Chapter Eight: Blood Spells

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Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except for Gemini. And Nicolas Markstone. And Felix Zachary. And a bunch of other insignificant characters.

More violence. And blood. Proceed with caution.

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I met Gemini right before the game. It was Slytherin verses Gryffindor again, but this time it was for the Quidditch Cup. Harry and Ron had gone on ahead, to give us some time. I thank them for that.

               "Good luck." Gemini said, grinning as she gave me a quick hug. We separated and she started for the Gryffindor locker room.

               "Play hard today!" I called to her, moving in the general direction of my house's lockers.

               She glanced back at me. "You too!"

               The moment she vanished from sight, I felt a sad frown fall over my face. Play hard? I wouldn't be playing at all. Draco Malfoy had seen the last of Hogwarts Quidditch games. Kicked off the team for loving a Gryffindor, one of the wizards against Him; I wouldn't be welcomed back. Not for this deception. Not unless I did something to prove my loyalty, and I wouldn't do that…even to play Quidditch again.

               Feeling a little more than sorry for myself, I left my broom in the broom locker and abandoned the game, heading slowly back to the castle. It was a long climb, but I hardly noticed. I was too busy trying to ignore the sound of cheering and commentating that was drowning out all else. And it was hard.


~*~*~*~

Ron whistled a merry tune as he walked into the entrance hall with Harry and Gemini and Hermione. What a brilliant game! They easily won, a swift defeat more than embarrassing for the Slytherin team. Either Gryffindor was way superior, or—

Gemini sighed, just to Ron's left. "Why wasn't he there?"

Ron shared a glance with Harry and Hermione. Either Gryffindor was way superior, or it was the fact that Draco hadn't been present at the game. He didn't play, which was strange enough considering that Gemini had seen him before they went to their separate locker rooms, but the Slytherin just wasn't there. At all. Not even in the stands.

"I'm sure he had good reason." Hermione said assuringly. After a moment she elbowed Harry in the ribs. The Boy Who Lived quickly caught on.

"Oh- right. I'm sure he does. Did. I'm sure he had a good one. Reason, that is."

Gemini ignored his hasty rambling. "I don't know…something like this isn't right. Even if he didn't play, he still would have watched. Been there. He knew how important this was to me. To us, for that matter." She shook her head. "It's just really strange."

"Sure," Ron mumbled. "If he was a regular person. This is Malfoy we're talking about."

Gemini turned on him, eyes livid. She opened her mouth to defend her boyfriend, but interrupted by the clattering of footsteps in the hall. Neville, hair askew and eyes wild, came running up.

"Gemini! Gemini!" He stopped in front of the four, trying to catch his breath. "I was getting a scarf – had to go back – couldn't find it – missed the end of the game – Great Hall – Draco – I couldn't –" He blabbered fragments of incomplete sentences, eyes darting about. "They took him! Took him!"

"Who took whom?" McGonagall's voice rang out and she and the rest of the Quidditch crows came into the school. The rest of the Gryffindor team had been hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd, cheeks wide with smiles. One look at the situation, and they dimmed. "Who took someone, Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville gulped. "Draco! A man in black robes took Draco into the dungeons! He's going to kill him!"

Gemini gasped and McGonagall's eyes narrowed. "Mr. Longbottom, are you sure that you heard what-"

"Yes!" Neville exclaimed, holding up two thin pieces of wood. "He even broke Draco's wand!"

Whispers broke out among the crowd as McGonagall took the pieces. The glint of a dragon's heartstring was dangling from one end of the wand. "Everyone to their dormitories." McGonagall commanded. "Prefects – now." There was a hustle and bustle as students were ushered around. "Slytherin will remain in the Great Hall – the dungeons must be searched."

McGonagall indicated Neville and Gemini. "Come here, please."

Gemini approached, Ron directly behind her. The girl was nearly in tears as the professor handed her the remains of Draco's wand. "I think you should keep these for now." She pulled Neville aside and waved back at them. "To the tower, go."

Ron slung a supporting arm around Gemini's shoulders as she let out a dry sob. Getting dragged along in the crowd, the four drifted up to the Grffindor tower, ushered in by the current prefects. Gemini immediately locked herself n the dorm room, and Ron faithfully took watch just outside her door.

~~

Draco's head slammed against the stone of the chamber, making his vision dim and spin. He had been stripped of his robe and shirt, and several deep slashes adorned his already brusing body. Draco coughed wetly, splashes of crimson flickering out.

"What do you want from me?" Draco asked hoarsely.

"Want?" The lofty tone repeated. "I want what you own me, Malfoy."

