Title: Rebellion
Author: Wildecate
Email: wildecate@hotmail.com
Summary: Draco Malfoy rebels.
Notes: Set post BTVS S7 and post ATS S4 and definitely post OOTP.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.

When Dawn opened her eyes what she saw before her was completely unexpected. She searched her memory for what had happened, they had been at the airport, there had been a fight and someone, someone she had vaguely recognised had almost killed her. But after that? It was a blank. And now here she was in a sumptuous room lying on a high four poster bed. The walls were covered with intricately embroidered tapestries, but no pictures. A large fireplace was set into the wall in which a roaring fire was blazing. There were two chairs by the fire and one of them was occupied. She could just see the top of someone’s head. The hair was blonde and it looked like Draco.

“Draco?”

Dawn swung herself off the high bed as the person sitting in the chair stood up and turned. She felt her stomach twist abruptly and sink into her feet. The expression on her face betrayed her feelings as the person standing opposite her held out his hand courteously to her.

“Miss Summers. Please do take a seat.”

She folded her arms defiantly “I’d rather stand.”

“As you wish.”

Lucius Malfoy seated himself, arranging his robes around him as he did so. He tapped the small table next to him with his wand and a platter of food appeared on it. Dawn’s stomach rumbled loudly – it had to be at least a day since she had eaten anything but she wouldn’t give this man the pleasure.

“Are you hungry? I believe the sleep spell that was cast on you was rather strong but it kept you quiet.”

“I’d rather starve” Dawn began but at her stomach’s impatient second rumble she reached out to take an apple. Dawn settled herself reluctantly in the other chair and bit into the apple as Lucius leaned back and looked at her over his steepled fingers.

“Well, well, well Miss Summers. Or can I call you Dawn?”

“You called me whore earlier” Dawn reminded “You’ll call me whatever you want to I suppose.”

“Well perhaps it is not appropriate in company so I think Dawn will do for now.”

“Whatever” Dawn crunched her way through the apple hungrily feeling the sweet juices run down her chin but too hungry to care.

“I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that your friends are safe.” Dawn’s head shot up as Lucius said this. She felt guilty, she had not even thought of them.

“They’re OK?” she asked through a mouthful.

“I said they were safe. I did not say they were OK.”

“What have you done to them?” Dawn put the remains of her apple down and stared at Lucius who shrugged elegantly. “If you’ve done anything to them…..”

“You’ll what? You have no wand and I doubt you are powerful enough to manage without one. Your friend Willow will soon be under the thrall of my Lord and as for Rupert Giles, I doubt he will be able to lift a finger to help you. You are quite alone, my dear so I suggest you sit quietly and listen.”

Dawn swallowed desperately, trying to fight back the tears that were gathering. It had been a long time since she had felt this helpless.

Malfoy’s eyes glittered, her inner struggle was evident. She was little more than a child and would be easily broken. Odd, that such a person carried so much innate power. Of course she was not aware of it. Voldemort had sensed it when she had been brought into the castle and he had stared down at her sleeping face with such a hunger Lucius thought he would take her there and then. But he had not. He had left her with Lucius to watch over her while he dealt with Willow.

“I don’t understand. What do you want from us?” Dawn whispered.

Lucius’ face broke into a smile making him look rather handsome and much younger. Much more like Draco. Dawn wondered where he was but did not dare ask.

“As far as Ripper is concerned, I believe a somewhat messy fate awaits him – he is, after all, a traitor. My Lord is very upset with his betrayal. He did not even have the decency to stay dead. Coward that he is.

“Giles is a great man” Dawn couldn’t help herself “He’s worth a hundred of you.”

“Ripper will suffer the same fate as Severus Snape. If he won’t serve us willingly, he will serve us unwillingly.” Dawn’s blood ran cold through her veins when she heard this. She knew that Giles would rather die than be forced to do something against his will.

“And Willow?” she could barely bring herself to ask.

“Miss Rosenberg. Yes. An example to us all. My Lord informed us of her power and how easily she was swayed to use dark arts.”

“Willow’s good now. She wouldn’t use the dark arts now.”

“You think not? I wonder if you can tell me what prompted her to use them in the first place?”

“Tara died. She was killed right in front of her.”

“And it was vengeance, was it not, that drove her to use the dark arts.”

Dawn nodded. She was beginning to see where Lucius was going with this. Willow was a loving person and Dawn knew that Willow loved Giles and herself very deeply. There was hardly anyone more precious to her. Apart from perhaps Xander and Buffy.

