Disclaimer: I own nothing apart from Aurora Malfoy-Granger. Everything else belongs to the genius J K Rowling.
Summary: It was a normal day for Draco Malfoy, but as soon as he stepped out of the fire place and brushed the soot off his robes he knew something was wrong. On his bed was a wicker Moses basket stuffed with a bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl fast asleep. She had nothing with her except a letter addressed to him and a golden necklace he knew too well. T for safety.
A/N Here's a bit of shameless self-promoting and just a quick note to you guys to please check out my other story, The Cursed. If you want a good old drama and ball full of mystery then this one could be your fix. It involves a curse that is placed upon Draco by Lucius due to an accident that haunts Draco in his dreams and memories. And of course, Hermione has to find a cure for this curse or Draco will meet his untimely fate. Draco's curse involves him closing himself up to everyone in fear that if they love him, they will die and if he ever falls involve with the wrong sort again he himself will die. Intrigued, well, why don't you check it out and make sure that you leave a review!
Chapter Twenty One
Lady Zabini
"It's done, Mistress." A wizard in a cloak with his hood pulled down to obscure his face, bowed low from his waist and tried to see the face of his Mistress that was hidden in the shadows of the room.
"Excellent. And what is his condition?" The witch folded her delicate hands over her lap. The room was a circular room, the walls were covered books, with large French windows but the velvet curtains were drawn back and the only source of light is the dim lamp but even then the wizard could not really see the face of who he was talking to. Not that he really have to since he knew that the witch was a beauty and as deceiving as the house she belonged to. But, only if he just get a small glance...
"He's critical but not fatal as it seems. He'll need to be sedated but the curse is preventing any healing or potions to help his condition. He's unlikely to wake up anytime soon." The wizard informed the witch, whilst twirling his wand through his fingers smugly.
"He'll heal the muggle way." The witch crinkled her nose delicately at the aspect of healing the muggle way. "And the Death Eaters, what do they say?"
"They are grateful for your contribution, Mistress. Now that Master Draco is out of the picture, the Mudblood and her filthy half blood heir will be open to attack." The wizard informed the witch and she merely smiled happily.
"That's good news."
"Yes, without Master Draco they'll be easy target. Although, there is still the problem of Master Zabini and Mistress Parkinson. Mistress Parkinson had seen me unfortunately and Master Zabini, especially, would be troublesome." The wizard frowned but the witch just laugh.
"Pansy would be no trouble and Blaise would be reduced to nothing without Draco. The boy is harmless, he can't do anything drastic and therefore he should be left alone."
"If you can guarantee that Mistress..." The wizard trailed off, letting the words hung in the air and open to interpretation.
"I can. And the child, what do the Death Eaters want to do with her?"
"The child is yours to dispose of, however you please. She is after all a vital key in your plans."
"Very good. And Draco, he will not be harmed?"
"He will not be harmed in any shape or form." A grim smile spread across the wizard's face that told anyone who saw it that he was of course lying. "He is a powerful wizard, his talents are extraordinary and my fellow comrades cannot deny that. We are very thankful that you, Mistress, have disposed of him temporarily."
"Of course he is, he's a Malfoy after all. Every drop of his blood is pure and the longer he spends with that Mudblood, the more he becomes tainted. If only he just stop resisting the marriage." The witch sighed deeply, massaging her temples in circular motions.
"It won't be long, Mistress. Soon, he won't even remember the Mudblood."
"Yes, that day can't come any sooner." The witch sighed once more before she waved her delicate hands dismissively "You may leave."
"Goodbye, Mistress." The wizard took the witch's hand, planted a gruff kiss and bowed once more before he walked away.
"Mother, are you home?" Blaise called out as he stepped out of grand fireplace in the receiving room of the Zabini Manor. He shuffled Ariadne in his arms in order to brush the soot off of him and Ariadne. Ariadne coughed delicately as Blaise set her down on the marble floor.
"Blaise, È che voi?" Lady Zabini stepped into the room, looking as regal as ever in her red robes and elaborate hairstyle. She broke out into a huge smile when she saw Ariadne.
"Bambina!" Lady Zabini exclaimed, as she crouched down and held out her arms for Ariadne to run into them and give her a loving embrace.
