Black and White Forever:
Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with Harry Potter. I am not making a profit from this story or anything like that. Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling.
Summary: Fate gets pissed off at having her life's work messed with. This means it's time for war, time for vengeance, time for…Draco to get a new Foster Mother? How did this happen?
A/N: I am currently looking for a beta, if anyone is interested, please review!
I am cutting down the size of the prologue and adding it to chapter one. I feel that this story needs some new life. So, I am removing the original legend, and I am going to play with it.
Prologue:
A young woman with dark, curly hair and a light in her eyes turned to look at the two women next to her. One of the women was dressed in a sensible business suit. Her hair was dark as well, but hers was straight rather than curly. Her age was indeterminable, but she seemed to be older than the first woman when you looked her in the eyes. The last woman was the most different of the three. Her age was indeterminable, but her dark hair was streaked with gray.
The three similar, but very different, women were meeting for lunch at an undisclosed location in the heart of London. The youngest had been the last to arrive.
"I'm so sorry that I'm late. I had a hard time dragging myself away from work." The other two just laughed.
The one with gray-streaked hair leaned forward and waggled her finger at the youngest. "Clotho, we know better." She used her thumb to gesture to herself and the other lady. "Lachesis and I know you had to drag yourself out of bed to come here. That new fella of yours seems to be quite good in the sack." She shared a grin with Lachesis.
Clotho gave a look of shock to Atropos. "How did you know it wasn't Lachesis with someone last night? I could've been working…"
Lachesis placed her hand over Clotho's arm. "My dear, it has been so long since I've gotten any action that I don't remember what it's like to personally orgasm anymore." She let her hand apply some pressure to Clotho's arm. It sunk in like a hot knife through butter. "We all work together. So, I know that wasn't it." She carefully extricated her limb from Clotho's. Then, she gracefully picked up her tea and took a sip.
Atropos smiled, no matter how many lovers that they had had throughout the centuries, no one could compete with the bond that the three shared. "So, did your young man have information over the Veela?"
Clotho shook her head. "No, nothing that we didn't know already." She took a sip of drink, the mannerisms exactly mirroring the way Lachesis' had taken a drink earlier.
A waiter interrupted them before Clotho could add to her earlier statement. "Hi, my name is John. It would be my pleasure to serve you today. Does anyone know what they would like to order?" He was grinning from ear-to-ear, earnestly trying to get a tip. It had been a long morning, and his last table had stiffed him.
The three looked at one another and grinned, a mischievous light illuminating their eyes from within. "We would like three garden salads, no dressing. We would also like three orders of your chicken dish, but bring it in to-go containers. Thank you!" They bowed their heads at the end as they finished speaking.
Okay, this was a little weird for the waiter, but he could handle it. "Alright ladies, I'll have this out shortly." She jotted something down on his notepad and walked off.
Lachesis' eyes glimmered. "He could be fun." She told the others.
Atropos nodded, and Clotho grimaced. Atropos turned her attention to the youngest member of the trio. "Just because he's not your taste does not mean that he might not be good for Lachesis."
Clotho rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom." She then gave an apologetic glance to Lachesis. "But, we all know my preference for red-heads. I see one, and I just can't wait to get them alone! I mean, look at the one from last night: young, tall, strong, and built." She leaned forward with a conspirator-type grin. "He told me last night that he's got five brothers, and they all have red hair too. They're supposed to all be the same shade as well!" She drifted off, lost in thought. "Oh, and two of them are twins. Do you think I could talk them into a…" Whack!
Atropos smacked her upside the head. "Clotho, you know better than that! We're in public! Do you really want Lachesis and I to start lusting after them too?"
Clotho looked down, suitably shamed. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot about the connection for a second there." She looked them both in the eyes. "But, if you two would like, I could talk to him and see if he'd fix you guys up with someone." Her smile brightened. "We could go as triplets!"
Lachesis grinned. "I don't think that that would be a good idea. We've known each other way too long to not finish each other's sentences, and…"
Atropos jumped in. "…it might be a little unnerving. I know that you feel bad for us, but…"
"…imagine how awkward it would be if we all got some in the same night. I'd be responding to what your guys do to you and Atropos, and you two would respond to what happened to me. The last time we tried that…"
"I called out Robert the Bruce's name because my guy was utter garbage." Atropos finished.
