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JeanandBilius
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Muffins-and-Magic
ThatGirl6976
A/N: Thank you seems so inadequate when people do such lovely things as reviewing, favouriting or following, but I hope you know how much I really do appreciate it.
J K Rowling created (most of) the characters in this fic. The story is AU.
***chapter 14***
***Faith***
"Hi!" Ron said brightly, as on the other side of the time divide he and Astoria landed with grace and a flourish (the grace was provided by Astoria; the flourish an unintended artistic gesture from Ron as the pretty Slytherin clad in emerald green steadied him and his injured ankle). And, oh, all so perfectly executed that it could well have passed for an oft-rehearsed professional routine and so exquisitely performed that I really wish you could have seen it and...Ah. I forgot. You did. You were of course travelling with us. Welcome. Yes, I know it's a little late, but I was rather busy travelling back and forth in time. (I guarantee you'll never come across a better reason for being unpunctual than that so I'm rather proud of my excuse.)
Well, back to the present moment. Or whatever moment it might be in your world time and there's no time like the present. Which means, when you think about it, there's no time at all and, if there's no time at all, we've wasted an awful lot of time that wasn't there getting here so perhaps we should hurry back to the present moment or whatever moment it might...hmmm...
"Hi!" Ron said brightly. It seemed the safest word to hide behind when three pairs of eyes were staring accusingly at him.
"Don't hi me, Ron Weasley!" Hermione seethed.
"Nor me!" Ginny snapped.
"It's okay to say hi to m...I guess not." Harry busied himself cleaning his spectacles the muggle way, breathing hard on the lens and polishing them with a spectacles cloth (to judge by how by how furiously he polished, muggles apparently regard this activity as a matter of life and death).
"What in Merlin's name happened?" Astoria interjected quickly, keen as always to restore the peace. "One minute Draco and I were here, then we found ourselves with the kids, now I find myself back here without Draco or the kids. Will they all be alright?" Her words, so icy and stand-offish when they began (it still hurt that they didn't trouble to learn her name but it hurt even more that it was glaringly obvious from the moment she and Draco arrived at the Granger-Weasleys' home none of the four Gryffindors liked her husband very much) trailed off hoarsely as she fought to keep back the tears.
"It'll be okay," Ginny said softly.
"It will." Hermione echoed the sentiment. "We've established they're in a short time zone, just a few seconds ahead of us, and a short time zone always wears off if it doesn't get damaged. We can't risk warping this zone any further, but the kids aren't in any danger. I promise."
"The ancient wand is evil, but it can't harm anyone unless they've meddled with dark magic," Ron added helpfully.
Astoria turned white. Everybody knew Draco's history as a Death Eater. "And if they have…?"
"It will try to turn them back to the Dark Side." Ginny frowned at her brother. There were heaps more subtle ways of breaking bad news but Ron never seemed to discover any of them. "Which is why Ron crossed over to fetch the wand. And, Ron being Ron, came back without it."
"I couldn't help it!" Ron defended himself. "That bloody evil wand wasn't letting him go."
"But you could be wrong about the wand being evil!" Astoria desperately clutched at straws. "How can you be sure?"
"We ran tests. Advanced tracing spells," Harry replied. "We ran them because the wand began to control me. It sensed I'd once cast a Sectumsempra." He swallowed thickly. Even after all these years he still carried a heavy burden on his conscience over nearly killing Malfoy through using a spell he didn't fully understand. "It was only because Hermione was there to help that I was able to fight it."
"So the wand could possess Draco and there's nothing anyone can do about it!" Astoria was past pretending now. Her voice wavered with emotion. "But there must be some way, something someone can do!"
"Draco is the only one who can. He can resist it. We just need him to be...strong." Hermione worriedly chewed her bottom lip. Malfoy had never been courageous. It was only ever about saving his own skin.
"He will be." Astoria said staunchly. She read the doubt on all their faces and her heart twanged with so much love and sympathy for her husband she thought it would break. "Draco's brave," she added shakily. "People say he isn't but he is. They forget how he defied Voldemort. He wouldn't kill Professor Dumbledore even though...though Voldemort threatened to kill him and his family. And he wouldn't identify you at Malfoy Manor, you said so at his trial! He was terrified of The Dark Lord, but he did..he did what he could..."
