Hi! This is my first ff, and I'm so nervous! This character story is about Draco Malfoy, and his life behind the doors of Malfoy Manor. It gives a glimpse into his dysfunctional relationships with an abusive father and an over-indulgent mother; we can see how his family has molded him.
The story is set in Draco's (and trio, etc.) 6th year, but he's also beginning his training during school holidays to become a Death Eater. Draco is torn between his loyalty to his family and his growing unease at joining Voldemort's followers.
His choices become more difficult when Hermione Granger is kidnapped by snatchers and brought to Malfoy Manor. Draco's encounter with Hermione opens his eyes to just how dangerous the Dark side can be, and forces him to make the most difficult decision of his life: to continue in his family's footsteps or to risk his life by walking away from it all.
I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to the great J.K. Rowling, not me.


Chapter One: Always the Same

28 Dec.

Draco Malfoy was tired of it. Tired of listening to them fight downstairs; it was the same argument nearly every time.

“Stop babying that boy!” snapped Lucius. “Then stop bullying him!” shouted Narcissa.

“The boy is soft. If he is to be prepared for the destiny that awaits him, he needs to be strong, unbreakable. And you are coddling him right into failure!”

“The boy, you say- that’s right, Lucius- he is still a boy! Barely 16! I will not allow my son to be forced into a life that he’s not ready for. You push him too hard, you always have. And if you keep pushing, keep demanding too much of him, he’s going to break!”

“Exactly my point, Narcissa! He’ll break, but not because of me. It’s because you’ve made him weak! You undermine my authority at every turn. I tell him no, you find a way to say yes. I demand perfection, and you tell him he doesn’t have to try that hard. I discipline him, and you clean him up”.

“Yes, let’s talk about your ‘discipline’. (“Oh, here we go again!” growled Lucius) You know how I feel about the way you treat him. Discipline does not involve making him practice spells 8 hours a day with no break, or berating him, or beating him. It does not involve slapping him across the face anytime you don’t like what he has to say. It does not involve drawing blood from your own son!”

“I will discipline him the way I see fit until he proves he no longer needs it”, Lucius spat. “He is a Malfoy, and he will live up to Malfoy standards. He will be raised high in the service of the Dark Lord, admired and envied by those who did not have the power to achieve what he will achieve. But he must be strong enough to wield that power, and I will make sure he is prepared for it. By any means I feel are necessary”, he said coldly.

“Lucius, please! Listen to reason! If you-

Draco tuned them out, blasting the volume on the new Weird Sisters’ album. They fight about me like I’m not even here, he thought. Do they honestly think I can’t hear them? I’m so sick of this crap. He fired a well-aimed kick at his mahogany desk, cursing when he hurt his toe. He flopped onto the silk duvet on his bed, lying on his back with one arm bent over his eyes. He was getting a massive headache.

Try as he might, he couldn’t stop some of the images that invaded his mind- painful memories he wished he could forget. Like the time he was 5 and lied about breaking a vase in the house: his father had struck him hard with the back of his hand, his ring cutting open Draco’s lip; he cried when he saw the blood and ran to his mother. He could see that she was terribly angry, and at first he thought she was angry with him. “I’m-I’m s-s-sorry,” he stammered between sobs. She swept him into her arms and held him close while a house elf brought over a towel and some dittany to heal the cut. His mother stroked his soft, white-blonde hair and rocked him: “No, my darling- you haven’t done anything wrong at all. It’s okay now. Mummy will make it better, sweetheart. Let’s go out, shall we? You’ve been wanting that beginner’s potions kit- why don’t we go get it right now?” His mother always made things better.

Draco couldn’t count the times his father had hit him with that wretched cane of his. “Don’t touch that, Draco!” Whack. “What is the matter with you, boy?!” Whack. “Don’t be so stupid, Draco!” Whack. “Do it again and do it RIGHT!” Whack, whack. As the memories faded he realized he had curled up on the bed in a fetal position. Angrily he pushed himself off the bed-he wasn’t that little boy anymore. Why then in seven hells he wondered, after all his father had done, did he still try to please him?

