A/N: I know you all probably hate me. I get it, if some of the people I follow on here had disappeared as I had I would have died…so in a peace offering I'll stop talking and let you get on with the edited version. I decided to come back here just because it was way easier. FF can kiss it.

CHAPTER ONE

Draco's robes billowed around him as he made his way to the meeting hall. His cold, emotionless mask hid the excitement and determination that were warring inside of him perfectly. As his steps echoed in the dark hallways he pictured the other death eaters standing around the room, the Dark Lord on his throne.

Draco knew there was a very high chance of being dealt an impossible task after he was marked; his father had failed the Dark Lord, but he was prepared. He had been training, pushing himself to the limit, for this day since he returned almost two years ago.

A cold, cruel smirk broke through his expressionless mask as he thought back on all his preparation for this night. He prided himself on being cunning and intelligent, what Slytherin didn't, but asking for a room that slowed time impressed even him. Draco had gone every night after dinner and spent hours training himself, adding to his impressive repertoire of spells, and when he returned to his common room only an hour had passed. No one suspected anything was amiss, not even his parents.

As he reached the large oak double doors he was confident he could handle anything the dark lord threw at him. He had his wand loosely holstered so he could get to it quickly if need be and pushed open the doors with an ominous creak.

Instantly Draco was engulfed by the sheer amount of magic that saturated the room. It was thick and heady, swaddling him as a mother did her young child. But while the air was intoxicating it hummed with an undercurrent of warning that was almost impossible to miss.

The room was just as he pictured. The elite, the most fearsome witches and wizards in Britain, were standing in a crescent shape to his right and the dark lord was on the throne to his left. Draco walked into the space between and kneeled, bowing his head as was expected. He could practically feel the dark lord's gaze upon him and he suppressed a shiver of satisfaction as the Dark Lord spoke.

"You may rise, Draco." The Dark Lord's voice was a silky smooth baritone, laced with nothing but pure power. It sent an invisible shiver rolling down Draco's spine.

"Thank you, my lord." Draco spoke quietly, his voice but a whisper, and stood, keeping his head bowed. The dark lord rose as well, his thick, pulsating aura filling the space around Draco, and stood in front of him. Being careful not to make direct eye contact, Draco near died of shock as his eyes took in a very human looking Dark Lord.

"Are you ready to prove yourself loyal, Draco, and take my mark?" Draco took great satisfaction in knowing his family and the rest of the elite were watching his every move behind their Death Eater regalia.

"Yes, my lord. It is a great honor for you to consider me worthy of joining your ranks." They both knew that this was purely an act of revenge against the Malfoy patriarch, but Draco was ready to shine, ready to step out of his father's shadow and create a name all his own. He of course wished to fight for his legacy and the future of all dark wizards, but he could not deny that his need to step out on his own rivaled that.

"Hold out your left arm." Draco pushed back his sleeves and presented his bare forearm to the Dark Lord. "Do you Draco, pledge your life and your loyalty to our cause, vowing never to betray our secrets and to carry out the tasks I set out for you."

"I do my lord." There was a brief silence while the oath magic swirled around and built in strength.

"Very well," He pressed his yew wand to Draco's skin, "Morsmordre."

The pain was intense but Draco steeled himself and clenched his teeth, his gaze never wavering from his arm. The only trace of pain on the young Malfoy heir's face was the muscles in his jaw twitching slightly. Draco watched with fascination as the Dark Mark started to appear on his milky flesh. It started as a deformed black blob that grew and stretched the entire length of his forearm before shaping itself. He let his lips twitch into a satisfied smirk when the pain ceased and the dark lord retracted his wand. There, on his arm, was the Dark Mark, he was a Death Eater now.

"Welcome, Draco, to our ranks." The Dark Lord's stunning crimson eyes studied Draco for a second more before moving behind him to the Elite, "You are all dismissed."

Draco knew he was to stay exactly as he was; he was about to receive his first mission as a Death Eater. When the Elite had dispersed the Dark Lord spoke, "I have thought about what your first mission will be, Draco. Should you accomplish your task will restore your family's honor, and earn you a very special place amongst my elite."

