Fire and Ice

Lucius' Mission

It was dark.

Draco tossed and turned between his emerald satin sheets, craving the comforting heat of another body to hold. Her body.

Staring blankly at the stone ceiling above his head, Draco sighed, as he contemplated over the past few days: he and Ginny had both agreed not to talk until the final Duelling Day, so as to keep distractions low and concentration high during the first Duelling matches. Of course, Draco had floored every opponent that he was given, securing a place in the final without breaking a sweat.

Shuddering slightly as he remembered Ginny's final duel and her body spinning through the air at the hand of a skilled Ravenclaw, Draco recalled his sense of relief when she rose from the ground after being renevated, laughing.

Their plan was working seamlessly: Ginny was to be removed from the Duelling Matches before the finale, and Potter was to remain.

And tomorrow, it's me against Potter. Or should I say, me against the Dark Lord.

Suddenly, Draco's fireplace erupted in flames, causing him to jerk upright and have his wand at the ready. He exhaled shakily at the sight of his father's head in the flames.

"Father," Draco said curtly, slowly placing his wand under his sheets.

"My my, Draco, I am proud of you."

"What?"

Lucius' head almost lazily turned to face his son. "Your mission is going exceedingly well. You and Potter are the two finalists, just as the Dark Lord had ordered. Tomorrow, you will fight Potter, make him weak, disarm him, rebder him unconscious. Then, the Dark Lord will arrive and finish him off."

Draco gaped for a moment, before quickly reclaiming his indifferent expression. "Why can't Vol- the Dark Lord simply kill Potter himself?"

"You dare question the Dark Lord?!" Lucius hissed. Only Draco could see the spasm of fear that shot across his father's face.

"I'm curious, is all," Draco replied shortly, not imtidated by his father's poorly-concealed rage.

"The Dark Lord has chosen you, and it is a great honour to have been chosen, I am so honoured that my son is going to aid in the Dark Lord's rise to ultimate power, yet you sit here questioning-"

"Why me, father?" Draco said, daring Lucius to admit that Draco had Slytherin's powers.

Never in his life has Draco interrupted his father. Lucius froze, before replying shortly.

"Because I am the Dark Lord's most loyal, and you are my son. It is a favour to me. That is why."

Lucius' transparent lies floated between the father and son, only to vanish when Drack shook his head slowly.

"You need to rest, Draco. Tomorrow is a big day, and you will be ready."

Lucius' head vanished.

The last thought that ran through Draco's mind before he went to sleep was that, again, Lucius neglected to inform Draco of his mother's well-being.