Blood of Enemies, Blood of Friends
Chapter 21 - Unlikely Allies
Dawn spent all of her free time during the next few days, sitting by Draco's bedside. Madame Pomfrey had assured Dawn that Draco was recovering nicely and that it was normal for someone hit by such a powerful curse to remain unconscious for several days. It was not that Dawn did not trust the medi-witch, but Dawn could not stop worrying. She had already watched her sister die to save her. Dawn did not believe that she could handle if someone else died to save her.
After dinner one evening, Dawn was met by a house elf in the hallway outside the Great Hall. "Miss Summers," said the elf, "Mr. Malfoy has awaken." Dawn thanked the elf and ran toward the infirmary. She entered to find Draco looking exhausted but sitting in bed having some tea.
"I am so glad you are ok," squealed Dawn.
Draco was confused. He was sure that he was awake, but Dawn was standing in front of him. He didn't understand why she would still be talking to him, let alone be happy that he was ok. Dawn saw his expression. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Why are you here?" he asked dryly.
"I wanted to make sure you're ok. I have been here every chance I could get for the last few days."
Draco realized that the dreams he had been having about her were not dreams at all. Dawn really had sat by his bedside each day. She had really held his hand and offered him comfort. He had never been so relieved or so confused. "Why would you want anything to do with me? You heard what the Death Eaters said."
"You got hit by a curse protecting me. You saved me from being kidnapped. I figure that the least I owe you is a chance to explain," Dawn answered.
Draco put his tea aside. "Dawn, please sit. I have a lot to tell you. When I am finished, I will understand if you never want to speak to me again." Dawn sat in the chair next to Draco's bed, as he began to explain his situation to her. "My father is not a good man. The only things he cares about are power and privilege. He sees two ways to secure his power and privilege: keeping others down and aligning himself with whoever has the greatest power. Not surprising, he was one of the first to join forces with Voldemort and to become a Death Eater."
"My father is not exactly what you would call a loving parent. My only purpose is to be an heir to his power and privilege. Since I was a small child, he has trained me to follow in his footsteps. On the few occasions that I have made the mistake of challenging him, I received severe beatings for my trouble. I am sure that Potter and Weasley have told you that I am a heartless bastard. What I really am is a survivor. Everything I do is for one purpose only, to escape life my father and his world of insane dark wizards."
"When my father was arrested, I actually believed that I was free. You know about his escape from Azkaban. The reason that it upset me so much was that I knew he would expect me to join forces with him as a Death Eater. He wrote to me the night that you went on your first patrol of the Forbidden Forrest, demanding that I become a spy for the Dark Lord."
Draco looked into Dawn's eyes, trying to read her reaction to what he was telling her. "I did send information to my father. I only told him things that he could easily have found out on his own: that training was increased and that there were vampires in the Forbidden Forrest. I didn't feel like I had any choice."
"Do you want to be like your father?" she asked.
"No, absolutely not. But honestly, I don't have any choice. If I defy him, especially now, I truly believe that he will kill me."
"Have you thought about asking for help?" Dawn asked.
"Who can I ask? Potter and Weasley? That would be a joke," answered Draco.
"What about Professor Dumbledore?"
"I wouldn't know how to approach him. Besides, why should he believe me," replied Draco.
"What about Buffy and Giles? I know that they would figure out a way to help you," suggested Dawn.
"Yeah right, I tell them that I was sent to spy on them, but instead I want them to help me."
"Draco, I know them both better than you do. They have taken many people under their wings who wanted to reform. Angel and Spike are vampires. Willow, Faith, and Andrew have all killed people. And, Anya used to be a vengeance demon. Trust me when I tell you that sending some not too sensitive information against your will is totally forgivable. Besides, you saved me and that goes a long way with my sister."
"But what can they do for me?" asked Draco. He was starting to feel some hope. Not only had Dawn accepted him for what he is, but also she was even trying to help him.
"Giles will figure something out. I am sure of it," replied Dawn. "Trust me."
Draco looked unconvinced. "Why do you want to help me?" he asked.
