Beautiful Inside

Draco stumbled blindly into the dark alley near the rendezvous point.

"I wonder how long I'll have to wait," he thought aloud.

"Not too long, boy." The voice came from down the alleyway. Draco recognized it at once.

"Hello Father." Lucius came forward. Draco lit his wand. "Lumos"

"I do hope I've found you in good spirits," Lucius said sardonically. Draco let a laugh escape him.

"You are so kind to have asked, aren't you?" he said sarcastically. "What do you care how I am, as long as I run your little errands?"

Draco had been running all of Lucius' errands as part of their deal. Weekly trips to Knockturn were common, as were running about Hogsmeade so his father wouldn't have to deal with the crowds. The last couple of trips had sent him to fetch things throughout Europe.

"What errand will it be tonight? Picking up ingredients of some sort? Obliviate someone, perhaps?" Draco wanted this to be over with. This was the last time he had to help. His father had promised. Although, his father's promises were like snow in hell, they never lasted long.

"I have a new task tonight, Draco. A very special one." His father cackled a bit at the end. Draco didn't like that much.

"What is it?" he asked hesitantly. Lucius seemed to be walking in a circle around him.

"Draco," Lucius began slowly, "You remember Jeff O' Donnell?" A man stepped from the shadows, hanging back against the wall. Draco narrowed his eyes. He didn't remember him. "No?" his father questioned. "Maybe you will remember his partner in crime." Someone swept behind Draco. Their presence was an eerie one.

"I would hope he would remember me, Lucius," a woman's voice purred. She came to face Draco. He pulled back. "After all, I am the one that got him into this in the first place."

"You didn't get me into this, Jade, you forced me in." She smiled.

"If you would have done it willingly, then I wouldn't have had to force you." Draco looked back to his father.

"What is this new task?"

"Ahh, yes. The new task. Well, I thought that Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell here could use your assistance. You'll be helping them."

Draco couldn't believe his ears.

"What? You can't be serious."

"He is," Jade said. "And, we happen to be the Lord's personal help, so you will be helping him as well." Draco could only shake his head.

"This isn't happening," Draco muttered.

"Oh, I do believe it is," Jeff corrected him. "And we have a special mission we thought you could help us with."

Draco hesitated.

"What would that be?"

Jade took over at this point.

"Your...wife? Emily?" she purred. Draco nodded. "Yes, well, her family has begun to get a tad...unloyal."

"Only her mother was a Death Eater, no one else."

"That's not true. Many of her mother's side were indeed supporters. All of them have run in fear," Jade explained.

"They must be punished," Jeff said, coming closer.

"We need you to figure out where they all live," Jade said shortly.

"But won't that arise suspicions?" Draco asked. "If I go asking Emily where half of her family lives?"

"Not at all..."

"She's extremely intelligent you know. She'll have a hunch about what's happening," Draco cut them off.

"Then use a memory charm on her," Jeff offered.

"I wouldn't do that to her!" Draco snapped.

"Then do it anyway you can. Just get the information as soon as possible," Jade said, placing her arm in Jeff's. "Until then, we'll be waiting."

"Owl us as soon as you can," Jeff said, leading Jade away. Lucius stepped next to Draco.

"You'd do well to appease them. You wouldn't want your boys to suffer. They do carry our family name." Lucius smiled cruelly. "However, you could show a little resistance. I think it would be fun to watch your poor wife squirm."

"You will never have the chance," Draco growled. "Ever."

"We'll see." Lucius pulled his cloak around him. "Good bye Draco." Draco eyed him as he left, leaving him alone. He quickly Apparated back home.

***

The house was quiet as he approached the bedroom. He lifted his charm, then silently opened the door. Emily lay still. He began to take off his cloak, throwing it over a chair in the corner. Draco was undressing when he heard Emily stirring.

"You're home late," she mumbled groggily. Draco looked at the clock. Four eighteen.

"Yeah, a little later than I had hoped."

"What could you possibly be doing that kept you that long?" Emily was sitting up now. He folded down his side of the bed.

"Some paperwork. You know how bureaucratic the Ministry is."

Emily sighed and slid back down. Draco lay next to her, pulling her close. She shifted so that she faced him.

"I don't know how many of your long nights I'm going to be able to bear. I roll over, and there's nothing."

Draco smiled.

"Well, I'm sorry." He leaned and kissed her. She sighed again. Draco kissed her neck lightly, moving slowly down. Emily stopped him. He looked up at her.

"I'm tired, I'm just going to go back to sleep." He frowned at her. "Sorry, you don't get anything tonight."

"Eh, that's okay," Draco said as she spooned next to him. "Emily..."

"What?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." Draco's mind raced at that moment. Seeing Jade tonight made him think of how he used to be. Maybe he was enjoying this Death Eater thing. He looked down at Emily in his arms. No, I don't regret changing, he thought. He lay his head on Emily's and fell into an uneasy sleep.