Where Others Fear to Tread

Chapter 39

“It’s vegetables and fish, Holly the house elf says its good for the baby.” Harry didn’t move from his seat looking out of the window, down onto the frost covered overgrown garden below. It had been almost two weeks since Draco had found him in the muggle café in Surrey and Harry was no closer to finding a way out of where ever he was being kept. Harry watched Draco reflection cautiously in the window as the blonde haired boy moved about the room checking the wards as he always did in the evening. The fresh meal sitting behind him on the table smelt wonderful but Harry wouldn’t stoop to eating in front of the blonde. Harry had tried several times to escape, each time with spectacular failure, the burns on his wrists, back and neck testament to the strength of the wards. Most surprisingly was the fact Draco had yet to inform Voldemort about Harry’s capture. Admittedly Harry had seen death eaters come and go from the house but none had been brought upstairs if they even new of him being there at all.

“What are you going to do with me Malfoy? Barter me for a better reward? Because I don’t think Lord Voldemort takes kindly to his followers taking initiative.” Harry kept his voice calm despite his growing frustration at being locked in a room with no contact other than Draco. Draco chuckled and Harry listened as the boy sat down on the chair beside the bed, in the usual place he sat when he was visiting.

“Do you still believe I’m doing this for Voldemort?” Harry started a little and glanced cautiously over his shoulder at Draco who was reclined smuggle in the arm chair playing as usual with Harry’s wand like it was a toy won from a fair. “No Potter, this goes far beyond that.” Harry didn’t like the blonde’s tone and stared cautiously at the boy, who had gone beyond the nasty school bully Harry had known at school. Before him sat a bitter, twisted young man with eyes only for revenge.

“Then what is this? Are you still pissed because Severus chose me over you?” Harry winced as Draco threw a magical slap at his cheek, sending the boy reeling into the corner of the window seat. Draco smiled darkly at Harry’s pain pleased that he seemed to have mastered Harry’s wand just as well as his own. Harry silently cursed to himself that he hadn’t put harder wards on his own wand.

“Perhaps a little after all he was mine first and would have continued to be mine without you interfering.” Draco threw a nasty glance at Harry but then schooled his features back into the calm smug expression he usually wore.

“I never interfered, Severus called in his debt and I didn’t have a choice.” Harry spat angrily at Draco who merely rolled his eyes and flipped Harry’s wand casually from one hand to the other.

“Whatever Potter, it matters to me not. All I care is that you’re here and he’s on his way to rescue you, like the hero he enjoys being.” Harry frowned in confusion as he spun around in the window seat, Draco somewhat pleased he’d drawn more than the usual disinterest from Harry.

“What are you talking about?” Harry hissed angrily his concern for Severus rising as Draco flicked his wand back and forth between his two hands.

“Your knight in shining armour of course.” Draco chuckled evilly the boy’s sallow skin reflecting the flickering of the fire and candles. “As we speak Severus draws ever closer to this house intent on saving his beloved mate. When he arrives there’s a welcome party downstairs ready to deliver him to Lord Voldemort. As for you, you’ll have the pleasure of watching him die at the end of my wand, before watching as Voldemort takes from you the child he desired so much. Then when you’re broken and the life is leaving your lips, you’ll beg before my feet to end it because you know I am the only one who can.” Draco smiled and stood up from his chair and took two long steps over to where Harry still sat. Harry didn’t flinch as Draco leaned down and pressed a sickening kiss on his lips before drawing back, so that his steely blue eyes met Harry’s green ones. “I don’t care who wins this war Potter, either way I’m doomed to a life of servitude either to my father, my lord or worse to the ministry but it will make that life so much easier to bear knowing I took from you what you took from me. An eye for an eye Potter.” With a nasty pinch Draco threw Harry to the floor heavily before stepping over him and striding over to the warded door, pausing briefly to glance back at Harry who was sprawled out on the floor. “I suggest you eat something, you look disgustingly like a cheap whore and I’m having guests tonight, guests that will want to see you.” With that Draco left, the door sliding closed behind him and the wards settling back into place. Harry sighed and pulled himself weakly up from the floor. With a sigh the boy shuffled over to the bed and drew the tray with his meal up onto his lap and picked at it listlessly. Everything Harry had tried to escape so far was useless, perhaps tonight might present such a chance.

