Disclaimer: Oh yes, of course they're mine. Just as the sun is made of ice
and money grows on trees. Miss Rowling? If you wish to sue please find
someone else, I can't even afford a lawyer let alone a settlement.
Warnings: Nope, none.
.
.
.
Blood & Nails.
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Part Two. Washed Away, Dissolved.
For the second time in two hours, Draco opened his eyes. He was back in the bed and Dumbledore had moved the chair to sit closer.
"I'm 21?"
"I know this is a shock to you Draco, and I'm sorry. I guess part of this is my fault."
"But ..... how? My memories? I don't understand." Draco sat up slowly and accepted the drink Dumbledore handed him. This time it was only water.
"From all accounts, it seems as if you had been possessed." Dumbledore said gently.
The empty glass slipped from Draco's hand and hit the floor with a thunk. He didn't notice. "Possessed? You're fucking having me on, right? Possessions have been outlawed for centuries. All spirits know that."
"Yes, but as you know, not everyone or everything follows the law."
A horrifying thought occurred to the young man. "It, um, it wasn't Voldemort was it?"
Dumbledore smiled softly. "No, I can assure you it wasn't. He is no longer an issue."
Draco looked up. "Harry got him?"
"Indeed. Harry got him rather effectively."
A small smile broke on to Draco's face. "Cool. Um, my parents? Professor Snape?"
"They are all fine. Your father and Severus both received the Order Of Merlin First Class for their work against Voldemort. As did, er, a couple of other people."
"Good, they deserved it. They actually deserved it the first time around."
"Yes, well things could not be helped then, everything has been set right."
"Wonderful. Well, if I'm free to go, I'll just return to my dorm .......... " Draco trailed off. "I don't have a dorm, do I?"
"Draco, please don't try and avoid this."
Draco crossed his arms sulkily. "Well, I'm sorry. But I woke up this morning, hell, I don't even know if it *is* morning, and get told that the last five years of my life have been lived by someone else." He stood up and began pacing the room, giving his feet something to do other than tap on the ground.
"Five years! I may as well have been in a coma for all that time, from what I know of it! Except of course for the fact that something was in here. In *my* body, doing god knows what, from what I've heard. Changing my hair, giving me scars. *Killing* people. Getting me executed! GETTING ME MARRIED!" Draco held his hand up, showing the ring to Dumbledore, who shifted uncomfortably.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're only engaged." He said lightly.
Draco shot an unamused look to the old wizard. "Oh, well, that just makes everything better." He spat sarcastically. "Who did I kill?"
"Well, technically, you didn't kill anyone."
"Well aware of that, thank you. Just answer it."
"Samuel Matthews was the first victim. The one the killer would have known the name of. We don't think he bothered to find out the names of any of the others. But I could list them if you like?"
"NO! I've changed my mind. I don't want to know. I don't want to hear any of it!"
"What do you want?"
Draco spun around to face him. "What do I want? I tell you what would be nice. For me to go to sleep right now and wake up, back in my dorm room. Back to being sixteen. Back to the life I know. The one I *remember*. The one I controlled!"
"I'm sorry Draco, but that's not going to happen."
Draco dropped back down on to the bed. "I know." He sat in thought for awhile. "I want to see my parents."
"They have already been sent for. Your mother had declined to be at the execution so Lucius had taken her to your family home in Greece for awhile."
Draco put his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. "Okay." He didn't bother to lift it. "What happened with the whole possessed thing?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath. "Very well. From what information we can get it took hold of you while you were sleeping, when everyone is most susceptible to such a thing. Due to your memories, it obviously happened just after Halloween in your sixth year. Do you agree?"
Draco nodded, head still in his hands.
"The first murder, was three years ago and there have been many since. You, er, that is, your body with the spirit inside, was caught red-handed, about to kill the next victim a little over two weeks ago. The Ministry wanted it sorted out quickly so your trial was held almost immediately. You were found guilty and put to death. Are you handling this?"
Draco nodded again, even though he wasn't dealing with it very well at all.
