Mission Impossible

The Mission

The day he took over the manor Draco and I were arguing. Despite the childishness of the argument I still remember what we were going on about. Summer had become unbearable-even with magic- and so Draco and I were floating a hundred or so feet from the ground debating the usefulness of the levitation spell on a body when a house elf came calling.

"Master and Miss are wanted in the study!" His little elf had never been so shaken, but at the time I'd chalked it up to a beating.

Draco was slow to descend. He'd always been content to slow about in a show of superiority, yet today Mink would have none of it. The poor thing scurried along beside us rushing until Draco threatened to plant a boot in his head.

That shut him up.

Despite the heavy heat outside the manor was cold. My charmed summer shorts now seemed unnecessary as we wandered through the long darkened halls of the manor.

I only realized that someone shut the curtains once it was too late.

The door to Lucius Malfoy's study was cracked open a mite, pulsing with an unsettling energy.

Draco knocked, flinching when the door swung open. Oak that heavy didn't just swing. He stepped in first and for a while all I saw was his desperate attempt not to back pedal.

Braver, I stepped around him -glance averted- and curtsied. Draco fell into step with me both of us speaking with a well rehearsed, "pleasure."

"Rise," his voice slithered over my skin like slugs, but I did as ordered. If I knew what I know now I'd have rode away on that broom without looking back.

There sitting in Lucius' chair was the Dark Lord. His skin was pale as ever, dark eyes glowing eerily, "it has come to my attention that your fathers are...incapable of taking care of a few of your classmates." Mr. Malfoy gulped, grey eyes pointed adamantly downwards. He was practically kneeling! "Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger," he paused, waiting for a reaction no doubt, "I assume you know of them?"

"Yes, my Lord." I was the first to speak. Draco remained quiet, Adam's apple bobbing incessantly. I nudged him.

"Yes, my Lord."

"He speaks." He laughed at his own joke before sobering once more, "you'll be taking care of them for me." He said it nonchalantly, like that mud-blood Granger couldn't rid the world of my presence in moments. This was a death wish, a suicide mission! It was punishment for their failures, punishment I would have nothing to do with.

"My Lord," I bowed again as I approached. For this to work I had to appear as docile as possible, "I am honored to be chosen by you, but I cannot accept this honor." He sneered, bloody eyes planted firmly on my face. Any minute now I'd feel him crawling through my mind, so I forced images of my demise to the forefront of my mind -all poorly disguising an image of me standing above Weasley's weeping form as my father suffered the humiliation of having been one upped by his 'brainless' daughter. "I'm far too weak to take either of those headstrong muggles on." I admitted, "there must be another way. A way to crush their spirits and then their bodies."

He leaned forward in the chair causing both Malfoys to flinch, "do you believe me to be swayed by your feminine wiles?" He placed his fingers beneath my chin, forcing my head up. My stomach was doing nauseated summersaults and my skin was coated in ice.

"No," and then when he raised what might have been an eyebrow I added, "my Lord." It went down, "I'm merely trying to act in a way that is more likely to carry out your will." There it went. That slimy, sticky, frozen presence burning deep within the recesses of my mind- had finally come. He poked around before retreating. He'd found nothing beyond what I'd given.

It wasn't until I considered if my lipgloss needed reapplying that he decided he was done with me.

"A fresh coat might be wise," he gave me a moment, making a grand gesture that implied he was at his leisure. I could see the cogs turning in his mind. Pieces were falling into place, "after all you may need it." He grinned at the confusion on both our faces.

"You'll need it because you two are to woo Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger, and if you don't bring them back to the manor for Christmas break," he paused as he waved his wand. My father and brother appeared in the study as well, cowering instantly against the wall.

"Y-yes, my Lord."

"If you don't return with Potter's pets," another wave and both brother and Mr. Malfoy were chained and shackled by my neck, arms, and feet, "say bye bye to their heads." I was ready to nod, I'd agree to anything to get away at this point. Yet, his wand was still in his hand, dangling jovially between his fingers. He zigzagged the tip, moving as if performing for children, "avada kedavra." My father hid the hard wood of the study like a bag of potatoes.

"You may go." Draco and I hightailed it out of there barely coherent enough to bow before slamming the door behind us.