Chapter 10 Draco
Chapter 10 Draco
Draco was breathing too fast. His eyes were closed, he couldn’t watch. His hands balled at this sides, he was digging his nails into his palms so hard he felt a bead of blood slip onto the floor. Draco’s entire body was thrumming, alive and fizzing with panic? Guilt? Shame? Hate? Regret? A heady mixture that left his head reeling and spinning barely holding on to the room around him. Bellatrix sliced at Dudley, Draco felt each cut like he was receiving it Himself. He wanted the pain, he deserved it, he tried to feel it.
There was quiet, Dudley stopped groaning and Draco opened his eyes again preparing himself for what he might see.
Draco’s eyes found Dudley on the floor, when he saw what Bellatrix had done he coughed. Draco felt like his lungs were bleeding, he couldn’t get a full breath, his lungs full of sticky and thick fluid.
Bellatrix had proudly carved words into Dudley’s pale chest.
‘Muggle filth’ it read. Each letter bright and red stood out clearly even through the hair on Dudley’s chest. All Draco could do was look at it, he imagined all the spells that could help Dudley, take away his pain, dull the swelling, stop the bleeding. Draco wanted to rush over and try all of them, make Dudley okay, make him whole again and tell him it would all be okay. That’s what a good person would have done. But Draco reminded himself he was not a good person, he was a coward through and through. Dudley’s face was so pallid it was almost green. Dudley’s eyes found Draco’s and they held on. Draco longed to speak, tell him how sorry he was, but that would mean death for them both. Draco held Dudley’s gaze hoping that his eyes could communicate all of his empathy, that Dudley could see and would know that Draco didn’t want this.
Bellatrix climbed off Dudley, her masterpiece finished.
‘Still not talking?’ She asked
Dudley said nothing.
‘Crucio’ the sound of the spell reverberated around the walls, it seemed to shake the dust from the paintings. An unforgivable. You have to mean them. Bellatrix meant it. She wanted Dudley’s pain, craved it, enjoyed it, basked in it.
Draco shut his eyes again as a howl ripped from Dudley’s throat. Draco could hear Dudley thrashing on the floor, limbs slapping against tiles.
When Dudley stopped screaming. Bellatrix did it again ‘Crucio’ and again ‘Crucio’, and again ‘Crucio.’
Voldemort added his own ‘Crucio’ the sound was a physical pain in Draco’s soul.
Then Lucius ‘Crucio’ added to the pile of pain being hurled at Dudley. Dudley was thrashing and screaming, voice going hoarse, breaking with the bone crushing pain of it all. Draco had never wanted to be dead more. He wanted Dudley to die too, for it all to just be finished and ended. No more pain.
Narcissa meekly added her own ‘Crucio’ Snape spoke ‘tell us what you’re hiding’ he demanded in an even voice. Silence. ‘Crucio’ Snape added his own curse and Dudley continued to writhe on the the floor, face swollen, tears running, blood dripping from his chest. No scream escaped when he opened his mouth, just a scratchy strangled sound that ended in a whimper. Draco watched and hated himself, he allowed this to happen. Dudley’s pain was his fault. Draco should have killed Dudley. It would have been kinder than this. A stronger person would have done it, a kinder person.
There was another moment of silence and Draco looked up from Dudley’s hunched body to find four sets of eyes on him. Confused he looked to his father
‘Your turn Draco’ his father whispered
No. What? They didn’t expect him to… no… no way.
‘Me?’ He asked
‘Do it Draco’ his mother whispered at him, desperation in her voice.
‘No. Not me… I’ve never… I can’t’
Voldemort walked over to him, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
‘You are a death eater are you not?’ Voldemort pulled Draco’s sleeve up to reveal the mark, Draco turned away from it, like the mark was a blinding light. Draco been ignoring it since he’d received it but Voldemort took his chin with a finger and made him look.
‘You must Draco, you must prove your loyalty, prove that you deserve this.’
Draco didn’t want to deserve it, he hadn’t wanted it in the first place, his father had insisted, Draco had just gone along with it.
Draco stared at Dudley and Dudley looked back with pleading eyes. Draco took out his wand, he knew it wouldn’t work, he didn’t mean it, but he had to look like he was trying ‘Crucio.’
Dudley tensed and shut his eyes in preparation for the pain that didn’t come.
‘Properly Draco, you have to mean it.’ Voldemort said
‘Crucio’ again. Nothing.
‘Draco.’ Voldemort’s voice was warning.
Voldemort took his own wand and pointed it at Narcissa.
‘You have to mean it Draco. Do it properly.’
Draco stilled. Not his mother. He wanted to disappear, he considered just apparating to his bedroom and pretending this wasn’t happening.
If it had been his father on the other end of Voldemort’s wand he would have let him die, but his mother… Draco couldnt do it, it was too much! Draco’s breaths were coming sharp and shallow, there was sweat rolling down his face. He couldn’t breathe properly and his hands were shaking. Draco wanted to curl up somewhere quiet and die. Please don’t make me was all he could think.
