The Beginning
There were troubling times ahead or so everyone kept saying, Harry Potter sat at his desk in the auror department of the Ministry of Magic reading the case files of a slew of vampire and werewolf attacks. There was no connection between any of the victims and no connection to any werewolves or vampires that could be found. No one was technically murdered, but turned to one type or the other. Some of the victims wished they would have been killed instead of being turned immortal. In fact, many of the victims were pleading that the auror department kill them instead of allowing them to live.
The clock on his desk chimed, breaking his concentration. Harry looked up realizing it was seven and he promised he would meet his wife, Ginny Potter, to go out with their good friend Hermoine Granger and her boyfriend of two years for dinner. Harry reaching a dead end again in the cases placed them in his desk drawer and securing them for the evening. He walked over to the floo and picked up some floo powder and threw it into the fireplace announcing his destination. "Number 12 Grimauld place." He stepped into the green flames and stepped out into his living room.
"Harry, I hope that's you because we are already going to be late meeting Hermione." Ginny Shouted down the stairs. Mrs Black letting a shriek out with the loud noise. Harry sighed hating that portrait more every day. "Sorry Gin, I got tied up at work with these cases we haven't been able to solve." He made his way up the stairs to their bedroom and upon opening the door saw his beautiful wife putting on the finishing touches to a stunning sapphire blue dress. Harry walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him. He placed a kiss at the base of her neck and collarbone breathing in her intoxicating smell.
She leaned into him as a moan escaped her lips. "Harry Potter, as wonderful as this is, Hermione will kill me if we cancel again because we can't keep our hands off each other long enough to enjoy dinner with her." She stepped out of Harry's grasp and he gave her a mischievous smile. " I know, but you're so beautiful I would love to have you for dinner." All she did was smile and shake her head at her loving husband. " Get ready and I'll give Hermione a call on her cell to let her know we will be on our way shortly."
15 Minutes Later…. Harry stepped through the floo with Ginny into Hermione's flat.
"Harry, Ginny, I'm so glad you could make it." Hermione had an almost perfect slytherin smirk to go with the comment. "I have to be honest when you called Ginny I thought you were calling to cancel for the eighth time." Harry blushed a bright red and avoided her gaze. "Hermione, I think that slytherin boyfriend of yours is a bad influence. By the way, I don't see him around, is he coming with us tonight?" Ginny had no problems throwing jabs right back at her friend, who was the closest thing she had to a sister. Even though Ron and her relationship never really took off after the war, the two gryffindors were thicker than thieves. "He is going to meet us at the restaurant, he got stuck at work trying to finalize some documents. So shall we get going?" Hermione seemed calm, but something struck an eerie feeling with Harry as they left and apparated to The Veil. It was the hottest new restaurant in wizarding London. The restaurant prided itself on privacy. Each table was shrouded by a shimmering distortion field that muffled conversation inside to allow patrons privacy from reporters or nosy gossipers. In fact to work there you needed to sign a nondisclosure act.
Outside the restaurant reporters were always trying to get pictures of famous witches and wizards. Tonight was no exception, you had two thirds of the golden trio who both worked high up in the ministry, a keeper from a professional quidditch team, the holyhead harpies, and when Draco showed up an ex death eater all together.
When our heroes showed up there was no sign of Draco yet so they ignored the press and entered the restaurant. "Ms Granger, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, it is a pleasure to see you this evening and welcome to the veil. Your table is ready so if you would please follow me." The hostess led them to a table towards the back of the restaurant. "Here you go." as the veil covered the table as they took their seats. "will there be anyone else joining you this evening?" the hostess was wanting to make sure no one else could bother them if this was the entire party. "We are expecting Mr Draco Malfoy to be joining us as well." Harry added as he sat down after helping both ladies to their seats.
"Yes sir, I will bring him to your table as soon as he arrives." She turned and left the three to themselves.
After the veil closed around their table Hermione asked "Ginny how has practice been going?" "Oh it's been really intense, but it's paying off we've won our last three games. You and Draco should come to one of the games if either of you can break the other away from work long enough." She laughed knowing her friend was a workaholic.
