Scarhead (A Drarry Fic)

Chapter Sixteen-Malfoy Manor

Early the next morning Draco boarded the Hogwarts train with his other fellow Slytherin. He tried to look the calmest that he could but everyone knew what would be waiting for him when he returned. Some student gave him sympathetic smiles as he got off the train, he tried to ignore them, he did not need their pity. He strode through the station endeavoring to find his parents.

But he did find both of his parents, his mother sat alone, waiting for him with a nervous smile on her. She stood up at his appearance. "Where's father?" Draco asked. Instead of answering his question she guided him through the crowd, away from the station. He attempted several more times to retrieve an answer but never received one. Instead, she squeezed his hand warmly and pulled him vigorously onward.

He stopped once to give Harry a final goodbye, administering an awkward hug that had been surveyed by both his mother and Harry's relatives, who probably had no idea what was going on between the two. They refrained from anything more than a hug.

Once they had returned, in complete silence, she shooed him to his bedroom. He unpacked his things whilst waiting for something to happen. In a very staccato gait, he paced his room, unable to calm his nerves. The Daily Prophet that morning had given no information about the attack on the ministry the day before, or whether or not any of the death eaters had been imprisoned.

Shortly after noon, his mother re-entered his bedroom, "your father wants to speak with you" she said. Mingled with the horror, he felt the bitterness of discouragement. "There is something else you must know." she said guiding him through the halls, "the dark lord, has taken up residence here, along with the other death eaters," he let out an audible groan of terror. This was not going to go over well. "Everything is going to be fine," she said, seeking to comfort his uneasiness; it did not work.

She led him to the drawing room, Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. His father sat in a posh chair beside the fire, a glass of fire whiskey in one hand.

"Sit," Lucius Malfoy said. Doing as he was told he sat in the chair opposite his father. "The dark lord requires your assistance, Draco."

"What? Why would he need me?" Draco asked, startled. 

"Do not interrupt." Draco sank a little into his chair, "I have heard of your relationship with Harry Potter. As much as I am disappointed in you, this could be used as an advantage."

I will not take advantage of Harry, Draco almost said, he kept silent trying not to make any visible movement that would suggest unease.  

"Harry trusts you, does he not?"

"Yes. I am pretty sure he does."

"Good. Now then, it will be your job to keep that trust until the dark lord is ready"

"What am I to do? I don't think I can, father please don't make me do this," he pleaded.

"Do not interrupt?" his father said, a little harsher than the last time."You can and you will. Next year, Dumbledore must die, that will also be your job." Draco choked, he had to kill Dumbledore? "find a way to get the death eaters into the castle, and then deliver Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort, get him up to the astronomy tower once Dumbledore is dead and the death eaters have entered. Can you manage all of that?"

Draco didn't answer, he was lost of words,

"Draco, I did not raise you to be weak, I raised you to be ready for anything, to get what you want, to be feared and most importantly, not be afraid of hurting people that stand in your way. You are not weak. Now, follow me, the dark lord wishes to meet with you. I will be helping the others escape from Azkaban so I will not be present, do anything that he asks and you will be fine, do you understand?"

He understood but did not respond. His father told him he was not weak but at that moment he felt mighty weak. 

Draco got up from his chair and followed his father, rubbing the place on his arm where the dark mark would be tattooed, permanently. He could not hide his unrest this time, betraying Harry, killing Dumbledore, and allowing numerous innocent students to get hurt was not his idea of a pleasant school year. But what could he do, if he was to not do these things, surely the dark lord would kill him, and possibly his whole family.

There has to be some way to get around this, he thought as he followed his father to greet the dark lord.

Harry celebrated his 16th birthday at the Burrow with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys, although it did not feel complete. He missed Draco, he longed to once again feel his soft lips on his own. He had thought about writing to him but remembered the everlasting presence of Draco's father.

Ron had begun to be a bit more pleasant towards him now that Draco was not in the picture, Ron secretly hoped that a whole summer away from Malfoy would make their association less strong. Harry hoped for the opposite, he was determined not to let this affect his relationship in any way.

He kept his spirits high and tried to keep his thoughts pleasant, reminding himself every day about Draco and what they were. Remus Lupin was however not helpful, he came almost every day with news about more Dementor Attacks and even at one point the discovery of Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. Voldemort was growing in power and followers daily;  Lupin told them he was planning to take over the ministry.   

This did not surprise anyone, just made them more apprehensive to the current events. Later that summer Rufus Scrimgeour paid a visit to Harry, trying to convince him to become the Ministry of Magic's poster boy. He repudiated, of course, he never wanted anything to do with the ministry. The boorish manner of the new minister was definitely not a turn on either.

His thoughts of Draco were the only thing that had gotten him through the summer, at least the good thoughts. Every once in a while he thought about Voldemort living at his manor and what could go wrong. He really hoped that he was okay.