Before Pansy

Chapter Three: Meeting? What Meeting?

I sit in the Slytherin Common Room, Crabbe and Goyle seem to be doing their usual, sit and look menacing kind of thing.

"Malfoy" I whip my head around quickly to see Professor Snape standing with his hand folded. I get to my feet immediately and say.

"Yes Professor?"

"You have a meeting to attend do you not?"

"Professor?"

"Yes Draco?"

"What meeting and what is the meeting about?"

"That is not for me to say. Go boy. Go!" I scramble to the door, and walk down the corridor, climb the stairs and continue down one of the following corridors. I have no idea where the meeting is, I do not know what it is, I didn't even know I were to be going to one either! So I decide to head for the main hall. I turn a corner as sweat beads begins to form upon my brow. A hand pulls me to the side. Alas I cannot see who's it is for it were covered with a black glove. The other clamps down over my mouth and pulls me out of sight. What seems to be a black bag is thrown over my head and I am blind to the location. I hear the breathing of my own and another's. Mine is rapid and a little inconsistent, I can hear the snapping of twigs and the closing of the big doors behind us, and I know that we are outside, possibly heading for the forbidden forest. This meeting certainly has not turned out to be what I expected! Soon enough we come to a stop and the black material covering my face is removed to reveal a lady with a familiar face, and long black hair, dead straight with a single blonde strand.

"Mother?" I say, slightly taken a back. "What are you doing here? Why did you-?"

"Draco, you must listen, you have to listen carefully" her eyes are dark and serious.

"Mother? What is it?" I am beginning to panic; Mother has never looked so stressed before.

"He is growing in power, he is getting stronger, he is asking questions, lots of questions so many question"

"Who Mother?"

"The Dark Lord son, he who must not be named"

"But I thought you were not as deep within his council anymore?"

"You were wrong Draco, I was wrong, how wrong we were."

"Mother?"

"Yes son?'

"What type of questions has he been asking?"

"Questions about, about, well, so many about-"

"Me"

"Yes, yes. Draco, you need to stay here for the Christmas break, you must go to Hogsmede and stay there, it is not safe for you to come home yet. He wants to make you one of us"

"But what if I want him to make me one of you"

"Draco-"

"Mother, I am not a child any more, I know what I want to do, and I will do it!"

"But Draco-"

"No Mother"

"Draco listen to me"

"Fine"

"Once you are, marked, there is no going back, the only other option is-"

"Death"

"Yes. You will not be of age to become one of us for two years yet, so you will have to wait. However, in the meantime training will be during your holidays and all free time. You will learn to become, invincible, a protector, loyal, ruthless, and yet you will have to remain under cover here. Severus will watch over you when the time is right"

"Snape? Why Snape?"

"Because I said so"

"Mother-"

"Draco, if you want to go through with this, then Severus will keep an eye an you, do you understand?"

"So am I coming home for Christmas?"

"Do you understand?"

"Yes Mother, so am I coming home for Christmas?"

"No-"

"Mother!"

"I will inform Dumbledore that you are staying in Hogsmede this Christmas, you may return home in the Summer-"

"Why the summer? Surely I am to start Now?"

"Nope, not until the summer, Draco, be patient, now go, go back!"

"Mother, Mother I don't understand why I must stay here!"

"You will learn too!" And with that she swirled her cape above her head and was soaring through the air in the rather dramatic exit of a death eater.

Even though I know that no one can hear me, and although I know it is pointless to say it, I say it anyway. "I still don't understand."

The short walk back to the castle is both long and haunting. My thoughts are the only thing to walk me back to the entrance of the castle, so I have no choice but to listen to them. Death eater, me to become a death eater. Its done, well almost done, the deal is almost sealed. Its almost sealed. I am afraid of what is going to happen, why did I disobey my mother's first wish. No going back now. This must stay a secret. Like Hermione. Hermione. Her eyes. Hermione. I open the doors to the school and step inside, it is much warmer than it is outside, odd for a summer's evening. The lock upon the door clangs and I keep true down the lantern lit corridor. My head is held high as usual, on the outside I appear to be, well my usual self, yet on the inside I am afraid yet excited, and I can let no one know of these, feelings. As I around a corner I hear shouting, I sneak into the gap in the wall and listen.

"Ron! Why do you never listen to me?"

"I do Hermione, I really do!"

"Why did you do this then?"

"I didn't mean to spill it all over your essay, I am sorry!"

"Ron, this is permanent ink! It has to be handed in tomorrow!"

"Hermione-"

"Save it"

"Hermione, I, was only joking around"

"I know"

"I am sorry"

"Ron you are impossible!"

"I know"

"Ron?"

"Yes?"

"It's okay, I have a spare, but don't think that this means that I am still not mad at you?"

"But you are less mad?"

"Yes, Ron"

"Friends?"

"Friends."

At this particular moment I thought it was best to walk out and say under my breath if course "nerd", why I don't know, to anger the Weasley of course, to upset Hermione, not so much. I take one glance at her anger ridden face and notice that both her and the ginger have ink splattered over their faces. I am guessing that Potter boy does also. Though he is nowhere to be seen. Stupid Potter, always sneaking around, not even there for his 'sister' like friend. That is typical Potter. Never there when he is needed, not that they needed him, no one ever needs Potter, but is always around when he is not wanted. That is the word. Wanted. Potter is not wanted. As I retrace my steps back to the Slytherin common room, I hear Weasley say "Ignorant little sod, ignore him Hermione, he isn't worth it"

"I know Ron, I know."

Her words probably hurt me than his, Hermione agreeing with him about me being-, hold on, I am a pureblood, unlike he is, well at least I have purer blood than he, you'll see, I will get my revenge, you will see.