Summery: Draco comes home one night, drunk, and asks the magic mirror his aunt Bellatrix gave him for his birthday to reveal one witch he wants the most. When Lucius catches him, more than one secret is revealed.
Disclaimer: I wish I belonged to the Harry Potter world, not that I own anything anyway.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Please leave your comments to support this story if you like the plot so far. Without feedback there is no will to write.
The Magic MirrorSitting behind the handsome desk in his home office, Lucius Malfoy was steadily re-reading the last of official documents of Ministry of Magic before finally retiring for the night when suddenly he hears a crash on the other side of his door. Placing the parchments in one of the drawers, Lucius gently pulled his wand free from within his cane. As quietly as ever Lucius walked over the plush rugs littering his study to the mahogany doors.
He turned the knob and slightly pulled the door ajar in time to see his son lose his balance and fall noisily down on the black marbled floor in the middle of the corridor. Letting out a row of profanities before unsteadily getting up on his shaky legs and continuing to wobble toward the carpeted staircase, leading to the east wing of the manor in which Draco was currently residing. Without a doubt Lucius knew that Draco's mental and physical faculties were once again noticeably impaired.
Lucius frowned at the way his son skidded from side to side, trying to reach his destination. This was not the first time Lucius caught Draco coming home at night intoxicated. Each time Draco looked tipsy, Lucius simply pointed a wand at his son and sobered him up with a spell, not wishing a Malfoy disgrace himself. Once clear-headed, Draco would thank him and dismiss his behavior as nothing more than an outing with the members of Order of Phoenix the Malfoys were secretly spying on, before retiring to his bedchambers. This time however, Lucius tried to take a different approach with his son. Instead of shooting a sobering spell at Draco, Lucius quietly fallowed his son to find out once and for all the reason behind Draco's sudden interest in the firewhisky. .
Managing to climb up to the second floor without falling down the stairs in the process, Draco wobbly reached the door to his bedroom and bodily forced the wood to open. As steadily as he could in his condition, Draco proceeded to make his way through the dark room, tripping against his own feet only once before leaning over his writing desk and opening the drawer from the other side.
Lucius came into the room just as Draco pushing himself away from the polished surface and wobble to one of the two couches facing each other in the spacious room. Draco slumped down like a rag doll on the couch with its back to the entrance of the room, never noticing his father stand behind him. Draco pulled something in front of his face and whispered in a slurred command, "Show me Hermione Granger", before smiled like an imbecile.
Frowning, Lucius leaned forward and squinted his eyes against the sudden bright light radiating from the object in Draco's hand. Recognizing the object as the priceless Magic Mirror Draco had received from aunt Bellatrix for his 23rd birthday, four months back. The mirror's magic allowed anyone holding it to summon any other living being under its smooth glossy surface.
Just like Draco, Lucius watched the images of Hermione Granger just as she finished with the last set of embroidered buttons of her pajama top before crawling under the warm covers. Still smiling to whatever reason, Hermione reached her left hand and switched the nightlight on her night table. It didn't go unnoticed by Lucius the cheap, tiny diamond ring twinkling merrily in the light before a complete darkness engulfed the looking glass.
Even though Draco couldn't see Hermione's form clearly, he knew that the mirror was still showing her now sleeping form. Ever so gently, Draco traced the tips of his fingers over the glossy surface of the mirror, dreamily murmuring, "So beautiful. The perfect Malfoy bride."
Lucius had just about had enough at that point. Walking around the couch, he illuminated the room with a flick of his wand, making Draco cover his eyes with his free hand to ease the pain in his head. Slowly adjusting to the unwelcome lighting, Draco brought his hand down and looked up at his father.
Sighing at his son's sorry state, which included a flushed face, reddened eyes, reduced inhibition and uncharacteristic behavior. Grabbing the magic mirror from his son's loose grasp, Lucius pointed his wand at his son once again, shooting a sobering spell and waited in boredom as Draco came to his right mind.
"Father?" Draco asked surprised to see his father looming over him. "What are you doing here?"
"It is I who should be asking the questions here, Draco." Lucius fired back as he gently shook the priceless possession in front of Draco's face. "What is the meaning of this, boy?"
"I am not too certain of what you are referring…"
"Hermione Granger!" Lucius cut him off in a tight whisper, his eyes looking both ways in their own accord to make sure there was no one else slithering about before continuing. "Don't try to hide it from me, Draco. I heard you summon that mudblood through the magic mirror with my own ears."
"Are you spying on me, father?" Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Be thankful that it was I and not some other death eater that caught you fantasizing about that particular mudblood." Taking a deep breath to calm himself in order to have a civilized conversation with his son, Lucius sat on the chair that faced his son's and prayed for patience "Talk to me."
Draco dropped back into his own chair and simply stated, "I want her, father."
"You what?" Lucius stared at his son in shock.
"I want her for my self and at my side." He explained. "As my wife."