Please don’t make me.
Please don’t make me.
‘Draco’ Voldemort said it melodically playing with each syllable. Draco glanced to his mother, she was stood stock still like maybe if she was still enough she would just disappear. She met Draco’s eyes and he saw only terror there. Narcissa’s mouth was open and a tiny sob left her as she stared at her son.
Draco looked down the pitiful creature on the floor, Dudley was still hunched over, covering his bare and bleeding chest with his arms, hugging himself. Dudley looked up. His eyes met Draco’s the bright blueness of them glittering with fresh tears. Draco couldn’t, he couldn't hurt this boy. Failing to stopping other people, that was one thing but actively doing it himself, he just couldn’t. But his mother.
Draco stared at him and Dudley gave him the slightest nod. So small it almost wasn’t there, no one else seemed to notice but Draco knew what he had seen. He knew it. He saw it. Permission.
How could someone be so brave? So selfless. To let him, let him do this to save his mother. Draco didn’t know bravery like that even existed. Dudley would have been a Gryffindor if he weren’t a muggle, Draco knew that for certain. Dudley was the bravest person Draco had ever met. He didn’t feel worthy to be even in the same room as Dudley. He wanted to ask him ‘How are you so brave? How can I be like you?’
Draco looked at Dudley, he tried to tell him all of this with his gaze ‘Thank-you, you’re so brave Thank-you I’m so sorry Thank-you Thank-you.’ Draco didn’t take his eyes off Dudley as he did it, he owed him that much. Dudley looked straight back at him as Draco raised his wand.
‘Crucio’
Draco had never cast an unforgivable before. The power of it forced him to take a step backwards. His wand connected to Dudley with an invisible tether. He tried to sever it quickly to minimise Dudley’s pain, but the few seconds they were attached were enough. Another anguished sound poured from Dudley’s mouth, elongated vowels that punched holes into Dracos heart. Draco did it. That awful sound was his fault. He didn’t know if he could live with himself. Knowing that he had been responsible for that much pain. That was something that stayed inside you, settled in your guts and festered. He hated himself so much in that moment. He would have swapped places with Dudley if it was possible.
‘Good boy’ Voldemort said lowering his wand from Narcissa who breathed a small sigh of relief.
‘Well Snape’ Voldemort continued ‘it appears veritaserum may be the only way’
Snape moved forwards and pulled Dudley’s limp form up from the ground, placing him roughly back in the chair.
Snape gripped the sides of Dudley’s mouth to open it and poured in a full vial of veritaserum. Dudley spluttered but Snape didn’t let go of his face until he had swallowed. Once it was down Snape drew back.
Voldemort stepped forwards bare feet slapping on the tiles.
‘What is your name?’
‘Dudley Dursley’ Dudley answered immediately.
Where are your parents? Voldemort smiled
‘Dead’ Dudley managed through a sob.
‘Where is your cousin, Harry Potter right now? Voldemort closed in on him for this question, far too close.
‘I don’t know’ Dudley returned.
‘Who put the blockage in your head?
‘I don’t know’
What’s behind the blockage in your head?’
‘I don’t know’
Is it magic?
‘I don’t know’
‘Are you a muggle?’
‘Yes.’
Voldemort’s disappointment was clear. He gripped his wand too tightly and his thin nostrils flared. He stood straight again and punched Dudley hard, square in the face knocking him from his chair. Dudley gave no sound, he took it, just absorbed the punch. It must have been agony on his swollen face and broken nose. Dudley left his head where it landed after the punch. He didn’t lift his head again but Draco saw his eyes were still open.
‘Fucking kill him and get rid of him. He is no use to me. He knows nothing’ Voldemort’s voice was an angry rasp. Voldemort stared quietly at Dudley for a few more seconds before turning to Lucius
‘I said kill him.’
Lucius startled.
‘Of course my lord’ Lucius raised his wand,
Dudley braced himself. Draco couldn’t let this happen.
‘NO!’ Draco shouted
‘What?’ Voldemort turned to him fury written on his face.
Fuck.
‘Sorry my lord, I just mean, we haven’t tried everything. There are other potions, other great wizards we haven’t spoken to. There could still be a way to unlock his mind… we-we should keep trying. It’s obviously important whatever is hidden inside him. Someone went to great lengths to protect it. We-we should keep him and investigate.’
‘I agree my lord, the boy may as well rot in the dungeon while we continue to research’
Lucius added. Draco had never been more thankful for his father.
Voldemort considered for a moment before conceding.
‘Okay Draco, the boy is your project. Deliver me his secrets, that is your assignment.’
‘Of course my lord, I will start right away’
Draco bowed, he moved towards Dudley and placed a hand on his shoulder. Draco really shouldn’t have apparated with Dudley in such a bad way, but he needed them to be out of there as fast as possible. Draco gripped Dudley’s shoulder and with a crack they both disappeared.