by T.K. Yuy
Interlude III- She Has ComePlatform 9 and ¾ was normally not very busy during the times when Hogwarts was in session, but today was an exception. There were people dressed in dark robes, most with skull clasps, boarding the train, but one woman in particular stood out.
Dressed in a tight, flowing green velvet dress, with a low v-neck and long pointed sleeves, her white-blonde hair pulled up into a tight bun atop her head, she looked every bit as elegant as some of the Witches and Wizards boarding the train. What set her apart however, were the two diamond and silver belts she wore at her hips, and the matching necklaces and bracelets that graced her neck and wrists. The black robe she wore was indeed just as fancy as her robes, the edges embossed with dragons and lillies, and as she pulled her ticket from her inner pocket, if one were looking, they could see the silver-white and green wings that hung down her back. The Wizard that took her ticket nodded respectfully and showed her to an open compartment.
Don't worry, Draconis, I'm coming. I won't let them take your child. she thought, watching all the families wave to their loved ones as the train jerked into motion. I will not have them destroy the precious gift you've been given
~!*!~
Hogsmeade was packed with students from Hogwarts, and as Severus walked out of the Midnight Raven, he stopped dead in his tracks. Black eyes met ice blue, and the book in his hand landed on the walk with a thud. Everything around him seemed to be moving at unbelievable speeds, blurring as she smiled softly and stepped forward. She kneeled down to pick the book up and as she handed it back, everything came crashing back down in a rush of sound and flash of white. The woman was no where to be seen.
"This is not good." he said, reshouldering the sack of incredients he'd picked up, "Not good at all."
He quickly headed to the Three Broomsticks, finding Lupin and McGonagall chatting over a light meal. The look on his face must have tipped the Defense against Dark Arts professor off, because he immediately took a sip of his Butterbeer and cleared his throat.
"Severus, what's wrong?" the werewolf asked.
"We need to get back up to the school, now. She's here."
"What? Who?" asked McGonagall, taking some money out of her purse to pay for her half of the meal.
Remus quickly threw a few Galleons on the table and put his cloak back on. He knew exactly what the Potions Master was saying, and that was not something he was going to take lightly. He helped Minerva into her cloak and picked up his satchel before heading out the back door. Sirius would need to be there when they told the rest of the Protectors.
"Inform the students that they're trip will be cut short. I'll have Sirius bring them up in two hours. That'll give us time to talk to Albus, and to Harry. If she's here, then the entire Council will be coming."
"And we all know that the Necromancers will not be far behind." added Snape, nodding in confirmation. "I'll tell Ormand directly."
"Will the two of you please tell me what it is you're talking about, because quite frankly gentlemen, you've lost me." Minerva said, irritation clearly visible in her voice and on her face.
"She has come in search of her youngest grandchild."
The Transfiguration Witch's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she grabbed her hat and raced out of the pub. She tapped her wand to her throat and spoke.
"All students are to meet at the Three Broomsticks in two hours. I repeat, all students are to return to Hogwarts in two hours! There will be no exceptions, and detention will be given to those a fraction of a second late." she tapped her throat again and turned to Severus, "We must inform Albus, and warn Harry."
~!*!~
Harry was silent as he readjusted Draco's sleeping form in his arms, and watched as Ormand 'popped' into the room. He was dressed in his formal deep green robes, and as Brock appeared in the chair across the room, Harry knew it was bad. The Hufflepuff representative was also in his formal robes, and the look on his face was not the same kind, open look he had come to assocciate with the blue-haired man.
"Ormand, please, stop pacing." he sighed, "Tell me again why
her coming here is a bad thing?"
"Harry, Echo Noir has been alive for at least a four hundred years, and she's
not one to be taken lightly. As you
know, a Dragons Power grows with age, and well, she's the oldest living Dragon
animagi in existance. I, unfortunately,
do not count, as I was granted eternal life by Necromancers. I had watched her grow up, and when her Mate
died… well you can guess what happened."
"You got in her bed, and thus Loki Noir and Narcissa Noir were born. Wonderful. How many children did she have before you got with her?"
"Just one. I'm pretty sure you'll get to meet him tonight."
"Kain…"
"Good guess."
