Restricted | Draco Malfoy

115

I had apparated myself to the Shrieking Shack, where Lucius and Snape already stood before the Dark Lord. My eyes were obviously still red and puffy from my tears, my face was dirt covered and bloody, and my hair was sloppily pulled up into a high ponytail.

Lucius looked at me with a saddened look as he saw my appearance. If I looked like this, he could only imagine what Draco looked like. If he was still alive.

"I heard about Mommy and Daddy," the Dark Lord sighed, causing Lucius's eyes to widen. This was news to him apparently, not knowing that his friends had fallen victim to the battle.

Snape looked at me with longing eyes as the Dark Lord spoke, pitying me slightly. I sniffled once, not wanting my tears to start falling once again. I nodded my head slowly, not wishing to speak and say any of the words out loud.

"Sir, do you not think it might be best to call off the attacks?" Lucius asked timidly, his fear of the Dark Lord and how he would react were obvious as he asked the question. Voldemort turned towards him slowly, hoping the man was just joking. "We've already lost some of our troops. I hate hearing of the Browns and I don't want to see more fall victim. Do you not think you should just seek the boy yourself?" Lucius asked hopefully.

He had lost his right hand man. My father was his best friend. He had lost my mother. He hoped he wouldn't lose Narcissa and experience that pain. He prayed he wouldn't lose Draco. And he realized he was responsible for me now.

Lucius had a family to protect. He had too much to lose if all of this ended badly. Lucius was selfish, too, as everyone already knows. He didn't want to die.

"I do not need to speak to the boy," Voldemort hissed at Lucius, causing him to flinch slightly. I gulped once as I watched, wishing I could just leave the scene altogether.

Snape stood off to the side, his eyes turned towards the floor and his hands placed behind his back. He avoided eye contact with all of us as his mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Before the night is out, he will come to me!" Voldemort told Lucius. I did the same thing as Snape. I turned my attention towards the ground and tried to distance myself from the conversation.

"Do you understand?!" The Dark Lord shouted, pacing towards Lucius quickly. "Look at me!" He yelled, striking his hand across Lucius's face. Lucius flinched in pain before he locked eyes with the Dark Lord. I took a step back as I watched them with uneasy eyes.

"How can you live with yourself, Lucius?" Voldemort muttered to him. I had a feeling this was really inappropriate for me to be witnessing a situation like this. I had my fair share of dislike and arguments with Lucius through the years, but even I had come to terms with the fact that he was Draco's father and I had to have a relationship with him.

"I don't know." Lucius whispered honestly. Snape slowly stalked towards me, standing next to me so I was less uncomfortable. We were shoulder to shoulder, watching the two argue in front of us for a few minutes.

"Severus." The Dark Lord said harshly. "Come." He called him like he was a dog. Honestly, all of us were his pets. "Lucius, leave." He hissed. Lucius walked towards me, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Leave the girl." He spat.

Oh shit. I'm in trouble.

Lucius gave me guilty eyes before he apparated away, leaving me all alone where I stood. Coward. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and thanked Merlin that Draco didn't have the teeny tiny balls that his father seemed to have. He would've stuck by me in a heartbeat.

"Severus, I believe I have a problem." The Dark Lord spoke up. "The wand. Something isn't quite right." He sighed. Snape held his composure as he gave the Dark Lord his answer.