Half-Blood Princess Book Seven

Chapter 15 - Traitor

Third-Person POV

The sky was a midnight blue, with a hue of green, covered in clouds. The wind howled as the gates to the Manner creek. The siblings were pushed up against the gate as the two men pulled Harry's hair and drew attention to Tilly collarbone. Scabior had a tight grip on Harry's collar, as did Greyback for Tilly, but around her waist due to her ripped top. Both clearly showing the scar they had been given all those years ago. Bellatrix looked straight into the eyes of Tilly and Harry before whispering.

"Get Draco." She turns around, whipping her wand in the air to open the gate, grabbing the two siblings dragging them through the house before slamming them on the floor in the main dining room. Bella moves around using magic to make Tilly float, unable to move, while manually straining Harry. Hermione and Ron watch from the side, held tightly by two snatchers, as their friends are thrown around, and Tilly is frozen in the air. Hermione looks closer at Tilly and sees the jinx wearing off, slowly revealing that she is who they suspected. All Hermione can do is hold her breath with everyone else, waiting with bated breath for Draco to be brought in.

Draco watches from his window as a group of snatchers walk up the long path to the gate before showing something to his aunt. He sighs, not caring about anything his family is wrapped up in. Because of them, Draco believes he lost the love of his life... the woman he wants to marry... the woman he wants to have children with. All because of them. Sighing heavily, he walks over to a chest of draws, sitting in the corner of Draco dark, cold room. Since Tilly left, Draco had little light left in his life; he barely ate, rarely went in the sun, almost never talked, and hasn't smiled or laughed since he last saw Tilly. She's all he had, and due to his father, he lost her. Softly grasping the ring on the dresser, he rolls it in the palm of his hand. The green gem and infinity sign almost burning through his hand from his self-hatred, while his family heirloom just sat, collecting dust, glaring at him from afar. Pansy and the Greengrass sisters had all asked for the ring and even other things Draco had given Tilly, but not once had he let any of them even look at one; they belong to Tilly and her alone, as does Draco.

Lost in his thoughts of pain and sorrow, Draco almost doesn't hear the knock at his bedroom door before his father bursts in, not even taking a second to talk to his son, who hasn't uttered a word to him since Christmas break began.

"Draco, come now; we need you in the main dining hall." Lucius snaps, going to turn to leave before Draco talks back.

"No, whatever you need, get someone else. I have no wish to help you or him in any way."

"I know you are upset about everything with Tilly, but it may be for the best." Lucius tries to reason, holding his anger back as long as possible, but Draco only pushes him further.

"Upset? Losing Tilly was the worst thing I've ever felt! And I've had the Cruciatus curse used on me by you. My father." Draco laughs mockingly, with no joy in his heart or love for the man before him.

"Snape has been more fatherly than you when it's come to Tilly." Draco stalks closer to the man he once would have done anything to impress, "All you said was, 'Now we can have clean grandchildren. No need to worry about her dirty blood ruining us.' All you've ever cared about is blood. Not your son or his happiness; no, if my kids have clean blood." Lucius slaps Draco across the face, shutting the boy up quickly. The other buries only just started to fade. He thinks to himself as he waits for his father to either speak or hit him again.

"Enough! I've had it with your complaining, and moping. Yes, I'm happy I don't have to worry about having another kid 17 years later because my son wants to marry a filthy half-blood!" Lucius's anger rises as spit flies from his mouth, landing on Draco, who no longer cares about the consequences but wants to hurt his father.