The Songbird and The Viper

Solitary Confinement

The dark manor that the Malfoy's called home was now their own holding cell. Despite living in lavish seclusion from those they deemed inferior, it felt more like they were the ones who were now cut off as they were forced to entertain those who affiliated themselves with the dark lord.

Draco was entirely alone.

When he wasn't forced to attend the death eater meetings where he sat in complete silence, hoping not to draw attention to himself, he was holed up in his room with his nose in a book and wishing he could be anywhere but where he was. If Hogwarts saw him as a waning figure, he was a ghost within his own home.

The day he found himself unable to leave his bed, the day the death eaters planned to finally capture Harry Potter, Draco didn't even read. He stared out his window at the dark sky with small showers coming and going as the time passed.

A small knock on his door didn't even stir him, merely causing him to blink.

"Draco?" Narcissa's soft voice called to him, the door cracking open.

He didn't respond to her, his eyes lazily fixated on the drops of rain rolling down the glass. He could hear her taking careful steps, clearly unsure of what to say to him. After a few moments of uneasy silence, he felt pressure on the bed behind him and her maternal hand on his back.

"There's a few letters for you..." She whispered, placing four sealed envelopes on the pillow beside his head. He breathed heavily through his nose in response.

"It's time for dinner, my love," She tried to engage, craning her neck to read his expression.

Draco finally spoke, "I'm not hungry."

Narcissa nodded to herself, pressing her lips firmly together, "Your father..." She sniffed at the air, searching for the right words, "His mission tonight... He wants you present at the table."

Draco felt his stomach sink but refused to respond again.

"Please..." She asked again, smoothing out his hair. He closed his eyes at her touch.

"Will he be there?" Draco's voice wavered.

Narcissa's breath caught for a moment, but she shook her head, "No. He will be with the others until their time."

He rolled over slightly, enough for him to face her. She let a finger trace his cheek, his sunken cheekbones causing her expression to shift. Her eyes were swimming with pity and longing to make him smile. She looked away, to the watch on his wrist that was opened to a compass that spun wildly. He hadn't taken it off in months and Narcissa often found him staring at it and rubbing the face.

Once he saw her staring, he quickly shut it.

"I thought maybe one of these letters might be-"

He cut her off, "She wouldn't."

Draco hadn't mentioned anything about Johanna since the night he got back but Narcissa knew he was heartbroken. He returned that night with tears in his eyes and was inconsolable. She stayed by his door all night in her dressing gown, waiting for him to exhaust himself and fall asleep but he never did, he just sobbed and apologized to the dark of his room. She didn't need to hear what happened, a part of her knew and her heart ached for him.

Narcissa sighed, "When Lucius first started with all of this... I found myself a bit uneasy. But I learned to look past it when it came to him. Because I loved him-"

Draco scowled as he repeated, "She wouldn't."

She nodded again, tapping a finger against the letters as a small figure appeared from the shadows of the doorway.