45 | ﴾ Traitor ﴿

                                    

                                          
When the evening had concluded the Malfoy's wasted no time disapparating back to the Manor. As the crowd of raven robes began to disappear with sharp cracks of lightning they huddled together. Lucius had his arm outstretched where Narcissa and Draco had tangled their fingers. He bored his bright sapphire eyes into me with a pensive expression. The other two watched in silent melancholy as he judged whether or not to invite me.
                          
I stood near my chair in amusement, not really bothered as to whether or not they took me back with them. I wouldn't be able to stay for the entire night anyways, given that I had to check in with The Order members in Denmark. 
                          
Lucius pressed his lips into a thin line and extended his hand to me in such a swift motion it looked like a sword trying to stab me. His large fingers were covered in silvery rings that appeared heavy and expensive. I took his proposition and we disapparated back into the lobby of the Manor. 
                          
The familiar piney smell of the Malfoy's clouded my nose as the smoke disappeared around us. Lucius stepped towards me and perked a sharp eyebrow, "You have earned your place here. Consider this an official declaration of peace." His words came out curt and angry, and he obviously felt forced to say them. He paused to glare at me rudely only a moment longer before vanishing up the stairs, cane in hand banging obnoxiously on the stone steps. Narcissa also clung to her position momentarily, shooting me a deeply concerned glance, before picking up her dress and following Lucius upwards to the seventh level.
                          
Draco was staring at the floor with his hands jammed in his suit pockets. Tears were dropping freely from his face onto the stone tiles as he avoided eye contact, standing so still he looked like a statue carved from stone. He didn't need to speak; I could already see the disbelief on his face.
                          
I watched him wordlessly, trying to now suppress the dark magic back to a controlled state. I wanted to hit him for everything he had done to me. I craved to smack the tears clean off of his pretty face as the dark mark urged me on negatively.
                          
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to remember how I'd extinguished the Veela powers previously when an inferno had broken out. It was bad enough already that the Veela powers naturally encouraged wild emotional swings and tantrums on their own. It was a dreadfully long and silent few minutes as I slowly contained the dark magic enough for the flames to die out and my vision to return to normal. When I opened my eyes again he was watching me, his hand over his mouth. 
                          
He started choking on his words, "You do realize Potter will burn alive. The Order will be tortured and executed. And we'll spend the rest of our lives living in fear of the dark lord." He was shaking his head in horror and the disgusted look in his eyes finally brought some emotions to the surface. My heart ached slightly as he glowered in my direction like I was a complete stranger.
                          
"No, Draco. Listen to me-" I began explaining in a firm tone but he cut me off with a sharp yell.
                          
"No! You listen to me, you fucking bitch!" He pointed a long finger in my face accusingly, "You sold out to the dark lord willingly. I can't even look at you. Have you even seen yourself?" His voice was dripping in betrayal and agony. He sunk down to his ankles against the wall, weeping profusely. His head fell low into his hands, "You have no idea what you just did."
                          
 I had rarely seen this level of sensitivity from him. I knelt before him carefully, and my long hair swung forward causing me to suddenly realize that it had become white as snow. The vivid combination of golden blonds, reds and browns that had composed the thick strands before were lost entirely to a colorless, ivory sheet which lacked dimension or dynamic. The orb had indeed delivered on it's threats.
                          
Draco refused to look up at me as he cried loudly. I settled on my knees and watched him blankly for a while, before deciding to try again after several minutes, "Draco, please listen to me."