Summary: Draco is bored with his life and not looking forwards to picking a wife. That is, until he bumps into a fetching little cat at his mother's Halloween Masquerade. - Dramione AU
I’ve had a bad week. Just not good. It happens sometimes to me. Depression is something that never really lets you go entirely. Sometimes it sneaks up and gets you when you least it expect it. When it happened during the writing of Brightest Black I was always ahead a few chapters, so it never interrupted posting.
I’m feeling better now, so should be able to get it done and back to posting as normal next week.
As an apology of sorts, here’s a start to a story idea I had awhile ago that didn’t really go anywhere:
Point of Change: Lucius talked Narcissa into letting him send Draco to Durmstrang. No Death Eaters broke into Hogwarts, Dumbledore died naturally. The Elder Wand has no power anymore.
“We found it — we found it — PLEASE!”
Draco stood beside his parents, his hands curled into his fists and his body beginning to shake. He’d never seen anyone tortured before, and to see it done by his own blood relative....
He gave his head a shake and took a deep breath.
No, she was the enemy. Torture was a natural part of war. You had to get information if you were going to win. This girl was a mudblood, working with Harry Potter to destroy his world. What was her name again?
His aunt screamed more poisonous words, drawing a dagger from her belt she leapt on top of the girl and pressed her wand into the girl’s soft stomach, calling up another torture curse.
After another terrible scream a distant cry from down below reached Draco’s ears.
“HERMIONE!”
Ah, that was right. Draco thought distractedly. Hermione. It was such an odd name to his ears, but oddly familiar. Where had he heard it before?
He looked away from the girl, frowning in thought. Gazing down he saw the toe of his boots poking out below his robes. There was a scar on the left toe, marring the otherwise shiny surface. Normally his clothes were immaculate, but this scar was a badge of honor. He’d gotten it the one time he’d beaten Viktor to the snitch in practice. The older, heavier boy had been unable to get so close to the rocks. Draco had managed it, snatching the snitch and badly damaging his person in the process.
He wondered what Viktor was up to. They hadn’t spoken much since Viktor had gotten back from Hogwarts after the Triwizard—
Draco’s head jerked up and his hand flew to his wand.
He remembered now why the name Hermione was so familiar. Viktor had taken a girl named Hermione to the Yule Ball. He’d said that she was good friends with Harry Potter. Draco knew that Viktor still wrote the girl. In one of his few letters he’d mentioned how he had seen her just this last summer at another champion’s wedding.
Standing here and letting an enemy be tortured was one thing. But to do nothing while a friend of his role model was tortured? Could he ever face Viktor again? Draco wasn’t stupid. He knew that if Hermione lived through this she’d remember who had done nothing while she was tortured.
But could he betray his family? Could he betray the Dark Lord?
Indecisive, warring with his own thoughts and emotions he followed his father’s orders and went to fetch the goblin.
“Stand back,” he said shakingly. “Line up against the back wall and don’t try anything!”
He turned the lock on the door and pushed it open. His wand was raised, casting light into the dark cell. He took a moment to study the captives. The one with black hair had to be Potter, though his face was heavily disfigured.
“Potter,” Draco said, catching the nervousness in his voice and cursing himself for it, “what do you think of Viktor Krum?”
All of the captives looked at him in surprise, but none so much as Potter.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Potter shrugged, “Good bloke. Great on a broom. But I don’t know too much, he’s more Hermione’s friend than mine.”
Draco sighed. It was a hard decision to make. The Dark Lord would torture him for it, but Draco knew enough occlumency to show a fake memory, one that would support his story.
Another scream came from above and he saw the others wince.
His mind made up, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Any friend of Viktor’s is a friend of mine. Take my wand, knock me out, and go rescue your friend.” He lowered his wand and held it out to Potter.
He didn’t have to repeat himself. Potter, followed closely by his red-haired friend, raced across the cell. Draco’s wand was snatched from his hand and he was shoved to the ground. His head cracked on the stone floor and his vision grew blurry. A loud crack echoed in his ringing ears right before a red light sent him into the black darkness of oblivion.
Light shot out of Draco’s wand, hitting his uncle full in the chest and sending his wand flying up into the air. Rodolphus stood there for a half-second, staring stupidly at his now empty hand, not even thinking to reach over and yank his wife out of Hermione’s way.
Bellatrix’s mouth opened in a soundless scream as the knife pierced her heart, her own wand and dagger falling to the ground seconds before she did.
Got Ch 6 of Divided Dragon finished yesterday morning and off to my beta readers. Then today I responded to everyone's reviews! Usually I don't manage that until Thursday or Friday.
