Princess Midnight and the Son of the Moon (Draco Malfoy fanfic){Completed}

Chapter 24

Draco's POV

Everything was worse. And yet it wasn't at all. Times were dark and we both knew it, but, and perhaps this was due to the naivety of our youth, we lacked fear for the things to come. We knew what we were doing could hurt many people that we cared for, but we couldn't think much of it. It was in the best interest of all three of us to simply do what was asked of me and stay on the dark lord's good side.

Snape had asked me to meet with him today. He said it was a student-professor meeting but of course that was not the case.

"Hello, Draco," his nasally voice greeted me as I entered his classroom.

"Hello, professor."

"The vanishing cabinet is nearly ready. You've done incredibly well getting it done so quickly. I have received word of your next task." His face masked his emotions, but his grave voice betrayed him.

"And what would that be?"

"Kill Dumbledore."

I froze. My breath caught in my throat. I knew the likelihood that, with Anastasia and I working on the cabinet, we would already be responsible for great loss. But killing someone myself? Looking into their eyes and killing them?

"This is your task to do on your own, boy, or the dark lord will make you regret it. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Now I could see why Snape's tone had been so gloomy.

"I am not exaggerating, Mr. Malfoy. There is no getting out of this which doesn't end in death for you."

"I understand, sir," I spat frustratedly. I knew the consequences. I knew the danger. I didn't need him rubbing salt in the wound.

"Good. You are to use the Killing Curse. You will do so while the others make their way into Hogwarts in only three weeks."

"Anything else you need to tell me?"

"No. Be on your way. I shall see you in class tomorrow."

I walked out of the room as quickly as I was able to. His classroom was usually my favorite. The smell of failed first year potions was what amortentia smelled like to me until I met Anastasia. But right now it felt stuffy and nauseating.

I stumbled down the hall and then sank with my back against the wall. I breathed in with a quivering lip and punched the ground.

I began to repeat things in my head to calm myself down. Anastasia had been teaching me ways to diffuse my anger. Anger was the immature version of emotions like sadness and frustration and stress so I just had to find the root of what was actually wrong and then I would be able to breathe again. Things will be okay. My baby will be born. My child will know its father. My girlfriend and I will run away and be married. We will have forever.

It was simple. The man was old enough, it wasn't like I was murdering a child. I just had to do this and maybe my tasks would be done. I had to hope.

I jumped as someone sat themselves next to me.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," it was Lucy. "Never seen you look so upset."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look it. And I wonder why that is." She reached out and grabbed my arm but I jerked it from her. "Something to hide?"

"My life is none of your business. Just leave me alone."

"C'mon, what are you hiding?" She tried to grab my arm again.

"Please just leave me alone!"

"Whoops. I'm not a Malfoy. I'm supposed to take the high road."

"Making digs isn't the high road."

"When you choose an evil wizard over a school of your peers then you deserve a few digs."

"I didn't choose an evil wizard. I chose my parents. Don't talk like you know anything about my life, bumble bee."

"Does Annie know?"

I sat for a moment. Was I supposed to tell the truth? I didn't want Lucy to be upset with her. "Not yet."

"And you think she'd just be perfectly fine with it if she knew?"

"Well, there's a reason I haven't told her, isn't there?" I snapped.

She flinched and then her face softened. "I'm sorry. I think Ron has rubbed off on me a bit. I didn't come over here to torment you. I came to see if you were okay."

"Not everything is going the way I wish it was."

"Obviously. But something is going the way you wish it was?"

I glanced at the ground and then up at the girl as a strand of dirty blonde hair fell in front of her face. She was much older than the girl I made fun of when we began at Hogwarts. She didn't talk quite so much either. I wondered if we were just all growing up or if an impending war was enough to give and take a few character traits.

"I love her, Lucy."

She took a deep breath and said, "I know. I wish you didn't make her happy, but you're all she thinks about. My death threat still stands."

We both gave each other a sad smile and sat there in silence for a bit.