Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter seventy one-Bubbsy

Westeria burst into the room shortly after that, dragging Draco out the door promptly by the ear, muttering something in a disapproving tone, though she sent me a beaming smile before shutting the door behind them

I slept soundly, whether that was due to fatigue, contentment, or a hybrid of both I might never know. Whatever it was, it scarcely lasted, as I was awoken by a sharp pop at the foot of my bed. I jolted up from where I lay, my stiff computer lessening as I caught sight of a pair of cartoon sized ears poking up from the covers

"Bubbsy is terribly sorry to have woken miss, but Bubbsy has been ordered to fetch Miss immediately and bring Miss to the guest office room, Miss." an airy voice squeaked from down below, and I shuffled down to meet two abnormally large eyes gazing back at me
"It's alright, Bubbsy, just let me put something warmer on before we go" I said with a soft smile, and the elf bowed her head so low the gray hairs on the top of her head grazed the floorboards
"Bubbsy stands in the corner, Miss, Bubbsy does not look" I noticed when she scurried to the far right corner away from my wardrobe that she was significantly more mature in age than the other elves in the manour, her skin was wrinkled, she walked with a slight limp, and there were sunken rims around her bright eyes
"You can turn back around now, I'm done" I whispered as I pulled a woollen top over my body, shielding my body from the night chill
"If Miss would kindly follow Bubbsy, the Dark Lord requests her presence" her voice warped slightly as she mentioned Voldemort's title, a tremor evident in her voice

"Bubbsy, are you okay?" I asked with worry as I noticed the elf's skittish behaviour, eyes darting wildly from place to place, jumping at the sound of a branch rattling in the wind or an owl hooting out the window
"Miss needs not worry about Bubbsy, Bubbsy is just not liking the dark is all" Bubbsy replied in her high pitched voice, and I illuminated the tip of my wand, casting white light down our path causing the elf to smile broadly from ear to ear, "Bubbsy is thanking Miss a millions!"
"It's no problem at all" I replied as we walked down the hallway, "you should've told me earlier"
"Oh no, house elves do not ask for favours like such, and wizards are not very often wanting to help" Bubbsy said, shaking her head sadly, "Master Malfoy likes to shut Bubbsy in the cupboard when Bubbsy is bad"
"That's horrid" I said with furrowed brows, "and no one else cares?"
"Missus Malfoy does not like house elves much, and young Sir Malfoy finds it lots of fun to watch" Bubbsy said, with a sudden twitch as she made to bang her head against the leg of a nearby table, a compulsive habit house elves had when talking down on their masters
"You mean Draco?" I said, chewing the inside of my cheek in my temper, and Bubbsy nodded, long ears flapping as she moved her head
"Miss Lestrange is the only witch that is nice to Bubbsy" Bubbsy said, her smile returning to her face, "Bubbsy likes Miss"
"I like you too Bubbsy" I said, and the elf shot me one last beaming smile before vanishing as we made it to the guest office door

When I entered, I was met with not one, but four faces. Voldemort beckoned me over with outstretched arms, and I walked over to sit among Westeria, Emerson, and Draco, all of us waiting in tense anticipation

"I have just returned from a trip to be informed of the details of your missions, children" Voldemort announced in the same hoarse voice, "and as far as I'm concerned, you have all failed"

The demanding wave of despair was palpable as the Dark Lord's shivering gaze latched onto us with the ferocity of his words. I felt fear coarse through me as he raised a slender finger and pointed it directly at me

"All...but one" I was too concerned with shock for my mind to register relief, even as he elaborated, "you four were sent to kill a foe, a threat, a nemesis, and because of your imbecilic behaviour, you almost didn't. You were careless, it was the only way Charles could have figured it out, and while three of you sat uselessly, one was in a gruelling battle with one of the darkest wizards of our time...and won"

"Unless one of you prove to execute such a stunningly impressive feat, then it appears my decision has been dictated"

It was a bittersweet victory, knowing I was close to being handed the mission. While it would provide useful information, it was undoubtedly a horror beyond any senseless wizard's imagination

"Alas, this is not set in stone, any one of you could still receive the honour-work for it, children, do you understand me?"
"Yes, my Lord" we hummed back almost robotically
"Dismissed until your next task, off you go"

We exited the room, yawning in choruses and excusing ourselves to bed, seeing as it was still early in the morning. I hoped to retreat back to my bedroom as rapidly as possible, however, it seemed someone had contrasting plans

"Hey" his voice was almost lax, the sensitivity in his voice only irritated me further as I turned my head momentarily to offer a wordless glare before yanking my wrist out of his grasp and storming away from him

I pressed my eyes shut in frustration as I felt his hand close on my wrist once more

"What the hell, Lestrange?" He was sharper in tone this time, his previous compassion deterred by my own grimness, making me force out a deep sigh before turning around
"A house elf told me you enjoy watching your father shut her in cabinets as punishment" I spat, crossing my arms stiffly over my stomach, and after gawking at me with wide eyes, he scoffed
"That's what this is about?" He said incredulously, another laugh passing through gritted teeth
"Something funny?" I questioned apathetically
"Yeah" he said with mockery in his voice as he took a step closer to me, "yeah what's funny is that you've gone soft for vermin"
"You're disgusting" I snarled, my upper lip curling slightly in revulsion as my comment only made him close in on me with a smirk
"Am I?" He asked, although I had a feeling he wouldn't be too bothered with the answer
"Yes" I answered anyways, doing my best to control my breathing as he continued to restrict the distance between us, "she's afraid of the dark"
"Aw, it's scared of the dark" he repeated with a pout and a derisive laugh
"She" I stressed indignantly, "not it, she"
"What did you expect?" He said scornfully, "for me to be all buddy-buddy with the servants? Sorry to have disappointed you, then, but I'm not"
"Disappointed" I repeated, shaking my head, "see, I'd have to have actual expectations for you to even be able to let them down, but I don't, so no I'm not disappointed, I'm just exhausted"
"Good to know, Lestrange" he jeered with a poisonous glare
"God, I can't believe I ever thought-" I blurted it out in a rage, and even though I caught myself before the end there was no preventing him hearing what I had already said
"Thought what?" He spat with a forceful voice, grabbing my jaw and forcing my eyes off the patch of paint on the nearby wall and onto his face
"Nothing" the words were barely a whisper
"No, tell me, what did you think?" He challenged, and I answered with more animosity in my voice than I ever believed I possessed
"I can't believe I ever thought you were anything but a miserable, spoiled little boy" at my admittance, he slammed me onto the wall by the neck, the back of my head thudding against the wood as the pain erupting from his grip increased noticeably, and I failed to utter a single word as I felt the insides of my throat shut down under pressure. I couldn't look anywhere other than his eyes, a murky overcast had taken over the gray pigmentation as I struggled to sustain my air

"Draco..." I finally choked weakly, and a sudden clearing appeared in his expression, a low gasp floating from his mouth as he promptly released my horridly bruised throat from his grasp

I stumbled as I desperately took in as much oxygen as I could at once, and when I glanced upwards I was met with a horror-struck expression as he clutched the hand that was previously attached to me neck in the other and stared aghast at my trembling figure.

I didn't mean to flinch when he tentatively took a small step towards me, I barely even noticed I had until I looked up again and was met with a hallway devoid of anyone but myself.

Suddenly, I understood why Bubbsy was so afraid of the dark.