"I wouldn't be working so hard if Harry and Ron didn't keep me so busy." Hermione said smiling at her friends, she loved her job. She had set up the first forensics lab in Europe that combined both muggle and magical crime labs. Being head of the lab that was understaffed meant a lot of late and weekend hours. "You're really good at your job. In fact, have you made any progress on those cases I asked you to take another look at?" Harry looked troubled as he asked.
"Well I wouldn't hold your breath on it, but I have another test running that will be ready in the morning. I am truly sorry I don't have more. There really wasn't much to go with." Hermione glanced at her cell phone as she finished. It was really starting to get late and as their food showed up Hermione excused herself from the table. This was very unlike Draco to be this late without letting her know. Hermione headed towards the Restrooms to make a call to him. Ever since the second war more and more people had started using muggle technology and cell phones were the hottest item since it made communication so much faster than owls. She got the cell phones for the two of them and they would always stay in contact if plans ever changed. Hermione unlocked her phone and placed a call to Draco. It was ringing 1...2...3...4 voicemail.
"You've reached Draco if you want leave me a "
"Draco, Sweetie, I'm just trying to figure out where you are. Please call me or at least text me and let me know you are ok. I love you."Hermione hung up and headed back to the table. Something wasn't sitting right with her. Draco never ignored her calls even if he was in a meeting he would take them. She tried to push the feeling aside and kept talking with her two friends and kept glancing at her phone.
As the group finished up their meal Hermione grew extremely worried about Draco. She was getting ready to call again when her phone screen lit up, glancing at the screen she saw it was none other than Draco. She quickly answered the phone and was greeted by silence on the other end. "Draco, is everything ok?" Still nothing on the other end, but this time she could hear breathing, it was slowing and was getting fainter. "Draco, if you are playing around I don't appreciate it. I am really worried. If work is what has kept you just tell me." As she finished the breathing was even more shallow. Then there was only one word "help" followed by complete silence.
Hermione went into investigator mode and turned the device tracker on and saw he was still in his office. "Harry, Draco is in trouble." They both stood needing to leave. "Go, I got this." Ginny responded seeing the fear on her friend's face. They apparated on the spot into Malfoy Industries office building. The sight before them looked as if it was a flashback from the Battle of Hogwarts. There were lights hanging from the ceiling flickering, glass smashed all over the floor from windows and doors.
On several walls there were marks from curses being exchanged. Hermione and Harry grabbed their wands making their way through the building quickly and silently. They checked the different rooms for any sign that Draco or anyone may still be there. That's when they reached Draco's office. There was smoke within the room from several small fires, glass blown out of the windows, the door was splintered and mirrors shattered. Opening the door the two wizards cleared the room from any other dangers and once they were sure, Hermione started calling for Draco.
As she made her way behind the broken desk there was Draco lying in a pool of blood with the phone next to him. Hermione rushed to his side disregarding that this now became a crime scene. She reached him and pulled him up to her checking for a pulse. There it was faint and getting fainter, pulling her hand away from his neck it was covered in so much blood. "Draco" she whispered,"I'm here please stay with me."
Harry still watching their backs came around the desk to see what he could do to help. Realizing there was nothing either of them could do he sent his patronus off to his department. "Go, I'll get the scene taken care of." Hermione met his eyes full of gratitude and unshed tears, with that she apparated to St. Mungo's with Draco in her arms. As she reached the floor of the hospital she called out for help. Healers noticed the amount of blood and who they were rushed to Draco's side and took him away to work on him. Several other healers started fussing over Hermione seeing all the blood covering her. Her dress and legs were covered in blood from holding him and kneeling in the pool of his blood that was all over the floor of his office. "I'm fine, please, save him. He means everything to me, Draco's all I have." the tears started welling up in her eyes, she sank down in a chair in the waiting room.
"Hermione," someone said, sitting down next to her after what seemed like hours, but was in reality forty-five minutes. Again the voice called to her and seemed miles away from where she was. "Hermione, come on I brought you a change of clothes." She turned her head seeing Ginny sitting there with her hand out reached to her. Ginny helped her stand and lead her to a restroom and an Auror shower that they had at the hospital in case. "Ginny, I have to keep all these clothes as evidence." Hermione finally spoke to her friend still fighting the tears back.
