Chapter 11: Draco

Chapter 11:

Draco:

Draco watched without comment as his silver-locked father tried to force his way into a wall. At another time, this would have been amusing. But as angry as he had been at Severus—as angry as he still was at him—he didn’t really want him dead. After all, if Severus was dead, Draco would have no chance at winning him back from that freakish Mudblood.

Apparently coming to the conclusion that he couldn’t force his way into the wall, Lucius stopped and turned on Draco.

“Where would he have gone, Draco?” To not answer would be acting against the Dark Lord’s wishes, but to answer would be condemning Severus. The best choice, Draco decided, was to pretend he didn’t know.

He answered, with as much spite as he could manage, “Why do you think I would know?”

Lucius raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Do you think I’m blind? That I didn’t notice what went on between you two last spring? Oh, Severus did a good job of hiding it, but you… You pranced around our house like an excited first year when you heard he was coming to our little party. Spent all evening trying to get his attention, as I recall… It must have stung, didn’t it, when he ignored you.” The familiar look of malice had entered Lucius’s eyes. Instinct told him to tread carefully now, but the remnants of his affection for Severus forced him to ignore it.

“So? I still don’t see why I would know where he’s gone off to.”

“Oh, but I think you do, Draco. And it’s so very sweet of you to try to protect your dear Severus after you’ve just betrayed him to the Dark Lord, but don’t you think it’s a little late for that? How could Severus possibly forgive you for what you’ve done? Now, why don’t you just tell me where he’s gone to so we can follow through with the Dark Lord’s orders… Unless you think we should disobey them, of course.”

Just tell him before he gets any angrier. What good would not telling him do? He’s going to get it out of you one way or the other regardless, you know this… He couldn’t do it. Everything he and Severus had shared, how Severus had treated him like a real person and not just an extension of Lucius… Draco couldn’t give up on that.

“I don’t know where he’s gone to.” There was no turning back now as Lucius’s eyes narrowed.

“You are forcing me to do something I don’t truly want to do, Draco. But I will not go back to the Dark Lord as a failure. And I think you do know, I think you know exactly where he’s gone to. I’ve no choice…” And with that, Lucius pointed his wand at Draco, and the word he knew was coming came.

“Crucio.”

Hot lashes of pain whipped through Draco as his body gave way and fell to the floor.

“Just tell me where he is and the pain will stop. The Dark Lord need not know of your transgression. But I promise you, Draco, the pain will not stop until I know.” He paused here, drawing out the next few works with excruciatingly slow diction. “Exactly. Where. He’s. Gone.”

The convulsions had begun. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer: he was nearing his previous record already.

“It didn’t have to come to this. If you had just told me in the beginning, this could have been avoided. Why protect him, Draco? Why protect someone who’s chosen a Mudblood over you? And you dare to call yourself a Malfoy!”

He knew he shouldn’t be listening to him, but the words stung almost as much as the curse did. Why couldn’t he just ignore him? But it was becoming harder to think now. The pain would overwhelm him soon, leave his mind so wounded he’d have to join the Longbottoms in St. Mungo’s. Was it worth it? Would Severus ever even know what he’d done for him? Would Severus even care if he found out?

Anything to make the pain stop. His mouth opened, forming the words for him even as what was left of his brain tried to stop them from forming.

“Spinner’s End! He’s gone to Spinner’s End!”

The familiar smile of victory split on Lucius’s face.

“And, Draco, will you lead us there?”

Anything to make the pain stop.

“Yes! Yes!”

The curse ended, leaving a defeated Draco sprawled on the ground as his triumphant father loomed over him.

“Then get up. Oh, and Draco? If you hesitate again to follow the Dark Lord’s orders, if you dare to lead us false, the Dark Lord will know of it. And what he will do to you… well, you’ll be looking back on this memory with fondness.”

With that, Draco pushed himself up off the ground to lead his father and Goyle to his heart’s destruction.