The Hateful Fates

3

He played the nervous boy quite well, he would state to himself, although it did help that he was actually nervous. He was facing his Grandparents from both sides of the family, it was an unnerving situation. "I am not entirely sure how I got here." Draco said stately. "I was in my room at one point, and then there were noises, and He...He asked to speak with me. He gave me a task, one I cannot hope to possibly complete, and honestly I don't even know why He would bother. It is not as though I could very well just refuse. My parents are gone, and..." Draco paused, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes trying to regain composure.

"Its alright," The Prefect said softly. "Think about it from the beginning, go slowly, we have a bit of time before the carriage gets to Hogwarts, do not rush your way through things." Draco nodded towards him, fingers curling into fists as he held them on his lap, back straight, head bowed slightly.

"My family is well known for helping those of the Dark Arts. It is not a surprise, or should not come as one. As such, they are routinely in the more...risque side of things. It is normal, of course, even if they are nothing but idiotic cowards bending far too easily," Draco paused, taking a steadying breath. "However, more recently there was an issue. One which could not have been recovered from. As a result, my parents were both punished severely. I have not seen them since." He admitted softly. "I do not know if they are alive or not, I can only presume they are. However..." He paused shaking his head, he did not want to go into that further. His abrupt flood of his Inheritance spoke for itself. His parents were dead, or well, technically. "Anyways, I was given a task to do, but...I am definitely not going to be able to complete it. I was panicking, trying to figure out what my options were, measly as they seemed to be, but...before I could really even clear my head I was offered some help to try and clear the situation. I thought it was some sort of test, and I was fairly sure I would end up dying or something either way, which given the current situation did not seem that big of a deal to be honest, so I agreed. On the one had I would be dead by His hand and on the other I may have some chance at survival, so I agreed, and the next thing I know I am at Hogsmede. I presume I was apparated or portkeyed here or something, I am not entirely sure. The logistics are a bit blurry considering I was fighting down a panic attack after all."

"What about this?" The Prefect lifted his hand to his collar bones, pressing against them and Draco flinched backwards, a small hiss echoing from his teeth as the Prefect pressed against some of his wounds. He stared at the other. "How did you get that?"

"There was a hunt," He said stiffly, his body having now returned to its stiff posture.

"A hunt?" Orion questioned. Draco swallowed, wondering how much he could state here.

"We got rounded up, we were told that we had to participate in this Hunt. It is...not fun, in the least. You get used to it, though, eventually." He admitted a bitter smile filling his lips.

"How many of these, 'hunts' have you gone on?" Abraxas questioned. Draco turned towards him a wry laugh echoing his through the carriage.

"Dozens." He admitted softly. "The worst two get taken and...I am not sure what is done to them, I am never there, but I do not believe I wish to know either. The screams on the other side of the partition are plenty enough encouragement to do your best during the hunts."

"How long have you been under the people that are..."

"A year." He said gently, fingers trembling even as he dug them tighter into his palms. His answer left silence within the carriage. The Prefect went back to gently stroking his knees, giving him a soft look.

"A year is a long time to handle these sorts of things." He said calmly.

"I know," Draco admitted, swallowing. He blinked the tears away from his eyes, but they still blurred his vision. He had not allowed himself to break down regarding everything yet, and it was clear that he was fraying. His mask was barely holding, which was only understandable given how hectic and panicked he had been lately, and though he knew it was horribly dangerous he just wanted to give into the calm and calculating look of the Prefect and admit everything he knew, but he would not. He could not. He had already spoken quite a bit as it were.