Set Fire to Rain

“Again,” Snape demanded. I took my stance, despite how tired I was, despite how much sweat drenched my harms and legs. The ballroom was empty except for Snape and I, holes in the walls and lights blow out from curses gone awry. This was part of my growing up in the Malfoy Manner, and it was the only thing I was ever allowed to do, besides play Quidditch with Draco. All I ever did was wait for his return, wait for the time, practice all my life and learn to hate.

Snape took his stance again, black cloak dancing around him. I don’t know why he insisted on wearing the bloody thing- he constantly looked like he was ready for a funeral. Yet, many of the Death Eaters wore only black, including myself, the youngest of them all. I saw the look in Snapes black eyes, the decision on which curse to use and the moment he opened his mouth I bellowed out, “Crucio!” Snape hit the ground hard, gasping in pain and fighting not to yell out. I had a nasty Cruciatus curse, and often subdued my victims to ear-splitting screams. I whipped my wand away from the seizing man and turned my back on him.
I waited patiently for him to get up before I asked, “Are we done here?”
Snape’s voice was weak when he answered, “Yes. The Dark Lord wishes to speak with you. He awaits in his chamber.”

I left the ballroom with Snape in it, not bothering to offer to help him repair the damages. Most of the curses were mine that destroyed- I rarely ever was on the defense in a duel, I attacked faster than the strike of a cobra, and Snape knew that very well. Many of the Death Eaters did in fact, and so would the world when I was brought out to show what I could do. Whenever that was.

I walked down the dark, bleak hallways of the Malfoy manor. The house was painted in dark colors yet elegant in it’s own way. Lucious would not allow color into the home as Narcissa would have liked I am sure, but the woman could take the color black and bring out the beauty in the dark, cold color, as she did with the house, making it as cheery as she could.
I ignored the pictures moving on the wall as I passed a particular hallway. It had pictures of the Malfoy family, a fine pureblood line untainted. They were all blonde with sharp green eyes, as if to prove their untainted bloodline. There were even a few pictures of me and Draco growing up as children and as best friends, yet there were not many. I may be loved and favored among the Death Eaters for my power and lust for helping the Dark Lord, but I was still a half-blood. And I was worse than a half-blood; I was related to him.

I descended steps down into darkness, taking out my wand and muttering, “Lumos.” The tip of my wand illuminated as I stepped down the last few stone steps. I stopped at a large double door that was dark cherry wood, silver snakes fashioned as doorknobs. I raised my hand and knocked lightly on the door, knowing to do so every time before I walked into the chamber. The chamber had originally a basement of sorts, but had been fashioned into a chamber after Voldemort made his return two years ago.

The heavy doors swung inward and I entered the dark room. The only light was coming from the roaring fireplace on my far right of the room. There were no windows in the room, leaving it so dark I had to wait several moments for my eyes to dilate to the darkness before I could clearly see the room although I knew what the room looked like. It was black in the room, and a black bed stood on the far wall, although I was sure Voldemort didn’t sleep. A black leather couch sat near the fire place and in front of it was a table with many papers, all the Dark Lords work. Bookcases were lined with books- not just any books for reading either. The books were there for a purpose, no doubt.

For a moment I didn’t know where he was, and the apprehension made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. And then I felt his presence and I glanced to the left as he materialized from the darkness, black cloak flowing around him like a living, breathing creature of evil. I didn’t flinch back like many would- I had more to prove than any of them. I had so much more to do, and make sure I never showed fear to him. Ever.