Draco was pulled from his reverie by the sound of something breakable hitting the wall downstairs. “Which one of them’s throwing things this time?” he muttered to no one in particular. He sighed heavily and pressed his forehead to the cold glass of his windowpane. “To hell with this-I’m out of here.” He shoved the window open and donned his cloak. Grabbing his new Firebolt he climbed onto the windowsill, kicked off hard, and escaped into the night.
Chapter 2: Plans For the Night
Chapter 3: Father's Orders
Chapter 4: Aunt Bella
Chapter 5: The First Training
Chapter 6: Good Friends
Chapter 7: The End of Term
Chapter 8: Christmas
Chapter 9: The Second Training
Chapter 10: Growing Pains
Chapter 11: The Trip to Diagon Alley
Chapter 12: The Snatchers
Chapter 13: A Mother's Worst Nightmare
Chapter 14: Abducted
Chapter 15: Malfoy Manor
Chapter 16: Hermione
Chapter 17: Interrogation
Chapter 18: Fall From Grace
Chapter 19: The Ministry of Magic
Chapter 20: The Order of the Phoenix
Chapter 21: Pride and Purpose
Chapter 22: A Crack in the Wall
Chapter 23: Turning Point
Chapter 24: A Plan of Action
Chapter 25: Taking a Stand
Chapter 26: Aftermath
Chapter 27: A Way Out
Chapter 28: The Final Betrayal
Chapter 29: Escape
Chapter 30: The Road to Safety
Chapter 31: Sanctuary
Chapter 32: Actions and Reactions
Chapter 33: Taking Sides
Chapter 34: The Rise and Fall of Relationships
Chapter 35: Teenage Troubles
Chapter 36: The Rise and Fall of Relationships Part II
Chapter 37: Repurcussions

Chapter 2: Plans For the Night


When he flew he felt free, free of anything holding him down. Draco whizzed over a nearby grove of trees which melted together in a blur of dark green. The night was freezing but Draco inhaled deeply, the cold air burning his lungs and clearing his head. He shot straight up toward the stars and wished he could reach far enough to fly among them. For a while he just soared around the countryside; the bright moon cast a silvery glow onto the grassy hills and it made him smile.

After a while, though, he began to feel the loneliness that always enveloped him when his guard was down. There was no point in going back home until it was absolutely necessary, so he sped over to The Cauldron. The Cauldron was an elite club where an eclectic mix of wizards and witches met to dance to the live music, kick back with friends at the bar, or find secluded spots to fool around. Draco was a year too young to be admitted, but the manager and the bouncers knew better than to refuse Lucius Malfoy’s son. Not that Lucius would have ever allowed Draco to go there in the first place, but Draco figured that what his dad didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Draco ignored the bouncers and sauntered into the club, effortlessly shifting his personality over to his characteristic arrogance.

The club had already kicked into high gear; the band was rocking loudly and the drinks were flowing. The dance floor was crowded with partiers, their bodies glistening with sweat as they raved under the pulsating black lights. Draco made his way through them and headed over to the bar. The bartender, Cadmus, greeted him. “Good evening, Master Malfoy. I trust things are well with you?” “Of course,” Draco replied smoothly. “Will it be your usual tonight?” Draco nodded; Cadmus poured him a double shot of firewhiskey and slid a small brass key across the bar. Draco pocketed the key and picked up his drink. He gave a courteous nod of the head, laid down 10 Galleons (8 of which were a generous tip for Cadmus) and turned toward the lounge.

He heard a familiar voice call “Oi! Malfoy!” and looked toward the back corner of the lounge. His friends were there, the other underage wizards who could party at the club thanks to their association with Draco. Blaise Zabini, Duncan Burke, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were relaxing on the plush green and silver chairs, empty glasses strewn about the table. This was the official Slytherin table, and any non-Slytherin who made the mistake of sitting there ended up with a nasty case of bleeding blisters.

