Sinister

Ten | Daddy Dearest

OF all the places to be at midnight on a Thursday, Draco would least like to be creeping around the Gryffindor tower. But life had a funny way of throwing its worst at you - and in Draco's case, the worst happened to be Voldemort.

The note from Lucius had arrived on Draco's pillow two days ago, this time with a small vial attached.

Make sure the boy takes this before his trial. Do not fail.

- LM

The vial, Draco realized after close inspection, was Felix Felicis - otherwise known as Liquid Luck. And Draco was being charged by his father, and by extension, Voldemort, to somehow sneak Harry Potter the potion in order to ensure his success in the first trial of the Triwizard Tournament.

Which was why, at near one in the morning the day of the first task, Draco found himself in some forgotten, cobwebbed corridor that led to the Gryffindor Tower.

After over an hour of wrong turns and dead-ends, aided by his own flickering lumos, Draco ascended an ancient ladder and shoved open the small door hidden in the Common Room floorboards. Mercifully, the circular space was wholly devoid of people. Not even a sniveling first year could be found loitering.

Draco did a disinterested survey of the famous Gryffindor Common Room. In his time at Hogwarts, he'd heard many students praise its cozy red-gold scheme. Looking around, however, Draco could confidently say he much preferred the dignified green and underwater scope of the Slytherin dungeons.

Patting his pockets to make sure the vial was still in place, Draco's gaze slid unwillingly to the left staircase. The one which led to the girls' dormitories. The one which led to his least favorite Mudblood.

Ever since their stolen kiss, Draco had done all he could to get her off his mind. He must have hooked up with all of the Beauxbatons ladies twice over by now, and was even considering trying his hand at the Durmstrang lads as well if it meant he might forget Margot's dulcet sighs.

He wondered what she was doing now. Was she sleeping peacefully, or was there something - someone - occupying that pretty, annoying little head of hers?

Draco couldn't help but hope it was the latter. He couldn't help but hope that sometime in the last week, she'd been touching herself to the thought of him - just like he'd been.

Focus, you horny bastard, Draco scolded himself. With a quick rearrangement of his pants, he set off it in the opposite direction, toward the boys' wing.

With swift and silent steps, he mounted the narrow flight of stairs and tiptoed into the dormitory, guided by the chorus of male snores. His nose wrinkled at the putrid smell of unwashed laundry as he located Potter's bed, and the mug conveniently sitting on his night stand.

Ignoring this perfect opportunity to throttle the sleeping Harry, Draco emptied the Liquid Luck into his cup, then retreated back into the Common Room unnoticed.

He might have thought the entire ordeal too easy if it weren't for the blasted trapdoor. Draco curled his knuckles around the handle, yanking with all his might, but his only route of escape wouldn't budge.

Bloody hell. This isn't good.

Sparing another look behind him to make sure no one had woken, Draco retrieved his wand from the band of his pants and angled it at the door.

"Alohomora," he whispered - only to be flung backwards, cursed by the protective wards that sealed the Gryffindor Tower from magical tampering. Draco landed on the coffee table with a muffled crash and a groan.

Fortunately, the table didn't so much as crack underneath his weight.

Unfortunately, there was a letter opener now embedded in his lower abdomen.

Draco watched his own blood drip onto the wooden floors, his vision already starting to blur. The crimson matched well with the God-awful Gryffindor color scheme.

Daddy dearest would be very disappointed in Draco come morning.

...

(A/N) I know Wattpad doesn't let you dedicate chapters anymore, but if I could, I would dedicate this one to brookehgy and Rosie_Nolan. Your comments/messages meant the absolute world to me and I'm sending all my love your way!