Trust In Me
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"Rise and shine, Draco Malfoy." A voice drawled, stirring Draco from his unpeaceful slumber. That man, Draco would recognise anywhere without seeing him a day in his life. He was described as a Pirate that never belonged, a betrayer to their cause. Someone that Voldemort trusted but never knew didn't put his trust in him. Mother said his name was Severus Snape: Second in Command. "Another day aboard the Jolly Roger awaits." He scowled through the word Jolly, like it was a rude term.
"Severus Snape." Draco greeted, trying to gain his whereabouts. "Father's closest friend, correct?" Severus had to contain his shock because Draco was an amazing blend between them. Pure hair, unblemished skin, brough to Neverland then born in the Muggle World.
"Before they fled, I suppose I was."
"Dumbledore's Insider."
"Never speak a word of that unless we are alone, boy." Severus stuck his gun up to Draco, lazily pointing it his way. Draco thought he should have been more threatened, but he knew Snape wouldn't shoot him. Riddle needed him, after all. "Put this on, Captain's Orders." Unceremoniously, Snape threw a bundle of clothes Draco's way. There was a splendid green, frilly, ruffled shirt and a pair of trousers with so many pockets Draco was unsure what to keep in them.
When Snape left, Draco started to change, collecting his thoughts as he did. So, Harry lied to him. Made him believe he truly liked him, just to fulfil a prophecy. A prophecy Draco didn't see the need to fulfil because, apart from the Pirates and the creatures already on Neverland's lands, there was nothing to fix. Mother never mentioned a true threat or danger to this magical land but Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Then, there was said Tom Marvolo Riddle. The Villain. The person Draco knew was evil, like Scar, like Macbeth's Witches, like any two-dimensional, fictional villain to exist. But he answered Draco's questions, however vague those answers were they were still answers: ones Draco was not getting from the Lost Lot. Maybe he'd have to scrub the deck once or twice, serve them seafood, but that was nothing if he was going to get answers. Like why he was needed, why there was a prophecy anyway, what immediate dangers faced Neverland that only he could solve.
Before yesterday, Draco could never imagine Harry to be deceitful. If anything, Draco thought he was the purest of hearts, forever bound to child-like innocence but aspects of a teenage mindset, grown too young by a troubled past. Perhaps, it was wrong of him to project his version of The Boy Who Never Grew Up onto Just Harry Potter.
Tying his boots, Draco took a deep breath before tentatively opening the cabin door, blinded by the glowing light he assumed was the sun, and a rainbow Draco longed to stare at from the top of the tallest mountain, someone's arm around his shoulders or his around theirs in a comfortable silence. "Look who decided to join us!" Rabastan Lestrange exclaimed, like he was happy but the bags under his eyes and his yellowed skin couldn't portray it right. Every single person on this ship Draco knew. He knew their names, knew descriptions, and could now put a name to a face.
"Alright Mini Malfoy?" Barty Crouch Jr nodded to him. If it wasn't for those manic eyes, Draco would think he was too energetic to be here. Out of everyone, with Snape somewhat being the exception, he felt bad for Barty. Father told him someone in the Hogwarts Tribe had killed Barty, using their wand to push him into a rock. Then, his best friend Regulus Black met a similar fate. Another spy, like Severus, but unlike Severus, he didn't survive. Regulus tried to get rid of the prophecy, but someone stopped him and he drowned in the sea, unable to swim, being dragged down by the dead soles of Neverland in the Skull Cave.
"Ecstatic." Draco rolled his eyes, and Barty smiled back with craziness shining from his own.
"Make sure to keep that attitude when you're with Our Lord, Malfoy." Alecto Carrow advised.
Her twin sneered, "Maybe he'll kill you. Heaven knows our lives will be easier when you're gone."
Making his way to the Captain's Quarters, Bellatrix scurried out just as he reached the door. He watched as she twirled, black smoke appearing and then a bird in her place. A raven with the darkest feathers and eyes void of anything but the shade of black. "Tom." Draco greeted him, looking at his back as Tom did up the buttons to his shirt and ran a hand through his black hair.
"Draco." Those eyes tried piercing through him, but Draco stood firm. "Lovely to see you again, child." He made his way to the captain's chair, gesturing for Draco to sit opposite him. As Draco took a seat, Tom remained standing. "How was your rest?"
