Author's Note: Pretty excited about finally publishing this story since I've been working on it for quite some time! Would love to hear your reviews on it! Sit back, relax, enjoy (:

Disclaimer: Merely borrowing J.K. Rowling's lovely characters.

Who Are You?

"F... f... father. Pl...ease... Please st..op," Draco Malfoy pleaded. With each word he spoke, he felt his energy draining away. His throat felt raw and talking was a torture itself. He was losing it, he could barely focus. Stringing a sentence seemed nearly impossible. He was dying.

Lucius Malfoy sneered, his face with no trace of sympathy. "I AM NO FATHER OF YOURS!" He bellowed. With his pale white hand on the wand, he levitated his son up in midair and flung his frail body against the wall.

(One week ago)

"Are you ready, Draco?" Lucius Malfoy asked.

"Yes, Father." he replied obediently. Draco tugged at his collar nervously. He checked his reflection against the mirror one last time before following his father out of the room. He should be excited, for tonight, his life will change. Tonight, he would be like his father - an equal. Tonight, he would not just be his father's son.

He had always respected his father. Lucius was a cold, heartless man and also one of the Lord's most loyal servants. To the Lord, his father was indispensible and irreplaceable. To everyone else, he was respected not for any other reason but simply fear. No one, dared disagreed with him. His father, having escaped from Askaban, had been to hell and back. Draco worshiped him. He wanted to be just like him. He had waited seventeen long years. Tonight, he will become one. Tonight, he will become a death eater.

He just had to perform "one simple task". That was all Lucius revealed to him. Everything was top secret and he was not worthy enough to know more. But after tonight, he will be.

They reached the end of the street. A wall separated them from what lay behind. Lucius peered around cautiously before murmuring some incantations. Draco hung back. Truth was, he was afraid. Very afraid. It is true that he had been waiting eagerly for this night all his life. However, that was when he was within the safety of the Malfoy's Manor. He had been so sheltered. He had never even laid eyes upon the present day Lord Voldermort. In fact, no one, except Potter and the death eaters, had seen him and came back alive. He had harboured such strong fear for the Lord. He feared that he may fail to undertake the task at hand. Worse still, he feared the consequences. He shuddered at the thought.

His father's glare pierced his thoughts and brought him back to reality. The wall before them had disappeared and in its place, there stood a gate. Lost in his thoughts, he had not even noticed. The gate stood tall and menacing. His father beckoned him in and he followed meekly.

The place reeked of rotten meat and debris was strewn everywhere. A foul smell hit him and he cringed at the sight of a pile of dead bodies before him. Ravens were feasting on them. He felt bile rising and forced his lunch back down into his stomach.

Then all of a sudden, the air turned cold. He jumped with a start as he heard a loud THUD. The ravens from before collapsed at his feet. He could feel it; the force so strong that anything weaker than a human being cannot survive the power radiating from it.

He was here. It was time.

As if rehearsed countless times, black hooded figures emerged from the depths of the clearing in a perfect circle surrounding him. He looked to his side. His father was gone. He was now one of the hooded figures. Draco was alone.

Then a cacophony of chants broke the silence. A figure materialised slowly before him, as if waking up from a deep slumber. Draco stood rooted to the ground, his eyes transfixed at the figure before him. He was neither man nor ghost. Sure, he had two eyes, one nose and one mouth but they resembled nothing like that of a human being. The features formed a most ghastly combination. Draco never knew someone, or rather something, that could look so hideous yet frightening. His eyes burned at the sight and he turned away quickly.

The figure let out a shrill laughter, as if enjoying the fear he was emanating. "Well well well, let's see what we have here." it hissed. The voice sent Draco's hair standing on their ends. He wondered how the death eaters could be so still.

"Lucius!" it hissed. One of the hooded figures rushed forward and knelt before the figure. Draco looked around, he was the only one standing. He immediately dropped to his knees. No more Master Malfoy, he was now the servant. He thought.

"You have done a fine job raising him." It cackled. "Is he ready?"

"Yes, Master." Lucius replied.

"Very well then," It replied, its frightening voice with a slight tinge of triumph. It closed his eyes and hissed, "Wormtail, bring the Boy.".

A shadow from behind materialised, holding a struggling boy firmly in its grasp. Harry Potter!

Draco could not help but feel a little comforted at the sight of the boy. He hated him for ruining the dark Lord. Yet, a familiar face in this deathly scene put him slightly more at ease.

Harry was covered in bruises and his hands and legs appeared to be bound though Draco could see no ropes around them. Harry opened his eye. Fury emanated from them. He spit at the figure before him.

"Such cheek! Crucio!" Lucius barked. Harry writhed in pain. The anger in his eyes drowned by the pain he was in. Draco's eyes widen with fear. The last time he had seen this spell being uttered was when his father had punished Moby, their house elf, for spilling wine on him. It was illegal. But of course, to Lucius, rules were for the weak.