"Have you lost it completely boy?" Lucius asked in rage. "Do you know what the Dark Lord would do to you if he heard a wind of this? He'll think that your loyalty is wavering and you are turning sides for real!"
"The Dark Lord needn't question my loyalty. It is without a doubt belongs to him and no other." Draco answered honestly, dismissing the silly notion.
"Then why are you thinking of that Granger girl in such a manner?" Lucius asked disgusted. "She is a mudblood for Salazar's sake."
"No, she is not." Draco stated slowly. "I know for that for a fact."
"And how do you come by that conclusion, son?" Lucius asked in shock and curiosity.
"Research." Draco simply stated.
"Please elaborate so I may understand your point." If Draco was right than that changes everything.
"Father," Draco began. "I have been in love with Hermione for more than half my life. The moment she dared to touch me in our third year of Hogwarts, she had marked me for life." Draco smirked, remembering that fateful day. "I was the shadow she never realized followed her since that moment on." Looking at his father, Draco asked, "How do you think I was always able to tell you what's going on with the Golden Trio and their pathetic friends?"
Lucius realized that it was all true. Anytime he questioned Draco about Potter and his friends, Draco always had a voluble answer.
"Getting into their inner circle at the middle of seventh year was so easy that it had me laughing for hours. All I had to do was say all the things I knew they wanted to hear and I was in just like that," he snapped his fingers. "It's true what they say about Gryffindors, you know. They are as brave as they are trusting."
Lucius nodded in agreement. Because of Draco's connection with the Order of the Phoenix the Malfoys have been on Voldemort's good side for years now. "So what makes you think that know-it-all is no longer a mudblood? Is she a half-blood?" Lucius asked in the same disgusted tone.
"Pure-blood, father." Draco answered. "Hermione is a pure-blood witch."
"How is that even possible?" Lucius whispered hoarsely.
"I am sure you do not need me to lecture you in human biology, father, seeing as how you and mother successfully conceived me." Draco drawled sarcastically.
"Don't get snippy with me, Draco." Lucius warned darkly and then asked. "So I presume those disgusting muggles adopted her?"
"No, father." Draco shook his head. "The Grangers stole Hermione from a nanny who babysat Hermione when she was just a toddler."
"What?" Lucius asked aghast. "How could they even succeed?" In the wizarding world, when a nanny was hired, it was their responsibility to protect the child at all cost. Protecting the child from unnatural deaths was one of the job descriptions. "When did you find out about all this, son?" Lucius asked.
"On my 23rd birthday." At the confused look Lucius shot him, Draco explained. "After the party, I went to my room and decided to examine Aunt Bellatrix's gift." He nodded toward the magic mirror that Lucius still held. "The first person that I wanted to see was Hermione. However, as you know I usually address her as Granger. So the mirror showed me a Granger…George Granger, that is. Her father." Draco scowled at the memory. "I was going to ask to see Hermione, when I heard him tell his wife: 'What Hermione doesn't know won't hurt her'. That statement on its own sparked my interest as I continued to watch and listen."
***
"I absolutely agree with you," replied Mrs. Granger. "I don't know what I would do if Hermione finds out that she truly is not our daughter."
"Yes," sighed Mr. Granger. "Seeing that car accident today sure did bring memories."
"It felt like I was replaying our own hit and run twenty-one years ago." Said Mrs. Granger, probably remembering that horrible night.
"Let's not talk about this again, Jane." Mr. Granger said as he turned the lights off. "What's done is done. If it weren't for that incident we still wouldn't have anybody to call our own. As far as I am concerned Hermione is our daughter to the core."
***
Lucius sat dumbstruck for a moment. "What incident was he talking about?"
"That's what I wanted to know." Smiled Draco. "So, I made a friendly visit to the Grangers at their own house the night I knew Hermione would be busy at the headquarters. Dealing with those muggles was so easy it was disgusting. But anyway, while waiting for Mrs. Granger call her husband, I added three drops of veritaserum into their teacups. Unsuspicious they drank their fill before I began the questioning.
"You can't even imagine my surprise at how they retrieved Hermione." Draco smiled at the way his father was anxiously waiting for him to continue. "Do you know on what day they found Hermione, Father?" Not waiting for the answer, Draco continued. "October 31st 1981."
"That is the same day when the Dark Lord had disappeared." Whispered Lucius.
"Yes. That night the Grangers were driving home from some Halloween party. Drunk." Shaking his head Draco continued bitterly. "They said that the lighting was so poor and the narrow road was so slippery that they never noticed a cloaked figure run out from the trees until the collision occurred.
"When Mr. and Mrs. Granger came out of the car, they saw a young woman laying on the wet asphalt. Not too far from her was a bundle, also wrapped up in a cloak. The bundle began to wail and they knew it was a child. Mrs. Granger picked up that child and told her husband to do something about the dead body before sitting back into the car.
"That despicable muggle didn't even check whether or not it was a dead body. It wasn't. That woman was still alive when he pulled her body away from the road and let it roll down the muddy hill bellow before driving away as though nothing had happened.