"I know. Harry told me to bring these evidence bags with me." Ginny handed Hermione the evidence bags and waited outside. She placed her bloodied clothes into the bags and then went to take a shower. The sticky blood ran from her body as she scrubbed it off. The water going down the drain was red with his blood. She moved as if she was just going through the motions her mind was on autopilot. Every conscious thought being on Draco, her lifeline. She finished her shower and dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and felt like the battle at Hogwarts all over again. That office was destroyed and someone she cared about was dieing. She stepped out of the restroom and sent her evidence bags to her lab with magic. She looked at Ginny as they walked back to the waiting room. "Ginny, I don't have a clue what happened. The place looked like a war zone. He was barely alive when we got there and there was so much blood." Hermione went pale as she mentioned the blood. It made Ginny fearful of what her friend saw if it was enough to make her pale at the thought.
The two sat there in silence waiting on word of his condition. After the second hour of sitting in the waiting room, it became apparent that things may not turn out well. Hermione contacted Draco's mother, Narcissa Black. Narcissa shocked the wizarding world by doing a taboo and divorcing Lucius Malfoy after the war. Lucius was sentenced to life in Azkaban for his part as a death eater. Narcissa showed up and came rushing to the two young women sitting in the waiting room and hugged Hermione. Hermione let the tears start to fall in a wave of sobs. "I'm so scared." She whispered into the embrace.
"Draco has always been a fighter, he'll pull through. Remember he is a Malfoy and loves you very much and wouldn't leave you." Narcissa tried comforting Hermione, but in her mind wondered if the stubborn streak of the Malfoys would be enough this time to save her son.
"Mrs Malfoy?" the healer stated as he came out three hours later.
"Sir, no one here is Mrs. Malfoy anymore in my case and not yet for this young lady." Narcissa corrected the healer as they stood.
"Sorry, are you here for Draco Malfoy?" the healer asked, since not many reports or pictures of Narcissa had been taken since the divorce and Hermione was technically not family to Draco. "Yes," both women answered. Hermione was holding both Narcissa and Ginny's hand for support. Looking at the healer, "Is he ok?" she asked as her voice shaked.
The healer took a deep breath, "there are a lot of factors to cover before a conclusion can be made. Mr Malfoy, is stable as he can be considering he was bitten by a vampire. He has been infected by the virus that is going to turn him," he swallowed hard before continuing,"into a vampire."
"Oh sweet Merlin," Narcissa's hand went to cover her mouth from the shock. " You said he was at his office, how did this happen?"
"He was at his office. They must have attacked him there, but the question is why did they attack him. Harry is working on finding out right now." Ginny spoke for her friend who had sunk to the floor in tears when the healer revealed the news. The healer stood there longer making sure no one was going to go into shock or had further questions for him. Just as he turned to leave Hermione spoke for the first time since the news had been delivered. "Can I see him? please?"
"You can visit him, but understand that there are restraints on his wrists to protect everyone from him. It's in case he goes on a killing spree." She nodded weakly and followed the healer to Draco's room. She stepped through the door swallowing hard and there laying on a bed looking as if he was dead, not a vampire, was the love of her life. Hermione approached the bed and looked down at the even more pale body of Draco Malfoy. There on the side of his neck, the side she never saw at his office, were the two puncture wounds from the fangs that took his promising life. The life he would have had interacting with the world, but hopefully wouldn't take him from her.
"Draco?" She said as she took his hand into hers and sat next to him. His eyes moved behind his eyelids. "Draco, if you can hear me know I am not going anywhere. I love you and this doesn't change how I feel about you at all." Hermione looked at him, blinked, and warm fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she sat there hoping he would wake up. If this was someone's idea of a prank she was more than over it. She needed it to end or if this was a nightmare she needed to wake up herself. Narcissa came up behind Hermione and placed a hand on her shoulder while looking down at her son's lifeless body. "Dear, he is stronger than most people give him credit for. You know he won't give up without a fight. Draco, son, please remember that you are a Malfoy and we don't go down without a fight. You need to come back to us. Hermione needs you, I still need you."
Ginny snuck out of the room to go get everyone some coffee and to relay a message to her husband. If Draco was the newest victim of these attacks then time was running out before there would be a new wave of fear traveling through the wizarding community in Britain.