The darkness surrounds him. The cold, wet, dankness of the cell doing nothing but causing his depression to deepen. The guards still can be heard laughing at his anguished cries. "A child. She remarried and now there's a child." Lucius Malfoy says it over and over again in his head, feeling himself imploding in on himself more and more.
The guards had thought it funny to give him that morning's Prophet. As he grabbed the paper shoved through the door slit, he read the headline:
MINISTER OF MAGIC AND WIFE WELCOME A BABY BOY!
His heart felt as if it were torn out. Of course she would remarry. He'd allowed her to be raped and assaulted, he'd offered her up like a sacrificial lamb. He read the article:
Minister Shacklebolt's wife gave birth to their child yesterday afternoon. There to welcome the little one was the baby's big brother, Draco Malfoy, and his fiance, Ministry darling and Golden Girl, Hermione Granger. The couple doted on the beautiful baby boy, named Orion Cygnus, and a source tells me they have been named the child's Godparents as well. The new family will be going home later today.
When asked for comment, the Minister said, "My beautiful wife and I are over the moon. I've always wanted kids and with our marriage and the birth of our son, I now have two wonderful sons. Draco is a talented wizard and you are going to see great things from him in the coming years. I am proud to call him my son and happy that Orion will have a big brother to emulate and look up to. Soon, we will add our future daughter-in-law to our ever growing family! Narcissa and I couldn't be more thrilled. Thank you! I must get back to my family."
So, there you have it readers. Wizarding Britain continues to flourish, and I for one am ecstatic for the soon to be nuptials of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Until tomorrow, my doves!
-Parvati Patil, Ministry Correspondent
Lucius crumpled the paper and threw it across his cell. "That stupid, ungrateful wretch! Marrying the Mudblood! Polluting our blood line! And my whore wife already spreading her legs and birthing another man's child not even two years after I got thrown in this Hell hole! Fuuuuuuuck!!!" He began to thrash about and scream his obscenities. A guard he'd never seen before arrived and stunned the fallen wizard, then everything went black.
Hermione stood outside The Bridal Boutique waiting for Luna, Ginny, and Pansy. Narcissa was hoping to be there, but Orion was teething and miserable, so she decided against it. "I promised you. I feel so horrible." She had said via a Floo call that morning. Hermione had told her she understood.
She did, though she was looking forward to a mother figure being there. Her own mother had moved back to Australia and still refused to speak to her daughter.
Hermione sighed and looked around again. Pansy arrived first, followed by Ginny, and then a very tired Luna. "Luna? Are you alright? You look as if you could use a few more hours of sleep, sweetie." Pansy put her hand across the Ravenclaw's forehead as if checking for fever. Luna smiled weakly, "Well, I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you all. Blaise and I are with child." The women squealed and fawn over their dear friend.
"Do you know how far along you are?" Hermione asked as she released Luna from her embrace. She went on to let them know that she was just finishing up her first trimester, and that her and Blaise were planning a quiet marriage ceremony for the following month.
"We want it to be very quiet and intimate. My father was extremely upset with us both. Told us we were foolish for letting this happen. I broke down in hysterics and Blaise actually threatened to stun him for upsetting me so. He's very protective of me and our little Nargle." she giggled, "That's what he keeps calling her that."
"So, you're having a girl then? How wonderful!" Pansy clapped her hands together in excitement.
"Well, I don't know for sure yet. Just a feeling we both have." Luna smiled brightly. The women entered the bridal shoppe and began the search for Hermione's gown.
Draco waited at the table in the pub near his and Hermione's townhouse for his friends. He was going to talk to Blaise and Theo about the wedding, plus Blaise had wanted to share some news of his own. He look up at the door opening to see his two best mates smiling at him. "Well, look at you both. You're positively glowing." He said with a chuckle as he greeted them.