“How’s the rest of your holiday going?” Blaise asked Draco. “Perfect,” he lied and then turned the conversation in a more pleasant direction. “Got some new Quidditch gear for Christmas: dragon-hide leather gloves from Romania and- he paused for effect- the new Firebolt 370.” Goyle gasped. “That’s not even on the market yet!” “It is for my dad,” Draco smirked. “And I’m probably gonna go over to France for a day or two. Got a Beauxbaton that’s hot for me and wants to have some ‘quality time’ together.” “In your dreams, Malfoy,” Blaise replied with a snort. “You’ll see when I bring back her sexy French panties as a souvenir,” countered Draco, a cocky grin spreading across his face. Blaise looked skeptical but kept his mouth shut. Goyle, Crabbe and Burke just started laughing.

There were always plenty of single girls milling about The Cauldron. Duncan noticed a group of 7th-years giggling and staring at them. “Look sharp, lads. We’ve got prospects at 9 o-clock!” The five Slytherins turned around and gave the girls a quick once-over. “N-i-i-ice,” drawled Blaise. “The evening’s looking up.” Draco was already on his feet, walking over to Cadmus. “Bring those girls a refill of whatever they’re drinking, complements of Slytherin House.” Cadmus got right to work and walked the drinks over to the girls. They giggled some more, looking over at the boys and smiling excitedly. Draco offered his most charming smile and beckoned them over to the table. The girls seemed quite eager to oblige. “Hell, even Crabbe might get laid tonight!” cracked Draco, and the boys erupted into laughter again. All except Crabbe.

None of the girls were from Hogwarts; they attended The Mystic Academy about 40 miles away. That made them ideal candidates, as the boys could hopefully get some action for the evening and then never have to see them again. Draco stood up and began the introductions. He zeroed in on the beautiful raven-haired girl, kissed her hand and gave her the smile he’d perfected for such occasions. “Draco Malfoy”, he said, “And you are?” “Sara Greenleaf”, she responded, blushing from the feel of his lips on the back of her hand. He offered her his seat- part of his strategy- and she replied just as he’d planned. “But then where will you sit?” she asked. “Well,” he drawled, fixing his magnetic grey eyes on hers, “You could always sit on my lap; I guarantee you’ll have the best seat in the house”. She blushed again and, with a nervous giggle, sat down on his lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist and picked up his drink, silently congratulating himself for being so slick.

The group drank and danced for about an hour; then Draco put his lips to Sara’s ear and whispered, “Let’s go for a walk outside.” She agreed, and they stepped out into the frigid night air. Sara shivered half-innocently, her breath making warm puffs of mist in the air as she complained how cold she was. That was the cue Draco was waiting for. He took off his cloak, chivalrously wrapping it around her. He gently backed her up against the side of the building and, pressing his body close to hers, whispered, “I can keep you very warm, if you like.” He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up to his; slowly he let his lips touch hers. She gave a slight gasp when their lips met but quickly abandoned herself to his kiss. He teased her lips with his tongue, smiling when he heard her breathing quicken. He kissed her more intensely, letting his tongue explore her mouth as she responded with her own. He pressed himself against her harder, his kisses trailing down her neck. “Let me warm you up, darling,” he purred and felt her arms wrap tightly around him.

Keeping to the usual routine, he led her to the back door of the club. He held her hand and guided her up the stairs to a quiet hallway lined with several doors. He stopped at the last one, pulled the brass key from his pocket, and unlocked the door. Inside was a stylish mini-suite with chic furnishings. Draco was about to invite her to sit with him on the sofa, but she paused at the bedroom door. She put her hand on the doorframe and gave him a sweet, tempting smile. He looked at her with mild surprise. It was almost too easy- he liked having to work a little to get them to give in. She was ready, though.

He moved toward her and, for a moment, wondered if she just might be playing him as much as he was playing her. A second later, he stopped caring about the reason as she began unbuttoning his shirt. She leaned into him and kissed the base of his neck; her lips felt almost uncomfortably hot against his cool skin. He pulled her close and felt for the zipper in the back of her dress, drawing it down to the small of her back. He guided it over her shoulders and let it fall at her feet. She embraced him and he backed her into the room, kissing her fiercely. He never broke the kiss as he pulled her toward the bed. Sara slipped his shirt down his arms and threw it on the floor. He leaned back and moaned with pleasure as her hand slid across the front of his trousers and unbuttoned them. I can forget about everything else now; she’ll keep me warm tonight. Then he stopped thinking altogether.