Draco straightened his already near perfect posture even more and he longed to crack his neck, "It would be an honor to restore my family's worth to you, my lord." Had it been anybody else Draco was sure they would have paled and cowered in fear at the cruel smirk that graced the Dark Lord's lips, but Draco did not lose composure. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt he could do whatever was assigned to him.

"Your task Draco," the sound of his name on the Dark Lord's lips sent his body spiraling into shock and something akin to pleasure. His nerve endings seemed to ignite and warmth ignited in the pit of his stomach, coiling and fluttering in a way that made his rendezvous with Blaise seem like innocent infatuation. He could feel himself becoming shaky as the feeling furthered into what he could only describe as snitches being let loose within him, however the Dark Lord seemed not to notice, or more likely didn't care as he continued, "is to kill Dumbledore by year's end.

"If you so much as hint to your task, your tongue will become my new Quill cushion."

Draco blinked, temporarily stunned before he pulled himself together and forced his mind to stay calm. "As you wish, my lord." He did not flinch under the dark lord's scrutiny and by some miracle his voice never wavered, even as his mind began to spin in thousands of directions at once. He stood tall and proud like he had been raised to do.

Finally he was dismissed and Draco bowed before turning on his heel and exiting the room, his expensive robes billowing behind him. When the doors were closed behind him Draco felt his body relax slightly and made his way to his chambers.

As soon as he was in the safety of his heavily warded room Draco slipped off his outer robes and went to a specific section of emerald wall beside his desk. He tapped it with his wand three times and a six by three foot section disappeared revealing a small alcove where he stored a glass cabinet that held stolen bottles of liquor from his father's collection. Draco took a glass and poured a generous amount of Firemalt whiskey before he headed to his plush chair in the parlor that conjoined with his bed chamber.

Taking a gulp of the whiskey he relished in the burn that flared in his throat as he stared in the fire contemplating his next move. Dumbledore was more than a worthy opponent, Merlin he was a near impossible one, and Draco knew that. To take Dumbledore out would require a poison, there was no other way to take down the celebrated defeater of Grindelwald, at least within the walls of Hogwarts. While Draco was an impressive duelist even he knew he was nowhere near Dumbledore's level and any rituals that were standard curriculum at Durmstrang were strictly forbidden and monitored at the mighty castle he had once been so eager to attend.

Draco set his now empty glass down on the small table and went to his bookshelf, scanning the titles. Not finding any on potions, he scowled and set off for the Malfoy Library. His footsteps echoed down the hall but he ran in to nobody along the way.

The Malfoy library was easily the biggest room in the manor, the only room that could come close to the enormous haven was the ballroom and even then Draco wasn't sure if it was that large. The doors could only be opened by those with either Malfoy blood, or their spouses. Beyond the giant, heavily warded doors was a sight that would make the mudblood bitch turn green with envy.

The north, south, and west walls were easily thirty feet tall and were shelved from floor to ceiling. Ladders with the best protection charms had been added when Draco was eight by his father when Draco had first started heavily using the library. In the south west corner of the room was a another, much smaller room that greatly resembled the restricted section at Hogwarts. This room Draco had only been granted access to this summer. It contained tomes of branches of magic the Ministry considered the foulest.

This was the room Draco had spent most of his time in here of late.

Blood wards, soul magic, necromancy, rituals, spell creation, history, elemental magic, and even a few books on the mysterious parselmagic, though Draco had no idea how his ancestors had acquired those precious tomes. Apart from the subjects that had been dubbed "unknown" by his generation there was also books on charms, transfiguration, and potions that were too dark to keep in the main Library.

After a bit of debate Draco decided on searching the main Library before he ventured into the private room.

xXx

Draco woke instantaneously when he felt his wards alerting him to the fact that someone was entering his room. He sat up and saw his mother closing the door quietly behind her. He set his wand back on his knight stand and smiled a genuine smile as she sat down on the bed beside him. They sat there for a moment in silence and Draco saw the worry in her eyes, he grasped her dainty hands in his own.

"I know you can't speak of it darling, but whatever you need I will provide."

"I will need to do some shopping today, would you care to join me?" Narcissa nodded and kissed his forehead. "I'll meet you in the foyer in an hour." Draco nodded and watched his mother leave, promising no matter what happened in the next few months, that he would protect her.

