Princess Midnight and the Son of the Moon (Draco Malfoy fanfic){Completed}

Chapter 21

Draco's POV

It was a few months into the school year and, since Umbridge came, things had been different. Anastasia acted all frustrated with me for being on the inquisitorial squad, but she didn't actually care. She was loyal to individuals- to me- not to a school, even if she didn't agree.

It wasn't that I wanted to be a part of it, although I hadn't been opposed to it. It was more that she was with the Ministry, which my father told me death eaters were beginning to infiltrate. If I were to be on he-who-shall-not-be-named's side of things then I had to get a headstart. I had to be noticed by someone that was respected by the Ministry and my father would be beyond proud that I was helping the cause.

"Come on, man, just let me in!"

The door knocker snarled at me, but the door slowly began to open. It was quickly revealed that this was Anastasia's doing, not the door knocker's sudden kindness.

"Having trouble?"

"I can never get these stupid riddles," I grumbled, entering the room.

"I can barely figure the riddles out myself. Lucy usually helps me. I think I was sorted into the wrong house."

"Blimey, Midnight, everything you say is a riddle. Just because you can't solve them doesn't mean there's not far too much going on in that noggin'" I tapped her temple. "And besides, that's not how the sorting hat works"

She rolled her eyes and swung around her bedpost. "Would you like to go to the forest today?"

The forbidden forest was her favorite place to be since things started changing. It terrified me, but it could be quite beautiful next to her. We didn't go deep into it or anything. We didn't have a death wish. But I had to admit that being surrounded by trees was never an unenjoyable experience.

"I can't. I have a meeting with the inquisitorials tonight."

"Ugh alright. Things have been different with her around, Draco. I don't have a good feeling about her. Something dark is going on." I hadn't told Anastasia anything about the death eaters' return; she was just smart like that.

"And there's nothing we can do about it. We're children in a world of powerful beings. Maybe someday we can change things."

"Or we could just run away and leave the mess to everyone else," she sat quickly so her skirt flew up a bit.

"Maybe you were sorted into the wrong house. That was a mighty Slytherin thing to say," I wrapped my arms around her body and mini-tackled her onto the bed.

"Harry and Dumbeledore have been saying that Voldemort's back. D-"

"Don't say that name," I unintentionally scolded.

"Right. Sorry. Do you think it's true? I mean, if anyone knows, your dad would."

"I don't know," I lied quickly and sat up. "I think Potter's full of shit and Dumbledore is too old to have any sense."

"He's a nice man, Draco. I don't know I just-"

"Can we n- I'm sorry, Anastasia, I am, but I'd really rather we not talk about this right now."

She nodded meekly and rested her head back on the bed.

***

"But it's illegal," Hermione stated calmly as Harry sat in the chair in front of the lady in pink.

"If there's no veritaserum then I have no other choice. This is an ever-important matter," her overly cheerful voice squeaked.

"Even so, the Ministry wouldn't allow this," I whispered to her.

"What they don't know won't hurt them," she raised her wand to Harry's throat. Everyone grew silent and the tension in the room was suffocating. I don't think anyone in there was breathing properly, including myself. Was she truly about to use the Torture Curse on a student?

I would never know the answer because Granger interrupted the scene: "TELL HER HARRY!"

Their conversation continued and Umbridge seemed all too interested. I was positive Hermione was fibbing, but nobody had to know that I knew.

The remaining children gave us candies that made us sick. I walked down the hall to the bathroom, nauseous but not because of the candy.

If Umbridge was willing to cast such a curse on a child, what would he-who-shall-not-be-named be capable of? I had never quite felt right about my family's ties to the dark lord, but it wasn't until recently that I regretted it in spite of the power it gave to us. I always thought it was worth it in order to be the best. I thought we deserved that honor as faithful purebloods. Now I knew it was all just wrong.

I had overheard my mother and father arguing over the past summer.

"He'll be ready! We need him to take this on. It's the legacy of our name," my father had said.

"He's just a child, Lucius! He's a child!" My mother argued.

"He will serve the dark lord and earn his title along with the rest of us for when this war is all said and done. He will not leech off of our efforts any longer."

My father was going to make me work for him. That or I would be disowned. Soon enough I would have to make a choice and it wasn't fair of me to keep this from Anastasia any longer.

I entered my room with curtains floating about.

"What's all this?" I slid up and hugged her from behind as she concentrated on her magic.

"You seem awfully sad lately and I'm not sure why. I do wish you'd let me know, but since you're not ready, I've done something else to cheer you up." She dropped her wand and spun around to face me. "A bit of redecorating."

The only difference was the new curtains hanging from the windows, but they were white instead of black which did admittedly seem to brighten up the room quite a bit.

"Thank you, my darling. In truth... I was going to tell you right now what has made me act in such a somber manner..."

She sat down on my bed to indicate that her listening ears were on.

"I overheard my parents talking this summer. I believe I am meant to receive the dark mark."

In the past month or so she'd read an endless amount of books on the last wizarding war. She understood the gravity of what I had said. I knew, however, that her reactions were always given with wisdom and calmness rather than impulsivity.

"I see. Well, we've got some work cut out for us don't we?"

"What do you mean?"

"When we do our tasks for V- he-who-shall-not-be-named."

"No. No no no. When I do my tasks. Alone."

She shook her head. "No. Pretty sure I meant we." Her arms wrapped around me and her fingers sank into the hair on the back of my head. "You will never do anything alone again."

I knew I should argue, but I wouldn't win. I didn't want her to be put into danger, but association with me would be danger enough. Maybe if she were on his side she would be safer. And we could be together.