Saving the Savior
Part Four
"When are we getting married, Draco?" Calathea asked softly, snuggling more deeply into Draco's side. The blond pulled her closer, arm wrapped securely around her waist. The pair were alone in the train car for the moment, the others off to touch base with the students from the other Houses that would be attending the Manor's festivities. Pansy hadn't wanted to face anyone, so she had secured a compartment to herself, hiding her badly damaged face from everyone. It was hard going through the school with the scars barely hidden; she was using the break on the train to gather her flagging courage. This would be the first time her parents would see her since the incident, and she was afraid that they'd turn her out for her ravaged appearance.
Slender fingers carded through auburn-streaked ebon locks as Draco leaned his head on the girl's. "I thought we'd get married while we're at the Manor for the holidays," he said softly. "Everyone I love will be there to help us celebrate, and some of your friends will be there as well. Besides, I don't want to wait until after graduation to claim you." Suddenly, he found arms wrapped tightly around his neck and a face burrowed in his shoulder as the girl shivered with joy, blushing heatedly at the promise in his voice. He pulled her tighter into himself, encouraging her to straddle him to make the embrace more comfortable. She settled on his lap, her face buried in his neck as she breathed in his exotic scent. For a time there was silence in the car as the teens enjoyed the peace of the moment.
Calathea eventually pulled back, looking deeply into her fiancé's eyes before leaning forward and sealing her lips to his. Until this moment, they'd been most circumspect, staying within the strict rules of pureblood courting rituals, but her excitement at her impending nuptials had the girl throwing propriety out the window. She shivered as Draco's tongue instantly ran along her full lower lip, and she opened to him, sighing at the first taste of his mouth. Draco's body was overcome with shudders as he finally, finally tasted his fiancée for the first time. The desire to kiss her had been with him since before he'd taken her to the Dark Lord, but, since she was Harry Potter at the time, it wasn't acted on. That was the only time Draco could ever remember actually wishing he weren't straight. The wait, however, was well worth it as he savored the spicy flavor that made up his fiancée.
Thea moved closer, trying to bury herself within Draco's skin, shivering every time his hands ran up or down her back. She squirmed on his lap, and he moaned heatedly, startling a blush from her as she felt his physical response to her closeness. The dim, faraway part of her that used to be Harry Potter snorted its amusement, and she shoved that part of her away. It had been getting smaller and smaller as she grew used to being Thea, and, with that last barrier broken, it finally faded away. At that moment the compartment door slid open, startling the pair, and quiet snickers greeted them.
"Look at that," Blaise said softly, amusement in his voice. "Leave you two alone for a minute and you try to ravish the poor girl." Thea blushed to the roots of her hair, burying her hot face in Draco's neck as the blond chuckled in her ear.
"What can I say," he replied, tightening his hold on her. "She's so edible."
Their arrival at the Manor was boisterous as the Slytherins were finally relaxed enough to let their hair down behind closed doors. Ron observed their behavior with amusement in his eyes, and he wrapped an arm around Hermione, his heart feeling lighter than it had for a long time. He still missed his friend horribly, but figured that, if Harry were out there somewhere, he'd show up sooner or later. When he did, Ron felt he'd have enough allies in the school to support whatever decision the raven made about the wizarding world and the war. A loud clap startled everyone, and they turned to their host.
"Mixey, please escort everyone to their assigned suites," Draco said softly. The house elf bowed enthusiastically and, taking the lead, guided everyone up the stairs and to their rooms. Pansy took up the rear, and as she started to walk away, Draco's hand wrapped around her wrist, halting her. She looked enquiringly at the blond, but he just winked, entwining his hand with hers, since she was one of his oldest friends, and with his other arm around his fiancée's waist, he led the heavily scarred girl to another room in the house. As they stepped through the door, Pansy froze at the sight of her parents standing next to the Dark Lord. Instantly, she was on her knees, her head bowed.
