Custody

Darkness' Prey

Draco stormed out of the house, trying not to cry. He thought that Harry didn’t hate him anymore. He thought that they were at least friends now. So, of course he felt horrible. “I’m sorry…” He whispered, knowing that Harry wouldn’t hear him. He just needed to say it. 

He stalked off, away from the house and into the trees. It wasn’t his fault that he had to become a death eater. He didn’t ask for the mark. He didn’t want that curse. He HAD to! If he didn’t, Voldemort would’ve tortured or killed his family. And while he wouldn’t have really cared what happened to his father, he didn’t want his mother or his friends to get hurt because he was too selfish. 

Once he was sure that he was out of range from the house, he sat down with his back against a tree. Pulling his knees to his chest, he rested his chin on the tops of his knees. The breeze ruffled his slowly drying hair as he sighed. No more tears would be shed over that stupid mark. Draco refused to cry about it anymore. He already had cried about it for so long. He couldn’t continue torturing himself about it. 

Time ticked by slowly as he moped. He didn’t move from his spot against the tree. He wasn’t exactly comfortable. The bark dug into his back and he could practically feel the dirt flithying his pants. He was exhausted by his emotions and his mind was constantly racing. Last night had been so wonderful. The pillow fight had made him laugh harder than he had in ages and he didn’t even remember the last time he felt so damn happy. He remembered waking up surrounded by the smell of safety and Harry, warm and content. And most of all, he remembered how worried he felt as he read that letter. Because he knew that Harry was still going to have to fight. Scared that the man he was in love with might get hurt again. 

Judging by what Harry had said, the Gryffindor didn’t even feel close to the same way. He still thought of him as nothing but a death eater. The villain as always. 

Sighing, he tilted his head back. The white blond strands of his hair stood out spectacularly against the bark of the tree. It wasn’t that early in the morning. In fact, the birds had only been out for a little while. The sun was still low in the sky. It was a gorgeous time of day- right before sunrise when the sun was up but the moon still faintly shown if one knew where to look. 

Draco was by no means an overly emotional person. If Ron had said that, he would’ve rolled his eyes and told him to watch his words. If it was Hermione, he would’ve just nodded and asked when they could start. But… hearing it from Harry… that was different. That was like being stabbed in the chest and twisting the blade. He thought that by now, Harry thought different of him. Of course not. Nobody would. To them, he would always be the villain and the coward. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do not come crawling back to your mother and I after he leaves you. You are foolish and pathetic, thinking that he will ever feel anything for you.” The back of Lucius’s hand hit Draco’s face with a loud crack, making the smaller Malfoy stumble back in pain. “In his eyes and in the eyes of his so called friends, you will never be more than a death eater. The Parkinson girl was stupid enough to fall for that mudblood-” 

“Leave them alone!” Draco growled. “Pansy loves her. And don’t call Hermione  a mudblood. She’s-” 

“Don’t you dare talk back to me!” Lucius slapped Draco again, making the blonde whimper softly in pain. He didn’t know how far his father’s punishment would go this time. Somethings he couldn’t even walk from how hard he had been beaten. 

“Lucius!” Narcissa hissed. “That’s going to leave a mark! If the Ministry finds out… you’re already so close to getting thrown in Azkaban and-” 

“Quiet Narcissa.” Lucius said with a snark. He reached to hit Draco again but the Malfoy heir had enough. 

Grabbing Lucius’s wrist tight, he held it still so that Lucius couldn’t hit him. But he made no effort to hurt his father. “I’m not doing this for that. I do not have any… intentions… with Potter. Those died in the war. I want nothing more than to raise my cousin properly.” He dropped Lucius’s wrist. “My alliance with Potter and his friends is the only thing keeping me from being tossed in Azkaban for a curse that I never asked to have. If I were you, I would be nicer to them. They could be your freedom.”

Lucius shook his head. “You’re never going to be my son. The little girl I raised? She’s the heir. Not…. you. You’re a monstrosity.” He spat before whirling away and leaving the room, the door slamming behind him. 

Narcissa let out a soft sigh. “Honey… I know you’ve been so serious about… well… this.” She gestured up and down Draco’s body. “But it is causing such a rift between you and yout father.” 

“The fact that I was born in the wrong body isn’t the problem.” Draco’s voice was steady but cold. He was busy healing the angry red mark on his cheek before Harry could see. 

“You know that your father doesn’t have the best grip on his temper… He’s just worried about you. He’s worried about who you are becoming. And who is going to continue the Malfoy name?” 

“Cerise could’ve.” Draco spat before he turned away. 

Narcissa reeled back as if she had been slapped. 

Draco instantly regretted saying that. He flinched. “I’m sorry Mother…” 

“I know that you still have feelings for Potter. And… while I wish you would at least choose a suitable husband… perhaps Blaise Zabini… Don’t give me that look, Draco. I just don’t want you getting hurt and that Potter boy is trouble. You’ve been hurt too many times by that boy. He does have a substantial amount of funds and he is from a pureblood line but his mother was a muggleborn and he associates himself with-” 

“Don’t you dare bring the Weasleys into this!” Draco said angrily. “Ginny Weasley was such a strong young woman and she’s dead because of you and your kind. Just like what happened to Cerise! I wish I had grown up in a family like that and not this hell hole!” He strode from the room to find his cloak and get ready to go. 

Narcissa chased after him. “Draco-” 

“No, Mother.” Draco shook his head. “I am not going to let you and Father poison my thoughts anymore.”

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Tears silently slipped down his cheeks as he thought. He didn’t brush them away. There was no use in it since they would just keep coming. He wished that he had done more to stop Lucius. But he never could. Lucius was the thing that he was the most scared of in the entire world. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the tingling at the top of his head. 

A crack sounded in the woods. A figure watched him from the shadows. So foolish. Being out here all alone was dangerous. Especially for someone who never stood a chance against someone as powerful as him. 

Such an easy prey. 

Draco hadn’t even had the chance to draw his wand before the man was on top of him. Much less a chance to scream as a needle was plunged into his neck. The man got off him, leaving him there as the blonde started to black out from a horrible pain in his head. 

The brown haired man watched him struggle to stay conscious before he moved forward. “Don’t worry, little one. Everything will be okay soon.” He purred, stroking Draco’s hair before he walked off into the woods, his hands in his pockets. He didn’t bother to remove the syringe from Draco’s neck. “You can have him.” He called back. At last half a dozen dark figures pounced from the trees, quickly advancing towards Draco. 

Draco watched him go with barely open eyes, shaking from fear and pain as his vision slowly dimmed to black.