The shrill laughter tore everyone's gaze from Harry. "Aren't you being too selfish, Lucius? Share some of the fun with your son!" The figure averted his attention from Harry and turned to Draco. "Now!" It hissed.

Harry stopped writhing and the pain in his eye receded, fury returning. Draco found his wand in his hand. He gripped it tightly.

"It is time," Voldermort hissed. "Kill him!"

Draco stared at the wand in his hand. His hand was quivering from fear. So this was the "simple task".

He had to kill Potter.

Draco was nasty, he could be frightening. But he was most definitely not evil. He hated Harry for his guts but there was no way he could bring himself to kill the boy before him. He was no murderer.

"Do it now!" It hissed, urgency in the voice. Draco felt something wet trickled down his legs. Initially he thought the dark Lord had hurt him but then he looked down and realised. He had peed in his pants!

He looked into Harry's eyes. Harry's gaze bored into him, taunting him. Potter was not the least bit frightened of death. That thought made something within Draco squirm in admiration.

He raised his wand and looked down at Harry. He saw defiance in his eyes. Harry was challenging him, daring him. But beneath that, he saw confidence in his eyes. He saw safety, safety which he longed for and he felt Harry's strength seeping into him.

He blinked it away. He raised his wand once more. He could feel the silence as everyone present held their breaths. The air was so still, he could feel the wave of excitement beneath their anticipation. They had waited long enough for this. Potter has to die and he would be the one to do it. He would be the Lord's most faithful servant. He would take over his father's position for defeating the Lord's greatest enemy. He almost smirked at the thought.

"Now!" Voldemort almost shrieked, as if every second in Potter's living presence brought him agony.

Draco raised his wand with a quivering arm. To kill, or not to kill. There is no escape! He thought weakly. He eyed the boy crumpled at his feet, he promised safety. Something within Draco snapped and in that instant, he made up his mind.

"Relashio!" Draco cried out. Before he could react or regret his action, Harry had leapt up and ripped the wand out of his hand. He tossed Draco a surprised yet knowing look of gratitude for releasing him.

Draco was pushed backwards as the events that followed unfurled in a blur before his eyes. Everything happened so quickly. A red light shot out from Draco's wand (now in Harry's hand) and in mere moments, members of the Order had surrounded the death eaters.

It was a trap! Draco thought.

Voldermort led out a bloodcurdling scream of defeat and vanished into thin air. The death eaters barely put up a fight. They were heavily outnumbered. From the corner of his eyes, Draco saw a hooded figure escaping unnoticed. Then someone grabbed him from behind and thrusted his wand back at him. Harry pointed his wand (which he retrieved) at Draco and the next thing he knew, he was back in the manor.

And he was in huge trouble, because the black hooded figure he saw escaping, was his father. His father, seeking revenge for his master.

(Back to the present)

He screamed as his head hit against the wall, hard. He was surprised and mildly amused that his last thoughts were wasted wondering how he still had the strength to scream his last scream.

And then, he was falling. But he knew something would catch him. He was going to be safe. He smiled. He let his body go, soaking up the freedom. He was free. The pain his body was being put through the last week was slowly fading away. He laughed. His laughter was a beautiful melody to his ears. He had not laughed in a long time. He laughed joyously as he felt himself slipping away.

Away away away. And never coming back.

Narcissa Malfoy sobbed as she placed her hand against her son's warm forehead. Her face was streaked with tears and she was surprised she still had it in her the ability to cry some more.

She should be thankful, for the heartbeat within the boy was a miracle. But Draco was her only son. And although she may appear cold and impassive to him at most times, she loved him very tenderly.

She had just gotten back from her shopping trip to Paris where she discovered that muggles do actually have a very good fashion sense. She had bought fifteen new sets of muggle clothes for Draco and had eagerly wanted him to try them on. However upon reaching home, she learnt that the ministry had begun their search for Lucius and he had gone into hiding. She also learnt that her dearest son was on the verge of dying.

She shuddered at the memory of finding Draco's frail body crumpled in a heap in his bedroom and brought herself back to the present.

The movement at the bed brought her full attention to her son. He had been in this state for a week. His external wounds have been healed by the most experienced doctors at St Mungo's but they could do nothing else except to wait to see if he wakes up.

"Merlin's beard.. Draco!" She exclaimed as she saw his eyes open slowly, blinking a few times, adjusting to the sunlight.

"Oh my Lord, you scared the wits out of me. I thought you weren't ever waking up. My poor boy," She cradled the boy in her arms. "I will love you better, I promise. Trust me, trust me please. I'm so sorry I wasn't around to stop him. I'm so sorry," She babbled on.

It took awhile for Draco's eyes to adjust to the brightness. And another few moments to focus on the woman before him. She was beautiful. Definitely not young anymore, yet the youthfulness still lingered in her pristine features. She was a timeless beauty.

"I'm so so sorry, Draco. I'll never leave your side again," Narcissa continued. Then she stopped short. Draco was staring at her quizzically.

"Who are you?" He asked.

A/N: A penny for your thoughts? I would greatly appreciate reviews!