Life, Love, and Family
Chapter 24: The Severed Connection and the Dark Beauty
"Aurora? Aurora! AURORA!" Draco yelled, shaking his wife.
Aurora's eyes flew open. She sat up immediately, throwing herself into Draco's firm body. She clung to him for dear life, as if he would suddenly slip away. Surprised by this action, Draco held his arms out for a moment. He slowly closed them around Aurora's much smaller body and squeezed lightly. Then he felt it.
Aurora's heart was racing against his chest. She was taking short gasps of air as if she could not catch her breath. Draco pulled back from her and looked her in the face. Aurora would not meet his eyes. Tears were running down her face. Draco touched her face. She was cold; too cold.
"Aurora, what's wrong?" he asked. No answer. "Aurora!" He shook her.
"Nightmare... So scared," Aurora whispered. Her voice was shaking and it was barely audible. Her greenish-gray eyes finally came back into focus. She looked at Draco. Their eyes met.
In that moment, Aurora realized something. She inhaled sharply and hugged Draco once more. Draco looked down at her head. He just ran his hand through her hair and sighed. She obviously was not going to elaborate on the dream, and he was not going to force it out of her. His wife could be so odd at times, but he was beginning to worry.
The next day at the Magi HQ, Draco sat in the locker room in deep thought. Harry and Ron traipsed in. Harry noticed Draco's position while Ron headed towards his own locker.
"What is it, Malfoy?" Harry asked. Draco did not look up immediately. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Then he glanced up at Harry.
"Maybe I shouldn't go on this mission to Wales. This is a whole week. And it's around Halloween," he said as Ron walked back over to them. Ron raised an eyebrow as he looked down on him. This was their first mission since Neve's death five months ago in May. It was now October. They would never admit aloud, but they were itching to get back out and do some work.
"And why not? You know this mission is coming from Fairfax," Ron said. Draco nodded.
"I realize that, Weasley. It's just that Aurora is..." Draco trailed off. Harry's eyes narrowed through his glasses. He could see where Draco was going with this.
"She had a particularly bad nightmare last night. I saw a bit of it." Harry watched Draco turn is attention towards him.
"Well?"
"It was fragmented and cloudy, but I remember a fire; a whole lot of fire. Black robes and flashes of different colors. For a moment, there was Aurora herself. But she faded as everything else did. It didn't last long. I gather Aurora's version was probably far more vivid," Harry said.
"I would imagine so. She's trying to convince me that she's fine. I can see right through that, though. She just seems so..." Draco seemed to be searching for the right word.
"Distracted?" Ron piped. Draco nodded. "I'm sure she is fine. It was probably just a dream. After all, it's not like Aurora's a Seer."
"He's got a point," Harry said.
Draco shrugged. He had a feeling there was far more to it than it seemed.
The next day, Hermione dropped some papers off in her boss' office. She glanced at the clock on the wall. She had an hour to kill. Since Ginny was at home on maternal leave, she knew she would be able to easily talk Aurora and Ava into ditching the Magi HQ for an hour. Before she could though, Alfonso Assante graced his office. Hermione's face visibly fell at the sight of her boss.
Crap, she thought.
"Oh, Hermione. I have a favor to ask," Alfonso said. Hermione nodded for him to continue. "Well, Mistress Fairfax asked me to deliver this to the Magistrate's office. Right now I simply don't have the time. I must attend a hearing for some new inmates at Azkaban. Do you mind?" He held out a roll of parchment.
"Of course not, Mr. Assante." Hermione took it with a fake smile plastered on her face and fluttered past her boss.
The Magistrate's office was clear on the other side of the Ministry. It would take her past a place she had not been in years: the Department of Mysteries. Something weighed on Hermione's mind as she thought about the place and what it held. She felt as if... she needed something out of there.
Not exactly how I wanted to spend this hour, but oh well, she thought as she picked up her pace.
Harry, Draco, Ron, and Dylan stood outside of a large, seemingly abandoned castle in Anglesey, Wales. Below them, the ocean crashed against sharp, unforgiving rocks. The silence between the four men was deafening, to say the least. Usually, there were five of them. Ron sighed.
"This is usually the part where she would tell us to move our asses," he said dryly. Harry and Dylan nodded in agreement. Draco stepped out of the line away from them. He looked at the sad faces.
"Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Christmas? Get moving, ladies!" he yelled.
For a moment, the other three stared blankly at Draco. Then they began trudging towards the castle. Harry caught Draco's eye. The blond was looking out towards the ocean. Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
The castle appeared to be abandoned; and it seemed to have been that way for a long, long time. It looked like not a soul had been there for years. Ron walked ahead of the group. He looked around the dirt floors. He noticed a charred spot in one of the rooms and let out a whistle. Harry, Draco, and Dylan came running.