'Because I love you,' thought Dawn. She knew that she couldn't tell him that. "You saved my life," she said. "If you wanted to be like your father, you would have allowed them to take me and then claimed that you were unable to prevent it."
"I could never let anyone hurt you," said Draco before he could stop himself. Dawn smiled at him. "I still cannot believe that you are still speaking to me," said Draco.
"We all have secrets," replied Dawn.
"I cannot imagine that you could have secrets as dark as mine."
"Draco, there is something about me that you don't know. If you did, you would be the one who no longer wanted to speak to me." Dawn didn't know why she said what she did, but now that Draco had shared his secret with her, she wanted to share her secret with him.
"Tell me," said Draco. He couldn't imagine Dawn having any terrible secrets.
Dawn began her story. "I am not really a person like you are. I was once a ball of mystical energy that could be used as a key between dimensions. There was this god, Glorificus or Glory, who wanted to use me to help her return to her home dimension, but to do that she would open all dimensions and the world as we know it would end. So these monks needed to protect the key from Glory. They decided that they would make the Slayer protect the key by concealing it in the form of a sister. Of course, to do this, they not only created me, but also implanted fake memories in Buffy and her friends and family."
"What happened with Glory?" asked Draco.
"Oh, she found me and used my blood to open a portal to all dimensions. My blood opened it, and my blood had to be what closed it. Since the monks made me from Buffy, we have the same blood. She chose to die in my place. That was the second time she died," said Dawn. They sat silently for a moment.
Dawn spoke her worst fear, "I am not real, and I would understand if you didn't want anything to do with me."
Draco leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Dawn was shocked. "You feel real to me," he said. She smiled at him, and they kissed again.
"So how should I go about telling Giles and Buffy about being a spy?" asked Draco.
Dawn was thrilled that he had agreed to ask for help. She told him that she would speak to Buffy first and then let him know what to do. Dawn kissed Draco again, and then Madame Pomfrey chased her out of the infirmary, claiming that Draco needed his rest.
Dawn immediately ran to the Scooby Common room. She found Buffy and Giles watching an old movie in Buffy's sitting room. "I need to talk to you guys about something important," said Dawn.
Buffy turned off the charmed television and motioned for Dawn to have a seat. Dawn explained everything that Draco had told her in the infirmary. The adults looked concerned, and Dawn was afraid that they would not be willing to help Draco.
Giles spoke, "Dawn, I am not entirely sure what we can do for him. I will have to speak with Dumbledore, but I cannot make any promises to you. However, I will try to help in any way I can."
Dawn was satisfied with that. She believed that Buffy and Giles could do anything if they put their minds to it. They had defeated the First Evil. How hard could it be to defeat Lucius Malfoy?
****************
Cat had successfully avoided Wesley and the others for a couple of days. She was not ready to face them, now that they knew the truth about her. She had hoped to tell Wesley herself, after proving herself to him in battle. She had wanted them all to have a reason to trust her. Now she felt that any chance she had was lost. Eventually, Cat decided that she had better speak with Wesley. She had avoided the confrontation long enough.
Wesley heard a knock on his door and opened it to find Cat standing there. They needed to talk at some point, but Wesley had been waiting for her to come to him. He knew what it was like to confront friends with hidden truths about oneself. "Hello, Wesley," she said.
Wesley invited her into his sitting room. "I was hoping you would come to talk to me. Are you ok?"
Cat smiled at him. She realized that he was trying to make this easy on her. "I am fine. I just needed a little bit of time to compose myself. I am sorry that I didn't tell you sooner."
"We all have secrets in our pasts," replied Wesley. "Being Voldemort's daughter is simply circumstance. You did not have any choice in the matter." Cat realized that she was not the only one carrying secrets. It was obvious that Wesley had secrets of his own; that he had done things that he would have to live with forever.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Wesley.
"There isn't much to tell," said Cat. "Voldemort is my father. When he began his rise to power, my mother took me and fled to the United States. I changed my name, using my middle name and my mother's maiden name. I have told you most things about my life after that time. I went to the U.S. wizarding school. I wanted to disassociate myself from my father, so I embraced the muggle world. I attended college and graduate school. After school, I taught at a small college in New England for a few years."
