Riddle And Grindelwald (Book 3)

21. Just A Boy

To reward Genevieve for killing Karkaroff, Tom allowed her first pick of the wands Ollivander had made in his confinement.
Seeing the poor old wandmaker trapped in the cellar at the Malfoy Manor, made Genevieve feel even worse. And she was already feeling pretty bad about having to commit another murder.
So she quickly chose the wand that felt the warmest at her touch, before exiting the cellar, to get away from staring at the face of another broken man.
Tom had things to discuss with Ollivander, so Genevieve left them to it, and began to wander the halls of the Malfoy Manor to clear her thoughts.
Bellatrix was out on a mission, so Genevieve knew that she wouldn't bump into her worst enemy.
However, there was someone in the house who she did end up walking into; Narcissa Malfoy.

"Forgive me, my lady" mumbled Narcissa, as she curtsed politely.
"It's quite alright. I wasn't looking where I was going. I was too distracted by your wonderful home, for it reminds me of my old manor that I had during the first wizarding war" admitted Genevieve.
"This mansion has been in my husband's family for generations. He would be pleased to know that you like it" replied Narcissa.
Genevieve could see that the woman was close to tears, and she had a pretty good idea why.
"I'm sorry about Lucius" apologised Genevieve awkwardly.
"Thank you. I count the days until I can be reunited with my husband. I pray that the dark lord will free those in Azkaban soon" replied Narcissa.

"Breaking into Azkaban again is not his top priority right now. But he will not leave his death eaters in prison for much longer, as he needs them free so that they can do his bidding for him. They cannot serve him while locked in jail. So Lucius will be rescued soon, I'm sure. And with the Dementors gone, I'm sure Lucius is doing fine in Azkaban" reassured Genevieve.
She didn't like Narcissa's sister Bellatrix, but she was beginning to see that despite what she had originally thought, the two sisters were actually very different.
Narcissa certainly showed her the respect she deserved, unlike Bellatrix.
"Thank you, my lady... I was wondering if I could borrow a moment of your time?" Narcissa asked quietly.
"Of course" replied Genevieve.

Narcissa lead Genevieve towards the study, where they could talk without being interupted or overheard.
"So, what is it you wished to talk to me about?" Questioned Genevieve.
"It's about my son Draco" answered Narcissa.
"What about him?" Quizzed Genevieve.
"Well, I'm sure you know that the dark lord has given him a task to do, when he returns to Hogwarts. And I was wondering if you could talk your husband out of it. My son is just a boy. He is too young to be handed such a difficult and dangerous task. I beg you to talk to the dark lord on my behalf, and get him to reconsider giving Draco such a big responsibility".

It was at moments like this when Genevieve felt rather uncomfortable.
The death eaters often expected her to know every single one of Tom's plans, which was often not the case.
But Genevieve knew that if she admitted that she didn't know what Narcissa was talking about, she wouldn't be able to help her.
She also wanted to know what Tom was up to. So, in order to get information out of Narcissa, she would have to speak carefully.
"The dark lord often gives us missions that we don't feel that we can achieve, because he likes to push us. He must have faith in Draco to hand him such an important task" said Genevieve.

"But Draco cannot succeed. If the dark lord himself was not able to kill Dumbledore, then how does he expect my son to? He wants to Draco to fail, to punish Lucius for what happened at the Ministry. He is going to take my son from me, to make a point to my husband" sobbed Narcissa, as she began to cry.
"There there now, there is no need to cry" soothed Genevieve, as she handed Narcissa a handkerchief.
Genevieve tried to keep a poker face and not let Narcissa see her emotions.
Luckily Narcissa was too busy crying to notice the shock on Genevieve's face, for Genevieve had not been told that Tom wanted Draco to kill Dumbledore, and this news suprised her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down, especially in front of someone as important as you" apologised Narcissa, as she dabbed her eyes.
"Just because I am married to the dark lord, it does not mean that I am heartless or devoid of emotion. And I completely understand why you are concerned for your son's wellbeing" admitted Genevieve.
"He is my only child. He's all I have in this world. Draco is barely 16 years old. He should not be tasked with something as important as this" replied Narcissa.

Genevieve frowned, "I take it that you have told my husband that your son is not yet of age".
"Yes, but he doesn't care" answered Narcissa.
"But the boy still has the Trace on him, and will continue to until he turns 17. He cannot peform magic outside of the Hogwarts grounds" replied Genevieve.
"The dark lord expects Draco to kill Dumbledore, at school, which is why he picked a student for this mission. He has until the end of the year to sneak death eaters into Hogwarts, and kill Dumbledore. If he does not, I dread to think about what the consequences will be for all of us".

Genevieve's thoughts turned to her own sons, who Tom had forced to complete dangerous missions, before they turned 17.
She understood what it was like to be a mother, worried about her child's wellbeing. And she also knew how damaging it was to one's soul, to kill another human being.
"I will talk to my husband, I promise. Your son is still a child, and he should not be put at risk to make up for his father's shortcomings. Draco should not have been given a task that involves murder. He is too young to have his soul ripped apart. While it's true that we often use Slytherin children as spies at Hogwarts, we have never asked them to kill anyone before. So, I don't know what my husband was thinking when he assigned this task to Draco. I expect he was angry at Lucius, so wasn't thinking clearly. But I will put him straight" admitted Genevieve.

"Do you really think he will listen to you?" Asked Narcissa, who was unable to hide the hopefulness in her voice.
"He always listens to me. Whether or not he will change is mind, is another matter. But I am hoping that he does, for Draco is too young to be getting involved in any of this" replied Genevieve.
"He has already been branded with the dark mark. Does that mean that it is too late for him to turn back and live a normal life?" Questioned Narcissa.
"He is the son of a death eater, so he never really had a choice. But, I believe he is too young to start his duties now. So, I will talk to my husband about this matter tonight, and get him to reconsider"
"Thank you so much, my lady".