They were all laughing when the waiter came back. "Here are your salads ladies. Just let me know when you are ready to leave and I'll bring out your other orders so that they will be fresher. I'll be back in a little bit to check on you three." He flashed a grin and ran off.
They all started to eat. Lachesis grimaced. "I'm really sick of salad! We've been eating salad whenever we go out for the last fifty years." She dutifully took a bite. "It's not that we have to watch our figures. I just wish we could eat other food sometimes." She sighed dramatically.
Clotho just shook her head. "You know that these bodies cannot handle the chemicals and preservatives they use in food now-a-days. You also know what happened the last time we encountered additives." All three shuddered in horror.
Lachesis just took another bite. "There is no way I'll ever do a repeat performance of that, but I can't help but complain a little."
The other two nodded, and they finished their meal in silence. They grabbed their to-go orders from the waiter and paid for their meal.
Clotho was the one to finally interrupt the silence. "So, I guess we need to go to the office, don't we?"
Atropos and Lachesis nodded. They joined hands and formed a triangle. They started melding together as they walked to the center. Then, there was nothing left. They had disappeared in the middle of the street, and for some reason, no one noticed the three women vanish.
They winked into existence in a large room, dominated by a loom. However, instead of three women being there, there stood one. She was ageless, timeless, and scarily beautiful.
This was the Fate. She had power exuding from every pore of her skin. She was untouchable, and she had the power to carry out her job. She was the weaver of destinies.
Fate walked to the corner where a spinning wheel was located. There was a large pile of wool by her feet. It was uncolored at the moment, but when it was placed in the tapestry, it would take whatever hue was needed by the piece. They began to process the wool in the machine.
She began to hum. The noise was unexpected because three distinct voices were heard in it.
"So," Atropos asked. "Do you have plans with young Charles this evening?"
"No, he's supposed to go to Hogwarts tonight. He was only in town because they were transporting a dragon, something for that awful Triwizard tournament. I can't believe that Dumbledore didn't realize that Moody was an imposter. That poor Harry never would have been entered if he would have stopped him."
"Oh, hush." Lachesis said as she wrested away control of the voice from Clotho. "We all know that he would have done it if that Barty Crouch, Jr. hadn't. At least he'll be gone soon enough. I'm glad that I mixed his and Aberforth's threads up when we were weaving. I'll be much happier to see him live for another 300 years than that Albus fellow."
Atropos took back control. "I can't wait for Death to take him, 'Next great adventure' my ass. The only reason he researched dragon's blood with Flamel was to look for a source of immortality…"
Clotho stepped in. "And, if he hadn't been trying to steal the Philosopher's stone, it wouldn't have been at Hogwarts in the first place. Hell, Riddle wouldn't have ever thought of it if it hadn't been for Dumbledore gloating about getting the stone to Snape."
Atropos sighed dramatically. "There is really so much that would be better now if we hadn't promised not to interfere. The way that most people place trust in the wrong people is ridiculous."
Silence reigned supreme while Lachesis thought about what she wanted to say. "Well, we did swear to guide the pure-Veela whenever he came around." The Fate nodded. "We didn't say anything about only helping him after his blood took hold."
The Fate stopped her spinning; her face splitting into a wide grin. This smile was unlike any that she had had before. In fact, it was a smile unlike any that had been smiled before or since. It was beautiful in its ferocity, and any mere mortal would have melted in its wake. It was probably a good thing that the person on the receiving end was Death. "Oh, honey, we need to talk!" The eerie, three-person voice called down the hall.
Chapter 1 Black and White Forever: Striking a Bargain
It had been an eventful morning for a young Mr. Draco Malfoy. It had started out in much the same manner as any morning in the Malfoy household. He had awoken at approximately six a.m. He had bathed, used the restroom, eaten breakfast, and had been sent to study in the Library. After all, that Granger girl had no business doing better in class than the heir to the Malfoy fortune. It was shortly after this time that everything got weird.
