Omnia Mors Perimit

"Now will you finally concentrate, or we'll stop at once," she bellowed angrily. "Honestly, this isn't exactly difficult!"

Sure, when one was a mad killer on the loose, it must be the easiest thing in the world to kill by will, Draco thought in some frustration, but for the rest of the world it was difficult. He had failed to kill the bug before him for the forth time in a row, and frankly, he couldn't imagine he'd manage in the next hour either. He was tired, worn-out and his skull felt like bursting. Before practising the Killing Curse, his aunt had taught him Occlumency for three solid hours, meaning she had rummaged through his brains like she had pleased, and he hadn't been capable in any case to stop her.

She flicked her wand with a lazy movement, and muttered in an utterly bored voice, "Avada Kedavra - there you go. You've got to mean it, that's all!"

The bug in the jar had suddenly stopped twitching, he cleared it away and fished a new one out of another, bigger glass. At first, they had tried it with spiders, but since Draco happened to be rather fond of spiders, they had decided to use bugs instead, because his aunt thought that to be easier. She gave a loud sigh now, asking, "Are there any beasts that you really, really loathe? Beasts you want to see dead as soon as spotting them?"

"I very much dislike Hippogriffs," he muttered, making her laugh unpleasantly.

"Yes, I've seen that, boy. But for once I don't know where to get a Hippogriff now, and then it would be quite defeating the object. The more complex a creature is, the harder it gets to bewitch them. You should know that from your Transfiguration class. What we need here should not be more intricate than an ant for the time being. Or a toad, perhaps. You like toads?"

"I do not mind them, if that's what you mean -"

"You really are your mother's son. Blast it. I'd say we'll take a mosquito - but they keep flying around, and seeing your performance so far, you'd be sure to miss them and hit me accidentally."

He knew he was blushing and cast down his eyes. "Well, let's try it with maggots then, aunt. I do dislike them, and they're not very fast."

"Brilliant! Why didn't I think of this? A maggot it is then!" She conjured one and dropped it into the training jar. "Go on! Give it a try!"

He took a deep breath, stared at the wriggling maggot, that had a sickening resemblance to the finger of a small child, all rosy and soft, he pointed his wand at it and practised the movement a couple of times before saying the words at last. "Avada Kedavra!"

Yes! YES! The maggot had stopped moving - it was dead - he had done it! Thank heavens! His aunt appeared to be not quite so happy as he was. "Let's do that straight over," she said, unmoved.

She conjured a solid dozen of maggots at once, he managed to kill one after the other, and at last, she was satisfied with him, ending their session for tonight. He went up in very high spirits; he would indulge himself and have two or three glasses of Whiskey before going to bed. Even his mum had to be content with him today. He found her in the library; she was lounging in a great armchair, a cashmere plaid spread over her long legs, looking up from her lecture when he came in.

"I did it, mum," he spluttered excitedly. "I managed to kill off all the maggots!"

She arched a brow. "Did you? Oh, well..."

"Aren't you pleased?"

She gave him a faint smile. "Oh, yes. Yes. I am very pleased. Excuse me, darling, I am a bit tired, I suppose."

"They were only maggots, mum," he said, a little more subdued. His mother was a Vegetarian, she disapproved of killing animals in general - but she had to approve of his advances, right? "It's not as if I had slain a cow and put it on the barbecue..."

"Just because you would not eat a maggot, they're living creatures all the same, Draco. Besides - they are eaten in some cultures - considered to be a true delicacy in fact... However - I'm sure you've been very good. Was your aunt content?"

"She appeared to be, yes! We'll try frogs tomorrow!"

She twisted her face, but did not comment this, shutting her book and getting up. "Come on then, darling. Let us celebrate your success. Care for a midnight snack?"

"Oh, yes! I'm starving!"

They rang for Ziggy to fetch them some sandwiches, and he told her about the Occlumency debacle. That he simply couldn't do it, he even acknowledged the utter humiliation to have Bellatrix discover each and every of his most well-kept secrets, like when he got slapped by Granger back then, or losing against Potter every time they met on the Quidditch pitch, or when he had run out of the Forbidden Forest like a little girl...

His mother smiled benignly. "I've taught your dad how to do it, darling, and he is the world's worst liar, upon my honour. Showing you some tricks will be a walk in the park!"

She stayed up with him all through the night, not faltering before he had managed to keep her out of his head five times in a row. God, he was so relieved. And grateful. And bloody tired... The following night, Aunt Bellatrix had brought a box full of frogs and toads. He managed to kill two out of five, which wasn't too good, but not too bad either. At least, he had improved so much in Occlumency - that his aunt had softened up a little, commending herself for her teaching abilities, and Draco couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth.

"We'll try something bigger tomorrow night," she said now, disposing the dead frogs. "A crup, or a cat. We've got to get on with mammals now."

"We can't take one of the crups, Aunt. Mum's been very upset about the one that I made kill itself," he objected timidly, bracing himself for another one of her fits. Predictably, she rolled her eyes.

