Title: Elementals of Magic: Prophecy of Lies
Author name and e-mail: mistykasumi at SeducerofFantasy@hotmail.com
Summary: A 7th year contest causes Harry and Draco to bond, setting off a prophecy long ago stopped by the interference of Sirius Black. A prophecy that told of Voldemort's destruction.
Rating: PG-13
Category: Action/Adventure/Romance
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters and objects. They belong to J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros, and anyone else with copyrights. I, however, do own the plot of this, and any original items, characters, spells, and other objects do belong to me.
Dedication: IcyEyes202, for being a dear!
Homepage:
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Chapter 30
The Truth
She gently set the babe down into his cradle, and unshed tears shone in her crystal blue eyes. What had happened? Narcissa didn't know, but she could not let herself become weak over this. Lucius would forgive her, but still, he had been their pride and joy. How were they to explain the unpredicted death of the Malfoy Heir?
She hugged herself tightly. Lucius…Where are you? I need your arms around me, I need you to tell me that it's not my fault and that it's okay, that we can have other beautiful babies. A single tear appeared at the corner of her eye, and it dropped onto the rich carpet.
A pop sounded beside her, and Narcissa quickly composed herself and turned to the House Elf. Lizzy bowed, then said, "Mistress Narcissa, a visitor here to see you. Lizzy let her in and she waiting for Mistress right now in the front hall."
"Good. Tell her that I shall be down in a moment."
A pop announced Lizzy's disappearance. Narcissa gazed into her mirror, patted her hair, and smoothed her robes. She made sure that her eyes held no signs of her previous weakness. She then glided out of the room. Arriving at the balcony, she gently swept down the grand staircase. The stained glass windows showed an angry sky outside. Thunder and lightning lit the sky aflame, and the heavens wept angry tears. Narcissa felt like the teary sky.
A figure stood by the door, pearls of rain dripping onto the expensive marble floor. Lucius would have a fit if he knew about this. The blonde narrowed her eyes.
Narcissa stopped when she was right in front of the visitor. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest protectively, as if she was cradling something. She gently slid her right arm out and took off her hood. Wet black hair was plastered against her face, limp strands falling across her gray eyes.
"Victoria," Narcissa stated.
"Narcissa. I have something to discuss with you," she added in a low voice.
"Come." Narcissa led Victoria up the grand staircase. Victoria had her arms wrapped protectively around her chest again.
"Can we go into your baby's room?"
Narcissa nodded, though how did Victoria find out that she had given birth already, much less that she had been pregnant? There was no use questioning her, however. Victoria always knew more than she should.
The two women stepped into the room, and Narcissa closed the door behind them, then locked it and cast a Soundproof Spell onto it with a wave of her hand.
"I see that you have put your abilities to good use."
"There is hardly anything to do. As the lady of such an estate, all the work is taken care of by the House Elves, and time tends to become boring."
Victoria had moved so that she was standing by the cradle. She peered in, then looked back at Narcissa.
"Your son is no longer here."
"I know," Narcissa stated flatly, though her voice was laced with sadness. "I had discovered it before I went down to receive you."
"Your first child, the presumed Malfoy Heir. I suspect that this will be hard for the family and for the acquaintances of the Malfoys."
"Yes, it shall, but Lucius and I shall find a way. He was born so weak that…I guess he was not able to survive."
"What a shame. He would have inherited a most splendid legacy, the father part-Veela and the mother part-Veela but also the Elemental Wind. However, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Yes?"
And all of a sudden, Narcissa could see what she held in her arms. It was a mass of blankets, and swathed in them was a baby boy who was sleeping quietly.
"I need you to take care of him for me."
"Why can you not take care of him yourself?"
"Why can I not?" Victoria laughed sharply. "Do you think he would be safe with me, dear cousin? I need him to grow up in a safe place with an honorable family, one that will teach him many things to better prepare him for his true legacy."
"But I am not a good choice. Lucius will surely train your son to follow in his own footsteps, and I would be powerless to stop him."
"It does not matter. Lucius can try, but my son shall never be on his side. He has my blood in him. If he was truly the Malfoy Heir, then Lucius can sway him with no problems, but with so much of my blood in him, he cannot possibly derive from his true path, no matter how much he believes that he is the Malfoy Heir."
"But what about the appearance differences? Lucius might not notice now, in the stages of infancy, but when he is grown, Lucius shall be able to notice that he does not have the Malfoy features."
"You forget that my son has Malfoy blood in him, along with DeVrai blood. He shall look like a Malfoy, with that blood in him."
"And if he does not?"