She had to let them know. Draco wasn't perfect. He could still be smug, arrogant and conceited. But nobody was perfect. Were they? Everybody had their flaws.
"And...and he went against everything he'd been taught and agreed we'd bring Scorpius up to think of muggles as equals. And he doesn't find it easy, you know, he doesn't always understand, he makes mistakes, he says the wrong things, but he tries...he tries so hard. Draco is...Draco. Scorpius and I love him. Even if nobody else does." A sob caught in her throat. "Even if none of you really wanted him here."
The air crackled momentarily with a guilty silence. Deep down, they had hoped and prayed Malfoy would refuse the invitation.
"Nice weather. After all that rain earlier." Ron rushed in where angels feared to tread with another Ron-proofed topic. "Do you think we'll have a decent summer this year?" He continued when nobody responded. "We could all get together and have a barbecue one day if Malfoy hasn't become a Dark Wizard..."
"Ron!" Ginny remonstrated. "Even Harry's got more tact."
"Thanks. I think." Harry absently trailed his fingers across the lightning scar on his forehead. Weird. It hurt like hell back in the days of Voldemort, but never before had it felt soothing.
"But I was being kind!" Ron complained. "I don't like Malfoy, but I'll put up with him at a barbecue. That is, if he's not gone back over to the Dark Side again..."
Astoria couldn't hold back the tears any longer and Hermione hugged the trembling witch to her, her own eyes shining with tears of sympathy. "Just don't. Don't say any more," the bushy-haired Gryffindor warned her insensitive husband.
Thinking it might be a good idea to change the subject, Harry opened his mouth to remark upon the scar's odd behaviour but Ginny shook her head and he snapped it shut again. Probably best if he kept schtum too and avoided putting his foot in it, he decided. He and Ron weren't exactly famed for being gifted orators.
And so they were silent except for Astoria's sobs. Everything rested on Malfoy now. All they could do was wait and hope.
XXXXX
Something solid rose to the surface of the mud as the ancient wand disintegrated into it. Something that was determined to press into his hand in its place. Gingerly, Draco lifted the stubborn object. It was…
...his wand! His very own wand! The wand he'd dropped in his haste to escape Boots! How the hell it got into the puddle he didn't know and he didn't care. The clingy wand had finally gone to pieces after the parting of the ways in their one-sided relationship and sunk into a deep abyss. But his true love was back! Back forever!
He leapt up and delightedly swished the hawthorn wand into the air without concerning himself too much about exactly where it was being waved. As it happened, in Trimblefeathers' flight space and Trimblefeathers naturally objected.
Which led to Draco raising an objection too. "Will you please stop that stupid squawking?"
Squawking?! Trimblefeathers never felt so insulted. Ruffled feathers didn't even come close. He deliberately flew in Draco's face and batted his wings, too-whit, too-whooing for all he was worth.
"Trimblefeathers!" Rose remonstrated. "I know Mr Malfoy's not a very nice wizard, but that's very bad manners."
"I am a nice wizard," Draco protested, stung by the unjust accusation. He might have been a nasty, selfish, spoilt wizard when he was a boy but he considered himself a very nice wizard nowadays.
Rose wagged a reproving finger. "You stupefied the cat."
"Boots," Scorpius added.
"Whose side are you on?" Draco demanded.
"Oh!" Scorpius wasn't expecting a quiz. They usually only had quizzes when Dad was helping him with his lessons. "Can I tell you later, Dad? I need to have a think."
"That was NOT a question, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy."
"You stupefied Boots." Rose amended, patting Scorpius's arm when he stared at his father in confusion. These quizzes got harder and harder.
"No dancing shoes." Lily lifted first her right foot and then her left to validate her claim.
"No chocolate." Hugo sighed deeply and thrust his hands in his pockets. He was beginning to doubt the dream of unlimited all shapes and all sizes chocolate would ever materialise. Might as well push his luck. Something might give. He looked as forlorn as he possibly could. "Or chocolate frogs. Or which-witch-is-witch sweets. Or screaming ice-cream..."
