Mercy | D.M

Fourteen

His voice was quiet and a little strained.

"If you become an order member, will you do everything in your power to help us protect innocents and stop Lord Voldemort?" 

"Yes" 

"If we let Aster Flint join you in this mission, will you protect her with your life?" 

Shock rippled through me. 

What had that got to do with anything?

I looked at Blaise and watched as his eyes flickered between Moody and Draco. I looked at Theo. He was watching me, his eyes sad and lips in a stern line. I narrowed my eyes at me, curiosity and concern burning over just one question. 

"Yes, I love Aster. I would do anything for her" 

I felt my blush flood my face and I found Draco's gaze. He stared at me with an intensity akin to a promise. 

"If you were caught, would you tell them our secrets to save her?" 

This made my stomach drop. 

"I can lie to them" Draco answered simply. "My occlumency is good enough to fool even the Dark Lord". 

Moody was pacing now, his wooden leg making irritable noises against the floor. 

"Would you sacrifice yourself for the Order?" 

"Yes" 

Bile travelled up my throat. 

"Why?"

"There's no good life I can see with the Dark Lord in it" 

There was no emotion to his words, it was like he was simply stating a fact. I looped my fingers through Blaise's, desperate to have something to tether me down.

Moody stops his pacing and faces Blaise. 

"He's good. The truth serum can only do so much, and he could always change his mind but for now, I believe he has too much riding on his life to fuck things up" 

Blaise nods, but my gaze is still glued to Draco. He's sitting idly on the chair still, his eyes closed as the serum works its way through his body. 

I let go of Blaise and walk over to him. 

"Are you ok?" I whisper, not wanting the others to hear his answer. 

"No" 

I kneel down and place my hands on his knees. 

"Is it still working?" 

"Yes" he grimaces, the first natural gesture I had seen since we had come downstairs to meet Moody. 

"You didn't take too much so it shouldn't be much longer until its out of your system" 

"Ast, I can do this you know. I may not have the best track record with Potter and the past year but I don't want to go down that road. I hate this." He gestures to his forearm, the mark covered by his jumper sleeve. 

"I know, you've told me all this already"

"I just wanted you to know I was telling the truth" he whispers, closing his eyes again. 

"Does it hurt?" 

"No, just feels a bit like somethings pulling at the threads of my thoughts out of my brain"

"How poetic" I grin. 

He opens his eyes at my teasing tone and grins back, his eyes squinting happily. 

"I love you too" I say. 

He grabs my hand and pulls it into his lap. We stay like that, me kneeling between his knees, him sitting in his chair, both of our hands clasped together. 

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Draco's POV

After the truth serum eased out of my system, the tension in my entire body dissipated. I nodded at Moody to let him know it was done. Straight after, it was all business. Protocols, regulations, specific Order charms that could help with communication and protection and the ever-complicated plans. 

It was obviously not going to be simple but I never strived in simple. 

Occlumency was my strength, and Moody seemed fairly shocked with my skills as he tried to badger his way into my head. 

"I've never seen him so impressed before" Blaise whispered into my ear. 

From across the room, Aster winked. She was working with Theo on her Legilimency. There was still an obvious tension between the two of them, but I could tell Aster was desperate to make things right again between the two of them. It was the way she smiled softly and lowered her voice with him. She was too gentle sometimes, something I related to her probable legilimen's magic that she sometimes couldn't get a handle on. 

"Now boy, your father is a slimy bugger. No offence." Moody frowned, "But he will be the one you will have to be really really careful around. He knows you best, so you best keep your attitude and behaviours the same as usual. Do you see your mother much? Do we have to keep an eye on her too?" 

I grimaced. 

"Mum's fine. I don't think she even wants to be there either, but she keeps under the radar. She mostly just plans events and tends to the garden." 

Moody nodded. 

"Parents are difficult. They test your loyalties. Zabini, Nott and Flint here don't have that obstacle right now. Their parents aren't here to get in the way. Although their help would have been nice..." he shot Blaise a dirty look. 

"You know my mothers looking after Aster's mum, who is too sick to help anyway!" Blaise hissed. 

"Yes, yes - that takes me to Aster's father. We need to get him out and fast, but we can't jeopardise your position Malfoy, so we're doing this without you. We might need a few insights into the manor and guards but I don't want too much information that its obvious we have someone on the inside."

I looked up and over at Aster. She was sitting crossed legged on the floor now, her eyes shut and her features relaxed. She looked like she was meditating. Theo was watching her, so much awe in his eyes it made me feel uncomfortable. 

"Tell me what you need" I told Moody.