1998
"There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil – a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome." Draco read the quote to himself until he threw the book, Pride and Prejudice, into the wall. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw a stranger. A stranger that was starting to become a permanent resident in his reflection. The dark circles under his eyes were beginning to sink, and with every passing day more weight shed from his body. "Get yourself together, pussy." He spat at himself in the mirror. A knock on his door caused him to jolt and fidget his posture.
"Draco? Are you alright?" Narcissa inquired while peering in through the door.
Draco nodded lowly and kept his head low. Narcissa crept behind him and squeezed his shoulder.
"What troubles you?"
"I just have a lot on my mind, mum."
Narcissa cupped her son's cheeks and gave him a gentle grin. "Whiskey and anger spurts won't help with nothing. You should know that by now, just look at your father."
Draco lowered his head and wanted nothing more than to please his father but at the same time, be nothing like him. Draco never forgave Lucius for hitting his mother when he was a boy. Ever since Draco became a man Lucius was wise enough not to lay a finger on Narcissa or Draco would strike back. Lucius dressed like a man, spoke like a man, but had the mindset of a coward.
Narcissa picked up the book and began to flip through the notes and scribbles scattered throughout the pages. With every note she read, her face became more astounded. "'Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.' Draco, what are you doing reading this rubbish?"
Draco snatched the book and placed it back onto the shelf. "Nothing. It is not my copy. It was Astoria's. It-it – was her favorite novel."
Narcissa sighed. "Constantly looking at artifacts that remind you of her wil—will not ease the pain. Why not cast her aside? It has been months, my son. Perhaps your father and I can re-connect with the Parkinson's and arrange a match. I think it will- "
Draco started to feel his blood boil, the veins on his neck began to appear boldly. Pansy Parkinson was the last female on his mind and marrying her was not going to solve anything. With every word that escaped Narcissa's lips Draco wanted to scream. Without thinking, in a fit of anger, he smashed his fit into the nearest wall. Narcissa gasped and ran to her son's side and cradled his bloody knuckles.
"What has gotten into you!" Narcissa shouted.
Draco watched the blood drip off his hand and onto the carpet. He wanted to feel the pain his hand felt, the feeling of exposed skin, the ache of discomfort, but nothing outstood the pain he felt within.
"Sometimes physical pain carries my mind to a different place for a few minutes. When my mind is not occupied, all I want to do is fucking annihilate anyone and everything." Draco whispered coldly.
Narcissa stood up abruptly and peered down at her son. The look of rage was forming on her face and she raised her hand swiftly connecting it with Draco's cheek.
"Bloody hell, mum!"
Narcissa pointed at her son. "I did not raise you to be a blubbering fool. Astoria is not the only thing of importance. The Dark Lord is planning on striking the school any day now and Draco, you need to pull yourself together. Otherwise, we will perish. Everything we have worked for will be all for nothing!"
Narcissa left the room and left Draco alone to tend to his self-inflicted wounds. While Draco was muttering healing spells over his knuckles, yet another figure appeared in his room.
"I heard quarreling. You a'ight mate?" Theo asked while lowering his gaze to the blood on the carpet then back at Draco.
"Doesn't anybody leave me the fuck alone anymore?" Draco spat while grabbing a nearby half-empty whiskey bottle.
"Yeah-well I was sent here to bring you down to the meeting. We're startin'." Theo said as he stole the bottle from Draco and took a swig.
"How—bloody—fantastic." Draco said sarcastically.
Draco listened to the endless amounts of battle strategies that the different members of the council brought to the table. Draco had no intention of contributing to the war plans, until he was called upon by the Dark Lord.
"Young, Draco, you know Hogwarts quite well, tell me, what is the best way to infiltrate the grounds? I fear the wards have been severely upgraded since I was last there..." Voldemort said with a chuckle.
Draco fixed his posture and leaned forward. "My lord, the wards are strong due to Professor Dumbledore developing them himself. Perhaps there is another way we can lure out Potter without causing total chaos."
Voldemort lowered his eyes and furrowed his facial expression cuing Draco to continue his thought. "My lord simply lure Potter from the castle. Perhaps by bating him? I know for a fact the bastard is quite fond of his friends. There will be no need for more magical blood to be spilt."
Voldemort nodded and fiddled with the elder wand, "Ahh-that would be a waste of precious blood. The Wizarding World's population diminishes every year..." Voldemort scanned the table hoping some of the other council members would have something to add, but the men remained quiet. Until Lucius perked up and jumped into the conversation.
"My lord, if you will permit me, Potter hangs around two certain kids. A Weasley boy and a mudblood. If we were able to snatch one or both, Potter will seek them out. Allowing you to strike him down."
Draco heard the word mudblood and he knew his father was referring to Granger. Potter would risk his life to save his friends, no matter the cost. Draco has not seen Granger since the night at the Inn when he told her he would never call upon her again, and he meant it. But something in his gut was telling him this plan was going to jeopardize Granger's life. What if Granger sacrifices herself to save Potter? If that were the case, then Draco would kill Potter himself for being a dim whit and allowing a girl to get herself killed for him.
"I like your idea Draco, and your thinking Lucius. I shall fixate this plan with a close councilmember. I want Potter dead within the month, gentleman. I have waited seventeen years for this, and I will not wait another year more."
Draco was beginning to turn his gaze to the nearby window when an unknown woman strode into the room. She had black hair, Asian-descent eyes, and a trimmed figure. This woman strode in and placed her hand on the Dark Lord's shoulder and Voldemort smiled at her sinisterly. Draco has only ever seen the Dark Lord smile like that when he was looking at Astoria. It made Draco's stomach curl every time he saw it.
"My dear! Welcome. You look divine. Just as I remember you."
