Atlas Malfoy and how history repeats itself

Part 50

I stumble into the dining room and smile as realistically as I can. Aunt Bella looks at me, then at Harry and says, "Atlas! You are still alive."
"Yes, Bella." I say, lowering my head. Mum wraps me into a hug, and whispers, "I know that is Potter."
She knows he is, and I'm surprised Bellatrix hasn't noticed already. I turn round to face her, but Draco is stood in front of her. She is holding Harry's face up and Draco says, "I can't be sure."
"Look closely." Lucius hisses, "If we are the ones to hand the boy over..."
Bellatrix looks at me and laughs, "ATLAS! You will know. Is that the boy?"
"I am not having her be spoken to right now," Mum says, guiding me to a chair. She strokes me hair as Bella says, "Cissy?"
"Bella, I am putting my foot down."

Bellatrix walks over to me and says, "Why is your face red like that?"
She puts her hand on my cheek and I flinch. Slowly, she pulls her hand away and whispers, "If you can identify the boy for us, and we are the ones to hand him over, think about how respected you will be. You will rise, higher than your lousy father ever did."
I can't bring myself to make eye contact and she says, "Atlas... you could do so much. Ease yourself into this. Who made your face that red?"
"The woman over there."
"And how?" Bella crouches down to my level, forcing me to make eye contact. I whisper, "She slapped me."
"I'll deal with her later then. But Atlas, you need to understand. Your family are in trouble if you don't tell us who the boy is. If we get it wrong, he'll kill all of us."
I nod and she says, "Now, you don't need to even tell us the boy. I have an idea, and it is much more fun. First things first, would you like to deal with the woman?"
Slowly, I shake my head, and the woman lets out a sigh of relief. Bella says, "I'll be killing her anyway."
"Please don't," I mumble. Bellatrix stops, and crouches back down to my level. She whispers, "Are you on our side, or not?"
I don't respond and she says, "Do you really need convincing after what happened last time at the ministry?"
I can't bring myself to talk and she stands up, walking round the back of my chair. She leans down, resting her chin on my shoulder and says, "I'm giving you one chance. Do you need convincing?"
"No." I whisper. Hermione yells, "PLEASE DON'T HURT HER."
Bellatrix lifts her chin and says, "And why not?"
"Because she kept trying to contact you while we took her."
I watch in horror as Bellatrix walks over to Hermione. She says, "You do it then."
"Do what?" Hermione splutters. Bella looks at me and says, "Say crucio then. Make her understand."
Hermione shakes her head and Bella says, "That's what I thought. Now, I'll ask you Atlas this once. Do you lie to me?"
"No, Bella. I'd never lie."

I messed up badly. I messed up horrifically. Bellatrix says, "Now, do you know what would happen if you lied to me?"
"No, Aunt Bella." I say, looking up at her wand, which is pointed in my face. She nods and says, "If you ever lied to me, I'd make you regret it. I know that sounds like an empty promise, but we have a while to wait. Empty your pocket."
"Bella?" Mum says, stepping in front of me. Bellatrix hisses, "Cissy, she has truth serum. We can use it on the boy. Ask him if he is really Potter."
"I don't anymore Bella." I say, glaring, "I used it."
"On what?"
I don't meet her eyes as I say, "Pansy Parkinson."
"Pansy?" Draco says, his voice heavy with fear. Why did she have to be the first girl I could think of?
"Yes," I confirm, "Pansy Parkinson. I thought she knew something I wanted to know."
"What was that?"
"If she had copied my work."
"Had she?" Bella spits. I shake my head and she laughs, "CISSY? Get your daughter out of here before I kill her."
Mum nods and helps me out. I burst into immediate sobs as she sooths, "Don't worry. Here, let me get Draco."
"Why?" I sob as I sit on the sofa.
"You two need to talk."

Draco sits opposite me and mum leaves us alone. He says, "Why don't you do as you're told?"
"Because doing what you are told and hurting people isn't right," I respond, pulling at a thread on the sofa, "Would you have killed Dumbledore?"
"No," Draco whispers, suddenly crying, "No, I wouldn't."
I hug him and we sit silently for a second. He pulls away, sniffs and says, "Are you happy?"
"No, Draco," I say, making eye contact with him, "I'm not happy at all."
"Does mum love you more?" Draco asks, not breaking the eye contact. He looks scared and I respond, "No. She just felt like she needed to protect me more and in the process, she forgot you were just a child."
Draco nods and I say, "Who have you lost?"
"Nobody has died-"
"Who have you lost?"
"All of my friends," he sighs, "All of them. I feel so isolated. Who have you lost? I do mean who has died. Who has been killed?"
"All of them?" I ask.
"All of them." He confirms. I take a breathe and say, "Sirius. Mad-eye. They are the only ones I can think of right now. Losing Sirius hurt."
"You watched, didn't you?"
I nod, my eyes welling up with tears. He nods with me and I say, "We should go back in. I've missed you Dray."
"I've missed you too Ats."
"Do you think your past self would be proud of you?" I ask, as we stand up. We walk to the door, and I watch Draco take a huge breath. He says, "No. What about you?"
"I think she would be happy that all of my friends and family weren't dead yet."
"Why do you say yet?" Draco says, putting his hand on the doorframe. I take a deep breath and say, "Because this is the eye of the storm Draco. I think you made mother and father proud."
"I tried to."
"Lie." I say, rolling my shoulders back.
"What?" He says, turning his head to look at me.
"Lie to them. It works."