Cursed [Dramione/Beauty & The Beast]

Nightmares

Draco knelt before the Dark Lord. He glanced up into the chalk-white face. Scarlet eyes stared back at him. Draco could see his mother standing against the wall, her hands clutching fearfully at her robes.

'Your father has failed me,' Voldemort hissed. His voice was high and cold.

'Yes, my lord,' Draco mumbled, ducking his head.

'With Lucius locked in Azkaban, I find my ranks...empty. This is unacceptable. Don't you agree, Draco?'

'Y-yes, my lord.'

'Are you willing to fill your father's place?'

'It...it would...' Draco swallowed, his mouth dry. 'It would be my honour, my lord.'

'Excellent,' Voldemort purred. 'I have a task for you. To prove your loyalty to me. You will not fail me, will you Draco?'

'N-no, my l-lord.'

'I hope not. You know what happens to those that disappoint me.'

Voldemort pointed his wand over his shoulder in a lazy motion. Narcissa dropped to the floor, screaming.

'Come, Draco. Let's discuss your mission.'

Voldemort swept from the room, ignoring Narcissa as she writhed in agony.

*

Hermione walked through the dark hallways, her wand casting a small light in front of her. As she passed Draco's room, she paused. She could hear him thrashing and moaning.

'Malfoy?' Hermione whispered, pushing the door open.

His blankets were in a heap on the floor. Sweat trickled down his ghost-white face.

*

'Draco, give Rowle another taste of our displeasure,' Voldemort demanded.

Draco raised his wand, his hand shaking as he stared at the man tied up at his feet.

'Do it, or feel my wrath yourself!'

Draco took a deep breath, and smothered his compassion. Draco forced himself to focus on his hatred towards the hulking man, who killed anyone in his path without remorse.

'Crucio.'

Rowle flailed on the floor, screaming. Bile rose in Draco's throat. Voldemort's chilling laughter filled the room.

*

'Malfoy?'

Draco's chest heaved as the nightmares gripped him. Hermione edged closer, wary of startling him.

'Malfoy! Hey, Draco, wake up!'

*

The Malfoys knelt on the parlour floor. Shards of glass from the shattered chandelier cut into Draco's skin. Voldemort paced before the cowering family. Bellatrix perched on the edge of the sofa, watching her master hungrily.

'Fools!' Voldemort snarled. 'How could you let them escape?'

'The...the house-elf...' Lucius whispered.

'An elf that once belonged to you! You should have killed the disloyal creature years ago.'

'Yes, my lord.'

'How many times must you fail me, Lucius?'

'I'm sorry, my lord.'

'You will be. Crucio!'

The spell knocked Draco backwards. It felt as though white-hot knives pierced every inch of his body. A scream tore from his lips. His bones were on fire. The pain was so intense, he could no longer feel the glass cutting into him.

The agony seemed endless.

He wanted it to end. He prayed for death to take him.

*

'Draco?' Hermione nudged his shoulder. 'Dammit Draco, wake up!'

Draco shot upwards. His arm caught Hermione across the face and knocked her into the wall.

'H-Hermione?' Draco gasped. 'Are you ok?'

'Fine, I'm fine!' Hermione rubbed the growing bump on her head. 'Are you ok?!'

'Oh...yeah. Yeah. Just some bad dreams. What're you doing here?'

'I was headed to the kitchen for a drink. I heard you freaking out, so I came to see if you were ok.'

'Thank you,' Draco ducked his head, hiding the blush spreading across his cheeks.

'I'll, uh, I'll leave you to it then.'

'Wait,' Draco called after her. 'Would you...would you sit with me for a bit?'

Hermione hesitated by the door. Draco looked so forlorn, his face pale in the light of her wand.

'Sure. Of course.'

'Thank you,' Draco whispered, his voice small.

Hermione shivered in the chair by the window. Gusts of wind whistled through the cracks. Draco glanced at her as he gathered the blankets up off the floor.

'You could, um, I mean...well, it'd be warmer and comfier over here? But, I don't...I don't mean anything b-by it...'

'Oh, um...'

Another shiver ran through Hermione as the wind continued to howl. She nodded and shyly slipped under the covers next to Draco.

'Do you want to talk about it? The nightmares, I mean.'

'Not really,' Draco said. 'I'd rather forget about them.'

'Ok.'

The sat in silence, watching the shadows cast by the moon.

'How about you? Do you get nightmares a lot?' Draco asked. 'Like, about the war?'

'All the time.'

They fell silent again.

'Is that what you were dreaming about? The war?'

Draco nodded, biting his lip. Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand.

'I'm sorry,' Draco said.

'For what?'

'Everything. All the hell I put you through in school. What I did in the war. What my family did to you. Just...everything.'

'I know. And, I never thought I'd say this but...I forgive you.'

'Thank you. That...that means a lot.'

The silence stretched comfortably between them. Hermione's eyes eventually drifted closed. She fell asleep with her fingers still intertwined with his.

*****

A/N: Poor Draco, I felt bad for him as I wrote this chapter. I know his actions in school and the war were pretty awful. I didn't want to shy away and ignore that. What did you think? Let me know in the comments! Much love, Charli