A/N: Big hugs to Tempest E. Dashon for beta'ing this chapter for me.
Vine
It's been three days since Aunt Bella was charged with training the new wand-fodder. The ticking of the clock bangs holes in my consciousness. Any second could be our chance to depart. It's time to have a luncheon with my mother.
"Mother, come with me." I implore, linking my hand in the crook of her arm as we begin the long walk to the rose gardens
"Where are we going, Draco?" she asks, uncertainty etched in every syllable
"Somewhere much more comfortable to fill ourselves with warm bread. To relieve ourselves from the stench that surrounds us." I respond, casting a sidelong glance her direction
We continue our trek in silence as the minutes stretch themselves into hours.
She pulls my heart clear through my fingers as she stops short near Father's study.
I hold her fast.
"Please, Mother, won't you come with me?" I beg with my eyes, pulling every plea into the vile air between us.
"I've just remembered your father requires my presence." she tells me through the vacant stare of her occlumency shields
I'm shattered. The dust that remains of me continues tenaciously.
"The gardens aren't as beautiful without you in them, Mother."
She pulls me into her arms.
"I love you, Draco. More than all the stars in all the skies."
She never says it first. Circumstances change.
"I love you more, Mother."
I feel my occlumency shields slam to attention, locking me in my cage of defeat.
She whispers in my ear one final confirmation -
"In the morning - when you rise - I'll be with you."
I've never seen my mother cry. As she hurries away with warm tears still welling in her eyes, I'm certain I never will.
xoXOXox
"She's not coming." he tells me through layers of torment
I hate that he hoped for so much when I could have told him it wasn't going to happen. Narcissa wouldn't risk the scrutiny that would fall on us if she tried to leave at our side.
There's nothing I can say to stop the bleeding of his heart, so I sit quietly and hold him while he cries.
xoXOXox
I let my occluding shields melt away as I sob into the darkest hours of the morning. Every time I attempt to silence myself, the abandonment stabs a fresh wound, cutting me open to bleed me dry anew. Luna sits quietly, consoling me in her effortless way as my temples pound and face throbs from the pressure of it.
Is this how she felt when her father was forced away? Weeks past expiry, I realize what a horrid lover I have been.
I hold her too tightly, forcing the steady pounding of her heart to quiet the palpitations inside me.
"Please don't leave me, Luna. You're all I have left to hold me to the earth."
xoXOXox
Now is not the time to tell him he is wrong, although he most certainly is. I'm the least of all things he has to hold onto.
Theo, wherever he left to, may still be alive. Last I heard, Blaise was somewhere in Italy, biding his time in seclusion with his mother. Crabbe and Goyle may be less fortunate, but the Malfoys have a penchant for surviving the worst of accusations somewhat untarnished.
Draco has a bright new future ahead of him.
Unless…
While he is thoroughly distraught, I may as well ask the question that could shake our fates out from under us.
"Why did you have an award available, Draco?"
He looks at me with bloodshot eyes, the redness of turmoil staining his porcelain skin. I force myself not to regret causing this additional pain upon him. I need to know how to get him out of this.
"For the murder of Headmaster Dumbledore." he says
xoXOXox
The smell of elder burning floods up my nostrils once again. The phoenix flames lick holes in my vision as I see the fire the Headmaster has set before me once more.
"Draco, I once knew a boy who made all the wrong decisions…" the elderly wizard taunts
"No!" I silence him "This was not my decision!" My voice echoes from the walls of the astronomy tower, strained and soaked with tears.
I revile this man. More than my father. More than the Dark Lord. Those in my household have the integrity to display their evil outright, while he hides his under cloaks of deceit and shrouds of false concern.
"Avada kadavra!" I shout.
He apparates before my spell can land, forcing me to look him in the eyes as he appears before me.
"This is all your fault!" I yell, pushing him in the chest like a common Muggle. I hope he kills me for the insolence while my wand is down.
He doesn't, and I don't let him speak more pretentious goading to me.
"You were supposed to protect me! To protect all of us! Greatest Wizard of Our Time my arse! Every word from your mouth is a lie!" Another Avada, another apparition.
He's standing on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, teetering on the precipice of life and death.
Auntie Dearest has arrived, licking her teeth as surely as if they were coated in the Headmaster's blood.
"Do it, Draco…" she whispers, even as the spell flies forth from my wand
"I'm sorry, Draco." he says as he falls to the earth beneath my green light
xoXOXox
Oh, dear. Murder is an offence that generally doesn't sit well in the eyes of the public. Bellatrix likes to gloat, therefore she may testify against him if only by accident of her insanity. Hopefully, she'll die before we get to find out for certain.
