Flirting With Darkness

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Have a nice day! ((Warning, this was written while listening to Linkin Park to be extra angsty!))

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He stared into his father’s blazing eyes returning their furious stare. Lucius, still red faced and angry, sighed turned away, and Draco quickly got up off the cold marble floor he’d been thrown onto, wincing at the pain crawling over his entire body. He could feel the many cuts, and bruises, blood seeping through his robes…Trying to mask his fear, he glared at his father’s back, burning to holes into it with his stare.

‘Draco…,’began his father in a deathly quiet whisper , ‘I never want to hear you speak like that again. If you should become careless and ignorant once more of your families lineage and honor, I assure you the penalties will be far worse than what happened tonight.’

Draco refused to bow his head under his father’s condescending stare. His pale gray eyes flashed as Lucius, who stared him down and then smirked at him, shaking his head with an expression that clearly said , ‘Pathetic!’

He turned his back to Draco and sat for awhile, deep in thought, staring into the fire.

Shadows flitted eerily across the dimly lit room as a Draco stared at the high back of the sleek black velvet chair. He stared into the glowing fire, the only source of light in the room aside from a few stray candles on the wall. His father hated light, and anything to do with it. That was one of the few thing they had in common—they craved darkness.

Catching his breath and trying to ignore the burning feeling on his forearm, he was still in a state of shock.

He continued to gaze into the fire, his eyes narrowed as his face set into a hard stare, watching its vicious flaming red and orange tongues lick the air. Usually fires were described as cheerful, with their crackling warmth and cheerful brightness. Here they were never cheerful. A strand of silvery blonde hair fell in front of his eyes, and he pushed it back roughly, wishing his father would say something.

He finally did.

"Draco. There have been some new arrangements this year, so to speak. I have recently arranged, through some ‘friends’ of mine, shall we say, that this year at Hogwarts will be quite different. As you know, the Dark Lord is rising and becoming more powerful that ever before. He is gathering more followers than ever before, and—" he paused and turned around, facing his son. "he has entrusted you, with the honor of an assignment. I believe you are ready."

For a fleeting second, Draco was shocked, it was the last thing he’d expected, but then again he had never expected the other events that had happened on this terrible night either. But his face remained blank and expressionless until he quickly regained his perfect composure, something Malfoy’s were noted for. They were never caught of guard and where hardly ever surprised. His pale eyes met his father’s as he continued.

"There are to be several transfer students from Durmstrang at Hogwarts this year once again and Dumbledore has agreed to it, (that old fool!). However, being the knave that he is, there is also a bit of a problem—there will also be transfer students from other schools as well, but thankfully, only one or two. I’m sure they will not be a problem. And if they are," his eyes sparkled maliciously, "I’m sure you can handle them.’

"They will be staying for half of the term, at which point they will return to Durmstrang with specially selected students who will then spend the rest of term at their school. Of course, they are well acquainted in the dark arts. You will work together with them to accomplish your goal, which will be to kill at least 3 muggle born pupils, the ones you select to take to Durmstrang with you, that way it will be much less ’complicated.’ I believe you can handle that, it’s easy enough. I believe the Master is being overly kind, but, he needs you to prove yourself worthy. If you are able to accomplish this, then the he will assign you your real mission."

Draco’s eyes glinted in the firelight. This year certainly would be different. He couldn’t wait. If only…

And with that Lucius waved an impatient hand at his son, indicating his dismissal.

Draco walked slowly out the door smirking, as if their whole ‘meeting’ hadn’t phased him, when inside he was shaking. It wasn’t that he would mind killing muggle students, it’s just, this was new and the amount of pressure…if he failed, the punishment would be unimaginable…He strode down the hall, trying to hide any trace of the tears and suffering that wanted so much to poor out of him at that very moment. The burning spreading across his whole arm was nearly blinding him with pain.

When he was sure his father could no longer see nor hear him in the vast Malfoy estate, he broke into a sprint and ran as fast as he could out of the room and up the many marble stairs to his bedroom, all the while blinded by his pale blonde hair as it fell in front of his eyes.

Collapsing on his large bed after having bolted the door, he sat stunned looking out the window at the dark night sky. In all his life, this night had been the worst ever. It had all happened so quickly… But part of him didn’t mind! Part of him loved it, craved the darkness…Another part felt alone, insecure…

He could hardly move without quickly drawing breath as cuts bled and bruises swelled. I bet Potter never has to deal with this stuff, he thought bitterly. I bet no one does. But yet–it’s supposed to be a privilege…

Getting up from the bed and walking into the adjoining bathroom, he looked at his reflection. Two gray eyes stared sadly back at him. His usually slicked back white blonde hair was a mess and poked out at every angle, he had several bleeding cuts and a rather long slash on one cheek. A bruise was beginning to form under his left eye, not to mention the damage on his body, which he now realized his screaming in pain.

But that was not the worst of it, by far, he couldn’t even think about, let alone look at his arm. He was sure it looked raw and mangled.

His robes had been ripped and stained with blood. Perfect, he though cynically. This would happen a few days before Hogwarts starts…He began cleaning and washing the many cuts, and thought about how anxious he was to go back, to out do Potter once and for all. Oh yes, this year Draco Malfoy would be the most feared student of all and would emerge from behind that miserable Potter’s shadow.

If this year had been the same as all the others, he wouldn’t have wanted to go back. Every year as he thought about returning to Hogwarts, his mind had always asked the same questions.

What are you looking so forward to? Another year of being hidden in Potter’s shadow? With no real friends?

Sure there were Crabbe and Goyle, but they were both as intelligent and caring as a toenail.

He had always bragged about the Malfoy estate, their bountiful income, and his powerful father, but really, those weren’t the things he wanted most…

He snorted at those thoughts and almost said aloud, you’re getting too soft, Malfoy. And right then and there, he decided to never be vulnerable again. To set up invincible steel walls around himself for protection…to become more cruel and mean than ever before…so nobody would be able to hurt him again. He didn’t need friends. He could make it on his own. He was Malfoy.

Suddenly the burning sensation that had been in his arm spread through his body—the searing pain was indescribable and he fell to the floor.