After Tonight

Chapter 4: Extracting a Change of Heart

Draco stood stiff in the corner of his kitchen as he watched his father and Androginious pour the Spawning potion into small viles that were lined up on the kitchen table. His eyes flicked to Theo, sitting cross legged on the counter, brown hair falling into his eyes.

He needs a haircut thought Draco. Maybe Daphne was still around, she had always been good at cutting their hair in school.

"All we need are the lids and we should be set." Androginious said, reaching for the pile of lids that were littered on the counter beside his son. "Theo, put them on."

Theo stood up began twisting a cap onto each vile, holding his breath in concentration. Draco had a sudden thought of Potions class, how expertly Theo would focus on measuring his ingredients before using them. Waste not want not, he used to say, and had always kept his Potions space tidy.

"Now Draco, we have a new visitor coming to our home interested in purchasing a Spawning. I want you to keep our more..." Lucious paused, looking for a word as his voice jolted Draco back to the present. "permanent guests, quiet downstairs."

Draco felt his blood run cold at the thought of spending a few hours with Maisie, Penelope and whomever else had been unfortunate enough to get captured these past few months. A crash sounded and Draco spun to find a broken vile of Spawning on the floor, the dark brown liquid oozing over the tile. Before anyone could speak, Theo was flung onto the floor, a smack echoing from his cheek as his father's hand met his face.

"Fucking moron!" Androginious roared and walked over to his son. Theo sat up holding his face, and was met with another slap, returning to the floor. Draco winced, but didn't look away. He couldn't help his friend, but he could watch. It was the least he could do. Androginious grabbed Theo by the shirt and wrenched him up to his feet.

"Do you know how much you just cost me?" he screamed, gripping Theos shirt and crushing the broken vile beneath his feet. "How much did he cost me, Lucius?" Draco looked at his father who had not reacted and put his hands behind his back as he picked at his fingernail.

"Well, he cost you about 3,000 galleons." Lucius replied coolly and cocked an eyebrow. "He cost me about 7,000."

"You plan on paying kind Mr. Malfoy back?" Androginious snarled, finally releasing Theos collar. Theos face was red, and Draco saw his hand shaking slightly as he put his arms down from his face.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy." He replied, voice strong. "I can pay you back."

Lucius waved his hand carelessly and turned his gaze towards the viles. "How about we just say, you owe me one." He said, the hint of a grin on his face, and Theo nodded apologetically. "Now as I was saying," Lucius turned his attention once more to Draco. "You will accompany Andriginious in the basement and help him obtain more Draught of Pain. Miss Cho Chang has graced us with her presence and we'll need to start.... extraction, as soon as possible." As Lucius talked, Theo held his face and stalked out of the kitchen, the mahogany doors swinging shut behind him.

Draco felt his stomach flip at the thought of participating in an extraction, especially with Androginious. While he had never really seen it often, he knew Theos father was a cruel man. He wasn't entirely sure Theos mother had died of 'natural causes'.

Turning his attention back to his father, Draco straightened his shoulders. "Of course." He said, feeling sick in the pit of his stomach. "Anything for the cleaning cause."

The Cleaning Cause as Rita Skeeter had coined it, was the act of removing all muggleborn and most half-bloods from society, to purify the bloodlines and to stop the mixing of 'dirty blood'. After Voldemort's rise to power and the death of Harry Potter, muggleborns began being imprisoned. That is, until the Spawning came to life; then, muggleborns started to mysteriously 'go missing', and since they were really on no one's caring list, barely anyone reported their muggleborn family members missing. Muggle-sympathizers were arrested, and even some 'disappeared' just as mysteriously as their muggle friends.