"Lady Zabini!" Ariadne laughed as she wrapped her small around Lady Zabini's neck and planted kisses on her cheeks.
"What a wonderful surprise, Bambina! Are you staying for the night?" Lady Zabini tapped the little Malfoy's nose fondly as she saw Ariadne's overnight bag before she raised her eyes to look at Blaise with a questioning look.
"Sleep over!" Ariadne nodded her head enthusiastically.
"If that's the case, why don't you go find Bubbles and see if she has cookies for you, my darling." Lady Zabini patted Ariadne's curls before Ariadne dropped her bag and ran to find the Zabini house elf.
"What's the matter, mio figlio?" Lady Zabini gracefully stood up and went up to hug Blaise.
"Addie will stay for the night, Mama." Blaise sighed deeply as he responded up his mother's warm hug and kissed both her cheeks.
"Why?" Lady Zabini caressed Blaise's high cheekbones, not liking the frown that was etched into his handsome face and the tightness around his eyes informed Lady Zabini something has happened.
"Draco's at St. Mungo's, mama. He's been hit by a dark curse, he's stable but he's in critical condition." Blaise stroke his jaw line with frustration as he stepped out of his mother's embrace and started to phase up and down in front of her.
"What? My poor darling Draco." Lady Zabini gasped and she began to think of who could exactly do this. Lady Zabini had a hunch of who would do something like this, especially with the fact that Draco was outright resisting marriage. But, Lady Zabini pondered, would they really stoop this low to force Draco into compliance. If anything, they have pushed him away further and when he wakes up, they will have an even more stubborn Draco in their hands.
"Who would do something like this, mama?"
"I can think of a few people, my darling."
"Do you think they will stoop this low?" Blaise wondered out loud, catching his mother's drift as she sent him a pointed look.
"Draco's resisting marriage, and a way to scare him into compliance is to curse him."
"Malfoy has one messes up family." Blaise laughed hollowly that never reached his chocolate eyes.
"From now on, mio figlio, you better be on your guard. Draco's girls are open to an attack and this is the perfect opportunities for the enemy to get their revenge. Make sure Hermione is never alone and Ariadne can stay with me for as long as Draco is at St. Mungo's." Lady Zabini took Blaise's hand, halting him in his phasing and looked into her son's eyes meaningfully.
"Grazie, mama. I'll make sure Hermione never leaves my sight and that she's never alone. But I don't know what to tell Ariadne. Sooner or later, she'll suspect something is wrong." Blaise sighed once more as he squeezed his mother's hand to let her know that he understood what she was saying. Draco had told her once, that if something ever happened to him, Draco expected Blaise to step in and look after his girls for him. Blaise even joked that he would marry Hermione himself if something ever happened to Draco, but the latter smacked his shoulder and responded with "Even I wouldn't wish that upon anyone." And now, Blaise cursed Draco inwardly for getting himself cursed and the fact that Blaise himself did not know what to do, nevermind where to start.
"I can take care of that, my darling. Go on, go to St. Mungo's, Hermione needs you." Lady Zabini patted Blaise's head fondly like se used to when he was a child and kissed him on the cheeks once more.
"Goodbye, mama."
"Take care, my darling. Be strong and give Hermione my love." Lady Zabini smiled sympathetically, gathered her robes at the front and sauntered off to find Ariadne and the house elf.
"I will, mama." Blaise called out, before he apparated himself to St. Mungo's.
Moments later, Blaise arrived at the bustling atmosphere of St. Mungo's and the annoyingly rude Welcoming Witch took one look at him and her face was punched into a slightly scared, animal at wand point, look and pretended to be busy with something.
But Blaise paid relatively no attention to her, and ascended up the stairs to the fourth floor where Draco resided. It was when he reached the second floor when he bumped into Pansy carrying to cups of steaming hot tea.
"Blaise." Pansy said meekly, her eyes were still puffy and red from crying, but at least her robes were crease free and her hair was smooth down unlike an hour before when he was urgently called to St. Mungo's by the patronus of the Head Healer telling him that Draco was cursed and in critical condition.
"Pansy, how you holding up?" Blaise echoed her defeated tone and took the steaming hot tea from her.
