Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything in their magical world. These characters and their world belong to the talented J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.
He ran through the dark night, his greasy hair bellowing behind him. The loud pops of other Death Eaters Disapparating could be heard behind him. He did not Disapparate. He continued to run. His eyes began to tear, but he forced them away. This was not the time to show weakness.
His eyes searched the surrounding trees. He had to find that impetuous boy, preferably before the Dark Lord or the Ministry. Draco would not Disapparate on his own; he had no where to go. He had failed the Dark Lord; he would not put his mother at risk by returning home. Severus was certain that the boy was somewhere in these forests.
His body ached, but he continued to search. In a way, he was grateful for something to do. Anything to keep his mind from focusing on what he had already done was a gift. However, he knew that time was of the essence. The other Death Eaters would have Apparated directly to their master. Soon, he and Draco would be called. It was imperative that they spoke first.
Finally, Severus heard a movement. Stopping dead in his tracks, he debated what to do. Albus Dumbledore had been murdered that night. There would be Aurors searching these woods. By calling out to Draco he would risk getting caught; however, by not calling out, he would risk not finding Draco before the Dark Lord. Either scenario was likely to end in his death. He opted to take the chance.
“Draco,” he called softly.
He heard the crunching of dead leaves under foot. Someone was coming towards him. Taking a deep breath, he waited to see who was approaching him.
“Professor?” came the strained voice of Draco Malfoy.
“Draco, where are you?” Severus spoke sharply, hiding his relief at finding the boy. “Come out here this instant. We need to go.”
To his shock, the boy obeyed. Within seconds, the blonde child was standing in front of him and he looked more fragile than Severus had ever seen him before. His hair was matted and filled with twigs, his eyes blood-shot from tears, and his normally pale skin was ghostly. This was not the way Draco wanted to look when he met his master.
Severus did not speak to the boy. He simply grabbed his shoulders and Apparated them both to the safety of his home.
Draco glanced around Severus’ small sitting room. He was even too upset to sneer at the meager possessions contained in the room. Instead, he collapsed on the sofa, without asking for permission.
For a few moments, Severus simply looked at him. He could remember Draco as an infant. Lucius had actually been afraid to hold his son”afraid that he would crush the child. Severus had never been afraid and he still remembered the first time Narcissa placed her precious son in his arms. He had fallen in love with the child in that very moment. He loved the blonde boy almost as much as he loved the boy’s mother. She had left Draco in Severus’ care many times since then, but never like this. Of course, she knew he would do it. She knew that he would do anything for her and her son. He had loved her since he was much younger than the boy in front of him.
“What’s going to happen now?” Draco asked, bringing Severus back to the real problems at hand.
Not knowing any other way to address another human being, Severus responded harshly,
“Now, you are going to pull yourself together. You have just failed the Dark Lord and he is going to want an explanation. He will be sending for us soon. If you go to him looking like that, he may decide to kill you on the spot.”
“What about my parents?” Draco demanded, ignoring Severus’ rudeness. It was clear that he was used to his professor’s lack of people skills. “Will the Dark Lord hurt them because I failed?”
“Your father is perfectly safe. The Dark Lord will not risk penetrating Azkaban again, simply to punish you. I will do what I can to keep your mother safe.”
“Then you think he could try to hurt her?”
“Draco, I am not foolish enough to believe that I could predict what the Dark Lord will do,” Severus replied, closing his eyes and searching for patience. He knew the boy was scared, but Severus wasn’t equipped to comfort people in the best of circumstances.
Draco looked to the floor, his blonde hair falling over his eyes.
Severus sighed, knowing that words of comfort were needed. Unfortunately, words of comfort were one of the many things he wasn’t good at. Perhaps he should just take Draco to his mother. Surely they would all be called to the Dark Lord anyway. It might do him good to see Narcissa.
