pain eased back to the ache of all his toes being violently stubbed at once he had to remind himself who he was and what was happening.
"Draco, I'll go get your mother right now. Don't think I won't do it. We'll kill Narcissa and Lucius if you make us, and that will only be the start of your troubles. Either you kill Rowle, or I will kill everyone." Bellatrix warned.
Draco lifted his arm up. He was balancing it between his limp fingers and aimed directly at Rowle.
"Bellatrix, I really can't," Draco whispered but she lifted her arm up again, raising her eyebrows and widened her eyes warning him.
He still hesitated.
"Cru-" She began, but before she could finish, Draco bolted upright. With his wand hardly able to hold steady between his sore swollen fingers he shouted, "AVADA KEDAVERA!"
Rowle's head snapped back and he fell through the floor. He was sputtering with hellish choking noises and his limbs were snapping around in disturbing unnatural positions.
Draco felt an odd mixture of relief and panic. Wasn't this in part evidence he wasn't so far gone? He wondered to himself. Doesn't the spell only work for the truly corrupted and wicked? Draco was quite surprised with himself. He thought he was cruel, he thought that was a good thing. Or until just now, he thought he thought he did.
Bellatrix cackled with laughter.
Draco was hysterically sobbing now. There was no curse on him, but as he took in the scene of a dying man before him the pain felt as severe and crushing as the strikes of Bellatrix's cruciatus.
"YOU CAN'T EVEN FINISH OFF A STRANGER, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE COWARD!" She screamed while stomping aggressively close to Draco.
"Finish him." She whispered menacingly, pointing her wand at his head again. Draco was shaking and couldn't get the words out of his mouth.
"Mean it, Draco!" She coached him encouragingly. "Only a truly corrupted soul, can do our Lord's bidding."
Draco glared at his aunt incredulously. "So this is all on purpose? You're torturing flesh and blood to the point of breaking down their soul for him? This is all fine to you?" He hissed.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, and sneared at Draco as if she were smelling dog shit. "You would do very well to know your place. I am his servant first. I am your aunt second." She whispered. Draco didn't move.
"He's suffering greatly because of you," she taunted, knowingly.
"If you don't do it he will only know agony until he finally dies." She said in a falsely high voice, contorting her lips in a cartoonish frown. " He's brain dead, you know? It's all your fault, Draco. You must finish what you started." She hissed.
Draco took a deep breathe and whispered "Avada Kedavera," in defeat. When the life left Rowle's eyes Draco fell to the floor he couldn't flinch away from Rowle's face the entire time he died. He forgot his arms were throbbing in agony. He was going to be sick. He had to get out of this. "I'M SORRY!" He screamed, "I'm so, so, so sorry," he said it over and over to the lifeless corpse.
Bellatrix flicked her wrist again and Draco's arms were healed.
A low sinister laugh made Draco freeze in his spot, and his eyes got as big as dinner plates.
"We have our work cut out for us, Bella." He hissed. He was there, he saw the whole thing.
"Yes, my lord. My absence from my nephews life seems to show. He'll be ready to kill and die for your cause, Lord, just as I am." Bella promised.
Draco breathed deeply, finally able to stand and compose himself. He had no idea how long Bellatrix kept him in that state. It could have been minutes or hours, but it was long enough to be shocked at how different not being in indescribable pain felt like.
"You can't let anyone in your head like that, nephew! When you work for us, when you fulfill your orders, show no mercy, be a slave to no pain. Power is the only emotion and the only want in life that matters, Draco. Power and control." Bellatrix warned.
"We'll start again tomorrow, why don't you clean yourself up and take the rest of the day easy? Your arms must be getting tired." She said almost with a giggle.
"Bella, I won't allow partialism to your nephew. War is raging at hand. You have one hour to prepare for your next lesson, dear Draco," Voldemort hissed and the two laughed.
"Cissy and I are paying Sev a visit today." Bella started conversation casually, as the two walked off linking arms, leaving her nephew alone with what he had just done.