He had been researching the uses of Belladonna in the Ardomentitia potion when he was politely interrupted. "Draco," a voice from downstairs wafted in through an antique tube system his grandfather had installed. "Draco, this is your mother. I would appreciate it immensely if you would come to my study. There are some visitors here for you."
This in itself was unusual. His mother was normally absentminded at best. She tended to ignore him, if at all possible. If she wanted him, she would send a house-elf for him. Her calling for him herself, and using such formal language, was not a good sign.
He put his book back on the shelf where it belonged. He wouldn't want to have the house-elf librarian skin him alive.
As he walked down the hallway, the click of his heels on the marble sent his mind racing. There were too many possibilities for what could be happening. He had no way of knowing just which one it could be. There could be officials raiding for dark arts items. It could be some of the Dark Lord's men coming to recruit him. It could be his grandmother. His thoughts stilled as he stopped to collect him outside of his mother's study's door.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door three times in quick succession. It was a matter of politeness. Any faster would indicate that he needed in faster and forgot his manners. Slower knocks would mean that he was resenting coming down, and if he had knocked more than thrice, well, all hell would break loose before he would do that. A house-elf, Bintzy, opened the door. "Master Draco, thank you for coming so quickly." He smiled at the little elf. She had always been his favorite.
He nodded to his mother and her guest. "How can I be of assistance?" he asked politely as his eyes searched the new guest. He was hoping that he would recognize her, but it was of no use.
His mother gestured to the chair across from the guest. "Please, sit down." She shifted her attention to Bintzy. "Bintzy, please make a cup of tea for Draco. Then, ward the room against prying eyes and ears. After that, would you go help Twipsy in the library?"
Bintzy nodded her head in assent. The library was her favorite place in the whole house, and she hurriedly did what was asked so she could go.
While Bintzy was working, Draco turned all of his attention over to the guest. She was a tall, formidable woman. She had long, dark hair, and she was wearing the finest robes that he had ever seen. The fabric changed hue and shifted to suit her as he watched. "Madame, you must tell me where you got your robes. I have never seen anything made quite that well. And, I should know where to get some. Father always insists on providing the best."
The Fate's mind was whirling away. Her eyes kept going from the elf, to Narcissa, and, finally, to Draco. She could not get over the audacity of this pup! In her eerie, three-person voice she said, "Oh, it's not surprising that you haven't heard of them. Your father would never be able to afford to even set foot in the shop."
You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that overtook the room. Narcissa was the first to speak. "Why, I never would have thought that you would speak to a guest in such a manner, Draco!" She stood up and crossed the room to grab him by the ear. "Do you not know who this is?" As he shook his head in the negative, she started shaking him. "How can you not know who she is?" She dropped him back onto his seat and stepped back, covering her mouth in horror.
The Fate just smiled. This would make her point so much easier. "It's okay, child. I know now that he didn't know any better." She gave a nod of forgiveness in Draco's direction. "However, you must remember that your father told you not to let your husband have complete control and influence over your son's education." She took a sip of her tea.
Narcissa just stood there, shame filling every pore of her body. "I know that I should have been the one to raise and educate Draco. But, I was just so sad. I couldn't figure out why. So, I put all of the blame for it on my son."
Clotho felt very sorry for Narcissa. She didn't know what her husband had done. No wonder she had left the poor child to fend for himself. "Oh, sweetheart," a high-pitched, soft voice from the Fate said. "We've got something to tell you about your husband. You might want your son to leave the room before we tell you though."
Narcissa blanched. This could not be good. "Whatever you need to say about Lucius, you can say in front of my son. He needs to know what kind of man his father is." Her backbone was rigid; she would face this head on.
Draco's eyes were bouncing back and forth between the women, following the verbal ping-pong match. He didn't want to hear anything bad about his father, but he wanted to know why his mother was so miserable all of the time. "Please," he focused on his mother's guest. "Don't make me leave. I need to know what happened."
The Fate sighed, gesturing for Narcissa to take a seat. Lachesis' soothing voice was chosen for this dreaded, but necessary, task. "Narcissa, the morning of Draco's birth, something awful happened. The night before, your husband had had to go to a Death Eater meeting." Narcissa nodded. "He hadn't wanted to go. In fact, he had tried so hard not to go that his friend, Severus Snape, was forced to come and get him."