"What is it, Ron?" Harry asked.
"I think it's safe to say this was a hideout." Ron pointed to the marred area. Dylan walked forward. He picked up some of the dirt and examined it.
"Remnants of some sort of fire curse. We might be on a torture site, boys. Mark it as such and keep searching the place." Dylan left the room.
Harry sighed. It was going to be a long week. They had six more castles after this one to inspect.
I hate that woman, he thought.
Hermione wandered down the aisles in the Department of Mysteries. The place brought back suppressed memories of a very intense battle. Hermione tried to put all that aside and focus on her task. She had a glass orb to find with her name on it.
When she finally came upon it, Hermione stared at it for a long moment. She was not sure why, but she felt like this was relevant somehow. She felt that after all these years of analysis and events, they had overlooked something. Hermione took a deep breath and picked up the orb. She blinked at what happened next.
A ghost-like figure rose from the orb. But, it was not Sibyll Trelawney, as it should have been. Instead, it was the reader of the prophecy: Neveah Assante. Hermione nearly dropped the orb at the sight of her deceased friend. Then ghost-Neve began speaking.
"The daughter of the Spanish woman will be put in a difficult position between lover and family. The dark beauty will sacrifice her ultimate possession for those she loves. The platinum one will destroy his demons and be free from their torture. The final hour comes near and with it comes betrayal. The time of the one's destiny and that of his opposite will come in the second week of the sixth month. Finally, the stubborn child that changes will give birth times five to the twin as the seventh year dies. Terror will soon follow and death will be inevitable to all who oppose the six dark ones. The time of peace will reach its end when the red ones join with the dark ones." The ghostly Neve disappeared.
Hermione put the orb back as if it was on fire. She stood there for a moment. Then she headed for the exit. She had a piece of parchment to find.
Millicent Flint glanced around Rayne Landry's flat. The American kept everything so neat and orderly. It was also odd how everything was shrouded in white; white furniture, white appliances, white walls, white carpets, etc. Millicent, in her dark blue robes, looked almost out of place.
She found herself standing in what appeared to be a parlor. Millicent moved to the coffee table, noticing a clear glass globe. Curiosity getting the better of her, she picked it up. The globe filled with gray clouds and an electric shock ran through Millicent's arm. It caused her to jump and drop the globe. Millicent closed her eyes, waiting for the crash. When it did not come, she opened her eyes to see the globe suspended in the air.
"Now, Millicent. It will not do to break other people's belongings," Rayne said from the doorway. Millicent glared at the younger woman. Rayne lowered her left hand and with it the globe. "We must not touch what is not ours." Rayne took a seat in a white armchair.
"Shut up, Rayne," Millicent bit out.
"Why have you come to call on me, Millicent? I assume it must be extremely important if you ask to meet me at my flat, alone," Rayne said, choosing to ignore Millicent's previous comment.
"It is, Rayne." Millicent moved towards the window. "How is Tomás?"
Rayne blinked, but did not show any emotion as usual. Tommy Zaviera was the LAST person she thought Millicent would ask about. After all, she had fallen out of favor with him since Neve's death in May. She had since wormed her way back, but she walked a very, very fine line. The slightest indiscretion could possibly mean death.
"I suppose he is fine. He is still... reclusive, but that is to be expected," Rayne glared at Millicent, "considering." Millicent just smirked.
"I know you think of me as a cold-hearted bitch, Rayne. But, I am a Dark witch. I'm not supposed to be nice." She walked over to the sofa across from Rayne and sat. "On that rooftop, you saw it, didn't you?"
"Saw what?" Rayne continued looking blankly at Millicent.
"The magnificent darkness that continues to lay dormant inside the Master. What Tomás desperately tries to suppress. He himself is afraid of it." Millicent smiled at Rayne. "And so are you."
Rayne knew what Millicent said was true. Tommy did mask his true power. There was an excellent reason for that, too. Even for him, it was entirely too dangerous. He became someone else; he became a monster. He became his father's son. Tomás Zaviera became... the Master. Rayne inhaled sharply.
"You want him to come out of hiding? Now is not the ti..."
"Isn't it? You have a little apprentice in the Weasley child, do you not? She is no doubt schooling at least the eldest quintuplet. WE cannot continue to bide our time, Rayne," Millicent said.
"And just how do you propose we convince the Master of this? Turn him into a monster like the one before him? Kill his children?" Rayne asked dryly. Millicent shook her head.
"Heavens, no. They may actually be of use one day; especially Elektra. There is another that is close to him that we could pick off. But, she won't be easy," she said.
