Title: Seeing the Light (7/?)

Author: QueenC

Feedback: queenc@HotPOP.com

Rating: R

Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius. Mentions Draco/Hermione.

Disclaimer: AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and the Potterverse is J. K. Rowling's playground. Any original characters belong to my muse. I'm making no money from this so please don't sue me.

Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.

Spoilers: Goes way AU after 'Birthday' on AtS. All four HP books, although this takes place long after Harry and co. graduate from Hogwarts.

Summary: Five years later, the PTB decide to intervene once again. Sequel to 'Shadows and Glimpses'.

Author's Notes: Okay, as stated above in the summary, this fic takes place five years after 'Shadows and Glimpses'. If you haven't read that fic already, you might want to do so before reading this one. Otherwise, you'll probably be a little confused. The same basic changes apply here that did in that fic. No Cordelia/Angel romance, no Holtz, no Quor-toth, no ascension. I think that pretty much covers it for the Angelverse. Now, about the Potterverse. Basically, I'm making up everything after GoF. Anything you need to know between their fifth year and now, I'll explain in the fic. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in /'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!

Dedicated: To Child for all the help. You rock my face off, hun!

Special Thanks: To the wonderful people who reviewed 'Shadows and Glimpses' and gave me the encouragement to continue. Especially to 'houses', who gave me one of the nicest reviews I've ever received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

******

For the second time that night, a scream rang through Malfoy Manor.

Instantly, Cordelia and Lucius jumped to their feet, both rushing toward the sound. However, instead of turning left toward the room that the children were asleep in, they both stopped just inside the entrance hall. Shocked, they drank in the sight of Hermione cradling an unconscious Draco's head in her lap, worry filling her face.

Quickly realizing that Hermione had been the one that screamed, Cordelia made her way to the girl. Ignoring Harry, Ron, and the two strangers, the Seer knelt down and quickly began checking the younger Malfoy for injuries.

"What happened?" the former cheerleader asked quietly. Receiving no immediate answer from Hermione, she glanced quickly at the others. "Snap out of it, people. Tell me what happened!" she ordered.

Blinking, Harry answered, "He opened the door and collapsed. There was no reason for it."

Cordelia was aware of Lucius standing silently behind her, could practically feel the concern coming off him in waves. Part of her wanted to console him. Give him assurances that his son would be fine. However, she couldn't do that until she knew it to be a fact.

Standing up straight, the woman allowed her years of experience dealing with unknown situations to take over. "We need to get him to a bed, or at least a couch. Somewhere he'll be more comfortable," she stated.

Ron, who had pulled out his wand upon hearing Hermione's scream and had yet to put it away, nodded. "Mobilicorpus," he murmured.

Cordelia raised an eyebrow as Draco's body rose into the air. "Wow. *That* sure would have come in handy in Sunnydale for all the times Giles got knocked out. I'm surprised that no one thought of it," she commented dryly.

Hermione silently rose to her feet. "This way. We can take him to our office," she said in a whisper.

Nodding, Cordelia followed the young woman, with Harry and Ron close behind. Draco's body floated after them, Ron taking special care not to let the young man drop to the floor. The redhead decided he wasn't going to figure out *why* he cared if Draco hit the ground or not.

Lucius trailed behind the somber group. His mind was still numb with the shock of seeing Draco lying unconsciously on the ground. Images of Narcissa's last few moments flashed before his eyes and it took everything he had not to launch into a full-blown panic attack and start demanding answers where there clearly were none.

Finally, the only people left in the entrance hall were Sirius and Remus. Neither was certain what to do, besides go with everyone else. So, with no small amount of trepidation, they went in the direction of everyone else. However, just as they reached the door to the study, Remus turned to his friend.

"Did I hear her correctly? Did she say *Giles*? As in Ripper Giles?" he questioned.

Sirius gave his friend a doubtful look. "Think about it, Remus. Can you picture Ripper living in America? Not to mention getting himself knocked out while hanging around someone like *her*?" he snorted. "He could barely stand to be around other Slytherins when we were in school."

Remus shrugged. "People do change," he replied evenly.

Sirius shook his head, grinning slightly. "Not *that* much, they don't."

******

Draco was afraid.

Well and truly afraid.

Slowly sitting up, the blonde shook his head, trying to figure out where he was. He remembered opening the front door to his house. He'd been thinking about the twins, about how important it was to keep them safe. Then, something had slammed into him, stolen his breath away, and...

That's all he could remember.

Looking around, he blinked his eyes a few times. However, it didn't do any good. Either he had somehow been struck blind, or it was too dark to see anything.

Deciding that the safest course of action was to rely on magic. A simply 'lumos' and he would know whether or not his vision had been impaired. Unfortunately, though, when he slipped his hand inside his pocket, it came up empty.

Feeling slightly panicked, Draco began patting down his robes. However, his wand wasn't anywhere on him.

"Where is it?" he growled, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. It almost sounded like an echo, but without the residual effects. As if he were speaking in a large room with heavy padding on the walls.