Draco decided on a quick but scolding shower to relax his aching bones, the change was coming soon. His father was full blood Veela and his mother was half, making him three quarters Veela. It was something that the Malfoy's went to great lengths to hide; dark creatures could hold no status in Britain.

But that would change when the Dark Lord took over. Muggleborns would know their place and creatures would have their rights. The fact that he and his mate would have to hide their bonding made him more determined than ever to make sure the Dark Lord won this war. Malfoy's expected nothing but the best and he would be dead before his mate got anything less than they deserved, that included public acceptance.

Wrapping a towel around his waist he called for his personal elf, Tibby. She immediately appeared and bowed. "What can Tibby do for her master?"

"I need breakfast, my mail, and the paper brought to my parlor." Draco turned as she disappeared and walked into his closet. After slipping on some silk boxers he dressed in a new set of robes he had purchased, made of the finest Acromantula silk, and some dragon hide boots. He had just finished his hair when he heard Tibby in his parlor.

"Can Tibby be doin' anything else for her master?" Draco sat down and picked up his mail, "Yes, I need the potions lab cleaned and ready to be used immediately. That is all." It was better to be prepared if he found the book he needed. After a week of searching through every potions book in Malfoy Library, Draco had gotten frustrated and given up. Either someone had it or he had finally found a book his family didn't have.

Draco looked at the letters he'd received, three from Pansy, one from Blaize, one from the Carrow twins, one from Daphne. He threw the ones from Pansy in the fire; he was not in the mood to deal with her incessant whining and horrible attempts at flirting. He had used her a few times for a quick lay but now regretted it as now she seemed to think they were in love. Draco scoffed at that, the only one he would ever love would be his mate. If she somehow turned out to be his mate he'd Avada himself off the Astronomy tower. To make it worse Lady Parkinson, the brainless twit, had gone and revealed the secret contingency contract that had been drawn up upon their births.

Essentially , if he didn't find his mate by the time he turned thirty or his parents passed away he was to marry Pansy to keep the bloodline pure. However Lady Parkinson had not revealed the whole truth to Pansy, much to his own suffering. In second year his once friend had come back to school a completely different girl. Making eyes at him and giving him ridiculous pet names while trying all but permanently sticking herself to his side.

At first Draco had wrote it off as a silly crush that he could squash, but it soon became evident that there was something he was missing. It was early November, soon after the second attack, that he had finally grew so annoyed with the girl that Draco had lost his temper and demanded to know what was going on. It was shocking and horrifying to learn that not only had his parents completely disregarded the fact that he had a mate even though they themselves were mates, but that Lady Parkinson had completely disregarded etiquette and told her daughter of the negotiations.

Distraught was not a strong enough word for how he had been. But his parents had explained the exact meaning of the contingency plan and promised to speak with the Parkinsons, not that the later helped much.

Draco's attention was pulled back to the letters when Pansy's had turned to ash. He chose the one with the Zabini seal and broke the wax seal.

Draco,

I hear congratulations are in order. It seems your plans are coming together. I feel my transition coming, do you feel it?

Daphne and I are meeting up at the Leaky Cauldron Wednesday at two pm, to do our supply shopping. Can you make it?

Let me know,

Blaize

Short and to the point, Draco loved that about Blaize. They had been the best of friends since they were children, growing up together, having tutoring together, training so that they would be able to control their Veela and Demon powers together, and dueling together often. They had tried to take their relationship to the next level during their fourth year but had mutually decided that they were better off as friends. Both were still very close and very protective of the other. Draco picked up the Carrow twins' letter and ate while he read.

Draco,

The book you need is in Borgin and Burkes, behind the counter.

The Twins

A smirk appeared on his lips as he threw that one into the fire as well. Another secret that the Slytherin house protected at all costs, the Carrow twins, or better known as the seer twins. Both were highly gifted in the arts of Divination. Hestia specialized in crystal gazing and tarot, while Flora excelled in scrying and trances. Flora could meditate, thinking on a purpose, and get visions of what was to come. It was trying and exhausted her but she was working on building her stamina. They were two of the Dark Lord's most cherished and protected future Death Eaters, and they infuriated him to no end whenever he asked of his mate. The answer was always the same, "It's for the best, neither of you are ready."