"Surely you don't mean Ava Jordan..." Rayne stopped as Millicent shook her head fervently. "Then who?
"I found this odd, but Tomás has always held a sort of soft spot for Aurora Malfoy." Millicent paused. Rayne's expression did not change. "I suppose it could be for her relation to Neve Assante. But other than Ava Jordan, she is the only other person he truly trusts. How strange."
Rayne found it odd that Millicent was as perceptive as she was. She did not have any special abilities like telepathy, but she could easily read people and see them for what they were. The woman was definitely not as dense as she sometimes made herself out to be. Still, Rayne closed her eyes and sighed.
"It isn't strange," Rayne said. Millicent raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Why not?"
"Aurora Malfoy is the only one who can bypass his mental block. She can find the Master at will. Not even his sister can do that," Rayne said. Millicent gaped.
"So why doesn't she turn him in?"
"You answered that question yourself."
"Trust," Millicent whispered. Rayne nodded.
"Aurora Malfoy's death would be," Rayne searched for the right word, "catastrophic in the wizarding world. The woman is loved everywhere. As for the Master, I don't know what the magnitude of it will be on him. Epic is probably a good way to describe it. I will not participate in the attack on her."
"I understand."
"Mrs. Malfoy is very powerful; the extent of which is unknown because of her ability to draw upon Harry Potter's power. The more you send the better." Rayne opened her eyes and glanced out the window. "When?"
"Halloween," Millicent answered.
Five months later, Rayne thought.
Hermione had written out each of the lines of the prophecy. Slowly, she began going over the lines, crossing out the events that had already taken place. She circled the last lines, knowing them to still be hanging in the balance. When she was done, she squinted at the parchment. There was one sentence left. One sentence that lay hidden and unnoticed for twelve years.
"'The dark beauty will sacrifice her ultimate possession for those she loves,'" Hermione whispered. She underlined the sentence and rolled up the parchment before heading out.
Ava sat at her desk, listening to Hermione tell her tale. These days, nothing much ruffled Ava's feathers. Since her rare breakdown with her brother, she had the same impassive mask up. If something did ruffle those feathers of hers, rarely did the evidence of said occurrence present itself on her face. So when Hermione gave her the news that for twelve years they had overlooked one detail of the prophecy, the mask of indifference did not crack.
"How could we have possibly missed something? Everything in that prophecy was set to happen that year unless stated otherwise," Ava said. Hermione shook her head.
"Not necessarily. Prophecies are fickle that way. It never says when something will happen... unless specified," she said. Ava crossed her arms.
"Say you're right. Who would it apply to? Who is this 'dark beauty' it speaks of?" Ava asked. Hermione sighed.
"I don't know. At first, I thought it could be Neve."
"Logical," Ava said blandly. "She did sacrifice herself for Tommy. Her life would count as the 'ultimate possession.' That makes this void. Case closed."
"That's far too obvious, though," Hermione said quietly. Ava raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Think about it. Tell me you didn't see it coming... eventually." Hermione eyed Ava. Ava stared back at her blankly. "It is how all tragic love stories end; one or both die. I'm just waiting on the aftermath. Tommy hasn't thrown a temper tantrum yet. That's rather odd."
Ava considered Hermione's words silently. Deep down, she had always known that if anything was going to kill Tommy or Neve, it was going to be themselves. The prospect of either dying of something like disease or old age was ludicrous. On some level, everyone knew that they would do anything to protect one another; including die. That's why the only genuine surprise in Neve's death was that it had occurred so soon.
"I do not believe my brother wishes to take the bait that Millicent Flint is throwing him," Ava said.
"Bait? Why would she be baiting him?" Hermione asked, a confused look spreading across her face.
"You've seen what Tommy is capable of when he... is not himself. Apparently, Neve's death did not bring about the desired result," Ava said with a sigh.
"It certainly didn't help the situation. Tommy might just be a ticking time bomb now. Whoever this 'dark beauty' is might be what sets him off." Hermione sat back in her seat.
"Precisely." Ava watched Benedict exit her office. The older woman looked over to at Ava and Hermione. "Gone for the day, Capo Inferiori?"
"Yes, Ava. Happy Halloween. Mrs. Weasley." Benedict left the room.
Ava noticed Hermione's forlorn look. She could practically feel the worry emanating from her friend. This new development was very troublesome indeed. But at the moment, they had no clues.
The dark beauty, Ava thought.
Halloween.
Aurora disliked the holiday because it was hell getting sugar high little boys to sleep without using magic. Before having children, it was all fun and games. Afterwards, not so much. For some reason, her daughter was far easier to handle; the little girl disliked anything involving sweets. Giuliana Assante swore that her granddaughter was not of this world; it was unnatural for a child to be so serious.