They turned to the door, only to see Nathalie standing there, dressed in black robes that made her look like a shadow. Her clasp shined and her eyes were cold. She'd turned on what Harry called the Necro-tude. It reminded him very much of Draco.
"Necromancers protect the Heir of Gryffindor because Lucifer's blood runs through his veins. It always has. Being that the first thing Lucifer did in his mortal body was get laid, one can see why certain people wanted him Exorcised. We can't have Power like that in Witches and Wizards, possibly Muggles, all over the world, now then can we? Kain was appointed by Liona herself as head of the Order of the Dragon. He hates her, but he'll never tell her that."
"So he's a full blood Noir as well?"
"Yes, and that's why the Necromancers knew of your Mates pregnancy before he
did. Kain can sense a change in his
bloodline, a significant one anyway.
And they don't get any more significant than his nephew being taken as a
born Power's Mate."
The room was silent as a small band of teachers streamed in, all of the Protectors, Harry noted. Sirius took his place at his godson's side, and Severus and Severia stood by the door, waiting. Draco took that moment to wake up.
"What the bloody hell are you all doing here?" he demanded groggily. "And why the fuck are you so dressed up?"
"Draco, look at me." Nathalie said, her silver-blue eyes
flashing once as he met them, "Do you understand?"
"Oh." he looked down at himself, "FUCK!"
He bolted off the bed, out of Harry's arms, and took one of the chocolate frogs Madam Pomfrey was bringing in. He paced, running a hand through his hair and then bolted out of the room. Students quickly got out of his way as he ran down to the dungeons. He shouted the password to his old room from half way down the hall, running in and skidding to a halt before the closet door. Inside looked bare, but pressing a few stones in the back, and a secret part of the closet revealed itself to him. He grabbed the black garment bag, and ran into his private bath. He ignored the amused concern from his lover, and showered as quickly as possible.
Once dry, he tapped his wand on a bottle of vanilla and musk oil, and pointed it at himself. The bottle drained as a thin spray flew out the tip on his wand and overed him from head to two. It was then magically rubbed in, and he stormed back into the bedroom. Opening the garment bag, he frowned, and pulled out a thong, and then a silver fishnet shirt. It was long sleeved, pointed at the back of his hand and kept in place with a silver ring on his middle finger. It fit like a second skin He pulled on a pair of black leather pants, soft as butter, and magically wrapped the matching belt with a Dragon buckle around his waist. He jumped into his black leather boots, the laces tying themselves, and as he pulled the black velvet robe over his head, he felt it shrink to hug his upper body. The neck was high, and adorned with a silver clasp set with a deep green stone in either swirl, and the sleeves were slit at his elbow to his wrist, falling open as he moved his arms. And while the mesh shirt came to just above his navel, the robe was shredded from the floor up to just below, but it fell open where the shirt ended. It looked as if his robe had been hit by a shredding charm, and as he pulled the last piece –a cloak- from the garment bag, a knock came from the door.
"Yeah?"
"Draco, it's Severus, may I come in?"
"Is Harry with you?"
"No, should he be?"
"Little Faith." he said to the portrait, and it swung open, letting the Potions
Master in. "Don't say a word, Snape, or I'll rip you apart."
"I am merely here to tell you that the Necromancers have arrived, and that Harry's pacing the Hospital Wing. He knows you're nervous, and that you're dressing, but he doesn't know what else is going on inside your head, and it scares him. The fact that trying to ignore Kain is like trying to not scream while under the Cruciatus doesn't make matters much better."
"He wants to hit him, doesn't he?"
"Yes, I think most of the Protectors do.
He's brought the Blood Stone with him, and has already offered it to
Harry, much to the other Necromancers dislike."
"Harry didn't take it, did he?"
"No, but it's tempting. Do you need
help?"
"Please."