"But how did you come to be here?" questioned Wesley.
"After my mother took me away, I think many wizards simply forgot about my existence."
"This past summer, Professor Dumbledore contacted me. He was worried that with my father's return to power, that I might become a target. There is a belief that since I share my father's blood, my blood may be used to either heal or destroy him. At first I ignored Dumbledore's warnings, but then one of my father's followers got to my mother. They were looking for me, probably to prevent me from destroying him. Of course, my mother wouldn't tell them where I was living; so, they killed her."
"I realized that I couldn't continue my muggle life. There was too much of a chance that my father would hurt someone else that was close to me. I contacted Dumbledore, and he agreed to give me a teaching position at Hogwarts. Muggle studies was perfect for me as a trained wizard and muggle sociologist."
"So the reason you were housed with us was for your own protection," Wesley thought aloud.
"Exactly. Though now that everyone knows where I am, my safety and yours is at risk," Cat answered.
"Trust me when I say that is nothing new for any of us," answered Wesley.
****************
The evening after Draco had awaken, a meeting was set in the Scoobie common room. Dawn was the last to enter, after spending some time sitting in the infirmary with Draco. She found that everyone from their first prophecy meeting was in attendance, including Angel and Fred. As Dawn sat on the floor with her friends, Giles began the meeting. "Obviously we were mistaken in some of our interpretation of the prophecy. Kennedy was the slayer who turned to the dark, and Spike obviously is not dead."
"I don't understand how Spike can be alive," interrupted Buffy. "I saw him begin to burn, just before the Hellmouth was sealed. And, we all saw the devastation of what was Sunnydale. I don't see how, Spike could have escaped that."
Angel spoke, "It is possible that Voldemort's followers brought him back with some seriously dark magic. Wolfram and Hart did the same with Darla."
"Yeah but the prophecy said that he was a vampire with a soul. I don't see how he could have aligned with Voldemort if he still has his soul," replied Buffy. "I know he has done a lot of evil over the past couple of centuries, but the man who sacrificed himself to save the world, is not the same man who would join Voldemort."
"I think I have an answer for that," Giles spoke softly. "I do not think that Spike was working under his own control. Before he cut me down, I saw his eyes. They were completely blank. I believe that Voldemort used the Imperius curse on Spike."
"Can we do anything to save him?" questioned Buffy.
"In theory, Voldemort is the only one who can reverse his own curse, but we will look for a way," answered Giles. Buffy was amazed that Giles would be on board to save Spike. Giles knew that if he turned his back on Spike, that his own relationship with Buffy would never truly be healed.
"OK, so we start researching ways to reverse the curse," said Willow. She liked the idea of burying herself in research to keep her mind off of Kennedy.
Cat then stood before the group. "I wanted to take a few minutes to answer any questions you might have about my relationship to Voldemort," she said.
Hermione was the first to ask, "Is he really your father?"
"Yes, Hermione, Voldemort is my father. When he first began his rise to power, my mother left him and took me with her to the United States, where I attended school and worked for several years."
"What brought you back here?" Hermione questioned further.
"Some of my father's followers believe that my blood could be used to destroy him. They want to kill me. Professor Dumbledore offered me a position at Hogwarts for my own protection. I am afraid that now I may have put you all in danger."
Xander waved off her fear, "Cat, welcome to the club. We are always in danger."
Cat took her seat as Giles asked the group if there was anything else that needed to be discussed.
Dawn stood and addressed the group, "Before Draco was cursed, two Death Eaters told us that if they captured me, Voldemort would be pleased. I don't think they plan to outright kidnap any of us involved in the second part of the prophecy, but I think that if the opportunity should arise, they will not hesitate to do so."
Buffy looked at Dawn with concern. Dawn hadn't mentioned the possibility of a kidnapping before specifically because she didn't want Buffy to worry. However, during the meeting Dawn decided that it was important that the others knew that they might be at risk.
