The Difference Between Life and Dreams…

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Written By:
LegolasLover2003 aka Ashley aka LuciusLover2003

Category:
Fanfiction - Books - Harry Potter

Genre:
Angst/Drama

Disclaimer:
I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. It is all J.K. Rowlings. I also do not own Jason Isaacs... just thought I'd throw that in there since this is Lucius centered...

Note:
This story takes place between the events of "The Order of the Pheonix" and "The Half Blood Prince". There will also be flashbacks to other books and to points completely made up by me.

Present Day

“Honestly, Draco, is this all that bad?”
The boy frowned, “I don’t like knowing these things without father telling me I can.”
“But he left it for you.” Narcissa argued as the two sat down to a morning breakfast. “In fact, we received an owl this morning from your father. Apparently they allowed him to write, though not without reading the letter I would expect.”
“Really!” Draco’s grey eyes, eyes so like his father’s, lit up at the thought. “May I read it?”
With a smile, Narcissa handed her son a plain piece of parchment, folded three times. Draco tore into it before he could think, unfolding the letter and hastily glancing over it. The writing was indeed his father’s spidery script.

Dear Narcissa & Draco,
I do hope you are both doing well in my absence. It is most unfortunate, the events which lead to my imprisonment, yet I know that you are both handling things without me as well as can be expected.
Narcissa, I do hope that you have been carrying on with your day to day routine. I would not want you to dwell on circumstances too much.
Draco, I regret that I was not able to welcome you home, or to celebrate your birthday this year. However, I do hope that you find that which I left for you most entertaining. Keep in mind however, Draco, that I wish you to learn from this gift.
Mind your mother, Draco, and try not to cause too much trouble until I return.
My love to you both,
Lucius Malfoy

“So then, he really does want me to watch the memories?” Draco asked, looking over to his mother as he set the letter down on the table.
Narcissa nodded as she sipped at her tea. “I told you.”
The boy sighed, “It’s such a waste of…”
“Your time? Hardly, Draco.” His mother’s face grew grave and serious. “If you do not do this, then I shall tell your father,” she held up a hand to keep her son from interrupting.
“And I will personally see to it that all of your birthday presents are sent back.”
“You wouldn’t!” Draco exclaimed, standing from the table.
However, his mother’s blue eyes were not joking.
Fuming and angry, the boy sat down again. “Fine, but I won’t learn anything from it. Both you and father are wasting your time.”
Narcissa shrugged, “Go upstairs to your father’s study and tap the pensieve with your wand. When you have finished, I’ll be in the living room. I want you to tell me what you have seen, so I can make sure you are abiding by your father’s wishes.”
Minutes later, after storming out of the dinning room, Draco found himself once more in his father’s study. Again he felt himself falling through the swirling mass within the pensieve.

June 27th, 1995

“Did I EVER give you permission to use it!”
“No, my lord. You gave the diary to me for safekeeping and…”
Voldemort’s red eyes blazed, “And you allowed Harry Potter to destroy it!”
“No. No, my lord, the diary is safe. It resides at my manor. I…”
“IT IS OF NO USE TO ME!” Voldemort’s voice cried, his wand clutched dangerously within his thin white fingers.
Lucius Malfoy knelt before him, his head bowed. The Death Eaters mask which had hidden his face had been cast away by the Dark Lord, as had the wizard’s hood. Lucius’ face remained impassive, though he tried desperately to think of some way to appease his lord.
“Not only did you fail to seek me out, Lucius, but you allowed one of my most precious items to be destroyed!” Voldemort was standing just before Malfoy, his wand tip pressing into the back of the man’s neck. “You have failed me, Lucius… twice now.”
“I have tried, my lord. I have not remained idle in your absence. I…”
“YOU HAVE FAILED ME!”
The room vibrated with the intense power of the wizard’s voice.
Lucius could hear the swish of Voldemort’s robes as he shifted his stance, preparing to exact the punishment that he had known was coming all night.
“Crucio!” the Dark Lord whispered dangerously, light emitting from his wand tip and striking Malfoy.
The man collapsed, falling forward onto his hands and knees. Daggers of white hot lighting coursed through his veins, every muscle and every nerve, aflame. It felt as if he were being slowly skinned alive, the flesh being stripped horribly from his bones. Lucius fought against his every instinct to scream in pain, clamping his mouth shut so tightly that he bit a hole through his lip. Blood filled the man’s mouth, adding to the great pain which his master had put upon him.
‘Forgive me, my lord! Forgive my failure!’ Lucius’ mind screamed as the curse continued, never ceasing in it’s horrible power.
It was almost as if the Crucio curse were some sort of poison, coursing through the man’s body and leaving pain, death, and destruction in its wake. He could feel it spreading, growing hotter and hotter the longer it was allowed its twisted life. Lucius’ muscles and limbs began to twitch of their own accord as he found himself lying on the cold stone floor. Blood from the cut in his lip flowed down his throat as the man allowed a silent scream to escape him, his body writhing in agony.
‘Forgive me!’
His bones felt so hot that he was sure they would burst, or at the very least shatter. Lucius could hardly remember where he was, save that in his mind he continually saw the Dark Lord sneering down at him in glee.
Voldemort loved his moments of vengeance when it came to those who had failed his great designs.
“Crucia.” Came a soft whisper of content.
Lucius felt himself fall backwards, his body laying stiff and unmoving on the floor. Eyes closed, he struggled to return his breathing to normal. He could feel his lungs, a slight wheeze evident as he drew in each and every breath.
“I do hope this has taught you a lesson, Lucius. A lesson TO YOU ALL!” Voldemort was speaking now as Malfoy opened his grey eyes upon the scene.
Each and every Death Eater in the room had fallen to their knees in reverence.
“This is the price for failure. The price for betrayal however… is death.” The Dark Lord glanced to Lucius, “A most painful and agonizing death that will make the pits of hell cringe in fear of my power!”
Malfoy pulled his body up off the ground, kneeling once more before Voldemort. He tried to keep the shudder from his body, but his muscles continued to spasm uncontrollably. Pain shot through his right knee, for long ago it had been broken beyond complete repair. Lucius struggled to keep himself on his knees, the pain nearly as bad as Voldemort’s Crucio curse.
“Learn from Lucius Malfoy’s mistakes, for next time, I shall not be so lenient.”
And, as Lucius looked up into the face of Voldemort, the memory faded…

Present Day

The chair was cold, for none had sat in it for weeks now. Draco found himself in his father’s chair in his study. The boy’s blond head was tilted back, starring up at the banner of the House of Slytherin which adorned the wall directly behind his father’s chair.
“But he told me he didn’t fail…” Draco found himself whispering in disbelief and shock.
“He told you what you wanted to hear.”
The boy turned in his father’s chair, seeing Narcissa in the doorway. “Father told me that Voldemort was a compassionate and understanding master!” Draco shouted angrily, standing to his feet almost at once.
Narcissa smiled sadly, “He told you this, so you would not fear your servitude. You are your father’s son, Draco… You will one day be at the Dark Lord’s beck and call, just as your father was.”
Angry at both what he had seen, and this revelation about all he had thought once true, Draco turned from his mother to stare at the Slytherin banner once more. “Then… then why… Father lied to me!” the boy turned, his grey eyes torn between shedding tears of anger and sadness or simply glaring at his mother. “HE LIED!”
Narcissa shook her head slightly, “He lied to protect you, Draco. You have no idea how proud of you your father is. How much he cares. But perhaps you will understand tomorrow.”
“Why tomorrow?” Draco snapped angrily.
“Because I think tomorrow would be a good time for a memory which came from, not only your father, but myself as well.”