Clotho took over at this point. "He wanted to be with you for the birth of your child. He wanted so badly to be there for you, and there was no telling when you'd give birth. You were due on May 31st, and it was already June 4th. The Dark Lord had called a meeting. He was bound to go, or they would hunt him down and kill him."
The Fate's three voices combined into one again. "He couldn't let that happen to you. You were having his baby. It was completely against his nature to leave you during that time. So, Severus had to come and get him. Without his help, you would have lost your husband that night. That's why you named him your son's godfather."
Narcissa nodded along as the Fate spoke, remembering that horrible night.
June 4th 1980
It was pouring outside. Not only was it pouring, it was sweltering. She was miserable. Sweat was rolling down her body in spite of the cooling charms placed on her room. In fact, she was so hot that she no longer knew why she shouldn't be running around the house in just a muggle sleep-shirt.
She sat down at her dressing table and started to braid her long, platinum blonde hair. Draco, as she'd already decided to name her son, hadn't arrived yet. She was so eager to not be pregnant anymore. In fact, after how hard this pregnancy had been, she doubted that she could have another child. An incredible wave of sadness washed through her at this thought. She had so wanted to have a baby girl, but that didn't look to be in the cards for her.
She should have realized that marrying a Malfoy would limit her fertility. As was recorded in all of their family histories, they only had one child per generation, and it was almost always a boy. There had been one case, approximately 365 years beforehand, when a girl had been born. She took her husband's last name, but her child had decided to revert back to using the Malfoy name when he came of age.
She finished braiding her hair and looked at herself critically in the mirror. Pregnancy had not been good to her. Some women glow during pregnancy, but Narcissa was not one of them. However, Lucius made sure to never let her feel that way when he looked at her. He worshipped the ground that she walked on, especially when she was nine months pregnant with his child.
Lucius was her love. He was also known as the man who stole her heart. Most people who had arranged marriages didn't love one another, but she could honestly say that she was head over heels for her husband. In fact, she could not even remember when she fell in love with him. That feeling had always been with her, lodged somewhere deep in her mind.
A knock on the door interrupted her reverie. "Come in." She looked eagerly over her shoulder. Her instincts told her that it was Lucius who was coming in.
He walked in with a carefully measured stride. Narcissa had always loved the way that he walked. She turned back to face the mirror.
His face caught hers. Intense pain and a sense of malaise were etched onto his gorgeous features. "'Cis, darling, Severus is here to escort me to the meeting." He bent down to kiss her neck. "I have to go, love. As much as I'd rather be here, I have to make sure our family survives what is coming."
Narcissa nodded, her eyes catching his in the reflection of the mirror. She turned her face to the side and kissed him. "Just come back to us." She begged, not caring whether she should or not.
He smiled, "Not even a herd of hippogriffs could keep me from the two of you." He kissed her again and left the room, his cloak billowing about his legs.
'He always did have a flair for the dramatic.' Narcissa smiled to herself and placed a hand on her swollen belly. At that moment, a rippling pain went through her abdomen and her water broke.
Present Time
"Well," Atropos had started speaking now, her gravelly voice adding to the effect of the story. "Shortly after Lucius left, you went into labor."-Draco was entranced. No one had ever told him the story of his birth before.—"In fact, it was approximately fifteen seconds after he had exited the manor."
Clotho took over. She placed her hand on Narcissa's, trying to ease her pain. "It was a very difficult delivery. You nearly bled to death twice before you got to St. Mungo's. They were able to pull Draco out. But, the strangest thing happened after he was delivered. Your body and organs re-knit themselves together without having to be spelled shut."
Narcissa nodded at everything that was said. It had all happened as her guest was saying. But, she felt she needed to say this part to her son. "My uterus disappeared a few minutes after that. They didn't know why, but it was completely gone."
Draco had never heard this story. Oh, he had heard about what an adorable child he was, etc. But, he hadn't heard the story of his birth. Now, he knew why. He got up out of his seat and went to hug his mother. "I just thought that you and father had decided not to risk it. I didn't know that your womb was gone." Malfoy women had died in childbirth quite often, and it would have been the logical thing to do.