"OK," said Buffy, "Dawn and Harry will not leave the castle unless they are accompanied by one of the adults here. Giles and I will also not leave the castle on our own. If we stay in groups, we have less chance of being taken." The adults all agreed. Dawn and Harry were not thrilled at the prospect, but the situation was not exactly new to either of them.
Giles dismissed the group, after reinforcing the importance of continued research on how to reverse the curse on Spike, the prophecy, and the spell to prevent the mandata habere ab primo malo from occurring.
****************
Molly Weasley was busily cleaning the kitchen at the Burrow, when there was a sharp wrap on the back door. Molly was not expecting any visitors, and her family would simply apparate into the house or use the fireplace in the kitchen. Molly opened the door to find a tall woman draped in a black hooded cloak. The woman removed her hood. "May I come in?" she asked.
"Narcissa, what can I do for you?" Molly's voice was steady, but she was nervous. She could think of no good reason why the wife of a Death Eater would be standing visiting the Burrow.
"Please, Molly, this is very important. I need to speak with you, and it is not safe to do so in the open," Narcissa Malfoy replied. Molly stood back from the door allowing Narcissa entry. "Thank you," said Narcissa, as she slipped into the Weasley's kitchen.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" asked Molly.
"No, thank you," replied Narcissa. "I do not have a lot of time, and there is much that we need to discuss."
"Very well," said Molly, as she and Narcissa took seats at the kitchen table.
Narcissa spoke, her voice strained. "A young woman in love often makes decisions with her heart, instead of with her brain. Years ago, I was such a young woman, and I was in love with Lucius Malfoy. I knew that he desired power, but I did not care. All I knew was that the man I loved wanted to marry me, and I was willing to put my own values aside to become his wife. By the time I realized the mistake I had made, Lucius had taken the Dark Mark and I was pregnant with Draco. It was too late for me to leave. Lucius would have never allowed me to take away his heir, and I could never leave behind my son."
"When he-who-must-not-be-named was defeated the first time, I thought that Draco would be able to grow into a man and make his own way in the world. Draco does not think I know, but he is studying very hard for a career as a curse-breaker; so, that he can leave Malfoy Manor and make his own way in life."
"My son, Bill, works as a curse-breaker," commented Molly. "It is a prestigious profession."
"Molly, I have only ever wanted my son to be happy. He needs to find his own way in life to find the happiness he deserves. Unfortunately, with the second rise of he-who-must-not-be-named, Lucius is intent that Draco take the Dark Mark on his seventeenth birthday. I thought he could be spared, when Lucius was arrested, but now that he has escaped, I fear for my son."
"I am not the only one, fearing for the safety of my child. There are some of us, wives of Death Eaters, who will do anything to spare our children from the Dark Mark: Cassandra Crabbe, Violetta Goyle, Elena Bulstrode, Patricia Parkinson, and Arabelle Zambini. We are all privy to information that could help your side to defeat you-know-who. We would be willing to share this information with you."
"And in return?" asked Molly. She was not a stupid woman. Narcissa Malfoy was cunning and would never put herself at risk without receiving something in return.
"Our first priority is to prevent our children from being marked. If you could convince Professor Dumbledore to institute a policy of checking for the Dark Mark, it would delay our children's initiation until after their graduation. Also, there will come a time, when none of will be safe in our own homes. When that time comes, we will need protection."
"Narcissa, I am sure you can understand why I would be hesitant to believe you," said Molly.
"I expected as much," Narcissa replied. "In good faith, I am willing to provide you with information today. The vampire and a companion are being held in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor." Narcissa handed a piece of parchment to Molly. "The Manor is protected by dark magic. The parchment contains the coordinates of the front gate and the necessary charms to safely enter and exit the house."
"I don't understand," said Molly.
"Professor Dumbledore will understand. I need you to pass the information along to him." Narcissa stood to leave.
"Why speak to me? Why use me to pass information to Dumbledore?" asked Molly.
"Because only a mother could understand our motives," replied Narcissa.
"Narcissa, I will do as you ask." Molly's voice carried a sharp edge, as she continued to speak. "But know, if you are lying to me and place my family in danger, I will kill you myself."
"I would expect nothing less," Narcissa replied, "from any mother."