But now it was late. Aurora was grateful that her husband would be home tomorrow. She stood in their bedroom, staring out of the window. She held a picture of them in her hands. Looking down at the framed picture, it was them in Greece. Smiling, she replaced the picture and stood in the center of the room.
Opposto scindere connesionne, she said slowly in her mind. She felt a strong pinch in the back of her mind, followed by a strong tugging. The tugging continued until it became no more than a dull ache. Aurora ignored it and left her bedroom.
Elsewhere, the four Arbitrarios in Wales sat around a table in a bar. Harry winced as he felt a sharp pinch followed by a tugging. Ron noticed his friend's discomfort and looked at him.
"All right there, Harry?" he asked. Harry looked up, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah. Just an odd feeling, that's all." He took another gulp sip of his drink.
A very odd feeling, he thought.
Aurora closed the door to Marius' room. The boy was snoring as loud as he possibly could. She moved quietly to Linus' room. The young boy was sleeping soundly. Aurora walked over to his bed. She sat down softly and touched his black hair. Linus moved slightly, but did not wake. Smiling, Aurora planted a kiss on his nose and moved to his ear. She touched his temple and whispered something before leaving. Then she headed to her daughter's room.
She had to gasp.
Carmen was sitting up in bed. She was staring out the window where the moonlight was being let in. Carmen's platinum hair was in a high ponytail. Her knees were drawn up to her chest. Aurora walked forward slowly. She had not expected Carmen to be awake; the child's mind signature was so... calm that she had appeared to be asleep.
"Carmen, why are you still awake?" Aurora asked as she sat on a stool next to her daughter's bed. It was silent between to two for a moment. Before Aurora could as again, Carmen spoke.
"I know why you're here," Carmen said without looking at her. Aurora blinked.
"Is that so? Then why am I here?"
"You expected me to be asleep so that you could deepen my sleep with a spell. That way I won't wake up until someone else wakes me up." Carmen looked at Aurora. "Because you won't be there to do it."
Aurora stared vacantly at her daughter. She was sure her eyes portrayed the shock she felt. How had Carmen known? As far as she knew, Carmen possessed no special abilities.
"You've been acting like a zombie all week.; like you're on death row." Carmen looked away. "I suppose you are," she said dryly. Aurora swallowed the growing lump in her throat. Her daughter was so very hard to read, but apparently Carmen had mastered the art of reading her.
"You seem to be taking this rather well for someone so young," Aurora said. Before the words were completely out of her mouth, Carmen had thrown herself into her mother. Aurora smiled and squeezed gently. She waved her hand and Carmen went limp in her arms. She put Carmen back in the bed, whispered in her ear, and left.
The tugging in her mind continued.
Harry rubbed his head as they walked up to the final castle in the dark. That strange tugging at the back of his mind, while only a minor nuisance, was still there. He just chalked it up to Aurora being annoyed and trying not to distract him.
"Finally, the LAST ca..." Ron stopped when he saw some lights from the castle's windows and entrance. "Looks like this one's occupied, boys." He brandished his wand. Draco and Dylan did the same. They headed for the castle entrance in a stealth-like manner, leaving Harry behind in the brush.
Harry felt something was off. He contacted Ava.
Ava.
Harry... It's in the midd...
I know. I'm sorry. This is urgent. Get Hermione and Gin and get to Aurora's. I think something's up.
Yeah, okay.
In the span of five minutes, three women had woken up, threw on robes and shoes, Flooed children to one's home, and attempted to Apparate to a friend's house only to be denied. Ginny and Hermione met up at Ava's.
"How is it that we can't get any closer than eighty kilometers of that place? Who told the Malfoys to live out in the middle of nowhere?" Ginny moaned. Hermione looked down at her friend's condition. Ginny noticed her looks. "I'm fine for this, Hermione."
"Aurora's blocking me right now. To an extent, Harry says she's blocking him. Right now, he's involved in some sort of brawl. But why would Aurora be blocking us? Wouldn't she want our help?" Ava asked. Hermione snapped her fingers. She looked at Ava.
"The dark beauty is Aurora!" she yelled. Ava's normally slanted eyes went wide as saucers. Ginny looked between the two.
"Mind shedding a little light over here?" she asked. Hermione gave her the condensed version. "Oh dear Merlin no..." Ginny whispered.