Hey peeps!!

I'm excited to hear your feedback about my ff; these first two chappies are more exposition than anything, but the plot will start developing from here on.

Boost my confidence and let me know you're reading this!!

I think it is getting good.

hi
I really like your FF... mmm Malfoy
PAMS!

Thanks, Chris! It's got a loooooong way to go as far as plot, but I don't like to rush my chapters just to get to the heavy action stuff.

I'm glad you're my first reader! You rock!!!

Thank you sooooo much! *squee*

My first PAMS is from you... I'll always remember it!

I'll post more soon- feel free to give feedback, and tell your friends to read it too.

And I totally agree....Draco is yummy.

Chapter Three: Father's Orders

29 Dec.

He knew he'd better be home by 7:00, so as the sun rose he put his clothes back on and quietly slipped out of the room while Sara was still sleeping. He hustled around to the side of the building and found his broom. He kicked off and sped home, fighting sleep as fatigue began settling in. He’d gotten maybe an hour of sleep; he had to admit, though, that she was definitely worth it.

He crept back in through his window, quickly tossed his clothes in the hamper and hopped in the shower. He just wanted to crash for the rest of the morning, but there was no sleeping in at Malfoy Manor. His dad had no tolerance for “laziness” and set a 7:30am deadline for showing up at the breakfast table.

He got dressed and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling rushed. You should have left earlier, he chided himself. Draco groaned as he looked at his watch: 7:35.

He raced down the stairs and into the dining hall. His father was calmly cutting a piece from his Belgian waffle. “You’re late,” he said curtly, not looking up. Draco winced- “I’m sorry, father”. Thankfully, Lucius didn’t launch into a lecture on punctuality. Narcissa rose from her chair and gave Draco a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, darling. You look tired! Did you sleep well last night?” She knew he’d been out; his bed was empty when she’d come to check on him, but she wouldn’t dream of mentioning that in front of Lucius. Draco cleared his throat and thought about his night. “Uh, no, I was…up a lot”. Technically the truth.

“Draco,” Narcissa started, “I’m going over to the Parkinson’s for tea later today. Would you care to join me? I’m sure that Pansy would love to see you.” Draco looked away from his mother and rolled his eyes. Oh I know she’d LOVE to see me, his thought dripping with sarcasm, and I’d LOVE to run the other way screaming. But before he’d been able to respond, “No thanks, Mum- I’d rather jump into a swimming pool full of razor blades and lemon juice (or something like that), Lucius interrupted.

“Draco will be attending a meeting with me and some of our associates this morning; he’ll learn a great deal today. After that, Severus will spend the afternoon with Draco, working on Potions.”

“What?!” Draco was astonished. Snape is coming here to teach me Potions?! “Why? I’m on holiday!” he complained. Lucius gave him a hard look. “So are you telling me that you would rather remain in second place behind that Mudblood girl of all people?! You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” Draco closed his eyes, cringing inwardly from the hurt he felt. He knew there was no point in arguing; the tirade would end sooner if he didn’t protest.

“Change your clothes,” Lucius ordered; put on your black suit with the silver serpent cufflinks. And for Merlin’s sake, fix your hair!”

Draco was heading out of the dining room before he even realized that he hadn’t eaten. He sighed and called for Mimsy, one of the house elves. “Bring me a Belgian waffle with strawberries, a 3-egg omelet with onion and tomatoes, and an enormous cup of coffee; I’ll be in my room”. Mimsy hurried to fill the order.

it is getting interesting so far.

hehe its my pleasure!
Really good I like your new chapter... poor Draco.
I hope things get better for him.
*drumroll*........................................ .............PAMS!

I know, Draco's got it tough.

Eventually things may get better, but not for a while. Oh, and he'll be getting less worthy of sympathy soon *heh, heh*- at least for a little bit.

BTW, your siggie is gorgeous!

Thanks for your encouragement. Will post in a day or so.

Oh, and I've gone back and added dates at the beginning of some of the chapters; soon we go back about a week before the first chapter occurrs, and I didn't want anyone to be confused!

-sneaks in-

OMG this is well good!

I feel for Draco

PAMS please!