Chapter 21 - Unlikely Allies
Dawn spent all of her free time during the next few days, sitting by Draco's bedside. Madame Pomfrey had assured Dawn that Draco was recovering nicely and that it was normal for someone hit by such a powerful curse to remain unconscious for several days. It was not that Dawn did not trust the medi-witch, but Dawn could not stop worrying. She had already watched her sister die to save her. Dawn did not believe that she could handle if someone else died to save her.
After dinner one evening, Dawn was met by a house elf in the hallway outside the Great Hall. "Miss Summers," said the elf, "Mr. Malfoy has awaken." Dawn thanked the elf and ran toward the infirmary. She entered to find Draco looking exhausted but sitting in bed having some tea.
"I am so glad you are ok," squealed Dawn.
Draco was confused. He was sure that he was awake, but Dawn was standing in front of him. He didn't understand why she would still be talking to him, let alone be happy that he was ok. Dawn saw his expression. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Why are you here?" he asked dryly.
"I wanted to make sure you're ok. I have been here every chance I could get for the last few days."
Draco realized that the dreams he had been having about her were not dreams at all. Dawn really had sat by his bedside each day. She had really held his hand and offered him comfort. He had never been so relieved or so confused. "Why would you want anything to do with me? You heard what the Death Eaters said."
"You got hit by a curse protecting me. You saved me from being kidnapped. I figure that the least I owe you is a chance to explain," Dawn answered.
Draco put his tea aside. "Dawn, please sit. I have a lot to tell you. When I am finished, I will understand if you never want to speak to me again." Dawn sat in the chair next to Draco's bed, as he began to explain his situation to her. "My father is not a good man. The only things he cares about are power and privilege. He sees two ways to secure his power and privilege: keeping others down and aligning himself with whoever has the greatest power. Not surprising, he was one of the first to join forces with Voldemort and to become a Death Eater."
"My father is not exactly what you would call a loving parent. My only purpose is to be an heir to his power and privilege. Since I was a small child, he has trained me to follow in his footsteps. On the few occasions that I have made the mistake of challenging him, I received severe beatings for my trouble. I am sure that Potter and Weasley have told you that I am a heartless bastard. What I really am is a survivor. Everything I do is for one purpose only, to escape life my father and his world of insane dark wizards."
"When my father was arrested, I actually believed that I was free. You know about his escape from Azkaban. The reason that it upset me so much was that I knew he would expect me to join forces with him as a Death Eater. He wrote to me the night that you went on your first patrol of the Forbidden Forrest, demanding that I become a spy for the Dark Lord."
Draco looked into Dawn's eyes, trying to read her reaction to what he was telling her. "I did send information to my father. I only told him things that he could easily have found out on his own: that training was increased and that there were vampires in the Forbidden Forrest. I didn't feel like I had any choice."
"Do you want to be like your father?" she asked.
"No, absolutely not. But honestly, I don't have any choice. If I defy him, especially now, I truly believe that he will kill me."
"Have you thought about asking for help?" Dawn asked.
"Who can I ask? Potter and Weasley? That would be a joke," answered Draco.
"What about Professor Dumbledore?"
"I wouldn't know how to approach him. Besides, why should he believe me," replied Draco.
"What about Buffy and Giles? I know that they would figure out a way to help you," suggested Dawn.
"Yeah right, I tell them that I was sent to spy on them, but instead I want them to help me."
"Draco, I know them both better than you do. They have taken many people under their wings who wanted to reform. Angel and Spike are vampires. Willow, Faith, and Andrew have all killed people. And, Anya used to be a vengeance demon. Trust me when I tell you that sending some not too sensitive information against your will is totally forgivable. Besides, you saved me and that goes a long way with my sister."
"But what can they do for me?" asked Draco. He was starting to feel some hope. Not only had Dawn accepted him for what he is, but also she was even trying to help him.
"Giles will figure something out. I am sure of it," replied Dawn. "Trust me."
Draco looked unconvinced. "Why do you want to help me?" he asked.