"He shall, Narcissa. I know my son."
"Are you sure, Victoria?"
"Yes, I am. I have already given him the Turbatio Potion, and I have altered it so that I am the only one who can break the potion's effects. But you must promise to not divulge this secret until I allow you to. The world is at stake here, Narcissa. If my son is discovered, this world will be conquered by Voldemort."
"I understand, Victoria. I shall take him in and treat him as my own, though I cannot promise to love him as my own."
"I do not expect you to. However, Narcissa, do not become too attached to my son. If you do, you will only make the parting harder on the both of you. But you are the loving kind, Narcissa, and I cannot expect you to not love my son. You shall love him more than your own, and he does deserve such love, as I am unable to give it to him."
"And why can you not? All mothers love their child after they give birth."
"Unless one never wanted the child. Draco will become a splendid man, though I cannot love him. Mayhap in later times I can begin to, but currently, my heart only belongs to one person, and I do not even have enough love to give to him."
"Do you mean the father of your child?"
"Yes. He does not know that he is a father, and he cannot know, or more lives than just the three of us would be destroyed. My family's lives are in your hands, Narcissa. And the world's. Take care of my son, and may the First look favorably upon you."
Victoria carefully placed Draco into Narcissa's arms, settling him comfortably upon Narcissa's arms. The babe's eyes opened, and gray met gray. Victoria, though heartless as she claimed, smiled tentatively.
"You shall become a fine man, Draco, more so than either I or your father. When it is time, I shall present to you your legacy, and you shall become a hero. But until then, live in Narcissa's care, and love her like your own mother, because she will love you so. I shall watch you, always, but I cannot guarantee anything more. And I am sure that you shall be able to melt my heart, even if only a little. Your father caused it to harden, though I still love him with all I have, and I cannot, no, I do not know how to, love you. Take care, my son. You are a favored of the First, and She shall protect you if I am not able to."
The gray eyes closed again, and Draco drifted to sleep. Victoria looked at Narcissa.
"May I kiss him? Just this once?" asked Victoria.
"He is your child. You can do whatever you want, and I shall be unable to stop you."
"No. You're his mother now, and I need to ask you first. But thank you."
Victoria leaned down, her wet hair falling onto the blankets. And her moist lips pressed gently to Draco's forehead in a kiss worthy of her position.
"I believe you have already melted part of my heart, Draco. I am starting to like you already. I must leave before you cause me to become more emotional. I am not ready yet to feel the troubled turmoils of the human heart. I have been through too much and will be through too much more to let myself become easily aroused by human emotions. But carry with you a bit of my heart, Draco, and please do not blame me too much for my actions. I am only trying to protect you. Know that you have a mother who looks after you and who tried to love you and will try again, someday. All she can give you now at the most is affection, and please be content with it. Someday, when all of this has ended, you shall understand my reasons, and by then, I shall be able to love you the way you deserve, the way you need to be loved."
Victoria picked the dead Malfoy Heir up from his resting place, and in an instant, he vanished, though her arms were once again securely crossed in her front of her chest.
"Thank you, Narcissa. You will not regret this. I know it. You shall give him everything that he will need, but more so than that, your love, your heart. And he shall love you back and grow up happily. Just be careful of Lucius, cousin. He will be jealous, and even more so if he discovers Draco's identity. Do not let him become jealous because it will ruin not just this, but the world."
With that, Victoria left the room. Narcissa gently placed Draco into the crib and gazed upon him. Little did she know that all of what Victoria had said would come true.
She would love Draco more than she should, more than she would love her own son, and Lucius would become jealous. She never realized any of it until it was too late to change her mistakes, and by then, she could only live with them.
***
"And that's what happened," Narcissa concluded softly.
"Mother, I…"
"Don't call me 'Mother,' Draco," said Narcissa gently. "I don't deserve the title."
"No, Mother, you do. You were the one who took care of me, who showed and gave me love. You were my mother, if not in blood, then in reality, in my heart, in my life."
"Yes, Narcissa, you should. After all, you deserve it much more than I do. Draco here, I have some affection for him, but no more than that. I have tried loving him in these long years, but never have I succeeded."
"Yet you are able to love Voldemort," Harry spoke.
"I do not love Voldemort. I love Tom Riddle."
"They are the same person, aren't they?" asked Harry.
"No, they are not. Tom Riddle is the one I love. He is the one who is Draco's father. Voldemort is not Draco's father."
"Victoria, they're right. Tom Riddle and Voldemort are the same person."
