Breathless
Chapter One
Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy
Frozen... he was frozen. That was the only thing that could cross his mind as he looked at the worried blue eyes of his mother.
"Draco, I..." His mother was speechless. How odd. He never thought he would see the day when his beautiful mother would let her mask fall. Yet, somehow, he knew that Narcissa's mask was not falling because she was letting it go, she just simply didn't have the strength to hold it in place.
"Rhea?" Draco let his voice slip past his pale lips, but he was afraid to hear the answer. If his mother had let her carefully constructed mask of the 'faultless friend and mother' slip, then the answer could not be pleasant, not pleasant at all.
"Rhea is fine; she is currently in the company of your father and your godfather." Narcissa whispered, her eyes flashing in alleviation, for a brief second.
Draco let his breath out slowly, not realising that he has been holding it. He let eyes flutter close for a moment in relief. It wasn't so much that he cared for Rhea more than Calisto. It was just that Rhea was his. Rhea was his to protect and love and hold, and he couldn't bear to even think that she may be hurt, lost, confused and frightened.
"What happened?"
"We don't know as of yet. Valkyrie and Calisto should have met your father in Paris a week ago, but there has been no contact and no signs of them at all. The last time that they were spotted by locals was in Belgium, a few days before they were to leave for France." Narcissa breathed out quietly, almost as though speaking any louder would doom them all.
"Their magical signatures, have they not done any magic in their last week?" Draco asked quietly, already knowing the answer, but wanting confirmation.
"None whatsoever - unless Calisto has learned to master her wandless magic," Narcissa smiled gently, receiving a snort from Draco. They knew Calisto hated to be without her wand; she liked the control that the wand provided and had adamantly refused to even try to do wandless magic.
"Valkyrie would use hers, though." Draco frowned.
"Yes, she would, but we would be unable to trace it unless we are in close range... Severus thinks that it may be a kidnapping. If that is the case, then we have to be open to the possibility that the perpetrators may know the Malfoy Family enough to know a few of our secrets, to try and prevent them from being used against them." Narcissa let her voice trail off at the end, her eyes reflecting a sudden exhaustion that seemed to be too old for her age.
"What do we have to do?"
"I do not want you or Rhea out of the house, but that is impossible as you start schooling next week. I can't bring myself to place you under tutoring... but your father agrees with me. We can't keep you at home, but we can keep you close. You are attending Hogwarts School of Wizardly and Witchcraft for your final year... and of course Rhea will be attending alongside you, for her Sixth year.
"We have already spoken to the Headmaster, and Severus will be present. If Valkyrie and Calisto are not found by the first of September, you and Rhea will be taking a Portkey straight to Hogwarts..." Narcissa took in a strangled breath as she uttered the next words, "if Valkyrie and Calisto are not found by Christmas, you will not be coming home. Hogwarts is the safest place in England alongside Gryngotts. I do not want to chance your safety by having you here at the Manor for Christmas."
Draco nodded, not sure what else he could do or say, and it seemed like his parents had made up their minds about what to do. How practical.
...
Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived... yet again. The Chosen One of the Wizardly world. The Hero of the Light... was completely and utterly bored. He let out a loud and put out sigh of frustration as he waited for his friends to arrive at the Platform 9¾. But the moment he saw the surprisingly small pack of redheads he flinched; although the group of Weasley brought his best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger; it also brought the 'Clueless One', Ginevra Weasley and just as he remembered the girl, brown eyes landed on him and said girl launched herself at him, almost tripping over her trunk in her haste to reach him.
Harry easily sidestepped her as she flung herself into his arms but he was unable to move far enough to keep her from hooking her hand on his elbow. "Ginny, what a pleasant surprise, how was your summer?" He smiled sweetly.
"I missed you this summer Harry, why didn't you come and visit me—us?" Her smile was sugar-sweet and delicately masked in disappointment, as she corrected herself in the face of her mother.
"Because I had other things to attend to..." He shrugged, '...better things to attend to.' He added in thought, turning to smile at the rest of the Weasley family. His answer wasn't far from the truth however; he did have much to do once he had become of age. He moved out of his relative's home and restored Grimmauld place with the help of Severus and Remus. He had partaken in the investing business once he had realised how much profit he had obtained from his silent partnership with the Weasley twins; and not to forget all the training that he was undergoing with Dumbledore, Severus, Remus, Bill, and several other members of the Order of the Phoenix... one member in particular. But said member had been surprisingly absent for the last couple of weeks of the summer holiday.