"Your execution date was set for today. It is supposed that the spirit, seeing no hope for this body, left to find another. The separation was witnessed which was how we were alerted to the fact."
"That's why the Veritaserum? To see what I remembered? Just in case it was a set up?"
"Exactly. However the witness also went under Veritaserum and stated that he saw a spirit drift out of your body and away. The Ministry are clearing your name and forming a public notice about it as we speak. Not even they would condemn you to death for something done when you weren't ........ there."
"That clears up why it left, but it still leaves the question of why it ever came in the first place." Draco looked up. "Why me? Why possess me? For what reason?"
"We don't know Draco. Perhaps it was like the ghosts at Hogwarts?"
"What? Tired of existing but not living?"
"Yes. They can't touch, or taste or feel. Perhaps it just wanted to experience that again."
"But why kill? And why wait two years to start?"
"We don't know. The spirit is no longer here, we can't question it, we can't find out anything of why."
"What about the killings? Don't tell me about how it happened or whatever, but what about the people?"
"The first was the most disturbing. It had been set up, as if killing Harry Potter."
"What?" Draco frowned.
"A young boy. Glasses, black hair. It had cut Harry's scar into his forehead."
"Oh." A thought occurred to him. "Is Harry still alive?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, the elusive Harry Potter, is still alive and kicking."
"I just thought, you know, when he got Voldemort. There were always rumours of what would happen to him when they finally ended it all."
"Yes, I heard many of them, myself. But Harry is still with us. He's an Auror now."
Draco nodded and shifted to lie back on the bed. "I'm going to ignore the whole spirit thing for now. Tell me about me. About my life." He said quietly.
"You live with your fiancee in London. You have a very spacious apartment there, you seemed quite happy." Dumbledore frowned. "Um, I suppose it would be easier to show you. Would you like to see it after you've seen your parents?"
Draco nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be good. Who is it?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Who am I engaged to?"
There was a knock on the door and Dumbledore stood. "Enter."
The door swung open and Draco leapt to his feet at the sight of his parents. Narcissa burst into tears and rushed over to hug him, which he returned just as strong.
"I told them, it couldn't have been you. I told them, you wouldn't do such a thing. Oh my little angel, I'm so glad you're okay. I love you, I don't even want you to forget that, okay?"
"Sure, mum. I know."
Lucius laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, looking pleased. "Glad to see you're all right, son."
"Thank you, father."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I'll, er, just be outside while you ..... I'll just be outside."
Dumbledore patiently waited outside. He collected Draco things that had been confiscated and signed for them, not wanting to interrupt the little family gathering.
With in the hour, Lucius and Narcissa came out, with the latter looking much better than Dumbledore had seen her all week. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Look after my little boy, won't you?"
"Of course, Madame."
Lucius and Dumbledore gave each other barely civil nods and Draco's parents walked off. Dumbledore returned inside and handed the box over to the young man.
"Your things." He said simply.
Draco opened it to find some clothes, a pair of boots and his wand.
"I suppose they were going to snap my wand before they killed me?" Draco asked and the headmaster nodded.
He slipped into the small side bathroom and had a quick shower, only to again stare at his reflection in amazement when he was done. Dumbledore had to break his thoughts from it.
"Shall we go to your apartment?"
"Very well. I would like to see how I have lived."
"And I'm sure you're hungry."
"Not really, no. Too tired and confused and angry."
The two men walked to the grounds and Draco tried to ignore that fact that everyone was staring at him.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand and then disappeared with a small pop. Draco rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and waited for him to return. Dumbledore reappeared after a minute or so.
"Why didn't you follow?"
"Er, Dumbledore? I don't know how to."
Dumbledore closed his eyes as if mentally berating himself. "I'm very sorry Draco. I didn't mean to ..... "
"That's okay! Let's just get there somehow."
"I'll make us a portkey. Grab my arm."
Draco grabbed his arm as Dumbledore bent down and picked up a small stone.
"I'll set it for five seconds."
