One Taste Was All It Took - Drarry

26

(Published: 4/24/17)

Harry's POV:

I woke with a start to the sound of screaming. Looking around, I realized I was still alone in the common room, and that the scream must have come from outside, in the corridor.
Jumping up, I checked to make sure I had my wand, then rushed towards the picture of the Fat Lady.
By the time I got out, into the corridor, whoever had screamed before was gone, and all was silent.
Wand still ahead of me, I began slowly creeping down the dark, empty corridor. As I walked, I was the only thing making a sound. Nothing else seemed to be alive, and for some reason, tonight, that made the castle see creepy and cold. Like some sort of haunted house, but this one was familiar. This one was home.
As I came to the great hall, and the entrance to the castle, I saw something move in the corner of my eye.
Turning around, I just barely saw someone tall, wearing dark robes that leaned into the night, disappear out to the grounds of the castle. I cautiously followed them, wand still tightly gripped in my hand.
Walking out into the cold night air, I didn't dare to light my wand, for fear of being found by whoever it was that was out here.
Once again, I listened carefully, but the only sound I could hear was the crunching of snow under my feet. Nothing else.
I clutched my school robes tighter around me, the coldness of the snowy winter night only just hitting me, as my adrenaline began to fade and my heart began to calm.
I couldn't see anything anywhere on the grounds, and was beginning to think that I'd simply imagined the whole thing.
That is, until another ear splitting scream sounded from a distance.
I rushed toward the sound as fast as my legs would carry me in the frigid weather conditions.
As I neared the lake, I saw tall, dark figures standing around it. One of them was standing above another, who was slumped on the icy ground, screaming and convulsing as though under the Cruciantus Curse.
Suddenly, the boy stopped convulsing on the ground, and lay there, panting. It was then, that I realized the boy's hair was as white as the snow around him.
Draco?
Had he been the one who'd screamed earlier? What was going on here?
As I stopped, not daring to go a step closer, Draco began screaming again, his body stiffened then shook. His screams were pure and utter agony, and from what I could make out, he was being tortured by a few known Death Eaters. One of which, happened to be his cousin, Bellatrix.
Hatred burned deep in my veins at the sight of the wretched woman. She deserved much worse than what she was doing to Draco...
But, wait. Why was she torturing Draco anyway? Weren't they on the same side, you know, with Voldemort? What had changed?
Before I could think too far into it, a firm hand gripped my shoulder and pushed me towards the group and into plain view of Draco and the Death Eaters.
Lucious Malfoy sneered down at me from where he'd just caught me. "Hello, Potter."