Thanks, Ruby- so excited you're reading it!!

Our poor Draco. I just want to kiss him and make it all better, and hug him and squeeze him and... *shakes head, wakes from daydream*...I'm sorry, where was I?

I'll probably post the next chappie either tonight or tomorrow- hope you like it!

Yay, new chapter- hope you all like it!

Chapter 4: Aunt Bella

“Are we bringing my sweet little nephew to the meeting today? Going to be one of us soon, aren’t we Draco?”

Bellatrix put her hands on either side of his face. Draco’s heart contracted tightly at the mention of exactly what it was he would soon become. “You’ll make us so proud, darling- you will do great things,” she whispered, leaning her forehead against his, her hands still holding his face. With that, she patted his cheek (a little too hard), smiled at him, and walked over to the chaise in the foyer.

He swallowed hard, not wanting to look at her forearm but grimacing as his eyes betrayed him. The Dark Mark seemed more prominent with every passing day.

“Bella! Do you mind?” snapped her sister. Bella was standing on the chaise and casting a spell on the chandelier above, making the crystals vibrate so strongly that some had begun to crack. “You’re no fun at all Cissy,” Bellatrix scowled, leaping off the chaise and pouting. She turned her attention to the elegant fountain across the hall and caused the water to swirl violently, like a liquid tornado. She cackled wildly, her eyes lighting up as water splashed across the oil paintings on the wall. Narcissa closed her eyes, barely controlling her temper. “Just clean it up, Bella.”

Draco did his best to avoid his aunt. He had no cheerful memories of her visits when he was a child. He was always scared of her; he once watched her capture a fox in the backyard, torture the wailing creature, petrify it and drown it in the pond. Just for fun. He had been only seven, but the gleeful dance she did after killing the fox made his blood run cold. And then she caught him watching; he ran for his life but she only laughed and fired a leg-locker jinx at him. He lay there on the ground, terrified, as she towered over him. “Don’t go running to tell Mummy,” she teased, “or you can be my next fox, sweetie.” She gave him a menacing glare and then a wicked smile and walked away, chuckling.

Draco still shuddered at the memory.

Since she was freed from Azkaban, she’d been a hundred times worse; she was now crazy as well as cruel. She was like a ticking time bomb, and no one knew when (or how often) she would blow up. Sometimes, when dark clouds passed over the moon, she would see visions of her captors in prison. She would scream at the moon, cowering in terror, crying “NO! Please, don’t!! Leave my soul alone!!!!” It made the hairs stand up on Draco’s neck.

Lucius appeared in the foyer, took out his wand and instantly stopped the fountain’s wild water show and dried the walls and floor. “Shall we?” he said crisply, and led Draco and Bellatrix out the door.

He grabbed Draco’s arm and they shot up into the air, leaving an ominous trail of black smoke behind them. Draco could feel the air whipping him and could see nothing but the dark wind, swirling around him like a violent tangle of black silk scarves. He felt his stomach drop as they ascended and struggled to breathe. The trip took less than a minute and they arrived at the home of Orin McClellan, another high-ranking Death Eater. Draco closed his eyes and steadied himself against a hedge, his head still spinning.

“Ah, Lucius! You’ve arrived. And you’ve brought the heir to your throne, I see.” McClellan fixed his gaze on Draco, who bowed courteously as he had been taught. Lucius put a hand on Draco’s shoulder. “I have, Orin. After all, my son is nearly of age and I feel that it’s time for him to…shall we say, gain some experience?” McClellan smiled knowingly.

Draco felt his pulse quicken at his father’s cryptic statement. He suddenly felt very uneasy, and had to force himself through the doorway of the McClellan Manor.

very exciting!
Great post!
PAMS

great post.

I read the whole thing in one sitting. I love it!

Grrr, leave my Draco alone Bella!

Use him for a fox, and I'll stick your wand... let's say where the sun don't shine.

PAMS!

Thank you thank you thank you for your wonderful posts- it totally makes my day when I hear from you guys! *blushes, does happy dance*

So glad you like the story! I'll get another chappie up tomorrow, most likely.

Yeah- mean, mean Bellatrix- maybe I'll kill her off in a later chapter.
*heh-heh*

Always open to comments, critiques, and suggestions!

