Draco felt his Dark Mark burn red hot, a summons to a meeting. He felt sick to his stomach, but knew he had to go anyway. There was no benefit in not showing up when the Dark Lord called him, because he was easily traceable with the branding on his arm.

He immediately rushed to Snape's office, knowing that his professor had felt the same familiar pain and they could floo together to the meeting. It would be less conspicuous if he used Snape's floo rather than the one in the Slytherin common room. While Draco was sure most of his house harbored some suspicion as to his involvement with the Death Eaters, they didn't need any more confirmation than they already had.

He knocked on Snape's office door, and without waiting for Snape to respond, slipped in. The office was chilly, as usual, and dark. Snape was standing by the fire pulling his cloak around him.

"Hello, Draco," he said softly. Draco didn't meet Snape's eyes and simply nodded his return. Wordlessly, Snape put his hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco flinched, but Snape didn't say anything, not this time. Snape threw the floo powder into the fire and called out their destination. They stepped through the floo and appeared in a gloomy stone dungeon, not his own, Draco noted. Snape still had his arm around him protectively, for which Draco was grateful. He felt a little bit safer for his professor's support.

"Looking after the boy, are you, Severus?" Draco jumped at the sound of the Dark Lord's voice, sneering at him and his teacher, as he sat in nothing short of a throne.

"He's my student," Severus replied calmly. "Of course I look after him. To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

"Bella has found us quite a prize," the Dark Lord said, nodding his noseless face towards Bellatrix who looked giddy with sick apprehension. As if on cue, two masked Death Eaters brought a tied and cowed figure into the fire lit room. The prisoner was stumbling forward, and was thrown to the stone floor at the Dark Lord's feet.

"Who, my Lord?" Snape asked, his voice bored.

"Always curious to the identity of the prisoners," the Dark Lord mused. "It's always your first question."

"I prefer to know who we are about to torture," Snape replied, arching an eyebrow. "It makes each experience unique and knowing a person's identity allows one to torture so much more effectively."

It was comments like this that which made Draco wonder just how cooperative Snape was with the Death Eaters. Either he was the best actor Draco would ever have the honor to know, or he was just as evil as the rest of the Death Eaters. Possibly both were true.

"Of course those are excellent reasons, Severus," the Dark Lord replied. "This is just a Muggle though. I believe someone said his name was Michael Ross. But that is beside the point. He is a homeless vagabond, not even appreciated by the Muggles. He will not be missed. We can rest assured that we will be safe in having our fun with him." Snape nodded at this, but didn't vocalize any reaction.

Draco felt extremely sick at this point. He'd been forced to watch the slow torture and execution of helpless Muggles before, and he suffered nightmares for weeks after. The Death Eaters knew no bounds on the extent of their cruelty. Draco, of course, had little tolerance for Muggles, and he would readily admit he despised them, but that didn't mean he wanted to revel in their pain. They were still human after all.

"Bella," the Dark Lord said, and Draco's aunt jumped at the ready as soon as her name was called. "I believe you can start us off tonight, since you brought him to us."

"Thank you, my Lord, thank you!" Bella exclaimed, clapping her hands like a small child. "Crucio!" she called, causing the Muggle to scream and writhe in agony, which seemed to only further her gleeful laughter. Draco tried to not watch. He cast his gaze upon a pebble on the floor as he began to push it around with his toe, listening to the Muggle beg for death. He still stood by Snape, and he tried to hide himself in his professor's shadow, hoping that everyone would forget about him and he could go back to Hogwarts.

"Severus," the Dark Lord said, "I believe it's time for you to take a turn and leave Draco. He's almost of age. He can stand on his own."

"Of course, my Lord," Snape replied with a gracious bow. Snape stepped close to the victim and pointed his wand lazily at the man who lay panting on the floor. Wordlessly, he cast what Draco assumed to be a Crucio. Snape looked bored with what he was doing and released the spell. He sighed.

"You don't look you're enjoying yourself nearly as much as dear Bella was," the Dark Lord said to Snape.

"Cold revenge is never as fulfilling as mad sadism," Snape replied. "Perhaps Bella would be better suited to this."

"No," the Dark Lord said thoughtfully as his snake-like eyes drifted towards Draco. "I think it's time for our newest Death Eater to try. He's been watching from the shadows long enough. Don't you agree, Severus?"

"If that is your wish, of course, my Lord," Snape replied. "I believe Bella would relish it more than Draco though."

"Bella can find another Muggle if she wishes to have more fun," the Dark Lord dismissed casually. Snape nodded deferentially and stepped back to the shadows, next to Draco, where he laid his hand on Draco's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, or at least what Draco thought was reassuringly. Then, with a gentle nudge, Snape pushed Draco into the light before the Dark Lord.

"Do show me what you can do," the Dark Lord said, amused at Draco's clear hesitation.

"Cru-crucio," Draco stammered, trying to muster the strength to say the spell. A pitiful point of light shot from his wand, when it hit the Muggle, he just moaned, but didn't have any other reaction. Draco immediately looked to see what the Dark Lord's reaction was. It couldn't be good, he was sure. Instead, the Dark Lord's expression was impassive.

