Disclaimer: me no own
Voldyismoldy: well here it is the next chapter and I am sorry for taking so long. But with two jobs and real life getting in the way I haven't had a lot of time to actually sit down and write. However I finally managed to get this chapter out so here it is and I hope you enjoy and I promise to keep writing and to one day finish this story no matter how long it takes. So please read, review, and enjoy.
Hope you all enjoy this is my late Christmas and new years gift to you all and especially Vegas chick, I am so sorry for making you wait so long hope this is worth it.
Warning: evil stepmother (that is all I am going to say)
Chapter 7. The Dream Ends.
Lady Bellatrix Lestrange was not a cruel woman or at least she didn't believe she was. However she wasn't beneath doing what she needed to do to get what she wanted and she regretted none of what she had done to bring her to where she was now. Having come from a family of low nobility she had done everything in her power to rise in stature and gain the attention of the young heir of the Lestrange estate in Slytherin, the highest ranking family outside of the Riddles in that part of the kingdom.
The marriage between her and Rudolphus had not been what one would consider a happy one but it was satisfactory to them and produced two daughters though no sons. It had ended in tragedy after only ten years when they, as a family, had been traveling to Ravenclaw and were attacked by bandits along the way. Rudolphus had been killed immediately and if not for the timely arrival of the then heir to Slytherin, Tom Riddle, she and her daughters would have been killed too.
He had saved their lives that day and she had become irrevocably enamored with the handsome young man. She had hoped to marry him herself but had quickly learned of his obsession with the toddler heir of Gryffindor. Wanting nothing more then to serve him she had wormed her way into James Potter's life and convinced the grieving widower his son needed a mother and siblings. She truly believed James had loved her and though she didn't love him she had mourned his death knowing he was a good man.
Bellatrix had hated James's son from the beginning, the child was far to beautiful for a boy with his dark hair and bright green eyes, easily overshadowing her own daughters with their plainer features. He was greatly beloved by all in Gryffindor and at his father's death he had inherited everything leaving only a small stipend for her and her children, the same as with Rudolphus's death as everything had gone to his younger brother, Rasbastan, leaving her with nothing.
She would not allow that to happen again however, the boy had already taken Riddle from her, but he wouldn't take the Potter fortune and title from her or her daughters. Much to her delight Riddle had told her she could treat the boy in anyway she liked and the worse she did to him the better as the man wanted him weak and controllable when he came to take him which worked perfectly with her own plans. She had quickly gone about pronouncing the boy dead of an illness and then forced him into servitude to her with little resistance from him as he was to young to really do anything about it.
The boy had been the bane of her existence ever since but soon he would be gone as Lord Riddle would becoming to collect him within the next few days. Then she could turn her attention on more important things like the disastrous night last night at the ball where both of her daughters had failed to gain the princes attention as they were supposed to have. Instead he had spent all of his time with a young woman who had seemed strangely familiar to her but Bellatrix couldn't get close enough to see who she was before she fled the palace. The girl was now the talk of the kingdom as everyone was trying to discover who she was and what interest the prince had in her.
Bellatrix would not allow some tramp to take her daughters place as the next queen however and would find out who she was and dispose of her. For now though she needed something to take her frustration out on yet the boy seemed to be hiding particularly well this morning as she hadn't seen him yet today. He just better not be having a lie in or there would be hell to pay when she found out, she did not approve of slackers or lay abouts.
"My lady forgive the intrusion but I found something I think you will want to see," Bella turned in the direction of the voice as her coach and stable man, Avery, entered the room with a bundle of cloth in his hands. "This was buried in a pile of hay out by the barn,"
Curious Bellatrix took the bundle from him and held it out to discover it was an expensive looking dress. It was emerald green in color with lace trim and beads decorating the bodice and made of some of the softest silk she had ever touched. Why had this been hidden in some hay outside of her home and why did it look so familiar to her. It was not one of her own dresses nor did it belong to either of her daughters yet she was sure she had seen it somewhere before and fairly recently too. However before she could determine where she had seen it before she was interrupted yet again by Lavender and a young man in the royal livery.
"My lady there is a messenger here from the king wishing to speak with you," The woman said with a curtesy. Bella nodded rising from her seat and both she and Avery left the room.
"Welcome sir it is always an honor to have one of the kings messengers in my home," Lady Bellatrix said with a painted on smile on her face. She put the dress down on the chair she had just recently vacated forgetting about it for the moment. "What is it that his majesty requires of me today?"
"I am here on behalf of his highness crown prince Draco," The man told her with a small bow. A slight look of surprise and pleasure crossed the woman's face as he continued. "He requests the presence of both you and the Lady Lilith at the castle today at your earliest convenience to discuss an important issue between the three of you."