"How can my own sister be such a cry-baby, for heaven's sake?" she barked.

"Don't say that, she -"

"Oh, shut up, boy! Sometimes I think she's almost as bad as that other wretched sister of mine!"

"Leave her alone!" Draco had said it before he could have stopped himself, shocked with his own fierceness now, and adding hastily, "Please, I didn't -"

She had jumped up, glaring at him, snatching his arm and dragging him with her. "Oh, we'll sort this out, once and for all. Come on, Draco! We will have a word with your dear mummy now, and clarify a few points!"

He tried to placate her anger, but no chance, she didn't even listen, madly cursing under her breath, and bursting into the music chamber like a stampeding Hippogryff. His mother stopped playing the piano and cast them a look, half indignant, half spiteful. "Yes...?"

"What are you up to, Cissy?" Aunt Bella snapped. "Am I to teach your precious son or not?"

"I'm afraid I do not understand -"

"If I am to teach him, like I was under the impression, you've got to stop disturbing us!"

"Disturbing?!" Narcissa Malfoy got to her feet, showing an angry expression now, too.

"You won't have us practise with some silly crups, I've heard?"

Narcissa gave a swift, unpleasant little laugh. "Oh, so this is what this is about?! Yes, indeed, Bella, I won't have it that you're murdering our watch-crups, it's crude, it's barbaric, it's -"

"And you have dared to reproach me for gambling with your son's life, have you! You really have a nerve, Cissy! How's he supposed to learn anything, with his mother fussing about some insects, more than him advancing in the Dark Arts like he's supposed to be!"

"You are tainting my son, you make him murder some animals that he's grown up with, that he's familiar with since his infancy, and you don't even realise what you're doing!" Narcissa cried heatedly.

"Mum!"

"Oh, shut your mouth, Draco! You'll go to your room now, I've got business with your dear Auntie here!"

"I'm not a child anymore, mum! You can't just send me away!"

"I can't? We'll see about that, shall we?" She had drawn her wand so quickly that he was dumbfounded, even more so when she hit him with a Stunner and sent him to the floor. "Levitate! And off to your room!"

The immobilised body of her son hovered out of the room, and Narcissa sent one of the elves to follow him, bring him to bed and lock his room. She turned back to her sister, calmer on the outside now, but the long suppressed rage boiling inside her. "How dare you arguing with me in front of him!"

"Perhaps it'd be good for him to see what a total wimp his own mother is!"

"Oh, I find my son clever enough to understand who in his family is or has been in Azkaban and who is not, and come to some conclusions about the reasons!"

"You want to be very careful with what you say, Cissy," Bella snarled, barely able to keep her fury at bay. "That might easily be mistaken as doubts in our cause!"

"I doubt everything that alienates my son from me! Me, his mother! For you, he is nothing but another fighter for your master. But for me, he is my baby, my only child, nothing in this world is more important to me than that!"

"That's treachery to the Dark Lo-"

"No, it isn't! I'm no Death Eater, I haven't got any duties that could lead to treachery! My duties are that of a mother!"

"Yes, I see," Bella retorted coldly. "Your duty! As a mother! I take it you feel obliged to protect your son, do you? So how can you seriously object him from following his master's orders, knowing what will be the consequences? What about your duties as Lucius' wife? You know what will happen if the master gets even more annoyed with him!"

Narcissa couldn't argue with that point; her chest heaving, she glared at her oldest sister, who returned that look just as belligerently. They stared at each other in silence for some minutes, until Bellatrix snarled at last, "I reckon that this is settled. Be glad if I do not forward your lapse to the Dark Lord, Cissy. You are after all my sister, and I know which duty arises from that fact. But you want to make sure that I am not forced to decide between my allegiances to my family, and my loyalty to my master... You'd regret it."

She cast her sister one last, warning glance and left then, and Narcissa hurried up to Draco's room to have a word with him. Her poor darling, tugged up in his bed, still paralysed by his mother's spell. She lifted the enchantment and he darted up, yelling, "And what the ruddy hell was this for?!"

"Watch your mouth, Draco!"

"How could you humble me like that in front of my aunt?!"

"You wouldn't have gone deliberately, and I wished to talk to her in private, that's all." Narcissa spoke calmly, as if nothing serious had happened, but he wasn't so easily placated.

He positively shouted now, "And therefore you make me look like a total idiot?! As if I couldn't parry some ridiculous Stunner!"

"As a matter of fact, you didn't -"

"Because I did not expect my own mother to attack me!"

"I am sorry, Draco. I am. But I thought it was necessary. Now let us speak in candour. If you haven't got a plan yet, Draco - tell me so, and we'll think of something!" she said, almost pleadingly. "I will help you as good as I can, your aunt never needs to hear about it. And Professor Snape will help you, too -"

"Snape?! Aunt Bellatrix doesn't trust Snape!"

"You might find that your dear aunt is slightly paranoid. The Dark Lord trusts him, that should be good enough even for you and dear aunty Bella!"

