If I Lose Myself

Chapter Four: Draco

Chapter Four: Draco

October 1996

"Concentrate, Draco." Bellatrix hissed at him as she released her tight hold on his shirt. "I can see through the very crevice of your mind. The Dark Lord could see farther than that, and by Merlin, we certainly don't want that for you now, do we?"

"Bella, that's enough." Narcissa regarded coldly as she roughly shoved her sister aside, causing Bellatrix to nearly fall from where she stood. The dark-haired witch glared at her before huffing in disdain and walking over towards the unlit fireplace.

Draco attempted to catch his breath, but his head felt like it was being split in half by an axe and his entire body felt as though it was being weighed down by anvils. Any attempt to calm himself discerned to be quite futile. His eyes flitted across the room they've rented last minute in Hogsmeade. It was shabby and hardly worth the galleons they paid for, but he knew that he, his aunt and his mother weren't here on vacation. In fact, he often wondered since then if he'll ever be in one ever again. He wondered if his life will ever go back to normal.

"He's not trying hard enough, Cissy!" His aunt exclaimed as she pointed her wand towards the fireplace and with a few flicks, the dusty woods lit – causing the room to warm up in the slightest. "You say you want to protect your boy from the Dark Lord's mind when he's barely trying to block out a simple mind invasion. Occlumency isn't exactly the most difficult thing, really. It's like flicking your first wand; hardly any effort put into it. When I was his age, I could block out Dumbledore himself! He can't even block a wee bit of a mouse!"

"I said that's enough, Bella!" His mother's voice overpowered his aunt's this time. Bellatrix turned to glare at her sister, but his mother went on. "He's just a boy. He'll learn, like both of us have. The more you pressure him, the harder it is for him to listen to you! He's not one of your Death Eater students."

"Is he not?" Bellatrix shrieked as she moved dangerously close towards them. She took a hold of Draco's left arm and shoved the black sleeve of his coat up, revealing the dark mark that the Dark Lord had marked upon him before his father's court trial. He couldn't help but wince at the sight of it. The skull looked menacing, and the snake perpetuating out of it danced dangerously. For some reason, it's gotten darker in color by the months. "Is this not a Death Eater to you, Cissy?"

"He is your nephew, Bellatrix! I'd expect a tad bit of leniency towards your family." Narcissa moved forward and shoved the sleeve of his coat down. He knew his mother hated seeing that mark, having to have already seen the same thing on her husband before.

"Family?" His aunt scoffed indignantly as her eyes widened in disgust, staring right at him before sending a dangerous look towards his mother. She let go of his arm harshly before pointing her slightly bended wand towards the blonde woman. "You forget that I murdered our own cousin, Narcissa."

Draco looked away, finding it remarkably difficult to even continue listening to this conversation. While he never did quite fancy the blood traitor side of his mother's family (such as Sirius Black and Andromeda Tonks), family was still family. It was an ethics, an initial lesson he's learned as a child that one should never give up on family; no matter what grand idiocy they may come by. He's never truly known Sirius Black, having to be so far distant in the Black family tree. All he knew was that he was connected to a murderer, and he didn't pride himself in knowing that. But when he had found out that his aunt had killed her own cousin – he felt almost sick to the bone. He couldn't imagine killing his own cousin, blood traitor or not.