AN: I found some old notes of plot ideas for this on my XHD - really half-assed plots mostly... but I think I can come up with better workarounds with my base ideas. Kinda excited to continue this now. I will only remind you once again this fic was started in 2004. With all my go-to tropes, over-used plot lines and typical AU devices, I am still shocked I am getting follows, favs and comments. I cant thank you all enough.
Please continue to endure my continuous tropes with twists this chapter too - you have been warned ;)
OWTF…
Magical Connections - part 2 (chap 10)
"No matter how I look at it, my Lord, it still disgusts me." Lucius stood rigidly before his master; jaw clenched tight as he thought about the dirty muggle witch's sudden transformation into a half-blood know-it-all, bound by magic to marry his pure-blood son.
Darien Valhalla was a great friend over the years, and Lucius tried to remain confident upon hearing his news. Veela was already in their bloodline, after all. Draco marrying the half-blood could be worse, given the almost mudblood history of the witch in question. There was no changing this unbreakable contract, but Lucius couldn't feel settled in the least; he was tainting the Malfoy bloodline! Strangely, it made the Dark Lord especially happy hearing the news that his son was bound to Potter's half-blood wench.
"Doesn't it, though?" Voldemort's tone indicated agreement, but he was still pleased. "Destroying Potter's friends, slowly one by one... from the inside out." He hummed at the thought. "All thanks to that friendly little contract of yours. Consider it a temporary means to an end." The Dark Lord chuckled and squeezed down on Lucius' right shoulder in warning and promise. "You may yet survive Lucius. But we both know Potter and his supporters will not. It won't be much longer now."
Lucius could only nod stiffly.
"Now, fetch me your son."
Sitting side by side, Blaise and Draco barely spoke all Potions class, unless required to for measuring and checking their work. Snape rearranged the pairs for today only - as Granger was ordered to rest.
Potter and Weasley were glaring holes into the back of Draco's head, all class, but he seemed not to notice, or care.
Somehow, Draco looked different after his "talk" with Granger. What did they talk about that made him have that look on his face? His mood swings were ridiculous. From murderous to absolutely serene in a mere hour and a half. Draco wasn't even acknowledging him now, no anger, no frustration - nothing. He would get Draco talking if it was the last thing he did. It wasn't until Blaise cornered him after class, just outside Snape's door on the stairway.
He was getting answers, now. "What the hell is going on Draco! And why was Granger crying earlier? Talk!"
"The History of the Veela and the Valkyrie." Draco sighed randomly, reaching into his bag, looking for something.
"What?" Blaise stared at his fellow Slytherin. Was Draco going crazy too? He knew the Veela's blood meant his friend's marriage contract was in full control; but who cares about Veela or any other magical creature? He didn't want a history lesson; he wanted real answers.
Draco pushed the heavy book into Blaise's chest with resounding force. "Read it. Then we'll talk." Draco promised, lifting his bag back over his shoulder, giving his friend a tired look. "I should've just read it from the start like Granger said. Would have saved us all a lot of trouble." Draco grumbled reluctantly, pushing past his friend, back towards his common room sporting an odd smirk. "It's always in the books."
Blaise wasn't sure what to make of his chuckling friend; he held the strange book tightly in his fists. He couldn't contemplate long before Snape's door swung open, and their teacher's voice bellowed down the corridor after the blonde.
"Mr. Malfoy. A word. Now."
Glancing back at their professor, whose stern face showed no indication of reason, Draco appeared confused but obliged none the less.
For the second time that day, Blaise could only watch his friend helplessly, as Draco disappeared into the office.
"Everyone's been so worried about me and this stupid contract we forgot about you." Hermione sighed finally catching Alex for some much-needed answers.
Alex had hurried to the Headroom to check on her as soon as Potions class was over. Claiming she was worried about Hermione, after reading the odd atmosphere between Draco and Blaise, assuming something happened. Hermione could have easily gone off on another tangent about these new connections she and Draco were sharing, and everything the book had said - but she caught herself this time. Her head was clear now.