Hermione had taken a lot of her own time and spend it with Harry at Grimmauld place, but she had spent the remaining days of her holiday at the Burrow. Ron, on the other hand, had spent most of his time working with Charlie in Romania. So in all, Harry had little reason to visit the Weasley's home, oh, Molly did make a constant appearance in the Black residence to make sure that the male occupants and Hermione were eating enough - so he needn't go and check in at all.
"Do leave the boy alone, Ginevra. You'll think he was an invalid the way you drag him around." Mrs Weasley snapped at the petite redhead, as she reached out and engulfed Harry in a brief motherly hug - after swatting Ginny's hands away - before running her hands down his cloak to remove any creases. Ginny huffed but did as her mother said. "Now Dear, how are you? I see that Remus and Kingsley are trying to be inconspicuous." She smiled, waving amiably at the two men, making them blush and advert their eyes. She chuckled. "They need to relax a little before they drive themselves into an early grave." Her face was a mask of sympathy.
"Enjoy life a little before war breaks out," Harry agreed readily.
"War shouldn't have to break out." Molly admonished gently, but she knew that it may be inedible to keep an open war from Wizardly England. Time was running out.
"It shouldn't but it probably will, sooner or later... most likely sooner rather than later." Bill voiced the unspoken thoughts that crossed all of their minds as they made their way to where Remus stood.
"The train will be leaving soon." Hermione spoke up, breaking the somewhat cheerless silence that had fallen as they all stood there awkwardly.
"Yes, well. You kids behave... Do try and stay out of trouble, please." Mrs Weasley pulled each of them into a warm embrace before pushing them towards the Hogwarts Express, except Ginny.
"Yes, for Merlin's sake. Stay out of trouble." Remus seconded that, his eyes narrowed down on Harry as the dark-haired boy laughed.
"Yes, sir, ma'am," He saluted each in turn before grabbing his trunk and turning away, Hermione and Ron falling in step behind him.
The trio loaded their things onto the train and stepped out again to say their final goodbyes to Molly, Bill, Remus and Kingsley. Ginny stepped away from her mother and joined the three, giving her trunk to Ron for him to load it onto the train too.
The train whistled and the remaining students scrambled onto the train before it began to move.
...
"Did you notice?" Hermione broke the silence, bringing Harry's attention away from the window.
"Notice what?" Harry asked automatically.
"Malfoy hasn't made a single appearance since we arrived at Kings Cross." Surprisingly, it was Ron who answered, pointing out the difference, but then Ron was probably the first to notice anything about Malfoy in any case.
"Oh, I hadn't noticed, maybe she's busy... did she get named Head Girl after all?" Harry asked distractedly, turning back to the window as the train got closer to its destination.
"As a matter of fact, I was named Head Girl," Hermione huffed, offended.
"Oh, did you? Congratulations." Harry smiled at her momentarily before going back to window-watching.
"I told you as soon as I got my Hogwarts letter a few weeks ago. Harry, what on earth is wrong with you?" Hermione frowned, but the effect of her scowl was lost on the seventeen year old as he continued to run his mind through paces.
"I wonder why he wasn't there."
"Who wasn't there?" Ron asked overriding Hermione, as she turned a deep shade of red in irritation, her lips poised to distribute some well justified... chastising.
"Malfoy, he was presumed to finish his tutoring but he didn't go... I wonder why?" The Gryffindor answered mindlessly.
"Maybe something happened... maybe that's why Malfoy isn't here either." Ron shrugged.
"Yeah, maybe... do you suppose it has something to do with Voldemort?" Harry turned to his best friend, ignoring Hermione again.
"If Voldemort had something to do with it, we would have known by now. Snape hasn't said anything, has he?" Hermione asked quietly, her anger forgotten as Harry voiced his worries.
"No, he hasn't." Harry frowned, his eyes meeting Hermione's.
"I'm sure we just haven't met Malfoy because she's hiding or something. We'll probably see her at dinner." The redhead shrugged again and settled on his chair.
"Yeah, maybe," Harry nodded, his eyes already looking out of the window again.
...
"Do you think Calla is well?" Rhea broke the silence.
