Even Royalty Falters || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 43 - The Manor

The Malfoy Manor loomed before us, the high hedges leading up to the grand gate seemed to mockingly laugh at us. My heart skipped a beat as the doors swung open. Would I get to see him? It had be around Easter Holidays now, he definitely was home.

Bellatrix and Narcissa stood at the top of the stairs, where the Snatchers followed her into the drawing room once they told her they might've captured Harry Potter. 

The drawing room dazzled after the darkness outside. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, highlighting portraits against the dark purple walls.I saw two blonde heads poking out from the chairs in front of an ornate marble fireplace, rising as we entered.

"They say they've got Potter," explained Narcissa's cold voice when Lucius asked what was going on. Lucius seemed older, his cheeks sunk in with a ring of faint black around his eyes. I guess Voldemort making the Malfoy Manor his headquarters didn't please him too much.

Draco's gaze landed on me his face turned deathly pale and his lips parted with a ghostly gasp. He hadn't changed much since I last saw him: lifeless and sad. His white-blond hair was well kept, and he even sported nice black suit, but his pointed face and skinny figure stood out even more. Even after he had broken my heart, I still wanted to run over to him and embrace him. I wish I could see his playful smirk and his caring grey eyes again. I felt my throat closing up. No, I could not let myself cry.

"Draco, come here." Narcissa beckoned Draco to where one of the Snatchers had placed Harry directly beneath the chandelier. I knew the Malfoys were almost certain it was Harry after all, who else would I  be with?

"Well, Draco?" asked Lucius as Draco stopped in front of Harry, whose face was so swollen and puffed up that if the rest of us hadn't been there, he might've been mistaken for someone else. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"  Lucius asked again, avid.

"I can't – I can't be sure," said Draco, hesitating. He stole a quick glance back at me which his parents caught. They knew.

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!"Lucius said again, I felt rising anger in his voice."Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv –"

"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope Mr.Malfoy?" said the Snatcher menacingly.

"Of course not, of course not!" Bellatrix cackled. "You brought him to us, and we will call the Dark Lord." She turned back to Harry. "Now, this seems like a stinging jinx to me," she observed. "We have to be or else he would kill us!"

"That wasn't us," growled the Snatcher.

"Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?" Lucius dragged Draco closer to Harry. Lucius was mixed with excitement that it was Harry, and anger at Draco's  reluctance. I sense his fear. 

"I don't know," he said, and he walked away toward the fireplace where his mother stood watching.

"Draco." He nodded to Hermione and Ron, "Isn't this the Granger girl?"

"Maybe...yea,"

Arthur Weasley's son?" Lucius's voice was firm and commanding. 

"It could be..."

He stalked up to me and yanked me out of the other Snatcher's grasp. "and is this not Crescent Whitewing?" he said, almost as a statement rather than a question. "Is she why you're doing this?"

"No..." It was perhaps the most obvious lie that Draco Malfoy had ever told. 

Even Bellatrix sensed the lie. "No need for more questioning, Lucius," her eyes gleamed as she dragged back her left sleeve, about to touch it when Lucius's hand closed upon her wrist.