Heartbeat in the Darkness: Dramione Fanfic

Part 1: Silver

Draco's Pov

I am alone. Unloved. Uncared for. Lost. But this is nothing new.  My heart cold as the dead roses in the garden. My bedroom is lavishly adorned with the green silk bedding, marble fireplace and elegantly carved ebony furniture. Despite its grandeur, the room is uninviting, cold and impersonal. The only thing in the room that's mine is the ornately carved ash wand with dragon heartstrings. The room is nothing more than my prison in the summer months. I stay at Hogwarts whenever possible but in the dreaded two months of hot weather, there's no escape from the manor or my father. 

I was raised brainwashed, believing that pure-blood wizards were the only wizards worth being. That muggles and mudbloods were dirt, that blood traitors were only a cut above them and that half-bloods should be ashamed of their parentage. I was raised in a black and white world where good was bad and bad was good. I was taught to be cruel, to punish, to hurt, all for the bettering of our peaceful pure-blood society. 

When I was eleven I received a letter from Hogwarts letting me know that I had been accepted into the school. I was exhilarated but when I ran down the marble staircase to my father's office and gave him the letter written in green ink, his face grew stormy. 

"How dare you! You were meant to attend Durmstrang!" He thundered, his voice colder than rain after winter. "But no matter now. Listen to me, if you don't get into Slytherin, you are as good as dead. I want you to befriend Harry Potter, make him trust you and if not make his life hell." He placed the letter on his mahogany desk and ran a hand through his white blonde beard. My eyes trained on the floor I left his office, understanding I had been dismissed. 

So I became the enemy of Harry Potter and all his friends. I had tried to befriend him like my father had asked but he seemed very cold to me. I tried again on the train but he was sitting with Weasley and I couldn't look past that. Two of my father's friends had sons my age and my father instructed me to take them on as cronies. I hated them, they were dumb and naive. But I couldn't anger my father. When it was time for sorting I swaggered up to the stool, but on the inside, I was terrified. So In my head, I thought 'Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin.' over and over and the sorting hat said the word that was running through my mind just as the cloth landed on my head. I was safe. 

Wealthy pure-blooded Slytherin families religiously beat their children. My best friend Blaise regularly came to hide at my manor because his father had left his mind broken by the cruciatus curse. My father prefers a whip to curses as they leave deeper scars. Griffendoor may be known for their bravery but Slytherins walking with their heads held high as blood drips from their backs are braver by far. 

The manor's silent these days. With Mother dead and Father in prison. I would feel lonely but I've always been lonely so there isn't much of a change. My trunk is half packed only missing the necessary books and equipment from Diagon Alley. I pull on some muggle clothes and walk down the sweeping marble staircase to the first floor. The grand hall is over 30ft tall and is lined with past Malfoys. For instance my great grandfather Septimus Malfoy; known for being a highly influential political figure, or Lucius Malfoy the first; known for trying to win over Queen Elizabeth the first and lastly My father Lucius Malfoy. He stares down at me and mutters under his breath.

"Such a disappointment." I turn away annoyed and speak into the empty room.

"Peaches." A small female house elf appeared before me, she has pale grey skin and bright blue eyes, instead of cloths, she is wearing a pillowcase.

"What does Master Draco require?" She asks in a high squeaky voice.

"Would you bring all the house elves here, please?" I ask looking back at my father's portrait. He narrows his eyes watching me. I hear popping sounds behind me and turn. Eight elves have appeared before me looking nervous. I call Peaches forward and whisper a command in her ear. She disapparates a reappears a moment later carrying a stack of shirts. I take the stack from her and thank her with a nod.

"Since I am going off to Hogwarts tomorrow and there will be no one in the manor for several months I have decided to set you free."

"What is master doing?" Replies Peaches but the other elves break out into applause and tears. I hand each elf one of my own shirts and they say each say thank you over and over again. I reach Peaches and try to hand her a shirt but she refuses to take it. Bloky standing beside her elbows her and mutters. "You is being rude to master." But she just shakes her head. The other elves disapparate leaving only Peaches.

"Do you not want to be free?" I ask her.

"Peaches does not want to see master punished." She quivers and my father's portrait behind me chuckles.

"I'll be fine peaches, I command you to take this shirt." At the word command, she stretches out her small skinny arm and I place the grey shirt in her trembling hand. She disapparates with one final look of sadness in her eyes. My father's portrait laughs harder. I turn back to him.

"What do you want?" He doesn't respond only turns to Septimus beside him and they both start laughing. I walk out the manor door and through the gate before disapparating to Diagon Alley.