Everlasting Bond

Chapter 18

Draco scowled up at the ceiling. He had taken one of the Weasley's old rooms, and he had it to himself, but that didn't mean he liked it. It was small, cramped, and everything was decorated as if being an absolute git was the only dream the person ever had in mind. A desk, paper, and quills everywhere, pictures of the Weasley, job rejection letters... and nothing to suggest a human lived there and not a robot.

There were footsteps all the time, echoing through the walls, and people screaming and shouting at each other - half in fun and play, and half in frustration and simply because the house was so tall and they needed people places.

It would be cozy if it weren't for the fact that most of the people in there hated him. Even though legally he went by Draco Black, he was still a Malfoy, would always be a Malfoy. It was the worst. And it was roughly a month until Harry came to the Burrow.

It was dark - the stars shone brightly, and Draco wanted to crush them. They had no right to be as bright as they were. It was like they were taunting him, and it wasn't fair. He was suffering, and the giant balls of gas and fire dared to keep doing what they've been doing since the beginning of time.

Ugh.

Something caught Draco's eye through the window - movement. He slid of bed, putting his feet silently on the ground. The boards creaked a bit, but things were always creaking in this house (if you could call it that). It wasn't anything new.

Draco opened up the shutters and stuck his head out of the window frame a bit. Moving in the fields that surrounded the Burrow was a figure in a cloak. They lifted their head, though Draco still couldn't see who it was. They lifted a hand, gestured with their hand. It was clear they were referring to Draco.

Though it was a terrible idea, Draco felt compelled to go downstairs. It might've been a curse, but he honestly didn't care.

No one was downstairs as he crept around. The odd clock on the wall had all hands facing Home, which Draco supposed was relieving. At least no one was outside from the household.

Draco slipped out of the door. The cold autumn air nipped at his nose and his ears, and he shivered a bit. He looked around for the figure in the black robe. He couldn't see anything and was considering going back inside before there was a flash, and Draco whirled around.

The figure approached, and then pushed back her hood. Draco stepped back, a snarl forming on his face. Before he could speak, though, he was cut off.

"Oh, quit it, silly boy," Bellatrix said coldly, distaste twisting her face. "I wouldn't be talking to you, either, if I weren't forced to. I'm here to send you a message. And before you talk and I have to hear your annoying voice, no, it's not from your mother." Her scowl lost some of its effect, and a hint of something... fear?... flashed in her eyes. "It's from the Dark Lord."

Draco froze and stepped back again. "I- I don't want- how could- what?" Uncalled, his wings split through his clothes. He mentally cursed - he was getting better at that, but it still happened occasionally. And Draco thought this was a good excuse.

Bellatrix eyed those, too, with disgust. "Idiotic sister and her veela traits." She swept forward and yanked a feather out of his wings. Draco yelped. For some reason, she pocketed the feather.

"The message. The Dark Lord has taken residence in the Malfoy Manor. We have decided-" by we, Bellatrix meant he, Draco thought bitterly, "-that there is one condition under which we will... allow you to retake the Malfoy name."

Draco's heart leaped for a moment, then he realized who this was coming from. "Why would my family get-" he stopped and sighed sadly through his nose. "Why would the Malfoy family allow the Dark Lord into their house?"

Bellatrix snarled. "Housing the Dark Lord is an extreme honor, one you would no nothing about, boy."

"And what does he want from me?"

"Understand he expects to see you fail and die," Bellatrix said. There was a long pause, and Draco was considering just snapping at her to spit it out when she talked again. "He has asked you to, ah... kill off someone of importance."

"Who?" Draco demanded.

Bellatrix idly examined her nails - painted black - as if she hadn't just told Draco he needed to kill someone. "Oh, just the headmaster of that silly little school you go to."

Draco's blood ran cold. "You're forcing me to kill Dumbledore."

For the first time, Bellatrix's expression of disdain shifted. A slow, cold, smile spread across the face, and she chuckled lowly, a laugh of insanity. "You'll never make it out alive."

NOTES:

As I've been working on other fanfiction (again, please check out my AO3, I post much more regularly on there: 20ProudSlytherin05) my writing style has improved and I've been so focused on romance and moving the story along, I've forgotten to kill off Sirius and give Umbridge her rightful ending BLAH BLAH BLAH (and I've forgotten Luna; sorry Luna)

So let's pretend I skipped that on purpose: Sirius did die, Umbridge is still alive but no longer at Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix happened between my writing, etc. etc. I'm so sorry for missing these things, and I'll focus mainly on the plot with romance in between and a lot more of Draco.

I'm so sorry, but I don't really reply to comments as much. I still love you all to death, but there have become so many, along with having to do school and such that I can't keep up with them. So comment, but please keep in mind that just because I don't reply doesn't mean I haven't seen it!

I'll try harder to update! *blows kisses*