"Us glowing? Look at you. You'd think you were the blushing bride." Theo shot out as he playfully punched his shoulder. "Susan sends her love by the way. She just got accepted into the Potioneer program at St. Mungo's. They've got one more spot left. You should put in for it." Draco raised his eyebrows, intrigued at that bit of information.
"Brilliant! Go for it, mate! Anyway, I cannot hold in my news so can we stop the pleasantries." Blaise was practically bouncing in his seat.
"Go on then." Draco said expectantly.
"I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" He bellowed out and the pub erupted in cheers. "Luna is pregnant. We are going to have a small wedding ceremony next month at my mother's Villa in Portofino. Will you both stand up with me?" Draco and Theo agreed and toasted to their best mate.
"Her father was less than thrilled. Said some unsavory things to Luna, which caused me to basically threaten to hex his balls off if he ever upset her like that again. He hasn't spoken to us since. My mum says she will talk to him. We'll see how that goes." Blaise took a swig of his whiskey then looked over to Draco. "Now, I believe you had some things to discuss as well."
Draco smiled, "Yes so we've set a date for the wedding. We're going to have it in June at Hogwarts since that's where we first met. Shut up." He saw them both holding in laughter.
"Sorry mate but school? Next you're going to say the ceremony will be in the bloody library." Theo laughed then saw Draco's expression and stopped. "Oh shit, you are, aren't you? The damn library?" Draco shrugged then laughed.
"No you prat. We're going to have the ceremony out by the Black Lake. It's our special place. We had our first kiss there...I proposed to her there." Draco smirked as he thought of every special moment they shared at Hogwarts. If he could go back in time and punch some sense into his younger self, he would.
"So...best man? Did you choose?" Blaise was getting impatient. Draco grimaced, "Okay, so you know you both are my best mates, yeah? So this decision has been excruciatingly hard. Be that as it may, Hermione had me pick a name from a hat," he looked between the two men and smirked, "but I couldn't. I can't imagine standing up there without you both." They both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Shit man, we knew that. So, is Granger having two maids of honor?" Theo asked as he felt himself relax more with the amber liquid he had consumed. He'd been feeling like the odd man out with both friends marrying soon, one becoming a father, and him just dating Susan Bones. Of course, they were in a committed relationship, but neither were ready for marriage and kids.
"Yeah! That's the best part!" Draco started to laugh hard at Theo's question. "She's having Ginny and Potter! Her maid of honor and "sir" of honor. Fucking hilarious!" The trio continued to drink and razz each other. It was just like old times.
"Come on, Granger! We want to see you!" Pansy yelled out, already tipsy from the mimosas the bridal shoppe was serving them. "What the hell is she doing in there?" Ginny got up to check on her best friend.
"Hermione? You okay?" Ginny asked listening to the door. When there was no answer, she knocked. Still no answer. The door was locked. "Excuse me! Miss? Can we get a key to this door? Our friend isn't answering." All three girls waited while the matronly woman came over with the key to Hermione's dressing room. Horror shot through the three women at the sight.
"What in the world? She's not here!" the woman gasped. Luna pointed to the wall and grabbed onto the wall to keep from fainting. Blood smeared across the back wall. Hermione's blood. "Call Harry, Ginny! Pansy! Find Draco! He should be at the pub down from their house with Blaise and Theo. Somebody's taken her!"
When Lucius Malfoy regained consciousness, he realized one major thing. Somehow, he was no longer in Azkaban. The room he was in was a deep green color. He thought he must be dreaming. or something. The last thing he remembered was being stunned by a guard with red hair... someone familiar.
"Ah, you're awake!" Lucius looked and saw the Wizard. "You? Weasley? I thought you were locked away in the loony bin at St. Mungo's." the elder Malfoy couldn't understand why he was there.
"Ah, so I am. Private room, and I have a sweet nurse that is enamored with me. I come and go as I please while she keeps the staff cunfunded and away from my room. Now I need you to do me a favor. I need you to kidnap Hermione Granger. That way we can both get what we want. I get her, and your son doesn't marry a Muggle-born. Win, win."
