Passed Around Dark Lords

53

After Tom's realization of his heritage, Draco was a lot warier and more cautious. He felt like it was necessary, partially because he now owed Tom more than he could logically repay. He was getting further and further entangled in Tom's web, and while he had known, in the back of his mind, that he would never escape the man's obsession, now it felt as if it was a final thing. Like it was a done deal. That alone made him nervous. Tom was a dangerous teenager, and Draco knew that he was going to go to the dark side of things rather quickly, which left him feeling sort of bereft. How was he supposed to deal with yet another dark individual?

The thing was...he was not really sure how this boy would become dark. He was not sure what he would become, but his mind was connecting dots, and Draco found that he did not really like the way said dots were connecting. Perhaps it was about time that his brain finally started realizing the puzzle pieces placed in front of him. Perhaps it was just his stress on other factors that had allowed him to shove these things away, and pretend they were something that they were not. After all, being displaced in time and space did something to someone, especially with the realization that you were not going to be able to get back. Still, now that he had seen Tom's freak out over not knowing his heritage entirely, Draco began to see the similarities.

It felt like something forbidden. Something he should not even dare to think about. He had to though, because his mind would not just let these things go, and the similarities began to pop up over and over again. He kept pushing it down, but it kept coming back up. Now, staring at him, watching those brown eyes flash red in anger, seeing just how cloying his magic got when he was furious, how it would stick to him and curl around him as if it were a snake suffocating him to eat him...watching the dangerous tilt of his lips, and the fire in his eyes. Draco could not help but be reminded of...of him.

"Draco," The Dark Lord's pale fingers beckoned him forwards. Draco shivered, but did as he was ordered, moving forwards and sitting in the seat assigned previously to his father, on the man's right hand side. He glanced towards his father, noticing the anger in his eyes, but the Dark Lord ordered his gaze away. Draco stared up into the red snake eyes. "You have proven your worth to me, my task will not be easy, but I know that you will manage. You have been, having difficulty have you not?"

"Of a sort My Lord," Draco admitted quietly, unable to look into his eyes much longer, dragging his gaze to the floor.

"Tell me what you have done, so far. I wish to test your mettle, you have had at least two months now. In a few more months it shall be the Winter Solstice. Half the school year over."

"I have a plan to get the Death Eaters into hogwarts, my Lord, I am just working on the finer details."

"Ah, and what plan is that?" The Dark Lord's magic slowly slithered through the room, his snake curling around Draco's lap, leaving the boy shivering uncontrollably, despite his impassive tone.

"The Vanishing Cabinet. I have Borgin keeping it safe in the back of Borgin and Burkes. The second cabinet is in Hogwarts. Though broken, if I can manage to fix it, it will provide seemless entry into Hogwarts, and with none knowing how. That means that you will, presuming I manage the fixing, be able to come and go through hogwarts seemlessly, despite the apparation barriers." Draco felt a hand descend on his shoulder, nails cutting into the robes protecting his delicate flesh.

"Yesssss," The words ended in a hiss, something reptilian. Draco fought back a phsyical shudder, unable and unwilling to even tremble with the Dark Lord's hand on him. It was a sign of weakness, his father always said to him, to shudder in the presence of another. It was a weakness that would be exploited. "Well done, Draco, I am quite impressssed." He looked towards Aunt Bella. "And Bellatrix, how is our little one doing with the Occlumency?"

"Surprisingly well, My Lord," His aunt said, words exicted and breathless at the full attention of her Lord.

Draco was pulled out of the memory by a sharp stinging feeling around his neck causing him to scream as it ran through his body jolting him up and hands coming up to grab at the collar around his throat. Abraxas was there again, pulling his arms down roughly and quickly. Draco swallowed his anger, knowing that it was done to protect him over anything else. He felt heavy, his breathing heavy. He glanced at the anxious browns of Tom. And then this happens, where he shows such...such emotions...emotions that the Dark Lord never had, never showed, and did not care for. Worry, anxiety, compassion. There are similarities, but are they so great that I would dare say they are the same and deny all of Tom's humanity?