Twist of Fate
Chapter 6
Tale of Two Malfoy's
October 31, 1996
Draco Malfoy watched as the celebrated Boy Savior followed the Slytherin head of house from the room. There was something not right about the small young man's posture. The acting job was truly superb, but it was an act, nonetheless. Draco had spent far too much time in the last five plus years watching Harry Potter in all of the other boy's moods. Potter was tense and apprehensive, but it had nothing to do with Snape. That didn't even start on that fact that in his rush to get to the boy Snape had forgotten that they were only twenty minutes into the Halloween feast.
No one else, save the headmaster had given the two a second look, but Draco felt the need to follow them burn. His need to know everything about the elusive Boy Who Lived pushed him from his seat and waving off his cronies attempts to follow he made his way to Potter's room.
He knew instinctively that it was where the two men had gone. When he came to the beautiful landscape that he knew led to Harry's rooms he knew that he had been correct. The painting had been left ajar forgotten in their haste to thwart some unknown evil. He listened to the low voices from within and recognized Weasley and Granger. He inched closer to the opening in hopes that he would hear what was being said.
He need not have bothered as Weasley declared it for the whole of Hogwarts to hear.
XXX
"WHAT! YOU WERE PREGNANT BECAUSE YOU WERE RAPED?"
Harry winced at the term, but nodded anyway.
"Oh my god," The voice was small, but Harry heard it and turned. There standing in the portrait hole, which must have been left open, was none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Well shit." Harry's excited utterance summed up the situation nicely.
No one seemed able to move, stunned as they were from both the sudden revelation and Malfoy's appearance. Harry was having serious second thoughts on the whole 'obliviate' thing. He suddenly jerked to his senses and rose from his seat. This action proved counterproductive as it also woke Malfoy from his daze and sent him running from whence, he came.
"FUCK!" was all Harry could come up with as his took off after his rival. Draco had a good head start on him and he was still in poor shape after the birth. The corridors and stairs seemed to be working in Malfoy's favor as he attempted his escape into the dungeons. By the time he was in rage to cast a spell the common room wall had shut behind him.
Harry collapsed onto his knees trying to catch his breath. He didn't know what to do. Malfoy had escaped and tomorrow the world would know his secret. He silently berated himself for not being more careful. Once again, his children's lives where in danger because of him.
Harry wanted to scream and cry. He wanted to disappear into the night and never lay eyes on the magical world again. He could do none of this so he pulled himself up on shaky legs so that he could go back to his rooms and prepare for the worst.
As he came to the bottom of the staircase that led up from the dungeons into the main entry, he met Severus. With a sad shake of his head, he let the man know that his quarry had escaped. Both knew that it was too late to stop the boy from sending a missive, but Severus led him back into the dark hallways anyway.
Severus guided the wary young man, hoping in vane that his godson had not yet made Lucius privy to the information. He hopped to appeal to Draco's since of loyalty and bargain for his silence.
Severus was not deterred by the empty common room and led the way to Draco's private chamber. He knew that he had to do all in his power. It was not only Harry's life and happiness at stake.
He made quick work of the ward that had been hastily drawn around that door and entered with his wand drawn.
Draco sat on the hearth with a handful of Floo powder grasped shakily in his hand. The blond did not move, neither did he acknowledge their presence at all. He sat as if waiting for the impact of a spell, but when it did not come, he spoke quietly. "I did everything in my power to pass on this knowledge I have gained. It is a shame that you have arrive just in time to stop me and ensure that I am unable to give the Dark Lord the key to his nemesis' undoing. That I was obliviated just as I dropped the Floo powder into the fire to call my father was a stroke of luck, because he will know that something has happened and will search for answers. Sadly, this secret is too well guarded." He still had not moved, but chose that moment to glance up. "Be gone before he answers my call." With that he cast a dazing charm on himself and dropped the powder into the fire calling for Lucius Malfoy.
XXX
Severus didn't know how to react. He knew that his godson had not desire to be a death eater, but he was still not sure that he could count on the boy to keep the secret. He chose to cast a simple disillusionment charm on both Harry and himself as well as a notice me not and a silencing ward.
Lucius' face appeared in the fire, "Draco? What on earth are you calling me for…" He trailed off as he saw the blankness of his son's eyes. "Draco?"
Draco seemed to start and then looked around himself before focusing on his father. "What? How? I was at the feast."
"Stay there Draco, I am coming through." Draco sat in silence, still a bit dazed from the charm.
Lucius stepped through and without thought for his state of dress, nor his lack of composure knelt before his son. "What happened Draco?"
"I was at the feast. I saw Snape get up and then lead Potter from the room. I followed them out of the great hall…Then I remember you calling me."
Lucius knew that his son had been obliviated, but the question that burned in his mind was 'Why?'
His brain spun with a thousand possibilities, some more likely than others, but it all seemed to lead him back to Potter's disappearance over the summer. The boy was hiding something and now he knew that it was very important. Someone was willing to risk a stint in Azkaban to protect the boy. There was no question that there was a strong contingent representing the Order of the Phoenix present at the school. Since his release from prison, he had gathered a great deal of information.
He was in fact strongly reconsidering his allegiance. It had not been his master that had rescued him from his hell, but his own massive fortune. He needed to know this secret, as it could be the key to his salvation. One side of this war or the other would pay him dearly for his knowledge. "Keep your eyes open. I will find out what I can, but I must be careful I am still closely watched." He then looked intently at his son who had seemed to compose himself while he had been lost in thought. Without thinking and unwilling to deny the love he felt for his only child he gathered the boy in his arms. "I am sorry for all that I have cost us my son. I wanted for you to have a better future and I made some bad choices. We Malfoy's have a way of staying on top, though. Be strong and I promise that when this bloody war is over, we will be the family that you deserved."
The flames had long faded back to red before the three remaining men in the room shook themselves back into reality. Draco looked to where he knew the two men to be hiding in plan sight. "Guard your secret well, for it is not safe. I will do what I can to protect what I know, but my father will not stop until he is certain that he is on the winning side with enough insurance to keep him alive and out of Azkaban."