Again I woke in a cold sweat. Another terrible nightmare. I rolled out of bed, my feet hitting the cold black floor. I stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. I splashed some water on my face. I gripped the sides of the sink so hard my knuckles turned whiter than my usual pale complexion. Ever since being inducted as a Death Eater three weeks ago, I had nightmares every night. I don't really want to be a death eater, but Father says now that he's in Azkaban, I have to protect Mum. I say she can protect herself. Also Psycho Aunt Bella (Bellatrix) practically forced me to become one.

 I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Pale skin, gaunt face, gray eyes, white-blonde hair as fine as silk, but what was really prominent was on my left forearm. I looked down and saw 'The Dark Mark' etched so dark into pale skin.

When Bella isn't around, Mum tells me stories about her family. She has another sister. Her name is Andromeda. But because she married a muggleborn, she got disowned from the Black family. She said that Andromeda has a daughter. That means I have a cousin. I wish that I knew her. Having a cousin would be less lonely. My cousin's name is Nymphadora, although she goes by her last name, Tonks. She's an Auror. We never crossed paths at Hogwarts, because she left, and the next school year was my first year. She was a Hufflepuff. I am friends with a couple Hufflepuffs (much to my father's dismay).

During the summer, it gets especially lonely. I spend my days wandering the manor. I'll usually be found in my room, or in the gardens, or in the library. Sometimes Pansy, Crabbe, or Goyle will come over. But only a couple times. I don't usually get visitors, except Aunt Bella, sometimes her husband, Rodolphus LeStrange, along with other Death Eaters. The Dark Lord has been to my house, he scares me.

I don't want to be one of his Death Eaters, but if I refused, he would kill Father, Mum, and Me. Because my father messed up so badly a couple weeks back, Mum and I have been forced to pay for his mistakes. He has something "special" for me in mind. He told me what I had to do when I became a Death Eater, which was what all the nightmares were about. I still couldn't wrap my head around what I had to do. 

I took a deep breath, then the tears came pouring. I sobbed for what seemed like ages. The glass of water I had in my hand slipped and shattered on contact with the floor.

I heard footsteps outside the bathroom, and a gentle knock on the door. Mum opened the door, and saw me sobbing on the floor. She melted down next to me. She put her arms around me and I sobbed into the shoulder of her nightdress.

 "Oh Draco," She soothed. She brushed the hair out of my face, and continued to run her hand through my hair. I hiccuped and continued sobbing.

 "Draco, you don't have to do it." She whispered to me. 

"Of course I do! He'll kill you, Father, and Me. I just wish I didn't have to do that." She hugged me tighter and I laid on her lap, like a child, but right now, I wish I was a child again.

"Hey Mum?"

 "Yes Draco?"

 "Will you tell me more about Andromeda, and her family?" 

She replied saying, "Sure dear. Well, as I have said before, she is a beautiful woman, more beautiful than Bella and I could ever be. She seems a lot happier than Bella and I. I love you so much, but with you and your father's disagreements, you know it can get a little out of hand sometimes." I knew she was right so I nodded slightly. 

"She and her husband, Ted Tonks, and their daughter, Nymphadora live good lives, as they deserve to. As I have heard from Severus, Nymphadora is part of the Order of the Phoenix, you know, the anti-Death Eaters. When Andromeda fell for Ted, Bella and our parents were disappointed, and furious. So when it came to choosing sides, Andromeda, or the Black's, I was at odds. Around that time, I met your father, he persuaded me to choose Bella, and our parents. I still remember the look on Dromeda's face, because she and I had been almost inseparable until then. Sometimes I still regret not choosing Andromeda, but if I hadn't you would not be here, so I'm glad it all worked out okay."

 A single tear slid down her face and hit my already wet cheek. "Obviously it didn't work out okay, you lost your sister and your close relationship with her."

 "Can I tell you something that I haven't told anyone, not even your father?" 

I looked up at her, "Of course Mum. You can trust me." 

"I haven't exactly lost Andromeda..." 

"What do you mean?" I asked, bewildered.

 "When your father went to Azkaban, and you were still at Hogwarts for a couple days, I went to see her. I looked up her address, and when I knocked on the door, she answered and..." More tears fell.

"What happened Mum?"

 "She looked like she saw a ghost, Draco. That made me feel like such a terrible person for choosing Bella and her psychotic ways over Andromeda, the most caring and warm person ever. I held my hand out to shake hers, but instead..." I leaned my head up in anticipation. 

"She pulled me into a hug, Draco. And SHE said "I'm sorry Cissy". She apologized to ME. She did nothing wrong yet she apologized to me. She is such a good person. I can't believe I'm her sister. I don't deserve to be, that's for sure. I can't help but wonder how she can turn out so good and forgiving, when Bella and I turned out to be so bad and ungrateful..."

 I sat up and looked my mother straight in the eyes that mirrored my own and said, "No, Mum, you are the best person I know, you just got dealt a rotten hand. What, with a psychotic sister, a bastard of a husband, and a disappointment of a son. You could've had such a GREAT life, if you had chosen Andromeda. A loving, caring, brave husband, and ten kids. But instead, you chose Bella and your parents. You're stuck with a coward of a husband, and... me. I'm sorry that I'm one son, who never really accomplished much."

 "Draco, you look at me." She grabbed my face to prove her point, "I love you so much, you are not a disappointment. You never could be. I don't need ten kids, I have you, and that is enough. I love you Draco."

 "I love you too Mum." I pulled her into a tight hug, the remainder of our tears soaked into each other's nightclothes.

"Now, let's clean up this shattered glass, and get you back in bed." She said, With a wave of her wand, the glass was gone.

 I had come to a new appreciation for Dobby. He is no longer our house-elf, but perhaps we had treated him too harshly. But it's way too late now. He basically worships Potter. 

I stood up and looked in the mirror. I looked worse than ever. But I'm a Malfoy, we hold our heads up high, especially in the face of something daunting. Well, except for the coward known as my father. I took a deep breath, as Mum walked me back to my bed. I slipped under the midnight black sheets, and fell asleep to the soft sound of my mothers comforting voice. 

So that's chapter one. I really hope you enjoyed! Please Comment and Vote if you love Draco as much as I do!