The woman slightly bowed her head and smiled at him. "My lord, I am thrilled to resume my position as your right hand."
Draco noticed Lucius and Bellatrix shift in their seats and a scowl form over their faces. It was no surprise that his father and his aunt often fought over Voldemort's right hand man position, but he suspects neither of them expected to see an outlander steal the job.
"My friends, I assume you are confused. Allow me to introduce you to someone to whom you have met before, Nagini."
Draco eye's bulged from his skull when he realized the woman, he was looking at was once the large, black snake that was glued to Voldemort's side since before he could remember. But how that could that be? As Draco looked at this woman more and more his brain was becoming more confused. This woman was a snake for how many years and suddenly she is a fully functioning human.
The meeting concluded and Theo pulled Draco aside and invited him for a drink at the pub. The guys arrived outside a muggle pub in London, since it was no secret, they were Death Eaters and outlawed in the Wizarding community. Theo and Draco were sipping on scotches over ice and watched the lonely muggles traipse in and out of the bar. Draco envied their mindlessness, their pathetic problems and how much easier it might be to be anyone but who he is.
"They are going to go after the mudblood, mate. What are we going to do?" Theo inquired.
Draco furrowed his brows and rose his upper lip. "What are we going to do? Bloody nothing. Granger is not my responsibility. Let Saint Potter come to her rescue. I am bloody tired of being her hero." Draco finished off his scotch and the bartender slid him another. Cheers.
"Mate, the Dark Lord is going to torture her until Potter sacrifices himself. Who knows what he will do to her? You cannot survive with Granger's blood on your hands- "
Draco leaned forward and showed his hands. "I already have Astoria's blood on my hands! Why not just add Granger's? My soul is already damned to hell." He lowered his hands and swigged his scotch back. "Granger means nothing to me. I have not seen the bitch since—Switzerland." Draco lied.
He knew if Theo found out that he had been secretly meeting up with Hermione for the past several months it would merely prove a false accusation, that he still had feelings for her.
Draco scoffed to himself and smirked. "Y'know my mum actually suggested that I become arranged with Parkinson. My skull nearly exploded."
Theo lowered his head and began to play with his scotch glass. "You were wrong for using Parkinson, Malfoy, y'know that right?"
Draco scowled at Theo. "I did not know that we were reviewing all my past failures, Nott. Should we lay out some of yours? Let us see—you allowed Dubois to get engaged to an old Death Eater, you never fought for her—"
Nott punched Malfoy on his chin and Draco fell backwards, but quickly rose to his feet. Swinging back at Nott and connecting with his nose. Theo's nose began to gush blood, and the bouncer forced the guys to leave the bar.
"Never talk about Lilla, you piece of shit! Unlike Astoria, Lilla is alive!" Nott shouted. Malfoy grabbed Nott's blazer jacket and pushed him to the wall. "Look at me, mate. If I were given the fucking opportunity, I would have gladly traded my life for Astoria's!"
Nott smirked. "What about Granger?"
Malfoy paused and released his grip on Theo. He began to pace around the walkway and cursed around his breath. "Do for Granger what you could not for Greengrass. Even if she is a mudblood."
Draco began to shake his head until his dark mark started to burn, and when he lifted his sleeve the skull was shifting. Draco peered up at Theo who shared the same facial expression.
"We are being summoned." Theo stated. The guys whipped out their wands and apparated back to Malfoy Manor. When Draco charged through the front door, he was immediately drug into the library by his mother.
"Draco, promise me you will not do anything stupid." Narcissa demanded.
Draco looked at his mother confused. What did she mean? Why would he do something stupid?
"Mother wha- "
"Shh-listen to me. Promise me no matter what happens you will put your life first. I cannot let me own son die for a- "
"Cissa, Draco, please." Lucius interjected.
Narcissa nodded and guided Draco down the stairs into the dining room. The Dark Lord and Nagini stood in front of the fireplace that lit up the room lowly. The Malfoy family were surrounded by the low council, the high council, and other members of the Dark Lord's army. Nagini stepped forward and waved her wand to show an outline of the grounds of Hogwarts. Draco felt his chest starting to become heavier with every word she spoke. The first battle was happening and very soon he was going to have to fight against his peers. The students of Hogwarts already thought Draco was a no-good bastard, this was going to cement the rumors.
"We have a responsible member retrieving either the Weasley boy or the mudblood girl. Once they are snatched, we will set up around the perimeter. If Potter does not show his face to rescue his beloved, then we will have no choice but to take him by force." Nagini said coldly.
Draco stepped forward clutching his Death Eaters mask, "Who will be retrieving Potter's friends. Perhaps I may assist?"
Voldemort stepped forward with a cold expression. "Absolutely not. You are to fight by my—side."
Draco nodded and stepped back.
"Prepare for battle my friends. Tonight, we prepare, tomorrow we fight, the day after we conquer." Voldemort said boldly.
Draco nodded and traipsed up to his room. His gut was telling him to get a warning to Granger, tell her about the Dark Lord's plan to kidnap her or Weaselbee. Then he had another thought, perhaps he could stop the kidnap? Go back in time and make sure the idea was never presented to the Dark Lord. Malfoy remembered that years ago Granger gifted him a time turner that would allow wizards to travel through time. He knelt into his trunk that kept all the memories of Granger a secret. The many exchanged letters, little trinkets but as he reached the bottom of the trunk there was no time turner. Where had it had gone? Had he misplaced it? Draco realized with the time turner missing he would not be able to change the past, and his only option was to act in the future.
He slammed the trunk shut and sat on the top if it, hands clasped. He ran his hands through his hair and felt the air escaping his chest rapidly. Draco was not ready to fight, but he had to do everything he could to protect Granger, even if that means murder.