No Choice But to Take the Dark Mark

Chapter 38

Draco had quickly apparated to the front gates of his home. He didn’t know why the dark lord wished to see him, but Snape had said it was urgent. So he left Hogwarts. Being a death eater meant he could come and go at the school whenever he wanted him too.

                Draco quickly went up the gravel drive and down the path to his home, or what used to be his home before the dark lord took over. Now it belonged to Voldemort and it was a place that Draco no longer wished to be in, now or ever. Draco went up the stairs and was opening the door when a terrible feeling of foreboding came over him, but he shook it off.  As he walked stiffly into the main hall he noticed the still figure of a person, lying in a heap in the middle of the cold stone floor, his parents, aunt Bellatrix and others stood around the perimeter of the room. There were even snatchers and their leader, that sleazy wizard, Scabior standing in there as well. But Draco’s attention was on the person lying on the cold stone floor, he couldn’t see them well. He turned his attention to the dark lord.

                “You wished to see me, my lord,” Draco asked in a slightly shaking voice, his eyes drawn back to the person on the floor. Suddenly Draco got chills through him as he saw a bit of dark, shiny midnight hair.

                “Do you know this girl?” the dark lord asked calmly, then using his wand he did a levitating spell that mad the body roll over in the air until Draco was looking at the very pale face of Annabelle. Draco nearly went to his knees, he thought she was dead. But she moved, moaning slightly, her eyes fluttering open. The dark lord released Anna and she fell to the floor with a hard thump. “Do you know her?” the dark lord shouted this time.

                “She is a girl from Hogwarts,” Draco said quickly, hoping the dark lord could not see the pained look on his face.

                “So this girl attends Hogwarts. Well, what is she to you?”  Voldemort asked.

                “I don’t know what you mean, my lord. She is just a girl from my school,” Draco was hoping that the dark lord would send Anna to the dungeons; he would free her again and get her out of here.

                “Is that so?” Voldemort said in a normal voice, “then you will not mind letting me have a look inside your head.”

                Draco felt his mother come over beside him and take hold of his arm in terror.

                “Come here Draco,” the dark lord hissed. Narcissi started sobbing and didn’t want to release Draco, but Lucius pulled her back as Draco walked in front of the dark lord. Voldemort tried to probe Draco’s mind, but got nothing. Voldemort laughed, “Your aunt Bellatrix taught you Occlumency very well, but you will not shut your mind to me,” he hissed, “I will know what that filthy half-blood is to you! Now open your mind or I will kill her now,” the dark lord took and pointed his wand at Anna. Draco knew he would do it without hesitation. Just a couple of words and Anna would be gone.

                Okay,” Draco said quickly, going to stand in front of Voldemort, between him and Anna. Draco cleared his mind of the control that the Occlumency gave him, and opened it up, allowing Voldemort to see everything. And he saw it all. Everything Draco was feeling and all that had happened between him and Anna since she had started at Hogwarts. Anna reading him her muggle books in the Astronomy Tower when he had first started liking her. Anna meeting him over the summer before their 6th year, when he had first become a death eater and she hadn’t known about it. Draco helping her escape the Malfoy dungeons last Christmas holiday and all that transpired, on up until just recently when they had been together at his father’s lake cabin after he had rescued her from the death eaters at the Weasleys’ wedding party after the death of the Minister of Magic. Voldemort now knew that Draco was in love with a half-blood member of the Order of the Phoenix. When he finally released Draco from his hold on his mind, Draco stumbled backwards and nearly fell.

                “You have been a very naughty boy,” the dark lord said calmly, but he was anything but calm, “What shall I do with you?”

                “My lord, what do you mean?” Lucius cried out, terror on his face. Narcissi ran over to Draco, her arms going around him, as if to protect him.

                By this time Anna was coming to and trying to sit up. Draco looked over at her and noticed how unhealthy she looked. She had lost a good bit of weight and her usually glowing skin was pale, as if she had been sick. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were filled with fear and despair. Draco wanted to run over to her, but the dark lord spoke, turning his attention back to him.

