Chapter 36

Lucius sat in his study two hours later, leaning back in his desk chair, his eyes closed, his hands clasped with the first finger on each hand steeped together as they traced his lower lip in thought. Keely had convinced Voldemort not to move the wedding up. Lucius had no idea it was even possible to change the Dark Lord's mind, but somehow she had. And now Voldemort was gone, at least for the time being. After leaving Keely's room, Voldemort announced that he needed to take care of a task that he trusted to no one but himself. So Lucius had a few precious moments of quiet to think about what to do next.

Keely had stirred something inside of him. She made him feel things he hadn't felt since he was a child. He heaved a great sigh and stood. He paced his spacious study and stopped at large gild framed mirror and stared at his reflection. He looked no different than he always did, but he was suddenly repulsed by the man staring back at him. Regret flowed through him as memories of his life came flooding to the surface of his mind. He tried to turn his gaze from the icy grey eyes that seemed to burn through his soul, but he couldn't. He stood frozen as every act of torture and murder he had ever committed loomed in front of him in stark clarity. In the mirror, vague images of those who fell victim to him seemed to stare out in accusation. First to fill his consciousness were those who had been innocent… Children. He had tortured and killed innocent little children, he had done so while the sobbing mothers and fathers were made to watch at wandpoint before he turned his curses to them. A painful, strangled sob tore free from his chest. He could no longer bear it. He broke the spell binding him and turned away, falling to his knees with his head in his hands.

The door opened a moment later. Draco stepped through and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw his father on the floor. At the sound, Lucius looked up. He jumped to his feet and rushed to stand in front of his son. He grabbed Draco's shoulders and looked into his eyes, as if searching for something of utmost importance. "What are you planning to do with Keely?" he asked desperately. "I know you aren't planning to go through with the plan."

All color drained from Draco's face. His mental blocks hadn't been strong enough and now his act was up. Voldemort and his father knew he had no intention of letting Keely become a subject of evil.

Without waiting for an answer, Lucius dropped his hands from his son's shoulders and rushed past him to his desk. He sat down and hastily began riffling through drawers looking for something that may help him. He looked up at Draco. "What is your plan?" he demanded. "We have to get her out of here!"

Draco's jaw dropped. He was sure he had misheard.

His father continued. "I could send you both somewhere far away. Maybe to America. You could go into hiding. You could protect her. You have to go now, before the Dark Lord returns."

Draco stared at his father in disbelief. He had no clue who this man was. He had never seen him in such a manic state. His words were hurried and desperate, but they were nothing compared to his frantic, worried movements. "Excuse me?" Draco asked skeptically.

Lucius looked up from his frenzied searching and rushed back to his son, once again taking him by the shoulders. He led him to a chair and gently pushed him down. Draco sat without a fight. He watched as his father rounded the desk and sank into his own chair.

Draco narrowed his eyes at his father, trying to understand what had happened to cause such a dramatic change of heart. "Is everything alright, Father?"

Lucius sighed and studied his son. He lowered his head and shook it. "No, Draco. Everything is not alright. I can't go through with it. We have to hide Keely. The Dark Lord is going to destroy her. He's going use her as a weapon."

"A weapon?" Draco was thunderstruck. How could anyone use Keely as a weapon? Her talents lie in helping people, not hurting them.

Lucius could no longer look into his son's eyes. He averted his gaze and nodded. "Yes, the Dark Lord has been researching true empaths for quite some time. He discovered that true empaths can not only take another's pains and sorrows, but can also do the opposite."

Draco shook his head in confusion. "She can do the opposite of taking them? You mean to tell me that she can give people pain and sorrow?"

Lucius nodded slowly.

"How do you know that?" asked Draco. Anger at the thought of Keely being used for something that would be abhorrent to her began to surface.

Lucius shook his head quickly. "It doesn't matter. Just know that it's true. She can deal out the pain." He shuddered inwardly at the memory of her making him writhe in pain with only a mere thought. He stared intently at his son. "Draco, we have to hide her! You have to take her away from here, now!"

"No, Father," said Draco emphatically.

"No?" asked Lucius doubtfully. "You don't want to save her?"

Draco shook his head. "Of course I want to save her. But you're not thinking straight, Father. Do you honestly think the Dark Lord will just stop looking for her, should we disappear? Do you think he'll say, 'Oh, well, there are plenty of other rare witches and wizards like Keely, I'll just go get one of them to bend the world to my wishes.'? Of course not!" He stood and planted both of his hands on his father's desk. "Look, Father. I've had plenty of time to think about this. I've been trying to come up with a plan ever since the first night I brought her here when you drugged her. I never had any intention of going through with any of this. I lo… care about her too much to let any of that bloody plan harm her."

Lucius seemed to calm a bit. "You're right, son. He would turn the world upside down looking for her." He lowered his gaze. "And he would punish you for defying him."

Draco raised his eyebrows, incredulous. He gave a derisive chuckle. "And you would let him. You're a coward, Father!" Anger washed through him as he stared at the man he used to admire. "You would just stand back and let him do what he would to me. So long as he doesn't suspect you of helping. What, Father? I run away with Keely, hide with her and keep her safe and you would what? Rant and rave about what a horrible son I am, and that I should be proud to have his weapon as my WIFE!" He blew out a short, loud breath and continued, ignoring his father's rising color. "I'm FIFTEEN! I don't know how to be a husband! I don't even really know how to be a boyfriend! I was barely learning how to be a teenager, thanks to Keely. And I WON'T run away with her! I won't subject her to a life of hiding in fear of every shadow we see! She deserves better than that!"

Lucius sat shocked at his son's outburst. He felt his face flush in rising anger, but pushed it down. He had plenty of practice at hiding his emotions and this would be one of those times. Draco was right. He had never allowed him to be a child… And Keely deserved better than a life of hiding, as did his son. Whatever happened next, Lucius would not sentence his son to the Dark Lord's wrath. Too many children had already suffered because of his cowardice.

Lucius swallowed thickly. "So, what is your plan?"

Draco sighed loudly and sat back down. "Hermione Granger will be here tomorrow, hopefully, to help me."

Lucius' eyebrows flew up before lowering in skepticism. "Granger? The mudblood?"

Draco shook his head. "Keely's best friend."

"How were you planning on getting Keely out of here?"

Draco studied his hands lying in his lap for a moment before meeting his father's gaze. "She and I are going to need your time turner," he said determinedly.

"Why?" asked Lucius curiously.

"It's the only way," answered Draco sadly. "If it weren't for me, Keely would be at school where she belongs. She would be free and happy, laughing and joking with her friends. Instead, because of me, she's locked up in a room, thinking her parents are dead."

Lucius studied his son intently. "You're going to change the past?"

Draco nodded. "I know it's against wizarding laws, but it's the only way out of this mess, short of killing the Dark Lord. I don't know about you, but I know I'm not strong enough to kill him. No matter how much I wish I was."

"What are you going to change?"

"As much as it takes to keep her safe."

Lucius sighed as he stood and strode to his safe. He unlocked it and reached inside. He pulled the little hourglass suspended by a golden chain free and held it out for his son. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you."

Draco met his father's gaze and held out his hand as the time turner fell into it, his eyes shining with unshed tears at what he was about to do. "I promise."