'Because I love you,' thought Dawn. She knew that she couldn't tell him that. "You saved my life," she said. "If you wanted to be like your father, you would have allowed them to take me and then claimed that you were unable to prevent it."
"I could never let anyone hurt you," said Draco before he could stop himself. Dawn smiled at him. "I still cannot believe that you are still speaking to me," said Draco.
"We all have secrets," replied Dawn.
"I cannot imagine that you could have secrets as dark as mine."
"Draco, there is something about me that you don't know. If you did, you would be the one who no longer wanted to speak to me." Dawn didn't know why she said what she did, but now that Draco had shared his secret with her, she wanted to share her secret with him.
"Tell me," said Draco. He couldn't imagine Dawn having any terrible secrets.
Dawn began her story. "I am not really a person like you are. I was once a ball of mystical energy that could be used as a key between dimensions. There was this god, Glorificus or Glory, who wanted to use me to help her return to her home dimension, but to do that she would open all dimensions and the world as we know it would end. So these monks needed to protect the key from Glory. They decided that they would make the Slayer protect the key by concealing it in the form of a sister. Of course, to do this, they not only created me, but also implanted fake memories in Buffy and her friends and family."
"What happened with Glory?" asked Draco.
"Oh, she found me and used my blood to open a portal to all dimensions. My blood opened it, and my blood had to be what closed it. Since the monks made me from Buffy, we have the same blood. She chose to die in my place. That was the second time she died," said Dawn. They sat silently for a moment.
Dawn spoke her worst fear, "I am not real, and I would understand if you didn't want anything to do with me."
Draco leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Dawn was shocked. "You feel real to me," he said. She smiled at him, and they kissed again.
"So how should I go about telling Giles and Buffy about being a spy?" asked Draco.
Dawn was thrilled that he had agreed to ask for help. She told him that she would speak to Buffy first and then let him know what to do. Dawn kissed Draco again, and then Madame Pomfrey chased her out of the infirmary, claiming that Draco needed his rest.
Dawn immediately ran to the Scooby Common room. She found Buffy and Giles watching an old movie in Buffy's sitting room. "I need to talk to you guys about something important," said Dawn.
Buffy turned off the charmed television and motioned for Dawn to have a seat. Dawn explained everything that Draco had told her in the infirmary. The adults looked concerned, and Dawn was afraid that they would not be willing to help Draco.
Giles spoke, "Dawn, I am not entirely sure what we can do for him. I will have to speak with Dumbledore, but I cannot make any promises to you. However, I will try to help in any way I can."
Dawn was satisfied with that. She believed that Buffy and Giles could do anything if they put their minds to it. They had defeated the First Evil. How hard could it be to defeat Lucius Malfoy?
****************
Cat had successfully avoided Wesley and the others for a couple of days. She was not ready to face them, now that they knew the truth about her. She had hoped to tell Wesley herself, after proving herself to him in battle. She had wanted them all to have a reason to trust her. Now she felt that any chance she had was lost. Eventually, Cat decided that she had better speak with Wesley. She had avoided the confrontation long enough.
Wesley heard a knock on his door and opened it to find Cat standing there. They needed to talk at some point, but Wesley had been waiting for her to come to him. He knew what it was like to confront friends with hidden truths about oneself. "Hello, Wesley," she said.
Wesley invited her into his sitting room. "I was hoping you would come to talk to me. Are you ok?"
Cat smiled at him. She realized that he was trying to make this easy on her. "I am fine. I just needed a little bit of time to compose myself. I am sorry that I didn't tell you sooner."
"We all have secrets in our pasts," replied Wesley. "Being Voldemort's daughter is simply circumstance. You did not have any choice in the matter." Cat realized that she was not the only one carrying secrets. It was obvious that Wesley had secrets of his own; that he had done things that he would have to live with forever.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Wesley.
"There isn't much to tell," said Cat. "Voldemort is my father. When he began his rise to power, my mother took me and fled to the United States. I changed my name, using my middle name and my mother's maiden name. I have told you most things about my life after that time. I went to the U.S. wizarding school. I wanted to disassociate myself from my father, so I embraced the muggle world. I attended college and graduate school. After school, I taught at a small college in New England for a few years."