“I should have killed him,” Draco muttered, before Severus could decide on a course of action. “My lord was counting on me. Now I have endangered myself and everyone I care about. Why? Why couldn’t I just kill him?”
“Taking a life is not an easy thing to do, Draco.”
“You did it.”
“I am much older than you. I have seen much more. I understand that there are worse things than death.”
“Like what?” Draco spat.
Before Severus could respond, he was overcome by the pain shooting through his arm. He had felt that pain many times, but he never got used to it. Some things a person simply couldn’t get used to. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco hunch over in pain and knew that he too was being called to their master. There was no more time for talk. It was time to face the consequences for their actions.
Draco looked up at him with terrified eyes. A look that Severus had seen in the eyes of many Death Eaters and their victims. Severus knew of nothing to calm his nerves. Thankfully, the boy asked for nothing. Their eyes remained locked as Draco reluctantly rose to his feet and they both Apparated to their master.
They arrived with a loud pop. Severus quickly took in his surroundings as he fell to his knees. His heart sank when he saw that he and Draco were not alone with their master. His eyes briefly fell on the trembling forms of Narcissa and Bellatrix before he lowered his gaze to the ground.
“My lord,” he said attempting to keep his voice cold and calm.
“M-my l-lord,” Draco stammered after him.
“Severus, Draco,” he acknowledged them in this cold voice. “I had the most interesting conversation with Wormtail the other day, Severus. Can you guess what he had to tell me?”
Severus could guess. It was clear that the Dark Lord knew about the vow. It was expected that Narcissa would be present for her son’s punishment, but not Bellatrix. Bellatrix was there because their master knew of the vow and he intended to punish them all.
“No, my lord,” he replied, hoping to prolong the inevitable.
“Crucio,” the cold, cruel voice snarled.
Severus curled into a ball, gasping for air. His entire body felt as though it was on fire. This was something he had experienced many times, but it was never any different. This was not the kind of pain that a man could get used to. He gasped for breath, praying that his master would remove the curse before he lost sanity. One of his greatest fears was joining Frank and Alice Longbottom.
Eventually the pain ceased. It took him a few moments to regain himself. He could hear himself gasping for air and felt humiliated that Narcissa and Bellatrix were watching him in such a debilitating situation. Finally, he was able to return to a kneeling position to wait for his master’s next move.
“I am disappointed in you, Severus,” he continued. “You should know better than to lie to me. You know very well what Wormtail told me. You knew the moment you saw Bella’s lovely face.”
“I apologize, my lord.”
“I believe it is a little late for that. Tonight you performed a task that was given to another Death Eater, and not just any task, but the task that was designed to prove that Death Eater’s worth. And the worst of it is that you performed that task because of an Unbreakable Vow that was made without my permission. Do you have anything to say for yourself at all?”
He briefly wondered what Narcissa and Bellatrix had already told him. Narcissa would never sell him out, but Bellatrix would trade his life for a glass of Firewhisky. However, in this particular situation, he was confident that nothing overly damaging would have been said. There was nothing that Bellatrix could say that would make her look any better or him any worse. They were going down together and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.
“I did not intend to go against you, my lord. I understood that this was a test of Draco’s suitability, but I also understood that it was very important that the task be completed. Narcissa was very upset the night she came to see me; Draco is her only child. By making the vow, I was able to give her peace of mind and insure that your will would be done. I thought it was best for all those involved. However, if the vow has angered you, I am truly sorry, my lord. That was never my intent and I am confident that it was not the intent of Narcissa or Bellatrix.”
“I believe the intent was that I would never find out,” came the sharp reply.
Severus continued to stare at the ground. He had nothing more to say. He had made the best argument that he could. If that was not enough then he did not know what else to say. He would wait and hope that they would all leave the room alive.
The Dark Lord turned his attention the trembling boy crouched beside Severus. He narrowed his red eyes and watched the boy with merciless disgust. It was clear that Draco would never earn the favor that had once belonged to his father.
