Hearts for the Heartless

The room was quiet as we waited for the last two people to show up, I don’t really know where Snape headed off to. But we sat here waiting at the Malfoy Manor for Severus Snape and Yaxley. The only light that was in the room was a roaring fire underneath the beautiful marble masterpiece. All the furniture in the room had been pushed against the wall for the meeting.

Two sets of footsteps were heard and my eyes snapped to the entrance, Yaxley and Snape walked into the room and lingerede for a moment before taking a seat.
Draco was looking at the figure dangling above us, as if suspended by an invisible rope, revolving slowly. I squeezed Draco’s hand in an attempt to make him look away, but his eyes wouldn’t budge. His face was pale, he wasn’t use to seeing someone like this. But since I was around this a little longer than he was, I’ve seen more - and I am not proud of it.

Draco looked away for a moment, his pale eyes meeting my own. The look in his eyes changed from fear to love in an instant and I had to prevent myself from smiling at him.

“Yaxley. Snape,” The Dark Lords voice broke the silence in the room, “You are very nearly late.”

I glanced at Voldemort who was seated in front of the fireplace, his silhouette was the only clearly visible thing. Voldemort then instructed them where to sit. Severus sat next to the Dark Lord himself while Yaxley sat beside Dolohov.

I was seated to Draco’s right, while his mother sat to his left, and Lucius to her left. To my right was my father who sat nervously and fidgeted in his seat every so often.

“So?” Voldemorts high, clear voice spoke.

“My Lord,” Severus started, “the Order of the Phoenix intends on moving Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall.”

Everyone’s interested perked up at this, some people shifted, others fidgeted, and the rest stiffened.

I stiffened in my seat as well as Draco, beside me, my father shifted.

Voldemort communicated with Severus for a little bit before Yaxley spoke to him.

After this I tuned out of their conversation, Severus warned me during school that I will be part of this. I will have to go after one of my friends and attempt to harm him and kill whoever he is with. I gulped and tightened my grip on Draco’s hand (which I was holding under the table). I felt sweat accumlicate on my forehead and I was brought back into the conversation when I heard Lucius speak.

“My Lord?” his voice was hoarse and weak when he spoke, Draco tightened his grip on my hand.

“Your wand Lucius. I require your wand.”

“I…” Lucius glanced at Narcissa, she was almost as pale as Draco. She grabbed Lucius wrist and Lucius grasped his wand from beneath h is robes.

They began to discus what the wand was made up of, Lucius sounding more and more nervous each second. When the Dark Lord took our his wand to ‘compare lengths’ Lucius seemed to reach forward for his wand involuntary and then pulled his arm back.

I cringed knowing he had made a terrible mistake of doing so.

“Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand?”

Some people around the table sniggered but I remained quiet, squeezing Draco’s hand for some sort of comfort. I looked at Draco to see his face was even more pale than before, this caused me to frown with worry. I don’t know why my reaction wasn’t like most peoples in the presence of the Dark Lord himself, but what I do know is that I don’t fear him like I should.

The only thing I fear the Dark Lord will do is kill those whom I love, my friends, and my father. If the Dark Lord killed me I don’t think I would be afraid. I would do my best to smile at the face of death and welcome it with open arms. No, I do not wish to die. But if my time to die has come than I can do nothing to stop it.

“…What is it about my presence in your home that displeases you, Lucius?” The Dark Lord asked, his words harsh and sharp.

“Nothing— nothing my Lord!” Lucius stuttered out and I cringed again. His was not helping himself today at all.

“Such lies Lucius…” The Dark Lord hissed.

After this a hissing noise was heard and I jumped slightly seeing Nagini slithering across the floor, hissing. The huge snake twirled itself up the Dark Lord chair and then proceeded to slither on his shoulders. I shuddered when Voldemorts long, sick fingers began to pet the snake.

“Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not everything they professed to desire for so many years?” The Dark Lord spoke, looking at Lucius.

Lucius spoke again but I turned him out, his lips moved uncertainly and the Dark Lord looked at him, his red eyes shining with a sadistic amusement as Lucius stuttered out his answer.

Bellatrix began to speak, gushing about how it was an honor to have him in the house. Draco grasped my hand tighter when Voldemort began to speak of Nymphadora Tonks. Everyone laughed as he made joke about it and the three Malfoys, plus Bellatrix, sat embarrassed and shameful.