Narcissa hugged her only son tightly to her. Her body breaking down into sobs.
The three-person Fate voice interrupted them. "We know why you lost your ability to have children. Would you like to know the reason?"
Narcissa's tears stopped, and she just nodded her head. "That night, your husband was put under the Imperius curse as a punishment. He was made to sleep with your sister, Bellatrix."
Narcissa covered her mouth in horror. "How would that affect my ability to have children?"
The Fate had started back in, "You and your husband are both Veela."
Draco's jaw dropped. "How could that happen? They are both pure-bloods."
"The blood has actually been in both sides of the family for a very long time. Actually, the first Malfoy with the blood came in about 365 years ago, and the first Black with the blood was the first mortal with it in him." The Fate walked over to Draco and pushed him down into the seat next to his mother.
Clotho joyfully took over the vocal responsibilities. "In fact, the blood has been there for so long, that both families forgot that it existed. That's how you came to be!"
Narcissa raised her hand, the universal sign to halt. "If we're Veela, and he cheated on me, why aren't we both dead?"
Lachesis spoke up this time, "Because we had a chat with our best, good friend, Death. We didn't think it was fair to kill a newborn's parents over something that neither had control over. However, he had to have something in exchange for your lives. So, he settled on the ability to reproduce. Since you could never leave one another, he decided to make you both sterile. He felt that this would keep you both equal in the relationship." The Fate took her knees in front of Narcissa. "But, now that I've talked to you, it sounds like Lucius never knew that he had lost his virility."
The Fate placed her hands on Narcissa's and rubbed her fingers along this surface of the back of the hand. "You weren't sad over losing your fertility. You never were. Your bond to your mate took a major hit when he was forced to do that awful deed. So, you pulled back to give it time to heal."
Narcissa silently agreed. She had already accepted the fact that Draco would be an only child. "I thought that Veela's bonds couldn't be breached by the Imperius curse?"
"You and your husband's bond was centered on helping you make it through the birth of your son. There wasn't enough power left to stop Voldemort. Actually, he's the one to blame for this entire situation. You never would have pulled back from your son and husband if it hadn't been for him."
Draco was incensed. "Why would the Dark Lord do something like that? He's supposed to be all-powerful. How would hurting our family help him?"
The Fate smiled pleasantly. "Because, dear boy, Harry Potter isn't the only one with a role to play in this drama. If your father was able to brainwash you into his way of thinking, you'll not make the right choice about your mate, or it will be too late to change what she thinks of you." She patted his cheek. "And, we've been waiting way too long for you to be born to let you fuck that up."
He looked at the Fate quizzically. "What is so special about me? I'm a Malfoy, and I guess I'm a Veela. But," he looked at his mother. "That doesn't seem to be all that wonderful."
Narcissa looked at him. She was shocked by his audacity, yet again. "As I told you before, that is no way to talk to a guest."
"It's okay, Narcissa. He'll know better soon enough." The Fate then looked Draco directly in the eye. Atropos took over the voice. "You will listen to me. You are the first pure Veela born in millennia. Through some genetic fluke, you will break the worst curse we have in our world, if you don't mess it up first." She poked her finger into his chest. "It's a bloody miracle that you've lasted this long, and I'm going to make sure that you live a long and happy life. Now, if you don't start doing what I tell you, you will die at age seventeen because your mate won't accept you. I'm also going to tutor you and your future mate." Draco opened his mouth like he was going to object. The Fate glared at him, and his mouth closed of its own accord. "You will listen to me! Oh, and don't even think that your mate is that Parkinson girl. She's going to marry some Flint character and have a dozen pups." She rose to her feet and started pacing.
Lachesis took up the voice. "Now, Draco, you will go to your room and put everything in your trunk. I will be taking you back to Hogwarts, and I need to talk to your mother alone."
Draco ran out of the room as fast as his legs would carry him. He had only come home to stay the night and pick up things for the Yule ball. This was just ridiculous.
"Now, Narcissa, I know he is your son, but he needs help. He'll never be able to do what has to be done without the proper training."
"I know, but it will take him away from me. I know that I've been cold to him in the past, but I now know why. I'd like to make amends for it." Narcissa cocked her head at the Fate expectantly.
