Draco's Reason

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Draco slipped through the large double doors and made his way towards his common room. He snuck past prefects and teachers as they patrolled the halls of the castle. The events of the year had gotten worse. On his way to the common room, Draco passed a new message on the castle wall.

"Her skeleton will rot in the chamber forever. Huh? Someone has been taken into the chamber?" Draco whispered to himself. "That's probably why Father is coming tonight. He's hoping to see if his plan worked. I hope-"

Draco was cut off abruptly as he ran into Harry, Ron, and Professor Lockhart. He took a step backwards and schooled his face into a sneer.

Lockhart looked down and smiled brightly at him. "Now where would you be going at this time of day?"

"It wouldn't matter to you either way. Now would it?" Draco stepped around the three with a huff and tried to ignore the dirty looks that Harry and Ron shot his way. He continued down the hall in a haughty manner. When he turned the corner he pressed his back against the wall lightly and took a deep breath. Draco regained his bearings and checked the time by looking at the moon. He still had a few hours to clear the common room and set a silencing charm.

He picked up his pace as he made his way to the common room. There were a few fifth and sixth years sitting in the common room, playing a game of exploding snaps. Draco cleared his throat loudly and told them- as rudely as possible- to stay out of the room and in their dorms because he had to practice his 'spells'. They picked up their game and left the room, complaining about privileged second years.

He sighed and pulled out his wand. He set a silencing spell and a last resort warning spell around the room. Now he just had to wait. He sat down on the sofa near the fire and closed his eyes.

He woke up to the roar of the fire as green flames licked at his face and a tall, thin shadow stepped out. Draco stood quickly and addressed the shadow formally. "Father."

Lucius stood silently looking around the room. "At least you can follow some orders I give you." He looked at his son and sneered in disgust. "But that seems to be the only thing you're good for."

"Yes, Father."

"Now, tell me what you have been doing to speed up the process of the Dark Lord's return?" Draco looked away from Lucius. "Or maybe you haven't been doing anything?"

Draco opened his mouth to defend himself when a hand found itself on the side of his head. His head snapped to the side and he clenched his teeth against the pain.

"You have been ungrateful to the choices that you're mother and I have been giving you. You haven't repaid us in the slightest for keeping those swine at our home. Now, I told you to watch the events at Hogwarts and report what happened to me. If you had listened to those I wouldn't be here right now. I have no choice but to punish you. What shall it be? What will worm its way into that thick skull of yours?"

Draco shied away from Lucius and glanced at the cane sitting in his hand. Lucius noticed the glance and looked down at his cane. He picked it up slowly and watched his son's eyes follow the movement.

"Ah. A nice caning should do it." Draco let a small whimper escape his throat and instantly regretted it. Lucius grabbed the boy by his hair and slammed him against the fireplace. "Twenty should do it. Count nice and loud or we restart." Draco nodded and placed his hands on the wall in front of him.

The cane landed on his lower back first. "One," Draco said. This continued for four more strokes on his lower back. "Five." Lucius switched to hitting his upper back. "Seven." A swift hit to his softer side. "E-eight." Two more to his left side. "Ten." Four to his right side. "Fourteen." A shrill noise stopped the cane before Lucius could strike the boy any more.