"Aunt Bellatrix says that the Dark Lord simply hasn't killed Snape yet because he wants to have a foot in Hogwarts."

"Draco, have you considered that a spy that you don't trust is close to useless? He explained everything at great length to her - don't you turn into her, dear Merlin!"

"When did he do that?"

"In the same night when I went to ask him to support you -"

Draco turned paler yet and spat, "What?! You - you - you have more faith in him than in your own son?!"

"Stop being so silly, Draco, this has nothing to do with my faith in you!"

He was mortified and glared at her. "You don't believe I could manage, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't - spare your breath and let me finish! We're talking about Dumbledore, Draco! Greater wizards than you could possibly be at your age, have failed to harm him! You can do with all help that you can get, my dear boy, like it or not!"

"I cannot believe you've betrayed me! Running to old Snape - him of all persons!"

"Until quite recently, you've had the highest regard for Professor Snape!"

"That was before I knew him to be a traitor! He's not even a pureblood! Aunt Bellatrix says -"

"Oh, give it a rest, Draco! I don't care what Aunt Bellatrix says! Have you got the faintest notion what will happen if you screw this up? Has your aunty told you that, too?"

"I won't screw it up, Mother! I have a plan, a brilliant plan and I -"

"Then tell me about that plan, for heaven's sake!"

"So you can run to Snape again and give it away?" He pursed his lips in contempt - he meant Snape, not her, but she was mistaking him and gave him her iciest stare in return.

"I won't permit you to ruin your whole life, Draco! Like it or not, I am still your mother, you are still under-aged, and you will obey me!"

"I will not! The Dark Lord doesn't mind me being under-aged, he trusts me, he doesn't treat me like a child! I am a Death Eater now, and I will not permit you to ruin my great success! Can't you see what's Snape up to?"

Narcissa drew herself up, facing her son eye to eye. By now he was taller than her, but he had no share of her intimidating air. "Professor Snape's given an Unbreakable Vow to protect you, Draco! You know what that means, yes? He'd rather die than letting you down, and that's more than you should presume of your aunt, or anybody else in the Order!"

"What do you know about the Order, anyway?! You've never even bothered to join! Aunt Bellatrix says that it's bordering on disgrace that you make no efforts to distinguish yourself."

"Aunt Bellatrix makes enough efforts to distinguish herself that it will suffice for two witches! I will simply ask her to share a bit of her glory with me then," Narcissa said scornfully.

"You sound as if you envy her," he said triumphantly, making his mother sneer.

"Indeed, I'd much rather have spent the past fourteen years in Azkaban, coming to think of it."

"It would have been an honour to be imprisoned for the Dark Lord's sake," he replied, and Narcissa couldn't but stare at him in horror. What had happened to her otherwise so clever son? How could he talk such appalling nonsense? "Father should have done his duty, too!"

"Oh, right! Yes, surely your father and I should have gladly gone to Azkaban, instead of being your parents. You would have been taken to your Aunt Andromeda then to grow up there, and seeing your utter ungratefulness, you would have deserved it full well!" She winced back with her own words.

Draco was infuriated, his diamond grey eyes narrowed, his nostrils quivering. "Don't you talk to me like that! I've got enough of that, really! Because, if Snape was loyal to our master, you know what he'd do? Push me aside and do it himself! Use my idea to ingratiate himself with the master -"

"Stop talking such nonsense, Draco! You might think it a romantic thing to be incarcerated in Azkaban for the Dark Lord's cause, but let me assure you - it isn't! Trust me, your father would rather be here than there, if he had a choice!"

"I'm not going to be incarcerated!"

"Because you are so superior a wizard, and your father just has no clue, right?"

"I said no such thing!"

"But you've implied it! Like it or not, but Dumbledore is a great wizard, perhaps the great-"

"Don't you say that he was the greatest wizard of all, Mother!" he cried forcefully. "Because he isn't! He's a silly old man, perhaps he was great once, but his time's over -"

"Only three weeks ago, he's managed to overwhelm a dozen Death Eaters, one of them your father, Draco! I give you that he's quite silly, but that goes only as far as his heart is concerned. In his skills, he's pretty much what he's used to be, and I'm sorry to tell you the truth, but you are no patch on his powers!"

"It's not as if I'd try to overwhelm him in a duel, blast it!"

"Language, Draco!"

His white cheeks turned slightly pink with that silly reprimand, he took a deep breath and went on coldly, "My apologies, Mother. I got no taste to continue this debate. It's absolutely pointless. The Dark Lord has assigned me to do it, and nothing you say can change anything about it!"

"Are you truly that naïve? Or has your aunt's madness rubbed off? You're going to die if you -"

"Speaking of taking risks, Mother - am I right, or were you supposed to keep it all a secret to begin with?! If anyone has gambled with my life, it's been you when you've gone to Snape! You have risked my mission, you have turned to a possible traitor, entrusting him with your only child's safety! Don't you dare calling me naïve!"

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Ea caritas... The love between parents and their children can only be torn by a crime.