The Fate sat down next to her, in the seat that Draco had occupied. "I know dear, and I don't want to cause either of you more pain. However, he needs this. He and his mate will both need as much knowledge as possible to help form the new world that Potter will create." She hugged Narcissa tightly. "The world could turn into a dark place very quickly without him. Potter will win this little feud with Tom. What side do you want him on when that happens?"
Narcissa just sobbed against the other woman. There were very few things that she had gotten right in this life, and now her trust in her husband was proving false.
Clotho took over the voice again. "Well, now that you know the stupidity of blood, you can get in touch with Andromeda. She'll forgive you."
Narcissa couldn't help but grin at this. Andromeda had always been the best of them. "I really miss her. I know that I couldn't run her off, but she's scared of Bellatrix. I am too, for that matter. How can I help keep Draco safe? Bella will kill him, and I'm sure that he won't know how to treat others with respect. What can I do to help my son?"
"You let me finish his education." She cupped Narcissa's chin in her hand, tilting Narcissa's head to look at her. "You no longer let Lucius run your lives. He almost ruined your son's chance at a happy life. I will not allow that to happen again." The Fate then asked for the one thing that she had dared hope for that day. "You give me guardianship of your son. I will foster him."
Narcissa nodded her head. "Of course I'll give you my permission. It's Lucius' that we need though."
Lachesis took over the voice. Her pleasure could be heard ringing throughout the house. Well, you could have if the room hadn't been warded. "Actually, you don't need his permission. According to the Wizarding Foster Act of 1475: 'At such a time as the maternal influence of the young sorcerer shall deem fit, the child shall be placed in the home of her choosing for fosterage. The paternal influence shall have no effect on this arrangement, once set in a legally binding format.' It was meant to lessen the loyalty ties under feudalism. Before the invention of the paternity charm, they could not tell for sure who the child's father was. So, the ties of the child were determined by the mother." The Fate sat back in her seat, letting Narcissa absorb this information.
Atropos chose to take up the voice from there. "We promise that he'll be our top priority. We really want to make this work, and it'll be the perfect opportunity to get him away from Lucius. Please, can we sign the contract and make it official?"
Narcissa nodded her head. She knew that she had royally messed up in the raising of her son, but she had to have some stipulations in this arrangement. "I want to ensure that Draco can have anything that he needs." She took a shaky breath. "He doesn't get everything that he wants. From now on, he gets what he needs." She pulled out a golden chain with a key dangling from it from beneath her dress. "This is the key to his vault. I was afraid that Lucius would disown him. So, I set up an account for him with the money my father left me when he died. I have let the goblins invest it as they wish. He should be well provided for." She placed the key in the Fate's hand. "I want you to have it for him."
The Fate was touched; they did not know this side of Narcissa. "Thank you."
Before they could get any further, Narcissa halted them. "I want you to give it to him when he is of age. In the meantime, use part of it for him. I will keep filtering money into it each month for his education." She pressed her hands against her abdomen and stood up to pace the room. "Now, for the stipulations on his fosterage: The first is that he shall never step foot in this house again. I plan on having it dismantled after we die. The second is that you will treat him as if he's your own son. Albeit one who was raised with stupid prejudices, but your own son, none-the-less. The third is that after this year, he needs a clean slate. If my cousin, Sirius Black, is acquitted of his crimes—I will move heaven and earth to ensure that it happens—he will be allowed to adopt Draco. I don't care if you continue to foster him, but I would like for the holidays and part of the summer to be spent with him. The final stipulation that I have is that I can contact him at any time, but Lucius will never see him again." Her voice was dripping with venom at this point. She stopped her constant pacing and extended her hand to Fate.
"Are you sure about this? It might be a little harsh, what with Draco never getting to see his father again…"
"There is nothing too harsh for him. He shredded the bond between Draco and I. He might not have done it intentionally, but he did make the choices that led to this dilemma. He went about raising Draco without my input. This is my chance to do what is right by my son, to be a good mother." She looked at the Fate directly in the eyes.
The Fate just grabbed her hand. A brilliant, white light enveloped them and lit up the study. For the first time in history, Fate would foster a child. Like it or not, Draco now had three new mothers.