Bloodlines || A Draco Malfoy Romance Fanfiction

Confrontation - 87

Draco

My quill met my parchment in haste as I wrote to Aphrodite's father.

It was a brief letter, encouraging (well, actually demanding) that the arrangement between Aphry and Dimitri be broken off as soon as possible, considering the unspeakable action Solokov attempted.

I didn't go into details, considering the letter needed to be sent quickly. Writing everything I wanted to say would have taken hours and many rolls of parchment.

Throwing my cloak on, I took the letter and marched out of the boys' dorms, and into the common room.

Something caught my eye when I took the stairs to the exit. I looked down, noticing the sapphire ring. I picked it up, inspected it briefly, and then pocketed it before moving forward into the corridor.

As I made my way out of the dungeons I was surprised to run into Professor Snape coming the opposite way, just taking the last stair into the dungeons. We both stopped when we noticed each other.

"Mr. Malfoy?" He said, seeming just as surprised as I was. "It is well past curfew."

I held up my letter. "I'm owling Aphry's father," I said, determination in my voice. "Give me detention, take points. I don't care. It's getting sent tonight."

Snape looked at the letter in my hand for a brief moment, "You won't need that. Come with me."

"Are you trying to stop me," I spat angrily?

The professor's demeanour didn't change. "Quite the opposite, Mr. Malfoy."

He was my favourite professor, so I wanted to trust him. I just hope I wasn't going to regret it.

I followed him to his study. He shut the door, and then walked to his desk, grabbing a ceramic jar with a wide mouth. He opened the jar and held it out to me. Inside I saw a familiar bright green Floo powder. "We're going to Cytheria Estate," he said. "You'll follow me there."

Eagerly, I reached in and grabbed a handful of the powder. He grabbed his own, then sat the jar back down on the counter, heading to the fireplace to the right of his desk, and disappearing in a cloud of green smoke.

Following suit, we ended up in the lilac drawing room. Memories flooded my mind of mere months ago when this mess all started. I gritted my teeth.

Severus Snape left the drawing room. It was nearly one in the morning, there would be no one to greet us, house elf or human. He marched with purpose up the foyer staircase, and down the corridor to the master suite.

I would otherwise be surprised that he entered the private drawing room, but there was a sense of urgency. There was no time to be respectful of boundaries or etiquette.

Snape raised a fisted hand level to his ear, then banged on the bedroom door multiple times. Rap,rap,rap. Rap,rap,rap. Rap, rap...

The door was opened, and a startle William appeared in the doorway. He was wearing a navy robe and had his wand lifted, prepared to defend himself if needed. When he recognized who was at his bedroom door, he lowered his wand. "Severus?" He said, expression and tone bewildered. He then looked past Snape to me. "Draco? What are you both doing here?"

"It's Aphrodite?" Snape said.

William's brown eyes widened, reminding me of Aphrodite for a brief moment. "Aphrodite?" He rushed into the drawing room and pointed his wand at the fireplace to light a fire. The room filled with a faint light. He looked back at Snape. "She's alright, isn't she?"

"Well, that depends on your definition of the word," Snape said. "If you call her barely getting away from her possessive boyfriend after he attempted to forcefully have his way with her 'alright,' then yes."

Horror filled William's expression. He sat in a chair in front of the fire. "What?"

"Tell me, William," Snape said, crossing his arms. Anger laced his words. "What made you think tying her up with a Sokolov was a good idea? Was it the ancestor on his mother's side that posed as a holy man to gain power through the Russian royal family? Or the one on his father's side that had a significant part in that same family's execution?" I stared at Snape in horror and shock at the revelation. William didn't answer.

"Or was it his parents, who gave up Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange for their freedom?"

William Cytheris's jaw set as he glared at Snape.

"Lucius Malfoy knew it was just a matter of time before Dimitri would follow in his family's footsteps." Snape spat. "And he used your daughter to set the trap!"

That can't be true. "My father wouldn't do that!" I said. "Not to Aphry."

Snape turned to me. "It's about time you grew out of your ignorance and naivety, Draco." What was that supposed to mean?

"Severus," William growled threateningly.

"He ought to know," Severus replied.

Know what?

"It's not your information to tell, Severus."

What information?

The two stared at each other for several moments that seemed longer than they probably were, and then Severus changed the subject. "Dimitri Sokolov will be off school grounds before sunset tomorrow, ideally before lunch is served. There is a certain protocol that has to be followed, but Dumbledore is already aware..."

"You got Dumbledore involved?" I asked angrily.

The professor turned to me and raised a brow as his only reaction. "Yes. The headmaster usually needs to be involved when banishing someone from school grounds." He was right, and I merely huffed in response. He then turned back to William and continued. "I anticipate this ridiculous arrangement will be ended before sunrise?"

Mr. Cytheria ran a hand over his face, then nodded. "I'll write the letter to Dimitri's parents now."

"The floo network to my study will be open again at seven for an hour," Severus said.  "We'll have a discussion with Karkaroff about what will happen with Sokolov."

William Cytheria stood, looking at Severus. "I'll be there." He then looked at me. "Draco... I am so sorry." Why on earth does he feel the need to apologize to me?

I narrowed my eyes at him. Normally I would never be so disrespectful to my father's best friend, but I feel the situation warranted. "I don't think it's me, you need to apologize to."

Severus and I left the Cytheria residence, and we each went off to bed. Trying to get just a few hours of sleep before we ended Sokolov in the morning.