Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 54 - Fathers and Daughters

Voldemort summoned us to the west drawing-room after dinner. Draco had just put a bandage over the scar on my forehead and I was just now starting to gain my strength back. But when we sat on the couch Voldemort got on his feet and rushed to come near me. With a fast movement, he yanked the bandage off my forehead.

"The Dark Lady doesn't hide her marks. She doesn't hide her mistakes," he said, threw the bandage down and sat on the huge armchair, the seat that would otherwise belong to Lucius Malfoy. "I won't hide the reason why I summoned you here. To show up in this Manor means of course that you have considered my proposal. I can almost guess your answer," he got straight into the issue. "To come back, means you will stay."

I swallowed hard and took a breath, obvious signs of uncertainty that I couldn't but show. "I will," I answered but not at once. I saw a smirk in Voldemort's face. Narcissa and Lucius smiled, too. Draco on the other hand only turned to look at me. Snape, who was sitting almost beside me, did nothing but stare at my face, a stare that I could only glimpse with the corner of my eye.

"I knew you would make the right decision. You would never disappoint our house. Now we have all the time we want to make up for your unfortunate weaknesses. I expect you to join us at once."

He looked at me as if he would have expected an interaction, a comment on how happy I was I would become a Death Eater. On the other hand, I couldn't have said a thing that could mean that I was happy.

"I would join and follow you at once, right now," I said and quickly cleared my throat. "Father," I said with a pause and the word sounded odd in my ears. "If I could, I would do it. But with the Ministry keeping an eye on me, that would put everyone in great risk. I am still under observation. Giving a specific answer could put everything in great risk."

I have to admit I was a good actress for a moment, probably knew that I should put my greatest effort if I wanted to get out of this without a mark but still with Voldemort's favor.

"If you allow me, my Lord, I think Annalise makes a reasonable point. Hadn't I provided her with a false Truth Serum at her Hearing, she would most likely find herself in Azkaban," Snape defended me. "Maybe it's not important what she has on the back of her forearm but what she truly follows."

Voldemort asked us to get out of the room at once. He even sent away Lucius and Narcissa. It seemed that the only person whose opinions he would ever consider was Snape's. When he summoned us back in the drawing room, he told me to come closer to him. I walked to him with hardly knowing what he would do to me. Instead he put a hand on my shoulder. Even his touch was painful, maybe he didn't know he was touching me with much more force than he wanted.

"I know you're faithful to me. For your own safety, you won't become a Death Eater, yet. I want to know you only answer to me."

"I only answer to you, my Lord," I said without a blink.

"Father will do."

He gave me a present afterwards. An actual present. It was a ring, a ring with a black diamond on it.

*     *     *

The scar hadn't faded at all. It seemed like it was done a minute ago even though days had passed. Well, let's face it, I didn't care anymore. I had sort of got used of it and I knew that I was going to have lots of them in the future. The thing was that it would be very hard for the other students not to notice. I was trying to hide it under my hair but you could easily see it. What would I say to them?

I had escaped again. Escaped from my fate. Voldemort hadn't killed me. He might have believed that I was under his commands now but now I could give the Order what they wanted. As much information about Voldemort as I could.