Harry ate what his stomach would allow him to and then having meditated in an attempt at reaching Severus for an hour with no success, moved into the bathroom and tucked the sharp bits of tile he’d cracked from around the bath into his jeans pocket. Despite Draco’s hospitality the boy was still wearing the same thing he had when he’d been taken from the café, and baths could only go so far in cleaning the clothes. With his meagre weapon tucked into his pocket Harry sat himself back in the window seat to watch the scene, waiting for the inevitable confrontation he knew would come.

It was late by the time the door to the bedroom opened again and Harry started a little having begun to doze in the window seat. Turning around Harry wasn’t surprised to see Draco dressed in his death eater robes, a strange red sash Harry had never seen on any other of the death eaters, draped around the blonde’s neck.

“Come along Potter, we’re waiting for you.” Harry was somewhat surprised that for the first time during his entire stay Draco was allowing him out of the room he was being held prisoner in. Cautiously Harry moved towards Draco and flinched as the boy cast a clothing charm over him, changing him from his muggle jeans and jumper into traditional wizarding robes of crimson and royal blue to match the sash around Draco’s neck. “Can’t have you looking mistreated, or you won’t sell.” Harry frowned, not at all liking what Draco’s words had just suggested. Deciding quickly to keep his mouth shut and look for escape routes rather than arguing with Draco, Harry followed his captive down the long hallway and down a spiral set of stairs. Draco paused outside a large set of locked doors and Harry watched as the boy pulled down his white mask concealing his identity. Harry hesitated as Draco opened the doors and all but choked on his own fear as he looked in at the twenty odd, masked death eaters sitting at a long banquet table in the centre of the hall, all of them seemingly enjoying themselves eating, drinking and joking. With the masks Harry couldn’t make out one from another and Harry bit the inside of his mouth as Draco gestured for him to follow him in. “You see Potter, the Dark Lord has many followers but there are some that believe in other things, in other people, in other goals. To some people Potter, you’re just a wizard.” As Draco approached the table the chatter fell silent and Harry was more than aware of the attention that was drawn his way. Draco forcefully sat Harry down at the seat at the head of the table, the blonde’s hand resting longer than necessary on Harry’s shoulder.

“Gentlemen, I welcome you to our little gathering. You’re all aware of the rules of this game and any damage done to the prize will be paid for in blood. Shall we begin with the first bid?” Harry began to panic as he watched a death eater from down the table throw a bag of galleons into the centre of the table.

“200.” He grunted indignantly. Stunned by what he was watching before his very eyes Harry began to look for an escape route, his eyes flickering to the wands the death eaters undoubtedly carried. Admittedly the wands probably held nasty irreversible curses but Harry was willing to give it a shot, if just to get a wand and a chance to escape. Harry’s intent on escaping must have looked rather obvious because Draco’s hand tightened on Harry’s shoulder the boy leaning closer as the bidding around the table began to get fierce.

“Don’t try anything Potter, the wards would kill you the instant you stepped across them, and apperating will kill you and the child.” Harry sat shaking in his chair as he listened to the bids, and the exorbitant price the death eaters were willing to pay to get their hands on the boy who lived. Eventually the bidding slowed at 10,000 galleons the bags of gold coins on the table considerable. The biding was between two death eaters, one sitting opposite the other. When the bigger, bulkier death eater made another bid of 10,200 galleons the slighter man opposite him stood up and without even flinching drew his wand and killed him, the green light of the unforgivable curse leaving his lips and felling the man in his seat. None of the death eaters around the table seemed to care that one of their own had killed another of their own. Behind him, Harry heard Draco chuckled as the death eater sheathed his wand back into his robes quickly. “I do believe we have a winner.” Draco declared easily and gestured for the death eater who’d just killed the other to approach the head of the table. Harry watched the robed figure with hatred, hardly believing this was happening.

“One hour.” The voice that came from behind the unidentifiable masked figure seemed vaguely familiar to Harry but the boy showed no outward expression of being surprised. While Harry couldn’t perhaps put a name to the voice he knew it was a voice he’d heard before. Swallowing nervously Harry shifted quickly as Draco dragged him to his feet and pushed him into the chest of the winning bidder.

“You know the rules, and mind the child he’s worth nothing to me damaged.” Harry winced as the stranger grabbed his arms roughly and dragged him out of the room. Harry had trouble keeping up with the long strides of the man, who took the steps up onto the second floor two at a time. When they reached the second floor Harry stumbled as he was pushed forcefully into the bedroom. Harry winced as his stomach connected with the end of the bed, causing him to yelp in pain before falling to his knees. Scared now, Harry pulled himself to his feet ready to fight off his attacker but as he turned around he was stunned as he watched the death eater slide the mask from his face revealing a very familiar face from behind it.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>