The Dark Mark

Chapter 41

                Draco woke up hearing the sound of his name being whispered in the darkness of the Malfoy dungeons. It wasn’t Anna; she was sound asleep, snuggled up against him. Draco looked around and saw a dark figure outside the bars of the cell.

                “Mother?” he whispered, thinking it looked like the slim figure of Narcissa Malfoy.

                “Yes, it is me,” she whispered back.

                Draco gently got up from the cot he was sharing with Anna. She moved a little, but didn’t wake up. Draco tucked the blankets in around her and walked over to his mother.

                “Are you alright Draco?” she cried desperately, touching his face through the bars and using her other hand to light the tip of her wand so she could look at him.

                “I’m fine mother,” Draco responded, he could see the tears gleaming in her eyes. Other than Anna, Draco knew his mother loved him, but he wasn’t sure about his father, Lucius Malfoy.

                Narcissa took his hands in hers tightly, “No matter what Draco, you and Anna must do as the dark lord says. He is filled with rage and anger all of the time lately and he would not hesitate to kill the both of you.”

                “We know this mother,” Draco assured her.

                “Then Anna is willing to take his mark?” she asked.

                “Yes, she is willing, but only to save me,” Draco said sadly, “I wish she didn’t have to make this choice, it is not fair.”

                “Nothing is fair anymore. I am very grateful for what Anna is about to do. I owe her a debt that I cannot repay,” Narcissa said seriously, “I can’t lose you, Draco,” she started crying again.

                “It will be okay,” Draco reassured her, squeezing her hands lightly.

                “I knew it was you who rescued Annabelle when Greyback and Bellatrix captured her last Christmas at the Weasleys’,” Narcissa admitted.

                “How did you know?”

                “I saw the look on your face when they first brought her in the study. You don’t remember me grabbing your arm? Also, she is one of your Hogwarts classmates. So when she came up missing from the dungeon I knew it was you who was responsible for her escape.”

                “Mother, I love her,” Draco admitted freely, “I’m sorry if that upsets you or father that she is not a pure-blood, but it’s not going to change how I feel. She is the one for me, whether she is a half-blood and her father is Remus Lupin, the werewolf.”

                “Draco, I don’t know about your father, but none of that matters to me now. I just hope we all can survive.”

                Draco hugged his mother through the bars, “I must get back before I’m found out,” Narcissa started back up the stairs.

                “Thanks for the food and cots,” Draco whispered.

                “Anything for you, my son,” Narcissa said softly, going quietly up the stairs.

                Draco went back over to where Anna was sleeping soundly, looking down at her peaceful face. He had almost told his mother that she was going to be a grandmother, but thought better of it. It was best if he and Anna kept that news to themselves right now because he could only imagine what the dark lord would do to Anna if he found out.

                Draco slipped back onto the cot beside Anna and she snuggled back against him, the back of her body against the front of his body; he brought his arms around her, holding her close, trying to sleep, but it was hard. All he could think about was what Voldemort was going to do to Anna come morning.

                Draco must have finally dozed off because he woke up to light coming through the bars of a single small window high above their dungeon cell. He also heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

                The dungeon door swung open with a long creak, “Let’s go you two,” Wormtail squeaked out in his nasal voice, “the dark lord is waiting for you.”

                Anna woke with a start, grabbing Draco. She had forgotten briefly where she was, and then everything came flooding back from the night before.

                “I said let’s go,” Wormtail screeched, his wand pointed at both of them.

                Anna and Draco stood up and Anna grabbed Draco’s hand tightly. It tore him up seeing the fear and anguish on her face. But this was his Anna; she pulled herself together with more courage than he would have, put on a brave face and started walking out of the cell, still holding his hand in a death grip. Draco briefly contemplated attacking Wormtail and trying to wrestle his wand away; escaping with Anna, but he knew better. His home was now crawling with death eaters and they would never make it out of the Manor.

                Anna and Draco walked ahead of Wormtail and into the main hall where Voldemort, his snake, and other death eaters waited on them. Draco quickly looked over at his parents, but then his eyes stayed on Anna.

                “Come forward, Annabelle Blackburn,” Voldemort hissed.

                Anna went forward, making her feet move towards him.