"But how did you come to be here?" questioned Wesley.
"After my mother took me away, I think many wizards simply forgot about my existence."
"This past summer, Professor Dumbledore contacted me. He was worried that with my father's return to power, that I might become a target. There is a belief that since I share my father's blood, my blood may be used to either heal or destroy him. At first I ignored Dumbledore's warnings, but then one of my father's followers got to my mother. They were looking for me, probably to prevent me from destroying him. Of course, my mother wouldn't tell them where I was living; so, they killed her."
"I realized that I couldn't continue my muggle life. There was too much of a chance that my father would hurt someone else that was close to me. I contacted Dumbledore, and he agreed to give me a teaching position at Hogwarts. Muggle studies was perfect for me as a trained wizard and muggle sociologist."
"So the reason you were housed with us was for your own protection," Wesley thought aloud.
"Exactly. Though now that everyone knows where I am, my safety and yours is at risk," Cat answered.
"Trust me when I say that is nothing new for any of us," answered Wesley.
****************
The evening after Draco had awaken, a meeting was set in the Scoobie common room. Dawn was the last to enter, after spending some time sitting in the infirmary with Draco. She found that everyone from their first prophecy meeting was in attendance, including Angel and Fred. As Dawn sat on the floor with her friends, Giles began the meeting. "Obviously we were mistaken in some of our interpretation of the prophecy. Kennedy was the slayer who turned to the dark, and Spike obviously is not dead."
"I don't understand how Spike can be alive," interrupted Buffy. "I saw him begin to burn, just before the Hellmouth was sealed. And, we all saw the devastation of what was Sunnydale. I don't see how, Spike could have escaped that."
Angel spoke, "It is possible that Voldemort's followers brought him back with some seriously dark magic. Wolfram and Hart did the same with Darla."
"Yeah but the prophecy said that he was a vampire with a soul. I don't see how he could have aligned with Voldemort if he still has his soul," replied Buffy. "I know he has done a lot of evil over the past couple of centuries, but the man who sacrificed himself to save the world, is not the same man who would join Voldemort."
"I think I have an answer for that," Giles spoke softly. "I do not think that Spike was working under his own control. Before he cut me down, I saw his eyes. They were completely blank. I believe that Voldemort used the Imperius curse on Spike."
"Can we do anything to save him?" questioned Buffy.
"In theory, Voldemort is the only one who can reverse his own curse, but we will look for a way," answered Giles. Buffy was amazed that Giles would be on board to save Spike. Giles knew that if he turned his back on Spike, that his own relationship with Buffy would never truly be healed.
"OK, so we start researching ways to reverse the curse," said Willow. She liked the idea of burying herself in research to keep her mind off of Kennedy.
Cat then stood before the group. "I wanted to take a few minutes to answer any questions you might have about my relationship to Voldemort," she said.
Hermione was the first to ask, "Is he really your father?"
"Yes, Hermione, Voldemort is my father. When he first began his rise to power, my mother left him and took me with her to the United States, where I attended school and worked for several years."
"What brought you back here?" Hermione questioned further.
"Some of my father's followers believe that my blood could be used to destroy him. They want to kill me. Professor Dumbledore offered me a position at Hogwarts for my own protection. I am afraid that now I may have put you all in danger."
Xander waved off her fear, "Cat, welcome to the club. We are always in danger."
Cat took her seat as Giles asked the group if there was anything else that needed to be discussed.
Dawn stood and addressed the group, "Before Draco was cursed, two Death Eaters told us that if they captured me, Voldemort would be pleased. I don't think they plan to outright kidnap any of us involved in the second part of the prophecy, but I think that if the opportunity should arise, they will not hesitate to do so."
Buffy looked at Dawn with concern. Dawn hadn't mentioned the possibility of a kidnapping before specifically because she didn't want Buffy to worry. However, during the meeting Dawn decided that it was important that the others knew that they might be at risk.
