Bonds of Fate

Chapter Two: Back to Where it all Began

Draco could clearly remember the dream. Every little detail he had seen through Harry's eyes returned to his mind. It was a lie. A downright lie. What haunted him most was the image of his father raping him. Lucius had never harmed him. Although Draco at times wished he had, wished he would be the pathetic victim just to have something in common with the Boy Who Lived. Even if it was the pain given by a Death Eater, but famous Potter would never care. Not for him. If Weasley missed a Sickle to a bunch of Chocolate Frogs or if Granger failed to have full marks, noble Potter would be there of course, but if there was something wrong with Malfoy...

He looked around the room. A dungeon, but it was never really cold down here, just now and then a gentle breeze sent the torchlights and candles flickering. Several four-posters stood partly hidden in little alcoves spread all over the room. Complete with cascading velvet hangings in the trademark deep green of their house.

The fair-haired boy swung his legs out of the bed but froze in mid-movement. His eyes had fallen on the picture standing on the little chest beside his bed. He took it and sat back on the bed. Slowly he moved his finger over the smooth surface of the frame tracing the familiar curves of the silver snakes. They wound around the picture just like they moved over so many other Malfoy possessions. And how nicely they fit to the flower inside the frame. Covered with many shadows grew a rose in the picture; lived just behind the glass, unreachable and yet so unbearably near to Draco ...

~~

Delicately patterned wings fluttered as a small creature took flight off a rose blossom. The blonde boy chased the butterfly a little deeper into the garden. Only the shouts of his father to get him back on the path made him turn and search his way back through the maze of flowers. At times he stopped to dip his tiny nose into the sweet fragrance of the blooms.

At length the plants parted and Draco stepped out into the open. Just then he perceived the building. The little boy could only stare at the impressive manor towering above him. His father smiled and rather dragged him the rest of the way through the garden. Neatly cut trees were scattered all over the grass. And then there were those wonderful rose bushes. The estate was full of them - canary yellow ones, bright orange ones, flaming red ones... The overwhelmed boy had never seen such an ocean of colours before.

They arrived at the door and Lucius reached for the knocker - a perfect ring in the form of a snake. The door opened as if by magic and the blond man stepped in. He turned to his son who still stood on the doorstep gazing at the flowers.

"Come in, Draco. You'll have plenty of time to look at the roses."

Draco did as he was told and entered passing the house-elf, which had just appeared from behind the door. He and his father were led down a long hallway.

It was the first time Draco was inside the huge manor of his grandfather. Well, maybe he had been here when he was younger, but then he couldn't remember. The hallway was lined with paintings and portraits of his ancestors of his father's line. His mouth fell open as he admired the many decorated golden frames and the impressive carvings on the pillars and the high ceiling. His gaze met a wall ahead. They reached the end of the hallway and followed the elf through an arched passage and up a broad spiral staircase. Draco closely watched his step to avoid tripping over the almost too wide stairs. His eyes left his feet as he stood on the landing only to stare again. The room was two floors high with a beautifully framed window occupying what was almost the whole opposite wall. Again his father smiled knowingly and again he had to drag his son, this time into a room on the left. Judging by the four-poster it was a bedroom. There lay the weary, old Malfoy. Greeting his son and grandson he waved in the direction of the elf and bowing it disappeared with a cracking noise.

Draco stepped beside the bed. His grandfather lifted one hand and gently stroked Draco's silken hair with a tender and almost pitiful smile.

"I have a present for you, my little one." and he looked past Draco. The boy turned and saw another room its door ajar. "Go on, it's right ahead on the desk."

Draco entered another room and the first thing he noticed where the many books piled in shelves that reached the ceiling. On the far left there was another door and to his right the shelves parted and a high window could be seen. The beautiful thing that had attracted his attention after a brief glance at the surroundings was standing on the desk and now entirely Draco's. It was a flower, a rose of a color he had never seen before. A shade so deep it was almost black, but when it caught the light in the right way the velvet surface of its petals shimmered crimson. Right now the light streaming in through the open window presented the flower in all its glory. No - this magnificent rose was presenting itself to greet and please its new master. The young boy's eyes wouldn't leave the flower as he advanced towards it.

The room slowly began to blur and dissolve. Shadows wrapped around him till he was swallowed by darkness. Not that he feared it, but he wished he could see just a little bit. Was he still in the room? He didn't know. As he walked on he could hear a faint, distant whisper. Slowly it grew louder. The rose came into view right in front of him and he stopped. He leant closer, raised a hand but let it drop immediately as he saw mist develop from the depth of soft petals. It became thicker, the rose faded and then something materialized between the curtains of what seemed to be liquid air. A blurred, pale female shape with only eyes, her hair the color of highlighted rose blossoms with strands of black and white. Although Draco couldn't see her sing he heard her words:

'Welcome to my realm

We are both condemned to live

It's a dark fate

I can hear your calls...

...I can hear your calls

The eternal life'

She stretched her hand out and turned her upper half in an inviting gesture. Draco's gaze followed her movement as she led his eyes towards the darkness behind her. A picture had appeared there. As he stepped closer he realize that it was merely framed glass like a window and peered through the frame. In the darkness beyond sat a boy, small rays of cold light hitting him. He was on his knees and his face wore that expression, faraway and of immense sadness. His head was slightly lifted and the shadows lay around him just like they enfolded Draco. It struck him like a bolt - it was himself, but older. Without warning he felt a deep pain building in his chest. He didn't know what troubled the other boy. No, troubled himself and then the words spilled past his lips:

'And life it shall wane

Each night I cry in pain

And blood tears I cry

Endless grief remained inside'

What had happened to him? Peering into the shadows he clutched the frame. Only when it started to hiss, he realized that it was formed of snakes as well, slender creatures of silver with piercing eyes. Their slim, yet strong bodies moved, pointy heads turned to him, unnatural colors flashed in their almond eyes. He stepped back and looked wildly around. The rose - she had to be somewhere but all he could see beside the frame was pitch-blackness. He wanted to scream but his voice didn't obey.

Although he felt little tingles of panic grabbing him there was a warmth building just behind his navel soothing the little boy. He looked around once more, slowly. Pure and silent black. A hiss made him start violently. The warmth left him and he could almost see it moving to his right. There the woman appeared again, with a smile in her eyes. Relief flooded little Draco, yet he felt uneasy as he walked towards her as the words echoed in his head.

'Come follow me

And you will see

How it will be

When all the pain is gone away'

The shape backed away. Draco didn't want to lose his only guide and quickened his step following once again through the dark. The ground wasn't the even floor of a room any longer. Suddenly, he found himself in front of a rock. Without another thought and,to his own astonishment, without any great difficulty, he climbed it. Beyond there was a cleft. Not very wide, but certainly deep. On the other side crouched the woman and she held out her hand. The boy leaned forward and held his hand out as well; he stretched his arm as much as he could, their fingertips were only inches apart when suddenly he heard a distant yell...