"For months they lived in fear that someone would claim the little girl they fell in love with. When no one ever questioned them they relaxed until the day Hermione received a letter from Hogwarts. Ever since then, the Grangers knew that the reason no one ever questioned where the child came from was because that child was from a different world."
Father and son looked at each other thoughtfully. The silence stretched as the candles fire crackle away.
"I presume you know what family she belongs to?" Drawled Lucius knowing full well that his son wouldn't disappoint him.
"Rosier," he answered gloomily.
Shocked beyond belief, Lucius asked just to be sure. "As an Evan Rosier?" Draco nodded. "Hmm, how interesting."
"Yes, those were my sentiments exactly." Said Draco.
"Evan Rosier was killed by Aurors the year Dark Lord fell. He preferred to fight rather than come quietly and was killed in the struggle. Unlike Karkarove, who was captured at the same time, Evan violently resisted arrest, blasting a significant part of Alastar Moody's nose off during their duel. Moody defeated and killed Evan. " After a minute or reminiscing, Lucius pondered. "How did you find out her parentage, Draco?"
"Her blood, father, of course." Draco said sardonically. "I savored a drop of her blood when she cut her finger while preparing dinner one night a few moths ago. I aided her with a cotton roll before she cleverly reminded me that I was a wizard and to use magic to heal the wound. I used the bloody cotton roll for analysis."
"Hmm. This still doesn't answer why you've been aparating home almost every night in the past week, drunk out of you mind might I add, instead off sleeping at the headquarters?" Lucius thoughtfully asked his son. "Finding out Ms. Granger's blood status should have made you happy since you fancy the witch so much."
"That's the point, father." Draco replied in a dangerous whisper. "I not only fancy her but also obsessively love her." He sight and then elaborated. "She, however, barely can stand the sight of me. Hermione never for a moment believed my sincerity to aid the light side. She is still the only one who always questions my motives."
"That shouldn't be that surprising, son." Lucius supplied. "After all, the don't call her the smartest-witch-in-a-generation for nothing."
"I am not upset because she does not trust me or even love me for that matter." Draco said exasperated. "I am upset because that red-headed weasel finally found the guts to propose to her a few days ago. After thinking it over for a few days, Hermione agreed to marry him today, during our supper."
"That is curious," Lucius' eyes twinkled. "So what do you plan to do about it?"
Smirking evilly, Draco answered. "Take the grooms place of course."
"And how do you plan to accomplish that task?" Lucius nudged.
Before Draco could reply, a gray mist appeared between the two seated wizards, making father and son raise on their feet in surprise. A second later the mist turned to a solid, intimidating figure of Lord Voldemort himself.
"Pleassssse, Draco Malfoy," the Dark Lord hissed. "Let me help you achieve your greatessssst desiressss."
"My Lord." Father and son said in unison before kneeling in front of their master.
"Rissssse, my loyal ssssservants," he waited for them to comply before drawing his wand and transfiguring another arm chair and sitting down. "Join me." He gestured for the wizards to sit as well.
"My Lord," said Lucius once he was seated. "What a pleasant surprise to see you in the manor."
"No, Luciusssss, the pleasssssure is all mine." Voldemort nodded pleasingly. "It isssss indeed comforting for my peace of mind when I persssssonally overhear my loyal sssssubjects' declaration of undeniable loyalty."
"You needn't ever think about our allegiance, my lord." Draco promptly added.
"Yesssss." Voldemort agreed. "I hope you do not mind that I overheard your entire conversation with your father. I must admit myself sssssurprised just, as Lucius had been after learning that Potter's mudblood friend is mudblood no more. In fact, she isssss and alwaysssss hasssss been the daughter of one of my loyal but sadly lossssst comrade." Voldemort smiled sadly remembering Evan. "Rosssssier. Hermione Rosssssier." After Draco confirmed, Voldemort continued. "And how doesssss our newly found pure-blood witch feelsssss about her real heritage."
"She doesn't know anything about it, my lord." Draco answered honestly. "The only ones who are aware of this fact are the three of us and those parasites that call themselves her parents."
"Isssss there a reason why you haven't told that witch the truth?" Voldemort asked highly amused.
"Hermione is not such an easy trusting person, my lord." Draco said quietly. "Even after five years of my so-called support to the light, I could still see uncertainty in her eyes. I didn't think telling her that she really is a pure-blood witch would be such a good idea at thins point."
"Perhapsssss," agreed Voldemort. "But now that we know she really isssss a pureblood, I do not believe that anyone from your ssssside would terribly mind if you chose to claim the witch." Voldemort chuckled at the sparkles emerging from Draco's mercury eyes. "I will give you all the sssssupport that you'll need in claiming that witch for you own." His red eyes darkened as he continued. "Ridding the Wizard World of another Weasley, shouldn't be such a terrible loss seeing as how many are out there poisoning our way of life, don't you agree, gentlemen?"
The three wizards smirked in agreement. Yes. Cleansing their world of another blood-traitor wouldn't be such a big loss at all.