"If you want a rating I'd give it a two." Draco said, smiling at the man who scowled back.
"Very clever, Mini Malfoy." Sneered Tom, grabbing his gun and twirling it around his hand.
They stayed in the room, silent, until Draco could wait no longer. "You wanted to see me?"
Tom sighed, like it was acted and planned, knowingly hyperbolic. "I suppose I did, didn't I? You see, Mini Malfoy, Harry Potter is a righteous soul. I would call him an absolutist. Someone who has morals that do not waver. Maybe they do for him sometimes, a relative point of view some may argue, but it is like absolutist values are ingrained in that undeveloped head of his." Draco listened, trying to decipher his words and find the meaning before Tom implied it. "He will come for you. Today, tomorrow, sometimes soon. And when he does, we will be waiting."
"So that's your master plan?" Draco scoffed, "Make me the defenceless damsel until Harry arrives and you lose more than just what's left of your sanity?"
"Enough of the cheek, Malfoy. If you were not useful your brains would need cleaning from my floor by now." Threatened Tom, looking at Draco with slanted eyes.
"What about the prophecy?"
"The Prophecy!" Tom cackled, "With Potter gone, you will be as useless as your parents. What need will I have for you then? Just like Potter, you will be killed."
Meanwhile, Tom put Draco to work cleaning the floors, filling barrels on deck with barrels under, all the mundane jobs his pirates were too drunk to deal with. Finally, on his break like everyone else, Draco kept to his bed, alone where everyone slept.
Except, his solitude was interrupted. "You need to go, Draco." Severus said, rushing in like he'd misplaced something important and if he didn't find it then he would be late. Like Father did, before Mother lovingly laughed, handed him his keys or a piece of paper and kissed his cheek goodbye.
"Now?" Draco asked, eyebrows furrowed.
"Yes, now, stupid boy!" Snape hurried. "Whilst everyone is eating. Take a safety boat and go to Neverland's Shores."
"Why? What's going on?"
"Just do as I say, or you'll be dead by tomorrow afternoon." Sneered Snape, ushering him out of the room, up the stairs and to the safety boats, oars inside. From a holder, Snape whipped out a sharpened, sword, cutting the rope to lower it down. Draco was unsure if it was the beating sun or his nerves causing him to sweat.
"Jump." Severus commanded. "Don't just stand there, child, jump!"
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" It was Tom. Of course it had to be Tom. "I knew there was someone in my ranks not to be trusted. Imagine my surprise when I realised it was you, the man who wanted James Potter dead more than myself."
"I told you to spare Lily." Weakly, Snape defended. Both with their guns up, Draco didn't know if he should jump. If he did, Tom would shoot, and Snape would be dead.
"A little twisted that you only cared about the fate of a woman who didn't love you. Of a woman who rejected your affections, and not a poor, defenceless child."
"You care for nobody but yourself."
"So do you, Severus Snape."
"That's where you're wrong, My Lord. I care about my godson." Suddenly, Draco was pushed, landing on his knees in the boat floating in the water. Before he had time to process the sting in his knees, a gun shot jerked his whole body, and a man with black hair flew from the ship, sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
"NO!" Draco shouted, reaching out like he could save Severus Snape. Knowing Tom would come for him next, Draco flipped the boat, splashing in the water and letting his jacket (one provided by Tom) to float to the surface.
"What about the boy?" He heard someone ask through the calm whistle of the wind.
Complete silence, until "The Sirens will take him."
Slowly, Draco swam with the boat on his head, stuffy inside the little opening, to shore. Trying to go around a small curve to make sure Riddle didn't see him. But he had to go faster than he wanted, not wanting the Sirens to drag him under.
Maybe, the only way to get rid of Tom Riddle was to fulfil the Prophecy. But, to do that, he had to get more information, and that means going back to the Hideout.
Now Draco had a mission, he followed it. Focusing on that instead of the death of his Godfather. Severus Snape was his Godfather. Was-
He found a Thestral, a pack of them happily snacking on the grass and the flowers. The ride there, Draco marvelled at the beauty. It was like a safer, fantastical version of a rainforest. Unexplored, untampered, natural beauty. But there were things the Thestral avoided, jolting and sharply turning one way when it reared up in fear. Draco thought it could have been a Boggart, but he wasn't too sure.
Down the slide, there were books slewed across the table. And Harry Potter with his hands in his hair.