Para-Noir

Chapter 10

Draco walked toward the Malfoy Manor, his blue eyes seemed almost glazed as he stood there for a moment realizing the front door was broken. He took a deep breath and slid his wand out slowly; eyeing the darkness inside cautiously.

He step into the shadows that swallowed the home. There was no denying that it was an attack from an animal, with claw marks dragged across painting of the family and human nails marks pierced into the wooden floor.

"Dear Merlin, what in Salazar's name happened to my father?" Draco muttered to himself.

Tip toeing through shattered glass and destroyed furniture a sneer edged into the corners of his mouth he stormed the stairs with stealth and speed; the way a child would if they feared for a monster following them.

Reaching the upstairs he closed his eyes, hair sticking up on the back of his next when he heard a throaty growl come from his father's office door on his right.

He slightly nudged the door, tears welled in his eyes as laying with a large black hound towering over his mother with her neck locked into its jaw; her limp and lifeless, eyes a milky white.

He didn't dare breathe...

'You came here to grab a letter get the bloody letter and run like hell'

He stepped back away from the door not making a damned sound. This was no longer a simple letter to grab from his home; with was one screw up and he was dead.

He paced every foot step listening to hear if the beast moved from the office; for his luck so far showed it had not.

Reaching his parents bedroom and shutting the door with such silence; he would have never known he even shut it.

On the bedside table sat bills, and a black envelop in which he grabbed reading quietly to whom it was addressed to.

Tom Riddle

Draco shuddered and mutter a curse under his breath, shrinking the letter under his breath and stuffing it safely into his school robes.

Now he knew there was going to be more trouble getting out of the Manor and his heart sunk down into his stomache when the image of his mother awoke in his mind; if his father was good at battle to same fate could have been his.

He needed to ready and he looked around the room, magic was good, but what if this beast wasn't phased by curses; he remembered only one thing from Hagrid teaching Care of Magical Creatures and that was sometimes course's don't always work.

Tears welled into his eyes as he grabbed an letter opener and counted to blessing that sneaking out would be just as easy and sneaking in.

Letter opener in his left and wand in right he made his away down the hallway with shaky breaths and fear blurring his vision.

His breath way brought to a stand still when he crept past the office door and once again he glanced inside to see if the beast was still there; to his anxiety it was not.

He stair long and hard down the rest of the shadowed hallway and begged for his life now. The thing was hiding and very well knew Draco was here; it was playing him a fool making him walk into darkness and damming him.

Steps became lighter, grip on the weapons became tighter, the terror burning his veins as he took a step down the first stair and a loud snarl came from behind him.

He pivoted his body in slow motion, eyes letting a tear fall before he faced the beast. Standing on all fours, blood as red as a rose covering his yellow teeth and matting the fur around the creatures mouth, ears pointed back, and eyes brimming with a fire that he'd never seen in any sane eyes.

Draco stood frozen, grip still on his wand and the letter opener; nails digger into the palm of his hands.

Without a thought the creature charged at Draco, and unbeknownst to the young wizard he was coming with a speed. Draco bolted it down the stairs and raced only seconds ahead of the blood thirsty dog.

He glanced behind and saw the mere inches that was their distance from one another. The wizard thought he may escape and hope jolted through him, but luck wasn't on his side; slipping on shattered glass and falling onto the floor.

He went to climb up but a strong paw crushed him down to the wood. A loud howl of victory came from the beast.

Draco didn't have time, his wand had slid from his hand and was at the door frame of the only exist and the letter opener only seconds from the tip of his fingers.

He reached out to the small weapon and with a scream of rage grabbed the opener and plunged it into the shoulder on the beast. It roared in agony and stumbled off him with the opener still in his shoulder, Draco took the opportunity and races to his wand and out of the house.

Pulling out the port key Hermione had given him to get to and from the Manor; closing his eyes he vanished back to Hogwarts.