A/N- FYI, although my beta loves my characterization of him, Voldemort may seem not as crazy in my story. I never saw him to be particularly insane (or as insane as some characterizations that I've read in fanfic) to begin with. Anyways, just thought I'd inform you all so I don't get reviews crying out in protest of his character.
And now, the chapter...
The Prince
Chapter 2
Summer before Draco's Seventh Year
"You requested my family's presence, Master?"
Lucius knelt before Lord Voldemort, kissing the hem of his obsidian robes, before stepping back to stand by his frightened wife and son.
"Yes, Lucius," Voldemort hissed. "I have a request for you."
"Anything, Master."
"I am seeking a new headquarters for our ever growing numbers. While my Muggle father's manor is useful, it is not as spacious as I would like it to be. Therefore, I want to use Malfoy Manor from now on."
"Ex-excuse me? But, Master, my family does not need anymore reason why the Ministry should put the three of us into Azkaban. They are already performing an inquiry upon our house. They have started freezing our vaults. My Lord, I do not know if it would be wise to move headquarters over to Malfoy Manor."
Voldemort rose out of his seat, his eyes going from a clear blue to a glowing garnet. "Do I sense derision from the cause? Lest your pathetic family forget how forgiving I was toward young Draco. I would think that would not want anything to happen to your only heir?"
Lucius shook his head quickly, "No, Master. I am merely asking you to reconsider your choice in a new location for our headquarters."
"Very well. For the time being. Go." He dismissed them with a wave of an opaque hand.
They began to file out, replacing their masks and hoods as they exited the room.
"Wait." The Malfoys turned at the sound of Voldemort's voice. "Draco, come here. Lucius and Narcissa, leave us."
Narcissa paled behind her mask. "Please, Lord, no! He is only a boy!" She reached out as if to grab Draco's sleeve before Voldemort began laughing.
"Do not worry your pretty head, Narcissa. I only wish to speak to the boy. I do not at all intend to harm a single silver hair on his head," he replied with a grin. Narcissa paled even further. "Now, Draco, come here."
Lucius strode out of the room with Narcissa scuttling out not too long after.
Draco stared at the spot from where his parents had just vacated. He fearfully tore his gaze away and focused in on the malicious being before him.
"Take off your mask, Draco."
With shaking hands, Draco did the task commanded of him, revealing his deathly pallor.
Voldemort took all of this in, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "Do you fear me, Draco?"
Draco's eyes flicked from Voldemort to the carpeted floor beneath his pristine Cole Haan's.
"No, not at all."
"Come closer, Draco."
Draco's legs felt like tree roots; he was frozen, only working up the courage to move after Voldemort's eyes began to glow a deeper red.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"I have another task for you. Think of it as a way to redeem yourself after the abomination that was your first task."
"Thank you, my Lord. Thank you," Draco repeated profusely, bowing as he did so.
"Do not grovel, Draco. It does not become you," Voldemort spat at the young man in irritation. "Now, your latest task. Do you know who Ginny Weasley is?"
Draco's face contorted in disgust. "What about her, My Lord?"
"Do you know what happened to her during her very first year at Hogwarts?"
"The entire school knows, my Lord." Draco was steadily gaining his confidence back. Berating the Weasleys was like a safety net.
"Then I shall not go into the details of what happened to her. Although my old diary was destroyed, there is still a small part of me repressed deep within her mind. I feel that with the proper stimuli, this part of her mind could unlock, in turn giving her the potential to become the ultimate spy for our cause. Severus has done an adequate job this far, but our little Ginny is rather familiar with Potter."
"So, what do you want me to do?" Draco asked, no longer addressing Voldemort as his superior, but rather as he might a fellow student.
If Voldemort was displeased by this, he showed no reaction. He simply said, "I want you to date Ginny Weasley."
"Are you fucking shitting me?" Draco had lost it. There was no way in hell that he was dating that, that thing; even if it meant the difference between life and death.
"No, Draco, I am not, as you so eloquently put it, 'shitting' you," Voldemort responded wryly.
First, he suggested that he date the Weasley girl, and now he has a sense of humour? Clearly, the Dark Lord was afflicted with something besides megalomania.
"But why me? Why her?" Draco asked indignantly.
"Are you deaf as well as completely incompetent?" Damn. Voldemort was on a roll today. "I have already informed you that I wish Ginny Weasley to join our ranks as a spy, considering my influence over her and the influence she has with Potter. If you feel you can't handle something as simple as dating, then maybe I should give your mission to someone more adept in that field. Zabini, for instance." At the mention of Blaise's name, Voldemort's eyes flashed once again. Draco interpreted it as "Accept, or watch me kill your family before I slowly kill you."
Draco bowed his head in defeat. "I'll do it," he mumbled, cringing.
"I'm sorry; I'm afraid you'll have to enunciate when speaking in my presence," Voldemort jibed.
"I said, I'll do it," Draco repeated through gritted teeth.
"Excellent."
* * * * * * * *
One hour later
"Master, you have visitors," Fizzy squeaked as she entered Lucius's study.
"What? I'm not expecting any. Where did you leave them?"
"Well, you see, Master…" Fizzy was wringing her hands; she really didn't want the Master to know that she had lost control of the guests.
"Spit it out already!"
Before Fizzy could answer, Narcissa had burst into the study, out of breath.
"Lucius…they're here…"
"Who is here, Cissa?"
But Lucius could feel who was here. He opened the door to his study to see absolute chaos.
Death Eaters, everywhere, running rampant throughout his home.
He turned to Narcissa, "Where's Draco?"
They both looked down the corridor to see their son being pushed out of his room by Fenrir Greyback, who slammed the door in Draco's face before he even had a chance to get up from the floor.
"What the hell is going on here?" Lucius yelled, irate over the destruction.
"I'm so glad you asked, Lucius," a smooth voice replied, hissing ever so slightly.
Lucius paled, sweat beads forming at his temples and hairline. He knew who that voice belonged to.
Voldemort grinned. "You see, Lucius, I truly did think about what you had asked of me. After all, you are my most humble of servants, but as you can see, I, how shall I put this, decided it would be best to deny your request."
All Lucius could do was leave his mouth open in shock.
"Lucius, please close your mouth. Looking like a fish does not suit you," the Dark Lord admonished.
Lucius promptly shut his mouth - a tic began to appear along his jaw line.
"Very well. Can my family at least stay in our own rooms?"
"Of course. It would not do to take advantage of such gracious hosts."
Lucius bowed his head. "Thank you, my Lord."
Voldemort looked past Lucius to Draco and grinned once more.
"Draco, have you informed your parents of your next mission?"
Narcissa turned to her son, beaming, "You received another mission? How wonderful!"
"Well, Draco, what is it?" Lucius asked in clipped tones.
"I am to get Ginny Weasley to join our ranks," Draco replied, already anticipating his father's response.
"And how do you expect to do that?"
"By dating her?" It wasn't intended to be a question, but Draco's accompanying cringe changed the inflection.
The tic in Lucius's jaw became even more pronounced.
"Are you displeased with young Draco's latest mission?" Voldemort asked, amusement evident in his voice. Torturing the Malfoys might become his new favourite past-time.
"No, my Lord, not at all," Lucius replied through gritted teeth.
"That's what I thought."
A/N- Thanks to my betas, Lady Laurelin and Lisa!
Thanks for reading! Please review!