He may be able to claim coercion and duress, which are certainly accurate and plausible, but I doubt he will get out of this without a sentence. War crimes are war crimes, regardless if they happened to a person or because of them.
Maybe they won't believe a boy could kill Albus Dumbledore, even unarmed. The fact the Headmaster burned his own wand complicates matters exponentially. Why would he do that?
Hope is slim, but it exists nonetheless.
"Don't worry, Draco. I won't leave you."
xoXOXox
"Don't let them take me, Luna. Don't let the dementors kiss me. My lips are yours alone."
I'm devolving. I can feel the mounting pressure inside my occluding room crack my shields to bursting.
"Let me die in your arms, Luna, not in some wretched cage they throw me in like an animal."
She takes my shoulders roughly as if she can shake me to comprehension.
"I'm not letting you die, Draco. Not by anyone, or by any means. Do you understand?"
She can't promise that.
"On my magic." she says
Well, I suppose she can.
xoXOXox
Tonight is going to be one of those nights Draco screams in his sleep; I can feel it.
Although we need to be more alert than ever in the waking hours, I stand by my theory that he should metabolise the trauma instead of trying to hide it under Dreamless Sleep.
"May I borrow your wand for a moment, kitten?"
He hands it to me straight away. We've made excellent progress in our boundaries with each other during these weeks.
This is my first time trying to cast with it, so it sparkles a little under my touch. It must know I mean it no harm because it lets me cast a projection charm. The stars and moon in a clear night sky are more splendid than I thought I could imagine as they shine down on us from the canopy.
I usually sing him to sleep, but perhaps a bedtime story will do the trick to ease him into the night.
"There you are, Draco." I show him his constellation watching down on us from straight overhead "Your watching over all the world, you know. Way up there, just waiting to spread your wings across the entire sky."
He pulls me on top of him. This is a good sign that it's working.
"You're wrong, you know." he tells me "I only want to spread my wings across the moon."
I use my borrowed wand to tuck the moon under the dragon. If that's where he wants it, there it shall remain.
xoXOXox
I feel like death upon waking. I suppose the feeling is apropos given the endeavours I may very well be undertaking today.
It appears a combination of slicing charms and incendios are on the agenda for training. Luna doesn't take on many healings as the mongrels flow in more damaged than usual. The first one is missing a wand arm, the second is burned beyond recognition. Shielding charms, boys - can't live without them. Swine number three appears before us due to a stunner to the face.
"My duelling partner will be here soon, if he makes it this far." the vermin says through a bloody smile.
This one will be the dangerous sort.
A Snatcher delivers the assumed duelling partner to us still on fire. I absolutely despise these idiots. The healer casts an augamenti, and I know instantly the time is upon us.
"Burn cream, Lovegood." the healer instructs "As much as we have. He's fading fast."
Luna has me levitate litres of burn salve to pour over him. He perishes anyway. I make a show of casting a rennervate to try to revive the dead dueller. He lays silent.
Now is our chance.
The body is levitated to a table inside the potionery. It wouldn't do to give the cretins a glimpse of what fate awaits them. Luna and I ready our positions as a Snatcher is deployed to take it away.
As soon as the Snatcher enters our confines I hit him with a silent stunner followed by a somnium. That should keep him asleep and dazed long enough for me to get the job done. I shove a bottle of whiskey into his hand and stuff him in the storeroom. Easy enough excuse if someone comes to see about the man. Luna leaves first, making a show of needing to go to the ladies room.
"Weak stomach, you see. That last one was vile." she tells the healer
"Go on. No use vomiting on my carpet." the healer dismisses her
I'm right behind as soon as the polyjuice hits and I transfigure my clothing to into the Snatcher's deplorable garments.
Now where to go?
xoXOXox
Draco slips me his wand as soon as we're out of the infirmary. I make my way to the ladies room, leaving the door ajar as I go in. Checking quickly to ensure I'm alone, I take off my shoes and cast a disillusionment charm on myself to follow Draco in the hallway. I make my way to the drawing-room with Draco close ahead. The first person to exit the room appears to be one of the recruits on the way to the infirmary. I sure hope he knows where he's going.
"Imperio" I say softly. His eyes glaze over. "You have orders to dispose of this body."
He begins leading the way into the unknown. We twist and turn down dark corridors deep into the bowels of the Manor to arrive at a room full of runes.
Draco begins retching as the doors to the grave are opened.
xoXOXox
"You were never here. You became lost on the way to the infirmary, and are on your way there now." Luna intones to the soldier
He makes his way out of the abyss and back into potable air without complaint.
