A Malfoy's Fate

A Malfoy's Fate

Let's set the record straight: I am a Malfoy. Malfoys are powerful, intelligent, rich, and bloody good looking. But they are also sly as foxes, as my father has proven yet again by his escape from Azkaban. Of course it was not much of a conquest after the dementors sided with Voldemort, but it was still a big deal in the wizarding community. It was a well known fact that my father was in the Inner Circle of Death Eaters, and he had high expectations for me. My mother and I haven't seen him since his escape, he is now protected by Voldemort himself in their secret lair, yet he constantly owls me about keeping family pride and preparing for my future role (it just so happens that Voldemort was really keen on me joining his little clan of arse kissers).

Did I really want to become a Death Eater? The question should be phrased more as did I really want to bow down to a disfigured, wrinkly, barely-human being who has not succeeded in murdering one lousy kid on countless occasions? Of course not. My father constantly spoke of pride, but what kind of pride is groveling at Voldemort's feet. I, on the other hand, take my pride very seriously, thank you very much. Unfortunately, I had only two choices: joining Voldemort after graduation or death. I was eighteen years old and that is much too young of an age to die. Subconsciously I succumbed to my destiny. I counted down the days until graduation and gave up all hope of freedom and pride.

It wasn't until the there was only 48 days left that I finally stopped counting. That was the day that I met her. Sure I knew who she was, I practically threw snide comments at her everyday. But 48 days was when I truly met her.

'Come on Malfoy, ten galleons says she won't let you kiss her,' Blaise Zabini said as the group of Slytherin boys walked down the corridors.

I scoffed. Her? Why would I kiss her if I could barely stand looking at her? 'Yeah, and after I do that I'll go have a shag with Granger,' I said sarcastically.

'What's this? A Malfoy backing down from a bet? Now that's something unheard of,' Zabini answered with a smug look on his face. He knew it was true, never did I not take on a bet, and neither have I ever lost, but this was just ridiculous.

'I'm not backing down on the bet, I'm just asking you to chose a different subject,' I answered. There was an iceberg's chance in hell that I was going to kiss Looney Lovegood.

'It's either her or the Weaselette,' Zabini said. If there was anyone who I was going to stay further away from than Lovegood, it was the Weasley girl. Not only does she look like the rest of her pathetic excuse of a family, she's also a Gryffindor, and I would never sink that low.

'Fine, I'll take Lovegood,' I answered in surrender. 'It'll be done by midnight.' And with that I got up from the table at the Great Hall and left for classes with Crabbe and Goyle close in tow.

After classes finished for the day I told Crabbe and Goyle to go back to the common room as I made my way outside to the lake. She had Care of Magical Creatures with that overgrown oaf Hagrid at the moment. I figured I'd just wait until her class was over and I'd ask her to take a stroll around the lake. When at the other end, I'd shower her with sweet-talk and my natural charm would seduce her into kissing me. Simple enough, right? Yeah, the only thing is I grew queasy just thinking about it.

When the class was over I jogged to where she was putting her books (and a copy of the latest Quibbler) into her book bag. 'Lovegood,' I said, then I realized that it probably was not the best choice of name if I was to seduce her. 'I mean, Luna,' I corrected myself.

She looked up at me with her dazed eyes. They were a clear shade of blue but they had a very distant look about them, as if her mind was elsewhere. 'You're a Slytherin,' she said. Well of course I was, I think the badge on my robes pretty much made that obvious. For a Ravenclaw she was definitely not the brightest button in the collection.

'Er, yes I am, and you're a Ravenclaw,' I answered awkwardly. It was a strange experience speaking to someone who you weren't even sure was listening to you. 'I was wondering if you would like to go for a walk around the lake.'

'But you're a Slytherin,' she said twirling her golden blonde curls subconsciously.

'I know I am,' I said, my voice more on the irritated side, but she didn't notice. 'Why should that matter if I want to take you on a walk?'

'Well, I suppose it doesn't,' she answered. 'While we're walking we can search for Trouncing Trimblers,' she added in an excited tone.

'For what?' I looked at her as if she was from a different planet, which seemed quite possible at this moment.

'Trouncing Trimblers,' she said as she began walking towards the lake. I instinctively followed. 'They live on the banks of lakes and rivers, but you can only see them at sunset. If you see one you can see a glimpse of the future.'

I scoffed at her, this was just beserk nonsense, yet she would probably swear upon her life that it was true. She completely shrugged off my scoff as if it never happened. So we walked side by side on the shores of the lake with her explaining the appearance of these Trouncing Trimblers and how they had magical powers that nobody was able to explain. The sun has nearly set when I decided to finally say something.

'Do you really believe this rubbish?' I asked truthfully.

'Why shouldn't I believe?' she asked, her eyes squinting as she intently scavenged the shore of the lake.

'Well, because it's just ridiculous,' I answered. 'There's no proof that these things exist.'

'Do you believe in love?' she asked, looking over towards me. The many shades of the sunset reflected in her wide eyes. Her question caught me a bit off-guard. It took me a minute to answer. I've seen people who claim they're in 'love' and yet they treat each other so horribly, I see families who are suppose to love each other and yet there's no emotional connection between either of the members. Yes, I am speaking about my parents and my family, that's the only example of 'love' that I've had. But the ideal of love was something completely different than what people in my life have.

'No,' I answered curtly.