"Rise, child, and come here," Voldemort commanded softly. Shaking, Pansy rose to her feet and shuffled closer, eyes on the floor. "Draco contacted me about the confrontation you had with his fiancée in the Slytherin girls' dorm. Under normal circumstances, I would let you continue to suffer for your foolishness; however, as your parents are two of my most devoted associates, and young Draco is to be my apprentice, I felt that his request under the circumstances was acceptable." Waving his wand, he transfigured the sofa in front of him into a medical cot. "Please lie on this and make yourself comfortable. I have some Unspeakable Healers here who have been researching injuries due to curses, and they've come up with a fairly comprehensive treatment." Eagerly, the girl did as asked, nervous and excited for the first time since the incident that had injured her face had occurred. Movement from the shadowy corners had everyone startling for a moment, before Draco and his fiancée left the room, allowing the people inside their privacy.
"That was remarkably kind of you, Draco," Thea said as the pair made their way to their suite of rooms. Once the betrothal contract had been signed, Thea was moved into Draco's wing. They had a bedroom made up for her, but from the second night, when the blond was an unexpected witness to the night terrors the girl suffered, they slept in the same bed. Draco had tried to get the girl to talk out her nightmares, but she refused, pushing them away to the back of her mind. On this visit, Draco had arranged for a Mind Healer, as well as the Healers for Pansy.
"I feel like it's my fault she ended up so badly injured," he answered softly. "When we were kids, we used to talk about all the things we'd do once we got married. We planned the ceremony and looked at where we'd live. We even talked about how many kids we'd have. As far as I was concerned, it was just talk. I really didn't expect her to take it so seriously. When we got to Hogwarts, and I was around you all the time, I realized what I wanted in a mate. I wanted someone with your fire, your passion, and your courage. Someone who wouldn't hesitate to stand at my side, helping me and protecting me as I helped and protected them. It's funny, but I never really put much stock in fate; never thought that there'd be someone out there that was just absolutely perfect for me. Then you came along, and we became friends, and you came here and surrendered in the single bravest, most selfless act I've ever seen, and I couldn't deny it anymore. I've loved you since I was eleven; I just didn't know it then."
Hermione stepped toward the distinguished man standing at the head of the table, her eyes down as she held the files in her hands with something like reverence. She stopped a couple feet away from him and bowed her head with respect. "Thank you, sir, for allowing me to see into the inner workings of your organization, and for learning of your goals for our world." She handed the files back to Riddle, who smiled and thanked the girl.
"What did you think, Miss Granger?" he asked softly.
"I think that Albus Dumbledore is woefully misguided," she said after a short pause. "I don't know if the information he disseminates is what he believes, or if it's just smoke and mirrors, used to encourage the continuing fight."
"Albus Dumbledore only sees the good in all people," Tom answered softly. "He's really one of the most brilliant wizards to have ever been born, and I think that all that lofty thinking has robbed him of his perspective. He wants so badly to believe that all people have the potential for good; who knows, maybe he's right. However, human nature being what it is, the fear of the unknown and the different causes us to lose sight of the one simple truth; we are all the same under the skin. We all bleed, breathe, grieve, celebrate, love, lose, give birth, grow old and die. Our differences are merely skin deep."
"Ron? Hermione? May we have a word?" Draco asked as he approached the Gryffindor couple. They smiled and nodded, following Thea and Draco to their suite. A house elf had prepared a private lunch for the four of them, and they sat around the small table situated on the balcony. From where they sat, they could see the lawns and gardens, covered with a pristine blanket of snow. The balcony was protected by house elf warming charms, so the two couples could enjoy the view without the cold.
"Mmm," Ron sighed happily, rubbing his hands together at the banquet before him. Everyone selected a plate and filled it with all of their favorites, and nothing was heard for a while but the scraping of silverware against plates, and an occasional hum of pleasure. Finally, their hunger sated for a time, Draco invited the Gryffindors back into the sitting room, where both couples perched on loveseats facing each other. Tea and butterbeer was sitting on the low table between the small sofas, and Ron leaned forward, snagging a bottle. Thea was too nervous for anything; she and Hermione declined refreshments.