Frowning, the blonde ignored this newest bit of information. The important thing now was to find his wand. After that task was completed he would move on to the issue of where he was.

However, after a few more quick searches of his clothing, Draco was still very much wandless. Which meant that he was virtually defenseless. Anyone or anything could attack him, and he'd be nearly helpless to protect himself.

But, on the plus side, his surroundings were becoming lighter. Which more than likely meant that his eyes were working and adjusting to the suffocating darkness.

Sitting perfectly still, he turned his head from left to right, trying to make out the shadows that were slowly forming around him. Since he didn't see anything solid enough to be walls, he had to assume that he was either in an open area (which didn't seem logical considering the total lack of light), or he was sitting directly in the center of an enormous, possibly magical, room.

Opting for the second choice, Draco rose to his feet. If he was in a room, then he should simply be able to walk in a straight line until he reached a wall. Once there, he could make his way around the edge until he found a door. Or a window. He really wasn't picky at this point.

Taking a calming breath and saying a quick prayer to whatever gods were watching over him, he took a step forward.

Then another.

And another.

Finally, after he'd taken a half a dozen steps and hadn't tripped or stepped on anything other than hard ground, he relaxed slightly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

His confidence strengthened, the blonde began moving slightly quicker. With any luck, he would find his way out of... wherever he was and be safe and sound before Potter and Weasley came rushing to the rescue.

However, after nearly an hour of walking, the shadows weren't any more in focus than they had been when he'd first started. And he still couldn't see anything in front of him besides pitch black.

Determined not to get discouraged so easily, Draco forced his legs to keep moving. He *had* to reach something eventually. Didn't he?

Shaking his head, he knew that wasn't necessarily the case. Having grown up in the wizarding world, and as a Malfoy no less, he was more than aware of the possibilities of rooms with no walls, ceilings, or even floors.

After all, it wasn't called magic for nothing.

Sighing in frustration, he suddenly stopped walking. "I'm not going to do this," he said quietly.

Looking around, he raised his voice until he was nearly yelling. "Do you hear me?" he cried. "I am *not* going to play this game any longer!"

Falling silent, he listened for any response. However, there was nothing. Just the suffocating silence and darkness that had been surrounding him since he'd first woken up.

Resisting the urge to stomp his foot, the young man yelled, "Do you have any idea who I am? I am Draco Malfoy! Now, I demand that you show yourself!"

Once again, nothing.

Screaming, Draco wished he had something he could throw. This was maddening; trapped in never-ending darkness, with no visible adversary and no chance for escape.

Running his fingers through his hair, he spun in a full circle, his eyes quickly darting about for any signs of movement. Seeing nothing, he sighed heavily. Fine. If they wanted to play it that way, then so be it. As he had just stated, he was Draco Malfoy. He would *find* a way out of here.

Turning back to what he hoped was his original destination, he froze. Eyes wide, breath in his throat, the blonde stared at what had to be the most beautiful sight in the world.

A small speck of light was shimmering in the distance.

All thoughts of enemies, traps, and helplessness disappeared as he stared at the tiny flicker. Then, snapping out of his shock, he began running toward it as fast as he could.

As his feet pounded silently on the ground beneath him, Draco kept his eyes trained on the light. Slowly, it began to grow larger. First, as small as a pea, it was now at least as big as his fist. And, with each step he took, it continued to grow.

Smiling, he let out a small laugh of happiness. Euphoria filled him as he realized that he was going to succeed. For once in his life, he was going to achieve something without anyone else's help.

His legs ached and his lungs burned. But still he continued. *Nothing* was going to stop him from reaching his destination. A thousand dementors could drop in front of him and he would plow right through them without a flinch. He just *had* to get to the light.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he was close enough to touch it. However, instead of jumping directly into it, as he very much wanted to do, he stopped. Frowning, he tilted his head to the side, staring at the swirling colors of white and silver.

Was it really wise for him to enter? He couldn't see through it, had no idea if what was on the other side was friend or foe. For all he knew, death could be waiting for him just beyond this doorway.

Torn with indecision, Draco glanced around. The darkness was still there, as consuming as ever. Except, instead of the deafening silence that he'd grown accustomed too, now he could hear sounds. They were muffled, barely recognizable as more than whimpers and hisses. But, they were there.

Shaking his head, he looked back at what he perceived as his salvation. Perhaps they were coming from the light. Taking a small step closer, he leaned in, straining his ears. However, the closer he got, the further away the sounds became.

Standing up right once more, he listened carefully.

"Draco!"

Gasping, he spun around, peering into the darkness. That voice...it was so familiar...

"Hello?" he called.

For a moment, there was nothing. Then, again. "Draco!"

This time, Draco recognized it. He'd heard it enough times before, even in his sleep these past two years.

Hermione.

She was out there, somewhere. In the darkness. Looking for him. Possibly alone, even in danger.

Narrowing his eyes, Draco began walking away from the glowing escape, back to where he'd just come from. However, before he could take two steps, something charged at him.