                “What I mean, Lucius, is that your pure-blood son,” he pointed his wand at Draco, “has fallen for and been mating with that filthy half-blood. He loves her and she feels the same about him,” Voldemort finished, his voice filled with disgust.

                “Draco, is this true?” Narcissa asked in a soft whisper.

                “Well, son?” Lucius demanded with a sneer.

                “Yes, father,” Draco admitted firmly, without shame.

                “So you admit mating with this creature,” Voldemort was now pointing his wand at Draco.

                “Please my lord, not my son,” Narcissa pleaded desperately, having fallen to her hands and knees in tears.

                “If you mean, did I make love to Anna, or have sex with her, then yes. I admit to it gladly,” Draco spoke up with more courage than he felt.

                Voldemort cried out in rage, “Crucio!!!” and he struck Draco, sending him across the floor, and Draco started screaming in terrible pain, his body shaking and convulsing.

                Anna quickly started crawling over to where Draco was lying near her, screaming at Voldemort to stop. He finally stopped cursing Draco when she put her body over his, as if she could protect him. Voldemort used his wand and sent Anna sliding fast and hard across the floor, until she hit the opposite wall with a terrible thud.

                “Anna,” Draco cried out her name and rolled over, barely able to come to his feet. He went over to Anna slowly. She wasn’t moving. He finally got down on the floor and sat against the wall, pulling Anna into his lap, resting her head on his chest as Voldemort and the others looked on, saying nothing.

                “Anna, please. Are you okay?” he whispered desperately. He could feel her steady heart beat and her breathing was normal. She slowly opened her eyes, looking into Draco’s wet silver-blue ones.

                “I’m sorry,” Anna started sobbing uncontrollably and Draco hugged her to him tightly, “If I am going to die at least I will be with you,” she whispered softly against his neck.

                “What shall I do with the two of you? You,” Voldemort pointed his wand at Anna, “I should kill you now, but you could be useful to me against the Order. And you,” he looked at Draco with a mixture of anger and disgust, “I should kill you right now for the blood traitor you are.”

                “No!” Anna screamed, using her own body to shield Draco, “you had better kill me too, because I will give you nothing. No memories, no information, nothing if you harm him. I will take my own life,” she finished firmly. She wasn’t afraid of dying for Draco.

                A look of pure hatred came over Voldemort, but then it changed, “I have an even better plan. You will serve me,” he pointed his wand at Anna, “as a death eater. Oh, how wonderful that would be. Remus Lupin’s daughter, a death eater,” he laughed, Bellatrix cackling insanely in the background.

                “I will not become a death eater,” Anna said in disgust.

                “You will. You will do as I say or Draco dies,” the dark lord pointed his wand at Draco.

                “Don’t do it, Anna. You don’t want to become this. I would rather die than have you forced into serving him,” Draco whispered near her ear.

                “But I don’t want to live in this world if you’re not in it,” Anna cried.

                “So what is your decision?” Voldemort came closer, his wand very near Draco’s head.

                Anna didn’t hesitate; she knew he would kill Draco. She had no choice, she couldn’t let Draco, the other half of her and the father of her child die. She had to think of the baby too. It wasn’t just her and Draco’s lives in danger anymore. Anna could hear Narcissa sobbing in the background, Lucius having to hold her to keep her back, “I will do it,” Anna screamed out quickly.

                Voldemort looked her over, “You will take my mark and you will do what I say. Should you or Draco fail in this I will kill you both. Do you understand?” his voice boomed throughout the hall, echoing off the walls.

                “I understand,” she said in a rough whisper, her mind reeling from what all had just happened and what she was about to go through.

                “Wormtail!” Voldemort screeched, “Take these two to the dungeon. A night spent in there will do them good. We will convert the girl in the morning.”

                Draco stood, helping Anna to her feet. Wormtail led them down the cold, dark stairs into the Malfoy dungeons, Draco holding her hand firmly in his own, his arm wrapped around her. There was no getting Anna out of this one, they were both in this together now.