"OK," said Buffy, "Dawn and Harry will not leave the castle unless they are accompanied by one of the adults here. Giles and I will also not leave the castle on our own. If we stay in groups, we have less chance of being taken." The adults all agreed. Dawn and Harry were not thrilled at the prospect, but the situation was not exactly new to either of them.
Giles dismissed the group, after reinforcing the importance of continued research on how to reverse the curse on Spike, the prophecy, and the spell to prevent the mandata habere ab primo malo from occurring.
****************
Molly Weasley was busily cleaning the kitchen at the Burrow, when there was a sharp wrap on the back door. Molly was not expecting any visitors, and her family would simply apparate into the house or use the fireplace in the kitchen. Molly opened the door to find a tall woman draped in a black hooded cloak. The woman removed her hood. "May I come in?" she asked.
"Narcissa, what can I do for you?" Molly's voice was steady, but she was nervous. She could think of no good reason why the wife of a Death Eater would be standing visiting the Burrow.
"Please, Molly, this is very important. I need to speak with you, and it is not safe to do so in the open," Narcissa Malfoy replied. Molly stood back from the door allowing Narcissa entry. "Thank you," said Narcissa, as she slipped into the Weasley's kitchen.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" asked Molly.
"No, thank you," replied Narcissa. "I do not have a lot of time, and there is much that we need to discuss."
"Very well," said Molly, as she and Narcissa took seats at the kitchen table.
Narcissa spoke, her voice strained. "A young woman in love often makes decisions with her heart, instead of with her brain. Years ago, I was such a young woman, and I was in love with Lucius Malfoy. I knew that he desired power, but I did not care. All I knew was that the man I loved wanted to marry me, and I was willing to put my own values aside to become his wife. By the time I realized the mistake I had made, Lucius had taken the Dark Mark and I was pregnant with Draco. It was too late for me to leave. Lucius would have never allowed me to take away his heir, and I could never leave behind my son."
"When he-who-must-not-be-named was defeated the first time, I thought that Draco would be able to grow into a man and make his own way in the world. Draco does not think I know, but he is studying very hard for a career as a curse-breaker; so, that he can leave Malfoy Manor and make his own way in life."
"My son, Bill, works as a curse-breaker," commented Molly. "It is a prestigious profession."
"Molly, I have only ever wanted my son to be happy. He needs to find his own way in life to find the happiness he deserves. Unfortunately, with the second rise of he-who-must-not-be-named, Lucius is intent that Draco take the Dark Mark on his seventeenth birthday. I thought he could be spared, when Lucius was arrested, but now that he has escaped, I fear for my son."
"I am not the only one, fearing for the safety of my child. There are some of us, wives of Death Eaters, who will do anything to spare our children from the Dark Mark: Cassandra Crabbe, Violetta Goyle, Elena Bulstrode, Patricia Parkinson, and Arabelle Zambini. We are all privy to information that could help your side to defeat you-know-who. We would be willing to share this information with you."
"And in return?" asked Molly. She was not a stupid woman. Narcissa Malfoy was cunning and would never put herself at risk without receiving something in return.
"Our first priority is to prevent our children from being marked. If you could convince Professor Dumbledore to institute a policy of checking for the Dark Mark, it would delay our children's initiation until after their graduation. Also, there will come a time, when none of will be safe in our own homes. When that time comes, we will need protection."
"Narcissa, I am sure you can understand why I would be hesitant to believe you," said Molly.
"I expected as much," Narcissa replied. "In good faith, I am willing to provide you with information today. The vampire and a companion are being held in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor." Narcissa handed a piece of parchment to Molly. "The Manor is protected by dark magic. The parchment contains the coordinates of the front gate and the necessary charms to safely enter and exit the house."
"I don't understand," said Molly.
"Professor Dumbledore will understand. I need you to pass the information along to him." Narcissa stood to leave.
"Why speak to me? Why use me to pass information to Dumbledore?" asked Molly.
"Because only a mother could understand our motives," replied Narcissa.
"Narcissa, I will do as you ask." Molly's voice carried a sharp edge, as she continued to speak. "But know, if you are lying to me and place my family in danger, I will kill you myself."
"I would expect nothing less," Narcissa replied, "from any mother."