"He wishes to see me and the Lady Lilith today you say," The woman repeated as if unsure of what she had heard even as her face paled. The young man nodded and she forced a smile back onto her face. "Very well then tell the prince my niece and I shall attend him at the castle just as soon as we are able."
"I shall tell the prince right away my lady and he eagerly awaits your arrival," The kings messenger replied giving another slight bow before leaving the room.
Bellatrix watched him leave with her fists clenched at her sides and then spun on her heel snatching up the dress as she stormed out of the room. Now she knew why the dress was so familiar to her, the girl from last night had been wearing it, and the girl was familiar because she was actually the boy in disguise. That brat had been going behind her back for who knew how long, masquerading as a woman with the prince. The little fool probably thought he would never get caught well she would show him what happened when someone tried to trick her.
No one dared say anything to her, not even her daughters, as she made her way into the kitchen. The boy was not there however and after threatening to have Lavender beaten and thrown out the young woman reluctantly admitted he hadn't been feeling well the night before so was still sleeping in her room. Burning with rage Bellatrix burst into the servants quarters and Lavy's room finding the boy curled up in the bed still deeply asleep.
"You ungrateful little Cretin!" She snarled grabbing the young man by his hair and hauling him out of the bed and onto the floor, ignoring his cry of pain as he was brutally awakened. "How dare you do this to me, to your sisters, after all we have done for you, you miserable wretch."
"W. . . What did I do my lady?" Harry asked tears filling his eyes as the hairs felt like they were being ripped from his skull, her nails digging into his scalp.
"Here look at this perhaps this will help you remember," Bellatrix snapped shoving the dress in front of him. The boy's face paled and his eyes widened despite his wince as her grip on his hair tightened. "You dare to make fools out of us by keeping up the deception I began and making the prince fall in love with you."
"I . . . I am sorry I. . . I never meant for it to happen," The green eyed boy replied his voice breaking as she shook him harshly and the tears broke free dampening his face. "I won't see him ever again I swear."
"Now that's where you're wrong brat we will both be seeing him today," The woman told him with a cruel smile as she dragged him out of the room. "The prince wishes to see me and my niece and it would not do to disappoint him. Besides I am sure he will be delighted to discover who his precious Lilith truly is."
Harry gave a small sob as he was pulled out of the room and down the hall past Bellatrix's daughters and Lavy who had followed the woman there. Pansy glared at him hate burning in her eyes but, for a moment so brief he believed his eyes were playing tricks on him, he thought he saw a flash of what could have been sympathy in Hermoine's before she turned away from him. Lavender was fighting back tears as he was forced outside to the stables where Avery stopped his work in surprise.
"He is to be given fifty lashes for his transgressions and then given fresher clothes but his wounds are not to be tended at all," Bellatrix instructed him. The man grinned wickedly with a nod as he took the boy from her. "Once you are finished with that prepare my carriage, we leave for Hogwarts castle as soon as I am ready."
Orders given and the boy deposited with the man she turned on her heel and stocked off without once looking back at him. Lavy remained and followed the boy into the stables by his arm. He brought him over to where a rope hung from one of the wooden beams and tied his wrists together with it above his head. Then he turned the boy around, ripped the back of his shirt from the collar to the waist, and walked away to pick up his whip crusted with dried blood from previous whippings.
Lavender watched, crying silently, as Harry was ruthlessly whipped by the older man. His back, arms, and legs became a criss-cross of bloody red lines that soaked his clothes and stained the ground beneath him. His screams echoed in the barn as his skin was ripped open scaring the horses, who whined and bucked in their stalls. The young woman could barely stand it, for he had never been given so many lashes before, but finally it ended and Avery put down the whip and released the boy from his bindings.
Unconscious from the pain Harry collapsed in a heap on the stable floor already stained by his blood. Lavender wasted no time rushing over to him and tending to his wounds, even though she wasn't supposed to. Avery said nothing though as she tried to stop the bleeding and he calmed the horses, taking two of them, and left the table to prepare the carriage. Gently she wiped off as much of the blood as she could and then stripped him of his clothes before dressing him in cleaner ones. It wasn't until she was nearly finished that he started to regain consciousness, giving a small moan of pain.
"Lavy what am I going to do," The boy asked as she helped him sit up wincing in sympathy as he groaned with pain at having to move. He looked so lost and desperate that her heart broke for him and she could do nothing but wrap her arms around his shoulders in comfort. "Draco is going to hate me now."
