Keeping a Promise

Chapter 4

Draco

"Where have you been?" Snape questioned me as soon as I got back to Spinner's End. "The Dark Lord has had me looking for you almost all night long. He's calling a meeting and it was mandatory that you be there. You're lucky I had an excuse to keep you out of trouble."

"I'm sorry, Snape. Shall we go then?" I asked, not ready in the slightest to have a conversation with You-Know-Who.

He held out his hand to me. "She is safe correct?"

I nodded. "The safest she can be."

"You haven't been practicing your occlumacy," Snape commented after I had taken his wrist. "You don't know where she is, do you?"

I shook my head. "They left the place shortly after I said good bye. I made sure of it so He couldn't tell if I was lying whether or not I could block him out. I can actually tell him the truth."

"I take it the good bye was harder than you thought," he clasped my wrist even tighter.

I nodded. "Yeah, it definitely was, especially since she told me to do whatever it takes to stay alive."

"Then that's what you must do," Snape agreed. "The woman you loves wants you to stay alive. She cares about you, Draco. What's so wrong with that?"

I shook my head. "Do you think that He will understand if I told him that I can't go through with that marriage to Lila?"

"Why, yes, Draco. I believe that he will. He'll even arrange for you to marry that blood traitor, Flint," Snape said sarcastically. "If it means that you are going to stay alive, then you will marry that girl. You can always get it annulled after the war."

I took a deep breath in. "You're right. If I have got to marry Lila, then I will."

Without warning, I was squeezed through a tight tube and came out the other side on the front porch of my parents house. Sweat had started to prickle the back of my neck and my left wrist engulfed in pain. I looked over at Snape, who had already opened the door and went inside. This was it. I had to go in and face whatever was in store for me now.

Staying alive is the plan now.

I love you, Draco.

With her words running through my head, I was able to push myself through the front door and down to the dinning room. I tried to put a barrier up in my head so You-Know-Who couldn't get inside my mind. Like Snape had said, I hadn't practiced my occlumacy in a while, but I had to put up whatever defense up so he wouldn't suspect that I wasn't working with Snape.

"There he is," the Dark Lord sneered in my direction. "The man of the hour. According to Snape, you have finished your tutelage under him and are ready to return full time to me."

I nodded, noticing he paused to let me answer, "I am." I gulped roughly and looked around the table. My mum gave me a little smile. My dad couldn't even look at me. Aunt Bellatrix was beaming ear to ear at You-Know-Who. There was other members who were looking at me and then looking back at You-Know-Who waiting for the meeting to continue.

"You may sit," he said, motioning to the empty seat in front of me, "so fitting that you are sitting next to your future wife."

I looked over to my right and sure enough, Lila was sitting right there. It seemed like he had finally decided to let her come down to the meetings unless...Oh shit.

"Speaking of your future wife, we will now begin the planning of you two love birds' wedding," he smiled, shark-like, and chuckled a little. "I can't believe that it's coming so soon. The plan is coming together so swimmingly."

I opened my mouth to say something, but I quickly closed it. I wanted to lash out and say that I didn't want to marry Lila, that Courtney was alive, that I could never go through with a marriage while she was. But her words just kept running through my mind.

Promise me that you are going to go back so that we can be together again.

"Do you need to say something, Draco?"

Everyone then looked at me. I swallowed hard. I felt a presence trying to enter my mind, but I pushed it out. I know that He was trying to figure out what was on my mind, but I couldn't let him see. I didn't want him to see.

Staying alive is the new plan.

"No," I answered.

"Are you sure, Draco? It seemed like it was very important."

Everyone continued to look at me. I continued to block him out of my mind. There was no way he was getting in. There was no way I was marrying Lila. There was no way I wasn't going to listen to Courtney. I just couldn't.

Promise me.

"It's nothing, my Lord," I answered again, the pauses between his questions and my answers were getting seemingly longer.

"You know that you can say anything to me, Draco." He paused. "You don't have to keep any secrets from anyone in this room. We all understand you. We all accept you for who you are. So," he paused again. "Are you sure you don't want to say anything?"

Promise me.

"I-" I looked down from his glaring. "I don't have anything to say, my Lord."

"Just as well," He stood up and started to walk down the table towards me. "You don't have to tell me what you are thinking about, Draco. You don't even have to let me inside your mind. I know you, Draco Malfoy. You are thinking about her. Aren't you?" He paused behind Lila. "You are thinking about Courtney Flint. Draco," he said, touching Lila's shoulder causing her to jump, "she would want you to move on, be happy."

Staying alive is the new plan.

"She wouldn't want you to pine away after her. Besides, Lila is beautiful," he paused to chuckled, his hand moving to her neck. " Perhaps more beautiful than Courtney."

My fist clinched in my lap. I bit my tongue though. I couldn't let him get to me. I had to keep my promise to Courtney. I couldn't do anything that would jeopardize my life, which means that I must agree with everything that he is saying.

"I picked her just for you, Draco. I hope that you are not rejecting my gift," his hand moved from her neck and he turned her chair so she was facing me. "She is much better than Courtney because I chose her for you."

Promise me.

"If you continue to think about Courtney," he pushed Lila closer to me, "it will ruin you. This love for Courtney will be your downfall. So, Draco," he walked around and leaned over me, his lips inches from my ear. "You will marry Lila, or you will die."

Promise me!

"Yes, my Lord. You're right," I swallowed hard. "I need to move on. I need to focus on Lila now." I reached out and grabbed her hand as a gesture that I was accepting His terms. "Thank you, my Lord, for her, for this opportunity to move on from my past. I will not let Courtney be my downfall."

"Good," he removed his face from next to mine. "You will be married at this time next week. Narcissa will be in charge of the plans. All who are in the wedding party are dismissed. I will call you the next time I am in need of any of your presence."

I love you, Draco.