It finally makes sense why the Dark Lord chose to return with a body devoid of olfactory senses. As the smell of decay surrounds us, I cannot withhold the bile when it comes pouring out of me. Luna helpfully vanishes the sickness before returning my wand to me. I shrink the body that is burned beyond recognition, along with another that appears to be somewhat fresh. She thankfully remembers the stasis charm as we pocket them to head back to the infirmary. We take off at a jog, as the polyjuice has only half an hour before it wears off.
A few other degenerates find me in the halls, attempting to stall me for a chat.
"Can't. Orders." I quip brusquely, in my best imitation of the Snatcher's tone. He'll be waking up any moment now, hopefully wondering why he decided to get sloshed mid-day in the potionery storeroom.
The polyjuice begins to fade away just as I reach the lavatory. Brilliant. I stay there a moment, waiting for it to wear off as Luna recants her disillusionment charm.
We return to the potionery. The Snatcher is gone.
Fuck.
xoXOXox
Draco and I discover the Snatcher has awakened and left the potionery. Time to think fast.
Draco speaks to the healer.
"Lovegood isn't feeling up to snuff, Zabinski. I think I need to take her for a rest for the remainder of the day."
"Rest? Is that what they're calling it now, Malfoy?" the healer arches an eyebrow at him "It's none of my business where you dip your wand, but you might care to know the two of you were seen leaving the lavatory together only moments ago."
Someone saw us. This. Is. Not. Good.
"You'd do well not to listen to rumours, Zabinski." Draco tells the healer in his best Heir of Malfoy tone "And if I want to ensure my betrothed is well enough while wretching her guts, what concern is it of yours?"
If I didn't know him intimately, it would be extremely concerning how well Draco lies.
"It's no concern of mine, Malfoy. Just thought you'd like to know."
Is that a show of allegiance, or a threat? Slytherins and their implications drive me mad.
"It's appreciated." Draco tells him.
Good. Not a threat then… probably.
"Say, Malfoy, did Maddington get that boy's body out of the corridor? Idiot came out of the potionery sloshed out of his brains after Lovegood left. I didn't even see him come back in."
"I thought I saw him coming in on my way out. Figured the idiot forgot his arse." Draco lies flawlessly. "I'll send word if the body was improperly disposed of."
"Good on you, mate. I don't know where they pull these people from." says the healer, shaking his head
"The sewers, most likely." Draco replies
The healer laughs as Draco forms a sneer.
We have to get out of here. Now.
xoXOXox
We go as quickly as our legs will carry us to our quarters. I'd give my arm for a broom right now. My right arm, specifically.
Having one wand puts us at a sore disadvantage. Soon, it will be zero wands between the two of us. No advantage, then.
It all happens in an instant. We cover ourselves in burn salve. I vanish the jar. Luna opens the windows. I pluck two hairs to transfigure two needles before enlarging the bodies. Wouldn't do to leave my blood anywhere near these death dolls.
We lay them on the bed in a plausible position before injecting them with the polyjuice. I cast a rennervate to get their hearts going for a moment to get it through their systems. All goes according to plan.
As the one who is going to be me begins to change, I notice the Dark Mark isn't present on his arm. I suppose this is a good sign. The mark was only done to me, not a part of me.
Now is not the time to be a poet, Malfoy. I incendio the arm, handing Luna my wand.
"You have to leave those here, Draco." she determines, pointing to my adders. "You never fall asleep with your jewellery on. It'll be suspicious if they aren't in their usual place."
She's correct, per usual. I float them to my wardrobe, kissing goodbye my means of telling friend from foe.
A potion kit is all we'll be carrying with us on our means of escape.
We roll out the magic carpet before climbing on top of the bodies.
"Somnium" she incants
xoXOXox
I hold Draco tighter than ever as the wards detonate around us. Flames are everywhere, licking at our faces as I counter the sleeping spell, cast a disillusionment on us and the carpet in one breath.
"Rennervate, rennervate" I cast at the ground before throwing Draco's wand into the hottest part of the fire.
We climb aboard the carpet with flames on our heels. Burn cream is a magic potion indeed, as the rug refuses to light.
The smell of burning flesh is one I will never be able to erase from my memory. Burning silk has a much more pleasant aroma, so I focus on that. We race onto the balcony, hurriedly shutting the windows before the heat gets to them.
We hang to the edge of the carpet with bated breath as we barrel through the sky. It's faster than any broom I've ever ridden. It takes all four of our hands to control as we race toward the gates. I can hear the windows explode even over the rushing wind.
Amazing. Hopefully, our distraction works well enough no one will hear the gate creak open as we rush to our freedom.
As we approach the gates, they sense Draco's magic, parting just enough for us to jolt through at an angle without smashing into them. I chance a look back to see if they've shut at our departure, but they're only a blur. Malfoy Manor is nothing but a black smudge in the distance as Draco steers us past the clouds and out of sight.
We're free.