“What do you have to say for yourself, Draco? You were unable to perform your very first assignment. What are you worth to me?”
“I-I’m sorry, my lord. I was going to kill him. I really was. I hesitated and, for that, I am truly sorry. Snape thought that I would fail and he stepped in, but I would have done it.”
Severus cringed. Even he could tell that Draco was lying. He knew what was coming.
The Dark Lord raised his wand.
“No, please,” cried Narcissa.
The Dark Lord turned his merciless eyes to her. She quickly returned her gaze to the floor.
“Your son has just lied to me, Narcissa. That is not something that can be ignored. He needs to take his punishment if he is ever to become a true Death Eater. That is what you want for your child, is it not, Narcissa?”
“Of course, my lord,” she replied.
Again, Severus could tell that a lie had been uttered. Of course, he had always known how little Narcissa wanted her son to become involved with the Dark Lord. She had always wanted him to have a better life than they had had. But it hadn’t happened. Draco was a Malfoy, destined to be a slave to the Dark Lord.
“Then this is necessary,” the Dark Lord replied.
Severus could not help but feel relieved that Narcissa’s lie was being ignored. He wasn’t sure that he could bear to watch her screaming in agony from the torture curse. He feared he would run to her and sentence them both to an instant death. Watching Draco’s pain would be difficult enough.
Again, the Dark Lord raised his wand at the young boy. This time no one dared to comment.
“Crucio.”
Draco fell on his side, crying out in pain. His limps flailing as though he was hoping to grab onto something that would make the torture stop. His face was crunched up and it was obvious that he was having trouble breathing.
Pain surged through Severus as well. He was certain that he was feeling a portion of the boy’s pain. He had watched the child grow up. He felt a certain connection with him.
When the Dark Lord released the curse, Draco did not get up. However, the Dark Lord did not chastise him for this. He allowed Draco to remain sprawled across the floor. Clearly, it made no difference to him.
“I am very disappointed with all of you,” the Dark Lord continued. “I expect far more loyalty from my servants. I know, Narcissa that you have never taken the Mark. You chose to raise your son and give your life to him. I have never faulted your for that because I have always believed that you remained loyal to me. And Bellatrix, you were the one who stood up in the middle of your trial declaring your undying loyalty. You have been one of my most powerful followers and I believed that you would always remain that way. Severus, you were one of my most brilliant. I thought I would always be able to count on you. And Draco, the youngest Malfoy. I thought that you would follow in your father’s footsteps and rise to my side. However, I was wrong about all of you.”
“No,” Bellatrix cried out. “I am still loyal, my lord. I am sorry that the vow displeased you, but Narcissa and I thought it would help. We wanted the task to be completed. Please, I have never stopped being loyal to you.”
“Silence,” her master snarled.
With a slight whimper, Bellatrix stopped begging.
“However,” he went on, as though there had been no interruption at all, “the task was completed. Severus, you have eliminated one of my greatest enemies and such a feat cannot be ignored. Despite the circumstances around your victory, it cannot go unrewarded.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Severus replied, although he knew this was not leading to anything pleasant.
“I believe the first issue at hand shall be the removal of this ridiculous vow,” the cold voice continued. “Bella, rise. Severus, join Narcissa. I want this vow removed now.”
No one dared to argue. Narcissa spoke the words to release the vow and Bellatrix bond their promises once again. It took only seconds to remove a vow that had cost a great man his life.
When it was over, they quickly returned to their previous positions to await their master’s next words.
“Well, I cannot ignore Severus’ achievement; I also cannot ignore the betrayal and failure of you all. The punishment for what you all have done should undoubtedly be death. Therefore, Severus, your reward shall be your life and the life of one other person in this room.”
“No,” Bellatrix shrieked. “Please, my lord. Do not leave our lives in his hands. We are loyal to you. Draco will do better. Narcissa and I will never make another move without your permission. Please, my lord.”