"There are some things I need to tell you," Calathea started hesitantly, looking at her best friends nervously. "I ask that you wait until I've finished before you say anything." At the twin nods, the former Savior launched into her tale, starting from when she first started meeting with Draco until the present moment. She left nothing out, and by the time she was finished, Hermione's eyes were filled with horror. Ron was scowling at his former best mate angrily.
"How could you?" he finally barked, face red. "We've looked everywhere for you. We were so worried. We thought a Death Eater had gotten you; that you were in some dank, dark dungeon somewhere, being tortured. What the hell, mate?"
"I…I'm sorry, Ron," the girl mumbled, eyes on her hands. Draco could feel her disappointment and pain, and glared angrily at the redhead, making Ron jerk back and rein in his own temper. "I never meant to make anyone worry. But you have to understand; there was no way I would've defeated Tom. He's got decades of experience over me, and his magical strength is phenomenal. He would've wiped the floor with me, and slaughtered thousands to achieve his goals. This way, the war was stopped before it had a chance to really get started. Besides, I was so tired of all the training. The pressure to be something I wasn't. I'm no Savior; I'm just a teenager who wants a life of her own. Is that so wrong?"
"Oh, Ha-Calathea," Hermione murmured, voice thick with unshed tears, "of course we understand. We saw what the wizarding world's expectations were doing to you. We saw how tired you were when you came back from training with the Order. You barely had time for classwork. We even went to talk to professor Dumbledore about all the extra work you'd been given. He just waved us off, acting like your welfare was unimportant, compared to the Greater Good."
"I was only ever a weapon to him, 'Mione," Thea replied, looking at her very best friend with renewed hope. "A means to an end. He felt perfectly justified in treating me the way he did, because he failed to see me as a person."
"Merlin, mate," Ron said, stunned. "No wonder you took the steps you did. I probably would've too, if I were in your shoes."
"I doubt that, Ron," Hermione teased. "After all, you've always wanted to be in the spotlight. I think you would've excelled as the Savior."
"Well, yeah," the redhead agreed, chest puffed out. "Some of us were just born for greatness."
"Pansy? Is that you?" Theo breathed, eyes wide on the Slytherin girl. The Unspeakables had worked miracles with her injuries, and she was a new woman. They couldn't make her look as she once did after they were able to remove the curse scars; the underlying structures of her face were too damaged. So they called in some specialist Healers, who had reconstructed her face. Gone was the pug look; instead, she looked like a goddess. Her skin was a creamy, smooth alabaster, with a straight, small button nose. Her eyes now seemed wider apart, since her nose wasn't as large as it used to be, and it gave her face a more appealing symmetry. Her hair had remained undamaged; however, because of the pain and anguish she had suffered, there were now streaks of stark white in her hair, giving her a more vampish appearance. Her lips took on a full, sultry look, and were naturally a dark red. Deep brown eyes sparkled happily at Theo's reaction, and she jumped a mile in the air with a squeak when Blaise came up behind her.
"You look wonderful," he whispered in her ear, making her blush becomingly. Theo's eyes narrowed dangerously on the dark-skinned Italian, a snarl curling his lips. Pansy saw the look, eyebrows rising in surprise, and a small, pleased smile spread across her mouth. Blaise also noticed the look, and he arched a brow in challenge at the shorter Slytherin. Theo nodded his head in acknowledgment; game on. Head high, Nott stalked from the library, intent on beginning his courting of the renewed girl, while Blaise escorted her to a chair, a flirty gleam in his dark eyes. This is going to be so much fun, Pansy thought to herself with glee. I can't wait to see how this all turns out. This is going to be a new experience for me, and I have Draco and our Lord to thank for this.