Draco turned away from the fire and looked at his little charge. He opened his arms and nodded his head at her, shifting in his armchair. Rhea moved and sat on his lap obediently; cherishing the small show of affection that would be allowed between the two siblings now that they were entering new territory. "They are Malfoy women, Calisto and Valkyrie; there is very little that can be done to them to hurt them." Draco smiled affectionately, but they both knew that the words were not just said as a simple act of comfort.
"I hope they haven't taken Calla's wand, she gets ever so angry when she doesn't have her wand on her person." The petite blonde pouted pitifully.
Draco laughed, understanding full well how petulant their sister could be when she didn't get what she wanted and when she found herself without her wand. "I'm sure she kept her wand hidden, like father taught us to." Draco smiled softly, caressing Rhea's cheekbone and pushing her hair back.
"She never did like wearing a sheath."
"Oh little princess, if we are going to count all the things that Calisto was not fond of, we will be here for a long while yet." Draco shook his head in amusement.
"Do you think it's time for Dinner yet? I'm suddenly peckish." Rhea perked up, her eyes brightening.
"We must wait for Uncle Severus to come for us, they have to let all the other students in first and then introduce the first years... for once I'm glad we were given a choice. I don't think I would have been able to stand in front of all those people and get sorted at this age. What a ridiculous custom, separating people according to their strengths. Categorising is never a good idea; it's what brings the worst in humans." The blond shook his head.
"You think too much." Rhea laughed, jumping off his lap and pulling him to his feet. "Now, come. I'm sure that Uncle Severus won't mind if we wait closer to the Great Hall."
...
"Are you sure this is a wise idea, Headmaster?" The potion master turned to the aged man.
"Well as far as this being wise, I can't really say. But it is what Lord Malfoy asked for, and I cannot, in all good conscious turn away someone who petitions for help or sanctuary." Albus Dumbledore answered quietly, resting his chin on top of his entwined fingers.
"But Miss Malfoy made quite a name for herself, what makes you think that her siblings will be safe when the rest of the student body finds out that the new year not only brings back one Malfoy but two... probably three, once Miss Malfoy is found."
The Headmaster laughed, nodding in understanding as he looked up, past his half-moon glasses, at his surly professor. "Well, I do have it in good faith that the three Malfoy children are quite as different from each other as the seasons. But, perhaps we should look at possible options that we could undergo in case something does go wrong." Albus agreed, standing up.
"Please, Dumbledore, you would let the Gryffindors get away with far too much to be commended as reasonable." Severus snorted.
"Then perhaps it is about time that things began to change, Mr and Miss Malfoy might just be the stir that this school needs. Now, I believe that the students are arriving, and your Slytherins might want to find warmer wandering corridors." He twinkled.
...
"I don't see Malfoy." Ron huffed, sitting back down.
"If I didn't know better, I would say you had a mighty crush on the Malfoy girly." Seamus laughed as he heard Ron grumble once more.
Ron turned a healthy shade of red as he rounded on the Irish boy that was now laughing at the redhead's reaction, the few seven years that had heard, joined in, knowing the notorious feud that was held between the new generation of the houses of Malfoy and Weasley.
"It is rather odd that Malfoy isn't present; the first years are almost sorted." Hermione turned to Harry, who was not paying attention to either the Slytherins or the Gryffindors.
Well, technically he wasn't paying attention to the Slytherins; his attention was on the empty seat of one Potions Master. "First Malfoy, now Snape."
"What?"
"What?" Green eyes snapped around, meeting angry brown orbs. "What did I miss?"
"Oh honestly Harry, you are impossible. Malfoy is still missing and you're in la-la land." Hermione snapped back, her irritation growing.
"I know that Malfoy is missing! Now Snape is missing too and Malfoy junior hasn't made an appearance either." Harry scowled, his eyes wondering to the Slytherin table for the first time, but just as he thought, the regal blonde was still missing.
"Will you stop thinking about Lucius—and that is what I meant, Malfoy is not here yet! It is suspicious, in the very least." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, her look stern.
"You know better than to be so familiar with Lord Malfoy, and Malfoy junior is of no concern to me. You and Ron continue your pity self-righteousness, I don't care for it." Harry shrugged dismissingly, ignoring the hurt and shock that crossed Hermione's face and the confused look from Ron.