"No wand. Yet." James held out his hand hopefully and sighed dramatically when still no wand was forthcoming.
"...or wizarding whizzing wafers. Or cackling cookies. Or...
Everybody looked to Albus for his contribution. "I didn't really mind, but it was my puddle to jump in first, you know."
"...cauldron cake. Or Bertie Bott's All Fall Over Beans (Reader, this product did not exist except in Hugo's extremely interesting imagination) Or Bertie Bott's Batty Biscuits or..."
"I am a nice wizard! I talk to muggles. I drink muggle tea. I even drank muggle coffee once. Didn't like it. I tried the strange muggle ritual of sitting in the sun once. Didn't like that either. I turn up to a party hosted by Potter, Weasley and Granger. I am so nice I deserve a Being Nice medal."
"...muggle jammie dodgers. Or those muggle biscuits with the little people playing sport on them. Not real people. Or...
"I am perfectly aware," Draco said pompously, tucking his wand under his arm . "That they are not real people. I am perfectly aware that muggles do not put real people on their biscuits. I know this because I am a very nice wizard and take an interest in muggles and their peculiar little ways." He was very proud of his in-depth knowledge. He tilted his chin and puffed out his chest. He was sure he made an impressive figure. Thank Godric it had finally stopped raining, it was ruining his carefully gelled hair.
Hugo's lower lip trembled but Draco was too full of his own importance to notice. "I no longer scream for help when travelling in a muggle car although I feel obliged to point out I ought to," he blithely continued. "I, of pureblood descent, have been known to sit down and watch muggle television. I have…
"My friend's Dad is being nasty to me!" Hugo wailed, preparing for an onslaught of tears.
"I was not. I was under the impression we had firmly established I am a very nice wizard? Can you kindly explain your leaning toward a different opinion in the face of hard evidence to the contrary?"
Hugo was shocked dry-eyed. What did all that mean? Most adults, when threatened with a crying attack, said "There, there, dear" or "You can have sweets but only if you're good" or "Whatever is the matter?"
He fell back on a tried and tested answer. "I don't like you anymore!"
The Slytherin gaped. "Does that mean you liked me before?"
"Of course he did," Rose cut in. "We all liked you until you turned nasty. Even Trimblefeathers." (The owl hooted his approval from Rose's left shoulder.)
"You all liked me?" For some reason he couldn't fathom, Draco felt quite awed. And touched. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I guess we still do." Rose admitted, grinning. "Even Hugo likes you really. Don't you, Hugo?"
"I like my friend's Dad when he's funny," Hugo confirmed happily, his tears completely forgotten in the new wave of conversation he could actually understand.
"I like you 'cos most grown-ups aren't very good at silly talk but you're very, very good at it."
Draco raised a cautious eyebrow. As always, he was never one hundred per cent certain whether the smart little witch was insulting him or not.
"I like your silly dances best," Lily announced.
"I like your silly faces," James added.
"Ooh, yes!" Albus cried. "I liked it when you had the other wand and did this..." He puffed out his cheeks and rolled his eyes.
"Nah, it was a bit more like this..." Scorpius puffed out his cheeks, rolled his eyes and twisted strands of hair through his fingers to make it stand on end.
"Scorpius, as I mentioned earlier, exactly whose side are you on?" Draco spoke indulgently however, still digesting the astonishing revelation. They all liked Draco Malfoy. They all liked Draco Malfoy. THEY ALL LIKED DRACO MALFOY! A situation such as this was unheard of before.
"Oh, yeh, I forgot, I've had a think now! I'll be on Rose and Lily's side and James, Albus and Hugo can be the other side. Are we going to play three-a-side football or wizards-we-are-three-rounders? Can I do the first three twirls if it's wizards-we-are-three? Will you be referee?"
Draco looked blankly at Rose, mystified by his son's reply. She gave off an aura of wisdom that he trusted implicitly. Perhaps it was her admirable Slytherne qualities, but if he didn't know any better he'd swear he was actually becoming fast friends with the Granger-Weasley daughter…