Lucius sneered in disgust at the redheaded menace in front of him. "You're out of your fucking mind, Weasley scum! Why the fuck would I help you? I was already in Azkaban, you psychotic fuck! I was due to die soon. Just bring me back!" Suddenly everything went hazy.
"Imperio! Now listen here Malfoy. You will find Hermione Granger and bring her to me, alive. You will do this and after I have what I want, you will be free to go back to your filthy prison cell and die miserable and alone. Now, she is at The Bridal Boutique on Faringdon in Swindon. Apparate into the dressing area, capture her by any means necessary then bring her back to me. Go. Now!" With a *pop* the grimy wizard was gone.
Moments later, another *pop* was heard and an unconscious Hermione was placed on the bed. Ron immediately checked her over. "You idiot! She's bleeding!" A still Imperioused Lucius Malfoy stated in a monotone voice, "She fought back, so I knocked her out." Ron huffed then healed the gash on the back of Hermione's head.
"Now, go Apparate yourself back to the Ministry of Magic and await your death, you filthy bastard." Ron heard the sound of the man Apparating away and set to tying Hermione up. "Mione, my love, I have you. We'll be happy again, you'll see. I'll never let you go, ever again." He curled up next to her unconscious body and drifted off to sleep.
"Where is she? Where?" A distraught Draco Malfoy paced back and forth in the shop. The team of Auror's new little. Hermione was gone, her blood was smeared in the dressing room she had occupied, and nobody saw or heard anything.
"Mr. Malfoy, please try to stay calm. Do you know of anyone who might want to hurt Miss Granger? An old girlfriend of yours perhaps?" Auror Rothmeyer was a 15 year veteran, but you wouldn't know it by the way he seemed so jumpy and on edge speaking to the Malfoy heir.
"The only one would be her psycho ex, but he's apparently locked up in St. Mungo's psychiatric ward. Have they checked to see if he escaped?" Draco spat, anger lacing his words.
"We Floo-called there. His nurse says he is sleeping in his room." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Sleeping? You only called? So, you don't have a definitive answer to the question then? You just take his nurse's word for it? Are you a fucking moron? Lazy fucking Ministry workers!" Harry arrived and took Draco off to the side.
"Listen, mate, you need to cool the fuck off. Rothmeyer is only going through the preliminary questions we are trained on. Listen, your father just showed up at the Ministry. He somehow escaped from Azkaban. He has no memory of how he arrived there or how he escaped. We think he may have been used as a decoy to whomever actually took Hermione. We have a team on their way to Azkaban to interview the guards."
Harry's voice was calm, cool, and collected which helped Draco calm down. "He says the last thing he remembers is seeing the Prophet this morning and freaking out about your mother having another baby and your impending marriage to Hermione. He says that a guard he'd never seen before stunned him and everything went black. Next thing he remembers is being tackled to the ground by an Auror when he Apparated to the Ministry."
Draco dragged a hand through his hair. "Legilimency. We need to look through his memories, Potter. I'll do it. I've got to find her. She is my world, my life, my everything, you understand? I cannot lose her...I just can't!" And he broke down. His walls came tumbling down and he wept, and my God he allowed Harry to see him at his weakest and didn't even care.
Harry put his arm around Draco's shaking shoulders. "Alright, Malfoy. We'll go." And they disapparated from the bridal shop with a crack, landing outside the visitors entrance to the Ministry. "Come on. We'll enter through this way. It's more private." Then went in the phone booth, watching the street disappear, and landed in the atrium.
"Potter!" The Head Auror and Harry's mentor, Robards greeted the two Wizards. "Mr. Malfoy, we've got your father in here." He led them down a long hallway.
"Mr. Robards, sir, I want to use legilimency on Lucius. I need to see if he had anything to do with my fiance's disappearance. Please, I implore you." Draco was desperate for answers and didn't care if he was begging.