Aurora watched the approaching red cloud with a curious eye. It had been relatively clear overhead. Now clouds swirled threateningly. Through the red cloud, she counted 10 Dark witches and wizards; she had yet to find a name to call them. After the 10 circled her, an 11th witch caught Aurora's attention. Aurora had to physically restrain her right arm from hexing Millicent Flint, mastermind behind Neve's death. Instead, she just watched.
"You were expecting us. You took the element of surprise away from me, Aurora. What a shame." Millicent feigned disappointment.
"Millicent, I knew you were coming before you did." Aurora kneeled and placed both hands on the ground before her. "Incendio cupola," she whispered. A circle of blue fire surrounded the manor behind her before forming a dome. Millicent raised an eyebrow as a hole in the wall of fire appeared and Aurora stepped through. Millicent nodded.
"Impressive. I could just break through that, you know..."
"It is far stronger than it looks."
"You don't really think you'll get out of this one alive, do you? There's eleven of us and one of you," Millicent said with a smile. Aurora nodded. She looked slightly past Millicent for a moment. Then she met her eyes again.
"That should even up the odds." She smiled. Millicent frowned as she noticed that all of her subordinates were dead. She did not know how, but they were. "Do not fear, Millicent. I have no intention of doing that to you. Death is far too good a punishment for you."
"Hmm... You will die here tonight, Aurora Malfoy. Even if I die trying, you will die here," Millicent said. Aurora pulled out her wand.
Yes, Millicent. I am very well aware of that. She threw up a shield to block the first curse.
Harry finished tying up the last prisoner just as he felt Aurora's massive killing spree. What was going on? He turned and looked at Draco, who was talking with Dylan. He winced again. Now it felt like she was actually fighting someone. It was not just any type of fight, either.
She's fighting for her life, he thought. Harry immediately faced Draco.
"Malfoy, I think we better go back immediately," he said. Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Why? What's wrong?" he asked. Harry did not want to make him a raving lunatic. When it came to Aurora and her safety, that's what he became.
"Just... trust me. We need to head back now."
"Well, okay..." Draco started to gather his things.
Aurora and Millicent were at a stalemate. They were covered in mud and grass. Their robes were torn. Cuts and bruises adorned their bodies. Yet, they somehow still managed to stand and point their wands at one another. Aurora could feel that the tugging had become a twisting. In a moment, there would be a painful snap. She needed to finish it and do it fast.
"Taglio!" Aurora yelled, aiming at Millicent's right arm. Millicent dodged to the left, as expected. "Expelliarmus!" Aurora aimed to the right, but Millicent dodged to the right, as expected. She was immediately disarmed. Aurora summoned her wand with Soliopathy and broke it. Millicent lowered her hands.
"How... simple a defeat. The Disarming Spell. I never would've guessed. So what else will you do?" Millicent watched as Aurora approached her, looking much weaker than normal. Millicent looked up and saw a barrier around them disappear. "Heh. Never noticed that the..." She was silenced as Aurora grabbed her face with one hand and placed a hand on her chest.
"I said death was too good a punishment for you. It is. There are far worst things than dying." Aurora placed her mouth next to Millicent's left ear. "Uccidere l'anima," she whispered.
Just as Harry, Ron, Dylan, and Draco was getting ready to Apparate to Draco's home, several things happened at once.
The barrier keeping everyone from Apparating to Malfoy Manor disappeared.
A lone prisoner in the castle where the guys were stood up shot a wayward curse at seemingly nothing and then disappeared. It reflected off of several objects before hitting Draco Malfoy in his left temple. Draco hit the ground like a ton of bricks.
Hermione, Ava, and Ginny finally Apparated to Malfoy Manor the second they felt barrier lift. The first thing they saw was Millicent drop to the ground as a ghastly figure disappeared above her. Once the figure disappeared, another was seen, standing in front of a dome of blue fire.
"Aurora?" Ginny whispered.
Aurora smiled faintly. Then the most painful feeling she had ever felt in her mind registered. She did not bother wincing. After those first few seconds, she could no longer feel it. She could no longer see. She could no longer hear.
Ginny and Hermione watched Aurora fall in the grass. They immediately began calling her name. They received no answer from their friend. Ava just stared blankly. She had a feeling she knew what happened. She jumped as she heard several people Apparating behind her. She turned around to see Harry, Ron, and Dylan. Draco was slung over Dylan's shoulder.
"What the hell happened here?" Ron asked.
"What happened to Draco?" Ava asked dryly.
"Oh, uh, he's just unconscious. Got shot in the head with a paralysis curse. Is his house on fire? Where's Aurora?" Harry asked, stepping up beside her. Ava motioned to the grass. Harry approached her slowly. Hermione and Ginny were already hovering over her, trying to get a response out of her.
"Harry, she's..." Hermione looked up.