MY READERS ARE THE GREATEST!!!

NEW CHAPTER---YAY!!

Disclaimer: all characters and some concepts belong to J.K. Rowling (cause she's awesome)


Chapter Five: The First Training

He looked around the grand foyer. Ornate sconces flanked the huge, gilt-edged mirror on the right side; to the left was a magnificent display cabinet filled with precious antiques and artifacts. Some of them had been passed down the McClellan family tree, but most had been stolen from the homes of the Death Eater’s victims. Past the foyer was an expansive dining room where three more Death Eaters sat at a long, intricately carved table. Orin led Lucius, Bellatrix, and Draco to their seats. A house elf appeared with a vintage bottle of Merlot, pouring a glass for each of them. Draco tried not to focus on the fact that the dark red liquid looked nauseatingly like something else.

“Raoul, Dolohov, Yaxley- today we begin young Draco’s training into the ranks of The Dark Lord’s army,” announced Orin. The three Death Eaters smiled broadly at him, and everyone raised their glasses. Lucius stood up, glass in hand: “To my son Draco, the first of a new generation to join our Noble Order”. Draco looked quizzically at his father: he looks…sort of…proud of me. He felt a stirring in his heart, but kept it subdued. Bellatrix completed the toast: “And to the Dark Lord, in whose service we bind our lives”. “To the Dark Lord!” they all replied, including Draco.

Afterward, he was led to an enormous hidden room. Tall shelves lined three of the walls containing collections of books on the Dark Arts and various weapons, as well as equipment to hinder an attack. Draco noticed swords of all shape and sizes, vials of potions, blindfolds, handcuffs. He struggled to control his nerves, anxiously wondering what to expect from this “training”. Orin broke the silence: “Draco, today we will begin with simple dueling. Though I hear you have been quite adept at besting your classmates, you will find your opponents today a bit more challenging.” The Death Eaters chuckled as Draco took a step backward, the anxiety clear on his face. He looked over at his father for reassurance. Lucius gave him a small nod but it was clear that he was as nervous as his son. Draco swallowed hard: thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad.

Bellatrix took her nephew by the arm and pulled him to the center of the room. “All right then, Draco, let’s see what you’ve got!” Draco fumbled for his wand; drawing a few deep breaths he managed to pull it from his pocket. Great, I already look like an idiot. His aunt stood across from him, smirking at him. They readied themselves, chose their dueling stances, and raised their wands. Draco had hardly spoken the beginning of his first spell when Bellatrix silently cast a Levicorpus jinx. Draco was suddenly suspended in midair, hanging by his ankle. He felt incredibly stupid, even more so when Bellatrix lifted the spell and he crashed to the ground. He heard them chuckling again, all except his father.

“Up! Try again!” commanded Lucius. Draco scrambled to his feet and faced off with McClellan. He spoke faster this time and cast a stunning spell. Orin simply blocked the spell with a Protego counter-curse. Draco’s spell rebounded and he was thrown back, landing on his rear end and smacking his head on one of the bookshelves. Pain reverberated in his skull but he could still manage to think clearly about his performance. I suck! His father grabbed his arm again and stood him up. His head was throbbing but he made himself stand at the ready.

Lucius faced him this time. “Don’t choose weak spells, Draco-think about shielding yourself and attacking your enemy. There is no mercy in dueling”. Draco nodded and set his jaw, choosing his spell carefully. I’ve got to impress him. He shouted "Obscuro!" to blind his father but forgot to shield himself. His father shouted a curse he’d never heard before: “Sectumsempra!” Searing pain slashed across his chest and he fell to the ground. He watched in horror as blood soaked through his shirt and began to pool around him. He felt ripped open; the pain took his breath away and the rapid blood loss was quickly sapping his strength. For a moment he actually wondered if he was going to die. But then his father was kneeling over him, drawing his wand across the gashes. “Vulnera Senentur,” he murmured repeatedly, closing Draco’s wounds and drawing the pain from his body. He pulled his shaken, terrified son to his feet. Draco stared at his father in shock and disbelief. “That is what I mean by no mercy,” Lucius said softly. Draco sank into the nearest chair, still shaking visibly. They allowed him a short break and then resumed his training before he lost his nerve completely.

