Chapter 53 Draco
Chapter 53 Draco
Draco hurried through the winding corridors of Malfoy manor. His arm was burning under his sleeve. Malfoy Manor was bustling, dark wizards were milling in small groups along corridors and congregating in lounge chairs in reception rooms. It started to make Draco feel uneasy, the house had never been this busy in all the years he had lived there. It thrummed with a heavy dark energy.
Yaxley and Dolohov were stood outside the dining room doors like bouncers.
Draco lifted his sleeve to show them his mark, it was dark and writhing, a clear illustration that Voldemort had summoned him. They allowed him past and he entered the dining room. Clearly as the son of Lucius Malfoy he was required at important meetings.
Much like the rest of the house the dining hall was busy, people were restlessly hovering, waiting to take their seats. Voldemort stood at the head of the table, one bony hand draped on the back of his chair. He was talking to Snape in a low voice, Snape’s face was a mask, blank and expressionless. Bellatrix was on his right looking gleeful, Lucius and his mother were there too, near the top of the table. Draco was temporarily dumbstruck at the appearance of his mother, he had almost forgotten she existed in the chaos of his new life. Draco stood motionless in the doorway not quite knowing where his place was in this mess of people.
Nagini entered behind him, sliding up onto the long table, and moving slowly up to the head of the table where Voldemort was stood, she silenced the onlookers as she passed. You could hear a pin drop by the time she reached Voldemort.
Voldemort took his seat and everyone clambered to find one of their own in answer. There must have been twenty five of them in total. Every dark wizard in Europe seemed to have a seat at this table. Draco lingered at the back of the room, uninterested in gaining a seat near his parents or Voldemort. Several others also failed to secure a seat and stood awkwardly with him at the back.
Voldemort stroked Nagini with three long fingers, tickling under her chin playfully, she leaned into the touch like a spoiled cat.
‘My friends’ Voldemort began
‘It is a joyous day indeed. Harry Potter has revealed himself at last.’
Whispers created a susurruss of sound along the table.
‘Snape…’ Voldemort offered him the floor.
Snape inclined his head and spoke
‘Harry Potter appeared inside Hogwarts last night, naturally the teachers turned on us and we were forced to flee’ he gestured to the Carrows who had also been teaching at Hogwarts.
‘But he is inside the castle, we believe he will remain there. This will be the site of the impending battle.’ He spoke with a solemn dignity. Voldemort continued.
‘This is why you have been called here today. We will be mobilising soon, Hogwarts has some protections in place but they cannot hope to keep us out indefinitely. Harry Potter will come to me willingly to spare his friends. I am sure of it.’
Voldemorts anticipation was catching, excited sounds hummed between the death eaters.
‘Portkeys have been organised for the trolls, giants and anyone else who cannot apparate. Everyone else will be apparating to the north side of the forbidden forest where we will set up camp. I will give further instruction once we arrive.’
Draco’s mouth was dry, Harry had gone back to Hogwarts. It must be because there was a horcrux in the castle. They could no longer wait for killer’s venom to mature. Draco would be expected to leave for the forest with the rest of the death eaters. He would have to find a way to destroy the horcrux at Hogwarts. If Harry was there he would have a way to do it Draco was sure.
The meeting continued while Draco was lost his his own panicked thoughts, he knew of a passage into the castle, he had to hope that it remained open.
In the meantime Voldemort had opened the meeting up to questions. Death eaters were asking about timelines, battle plans and worst case scenarios. Draco quietly raised his hand, could he persuade Voldemort to allow him to bring Dudley with them under the guise of him potentially being useful, he was Harry potters cousin after all. If he could pull this off they might be able to stay together a bit longer.
‘Draco?’
‘My lord’ Draco bowed. ‘Might I suggest we bring the muggle with us, he might prove useful bait in luring Harry Potter out of Hogwarts.’
‘A nice idea Draco, however that particular piece of muggle filth is being shipped to Azkaban in about half an hour. He has taken up too much of my time already.’ Voldemort dismissed him and quickly moved onto Alecto Carrow who was inquiring on whether they could use unforgivables on children.
Draco gulped. He glanced to his father who was staring straight at him, wide smirk on his thin mouth. Dudley in Azkaban? It couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t let it happen, it was his nightmare come real, the image of Dudley huddled in a cold cell, the vision the horcrux had taunted him with, it couldn’t be real. He needed to leave. He had to get Dudley away, he was strong enough to apparate them both to the woods at the bottom of the garden, from there he would leave him under killer’s protection.
Draco felt his heart try to escape his chest, he had to get out. Slowly he inched his way past the other death eaters at the back of the room. He gently opened the door and slipped out of the room. People noticed him leave but the meeting was in full swing, he would not be missed. Yaxley and Dolohov didn’t question him as he confidently strode off down the corridor and back up to his bedroom.
He slammed open the door to find Dudley sat on the edge of his bed, hunched over himself.
‘Are you alright?’
Dudley sat up straight and looked at him.
‘I’m fine, are you okay?’
‘No.’ Draco replied honestly
‘What’s happened?’
‘We need to get you out. Now. They’re taking you to Azkaban any minute. They’re going to Hogwarts. Harry is there.’ Draco grabbed his robes from the floor and pulled them on hurriedly.
‘They’re taking me to Azkaban now?’
‘Yes! We need to get you out. I can apparate as far as the garden and you can take killer from there. They’ll be too busy at Hogwarts to bother looking for you. If you hide in the forest I’ll come back for you as soon as the horcrux is destroyed.’
‘What? No! I’m not leaving you.’
Draco walked over to where Dudley was sat, he didn’t look quite right. His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet.
‘We’ll be okay.’ He whispered gently as he kissed Dudley’s hair.
‘If you don’t leave now, you’ll be stuck in Azkaban. I can’t let that happen.’ He kissed his nose.
‘You have to go Dudley. Okay?’
‘Okay?’ Draco insisted.
‘Please?’ He tried not to sound too pathetic.
‘Okay.’ Dudley said eventually, it was so quiet Draco could barely hear it. It was a broken and strangled sound That ripped Draco up.
Draco lifted Dudley’s chin to look in his eyes, Dudley didn’t fight it but he still wouldn’t look at him.
‘Kiss goodbye?’ Draco teased, he needed to see Dudley smile. He didn’t know if he would be able to do this without seeing that smile one more time.
Dudley obliged and finally met his eyes.
Draco pulled him into a kiss. Their lips touched and they were one. They came together like two great waves crashing in a storm. Draco could feel the desperation in Dudley, the way he held onto Draco’s back with such strength, they weren’t breathing only kissing. Draco wished he had two hands again, only to be able to grab hold of Dudley harder. Gasping and heaving, holding onto each other with everything they had left. The salty taste of Dudley’s tears danced on Draco’s tongue and he wanted to strangle anything and anyone who could ever have the audacity to make this man cry. It was a perfect goodbye.
‘I love you…’ Draco panted, reluctantly breaking them apart.
Dudley began to form the words in answer
‘I lo-‘
‘-How disappointing.’
Ice froze in Draco’s veins and the bottom fell out of his world.
The familiar drawling tones of Voldemort cut through their bliss like a sword through a neck. Every hope and dream Draco had been grasping onto, it all landed at his feet with a dull thud, a decapitated head. Dead. Irretrievable. Gone forever.