'Oh,' she said quietly and turned back to her search on the shore. There was silence between us for a moment or two, and no, I haven't forgotten about the bet. I was just biding my time. You could hear the orchestra of crickets playing their symphony of sounds, and the sun continued setting at it's slow pace. This place was truly peaceful at this time of day, I must admit.

'You know you don't have to be like him,' she said randomly out of the blue.

Myself being utterly confused by what she was talking about, I asked, 'Like who?'

'Your father,' she said. 'The only person who can choose your destiny is you.'

I gave an uncomfortable chuckle, 'Easy for you to say.'

'It's true though,' she said. 'You don't have to join Voldemort, you don't have to marry someone you don't love, you don't have to answer to anyone's wishes except your own.'

'Yeah, too bad if I don't kiss Voldemort's feet after I graduate he'll probably put a price on my head, or lack thereof,' I answered this, knowing full well that it was true. 'I'm too young to die.'

'So was Jacob,' she added. I looked at her in question, and she continued, 'Jacob was my big brother. Voldemort killed him because he wouldn't reveal secret information from Professor Dumbledore.'

'I'm sorry,' I said, and I truly was. What is this? A Malfoy showing emotions? Yes, I was starting to warm up to her. Merlin forbid I ever become friends with her, but she wasn't as bad as most people thought of her. 'He was probably a Gryffindor, they would never betray anyone. But I'm a Slytherin, and Slytherins only look after themselves.'

'Actually, he was a Slytherin as well,' Luna said. This struck a chord within my cold heart and shut me up for a while. Is it possible that a Slytherin actually chose the good of others over his own wellbeing? Could it be true that some Slytherins actually turn out good in the end? This thought provoked me.

Just as the last seconds of the sunset rolled around Luna gasped, pointed, and said, 'Look!' I quickly turned my head and saw something small and sparkly. Immediately then I had some sort of a vision. A vision that should have scared me witless, but it only put my mind into clarity. It's quite difficult to explain. Almost as if this one vision made me a completely different person. It was as if I've always known what I had to do, it was just overshadowed by fear. But this vision numbed the fear and showed me exactly what I must do. No sooner than the vision came it disappeared like vapour. I looked over at Luna and she had a sincerely happy smile on her face. Her eyes slowly blinked open and she looked at me.

'What did you see?' I asked her, wondering what she saw that made her so happy when while I saw death and was almost numbed by my understanding.

'You,' she said, smiling even bigger if that was possible. 'You and me,' she said, and the look on her face made it clear that she saw us together. In that way. I was surprised at her openness and straight-forwardness, I'm sure I would have beat around the bush for a while.

'I saw you too,' I said truthfully. There was a side effect other than clarity and this was truthfulness. 'Only you were crying as you were clinging onto my dying body. And my father was standing there with his wand pointed at me, laughing like an evil lunatic. My father's going murder me, Luna.' The smile wiped off her face, replaced by tears in her big blue eyes. 'But I'm not afraid. I know that I can help Dumbledore, I know that I can help fight Voldemort. I know that I can do all that, and I'm not afraid to die for it, not as long as you are with me.'

She didn't have to say anything. All she did was fling her arms around my neck as she sobbed gently into my shoulder, and that is all she had to do. That's all she ever had to do. She just had to be there. I wrapped my arms around her as well, holding her as close to me as possible.

I suppose I should explain, since it is a bit of a confusing situation. You know how Luna said that Trouncing Trimblers had magical powers? Well, I believe she was right. Whatever magic they possessed, it changed me. She changed me. And yes, it did happen' just like that'. I always thought that the Malfoy-ness sunk deep into my soul, but apparently it wasn't as deep as I thought. The vision I saw startled me because it was different than anything I've ever experienced. I never expected that dying young was better than becoming a Death Eater, I never expected that my own father would murder me, I never expected that she would be the last person I ever saw or that she would make me believe in love. But it's all true. Once you experience seeing a Trouncing Trimbler and see your vision, you will know deep in your heart that it's all true no matter how absurd it seems on the outside. I wonder why they never tell you about these little creatures at school? Probably because it came from the Quibbler, and we grow up with the sense not to believe it. Well, now I believe (not in the Quibbler, but that anything is possible). I believe because of her. And she's all that I will ever need anymore.

The first thing I did when I got back to the common room that night was throw ten galleons over at Blaise. I told him he won. I told him that she didn't let me kiss her, and "she wasn't worth ten galleons." She was worth much, much more, I just failed to mention this bit to Zabini. She was priceless, I just failed to mention this bit to Zabini.. Next I went to talk to Dumbledore. I said I was on his side, on Potter's side, on the side of the Phoenix. I told him I wanted nothing to do with Voldemort or my father; I wanted to fight for a good cause. Dumbledore accepted my allegiance with the regular twinkle in his eyes.

So now here I am, lying with the feeling that my bones are being crushed inwardly. And there stands my father, pointing his wand at me, telling me things like 'I told you so' or 'you have shamed me.' I am in the arms of Luna, the person who taught me to believe in love. Not only was she wearing our wedding ring, she was also two months pregnant with our first child. I move strands of blonde hair away from her tear stained face, and smile. Yes, I smiled a true, happy smile even though my body was withering away by the second. I knew it would be over soon, I knew my body couldn't last much longer, but I had to tell her.

'Thank you, Luna,' I said just audibly enough for her to hear. 'I love you.'

I felt her kiss my forehead and heard a faint, ebbing, 'I love you' whispered back to me as everything went black.

Fin.