The Death Eaters put Draco through his paces. Though he was no match for his father or his aunt at all, by the end of the session Draco had effectively used a shield charm against Raoul and managed to stupefy Dolohov. He was covered in cuts and bruises from slamming into the walls or other furniture when hit by their spells. His left leg hurt so badly that he could barely walk on it. He knew he had performed terribly and cringed as his father approached him. Here it comes. He hung his head and braced himself for the verbal blows. To his utter shock, Lucius clapped him on the back and smiled at him. “Excellent work, son. Not many apprentices can cast even one successful spell against us on their first day.” The others agreed, congratulating him. Draco’s mouth fell open. Funny-I know I must be dreaming, but I don’t remember going to bed. “Your son is exceptionally talented, Lucius,” remarked Orin. Still in a daze, Draco played their words over and over in his mind. He felt a thousand feet tall.

Once they returned home, Draco rested as Mimsy practically bathed him in Dittany. He hardly felt any pain as he listened to Lucius and Bellatrix recount his first day to his mother. His mind embraced every word they said. Remarks like “outstanding work” and “potential to be a great wizard” floated through the air like sweet music. The praise, especially from his father, was intoxicating. He drank it up, capturing it in his heart. He thought he didn’t care that much, thought he’d shut down the need for his father’s approval long ago. But he discovered in that moment that the father-shaped hole in his heart still existed, and Lucius’s emerging respect had begun to fill it.

AAAAaaawww thats... kind of sweet it a weird and twisted sort of way.
Can't wait for more!
PAMS

New Post! Short and fluffy, but I have to intro the other characters in the story. Longer post next time!

Chapter Six: Good Friends

17 Dec. (2 weeks earlier)

“…We are so proud of your hard work and we love you with all our hearts. Counting the days until you are home for Christmas! Love, Mummy and Daddy.” Hermione Granger held the letter to her chest and smiled warmly. She was sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room enjoying a rare moment to herself. She read the letter once more and began writing up a list of presents she wanted to bring them from Hogsmeade. “Chocolate frogs for Dad, Madame Puddifoot’s raspberry tea for Mum, something foolish from Zonko’s for cousin Will…” “And box seats for the Quidditch Semi-finals for your dearest friend Ron!” interjected the ginger-haired Gryffindor.

Hermione turned around and laughed, glad to see her good friends. Harry and Ron plopped onto the couch beside her and Ginny sat cross-legged on the floor next to the fire. “How was Quidditch practice?” asked Hermione. “Bloody cold, if you ask me!” complained Ron. “That’s because you’re a sissy, Ronald,” teased his sister. “Am not!” he said, flinging a pillow at her. Harry intercepted the throw and tossed the pillow on the floor.

“Practice was great,” he replied. “We're going to kill Ravenclaw on Thursday!” he grinned. Ginny stretched out on the floor-Harry secretly enjoyed the view-and scooted closer to the fire. “See, see! Admit it- you’re just as cold as I am!” cried Ron. He ducked just in time for the pillow to miss his head.

“What are you writing?” asked Harry. “Just a list of Christmas presents I need to get at Hogsmeade before I leave,” replied Hermione. “When are you going to have time to do that?” Ginny asked, “The train leaves only half an hour after the end-of-term feast.” “True, but Fred and George have kindly agreed to accompany me to Hogsmeade and then take me to my house by side-along apparation”. “Oi! Why didn’t you ask me to do it?” Ron argued. “Because you haven’t passed your Apparation test yet- eyebrow, remember?” Hermione tapped her own eyebrow. “It was just a bloody eyebrow,” Ron muttered under his breath.

“Thank Merlin, just five more days of class.” Harry stretched and relaxed with his hands behind his head. “One more day of Snape, one more nap in Binns’ class (Hermione shot him a look), and one more Quidditch victory for Gryffindor!” The four friends cheered, laughing, and headed off to bed.

yay Harry Ron Hermione and Ginny!
Can't wait for more!
PAMS!

New Chapter! We've felt sorry for Draco so far, so let's remember why we don't like him as well...

