[Severus takes a moment to quietly observe Draco: the way he's subtly but anxiously wringing his hands together; the way he sits in the chair almost as though awaiting an unpleasant verdict; how pale and withdrawn he is. He looks like a timid little boy rather than a young man on the brink of full adulthood. He looks like a terrified prisoner rather than a proud Death Eater.

It won't do. If he's to teach Draco how to face his fears, he's going to have to be ruthless. Severus starts forward and he briskly grabs Draco's arm, pulling him roughly to his feet. He wants to see anger, not fear. Emotions are things he wants to teach Draco to gain control of but until then - he needs Draco to engage, to focus, to channel himself in a way that will ultimately help him.]

Is this how you compose yourself in front of the Dark Lord? Like a scared little child? [He lets Draco's arm go with a brusque shove. Peers sharply into his eyes.] If I was the Dark Lord, I'd be disgusted by what I'm looking at right now: a coward.