"I didn't hear you say anything, just go inside this room here." he said with a wink as he opened the door to allow Draco and Harry to enter. The door closed behind them. Lucius Malfoy was a ghost of his former self, and he looked as if he would die any day. There was no way he could have had the strength to break out of Azkaban, kidnap Hermione, then turn himself in without help from someone or magic.
"Father." Draco said in almost a whisper. The worn out wizard looked up slowly, tears in his eyes. "I need to look through your mind, Father. I need to see." Lucius nodded then locked eyes with his son, "Legilimens."
The prison cell was cold and damp. Lucius held The Prophet in his shaking hands. "Cissa. No. Love of my life. A child. Remarried. Minister Shacklebolt. Orion. Draco. The Mudblood. To marry. I'm already forgotten. No will left. Want to die. I'm going to die. Alone. Forgotten."
He's screaming now. Blackness envelopes him. "Light. Fresh air through an open window. A bed. A room. Never been here before. Red hair. Blood traitor. Weasley."
Ah, you're awake!" Ronald Weasley, the youngest son.
"You? Weasley? I thought you were locked away in the loony bin at St. Mungo's."
"Ah, so I am. Private room, and I have a sweet nurse that is enamored with me. I come and go as I please while she keeps the staff cunfunded and away from my room. Now I need you to do me a favor. I need you to kidnap Hermione Granger. That way we can both get what we want. I get her, and your son doesn't marry a Muggle-born. Win, win."
"You're out of your fucking mind, Weasley scum! Why the fuck would I help you? I was already in Azkaban, you psychotic fuck! I was due to die soon. Just bring me back!" Hazy. No control. The Imperious Curse.
"Imperio! Now listen here Malfoy. You will find Hermione Granger and bring her to me, alive. You will do this and after I have what I want, you will be free to go back to your filthy prison cell and die miserable and alone. Now, she is at The Bridal Boutique on Faringdon in Swindon. Apparate into the dressing area, capture her by any means necessary then bring her back to me. Go. Now!"
Dresses hanging. "How many damn dresses did you bring me?" Laughter. The girl. Must take her. Return her to Ronald Weasley. Fear. Confusion. Fighting back. Slamming her head against the wall. Unconscious. Back to the room. Lay her down gently on the bed.
"You idiot! She's bleeding!"
"She fought back, so I knocked her out."
He heals her.
"Now, go Apparate yourself back to the Ministry of Magic and await your death, you filthy bastard."
Disapparate. Ministry. Pain. Confusion.
"Wait. Don't leave yet. Must show you one more thing. Please."
Narcissa. Beautiful bride. Smiles. Tenderness.
Pregnant. Our son. He's born. He's beautiful.
A Slytherin! So proud of him.
Love him more than myself.
Want to protect him. I'm a coward.
My son will be different. A success!
He is in love. Not a Pure-blood. Try to understand. Disappointment. Understanding. She loves him. She's brilliant. Makes him better.
He hates me. I'll love him until my last breath. I love you, son. I'm ready to die.
Draco opened his eyes. With one final look, Lucius Malfoy slumped out if his chair. Harry jumped out of his chair and picked up the lifeless body of Lucius. "He's dead. Was it too much on his mind?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head.
"He was already dying when we got here. Potter, it's Weasley. He's not at St. Mungo's. He took my father from Azkaban and when he refused to help him kidnap Hermione, he used the Imperious Curse to force him. He has her. He fucking has her again. I couldn't tell where. It looked like a dark green colored room with a bed. There was a window open with a breeze coming in. His nurse is helping him leave! FUCK!" Draco let his tears fall. They fell for Hermione, for him, and for his dead father. A father, who it turns out, always loved him, no matter what.
*I know, I know! How could he take her twice? I felt Lucius needed a little bit of redemption before his demise. Review. Much Love!