After waking up to Draco gone (to Potion class), and that crazy meltdown just an hour earlier... She decided to take a dose of potion for the symptoms just in case, and waited for Draco to come back from class, they still had lots to discuss - but it was Alex knocking on their door first. Draco was clearly taking his time; Blaise probably wanted answers after that display in the corridor earlier.
So here she was, still curled up on the couch as they spoke; Alex was sitting in the chair across from her, the same chair normally reserved for her roommate.
Alex was caught off guard. "What?"
"Can you tell me what happened at your aunts over Christmas holidays? You came back to Hogwarts the day after Christmas and were hospitalized for a week! Something must have happened, Alex! You are okay now, but you weren't then, were you?" Hermione finally asked. She needed to know why her Dark Mark exploded in pain that night, almost three weeks ago now. She no longer had her head swimming in lust or clouded by bizarre urges. She could finally remember that pain, a different type of pain than the daily emotions.
"What? No, nothing!" Alex gasped, panic-stricken. "My aunt is a muggle, but she knows we have better medicines in the Magical world sometimes, so she sent me back to get well. It was - it was girl problems, - y'know? Cramps and food poisoning? My aunt is a terrible cook most days." She offered hurriedly and lamely. Her fluctuating tone indicated she was only trying to convince herself this reason.
"Is that the story you told the boys?" Hermione leaned forward, staring hard at her friend. "I'm not so easily fooled like your boyfriend or Ronald, Alex." She said sternly, almost offended. "What happened? I know something haa-" Hermione couldn't finish her berating lecture, because she felt the hot pain in her shoulder explode again, striking her so quickly it took her breath away. She lurched forward off the couch, landing chest first just as her left arm exploded in the same pain. Searing down her forearm as her shoulder pulsed in unison.
"ARGH!"
"Hermione?! Hermione! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Alex was at her side, shaking her body.
Only she couldn't... not anymore, as suddenly her vision blurred and the images around her began to change. Alex and her common room disappeared into darkness. Clutching her left arm, she looked up into the eyes of the Dark Lord. He was smirking down at her in triumph as he finished the last flick of the spell with his wand. The Dark Mark now burned into her pale skin, only... it wasn't her skin. This wasn't her arm.
This was her mate.
This was Draco's arm.
Suddenly she was in a dimly lit dungeon, surrounded by faces both familiar and strange.
"Congratulations Draco, you now belong to me. And you will come to me from now on, whenever I call you." His voice was so close; she felt his sticky breath whisper his malicious warning against her fiance's cheek - as he wrapped Draco in his long arm for an awkward hug. She felt Draco's fear consume his stiff form as her own. She couldn't move. Or was it Draco that couldn't move?
Her eyes darted around the room, desperate to find them a way out. Noting Professor Snape, Lucius Malfoy, and his wife in one corner of the room. Narcissa was sobbing quietly as she watched her son. Wormtail and Bellatrix Lestrange stood a few feet behind their Lord - while other Death Eaters stood still and silent in their hooded robes at the edges of the room.
"I have a crucial mission for you and your very special cousin, Draco." Voldemort circled Draco, as the teen struggled to regain his breath from the pain - eyeing him like prey. "You are both, my eyes and hands in Hogwarts now."
She felt Draco's confusion. "Cousin, My Lord?"
Voldemort scoffed, before sending a death glare back at Bellatrix. Draco's aunt shifted uncomfortably under his glare. "Why am I always the one explaining your mistakes, Bella?" Voldemort's frustration was rising. "Do explain to your dear little nephew, your enormous fuck up - the one that we will be using to our advantage? I don't like repeating myself, do I?"