"I am glad to see everyone here," Tom said as he stood from the large dining table. All of his inner circle were present, with their wives and children; friends and acquaintances of both Calathea and Draco were also in attendance. It was to be a celebration of Yule, but also a celebration of new beginnings. "I have a few announcements to make. Consider them Yule presents, if you will." He turned to Lucius and Narcissa, glass raised. "Since making Lucius Malfoy Minister of Magic, the Ministry has run like a well-oiled machine. His grace and intelligence has brought an honor to the British wizarding world that we'd lacked for a very long time. As well, his wife's deft handling of all of the social commitments and galas has elevated our small part of the wizarding world to new heights. Through her, we have been able to secure trade agreements with a variety of magical and muggle communities, and she has been instrumental in easing the way for our meetings with the various magical creatures, both Light and Dark.
"It is with pride that I am announcing that their son, Draco, will become my apprentice. He will learn all he needs to become the International Minister of Magic. I intend for our 'guidance' to go global, and Draco will be the new face of the wide wizarding world." Glasses were raised, and a chorus of 'hear, hear' resounded around the table as everyone agreed with the Dark Lord's assessment. Beaming, Draco bowed his head and graciously accepted the position. Riddle then turned to the Parkinsons.
"Joseph Parkinson has exhibited a quick, sharp intellect, and has worked well with Lucius in the Ministry. To that end, I have created a new position, of which Joseph will take his place. He will be the Assistant Minister of Magic, and will take Lucius' place when he decides to step down. No longer will the positions be voted on; instead, one of our own, who will be extensively vetted first, will take the vacated positions, and work their way up through the Ministry. Only by hard work and merit will any of you achieve any positions of power. No longer will money or blackmail choose the next Minister, or fill the other positions in the Ministry; those days are over. Be warned, however; should you, in any way, do or say anything that damages our credibility or prevents our advancements, you will suffer the consequences.
"His lovely wife, Estelle, will be made Chief Witch of the Wizengamot. She has obtained a law degree in both the muggle and wizarding universities, and is well-versed in international as well as national law. Teodred Nott and Fabian Zabini will be her assistant Chiefs. I expect that any laws proposed to them, or proposed by them, will be fair, impartial and beneficial to all wizard kind." Another round of cheers went up, Pansy's face flushed with pride at the newly elevated status of her parents.
"I will offer the opportunity for all of my associates to further their educations, if that is what they wish. You all will be given a chance to explore different avenues of knowledge and skill, so that you may select something that not only suits you, but will advance our cause and our organization within the wizarding world. Additionally, those of you who wish to be our voices in the muggle world will be given that opportunity without censure. As everyone knows, we are making every effort to try and help the muggleborns that are in desperate straits. Unfortunately, we are unable to save all of them; however, even one precious magical child, rescued from certain death, is worth every effort we have put in so far. So I will need liaisons to the muggle world, to help us find and rescue these victims of circumstance, and to help us develop our trade with the muggle world.
"Though our two worlds are very different, we both have common goals, survival being the most important. Our Potions Master has volunteered to take the best and brightest, of both pureblood and muggleborn, and utilize their talents to create potions that would help the muggles eradicate diseases that they've been dealing with for decades. We cannot help them with all of their ills; however, some of their more pernicious diseases could benefit from our finest minds working on cures that will not harm the muggles. If we show that we are willing to share some of our skills with them, perhaps they will be willing to share some of their technologies with us. Of course, we cannot let on that we are in any way magical; that has to remain hidden as much as possible. But, with a good dose of creative deception, we will be able to help them survive and live happier, more fulfilling lives."
"Thea?" Hermione asked softly. "Can we talk?" The raven nodded and led the muggleborn to one of the smaller libraries in the Manor. They took seats opposite each other, and the silence grew as Hermione tried to find the right words to start the conversation. Finally, huffing out a sigh of impatience at herself, she blurted out what was on her mind. "Why Malfoy? How did that even come about? Are you sure about this?"