The Headmaster stood up and silence fell just as Ron opened his mouth to retort. "Welcome new students, and welcome back old friends. Today, is a day where we welcome each other with open arms and happy greetings," he beamed, "it's a time for new beginnings and time to get to know new faces." The students frowned at each other in confusion, now sure that their Headmaster had finally lost the plot. "We have already introduced the first years; let us make the last introductions. We have a new Defence Against the Darks Art teacher, she is a lovely little thing," Albus mumbled quietly at the end but the Hall still heard him. Professor McGonagall scowled at him, making a few titters rise across the students and Albus blushed. "Yes, well... Professor Atria Fall, ladies and gentlemen." He waved his hand towards the end of the table were a witch covered in shadows stood momentarily and nodded her head in greeting before taking her place again.
Just as the students were about to break into conversation again, Professor Snape walked in, leaving the side door open. He nodded to the Headmaster before taking his place on the teacher's table. Harry let out a breath of relief that he hadn't realised he had been holding, when he saw the Potion's teacher and carefully ignored the looks that his two best friends sent his way.
"Oh, good, and our final guests..." Twinkling blue eyes smiled as he turned from the door to the tables and surveyed the student population. "As you may or not may be aware, we have a student missing this year. Miss Calisto Malfoy will not be attending Hogwarts for an indefinite amount of time; if at all this school year. In her place we have two new students however, and I am sure that you will come to appreciate them as much as you appreciated Miss Malfoy." Ron snorted at this, receiving an elbow on the ribs from Hermione and a dirty look from Harry. "Without further ado, let me present, for the Slytherin Sixth year: Miss Rhea Malfoy," Ron chocked on his pumpkin juice, splattering across the table and receiving an outraged cry from those around him.
The entire school turned to look at the scene created by the redhead, but soon turned back to their own tablemates, discussions forming in rapid whispers as they looked to the Head table.
"I didn't realise that Malfoy had a sibling." Harry mused, looking at the young girl that walked into the Hall. She seemed somewhat surreal, when he compared her to the Malfoys that he knew.
"It seems that only the Slytherins knew of this little development." Hermione observed as the entire school reacted in some form of surprise, but only the Slytherins seemed to be surprised that the girl was there at all - not that she existed... or more to the point, that she was a Malfoy.
"You can be so tactless Hermione," Harry frowned in distaste but kept his eyes firmly on the Headmaster and the girl that stood in a charming air of importance.
"This young lady is the youngest daughter of the Malfoy household, and until last year, she was attending the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." Albus explained briefly, before turning to the little blonde. "I do hope you feel as welcome here and your sister did."
Rhea smiled beautifully and took a few steps away, turning to face the Headmaster, she curtseyed primly and waited. Albus inclined his head minutely then beamed. The young Malfoy smiled back and pulled smoothly out of her incline and walked down the length of the table, stopping in front of her Head of House. Severus stood and nodded his head then presented a small bow to Rhea whom curtseyed again, beaming promptly at the look of pride that the Potions Master sent her way. With another nod, the dark man sent his latest charge toward her house table.
Albus Dumbledore was positively twinkling at the performance that the young girl showed, and the stir that it caused across the student body. "Now," he called for attention once more and all whispers subsided. "Our last guest is a Seventh year Slytherin." He nodded, all eyes turning to the door as they waited for the latest arrival.
"Great, we get rid of one Slytherin, and two take her place." Ron grumbled, shrinking back in his chair as Harry and Hermione sent him reprimanding looks.
Slowly another blond walked out, but he stayed in the shadows as the Headmaster opened his mouth again. "Mr Draco Malfoy," He announced and Ron chocked in horror.
Draco Malfoy walked into the light and up to where the ageing man stood. "My, you young Malfoys are an interesting lot." He beamed, but received no acknowledgement from the older blond. "Master Malfoy is the oldest and the Heir to the Malfoy family, he attended Durmstrung Institute until his Sixth year, and again, I hope you find yourself as much at home here as you did in your previous school."
Draco nodded, making the same show of acknowledgement as his sister, but a lot less charmingly as he bowed for the Headmaster and Severus Snape before turning to his table and making for his sister.
Harry watched, enchanted, as the regal blond took his place next to the Headmaster. Ron was bemoaning his luck and cursing the fates, but the raven-haired Gryffindor was not paying attention. There was only one word to describe what he saw before him: Perfection. Draco Malfoy was unlike any of the Malfoys that he has seen and met. He had a majestic yet had rebellious streak about him that none of the other members of his family possessed.