"O-of course not, My Lord." Bellatrix stepped forward, leaning forward in submission. Though she was a tall woman with long, thick messy shiny dark hair, thin lips, a strong jaw, and heavily-lidded eyes with long eyelashes - she curled her body downward as she looked up at her master sadly, before glancing back at Draco. "Everyone here knows I am our Lords most loyal follower. I will do anything he asks." She announced proudly, before her voice dipped low again, "So when he finally told me to take care of his sexual needs, I was only more than happy to oblige such a request." She ignored Draco's pale complexion. The mere thought of his aunt and the Dark Lord getting sexual - Hermione felt her stomach lurch in disgust too.
"When I learned I was pregnant; I was so honored to carry such a powerful man's heir..." His aunt trailed off quietly, hoping not to upset her Lord further by telling the truth. But then again, it appeared Voldemort already knew everything now. "She was like a trophy I couldn't bear to destroy. But I knew our Lord wouldn't want to be burdened by such a mistake. So I gave birth to her in secret and gave her up for adoption at the Ministry. I would do anything to stay beside our Lord. Anything!"
Voldemort had his back to them. They were unable to gauge his reaction. So his aunt continued, unable to focus on Draco, her eyes stared into Voldemort's back longingly for a moment. "I named her Aquilla Lyra Black. But it appears her adoptive parents renamed her." Bellatrix suddenly scoffed at the memory. "Alex Kydell. A muggle last name! That wretched witch who adopted her married a muggle and tainted such a precious gift with their name-"
"SILENCE BELLATRIX!"
Voldemort's rage was emanating the room, Death Eaters shrunk back, Hermione felt Draco shift uncomfortable as Bellatrix dropped to her knees.
'What?' Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Alex is Bellatrix and Voldemort's daughter? Impossible!'
'Granger?' He could suddenly feel her everywhere. 'Not here!'
"Forgive me, My Lord... I am just so ashamed, this has befallen you, all because of me-"
"Crucio!" Voldemort had her crumbled in a ball on the floor with a mere flick of the wrist. Draco was stiff again.
'Malfoy, are you okay?'
'It's not safe to be in my head right now, Granger. Stop it, now!'
"Yes, this is your mess." Voldemort ignored Draco for the moment as he glanced down at Bellatrix's trembling form. "Now stay silent if you wish to continue the honor of serving me."
Bellatrix mumbled a quiet, "Thank you, My Lord." Before slipping back into the darkest corner of the room to hide her tears.
Suddenly Voldemort's blood red eyes were glaring back at her. "So you see, Draco. You and I are family now." A shiver traveled up Draco's spine causing Hermione to shudder in response. "You could call this family business now."
Suddenly Draco was shutting her out; pushing her out of his mind with a weak form of Occlumency. She could have fought it too, their magical connection was stronger, but her right shoulder exploded in pain suddenly once more.
"Hermione! Wake up! Please wake up!" Alex's hand pressed against the Dark Mark through her robes, shaking her friend's shoulders violently, shocking her back into the common room once more.
Wheezing, trying to catch her breath - Hermione found herself on the common room floor on all fours, trying to focus on her new surroundings again. She wasn't quite sure what had happened. She was dizzy from the pain, but she remembered their mental bond would grow stronger if their mate were in danger. Draco was clearly in danger. He had been marked and-
Hermione gasped, quickly looking down at her left forearm to check for the serpent tongue - she was met with only slight relief to see no second mark on her skin. But now, Draco matched her.
He was a Death Eater now, and Alex was his cousin.
Alex was...
Hermione snapped her head up to glare up at her Slytherin friend. Alex was kneeling beside her, staring down at her helplessly, unsure what to do. The tears streaming in relief would be temporary - as Hermione struggled to her feet so she could tower over the blonde girl. "Tell me Voldemort's plan, Alex. Spare me the lies and tell me what your father wants from you and Draco!"
AN: another short chapter as it's part 2. I wanted to give the impression that all these incidents were happening in tandem. hope it wasn't too jumpy or confusing.
Surprise! Draco wasn't marked until this point. also keeping their first name basis a rare thing for now, at least while they reset their relationship, and only in thought form, never out-loud.
Maybe I can update sooner too~