Chapter 21 Draco
Chapter 21 Draco
Draco left the dungeon and walked up the stairs, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. It had been the most wonderful day, he couldn’t imagine having that much fun with anyone else in his life, not Crabbe, Goyle or Blaise and definitely not Pansy. In fact he had no particular wish to see any of his old friends again.
There was a gentleness to Dudley, he was soft and strong at the same time. Every minute Draco was away he felt a desperate pull to be back at his side again. It was as though he held his breath while he was away and as soon as he saw Dudley he could breathe again.
They had kissed! The memory of it made his heart beat faster. Dudley’s lips touching his, soft and firm.
Draco had kissed Pansy a few times, it had been fine but it had not felt the same as when Dudley had reached up and pulled him down to his mouth. Pansy’s mouth was small and eager, tongues, lips, teeth all too fast and unsatisfying. Dudley was slow and gentle and so much bigger.
Draco was lost in these thoughts as he rounded the corner into the main corridor where he was startled by his father. Lucius was striding towards him with a tight jaw and slightly wild eyes. They had cut it too fine, Draco hadn’t expected them to return for at least an hour yet, he made a mental note to be more careful in future.
‘Draco!’ His father announced
‘Draco, you must come, follow me.’ He beckoned with his hands.
Draco obeyed as usual, Draco did as his father ordered or suffer the consequences.
A part of Dudley must have been rubbing off on him though because he asked.
‘Where are we going?’
Lucius looked sideways at him but answered nonetheless.
‘The dark lord requires us.’
Something heavy dropped into Draco’s stomach and he stopped.
‘What does he need me for?’
‘You question the dark lord?’
Lucius stopped walking and glared at Draco.
‘No! No of course not, I was just wondering.’
‘You will do as the dark lord commands Draco, and you will do it without question, understood.’
Draco was ready to collapse under the weight of his fathers stare but before he could agree something else escaped.
‘No.’
‘What?’ Lucius looked incandescent with anger. He tightened his grip on his cane and ground his jaw together.
A large part of Draco was ready to acquiesce, but he didn’t.
‘I just want to know why he needs me? And where we’re going? And how long we’ll be? And what for? I don’t think that’s too much to ask.’
This had never happened before, Lucius was aghast.
‘That information is irrelevant to you. You. Do. As. You. Are.Told.’ Lucius shot the words at Draco.
‘I won’t go until I know what it’s for.’ Draco knew this was dangerous territory but somehow he was able to use the wonderful day he had had as armour, his fathers words couldn’t penetrate so deep.
A sudden sharp heat hit his cheek. Lucius had slapped him, backhand almost to the ground. Draco held his face, it was instantly sore and stinging.
‘The dark lord has favoured us Draco. I will not have you put that in jeopardy, you will do everything asked of you. Do you hear me? You will do everything asked of you or I swear I will kill that boy.’ Lucius pointed to the ground, to the dungeon underneath it where Dudley was imprisoned.
‘Did you think I hadn’t noticed? You complete fool.’ Lucius was laughing manically.
‘I will kill that boy slowly, and I will lock you down there with him to watch as his body rots away. Do you want that?’
Draco felt wetness filling his eyes, his wonderful day instantly ruined by his heartless father. He said nothing, just stared at Lucius, unbelieving that he could possibly be related to such a monster.
‘I said. Do you want that?’
‘No.’ Draco bit out. The mere thought of Dudley’s death filled his chest with a fluttering panic.
Draco still didn’t move, a few charged moments hung between them before Lucius roughly placed a hand in Draco’s armpit and began to drag him along the corridor.
Draco allowed himself to be pulled, his father kept a strong pace not letting go of his arm. They passed through several dark corridors, paintings taking a casual interest in them as they passed.
Eventually they arrived at the door of a ground floor study and Lucius let go of Draco’s arm.
‘In’ Lucius instructed.
Draco lightly knocked the door before entering. Inside was a small group of death eaters, they were sat around the fireplace and drinking what looked like whiskey.
Bellatrix Lestrange was lounging on a chaise sipping her drink as though she had not a care in the world. Yaxley sat in an armchair, greasy yellow hair tied in a plait. Dolohov was on a desk chair that had been pulled away from the desk and over to the fireplace. He held his glass in his lap as his dark eyes raked Draco up and down. Lucius pushed Draco over to a leather chesterfield that was set along a side wall. No one spoke.