Chapter 7: The End of Term

22 Dec.

The Great Hall was bustling with joyful, frenzied activity. The students were thrilled to be done with the term and on their way home to celebrate the holidays with their families. There were hugs, kisses, presents being exchanged, and lots of “Happy Christmas” wishes by students, teachers, and ghosts.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna headed down together toward the Hogwarts Express. Harry would be spending Christmas with the Weasleys, Hermione was excited to be with her parents, and Luna’s father was taking her to Ireland for the holiday. Luna noticed that Neville was quietly shuffling along, not looking up. “I’m sorry that your parents are in the hospital; it must be difficult for you and your grandmother during the holidays”, she said softly. “Um, yeah,” he replied awkwardly. “W-We’ll go to see them of course- we always do.” After another awkward pause he looked at her, gratitude shining in his deep brown eyes. “Thanks, Luna.”

Hermione boarded the train first, squeezing herself past several other students to find a compartment. She spied one and, keeping her eyes on it, neglected to see the student standing a few feet in front of her. “Oof!”-she ran into his back. “Watch where you’re go- ugh, Granger! You smeared your filthy mudblood on my coat. Now I’ll have to take it off and burn it.” "Charming as usual, Malfoy. Move out of my way!” Hermione spat, attempting to push her way past him. He blocked her path with his arm. “Sorry- these are the first-class compartments. No filth allowed,” he sneered. The other Slytherin boys around him snickered and called out a few nasty comments of their own. Hermione’s eyes filled with angry tears, and she turned away. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She was too late. “Aww, are you going to cry now, mud-baby?” Draco jeered. The Slytherins cackled, mocking her with “Waah, waah” sounds like a crying baby. It was just too much for her. She burst into tears and pushed her way back through the students, shoving her way past her friends.

“Hermione, what happened?” said Harry. He and Ron looked in the direction she’d just come from. It was easy to piece together what happened since they were staring at a group of hi-fiving Slytherins. “Alright Malfoy, what did you do to her?” Harry shouted, barging his way forward with his wand drawn. Instantly, five Slytherin wands were pointed back at him. Malfoy stood in front of them, wand at the ready. “I’d back off if I were you, Potter! Go back and wipe the crybaby’s nose for her”. “You shut the hell up, Malfoy!” Ron’s voice bellowed from behind Harry. He aimed a spell at Draco, shooting over Harry’s shoulder, but it ricocheted off the ceiling and cracked the glass door to one of the compartments. Students close by jumped at the sound and began pushing their way away from the fight. Draco fired a stunning spell that hit Harry right in the chest, knocking him, Ron, and three other students down like dominos. Now there were more wands drawn from both sides, each shouting threats at the other. The first-years panicked and either hid in the compartments or fled from the train.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??!!” Every student on the train froze in their tracks. Severus Snape was standing in the doorway, his eyes flashing and his face livid. “Put. Your. Wands. Away. NOW!” Everyone quickly pocketed their wands and suddenly looked very busy finding their seats. Harry, Ron, and the Slytherins glared at each other once more, and stormed away.

Harry and Ron found Ginny with her arm around Hermione, comforting her. “Why do they have to be so mean?” gasped Hermione, her breaths shaky from crying. She was forcefully wiping her eyes with her sleeves, determined to stop her tears. “I don’t know,” said Ginny, “I think they’re just born foul, loathsome, evil little cockroaches. Nasty pureblood bullies. It’s their blood that should be called filthy!” she spat.

Harry sat down next to her. “Hermione, you can't let Malfoy and his gang of idiots get to you like that; they’re never going to change. I know it’s hard- you've seen them get to me too. But my Uncle Vernon used to say: ‘Never expect anything from a pig but a grunt’. Half a minute- did I just quote my Uncle?!” Harry shook the bizarre thought out of his head. “But the point is: never expect anything better from Malfoy, or any of them. They could never be anything but the scum they are.”

“At least you won’t have to deal with any of them for 3 weeks,” Ron encouraged her. “That’s a Christmas present right there!” Hermione managed a small but grateful smile. “You’re the best presents I could ever have.”

Thanks, hon- always great to get your feedback!