"Maybe but it will be ok Harry you'll see," She told him trying to reassure the young man. Harry only shook his head tears filling his eyes and staining his face as she held him. "I'm sure it will be all right no matter what happens now, you'll be ok I promise."
Harry never had the chance to respond as Bellatrix strode back outside dressed in her finest dark purple robe, a small tiara adoring her hair, and still holding the dress and now the remaining shoe Harry had hidden under Lavender's bed. With a snap of her fingers Avery walked over to them and grabbed Harry out of the woman's arms dragging him roughly over to the carriage. Bellatrix was helped into the carriage by one of the other servants and grinning Avery picked the boy up and threw him unceremoniously inside, his cry of pain ignored as he landed on the floor on some of his wounds.
He wasn't even allowed to settle himself as the carriage took off with a jerk sending him back down on the floor, gritting his teeth against another flare of pain. Carefully he got to his feet and sat carefully down on the bench nearest him, which was fortunately the opposite one that Bellatrix was sitting on. The lady was giving him a glare that he was sure if looks could kill would have sent him six feet under in seconds but fortunately or unfortunately he was still very much alive and likely to stay that way for the time being.
Maybe, he thought as he brought his knees to his chest, Draco would be merciful and have him put to death for what he had done. That way at least it wouldn't matter if the prince hated him as he would be dead and unable to feel the pain of it. He doubted it though for when had anything in his life ever been merciful to him. No in truth it seemed he was meant only to suffer under the hands of any who desired it and it was foolish for him to think it could ever be otherwise.
The journey to the castle seemed to take no time at all compared to how long it had seemed the night before and before long the carriage was coming to a stop again. The doorman helped Lady Bellatrix out of the carriage and Harry was forced to follow keeping his head down and his eyes on the ground as he walked a few steps behind her.
"My Lady please follow me," one of the castle servants instructed leading them through the halls to the throne room. Harry never once lifted his eyes as Bellatrix held onto his arm while following the man, his stomach in knots and his face pale. "The king ordered that you be brought to him as soon as you arrived, Lady Bellatrix, the prince is most eager to see you."
Lady Bellatrix smiled as the man turned to open the doors, never seeing the glare she shot the boy who shuddered and paled further, trembling slightly. He heard her being announced and then felt himself being pulled harshly by his arm as they entered the room. He didn't dare lift his head or look up as he was forced toward the front of the room where he could hear soft murmurings of voices. The murmurs trailed off as they neared and the woman stopped pushing him onto his knees as she gave a deep curtsey.
As she did Harry risked a brief glance up at the throne and immediately brought his eyes back down at the sight that met him. The king and queen sat upon their thrones their faces passive and respectful though their was slight confusion in their eyes. On their right stood the two men from the ball, the older man with the long grey beard and the dark haired man with the hook nose, both appeared uncertain of something and were speaking quietly to each other. On the left of them though was Draco who looked startled and confused and trying to hide the pain in his eyes as he glanced between them not seeing who he wanted there.
"Lady Bellatrix thank you for coming so quickly," King Lucius's voice echoed in the room making Harry shudder at the sound of it as he fought back tears. "We know that our summons was unexpected and most likely inconvenient but we needed to speak to you on a matter of great importance to our son . . ."
"Where is the Lady Lilith, Lady Bellatrix," Draco's voice rang out raw with need, desperateness and confusion, interrupting his father. Harry sniffled softly at the sound of it not even caring that his knees were starting to hurt and the marble floor was like ice against his bare feet. "You were told to bring her with you why is she not here and why have you brought this boy with you?"
"I have brought her as you requested my lord however I fear that she is not at all what you believed her to be, a deception I fear is partly my fault," the dark haired woman explained her voice simpering and overly polite. It struck Harry for the first time that she could be in trouble for this too having created the Lady Lilith to begin with and he realized she was trying to do her best from getting in trouble to though that did little to make him feel better. "The Lady Lilith never actually existed I'm afraid she was merely my servant boy dressed up like a lady in order to give my daughters an excuse to go to Lord Diggory's manor so they could see the prince as they desired. I am deeply sorry for my part in this but I had not idea my servant boy had continued to meet with the prince dressed up like a woman or that he would be at the ball last night as he was supposed to be home doing his chores."
"Are you trying to tell me that Lily was nothing more than this servant boy dressed up to look like a woman!" The prince questioned in disbelief. Harry could feel his eyes and the eyes of everyone else on him making him tremble in fear and trepidation. "Why should I believe that. I spent a great deal of time with Lily, I would have known if she was something other than what she said she was."