"Better than Hermione, I gave her a moment with Draco and went down to get us a cup of tea." Pansy sighed as she hooked an arm around Blaise's arm.
"Poor witch, even I can't imagine how she's feeling at the moment. First having the Death Eaters on her tail, now this." Blaise nodded his head in agreement.
"He's unlikely to wake up, Blaise." Pansy said glumly.
"Hey now, it's not your fault Pans." Blaise halted in his step and looked down at Pansy who he knew was blaming herself for the incident.
"If only I didn't drag him for lunch! He told me he was busy but I didn't listen to him and dragged him to the opposite side of Diagon Alley!" Pansy exclaimed, toeing the line of hysterical.
"But Pans, if who ever cursed him was looking for him, they would have found him regardless where he was; in the middle of Diagon Alley or in the Leaky Cauldron. He was targeted." Blaise rationalised and thankfully Pansy saw sense and nodded her head meekly in agreement.
"Who could have done this?" Pansy inquired.
"I can think of a few people, Pans." Blaise echoed what his mother had told him moments before and Pansy looked up at him in curiosity.
"Do you know?"
"Aunt Narcissa or even Astoria. But definitely Death Eaters are involved in this somehow." Blaise's face darkened at the mention of Draco's mother that he once regard as his second mother.
"What? Why would Lady Malfoy or Astoria have anything to do with this?" Pansy frowned, confused at the idea of Narcissa being involved in the accident.
"Narcissa thinks that she has a claim on Ariadne according to some Pureblood law. Draco has to marry a Pureblood before the end of a year or he'll lose his daughter." Blaise explained quietly.
"But Draco is no longer the legitimate heir of the Malfoy fortunes, and that law only applies to Pureblood heirs."
"It doesn't matter to Narcissa. When Draco marries a Pureblood he will be the heir once more..."
"...And Astoria Greengrass is to be his bride." Pansy finished Blaise's sentence for him and the latter nodded his head in agreement.
"Does... Does Hermione know?" Pansy inquired after a few moments so comfortable silence.
"No." Blaise said in a clipped tone.
"What? Why not? What in the name of Salazar is Draco playing at?" Pansy said, scandalised at the idea of a clueless Hermione. Poor Hermione, not knowing what was really going on around her.
"Draco believes that he could sort it out before his year is up." Blaise retorted in a disappointed tone.
"And if he couldn't?"
"Then he's in deep shit."
"He's in deep shit, indeed." Pansy echoed, as she looked at Blaise once more before she pushed the door open and saw a surprising sight before them.
"What's going on here?" Blaise stepped into the room defensively when he saw Harry Potter and an uncomfortable looking Ron Weasley stood at the bottom of Draco's bed and Hermione stood in front of them glowering.
"Kingsley sent us to investigate what had happened." Harry Potter cleared his throat and flashed a pleading look to Hermione to hear them out.
"I don't want you to investigate this accident. Tell Kingsley that if he wants to investigate, he should send someone else." Hermione said coldly, never easing her intense glare.
"Look, Hermione -" Harry started.
"Potter you heard the lady, she doesn't want you to investigate." Blaise interrupted calmly, not caring if it sounded rude and the fact that Potter was technically his boss.
"Don't be so bloody stubborn, Granger. The Minister sent us here to investigate and that is what we came to do." Ron voiced out calmly and confidently that even Harry looked momentarily impressed.
"Hermione, we just need to ask a few questions and then we're out of your hair." Harry said softly and Hermione glared at them intensely before she sighed defeatedly and sat down on the chair heavily.
"Well, what the hell do you want to know?"
A/N2: review please, please, please! So Harry is back on the scene and so is Ron - but, don't worry anti-Rons, our Golden Girl is not about to forgive him so easily, if not at all! Ever! I have great plans for Harry, guys. And who do you think sent the wizard who cursed our beautiful Draco? Well, we all know its a woman!
The Cursed summary: "Be careful, Granger, I'm cursed." Draco whispers hoarsely. Draco has a dark secret. Draco is cursed. A curse that is capable of not only destroying everything Draco loves but it also puts his life on the line. He knows that he shouldn't fall for her, but She is a risk he is wiling to take. Can Hermione find the cure or will Draco meet his untimely fate? Post war. 8th year.
Cheers, and Cheerio for now :) xx