Draco felt the weight of someone's eyes on him, he wasn't really surprised, knowing that he was someone that demanded attention, and the situation certainly demanded the attention of the other inhabitants in the Hall as their world was shaken in its foundations – but there was something about this particular pair of eyes. Artfully he let his eyes sweep over the students, looking for the culprit.
Silvery grey and emerald green clashed and held.
Draco stopped breathing, the power that the dark-haired boy exuded was exciting, unpredictable. Yet, no one seemed to even notice him in that way, they seemed to know that he commanded respect but the proper respect was still not presented. The boy didn't seem to care, at any rate.
Harry felt like he was drowning, and didn't much care if he did as long as those eyes didn't stop looking at him. A small smile lifted at his lips, anticipation pooling in his stomach but his heart really jumped when the blond smiled back. It was small, but it was a smile, and not the Malfoy sneer that he had accustomed himself when in the presence of Lucius or Calisto.
"Harry!" Hermione snapped, "Stop daydreaming and tell me what's wrong?"
"Why would something be wrong?" Harry frowned, but was reluctant to break the contact with the eldest Malfoy child.
"You're being difficult." Hermione said flippantly, as though it was obvious to the naked eye.
"Is that what you're calling it?" Harry laughed, but continued to ignore her visually.
"Harry, look at me when I'm talking to you! And yes, that is what I'm going to call it." She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest formidably.
"Just because I'm not jumping at your beck and call, like an obedient little puppy, does not mean that there is something wrong with me." Green eyes flashed angrily as Harry turned to look at his best friend, but his eyes snapped back to look at Draco – who was now looking confused.
"Then what is going on?" Ron persisted, covering for Hermione as she froze in resentment and hurt at Harry's angered words.
"I grew up." The dark-haired boy shrugged, trying to convey as much comfort as he could to the blond, through his gaze.
"You weren't acting like this, this morning on the train. How could you just suddenly 'grow-up'?" Ron sneered in disgust, his frustration at how stupid he suddenly felt, well, more so than usual, coming out and converting into anger.
"I hardly spoke to you on the train, not that it would have made a difference, you can speak for the entire school and still not-" Harry cut himself off angry, turning away from the redhead.
"Fine, so we didn't pay that much attention to you," Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry snorted, "It doesn't mean that you have to be rude. You weren't like that until you started taking lessons from Malfoy." Hermione accused sharply, as Harry rolled his eyes.
"Oh, of course, because you're the only one entitled to be right." Harry spat.
"I didn't say that." Hermione almost shrieked shrilly, losing her carefully controlled temper.
"Tell me, had it been Lupin or McGonagall teaching me and helping me 'grow-up', would you be questioning me?" The brunette opened her mouth to argue but Harry charged on, "You see, I don't think you would and you know what, I am tired sick of your hypocritical and bigoted bullshit. Talk to me when you've grown some real sense."
...
Draco Malfoy watched with well concealed interest as the dark youth snarled and argued against, what he presumed to be, close friends, before the Gryffindor pushed away from the table and stormed out, his dinner forgotten and their 'interaction' halted.
"I see you found the base of power?" Rheas laughed, whispering against her brother's ear. Hey, just because she's the nice member of the family, didn't mean that she wasn't any less Malfoy, and she certainly didn't lack any Slytherin distrust for those around her – especially Slytherins.
"He is... different." Draco supplied easily, turning his attention to the empty dish before him and the food that was displayed for his choice.
"You haven't changed much in your choice of friends. Always looking for the ones that stand out - the powerful lonesome one - that is probably why you lack so many more friends. You're too damn picky." Rhea laughed, pushing a few platters in her reach, towards Draco to accommodate the blond.
"Don't speak like that; you know how it displeases me when you speak in such a language." Draco scrunched up his nose, accepting the platters that the little blonde pushed towards him. "Besides, he doesn't look so lonesome, if those two are anything to go by, and he's a Gryffindor... they always stick to each other... isn't that what Calisto said, loyal to fault... something about 'friends forever'." He fluttered his eyelashes dreamily, imitating his sister's mock Gryffindor look-of-adoration.
Rhea chuckled playfully, "She did say something similar about the Hufflepuff." She added as an afterthought, tucking into her dinner. "Still, will you pursue anything with him? He seemed interested."
"Let's just get used to the atmosphere, see where the wind will blow." The blond whispered, letting the topic slide and their focus shift entirely to their meal.
...