Until the Last Moment

There was no light in the passageway down to the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps pattered down the corridor towards a large wooden door at the end of the hallway. It was Narcissa, dragging her son Draco down to his destiny that waited like a snake beyond that door, in that cold dungeon room, coiled and waiting to snap out - to mark Draco as his own.

Narcissa wiped away her tears - she should be proud that his Lordship had decided that Draco should join the ranks of his father, proud! But yet all she felt was sorrow as thought of the pain that it would cause Draco to be marked, burned by his new master in an act of unequalled love. Or at least, that was what Lucius had called it when he had got the mark...

She rapped on the door three times with her long, pale fingers. Draco stood beside her, wearing only slacks and underwear. In the darkness, Narcissa could just see his white, muscular chest. He was breathing heavily, and one could hear his rapid heartbeats in the black that surrounded them both.

The door creaked open to reveal a spacious chamber within. Torches hung in brackets on the damp walls. And in the centre of the room stood none other than the Dark Lord. Beside him was a cauldron filled with black and stark red flames. Around the dungeon stood the rest of the death eaters. Narcissa pulled on her mask and stood in her place. She wished that Lucius was there beside her as Draco walked slowly towards that cauldron, the Dark Lord and his destiny.

Draco walked towards the Dark Lord, his new Master and the fire filled cauldron. His eyes were blank, but inside his mind, Draco was thinking of Harry and their special times together to comfort him in his branding. As he reached the cauldron and stood before it, the flames reflected in his eyes and dancing on his pale skin. The flames reminded him of the fire in Harry's eyes as he reached for the snitch in a Quidditch match.

The Dark Lord's high, cold voice rang out and echoed off the walls. It was a startling sound, and Draco flinched as was jerked out of his daydream.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, do you swear to obey me and carry out every task you are told to do?"

"Yes, Master. I do." His voice sounded emotionless and quiet.

"Are you aware of the responsibility that you are about to uptake?"

"Yes, Master." Now Draco's voice was shaking a bit more. He thought desperately of Harry and how they had walked through the grounds together after dark, holding hands and whispering to each other. Draco clenched his fist and wished he was connected to Harry. Another memory of them lying together under the stars fought its way into the fog of fear in Draco's mind. It had been just after that when Harry had sat up and when Draco followed suit, he had rolled atop of him and they had passionately kissed in the grass and the night had no longer seemed cold.

"Do you swear to give everything in your life to serve the Dark Lord, and sacrifice your life if needed?"

Draco hesitated for the smallest second, in which he heard his mother draw in her breath... "Yes, Master."

The Dark Lord's thin, pale features spread into a grin. He placed one finger in the flames and the gathered Death Eaters looked on eagerly, each remembering their own branding.

At last, The Dark Lord withdrew his finger from the flames and pressed it to Draco's pale skin on his upper arm. Pain seared through his body and memories flashed past his half conscious mind like a slideshow...

His first time with Harry... flailing bodies coated in sweat moving against each other passionately.

One of their kisses down by the lake... Rough lips meeting slowly.

Harry crying as he told Draco about the Dark Lord's return... His tears splashing down onto Draco's bare shoulder.

The last time they had slept together... Twisting and turning, crying out, panting and sweating.

The pain was too much and Draco slid down to the Dark Lord's feet, restraining the tears that swam in his eyes. He was now one of the Death Eaters, and yet he felt no pride, no sense of elation. As darkness closed in and the pain built even more, Draco flung his heart out to Harry and saw his calm face before his eyes before all went black.