Draco counted them in his head and on 'Five' he felt the familiar pull behind his navel.
To Be Continued.
Warnings: Nope, none.
.
.
.
Blood & Nails.
.
Part Two. Washed Away, Dissolved.
For the second time in two hours, Draco opened his eyes. He was back in the bed and Dumbledore had moved the chair to sit closer.
"I'm 21?"
"I know this is a shock to you Draco, and I'm sorry. I guess part of this is my fault."
"But ..... how? My memories? I don't understand." Draco sat up slowly and accepted the drink Dumbledore handed him. This time it was only water.
"From all accounts, it seems as if you had been possessed." Dumbledore said gently.
The empty glass slipped from Draco's hand and hit the floor with a thunk. He didn't notice. "Possessed? You're fucking having me on, right? Possessions have been outlawed for centuries. All spirits know that."
"Yes, but as you know, not everyone or everything follows the law."
A horrifying thought occurred to the young man. "It, um, it wasn't Voldemort was it?"
Dumbledore smiled softly. "No, I can assure you it wasn't. He is no longer an issue."
Draco looked up. "Harry got him?"
"Indeed. Harry got him rather effectively."
A small smile broke on to Draco's face. "Cool. Um, my parents? Professor Snape?"
"They are all fine. Your father and Severus both received the Order Of Merlin First Class for their work against Voldemort. As did, er, a couple of other people."
"Good, they deserved it. They actually deserved it the first time around."
"Yes, well things could not be helped then, everything has been set right."
"Wonderful. Well, if I'm free to go, I'll just return to my dorm .......... " Draco trailed off. "I don't have a dorm, do I?"
"Draco, please don't try and avoid this."
Draco crossed his arms sulkily. "Well, I'm sorry. But I woke up this morning, hell, I don't even know if it *is* morning, and get told that the last five years of my life have been lived by someone else." He stood up and began pacing the room, giving his feet something to do other than tap on the ground.
"Five years! I may as well have been in a coma for all that time, from what I know of it! Except of course for the fact that something was in here. In *my* body, doing god knows what, from what I've heard. Changing my hair, giving me scars. *Killing* people. Getting me executed! GETTING ME MARRIED!" Draco held his hand up, showing the ring to Dumbledore, who shifted uncomfortably.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're only engaged." He said lightly.
Draco shot an unamused look to the old wizard. "Oh, well, that just makes everything better." He spat sarcastically. "Who did I kill?"
"Well, technically, you didn't kill anyone."
"Well aware of that, thank you. Just answer it."
"Samuel Matthews was the first victim. The one the killer would have known the name of. We don't think he bothered to find out the names of any of the others. But I could list them if you like?"
"NO! I've changed my mind. I don't want to know. I don't want to hear any of it!"
"What do you want?"
Draco spun around to face him. "What do I want? I tell you what would be nice. For me to go to sleep right now and wake up, back in my dorm room. Back to being sixteen. Back to the life I know. The one I *remember*. The one I controlled!"
"I'm sorry Draco, but that's not going to happen."
Draco dropped back down on to the bed. "I know." He sat in thought for awhile. "I want to see my parents."
"They have already been sent for. Your mother had declined to be at the execution so Lucius had taken her to your family home in Greece for awhile."
Draco put his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. "Okay." He didn't bother to lift it. "What happened with the whole possessed thing?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath. "Very well. From what information we can get it took hold of you while you were sleeping, when everyone is most susceptible to such a thing. Due to your memories, it obviously happened just after Halloween in your sixth year. Do you agree?"
Draco nodded, head still in his hands.
"The first murder, was three years ago and there have been many since. You, er, that is, your body with the spirit inside, was caught red-handed, about to kill the next victim a little over two weeks ago. The Ministry wanted it sorted out quickly so your trial was held almost immediately. You were found guilty and put to death. Are you handling this?"
Draco nodded again, even though he wasn't dealing with it very well at all.