He gasped as a large mass of inky blackness slammed into his chest. Arms flailing, he watched as the creature leapt away from him moments before he was surrounded by shimmering colors.

"No!" he screamed. Reaching out, he tried in vain to grab the edge of the doorway, tried to keep himself from falling. But, while he was fast, gravity was faster. Helpless, Draco plummeted completely into the light, Hermione's cries still ringing in his ears.

Then, there was nothing.

******

"Draco," Hermione whispered once more, watching with sinking resignation as the blonde settled down against the cushions on the couch. Just moments before, he'd been thrashing about, his eyelids fluttering and moans passing through his parted lips.

Still holding his hand, the young woman raised her head to look at the other people in the room. "There must be *something* we can do!" she exclaimed. Settling her gaze on Cordelia, she demanded, "You! Help him! You can, I know it."

Cordelia shook her head, giving the girl an apologetic look. "It doesn't work that way, Hermione. My powers...I don't have any control over them," she said gently.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You were able to help Lucius!" she practically screamed. "You reversed the curse placed on him by Voldemort without even trying! Why won't you help Draco?"

Cordelia flinched slightly, opening her mouth then closing it again. What could she say? She had no idea how she had helped Lucius regain his memory. She still didn't even know how to make herself levitate on command.

Suddenly, Lucius' hand slipped into hers, squeezing gently. Looking at Hermione, he calmly said, "Cordelia isn't to blame for this, Hermione. If she could help my son I have no doubt she would."

Hermione scowled at the both of them for a moment, her breathing coming in harsh gasps. However, before she could reply, Harry softly spoke.

"We should probably send for a mediwitch. We need to know what's going on and that seems the best way to go about it," he commented.

Ron nodded. "I'll take care of it," he murmured, anxious to leave the room. Turning on his heel, he quickly exited, shutting the door behind him.

Hermione watched him go, before glancing once more at Cordelia. "Why didn't you warn us?" she asked in a deceptively quite tone. Logically, she knew that this woman wasn't to blame with whatever was wrong with Draco. However, she needed to be angry with *someone*, and the newcomer seemed the best candidate for the job.

Cordelia blinked, tearing her gaze from Draco's pale face back to the angry eyes of the younger woman. "Excuse me?" she snapped, her anger getting the better of her.

Hermione gave her a hard look. Ignoring Harry's whispered plea to stop, or the looks of shock being sent her way by Sirius and Remus, she repeated harshly, "Why didn't you warn us? You're supposed to have the Sight. You're supposed to know about things like this! Or did you make all of that up just so you could find a way to bring your children here?"

Lucius narrowed his eyes, his entire body stiffening with anger. His son was lying unconscious on the couch, his other children were possibly being targeted by some unknown force, and this little witch was *daring* to insult the woman he loved? Opening his mouth, he was ready to throw her out, along with her rag-tag group of friends. However, Cordelia reacted first.

Stepping away from the livid man beside her, Cordelia glared menacingly at Hermione. "Okay, I'm going to ignore that pathetic attempt at an insult considering that the man you love is currently in danger and you're obviously worried about him. But, we're going to get a few things straight right here and now," she began.

"First of all, I'm a Seer. That means that I *see* things. Things that the PTB want me to. I don't call them up and ask them questions, I don't know everything before it happens, and I don't second guess what they show me and what they don't. I just receive my visions like a good little helper and pass them on to my Champion," she stated. Barely pausing for a breath, Cordelia continued.

"Now, I don't know much about you, and frankly I don't *care*, but there's something you need to know about me." Here, the woman's voice dropped to a deadly tone. "I'm not someone to mess with. I've seen things and done things that would scare the frizz right out of your desperately-in-need-of- a-good-moisturizing-hair. I'm nasty, I'm rude, and I used to eat girls like you for breakfast. So, unless you want to find out *exactly* why I was called 'Queen C' for the majority of my teenage years, I strongly suggest that you *never* question my honesty, mock my visions, or bring my children into an argument. Because, let me let you in on a little secret...."

Hermione flinched as Cordelia leaned closer and whispered, "Your magic doesn't work on me."

Standing back up, the Seer donned a bright smile. "Okay!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "So, now that *that's* out of the way, what do you say to some good, old fashioned research? At least, until the medi- what's-it gets here." Then, not waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and exited the room, presumably heading for the library.

For a moment, no one moved, spoke, or scarcely breathed. Everyone was too shocked at what had just happened. Finally, though, Sirius turned to Remus, a slight smirk on his face.

"I take it back," the man whispered. "That is *precisely* the type of girl that Ripper would hang about."

******

A/N: Yes, yes, I know. Not much Cordelia/Lucius action in this part. But, what can I say? Sometimes I have to make certain sacrifices in order to further the plot along. Lol.

Anywho. Things are about to get much more interesting, not to mention confusing (for the characters, not us). Hang in there, I promise more Cordelia/Lucius bonding soon!

QueenC

P. S. Gimme an R! Gimme an E! Gimme an V! I! E! W! What's that spell? (Well, you should know since you're READING the fic and all...)

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