“Reagan,” he greeted me, dark eyes boring into mine. “Sit. We must discuss matters, and do them quickly.”
“Yes, My Lord.” I approached the black couch and sat, glad that he took his place standing in front of the fire, back to me. I didn’t know why he was standing there- he couldn’t be warmed. He was more snake than man, if you asked me
“The time has come, Reagan- your time. You have trained for this all your life, and although when I first returned I did not expect you, nor did I plan on having you. But you are a gift, Reagan, a very rare one indeed that has come to be of the perfect weapon to me. You are powerful- more than I could imagine, and you poses pieces of me. You have longed for your birthright and to leave this place, to announce to the world that you have renounced your family name, and who you were born as.” My breath caught in excitement, knowing what was coming next. I was ready to jump out of my seat and blast through the doors I had dreamed of, to walk the halls of the place I wanted to rule, to take down and make ours. “You will attend school with Draco, this year. A nasty surprise it will be, oh yes. That old fool will have never predicted this, and the moment you are enrolled and you walk into that bloody hall-“ he paused and I could hear he was struggling with a kind of blood lust. He hissed and turned to me, eyes glowing scarlet in the fire light, sending chills of both terror and excitement down my veins. “-you will go to that school and help Draco in his task- in your task. It is my time to rise up, and your time to seek revenge. Do you accept this?”
“Yes,” I said, voice quavering with amped nerves.
He smiled then, cruel and serpent like. “Your task, is to help Draco kill Dumbledore, and to destroy the hope for that school. Do you accept this task?”
Nothing could stop me from this and I smiled. “I, Reagan Marie Potter, accept this task, Lord Voldemort.”

*

I knocked softly on the door, waiting patiently until it opened. Draco looked annoyed, ice eyes narrowed and sneer on his face but the moment he saw me it softened into a rare smile, a smile only saved for me. He gestured for me to come in and I ran into his room, throwing myself into the air and onto the bed, smiling so wide the sides of my mouth hurt. Draco hoped onto the bed next to me asking, “What could you possibly be so happy about?”
“You won’t believe the news, Dray!” I cheered, sitting up and hugging him to me. He smelled like mint and aftershave.

He scanned my face and his eyes got wide, knowing what the possibility of my answer was. “No!” he said, smiling blindly and I nodded my head. He picked me up and spun me. “About bloody time you were allowed out of this place! Merlin your going to school with me, Rea. Potter will be in a nasty shock, I can’t wait to see the look on all those gits faces.” He suddenly stopped and became serious. “Are you doing a task?”
I nodded. “I’m helping you, of course.”
“No,” he said suddenly. I froze and my heart dropped. “I mean no to helping me with the task- you can’t, that will be to dangerous for you.”

I scoffed and stood from his bed, my blue eyes narrowing. “Dangerous? My whole life style is dangerous, and I do not fear danger nor death. It is His will, Draco and I will not defy him and you won’t either… you know the consequences Dray.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like the thought of my best friend having to deal with something like this… he chose me for it.”
“I understand that,” I said quietly. “But I was raised for this, I have been waiting all my life to do this. I will help you Draco- even if it wasn’t my task I would. I would do anything to save you from failing… from…” I trailed off and we both knew I didn’t need to mention what he would need saving from if Draco were to fail a task, or even myself.
Draco changed the subject quickly. “I can’t promise you’ll like the classes, half of them are bloody pointless if you ask me. They have a giant oaf teaching Study of Magical Creatures. But you will rule at my side- after all every prince needs a princess.”

“What do you think it will be like?” I walked to Draco’s window, looking out at the sun that was slowly setting. The sky was red and purple, the last color of blue fading into twilight. The skyline blocked by many mansions, for this was a wealthy place. But the closest mansion was ways off the Malfoy estate. Looking doing, I watched as the black gates closed behind someone leaving the house in black robes. A death eater, no doubt.
“What will what be like?” Draco asked from his bed. I continued to look out the window, touching my finger against the cold glass, leaving a single fingerprint the house elves would clean later. I wondered if he had the same finger print, and made a disgusted face, wiping the print away with my sleeve.

“Seeing him.” My voice came out in a seething tone as I turned around, eyes burning and face contorted in hate. Because of him I could have been murdered! Because of him, there is no peace in this damn world. Until my brother is dead, I will not rest. He is the last of them, the last one we need to have everything we’ve ever dreamed of, Draco. We will be so powerful.”
Draco smiled dangerously, his face beautiful in the light. “That we will be, Reagan.