"Your execution date was set for today. It is supposed that the spirit, seeing no hope for this body, left to find another. The separation was witnessed which was how we were alerted to the fact."
"That's why the Veritaserum? To see what I remembered? Just in case it was a set up?"
"Exactly. However the witness also went under Veritaserum and stated that he saw a spirit drift out of your body and away. The Ministry are clearing your name and forming a public notice about it as we speak. Not even they would condemn you to death for something done when you weren't ........ there."
"That clears up why it left, but it still leaves the question of why it ever came in the first place." Draco looked up. "Why me? Why possess me? For what reason?"
"We don't know Draco. Perhaps it was like the ghosts at Hogwarts?"
"What? Tired of existing but not living?"
"Yes. They can't touch, or taste or feel. Perhaps it just wanted to experience that again."
"But why kill? And why wait two years to start?"
"We don't know. The spirit is no longer here, we can't question it, we can't find out anything of why."
"What about the killings? Don't tell me about how it happened or whatever, but what about the people?"
"The first was the most disturbing. It had been set up, as if killing Harry Potter."
"What?" Draco frowned.
"A young boy. Glasses, black hair. It had cut Harry's scar into his forehead."
"Oh." A thought occurred to him. "Is Harry still alive?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, the elusive Harry Potter, is still alive and kicking."
"I just thought, you know, when he got Voldemort. There were always rumours of what would happen to him when they finally ended it all."
"Yes, I heard many of them, myself. But Harry is still with us. He's an Auror now."
Draco nodded and shifted to lie back on the bed. "I'm going to ignore the whole spirit thing for now. Tell me about me. About my life." He said quietly.
"You live with your fiancee in London. You have a very spacious apartment there, you seemed quite happy." Dumbledore frowned. "Um, I suppose it would be easier to show you. Would you like to see it after you've seen your parents?"
Draco nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be good. Who is it?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Who am I engaged to?"
There was a knock on the door and Dumbledore stood. "Enter."
The door swung open and Draco leapt to his feet at the sight of his parents. Narcissa burst into tears and rushed over to hug him, which he returned just as strong.
"I told them, it couldn't have been you. I told them, you wouldn't do such a thing. Oh my little angel, I'm so glad you're okay. I love you, I don't even want you to forget that, okay?"
"Sure, mum. I know."
Lucius laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, looking pleased. "Glad to see you're all right, son."
"Thank you, father."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I'll, er, just be outside while you ..... I'll just be outside."
Dumbledore patiently waited outside. He collected Draco things that had been confiscated and signed for them, not wanting to interrupt the little family gathering.
With in the hour, Lucius and Narcissa came out, with the latter looking much better than Dumbledore had seen her all week. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Look after my little boy, won't you?"
"Of course, Madame."
Lucius and Dumbledore gave each other barely civil nods and Draco's parents walked off. Dumbledore returned inside and handed the box over to the young man.
"Your things." He said simply.
Draco opened it to find some clothes, a pair of boots and his wand.
"I suppose they were going to snap my wand before they killed me?" Draco asked and the headmaster nodded.
He slipped into the small side bathroom and had a quick shower, only to again stare at his reflection in amazement when he was done. Dumbledore had to break his thoughts from it.
"Shall we go to your apartment?"
"Very well. I would like to see how I have lived."
"And I'm sure you're hungry."
"Not really, no. Too tired and confused and angry."
The two men walked to the grounds and Draco tried to ignore that fact that everyone was staring at him.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand and then disappeared with a small pop. Draco rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and waited for him to return. Dumbledore reappeared after a minute or so.
"Why didn't you follow?"
"Er, Dumbledore? I don't know how to."
Dumbledore closed his eyes as if mentally berating himself. "I'm very sorry Draco. I didn't mean to ..... "
"That's okay! Let's just get there somehow."
"I'll make us a portkey. Grab my arm."
Draco grabbed his arm as Dumbledore bent down and picked up a small stone.
"I'll set it for five seconds."
Draco counted them in his head and on 'Five' he felt the familiar pull behind his navel.
To Be Continued.