“So that’s why you’re holding me? As insurance? You’ll threaten Willow with my death to make sure she stays in line and uses her power for him instead of for good?”

“Oh no. Nothing so melodramatic. I believe My Lord was planning on having you killed in front of her. Such a shock should push her over the edge again.”

Dawn stared at him her blue eyes wide in horror.

Lucius stood up and moved across the room, his robes whispering against each other as he walked. He poured himself a goblet of wine and then turned back to her. She was sitting, gazing unseeingly into space.

“At least, I believe that was the original plan.”

His words broke through Dawn’s shock and she realised he was playing with her. Playing on her feelings, her most secret thoughts. There was no defence against this. She couldn’t help the tears that broke across her cheeks but she wiped them away before he saw them.

“You see, My Lord Voldemort was originally going to kill you to force Willow back to the dark magic but then we discovered something rather useful about you.”

She met his bright blue eyes and it was at that moment she realised he knew. He and Voldemort knew what she was. But blood that opened portals wasn’t useful. Messy, yes. But hardly useful unless you were an insane hell god.

“You are, of course, aware that your powers do not just extend to your blood? You have so much more potential. You could be incredibly powerful.”

Was this it? Dawn wondered. Was this the best pitch they had? Come over to the dark side because only we can train you? She managed to hide her smile at the cheesiness of it all.

“I could?” she said sounding hopeful. Perhaps she wasn’t so helpless after all. She suddenly saw a very easy way to get close to them and although it occurred to her that she might be getting in over her head, this might be her chance to protect Willow and Giles, to find Draco and perhaps to find out what Voldemort was up to.

Lucius eyed her. The girl seemed broken. She was still incredibly vulnerable – Ripper, Willow and Draco were all ideal ways to keep a hold on her but since Ripper would be under an imperio curse and probably wouldn’t remember her and Willow would be submerged in dark arts that left his son. His son, the betrayer. The Malfoy who had walked in the light. Lucius felt sick at the thought of his son fighting alongside Harry Potter and although Voldemort had punished him severely, it was his duty as a father to discipline his son.

“Yes, you could. The power of the Key is not purely that to bring down dimensional walls. You have an immense amount of power within yourself but you need to learn how to use it. We could help with that.”

“You could?”

Lucius smiled inside. This girl was easily corruptible. She would soon be in his hands. There was something about her. He could see why Draco had been attracted to her but she was a little young for his taste. He moved to sit opposite her again and gave her a fatherly smile.

Dawn shuddered inside when she saw that smile – a predator’s smile. He seemed to have fallen for her act but she could not be expected to give up on her friends that easily.

“What about Giles?” she asked in a small voice “And Willow?”

“Willow is with Lord Voldemort as we speak. She, too, is very powerful and could benefit from his help. I admire your love for Rupert Giles but he has held you back.”

“He has?”

“He must be aware, as we were, of your power. He was afraid to tell you. He has hidden this from you.”

Dawn looked suitably shocked and hurt but her mind was whirling. Had Giles known? Had he really been afraid to tell her? She bit her lip and gave Lucius Malfoy her best lost little girl smile.

“I think it’s time for you to come into your own Dawn.” Lucius continued, pressing his advantage. “And I know that Draco would want this for you. It means you would be able to see much more of him.”

“But you hated me” Dawn was putting up a good fight “You called me a whore.”

“That was before I knew how much Draco cared for you. And before I knew how much power you had.” Lucius saw the flare of hope in her eyes and he knew he was right. Draco was her weakness. And Dawn was Draco’s.

Dawn nodded, seemingly accepting this.

“Sleep now. I’ll send Draco to you when you wake. I think the two of you have a lot to talk about.”

Dawn watched as Lucius Malfoy swept out of the room and then went back to the huge bed. She was tired, the spell or whatever it was had not induced proper sleep, simply unconsciousness and she was tired. Dawn curled herself up underneath the covers and lay awake for some time thinking.

She had to tread carefully, that much was obvious. Malfoy seemed taken in by her betrayed child act and if she went along with it for a while she might be able to save Giles and gain Willow some time. And Draco. Dawn hugged herself excitedly. She would see Draco again.

Dawn slept soundly, her tiredness taking over her entire body and mind and when she woke she felt better than she had done for the last few days. She sat up in the luxurious bed and saw that the chair in front of the fire was occupied.

“Draco?” she said hesitantly.

The figure by the fire turned and she saw it was, indeed, Draco.

She smiled when she saw him and jumped off the bed to hug him. He allowed the embrace for a moment before pulling away.

“Draco?”

“Is it possible that you have been as stupid as I think?”