41 | ﴾ Obliviate ﴿

                                    

                                          
We danced, as they all had expected us to. Couples delicately joined the act, and soon we were swarmed by twirling partners and tension in the room had lessened dramatically. Draco eventually stopped moving and pulled me by my hand to a table that had clearly been set up in the far corner for the closest of family members. I sat without question, only to be traumatized by the presence of the dark lord at the farthest end of the table.
                          
His eyes scanned me once again as if he were preparing to print an image of me. He took a deep sip of what looked like rich, red blood, leaving a rouge stain on the skin that should have represented lips. The thin liquid in the clear glass cup sloshed with bubbles at the edges and I was certain it was blood from the nauseated look on several people's faces, but who's blood it was, remained a total mystery. He burst into laughter at my horror, "Lucius, thank you for such a lovely evening. Madeleine has proven to be a very transfixing line item. It seems that she has more promise than you had previously proposed." Draco held my hand tightly under the table as if it were any form of protection, his fingers laced through mine.
                          
Lucius twisted his face in my direction, as though the fact that I existed was a total inconvenience to him, "My lord, indeed, she evidently has more to her than we had anticipated."
                          
"Evidentlyyyy," the dark lord retorted. His bloody eyes shifted between Lucius and myself, and he kept curling up his mouth to display his razor sharp teeth, "She harbors skills useful to our efforts, which I would like to see exacted. Surely, your loyalty still holds true, Lucius, and I can count on you to guarantee that she will provide us with her Veela capabilities." His long nails clicked on the wood of the table impatiently with a dangerous hint. If he wanted to, he could simply strike Lucius across the throat and relieve him of his head in an instance. 
                          
From where he sat Draco's father nodded slowly, his eyes evaluated me like I was an informational board giving him directions in a mall, "We would never deny you what you request of our family." Our family, my family. I shifted in my chair, still barely managing to breathe and wishing they would change the subject so I could stop feeling like I was on display. 
                          
I noticed then that Narcissa and Draco were having a silent conversation with their eyes. She was looking at him intently, prodding, and he was shaking his head. 
                          
"Let usssss mark her tonight," the dark lord sliced through everyone's minds, a look of delight spreading across his horrific features. Draco's face shot up at this latest agenda item and his mouth dropped open in revolt. Voldemort took another deep sip of the blood and never took his gaze from me in the process. I felt like I was staring into a sea of red, losing myself in the mesmerizing terror that was his focus.  
                          
The blood rushed out of my face and I thought I would surely faint. My spine hit the back of my chair as I slipped low into it, trembling at the concept that I would be branded not only a Malfoy but a Death Eater all in one day. I couldn't be a Death Eater, I would never ever do such a thing willingly. 
                          
Draco squeezed my hand supportively and then he was out of his chair, walking to Lucius on shaky legs. He leaned close to Lucius and the dark lord, whispering something with his eyes caught on the table before him as though he couldn't bare looking either of them in the face. The dark lord burst out laughing in a mocking tone and Draco looked like he might hurl as he walked back to me and held out his hand. 
                          
Narcissa let slip a whimper and I noticed a tear rolling down her cheek as she clapped her hand over her mouth, staring up at him like it was the last time she would see her son. He took my left hand and paused to remove my wedding ring, leaving it on the grey tablecloth next to his. I followed his lead in confusion, taking his hand and trying to ignore Narcissa's evident sadness as she gathered our rings discreetly. He pulled me extremely close to him as we left the ballroom.