Punishment for a Malfoy

Punishment for a Malfoy

Chapter 1

"Lucius, where is your prodigal son?" Lord Voldemort hissed at his most loyal follower. Lucius Malfoy crawled to Lord Voldemort and kissed the hem of his robes. He was terrified, to say the least.

"My Lord, Draco has chosen the side of the light. He left me a note. He will be punished," Lucius spat.

"Indeed. I believe a few bouts of the Cruciatis and then perhaps an Avada Kedavra?" Voldemort laughed manically.

"You want me to k-kill my only son?" Lucius was stunned. He knew that Voldemort was cruel, but he didn't think he could kill his only son. Draco was his flesh and blood. If he killed him, there would be no one to carry on the Malfoy name. Draco was the last born son of one of the oldest pureblood families in the wizarding world.

"You refuse? Oh, well... perhaps I should punish you instead." Voldemort raised his wand, and with a menacing smile, he hissed, "Castracio!"

Back at the Malfoy Manor, Draco was desperately trying to pack a few things before his father came home. He knew his father was with the Dark Lord and would be home in a couple of hours. That didn't leave him a lot of time to get everything he needed. His mother had left the manor a few weeks ago to go on holiday, but Draco knew she would not return. He had overheard his mother on the Floo with someone he didn't recognize, telling them that she was leaving Lucius.

That was when Draco had decided to leave. He'd wrestled with the decision to join Harry Potter for years. But when he put his mind to it, he weighed his options very carefully: a wizarding world without Muggles or Mudbloods, or a wizarding world without a freak who looked like a snake and would kill you on the spot if he didn't like your cologne. The choice became pretty clear at that point. That's when he decided to make it official and join Harry Potter. He pledged his loyalties to Dumbledore and, in doing so, put his life in the crazy old wizard's hands. Funny, Draco thought, he felt safer with the old coot than he did with his own father.

Draco was made a member of the Order of the Phoenix a week later and began training with Harry, Ron and Hermione. When the comment was made by Madam Pomfrey that there were more "soldiers" than healers, he, along with Ginny, decided that was where he was most needed. During his seventh year, Draco and Ginny both started training with Madam Pomfrey. When he graduated Hogwarts, he started an internship at St. Mungo's, and as soon as Ginny graduated, she joined him. However, now she was no longer Ginny Weasley. The day after graduation, she married Harry Potter.

Of all the members of the Order, Draco was closest to Professor Snape, but he had quickly befriended Ginny regardless of the fact that she now carried the surname "Potter." He had never had a sister, but he thought she made a good stand-in. She had a lot of practice in being a sister, after all.

Since he became a member of the Order, he stayed at Malfoy Manor simply because that was where his things were. He failed to inform his father that he had changed sides and thought nothing of it until the day Lucius came to him and told him it was time for him to get his Mark and take his place in the Dark Lord's inner circle. He thought it might be a good time to leave. But in order to leave quickly, he needed help packing. He wouldn't ask Wonder Boy or his Dynamic Sidekick for help, and Ginny was working a shift at St. Mungo's, so he asked the only person around, who was currently sipping tea and reading the Daily Prophet in the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Now he was in his bedroom with Hermione Granger. It wasn't that he didn't like her. He spent most of his life being told to hate her kind and everything about her. It was more like he was indifferent. But he needed help, and she said yes, so there they were.

Hermione was helping him pack just the essentials and some childhood memorabilia. They were working together in companionable silence when they heard a noise. They both looked up and caught each other's eyes.

"What was that?" Hermione asked with terror in her voice. "You don't think your father is already home, do you?"

Draco started to tell her it was probably just one of the house-elves when he heard someone clear his throat. Turning slowly, he saw, to his horror, his father standing in the door frame. And even more disconcerting was the look of boredom on his face.

Instinctively, Draco stepped in front of Hermione. "What do you want, Father?"

Ignoring his question, Lucius asked, "Why are you packing, Draco? Are you and your little Mudblood going somewhere?"

Even though Lucius was using a bored tone, there was no denying the evil glint in his eyes. He was blocking the doorway now, and Draco knew they couldn't get passed him. He just prayed that he could talk his way out of there. He knew both his and Hermione's lives depended on him.

"Actually, Father, we were just packing up a few of my things. I didn't think you'd want me here anymore. We're finished now, so we'll be on our way." He knew he wouldn't get anywhere, but he thought he'd give it a try. He started toward the door, being careful to keep himself between Hermione and his father.

Lucius just smiled in a way that people who didn't know any better would think was charming. "Surely you don't think I'm going to just let the two of you leave. No, Draco, I have other plans for you and your Mudblood. You see, Draco, the Dark Lord was a little put off by the choice you made. As a matter of fact, he decided it was my fault. And can you believe that he wanted me to kill you? Imagine killing my own son. I was outraged by this, and the Dark Lord assumed that I was refusing, which of course, I wasn't. So, instead of giving me time to wrap my brain around it, he punished me instead."

Draco was feeling sick. He could hear a small whimper from the girl behind him. He ignored her. He didn't want anymore attention sent her way than there already was. He didn't fancy her, but he didn't want his father to do anything to her either. They were on the same side, after all. The Order knew she was there. He also knew that Weasley didn't really trust him yet. Hopefully he could stall his father long enough that Weasley would get worried about Granger and come looking for her.

"Draco, why are you trying to hide your little Mudblood? I must say, she is easy on the eyes even if she is filth." Draco didn't respond to his father's taunts. Draco stood his ground and looked his father in the eye. He liked to think that he wasn't the scared little boy anymore that needed the likes of Crabbe and Goyle to hide behind. But at that very moment, Draco was terrified. He was almost more terrified for Hermione than himself because his father believed there was more to her presence than simply helping him pack.

Draco was searching his mind for something to say when he heard the sound of a throat clearing behind him. "Er...hello Mr. Malfoy. We were just about to leave. I hope you have a good day." Damn Granger and her bloody Gryffindor bravery. Draco would have rolled his eyes if it wasn't such a dire situation.

"Ah, Miss Granger." Lucius put on his best fake smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You don't really believe that I'm just going to let you leave, do you? What sort of host would I be if I let you just walk out the door when I just got here? No. I have other plans for you my dear, after I deal with my son, of course."

It happened so fast that neither Draco nor Hermione knew what hit them. Lucius flung his wand at Draco, throwing him out of the way so he could have a clear shot at Hermione.

Advancing on her, he had a wicked grin spread across his face. "Well, now, it's just you and me, Mudblood."

Hermione was suddenly trembling with fear. She looked out of the corner of her eyes and noticed that Draco must have hit his head because he was out cold. Lucius picked Hermione up by her arms and threw her on the bed. The suitcases that contained Draco's clothes bounced onto the floor.

Lucius ripped Hermione's shirt off and whispered, "Now, I'm going to find out exactly what my son betrayed his family for."