Love Never Dies. (Draco Malfoy Fan Fiction) (Watty Awards 2013 Winner)

Chapter 17: Hogwarts Express.

A/N: This chapter's dedicated to melaniepatrick, whose June contest I entered and won. Thank you Melanie! (: You have no idea how much it meant to me that I actually was one of those who won. Remember to check her stories out! x.

It wasn't long until we were out of the Hogwarts castle and at the Hogwarts Express train station. The station platfrorms were packs with students and their trunks, waiting anxiously to take their train ride back home to be with their families. I was looking forward to seeing Draco's weird aunt and mother, Bellatrix and Narcissa. We had much in common, though Bellatrix and I were more 'reckless' than Narcissa. We got along really well and it was like they were my real aunt and mom. I really liked them. We finally drop off our things to the train handler and we board the train. 

Fortunately, we find an empty compartment at the back of the train and we settle down in there. I put on my pink cardigan and take out a book Snape asked me to read. It was titled, Dark Magic by Christopher Jordan. I didn't find a reason to read it, though. I didn't know why Draco didn't have to read it, either. The book was undeniably boring and it just went on an on about dark magic and the stuff about You-Know-Who and Harry Potter. There were stuff about death eaters and how they were loyal followers of You-Know-Who and the dark mark of which they were branded with. I turn my attention back to Draco who was frowning once again. I decide to ask him. 

"Hey, what's wrong?", I take his hand in mine and smile warmly at him. 

"I guess it's about time I told you, Rachel," Draco looks up to me with eyes of pure confusion and frustration. 

"Tell me what?" I look into his eyes, concerned.

"You see, there is going to be a ceremony at my place this holiday. And it was about time you knew that my family members are death eaters, I'll leave you to figure out the rest," he leans in, his grey eyes boring into mine.

"Are you...?", I ask him. He couldn't be a death eater. I mean, I would have seen the mark on his arm. He'd be writhing in pain but he didn't.

"No, I will. And so are you," he mutters, breaking eye contact from me. Those last three words rang in my ear like an echo that never ended. 

I was going to become a death eater? I wasn't surprised that his family were death eaters because... well, they're all from Slytherin. But Draco and I? Weren't we too young to even be part of this? And the ceremony was probably only a few days away. I didn't feel up to the task but I know I have no choice in this. I read that when the Dark Lord wants people, there's no stopping him. I know it. He obviously wanted Draco and I. 

"When is it?", I ask him, my voice shaking a bit. 

"Tomorrow," he replies monotonously. It was tomorrow?! Tomorrow? No, no. That was too soon. I could be murdered if I screwed up. But I knew I had not more of a choice than Draco did. 

"Oh," I stare at his hands blankly. What would happen if my parents found out about this, much less Hermione?! How would she feel about me?! 

I thought I should start being comfortable about being a death eater and probably get used to the presence of the Dark Lord, considering the fact that he was going to brand me either way. I was sure Snape knew this was going to happen to me, so he made me read the book about Dark Magic so I could put everything into place. Of course Draco didn't need to know anything more, he was born into the family. 

"Are you okay, Rach?", Draco looks back up at me, taking both my hands in his. He looked into my eyes and I see concern surfacing. 

"Yeah, I am," I smile back at him. I guess I should have seen this coming. It wasn't hard imagining myself being one of them. I guess the sorting hat was true when it said I was different from my family. I guess it was only a matter of time to prove that fact. I was a Slytherin-death-eater daughter from a family of Griffindor. 

"Are you sure?", he asks me again, his hands tightening around my cold ones. 

"Sure, I guess we don't really have a choice do we?", I tell him, smiling slightly. 

"I'm sorry I brought you into this, Rachel," he looks into my eyes, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. 

"Don't be sorry. It's better that you're not alone in this, Draco," I tell him, looking back at him. 

"You're right, thank you," he smiles at me with his charming smile I always loved. I smile back and I sit beside him at look out the window at the passing meadows and fields with children running about in the grass. 

It was about an hour until we reached Platform 9 3/4. I fell asleep on Draco's shoulder and he woke me up by poking me straight in the nose. My eyes snap open and I get up, taking my book with me. Both of us step out of the train, hand in hand. We collected our trunks and proceed to leave the platform to see Narcissa there, smiling as she waved at us. Her hair was tightly combed back into a neat bun and she was wearing a black gown with long sleeves and her purse was held tightly in her hands. We walk to her and she greets us warmly as always. 

"How's my Draco?", she takes Draco in her hands and kisses him on his head. He sure shot up since the first time when we were in third year. "And it's so good to see you again, Rachel!", she takes me in for a tight hug before releasing me. 

"Same to you," I tell her as she took a trolley and placed them on the trolley with ease using her wand. 

"Your father is at home, Draco. We'll be apparating there," with that, Narcissa places one hand on the trolley and one hand for both Draco and I to hold. 

Soon, my whole being felt like it was being pulled and stretched and compressed into a tube. Finally, when I regain my senses and feel my feel on the floor again, I find myself in the room with Draco and my trunks in it. Draco and I shared the room whenever we stayed here. I expected to see Draco and Narcissa there as well but I guess they apparated to another room in the house, probably to wherever Lucius was. Nevertheless, I open my trunk, pull out a fresh set of clothes and put them on. When I get settled in, I take my book Snape gave me and lie down on my bed. I place a levitation charm on it so it was just floating above me where my eyes were. 

Just when I was on the brink of taking a nap, Draco comes into the room. I remove the levitating charm from the book and it falls down to my lap. I get up and I see Draco, still in his clothes, coming to sit on the bed with me. I scoot over a little to give him some space and he lies down. 

"My father just told me about the ceremony," he sighs and closes his eyes. 

"When is it?" I ask, propping myself up on one elbow and facing Draco. 

"Tomorrow, here in the house. All the death eaters will be here, so will You-Know-Who," he opens his eyes and looks at me, his face turning a little pale and his voice shaking. 

"You mean I'll come face to face with You-Know-Who?" I ask him, my voice shaking as well and my eyes widening in anxiety. I'm going to face the nastiest man in the whole of magical history and touch him?! No way, I think I'll faint at one look. 

"Yes," Draco replies me, fear creeping up in his eyes. "I promise nothing will happen, I'm going to be there too, right beside you."

I break eye contact from him and sit up properly on the bed. "Okay, I guess it'll be fine." 

A/N: I hope you like this chapter! I really loved writing it, since it was something important in the story. Please post a comment on anything that can be improved on, I'll be adding more POVs when the whole story is completed in Rachel's POV. Please vote too! Thank you! x