Draco Malfoy's Famous Last Words

DRACO'S P.O.V.

I ignore my mother's pleadings to stay for a cup of tea and go straight to the fireplace. I then use the Floo Network to go immediately to the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

When I arrive, the room is empty. I make myself comfortable in the plush, leather chair behind Snape's desk. I fiddle with a few of his trinkets. There is nothing of any great importance, just a cracked ring and roll of parchment.

"You shouldn't be messing with that stuff," a low voice warns me.

I look up to see the ragged, old Sorting hat staring at me from it's perch on a shelf.

"Draco Malfoy," it muses, "I never forget a head of hair. True Slytherin, through and through. Still in love with that Zabini girl?"

"What's it to you?" I spit harshly, not a bit interested in playing its games.

"Oh nothing, I just remember her as being quite prominent in your mind all those years ago. You know, I wanted to put her in Gryffindor, with her true brother."

The bloody hat has my attention now. I spare it another, hateful glance.

"Why would you do that?" I scoff.

"She's good at heart, Draco. Sure, she is cruel, cunning, clever, and extremely ambitious. However, she is very brave and noble too. She would have gone so far in Gryffindor. I always thought she and Fred Weasley would make a good match."

"Do you have a point to this?" I ask it disgustedly.

"Yes. You Slytherins and your impatience, calm down. The point is, she should have been in Gryffindor. I told her that. And do you know what she said back in her head? She said that she couldn't be in Gryffindor because then you would never love her, and all she wanted was to be in Slytherin with you."

My mouth hangs open agape, as if someone had slapped me right across the face. Evelyn had wanted to be in Slytherin for me?

"You better take good care of Evelyn, Draco Malfoy. You really don't deserve her," the hat warns me. "You just better hope she never figures that out."

"I'll keep that in mind," I sneer.

I hear the office door close, as Snape comes strolling in.

"You'll keep what in mind, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape's voice asks, intrigued.

"Nothing," I say, changing the subject quickly, "The Dark Lord sent me here."

"Oh really?" he replies, curiously raising one eyebrow, "Well once you get out of my chair, I would be delighted to hear our master's message."

I move out of Snape's chair, and he sits down in it, staring at me expectantly.

"He wants you to keep an eye out for Evelyn. Potter got her out of Azkaban and now we can't find her. The Dark Lord has an important mission for her," I inform him.

"And did he tell you of this mission?"

"Yeah," I snort sarcastically, "And then we gabbed about the lastest issue of Witch Weekly."

"Watch your tone, Mr. Malfoy," Snape states, clearly unamused.

"If Evelyn comes, I shall send her back to the Dark Lord," he vows, "Now it is best you leave. I am meeting with a few of my colleagues in a moments time."

"Okay," I agree. I walk over to the fireplace and step inside.

"Hey, Severus?" I ask him, quietly.

"Yes?"

"When, well if, you see Evelyn, can you tell her something for me?" I implore.

"Sure, Draco," he says, forgetting formalities.

Student, Professor relationship aside, Evelyn and I had always been close to Snape. He has been like a second father to me, and I can't help but hope that he won't cast aside my request.

"Tell her I love her, and I'm going to keep my promise, okay?"

"Of course," he says solemnly, bowing his head slightly.

"Thanks."

In a swirl of green flames, Snape is gone from my view.

---

Upon my return to Malfoy Manor, I am greeted by an enraged Bellatrix.

"Where have you been?" she yells, her scratchy alto echoing throughout the hallway.

"At Hogwarts, passing on a message from the Dark Lord to Severus."

"Right," her face noticeably softens at the mention of her master.

"What's going on?" I ask, scanning the entry hall.

Death Eaters are running around frantically, muttering curse words under their breath.

"Apparently, your little girlfriend is going to stay with her mother, Delilah. Now, we all know that Delilah Krawford was exiled from Pureblood society."

"So? What does it matter if Evelyn goes to see her mum? Wait! How did you even find this out? Where is she?"

"Silence, Draco!" Bella orders. I fall silent; she is livid.

"We have spies, they told us. We don't know where Delilah is hiding. All of that doesn't matter, though. If Evelyn associates with Delilah, there will be hell to pay. The Dark Lord exiled Delilah, and exiled Purebloods are lower than muggles."

My eyes grow wide with fear. I, too, begin to panic. "But he needs Evie. He can't do anything that horrible to her, can he?"

"He won't kill her, if that's what you mean," my aunt leans in closer to me and lowers her voice so that the surrounding Death Eaters cannot hear her in her tenderness. "But there are very painful, very dark magical spells that you haven't been trained to use yet. Some of them are worse than death itself. If Evelyn suffers through one of those, there's no telling what she'll be like when the torture is over."

"What do you mean, Aunt Bella?" I ask, my voice cracking from nerves.

"Dark spells change people, Draco. Remember that."