Captivate (Drarry)

Chapter 1

The snatchers' grips were strong as they were pushed up to the iron gate. Harry tried to keep his face neutral as a witch stepped into view on the other side.

Bellatrix peered at him closely, her dark, beady eyes lingering on the swollen areas disfiguring his face. Harry almost felt a tinge of hope, but then the snatcher's grubby hand pushed his hair back from his forehead to show his scar.

Bellatrix's lips twisted into a smirk. "Get Draco," she commanded, likely to a house elf or some other servant nearby.

It was a blur after that, his heart pounding in fear as they were pushed and dragged into the cold, dark manor. He could here Hermione gasp in pain, likely from the man twisting her arm, and Ron pulled away from his captor instinctively to try to help her. But none of them could do anything but ineffectively squirm in their bonds.

Holding him tight against her body, Bellatrix presented Harry like a prize before her nephew. "Well....?"

Through slitted eyes, Harry held his breath and tried to calm his breathing. Draco stood before him, looking over his face slowly with impassive grey eyes. His skin seemed even paler than usual. He was in the black suit he had worn on the Hogwarts train last year.

This was it. The moment Draco could finally stop their... rivalry, if that's what you would call it. A few words, and Draco could have payback for all the trouble Harry had gotten him into. Being turned into a ferret by Mad Eye Moody, besting him at Quidditch. The horrible spell in that bathroom fight that had almost killed him.

"I can't be sure," Draco said finally.

Harry had to school his face from appearing shocked. Bellatrix was still holding him close, so he concentrated hard to keep his body loose. But inside he was confused. Why? Why?? Why was Draco lying? To his own family? It made no sense.

Lucius clasped the back of Draco's neck with a large paternal hand, looming over his shoulder to peer at his only offspring. "Draco, look closely, son," he implored. "If we are the ones to hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiven. All would be as it was, you understand?"

The head snatcher stepped forward, objecting to those comments. Claiming his credit for capturing Harry.

Draco's mother settled her husband down, and his aunt urged Draco to look at Harry again. "Don't be shy sweetie," she cajoled with a surprisingly soft voice. "Come over. Now, if this isn't who we think it is, Draco, and we call him, he'll kill us all. We need to be absolutely sure."

"What is wrong with his face?" Draco said, staring at Harry far too closely.

Harry's heart continued to thump. He was sure he saw a flicker of recognition in Draco's eyes when he had first seen Harry. Why all this prevarication? Was the stinging jinx Hermione had done so strong? He could hardly open one eye and most of his face felt stiff and puffy.

Bellatrix and the others continued to bicker on, but Harry could only watch Draco. His worst enemy from school had him in the palm of his hand, and could crush him at any moment.

Suddenly there was a flurry of motion. Harry realized that Bellatrix was attacking the snatchers for some reason. It was over in a flash, with her ordering Wormtail to put the boys in the cellar.

"I want to have a little conversation with this one, girl to girl," she barked, her hand latching on to Hermione's arm.

...

Harry shuddered at the screams and gasps of pain coming from upstairs. Ron looked a bit crazed. Despite this, they soon had the other people in the cellar apparated away with Dobby's assistance.