❛ the antidote ❜ | draco malfoy

TWENTY-SIX

"I'll seek you out, flay you alive. One more word and you won't survive, and I'm not scared of your stolen power. I see right through you any hour."

***

    GEMMA AND THORFINN ROWLE loved their daughter. They did not, however, love the small piece of caring for humanity that was withheld deep inside their daughter.

    Alice Rowle never liked to hurt people physically or emotionally, growing up. She would kill a spider, insects she detested, but other than that, the girl felt bad when her mother was upset with her.

    "I'm sorry, mummy," Alice would cry to her mother as Gemma furrowed her brows.

    "What are you sorry for, Alice?"

   "You're mad at me. I'm sorry."

    The Rowle's daughter had always been one for making sure others were okay, depending on the person anyhow. So as they raised their daughter with the Malfoy's son, they hoped that their heir would give some of his harshness to their daughter, hoping she would understand the reality of humanity.

    Draco Malfoy never instilled his harsh behavior onto Alice, though. He knew she was too pure to teach her how to be mean, even if he knew what she had become, growing up.

    "I don't know what we're to do," Gemma sighed as she sat with her husband, Narcissa and Lucius. "Maybe we should go home."

    "Hun, you know I can't, Lucius and I are to work on paperwork for the Dark Lord."

    Gemma shook her head, "Maybe she's grown too close to Draco, become too loving-"

    Narcissa furrowed her eyebrows, "She's in love, Gemma, she blinded by her love for our boy. That's not to say it blinds her tasks."

    Lucius agreed with his wife, as she continued, "We've always know Alice to be a very nice girl, but I believe there is a part deep inside her that is dark. That dark side has just been blinded by light is all."

    Thorfinn knew his daughter was too good for the world, and he loved that she cared, but it also aggravated him on occasion. Occasions where someone was to get hurt, but she would be too pained to bear witness.

    "The Dark Lord favors her, Gemma." Thorfinn exhaled a large breath he had been holding, "He obviously has faith in the girl."

    Gemma looked at her husband, she didn't know what to do. "We could punish her?"

    "Yeah? Do what? Banish her from seeing Draco?" Thorfinn laughed, sipping his tea. "Love, we can't be that barbaric. She'll just rebel, and have hatred for us, no one else."

    Narcissa nodded her head in agreement, "Face it Gemma, there's nothing to do. She'll grow, she has grown greatly over the past year, for your sake let's hope the light in her goes away as you wish."

-

    Alice lay on her bed, not wanting to move due to her injuries from the previous night.

    Although, she was in pain, she was slightly thankful she couldn't move, this way she didn't have to go face her family and the Malfoy's for dinner. A house elf had thankfully brought up her food, much to Alice's happiness.

    Finishing her food, Alice stared at the ceiling, enchanted by the night sky from last Christmas when Draco had changed it for her.

Alice's birthday, which her family and the Malfoy's discreetly celebrated on the third of August, still upset her. She was seventeen, but still felt like the same naive girl, people sought her out to be. It also marked one year since she had become a Death Eater, much to her dismay.

    Shaking her head from the thought of aging, she began to remember what had happened yesterday. What had Bellatrix even written into Hermione's arm? She thought.

A knock on the door brought Alice back to reality, as she muttered a 'come in.'

Thorfinn Rowle walked in, much to Alice's surprise, standing beside his daughter as she lay on her bed.

"How are you feeling?" He stood with his arms crossed, making Alice know he was going to be serious for however long he was to stay.

"I'd be much better if I didn't have to go through what I did yesterday." She snapped.

Inhaling a large breath, Thorfinn stared down at his daughter, "Don't talk down to me, Alice. You're mother and I are very disappointed in your actions."

Alice wanted to roll her eyes, but she kept them glued to the green fire in front of her bed.

"I know you didn't want to see that girl get hurt, but this is your life now, Alice. You are a Death Eater and you're going to be witnessing pain for as long as you live. Stop acting like a fool before you get us all killed because of your tomfoolery."

Thorfinn hadn't conversed with his daughter in such a foul way, for a long time, but he knew that if he wasn't serious with her, she would just keep acting pathetic when witnessing others being injured.

"Am I clear?" Thorfinn stared at his daughter as she ignored his eyes, muttering under her breath. "I said, am I clear? Alice Esme Rowle, you look at me."

Finally staring back at her blonde haired dad, she nodded, grinding her teeth. "I understand, father."

"Good." Leaving the room, Thorfinn Rowle sighed as he went back to his bedroom.