Fragile

Chapter 3

I was anxiously pacing around outside when I saw two people approach the front door. Today it was windy and dark. The crisp and cool fall weather hit my skin and stung in my throat with each breath. My mind was buzzing and hazey. What do I do!? I need to leave before the meeting somehow! I watched the door open as the two figures walked inside without hesitation. I watched the crimson leaves float off the trees slowly. Each one falling to the ground onto the grass softly. The leaves reminded me of my early years going to Hogwarts. I used to cast charms on the leaves making them blow around, drop as heavy as weights, or make them burn into flames. Flames. It seems as if I can never escape the flames that engulf my life now. My legs break into a run as I round the corner of the house and run to the front door. 

Just as I reach the door I stop saying, "I just have to let it happen. I need to accept my life now." My arm extends out and grabs hold of the doorknob. It creaks as my hand turns and I push it open. I can already hear very soft voices coming from the living room. A pounding in my chest quickens and my jaw tightens with my nerves. I feel my fingers ball up into a fist as the door slams shut and I walk forward towards the living room. When I turn to the right the voices match up to a greasy black haired man with pale skin and a very serious expression, Snape; and a woman with gray tinted skin, curly black hair with streaks of white, and wide eyes. This was Bellatrix.  

"Ah! Finally come inside have you?" Snape's face was similar to my father's worn and wrinkled, with the same disgusted expression. I walk forward without saying a word. My heart was beating very rapidly in my chest by now. I raised up my chin so that I could look into his dark disapproving eyes without showing emotion. 

"Well! What are you waiting for? Do it Severus," I felt a pair of eyes join me and Snape's glares at each other. "Give him the mark." Bellatrix's voice gave me the chills and rang throughout my whole body.

My breathing became quick and worry filled me. This is what is going to happen. Just accept it. I can't accept it though. Deep down I know this is wrong this shouldn't be my life. A cold hand grabs my left wrist and holds it tightly. Turning it over in his hand, Snape pulls up my sleeve revealing my forearm to him. His wand pierces my skin and a sharp searing sting burns into my arm. Dark ink appears as it slithers down my forearm and stops when it is nested on the inside of a skull. The snake running through the skull is a sign. A sign that I'm now the Dark Lord's servant. The pain that comes with the dark mark is horrible and it feels as though my whole arm is burning. My eyes shut while I try to keep tears from flowing down off my cheeks. I scream in pain and I gasp waiting for air to get into my lungs when I open my eyes. The foul mark is at the center of my vision. I can see it clearly now. The skull with a snake running through the back of its neck coming out of its mouth. I look up and see Snape his eyes are as unforgiving as my father's. He drops my arm and the stinging continues. He glares down at me and starts talking, 

"Draco, you are to follow every single command the Dark Lord wants you to succeed at." He speaks slowly so that I can soak in every meaning of every word just like a sponge. I can't help but look around to see Bellatrix walking behind me and my mom wearing a stern face.

 "So Draco your first task is to find a way to get us in and out of Hogwarts undetected," her lips were right by my right ear talking softly but forcefully. "Think you can do that?" Not moving my head my eyes move and look to the right where I see her wide eyes waiting for an answer.

 "Yes," my voice can just barely be heard from the whisper that escapes my mouth. Her smile turns up into a smirk as she laughs a horrible and uncomfortable laugh. 

"The boy says he can!" Her smile vanishes and her face darkens when Snape puts his hand up to quiet her. 

"You may go now, Draco." My arm is still stinging with discomfort. I spin on my heel and walk towards the stairs. I glimpse back at them and keep walking, cradling my arm.

I walk up the stairs and walk fast down the hallway, a need to get to safety.

 My door slams with a bang as I hold my arm and look down at it and say, "No... no, no, no." I try to scratch it off. I walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower. Stepping in, the cold water droplets hit my skin and saturate my clothes. I rub and rub my forearm hoping the mark will vanish, but it doesn't. My back slides down the cold wet shower wall. I sit there in the water for a long time. My eyes closed as tears roll down my face mixing with the water that's dripping from my wet hair. My arm starts to bleed as I scratch it forcefully. 

"No," there is nothing else to say. After a few more minutes, not believing what just happened, I slowly get up and turn off the water. My hand reaches for a towel and I wrap it around me after my arm is free from blood. In me, there is no desire to see anyone, not even my own parents or Dobby. I feel filled with embarrassment, but why? Because I'm a death eater now? Because I was forced to choose this path? There's just no explanation I can think of as I get a new pair of clothes. I grab black sweatpants and a light gray sweatshirt from the mahogany drawers that lie next to my window. When my fresh clothes are on I slump onto my bed and look out the window again. The wind still blows the trees and leaves around. A bug crawls across the window pane lonely and lost, just like me. I lie down on my bed and I nod off to sleep. It feels nice to finally sleep. Maybe the pain will subside by the morning.

I wake up, my shirt soaked with sweat and my heart rate increasing. A nightmare had woken me up. In my nightmare I found Harry Potter and I turned him into the Dark Lord. Voldemort summoned my mark and the black ink of a snake slithered off my arm and onto the ground. It's head raised up as it bit Harry. I had killed Harry because I took the dark mark. No. I can't let the mark ruin my life and kill others. I need to help Harry. I need to run away. I got up out of bed and slunk out of the door. I stealthily make it downstairs to the and slip on my shoes. Making sure there's no noise I walk to the front door and steadily open the door. My head decides to turn without any permission to.

 "Goodbye," I whisper even though no one could hear me in this big house. Silence. No answer. Do I expect an answer? I turn forward and don't look back. I step outside and shut the door. "This is where I start my new life," I look up at the sky, "A new chapter to my story."