Draco left Daphne's letter unopened on the table and went back to his sleeping chamber. He grabbed his deep hooded cloak, made of black Gereneese silk. It was light and wouldn't suffocate him in the summer's heat but would provide sufficient privacy, which he would need in Knockturn Alley. He made his way down the elegantly decorated halls and down the grand staircase to find his mother waiting in the spacious foyer with her small purse on her arm. She was dressed in a beautiful blush colored robe and her hair was done up with a five plait braid. She was putting on her black cloak as Draco stepped before her, "You look beautiful mother."

"Thank you dear, you look quite dashing yourself. Your mate will be very lucky to have you."

Draco allowed himself to smile, "I only hope it's not some lowly mudblood." His mother smiled fondly and brushed his cheek, "Or that Parkinson girl." Draco tried to force himself to laugh but the shaky fear had been brought to the surface. It was possible. It was possible his mate could be filth and he would be shamed. His mother's mischievous smirk died when she saw his worry and she got serious.

"No matter whom it is Draco; we will open our arms to them. Nothing matters more than family and your mate will be family." Draco nodded and they both straightened up, preparing to apparate. Draco held his arm out to his mother and she apparated them to the main square that connected Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, Trader's Lane, and another larger square that held the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet amongst other businesses, together.

Draco felt a pull in his chest as soon as they appeared and discretely glanced around him as they headed towards Knockturn's entrance. Was his mate here? It was the first time he had felt the pull and he couldn't stop his heart from racing and his eyes from studying every face in the square.

He was distracted from his search when he saw the golden trio across the square glaring at him. Well, the mudblood and Weasel were, but his focus was solely on Potter. There was no hatred that he was used to seeing in those vivid green eyes; he actually looked kind of…dead inside. What had happened this summer? Usually Potter was the first to step up to the challenge Draco presented. Usually just his presence would earn some scathing remark from the Weasel and after Draco verbally cornered the ginger Potter would step up and banter.

Draco forced himself to smirk at his school enemies, trying to squash the disappointment, and pulled his hood up entering Knockturn with his mother.

They silently made their way to Borgin and Burkes, wands loosely sheathed for quick access, Draco was able to observe his surroundings more freely as his hood hid his face. He felt more at home here in the alley surrounded by people who had aura's more like his own. There was a vampire bar on their right, Ambrosia; it was exclusive to only those with invitation. They entered Borgin and Burkes and lowered their hoods, "Ah, Lady Malfoy, welcome. What can I do for you today?" Borgin looked delighted to see them, with good reason. The Malfoy's were not afraid to pay a pretty penny for what they wanted.

"My son is here for something specific, talk to him. I will browse while you do business." He nodded and Draco watched his mother wander off to a beautiful gold necklace with a large diamond. "What can I do for you, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco glanced around but saw only a few tomes.

"I need a poison recipe Borgin; an untraceable absolutely lethal poison." Draco leaned forward slightly and was copied by the shopkeeper. "I have a source that says it will be within a book behind the counter."

Borgin's eyes lit up like the trees his muggle loving headmaster ordered decorated at Yule. "Mr. Malfoy, I do think I have something to fit that description. It is quite rare though…nearly all copies were destroyed." Meaning it was expensive.

Draco scoffed, "You dare insult the Malfoy name?"

"My apologies, that's not what I meant Mr. Malfoy. I will go get it from the back." Meaning it was also highly illegal. Narcissa came back over to the counter and placed the velvet box with the necklace she'd been looking at inside and placed it next to Borgin's register. "Did you find what you needed Draco?" Draco was gave the store a once over before his eyes landed on a necklace. It was silver inlaid with gold and had large square pieces of topaz as decoration. Draco walked over and read the card below it.

The Cursed Asufarian Necklace, 100 galleons. See clerk for packing.

Draco walked back over to his mother, "I think so mother." Borgin came back out with a large, worn, black tome. On the front said, Magick Moste Evile. Draco took the book from him and flipped through it. He smirked as he saw the first potion was described as exactly what he needed. "I'll take it, Borgin, along with the cursed necklace. Borgin was grinning happily as Narcissa signed the charge slip and he packed away their items. His mother didn't say anything as they left the shop, but he knew she was worrying over what he could possibly have to do with a cursed necklace and a tome that belonged in the private room of the library.