Michaela's Cousin

Chapter Two: Draco's Decision

The Dark Lord strode past Narcissa, who was standing, cowering, in the doorway. Bellatrix was right at his heels, a mad light blazing in her eyes as she looked at the object of her devotion.

Draco rose from his chair, fear ricocheting through his body. Had Voldemort come here to kill them because his father hadn't obtained the prophecy?

Voldemort could feel the fear in the room. It amused him that his intentions, his reason for being there tonight, were so much misunderstood.

"I can smell your fear, Draco. You think I am here to kill you and perhaps your mother too. How could you think such things of me? I have come to give you the chance to redeem your family, to wipe clean the mistakes that your father has made."

A ray of hope flared in Draco's chest. He relaxed slightly. The Dark Lord was going to give him the chance to make things right again. And if he did... He looked over at his mother, still cowering against the door frame. If he could make things right, his mother wouldn't have to fear for her life anymore. His father's reputation would be cleared. Everything could go back to the way it was, before the debacle in the Ministry of Magic. That was what Draco wanted more than anything: for things to just go back to what they were like...before.

The Dark Lord continued, "I am only giving you this chance because Lucius has long been a faithful Death Eater in my service. I know he would want you to do everything possible to right the wrongs that he has done."

Draco spoke, inwardly terrified, but his voice coming out calm and clear.

"How can I serve you, my Lord?"

Voldemort smiled a pitiless smile. "I want you to find a way for my Death Eaters and I to get into Hogwarts."

Narcissa's legs gave way, causing her to fall onto the rough stone floor. She lay there, sobbing in frightened gasps.

Draco looked over to his mother. He wanted to rush to help her, as she had helped him so many times when he was little, but he didn't dare. The Dark Lord would take it as a sign of weakness, and then their fate would be uncertain again.

The Dark Lord stared into Draco's eyes, as if reading his thoughts. "Are you prepared to do this for me?"

Draco's heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst. Death Eaters in Hogwarts? Everyone would be killed. Well, everyone who wasn't a Death Eater. And anyone who wasn't a Death Eater didn't matter. At least, they didn't matter enough to put his parents' life and his own in jeopardy by refusing the task.

Draco drew a deep breath, forcing himself to answer steadily. "Yes, my Lord, I will do it. I will find a way into Hogwarts."

"And," Voldemort continued, "I want you to kill Dumbledore."

Draco's face went white, and his heart started racing with fear. "You want me to...to kill...Dumbledore?"

Narcissa, on hearing this, began wailing with grief.

"Is there a problem, Draco? Are you not prepared to do the task I've given you?"

Draco's mind raced. Could he really kill Dumbledore? Kill someone? But if he didn't... His eyes darted away from the Dark Lord's and towards his mother, who was lying in a foetal position on the cold stone floor, crying inconsolably.

Draco swallowed hard and drew a deep breath. "There isn't a problem. I'll...I'll kill Dumbledore for you."

Narcissa began shrieking incoherently, the sound echoing off the walls that had so recently seen so much happiness.

Bellatrix looked at her sister in disgust. "Narcissa, get up immediately! You should be proud, proud that Draco has been picked for this task."

The Dark Lord looked at Draco, and then smiled cruelly. "There is just one other thing. I need to know where your loyalties lie. I need to mark you as one of my own before you perform your service for me."

He motioned for Bellatrix to come forward. Her eyes glowing fanatically, she grabbed Draco's left arm and pulled up the sleeve so that the pale flesh on the inside of his arm was exposed.

She held Draco's arm tightly as the Dark Lord slowly approached. Draco wanted desperately to yank his arm away, to run, somewhere, anywhere. But he knew doing so would mean certain death for him and his family. He took deep breaths, trying to remain outwardly calm and hide how much fear and loathing he felt for what was about to happen to him.

The Dark Lord stood in front of him, then reached out and grabbed his arm.

The pain was like nothing Draco had ever felt before. He could smell flesh, his flesh, burning under the pale spindly hands of the Dark Lord. He felt a scream rising up in his throat and fought to keep it down. I must not show weakness, I must not show weakness.

The Dark Lord removed his hand. Where once Draco's flesh had been white and creamy, there was a large dark stain, like ink spilled on a sheet of paper: the stain of the Dark Mark.

"Make sure you complete the task assigned to you," the Dark Lord said. "Failing me would mean bad things for your family. I am not the forgiving type." He turned and walked out the door, Bellatrix trailing adoringly behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Draco rushed over to his mother's side. He lifted her so that she was cradled against him, his arm around her back to protect her from the rough stone of the wall. He felt her body convulsing with sobs. It was shaking so much he could barely keep her in his arms. Her hair, freed from its prison of coils and pins, covered her face like a shroud.

He brought his hand down and tenderly brushed the sweaty, tear-stained hair from her face. Suddenly, he realised that she was speaking.

"My son, my baby, dead, dead, Draco, oh no, Draco, dead, dead," she moaned repeatedly.

As he held his mother in his arms, rocking her back and forth to comfort her, he happened to glance up at the globes that had been playing the significant moments of his life. To his horror, each and every one of them had one - and only one - clip playing in it now.

He could see himself multiplied hundreds of times, being branded with the Dark Mark. The scene played over and over again, as if taunting him. As if saying, 'you may want your old life back, but it is gone, gone forever, and this is your life now.'