“Enough,” Voldemort called as he pet the hissing snake, “Enough.”

“Many of our families tree’s have become a little diseased over time,” Voldemort spoke, “You must prune yours must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest? Just like the Nethers’ did.”

My body tensed and went rigid.

“Yes my Lord,” My father spoke, his voice shaking slightly.

“Why so quiet young Alexandria?” Voldemort asked, his red eyes drifting over to me.

I looked at him, keeping my voice strong as possible and making sure it didn’t shake, “I’m sorry my Lord. I didn’t realize you wanted me to speak.”

“I didn’t ask for you until this moment,” He stated, “But you have stayed unusually quiet.”

“My apologies my Lord,” I said, my pale blue eyes connecting with the fierce red ones. I cringed slightly when my dark mark began to burn and I looked away.

Voldemort raised Lucius’ wand towards the figure revolving around Draco’s and my head, his flicked his wand and the figure groaned and then suddenly began to struggle against the invisible bonds.

“Do you recognize our guest Severus?” Voldemort asked Snape and Snape looked up, looking at the face.

The woman looked at Snape and cried for help, “Severus! Help me!”

I cringed.

“Ah yes,” Snape spoke.

“And you Draco? Alexandria?” Voldemort asked us and the body slowly turned so her face was looking at us.

Draco shook his head jerkily, not being able to look at her. I did the opposite and gazed at the woman, my insides were screaming with fear, pain and remorse but I refused to show any sort of fear in front of him.

“Yes my Lord. She was a teacher at Hogwarts who taught Muggle studies… and how they are not so different from us.”

“How would you know this?” Alecto called at me, “My Lord, why would she know this? Unless she is a blood traitor!”

Voldemort looked at me and I spoke again with confidence.

“I was given the task to befriend Harry Potter, was I not? And as you recall one of his good friends is a muggle who took this class. She explained it to me.”

Alecto glared at me and silenced herself.

One of the Death eaters spat on the floor and the woman shook with fear, “Severus… please…. Please.”

“Silence!” Voldemort ordered and the woman stopped talking, and made noises as if she were being gagged.

Voldemort then spoke of how she was corrupting wizards minds with such thoughts of how muggles and wizards are equals.

Voldemort flicked Lucius’ wand and she turned to face Snape, tears where pouring from her eyes as she looked at him, silently pleading for help.

“Avada Kedavra.”

The flash of green light illuminated every corner of the room and the teacher fell with resound crash onto the table in front of me. The table trembled and several of the death eaters leapt back in their chairs, I was one of them. Draco realeased my hand and flew out of his chair onto the floor. Fear swimming in his eyes.

Voldemort pet his snake and spoke again, “Dinner Nagini.”

The snake slithered off his shoulders and over to the dead body. I watched in horror as the snake slowly began to devour the body, my face contorting into one of disgust.

Voldemort dismissed us and I ran out of the room and straight to the nearest bathroom where I emptied out the contents of my stomach.

Death was one sight I cannot stand to see, death made me sick to my stomach.

There was a soft knock at the door, “One minute.”

My voice sounded as if I had been sick for weeks, I lifted myself up from the bathroom floor and walked over to the sink. My face was paler than before, my eyes held a familiar emptiness in them and beads of sweat accumulated on my forehead.

I rinsed my mouth quickly and opened the door to spot a worried looking Draco.

“Are you alright?” He asked me, moving stands of hair behind my ear.

I nodded and looked at him, “I should be asking you, you fell out of your chair.”

“Yes but I didn’t throw up,” Draco stated and grabbed my hand leading away from the other death eaters up to his room.

“I can’t help it,” I muttered throwing myself on his bed, my face buried in the pillow.

Draco sighed and I felt the bed sink in beside me as he laid down next to me.

“Tell me,” Draco stated, his tone changing dramatically.

“Tell you what?” I asked, my voiced muffled by the pillow so to sounded more like ‘ell oh ut’.

“Repeat that?” Draco chuckeld lightly and I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes went from shining with fear and remorse to shining with the exact opposite feeling.

“Tell you what?” I asked him, propping my head on my palm, as my elbow rested on the bed.

Draco smiled and looked at the ceiling of his room, “You know.”

I smiled lightly at him, forgetting what had just happened moments ago.

“I love you.”

He smiled softly, “I love you too.”