It started as a joke DracoxReader

The Manor

The manor ached the moment you entered it. The tensions of the space had become nearly unbearable in just the short few months you'd been away.

You thought the structure was ill before, not it was all but malignant.

"Mother" Draco called for her as he apparated you there.

"I'm here" she called as she walked down the stairs. Dressed as she always was in the finest of cloth, but she looks tired.

As though she hadn't slept in weeks. Perhaps she hadn't.

"Narcissa?" You asked as she joined you in the parlor.

"The Dark Lord has been here permanently for months now" she whispered to you both. "It's gotten worse. I pleaded for you two to stay there... but he insisted"

"It's alright mother, we're here now" Draco reached for his mother, pulling her into a hug.

"You don't understand.." she started, before someone else entered the room.

Bellatrix. You flinched at the sight of her, she seems as lively as ever. Every time the dark lord seemed to be lusting more for blood, she fed off it. Needed it. Like she craved the venom of his insanity.

"Welcome home" she smiled with her gruesome teeth. Narcissa fell completely silent.

Any union of siblings that once had been seemed to have dissolved around them.

"Come you two, he would like to speak to you" she grinned.

Bella was walking toward the usual meeting place, the dining room you began walking behind her when Narcissa grabbed your arm.

"He knows" she whispered "he knows you were feeding them"

Your stomach fell, you were sweating instantly.

"I'm sorry I tried to tell him it was me" She whispered again as you left her, standing stranded on that island she had made here.

"Ahhhhhhh the newly weds!" The Dark Lord opened his arms wide. "Sit!" He commanded. Pretending to be gleeful, but you could see in the way his eyes darted between you two. How his skin hung from him like a wet sheet, he was on the ledge.

He was falling apart.

What was going on?

"My lord" you nodded your head, bowing to him.

"Have anything you cared to tell me?" He asked. Crossing his long arms before him. Draco must not have heard his mothers heeding words, because he looked at you with confusion on his face.

"It's my fault my lord" you didn't sit as Draco did. Instead you stayed standing. Claiming the punishment you wager would come. "I was feeding them"

"Ahhh. The truth comes out!" He scoffed. "Tell me, Mrs. Malfoy, why?"

Draco's face was ice white, like he was going to be sick and his hands were shaking already. He wasn't as good at hiding his fear as you, so you knew you had to do this.

"My Lord, I thought maybe if they trusted me. They would tell me secrets" you thought of the only thing you could "I thought they'd tell me secrets about Potter, My Lord"

He narrows his beady eyes at you, then looks at Draco. Who was looking down at the table.

"What say you, Draco? Does she speak the truth?" Draco's eyes shot up.

"He didn't know my lord" you spoke before Draco could.

"A disobedient servant, AND wife" the dark lord shook his head. He walked around the table to where you stood. You could see in Draco's muscles that he wanted to stand and be in between you two, protect you in any way he could. That was a mistake he couldn't take back. So you set your hand on his shoulder, giving him a commanding looking to stay seated.

For the love of Merlin Draco, listen for once

"Had you not been so useful to me. I'd be disposing of you" the dark lord finally said once he reached where you stood. You tried not to let out a breath of relief, that meant you may service this trip home.

"But my lord" Bellatrix's voice sunk in the room through the dark corner she had been residing in. You had nearly forgotten she was here. "She fed the prisoners when she knew you.."

"I know what she did!" The Dark Lord snapped at Bella, who nodded and slinked away instantly. He never snapped at Bellatrix like that. Something was wrong. "And she will be punished," he continued. The words made every hair on your body stand up. "Draco, stand" he commanded.

Draco nearly stammered as he pushed the chair back, his body threatened to shake as he walked to stand where the Dark Lord commanded him to.

"Right" the Dark Lord nodded. "Punishment indeed will be given." he seemed to twist his wand around his long fingers like it was nothing but an extension of him. He seemed to be thinking for a long moment, probably deciding if he was going to use the Cruciatus curse on you, or something else. You couldn't imagine that could be worse than the torturing curse at the hands of the man who had perfected it. He smiled suddenly "Tell me, y/n, do you have a sensitive stomach?"