Thea smiled softly at the protective vibe coming from her best friend, and said, "Why not Draco? He and I have been involved with each other since we were eleven. Granted, we really disliked each other at first, or at least, we thought we did. I think, after Draco's initial arrogance, I began to see the scared, nervous little boy behind the façade, and it appealed to me. I believe, after second year and the Chamber of Secrets incident, the confrontations between us became a sort of game. I suppose he realized that life, for me, wasn't as easy as he'd been led to believe, and our behaviors toward each other began to shift.
"As for how we got to this point, well, we had been meeting in that abandoned classroom on the seventh floor all of sixth year, and had gotten to know each other much better. We talked out our differences, and became really good friends. I found myself falling in love with him, and wishing that he were gay. When Dumbledore told me the prophecy in fifth year, after Sirius had died, I was enraged. After all that time, and all the deaths, I was finally told why Tom was after me. So one night, after a particularly brutal training session, I went to the abandoned classroom to think. I didn't want to be a part of the war effort anymore. I was so tired. So beaten down. I just wanted it to be over. I got to thinking about the prophecy again, and how to end it without fighting, and it occurred to me. What if, I thought, I wasn't the Savior anymore. What if I could end the prophecy by changing myself. I kept going over it in my mind, and realized that the only way to end the mess, was to change my gender. If I was no longer a he, then the prophecy would be nullified. It was at that point that Draco came into the classroom, and the rest just…fell into place."
"I wish you would've come to us," Hermione said sadly. "We would've done anything to help you."
"I know," Thea replied, eyes down, "but I didn't want to face the anger or ridicule Ron would've given me for my choice." Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to protest the other girl's characterization of Weasley, but Thea raised her hand, forestalling any words. "You know he would've gone ballistic, Hermione. Ron's temper is even more legendary than mine, and he always speaks before he thinks. He would've called me all sorts of names, and would've turned his back on me for my choices." Sadly, Hermione acknowledged the truth of the raven's words. Silence fell for another few moments, until Thea finally asked, "Was…was I only ever the S-savior to you?"
The muggleborn's mouth fell open in shock at the question, cinnamon eyes wide. "No!" she barked out, deeply offended. "Why would you even think that?"
"Because, that first time you came to talk to me, you told me that my eyes were the same color as the Savior's," Thea bit out angrily, still very wounded at the thoughtlessly spoken comment. "You have no idea how much that hurt, to realize that you only thought of me as the Savior."
"Oh, Harry," Hermione murmured, then gasped, hands flying to her mouth in horror at her slip. "I'm sorry," the muggleborn quickly blurted out, face red. "I didn't mean that. It's still a lot to take in all at once." Thea nodded stiffly, face a blank mask. The look hurt Hermione's heart, and she reached out to take the other girl's hand, trying to soothe the pain she had unwittingly inflicted. "You know that I have a great deal of difficulty dealing with people," the muggleborn continued, eyes on their linked hands. "Books are easier to understand; no emotions to get all tangled up in things, no illogical outbursts to confuse things. People are contradictory and confusing and illogical. When I approached you about a common goal for all of the Houses, I wasn't thinking of anything but trying to save as many people from Voldemort as possible. I wanted to protect those in Slytherin who didn't want to be a part of the war.
"Your eyes shocked me; they reminded me of Harry so much that I just blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. I have never seen Harry Potter…you…as anything other than the best friend I've ever had. Your status in the wizarding world only served to irritate me; there was no way that any of us close to you, but especially you, could ever have any sort of peace. Ron and I talked about it once. We both agreed that, should things get to be too much for you, that we would take you away from it all, and hide you somewhere, just so that you could have a little peace, before you lost your sanity completely." Hermione found herself in a heartfelt hug, tears wetting her shoulder. She hugged the other girl back just as hard, a wide smile on her face. "We would do anything for you, Thea. We love you."
"I love you guys, too," the raven whispered back.