“Bella, be quiet,” he snapped. “I must admit I believe your days of sniveling at my feet are coming to an end. I am afraid I will not miss them.”
Shockingly, Bellatrix turned her gaze back to the floor and did not speak again.
Severus was still trying to recover from what he had been told. He knew that his reward would be painful, but how could he sentence two people to death? He had known these people most of his life.
He turned his glance to Bellatrix, but she refused to look at him. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need Legilimency to know what she was thinking. She didn’t expect him to choose her, nor did she want him to. She didn’t want to die, but she was willing to. When her options were to die or watch her sister and nephew die, the decision was easy for her.
Severus had never had a positive relationship with Bellatrix, but he certainly didn’t want to kill her. However, he was left with no choice. He knew that he would let her die and that she would not resent him for it.
His gaze turned to Draco. He was impressed that the boy had the intelligence to keep his mouth shut. It was clear the choice that Draco wanted. He wanted to die. He felt that he deserved it. He had let his master down, let his father down, and let his mother down. Being a child, with little experience, Draco thought the decision was a simple one.
Finally, Severus looked to Narcissa. He didn’t want to. He knew what would happen when he did.
She was the first one to meet his gaze. She stared into him with her beautiful blue eyes, begging him to look into her mind, to see what she wanted of him. He didn’t need to look into her mind, but for her sake he did so.
It was not an ordinary experience. He saw no memories. What he was Narcissa standing before him in the most gorgeous blue gown he had ever seen. Beauty radiated from her, even more so than usual. He wanted to reach out to her, hold her, but before he could make a move, she spoke.
“Severus, save Draco. He’s my son. He’s my only son. I know that you want to save me. I know how you feel. I have always known. Severus, I love you, too. If it hadn’t been for Lucius, it all would have been different, but it’s too late for that now. Please, let me go. Save my son.”
Their connection was broken by the snarling voice of their master.
“Choose, Severus.”
He looked up from the ground, staring into the pitiless eyes of the Dark Lord. A decision had to made. In his heart, he did want to choose Narcissa. The thought of watching her die ripped at his insides. However, he knew that if he were to make that choice, she would die anyway. She would die of broken heart and she would never forgive him. He knew what he had to do.
“I choose Draco,” he choked on the words.
“No,” Draco cried. “Take me. Spare my mother.”
Before Narcissa could argue with her son, the Dark Lord fired a jet of green light into her chest. He quickly did the same to her sister. They lay on the floor”lifeless. The Dark Lord said nothing further and Disapparated.
“No,” Draco howled and fell to his knees beside his mother’s corpse. Tears began to stream down his face as he wrapped her body in his arms.
Severus went to comfort him, resting his hand on the boy’s shoulders.
Draco violently pulled away from him. His eyes flashed with anger and he pulled his mother closer to him. The look on his face was close to madness. Severus had never seen Draco appear so out of control.
“Don’t touch me,” Draco screamed. “You killed her. You killed my mother. You killed my aunt. Why didn’t you choose me? I don’t deserve to live. I am the one who failed. If I had done what I was supposed to none of this would have happened. You should have let me die.”
“Dra””
“No,” the boy interrupted him, jumping to his feet. “Don’t talk to me. I hate you. You killed her. You know what? I don’t care what happens to me. I’m going to find Potter and I’m going to help him avenge the murder of his mentor. Then I will have avenged the murder of my mother. I’ll make sure you pay. And then I’m going to track down every person that ever hurt her or my father or Aunt Bellatrix, and I will kill them, too. I may have failed the first time I was sent to kill, but you can be rest assured that I will not fail again.”
The bitter words escaped his mouth with such utter hatred. The look on his face was twisted and evil. He was no longer the boy that Severus had watched grow up. Perhaps he was no longer even human.
Before Severus could speak Draco Disapparated, leaving Severus with dark thoughts and the knowledge that he had truly created a monster.