Who: Draco, Mandy, Alecto When: Sunday 14 August, afternoon Where: the edges of their property What: Draco's interrupted while working on wards. Things go from bad to worse when Mandy comes out... Rating: R for violence Status: threading
While it had been several days since the escape from Azkaban, Draco refused to rest easily. He knew that by moving, he had left behind the easy target. Still, he also knew that there was little love for him from the Death Eaters, as he had not served in Azkaban, and as his mother had betrayed the Dark Lord himself in order to save Draco's life. Therefore he had spent much of his time over the last days working on the wards, standing just outside his property line as he carefully laid them, adding layers, interweaving them and adding complexity in order to be sure his family would be protected within.
They weren't simple wards, with alarms for potential intruders or even to let them know of certain arrivals who were allowed through the wards, such as Narcissa Malfoy. All strangers were blocked, and the large Muggle property was hidden to the best of his ability from their neighbors. At this point, he had made them more restrictive rather than less, preferring safety to geniality. His family's lives were most important.
He was absorbed in the work, magic coming somewhat more slowly with the unregistered wand. It was unfamiliar when he began, but after the amount of work he'd done this week, it was starting to react more quickly for him. He drew the spells taut, moving to the next bit of border and wards.
He heard the pop of apparition, and the soft footfall immediately following it, and turned, wand out, to see who had arrived. "Mother," he said dryly. "I hadn't expected you." In the interest of returning the hand she had extended to Mandy, he had given her the address of his new home. But he certainly hadn't expected her to visit, nor for her to bring company. He kept his face impassive as he said, "Alecto Carrow. It has been some time."
Alecto stepped away from Narcissa, her smile sharp and bright. It reminded him far too well of Bellatrix, as if her time in Azkaban had stripped away the remnants of her sanity. And Alecto Carrow had always had a vicious streak. While he had been free of her ministrations during the year of the war, he had witnessed how she treated the other students. He knew better than to trust her now.
"Oh, it most certainly has, Draco," she murmured, stepping in close to him, one hand drifting over his shoulder. "But I have thought of you often. You, your mother. I was so sorry to hear of your father's fate. I had been looking forward to renewing our acquaintance."
In the background, Narcissa stood quiet, her hands clasped at her waist, her gaze on Draco. When he glanced at her, she said not a word.
Draco's chin tilted up, lips pursed as he looked at her. "A pleasure, I'm certain, but I'm afraid I haven't prepared, nor do I have a house elf to host you as you would prefer."
Alecto's smile widened, teeth bared in a nearly feral grin. "I'm not worried about your ability to entertain me, Draco. I'm quite certain I'll be very pleased when we're done here." She took a breath, barely a pause before barking out, "Crucio!"
It shouldn't have surprised him, but it had been so long since the war that his reflexes weren't as wary as they ought to have been. The pain ricocheted through him, diving down deep into his bones. He managed to cut off the scream, strangling it after the first sound echoed in the air around them. He fell to his knees, body bowing, and he forced himself to give over to it. Let it take him, writhe with it, give her what she wanted. Anything to satisfy the tormenter to make it stop. Fighting would only piss her off and prolong it.
She paused long enough to let him breathe, rough and ragged, realizing that his hands had curled so tightly that his nails dug into his palm. He didn't hear the curse this time, simply felt it fall on him as he saw his mother move out of the corner of his eye.
He screamed this time, knowing she wanted it, waiting for it. Knowing it would only help him in the end if he gave her that satisfaction of knowing the pain that he was in. There were words somewhere in the background, but he couldn't parse them though the feel of of bones shattering and reshaping, skin on fire, and the sound of his own voice.
Then it all stopped. Silence echoed, thumping in his ears.
"Narcissa, is that your wand?" Alecto laughed, sounding delighted. "You can't possibly mean to threaten me."
Draco rolled, trying to move slowly, quietly, but Alecto's attention was elsewhere, her wand to one side as she watched Narcissa approach. Narcissa's wand was outstretched, pointed directly at Alecto's chest. Draco swallowed, trying to make his muscles work in a way that made sense, to lift him from the ground.
"You leave Draco out of this," Narcissa said darkly. "He is my son, and he is all I have left. You will not destroy him like this. You already have my agreement to do whatever is required."
There was a breath hissed in, then twin flashes of green. Draco couldn't say which fired first, wincing at the words, instinctively ducking his head when his body refused to move.
Then Narcissa's body crumpled to the ground with a soft thump.
Alecto turned slowly back to Draco and smiled, her voice calm as she said, "Well, then, it seems that it has fallen upon your shoulders to discharge your debt, Draco. Your family betrayed the Dark Lord. Shall we discuss what you shall do for us now?"
Draco pushed himself to his knees, shaky as he knelt there and tried to gather his wits before he looked up. And he prayed Mandy hadn't heard anything, and wouldn't come out to the borders of their property.