                “Give me your left arm,” Voldemort demanded, and Anna held it out, shaking slightly. He grabbed it harshly with his claw like fingers, causing Anna to wince, ripping her jacket and sweater until the inside of her left arm was exposed., “From this point on you shall serve only me or suffer the consequences,” he pressed the tip of his wand into the soft flesh of Anna’s arm and the extreme pain that shot through her arm made Anna cry out, forcing her onto her knees in front of the dark lord.

                Draco started forward to go to her, but the dark lord stopped him, “If you value your life and hers you will stay put,” he hissed, giving Draco a look of pure rage.

                Voldemort was still holding her arm, and Anna was crying out in pain and watched in horror as the terrible skull and serpent began to appear in her soft white skin, the serpent slithering around like something alive. Between the horror and the pain, Anna felt faint and sick.

                The dark lord finally released her and Anna couldn’t stop her body from going to the floor, the pain still shooting through her arm, her whole body on fire. Voldemort circled around her like a predator, his snake following him, “Did I tell you what happened to your filthy mudblood mother and stepfather?” he spat out brutally, “I killed them. They fought valiantly of course, but in the end I overpowered them and watched the life leave their bodies. Of course their bodies were never found, thanks to Nagini,” and he rubbed his hand down the nasty creatures head. Anna could not help the tears from the pain and the thoughts of her mother and stepfather suffering such horrific things, “And now you are one of us,” Voldemort laughed maliciously, “It is a good thing Albus Dumbledore insisted you attend Hogwarts for your protection, otherwise you’d be dead right along with them.”

                Anna was beginning to wish she was dead. If not for Draco and the baby she was now carrying she would get up and fight him until he was forced to kill her. instead, as the pain lessened, she stood up slowly on shaky legs and gave him a look of pure hatred, “Don’t speak of my parents ever again,” she hissed in a soft voice of anger.

                “What did you say girl?”

                “Don’t speak of my parents ever again,” she shouted in rage that echoed off the walls, looking him in his reptilian eyes.

                “Well, I have to admit, you are no coward, but you do not speak to me unless I tell you to do so, you filthy little mud-blood,” and he back handed Anna hard, knocking her down to the cold floor.

                This time Draco didn’t care what Voldemort said, he ran to Anna, helping her up and checking her face. Her lip was cracked open and bleeding, and the one side of her face was starting to turn red.

                “Get her out of my sight,” Voldemort shouted with disgust at Draco and Draco quickly led Anna from the room, picking her up and heading up the stairs. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face there. Draco could feel her wet tears running down his skin.

                Draco finally made it to his room and shut the door with his foot, using his wand he locked it and set charms on it against intruders. He took Anna over to his bed and sat her down near the edge. Anna sat there, tears rolling down her face, looking in horror at the terrible tattoo like dark mark, the skull and serpent was now imprinted on the pale skin of her arm. Anna was starting to panic; Draco could see it on her face and in her breathing. She was gasping for air and began to rub and rub on the already irritated mark, but it was going nowhere. And the pain and the sting of it only worsened the more she rubbed at it, turning her skin a bright red. Between the tears and the panic, Anna was on the verge of hyperventilating.

                “Stop it, Anna,” Draco said firmly, grabbing her hands and forcing her to look at him by getting on his knees in front of her, “You are going to make yourself sick.” Draco took her face gently in his hands and wiped the tears away with his fingers, looking at her face where the dark lord struck her. It was red and starting to bruise, but she was going to be okay, “Everything is going to be alright, sweetheart, it is just a mark.”

                Draco kissed her softly on the lips, a butterfly kiss, and Anna started to calm down a bit, “He ...should not have.... said anything.... about my parents,” Anna rasped out harshly, “He killed them in cold blood..... and now I have become his servant,” she could feel the hysteria rising again.

                Draco sat beside Anna, pulling her into his arms and holding her, trying to offer whatever comfort he could, “I’m sorry, Anna. I am so sorry you were forced to do this. I never wanted this to happen to you,” he whispered against her hair, “You are the bravest and most unselfish person I know, and I believe your parents would understand why you did it. I wish you had not taken the mark, but I thank you for saving my life, as well as your own and our baby.”

                As Draco said those words a peace started to settle over Anna. She had done the right thing regardless of how awful it was. If she had not taken it, Draco, herself and their baby would be no more. That was something she could not take, so she would just have to live with the results and Voldemort for now.