The Girl Who Lived ☆ D. MALFOY

Chapter 21

A/N- OMG we hit 1k reads!!! That might not be a lot to some of you, but it's big for me, so thank you all. Enjoy this chapter!

Word count: 946

Draco's POV:

I trembled in my seat beside the Dark Lord, and I could hardly listen as he droned on about something I didn't care to understand. Only did I start paying attention once he called my name, and I nearly jumped at the sound of him addressing me.

"Draco, is it true you are a student at Hogwarts?" he asked me, even though the answer was obvious to anyone in that room.

"Yes," I replied, my voice sounding much stronger than I felt.

"Are you friends with the Potter boy?" I grimaced, doing my best to look at the snakelike eyes of a man that could kill me with the flick of his hand, and thought it best to tell the truth for the time being.

"No."

"Why is that?"

"Because he isn't and won't be faithful to you, my Lord." I reply, now lying through my teeth, much to the logic of my mind's dismay. In reality, I'm not friends with Potter because he's a right ugly prat, but that didn't seem like the thing to say at the time. Voldemort seemed to be attempting a smile, but it looked to be more of a sneer.

"Very good. What about the girl?" At that, I clench my jaw.

"I don't know her well, no." I answer, lying again. These lies could get you killed, I thought.

"I have a favor to ask of you then," Voldemort continued in his violently gentle tone. "I want you to get close to the Potter girl. Gain her trust." I would have collapsed then and there if I wasn't already sitting. I could feel the colour draining from my face as I glared down at the oak wood table. 

"How would I do that?" I ask, my voice involuntarily quiet.

"You're a charming young man. I'm sure you can win her affection." he says dismissively. "Whatever you learn, you will report to your father." I nod, no longer trusting my words. "You know the consequences of failure. You are dismissed." I stand up and leave the room as quickly as possible. The second I entered my bedroom, I let tears fall freely down my cheeks. I can't take advantage of Y/n like that, much less give her away to the Dark Lord. I kicked, punched, and threw several things before sliding down the wall, onto the floor in defeat. There I sat for ages, not moving a muscle. Not until there was a knock at the door. I jumped from my spot and turned to face the opposite direction. I knew my eyes would be red, and I couldn't let anyone know I had been crying.

"Draco," a gentle voice said from outside. The only gentle voice I'd ever heard in this house. My mother had always been the one I confided in, but could I tell her about this? About Y/n? I walked to open the door, and saw her standing there, with her usual compassionate expression. Moving to the side, I allowed her to come in and sit at the end of my bed as I shut the door back.

"What's wrong, love?" she asks tentatively.

"H-He asked me to do something," I mutter, rubbing my palms over my eyes.

"What... what did he ask you?" she questioned. She had to pause in the middle of her sentence to breathe, and her voice was even more fragile than usual.

"He- He asked me to get- to get close to Y/n Potter." My voice cracked when I said her name, and my somewhat calm facade shattered. "He wants me to give her up, and tell him everything." No longer was I paying attention to the fact that I was talking to my mother, I just knew I was with someone I could trust as I spilled my feelings into her waiting arms. "I can't do it, I just can't." I sobbed, covering my face with my hands. I felt her place a hand on my shoulder, and I was violently snapped back into a just as unwanted reality.

"Why can't you?" she asked, barely reaching a whisper. I shook my head and stood, walking to my window. Leaning on the frame, I rubbed my face again, trying to rid myself of all these unwanted emotions. Could I tell my mother? She would never willingly do anything that could hurt me.

"Because I care about her. So, so, much, and I can't let anything happen to her." I explain with my head bowed and eyes closed.

"... really?" my mother said, looking to the side, but I nodded furiously.

"I would protect her with my life." I answer, being painfully honest. She just nods slowly, and I think that I've done something to upset her, or maybe she disapproves.

"Then we must come up with something. A way to keep her safe," she says, finally looking me in the eye, and I let out a breath I hardly realised I had been holding.

"How will we do that?" I ask.

"That is up to you to figure out. I will just be here for guidance if need be." she replies. I let out a sigh, then put my fingers to my temples. "Thank you, for telling me this," she adds. I just nod, thinking over ways to keep Y/n out of this. I could always say I didn't have luck in communicating with her, and that she hates my very existence. That might actually work. Father and Bellatrix had trained me in Occlumency, so lying wouldn't be too much of a threat. Besides, I would be reporting to my father, not Voldemort himself. My face must have brightened considerably, because my mother was looking up at me, confused.

"I think I have an idea," I explain simply. She just gives me a watery smile and stands.

"I'm glad to hear it." At that, she opens the door once again, and exits my bedroom. Sitting in my desk chair, I pull out an envelope and a piece of parchment to write a letter to Y/n explaining my absence. Once I had finished, I attached it to the leg of my owl, sent him off, then threw myself face-first onto the bed, falling asleep instantaneously.