"It seems he was a much better actor than I believed him to be your highness for he managed to fool us all but I have brought proof with me," Bellatrix replied holding out the dress and shoe for them to see, risking a quick smirk at the boy as she spoke. "I am sure you recognize this dress and shoe from last night my prince."
Draco moved down the steps of the throne his eyes fixed on the articles of clothing being held in the woman's hands. Out of the corner of his eye Harry watched the prince as he looked at the dress and then turned to the shoe. There was a look of deep pain and hurt in his silver gray eyes as he slid his hand into his pocket and brought out the other shoe Harry had lost the night before. He looked at the two for a moment as if still not quite believing what he was seeing and then turned to the boy who lowered his eyes again.
"I recognize these Lily wore them last night when she danced with me," He said his voice barely above a whisper. He took the boys face in his hand and forced him to look at him eyes filled with pain and betrayal as green tear filled eyes looked back at him. "Is this true what she says? Are you Lily?"
"I . . . I am what she says," Harry replied his voice breaking with his tears. Draco released him as quickly as if he had been burned staring at him in shock, disbelief and anger as he backed away from him. "Wait Draco please . . ."
"Do not ever address me so informally boy, I am the crown prince of Hogwarts and you . . ." The prince snapped anger and betrayal contouring his handsome features as he glared at he black haired green eyed boy. "You are nothing more than a worthless little urchin that tried to deceive me."
Harry felt his heart break at his words and he lowered his eyes again unable to keep the tears from breaking from his eyes anymore. He had known Draco would hate him when he found out the truth and that it would hurt but he hadn't realized just how much. The only time he had never felt even a semblance of this pain was when he had found out about his fathers death ten years ago but even that was nothing compared to the pain he felt now. The pain he felt for himself and the young man he had hurt undeservedly with his unintentional lies.
"Get him out of my sight now and never let me lay eyes on him again or he will not survive the meeting," the blonde haired man snarled the shoe still clutched in his hand as he refused to look at the boy before turning on his heel and storming out of the throne room through a side door.
"You may leave now Lady Bellatrix and take this servant with you, we have no more need of either of you," The king told the woman. Bellatrix nodded and with another curtsey she grabbed the boys arm and pulled him to his feet quickly moving back toward the door. "Oh and Lady Bellatrix try something like this again regardless of the reasons for it and you will find yourself facing punishment as well as this boy."
"Yes your majesty it won't happen again I assure you," The woman replied with another hasty bow before she left the room with the boy in tow.
Harry remembered nothing of the walk back to the carriage, of how he got in it, or the ride back to potter manor. His grief was to deep for him to notice anything else as he say curled in the corner of the carriage seat, his legs pulled up to his chest and his face buried in his knees as he wept in despair. His chest hurt and his heart felt like it had been ripped apart as the tears stained his face and dampened his pants.
The dream had ended at last just as he had always told Draco that it had too and now all that remained were the shattered pieces of once happy times shared between them. All he had left was pain and despair and the tainted memories of a love that had almost been his while still being so far out of his grasp that it was like trying to take hold of a star in the sky. He had known from the beginning that it was pointless to even try to take hold it but he hadn't been able to stop himself from doing so.
At least now though it was over and his life would return to what it was always meant to be. A life of servitude and neglect, of abuse and starvation, and he would be content with that. The memories would sustain him for many years and once he heard that the prince was doing well and in love with someone else, married to someone else, he would know all the pain he felt now was worth it. But for now all he could was weep, tremble and hold himself tightly in the only comfort he could have.
Neither of the carriages occupants noticed the figure watching them from above on one of the castles balconies. Draco watched stoically as the carriage moved further and further away from the castle, his eyes cold and icy. Behind him stood Severus Snape watching the young man silently as he tried not to show his pain. That he was hurt was obvious however as he held tightly to the shoe in his hand crushing it against the balcony railing, his knuckles white with the strain of how tightly he was holding it.
Draco remained standing there for a long time until the carriage disappeared into the distance taking what remained of the person he thought he had loved with it. Once it was gone he turned away from the balcony and ignoring the dark haired man walked back into the castle not wanting to talk to him. He didn't care that Lily didn't actually exist it wasn't as if he had really loved her anyway. No he was absolutely fine, there was no pain in his heart and there was no way the dampness on his face was a tear, no way at all.
A/N: Well there it is at last the next chapter of a peasants heart. I found this one hard to write cause Draco had to be mean to Harry and poor Harry. One of his lines is from Ever after and Draco uses a variation of some which I hold no claim to. I hope you all like it and I am sorry for the wait but I now have two jobs so finding time to write is difficult at best. Any way I have started the next chapter of who do you turn to and will update that one next and then a warm summers night so look out for them and please read and review.