They all sat in silence, clearly waiting for Voldemort. Draco began to feel the familiar sting of anxiety. His father knew, did anyone else? Had he truly been that careless? Draco had expected to feel an earth shattering shame if his father had ever found out, but he didn’t really, instead he was filled with a new and intense desperation to keep Dudley safe, he had no doubt Lucius would follow through with his threat.
The more pressing panic was what on earth Voldemort wanted from him now?
Lucius had said Voldemort ‘required’ him. That usually meant legilimency, Draco hated it. He didn’t want to. He wanted to run out of the room and never see any of them ever again. He hated them all. He hated them for what they had made him do and he hated them for that they had done to Dudley. The hate was a burning violent tornado that he wished he could throw at them.
Voldemort arrived quickly, he floated into the room in a cloud of darkness, pale skin almost luminous in the warm light of the fire. Just looking at him filled Draco with terrible dread, he was so scared, frightened of what this monster was going to make him do.
He grabbed his own arm, digging his fingernails deep into his flesh, he couldn’t let them know, he had to appear loyal, he must do this, just get through it until he could be back with Dudley, he just wanted to be back with Dudley.
‘Friends’ Voldemort announced
‘Welcome, I have gathered you here tonight for a favour, I need your assistance with a bit of complicated magic.’
Bellatrix’s eyes lit up and she sat up on her chaise.
‘Yes my lord! What an honour!’
‘Detailed instruction shall be given when we arrive.’ Voldemort said.
‘Can I ask my lord, what magic it is?’ Dolohov enquired leaning forwards in his chair.
‘You may not. As I said detailed instruction shall be given, it will be complex but I assure you of its necessity. You should each feel honoured to be chosen for this task, I have selected my most trusted followers, I require you to ask no questions but obey my every command, do you all agree to this?’
There was a general murmuring of agreement, Draco didn’t move or speak but Voldemort must have either not noticed or not cared.
‘Good.’ He said with finality.
The others looked positively giddy with excitement, they stood and began to ready themselves, each moving to pick up a bag. Draco must have been too filled with nervous panic when he arrived to have registered that each of them had a large bag at their feet. Bellatrix held her duffle bag on her shoulder, a wide smile painted on her pointy face.
Dolohov and Yaxley had rucksacks that were now firmly planted on their backs.
They were going to be gone for at least a few nights judging by the size of them.
No. Draco couldn’t leave Dudley overnight. He promised he would be back to see him tonight. What would Dudley think if he wasn’t there? Dudley would think he’d freaked out and abandoned him. A physical pain hit Draco at the thought of it. No. No. No. Fuck no.
‘My lord?’ He stood up.
‘My research on the muggle is at the edge of a breakthrough, I know it. If I leave now I worry it would set me back, surely it would be better if I remain here and continue. You have such a brilliant group assembled, I’m sure my presence won’t be missed.’
Voldemort smiled
‘It’s wonderful to hear you are making progress, unfortunately your presence is required.’
Voldemort’s words were like concrete, there was no getting out of this.
Draco had to bite his lip to stop the tears from falling.
‘Of course my lord.’ He bowed
Lucius retrieved two bags from the desk in the corner, one of which he handed roughly to Draco. This was happening.
Voldemort swept into the centre of the room and then into the lit fireplace, clearly they would be travelling by floo.
‘Riddle Manor’ Voldemort said clearly as he dropped his floo powder and disappeared in a violent eruption of green flames.
Riddle manor? Draco thought. Where even was that? And why? Before he could think much more Bellatrix had also disappeared through the fireplace after her master. Yaxley followed, then Dolohov until it was just Draco and Lucius stood alone and staring at each other in the study.
‘After you.’ Lucius snarled
‘Please dad, I don’t want to go, please don’t make me go’ tears were falling freely now.
‘Pull yourself together, you’re pathetic’ Lucius spit the words at Draco.
‘You will go. And you will do what is required. You will not embarrass me, do you understand? Get in there now or your new best friend becomes my personal plaything.’
‘Dad…’
Draco pleaded, his lip quivering
Lucius hit him again, a slap to his face. Quick and sharp. It was painful but Draco was already filled with so much adrenaline that he barely felt it.
‘Don’t call me that. You can call me dad when you become a son I can be proud of.’
Those words stung but not as badly as they once would have. Draco realised he didn’t really want to be a son Lucius would be proud of.
‘Get in there.’ Lucius pulled Draco to the fireplace and shoved him inside. Draco told himself he was doing this to keep Dudley safe, he could do anything if it was going to keep Dudley safe. He reluctantly took some powder with a shaking hand. ‘Riddle Manor’ he whispered wiping away his tears and in a flash of green he disappeared.