Snape set the black-green cloak, which like the robes was shredded from the middle of his back down, and slit at the shoulders so it draped down his front, on Draco's shoulders, and set the Dragon clasp at his chest. It stretched its wings, claws holding the garment in place, and at the bottom of both the robe and the cloak, tiny diamonds and emeralds appeared, shimmering as each individual stip moved. The clasp relaxed its wings and became solid silver again, the diamond eyes winking up at him. Draco stepped back to look at himself in the full length mirror, and satisfied with his clothes, pulled a small black pouch from the garment bag. Out of it he pulled a set of large diamond studs, and smaller emeralds, and two sterling silver hoops for his cartilige piercings. Every finger got a simple silver band to match the one on his mesh shirt, and he threw the now empty bag back on the bed. With a quick flick of his wand, his hair was dry, and shimmered like silk. Another flick, and his eyes were outlined in the deepest black liner, with a bit of chrome shadow. His lips were tinted with a silver gloss, and his nails were done in a French manicure.
Are you done being nervous, Malfoy, because I could really use an excuse to get the hell out of here.
Go back to your room and shower. And dress in something similar to what we
wore on Halloween.
Why? What're you wearing?
You'll see. How are they?
Kain's mere presense is enough to make me want to hit him. His energy is very threatening.
I don't doubt it.
And the Stone?
Still around his neck.
Draco smiled, both physically and mentally, as Harry cut their link off, obviously disappearing and reappearing in his room. Things would definitly be heating up. Now all he had to do was wait.
~!*!~
The students had been sent to their common rooms to eat, and the Great Hall had been occupied by the Necromancers and their Protectors for two hours now. Harry'n'Draco were still not showing themselves, and Teek smiled as Nathalie started to fall a sleep. Severia hadn't taken her eyes off the tall, dark, curly-haired Necromancer that had clearly made her presense known. Dressed in flashy robes and a designer cloak, the woman was every bit of a snob. The fact that she had purposely shoved Nathalie into the wall on their way down to the Great Hall earlier hadn't made the Crimson feel much else than anger towards her.
"Chimera, would you pass the rolls, please?" a girl, about Teek's age, asked, and received a glare for it from the woman.
"There's a basket right in front of you, or can you-"
"Chimera."
The voice demanded respect, and all the Necromancers sat up straight, eyes locked onto the cobalt ones of their leader. His hair was a sandy blonde, just in two layers, so the bottom was longer than the top by a good two inches, and he had the build of a swimmer. He was pale, however, not as pale as Draco, his face set just as cold as many of the students remembered the young Malfoy. He was the one calling all the shots, or at least he thought he was.
Chimera flipped her hair defiantly and stuck her nose in the air. Severia's hands clenched into fists, and Sirius boldly put his hand over hers. Remus' look darkened, but when she smiled and relaxed, placing her hand in her lap, Sirius took his hand and placed it over the DADA professor's knee. Severus snorted in amusment and set about talking to one of the older male Necromancers at the table. Everyone seemed to be getting along fine, when the doors burst open and the Council walked in, Liona in the lead.
"Ah," Kain chuckled, "so you've finally decided to join us. Well, by all means, have a-"
Liona's hand clasped around his throat, nails growing on her command, and she hoisted him off the floor. Cerulean eyes flashed dangerously as she growled, canines bared. Every Necromancer in the Hall was on his or her feet, wands aimed at the Gryffindor Lioness. Kain motioned for them to stand down.
"Where. Is. He?" she demanded, tail flicking back and forth
angrily.
"Who?" he ground out.
"Potter. Malfoy. I don't care, take your pick! They're together, so what does it matter?"
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
"Tell me!"
Her grip tightened, and as a drop of crimson blood fell from where her nails dug into his throat, Teek and Nathalie had seen enough. They both leaped over the table, taking their Dragon forms as they did so, and landed on either side of Kain as he was thrown to the ground. Nathalies eyes sparked with fire as she took a step forward.
"That's enough, Nathalie." Teek said, watching the girl she thought of as a sister take another step forward, "Stand down."
Nathalie made no move to stop her advance, and just as she was about to snap, Harry and Draco walked in. She immediately backed up, and returned to her human form with Teek gripping her arm. Harry was dressed in robes exactly like Dracos, the accents being deep red as opposed to green, and rubys as opposed to emeralds. As the dark-haired Wizard walked past Liona to extend a hand to Kain, everything seemed to stop.
Looking to the door, they all saw the woman Severus had described to them, and Kain looked away. Draco couldn't help but step towards her.
"Nana…"
"Oh, my darling boy…"
~TBC~
Yes, I know, short. But I like it. I'll explain more about her in the next chapter.