"All of you are wrong. When it is time, you will learn of your folly. Voldemort, he scorned the love of the woman who loved him more than anything else, but she will still save him, despite everything. My only task is to save Tom and clear the way for the two of them to battle, because Voldemort is the true one you are battling against. Tom Riddle is nothing but a pawn, and he is an innocent."
Draco and Harry exchanged looks. Was everything even more complicated than the Pandora's Box they were already in?
"But first, I have things to give to the two of you. Hold out your hands."
Draco and Harry both held out their hands, wondering what Victoria would have to give to them. From her robes she procured something, then dropped one each in Draco and Harry's palms.
Draco held an opal in his hand, a chain made of tin coiled also in his palm. Though the opal looked like a typical opal, the xanthochroid could feel power radiating off it.
Harry held a medium-sized ruby in his palm, one that came with a chain made of copper. He also could feel power radiating off from his gem.
"What is this…?" asked Draco.
"Call me 'Mother'. It would be a bit disrespectful if you did not, and the First would not like such behavior. But call Narcissa 'Mummy'. She deserves the true title of affection."
"Yes, Mother. What are these?"
"You hold the signet for the Elemental Water, and Harry holds the signet for the Elemental Fire. Narcissa, care to show them yours?"
Narcissa took something off her neck, though neither of the two young men could see what it was until she held it in her hands. She held the blue sapphire by its chain of bronze, one which had the same design as the signets Harry and Draco held.
"May I present the Elemental Wind."
"And just what are Elementals?" asked Harry.
"What are they? They are a few special people born with the blood of their Firsts, and as such, they are able to control one of the eight elements. Those are the basic powers. To attain all the powers of an Elemental, each prospective candidate has to pass a test."
"And if the person fails?" Draco asked.
"The signet refuses to be worn. The chain will slip through one's neck every time it is placed around it. But until the person is tested, they can be worn. Put yours on. I don't want to carry them around with me any longer. I've had them since my parents died, and I believe it is time to let the true owners take care of them."
"And are you one of us?"
"Is she?" Narcissa laughed. "She is the most powerful out of all of us."
"And what element do you claim?" Draco asked.
"The Elemental Dragon. When I am gone, this shall be yours, Draco." Victoria took off her signet and showed it to them. It was made of gold with a chain made of gold, a sign that she was the most powerful out of them.
"Put them on. They have charms cast on them in their respective magics so that no one can see them while they are worn."
Draco and Harry put on their signets, and the signets immediately disappeared, though the two could feel the solid weight of the gem upon their necks. It was much like their wedding rings, both of value and both concealed to the public.
"Now, we must make plans. Narcissa, you will escape, of course. Draco, you shall help her. No one would suspect you walking around. Just tell them that you are taking a break. Narcissa, once you arrive safely back at Malfoy Manor, contact Remus, Flora, and Albus. I believe the three of them can be found at Hogwarts, planning for the upcoming war. Tell them to prepare for my arrival at any time, and be ready to leave upon my arrival at any time. You, too, Narcissa.
Draco, you find out the dates for attacks. Give the dates and places to me. When I find an attack large enough, I will tell the plan to the two of you. The two of you will do as I say. Do NOT care about anything else. I will take care of Severus."
Draco and Narcissa nodded, and Harry felt very much excluded, though he was also thankful. It was no longer him in the spotlight. There were other heroes, ones greater than he.
"Now, go. Narcissa, I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you."
Narcissa put on the Merging Cloak, and she was gone. Draco opened the door with a spell that Harry knew he would have no chance of opening, now that his wand was gone. In the next second, the two were gone, and he was left alone with Victoria.
She tossed him something, and when Harry caught it, he felt smooth wood between his hands. It was his wand, but how had she gotten it?
Victoria shrugged.
"Thought you might need it once we get out of here."
"Why can't we escape now?"
"If you want to leave Severus to die and the whole plan ruined, then you can leave now. I, for one, am staying until I am able to rescue Severus. He is an essential part of us."
"And which Elemental is he?"
"The Elemental Metal. One of the weaker ones, but it does not matter. Without all of the Elementals gathered, I cannot carry through with my plan."
"Which is?"
"I will not tell you yet until you need to know. You can't spill what you don't know."
"Do you not trust me?" asked Harry.
"I do not trust anybody truly. Years of distraught have taught me that I cannot afford to, not if I want to survive and have everything go as planned. Shush. Draco is returning. Take care of him for me, Harry, because you are the one he loves and will truly listen to."
Draco then entered, and Victoria said no more.
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Thanks to:
Meana
Shortsnout
Unintentional Nightmare – Well, he's whole now. And the whole thing will be explained a bit better later.
allycat – All will be better!
And all readers!