"You have to mean an unforgivable!" his aunt screamed from the other side. "You can't be half hearted about it. You have to mean it!"

"But I can't mean it!" Draco screamed back. "I mean - " He looked up at the Dark Lord again.

"Draco, you must learn to cast this curse," he said. "You have delayed long enough. You also haven't been particularly successful in your mission."

"I'm sorry, my Lord," Draco stammered next. "I've been trying. I have. It's just not working yet. Dumbledore will be dead by the end of the school year, I promise."

"Perhaps you can stay my wrath on your ineptitude if you learn to cast a good Crucio," the Dark Lord mused. Draco swallowed, unsure just how wrathful the Dark Lord would be. He steadied his wand again, and said the incantation. The result was no better than the first time, though.

"I'm sorry!" Draco screamed. The Dark Lord sighed and flicked his wand at Draco, who would have fallen and hit his head on the stone floor had Snape not rushed forward to grab the twitching boy at the last moment. Still in the throws of his own Crucio, Snape laid him gentle on the floor and backed away. Draco was vaguely aware that Snape caught him, and through his own agony, hoped that Snape wouldn't also be punished for having saved him a nasty concussion. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the pain was gone, and Draco lay gasping on the floor. He propped himself up on his hands.

"I'm sorry," Draco repeated between ragged breaths.

"I don't think you understand just how serious this is," the Dark Lord said, standing up and crouching next to Draco. He ran a chalk white hand through Draco's hair. Draco grimaced and flinched. "I want Dumbledore dead. Soon. Not at the end of the school year when you've finally decided to make up your mind on this."

"Please don't make me," Draco whimpered. "Please, I'll do anything. I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want to be a monster."

"What a disappointment you are to your parents," the Dark Lord mused as he cupped Draco's face in his hand. Draco shuddered. "Let me put it in terms you can understand, Draco. You will cast the Crucio on the Muggle, after a rest, of course, tonight, or I will simply end you now."

"What? My Lord!" Draco gasped. "Surely - "

"You are not producing on your mission," the Dark Lord said as he left Draco's side and sat in his throne again. "You are almost useless to me. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

"I'll do it!" Draco agreed, standing up, much faster than he should have, and he felt dizzy as his vision went out, and for the second time that night, Snape caught him.

"Rest," the Dark Lord instructed. "In fifteen minutes, Severus, bring the boy around, ready to cast the curse to save his life."

"Of course, my Lord," Snape replied. Snape scooped him up, like a little child, and brought him to a far corner of the dungeon and set him down. His dizziness had passed by then, and Draco was feeling some better. His hands still shook, whether from fear or residual pain, he didn't know.

"Draco," Snape hissed at him as he gave him a potion. Draco drank it without question, and his hands stilled.

"I'm sorry, sir," Draco murmured. "How can I cast it? Please help me!" Snape hesitated a moment, and if Draco were looking at him, he would have seen concern in Snape's eyes.

"Like your aunt said, you must mean the spell," Snape said quietly. "Why you mean it is beside the point. Focus on the fact that the Dark Lord has threatened your life when you're casting it."

"That will work?" Draco asked, hopefully.

"It should," Snape replied. "It has worked before, for others."

"Alright," Draco said, standing up. "I think I'm ready now."

"I'm sorry," Snape whispered, almost silently. Draco shrugged, unable to say anything in response for the lump in his throat. Draco marched back to the rest of the Death Eaters, cold determination in his eyes as for a third time he pointed his wand at the helpless Muggle. He took a deep breath and steeled his will, focusing on the fear that he had if he were killed tonight.

"Crucio!" The Muggle screamed in contorted agony, and Draco held the spell, impassively watching. What seemed like an eternity passed.

"That's enough," the Dark Lord finally said, and Draco gratefully released the spell. "Kill him."

"My Lord?" Draco replied.

"Kill him. Show me you have it in you to kill Dumbledore. I won't have you hesitating at the last minute when you've finally found a way to corner the old fool." Draco glanced at Snape who simply gazed back at him. He received no signal from his professor and he was lost without it. "Do it now, Draco, or I will still kill you."

"Yes, my Lord," Draco swallowed as his hand began to shake again.

"Use the Killing Curse," the Dark Lord instructed. "Don't waste your time on anything less than that." Draco bit his lip and concentrated on his fear.

"Avada Kedavra!" A green light shot out from his wand. It collided with the Muggle who slumped, lifeless, on the hard stone floor. Draco dropped his wand in horror. What had he done? What had he done?

"Good job, Draco," the Dark Lord commended from his throne, but Draco barely heard him over the clamor in his head. He barely felt Snape come up behind him and put both hands on his shoulders as he allowed Draco to lean against him. He barely heard Snape request to take him back to Hogwarts, and he barely heard the Dark Lord agree.

Snape steered him towards the floo and brought him back to his office. Draco fell in a heap on the floor as soon as he stepped out of the fireplace.

"Oh, God, what have I done?" he gasped. "I'm a monster."