The pained blond rolled his head to one side. "Owe? I swore nothing to you."

"You took an oath and my mark!"

"Both were forced upon me!" Draco exclaimed.

"It matters not!" The reply was ominous "Your father pledged himself to me; he spilled both his blood and yours to me. He lived to naught but disappoint me and now you shall fulfill his debts.

"I want no part of this!"

A hand jerked his head back by that hair. "You have no choice."

~~

"I need to talk to Gemini." Harry said to Ron.

Ron stared up at his best friend. "No."

"Come on, Ron, I need-"

"No, Harry. Not right now."

"But I could-"

"Go!" Ron said firmly. "Just go."

Harry sighed, running a hand through his black locks. "Fine then. I'll tell you."

"Tell me what?" Ron said warily.

"We could go rescue Draco for her." Harry said.

"You're insane."

"No – think about it." Harry said. "The marauder's map and my invisibility cloak…we could do it."

"And take on the Dark Lord?" Ron said. "You're off your rocker!"

"Maybe, but we've done it before, Ron." Harry's voice filled with conviction. "I don't like Draco anymore than you do, but we could bloody well do it!"

"NO."

The door to the dorm opened to reveal a tear-stained face of Gemini. Hermione was right behind her, expression concerned. Ron tried to hide Harry from sight. "Gem, go back inside, Harry was just –"

"Let's do it." Gemini said quietly.

"No." Ron whispered sharply. "You aren't going down into the dungeon after Draco – not if you have to face the Dark Lord for him!" The fire in his eyes matched his hair. "You could be killed!"

"He could be killed." Gemini said softly, pushing past him. Ron grabbed her arm.

"I can't let you do this, Gem-"

She pushed away from him. "I have to Ron!"

"No, you don't!" He moved after her, across the stair well to the boys dorm doors. "Don't throw your life away!"

Gemini spun on him. "I'm not. And I'm not throwing away his. If you are my friend you'll help me."

"Gem…"

"Are you my friend, Ron?"

He stared stonily at her. She evenly stared back.

~~

"I heard about your betrayal, dear Draco. Very disappointing. Your father was loyal, a brilliant potions master, but he didn't betray me. Not like you or that spy of yours – Snape." Draco stared at him. "Yes, I know about Severus. Although he was a stronger potions master than your father, your talent seems to surpass even his. The potential seems to run in the family."

"Is that it?" Draco spat. "Is that the reason you dragged your old, decrepit ass all the—" He was cut off as Voldemort slapped him hard, making his head fly sideward once again.

Voldemort ran a pale finger down the side of Draco's face, horrid expression drawn back in a sneer. "Draco, Draco… Your father left you quite the responsibility to attend to… You've been quite the busy little bee." He clenched my jaw, jerking my eyes to meet his. "Befriending Mr. Potter…associating with mudbloods…"

               "Gemini's a pure blood." Draco spat at him.

               "Her parents work as muggle ambassadors." Voldemort sneered. "She's as good as dirt."

               Draco shook as he let his eyes fall shut. Dammit…dammit, dammit, dammit…

               "What's the matter, Draco? Know that I'm right?"

               "Fuck you." Draco hissed, fists clenching despite the slashes on his palms. "She's better than anything that you will ever be able to conceive. Purity. Beauty." He glared at Voldemort. "Fuck you and all your bloody responsibilities. I don't need them and I don't need you."

               Voldemort gripped him by the chin with cold fingers. "You serve me whether you like it or not." The dungeon grew chilly with the on coming breeze from the stairwell. There was rustling and Voldemort laughed. "You are mine, Draco."

               Draco shook his head. "No."

               "Yes."

               "Why is this so important to you?" Draco said breathlessly. He suddenly felt like he had his energy renewed. "Why risk coming here for me?"

               Voldemort paced the dungeon slowly, a superior look on his face. "Haven't you figured it out yet? I've chosen to risk it all for you because you knew what your father knew, you've befriended the infamous thorn in my side, and—" He twisted Draco's arm in the restraining shackles on the wall, bearing his forearm. The dark mark blazed brighter than ever before, visible for the first time in months. "I'll say it once more; blood is binding." The now familiar words echoed in Draco's ears. "And if you no longer wish to serve me, I want back what is mine." He made another long gash on Draco's chest, watching as the boy squirmed and let out a small, strangled gasp.

               Elsewhere, Gemini, Ron, Hermione and Harry were travelling the narrow passageways of the dungeons. They paused for a tense moment, pouring over a faded and weathered piece of parchment.

               Ron fidgeted, arms crossed, and frame bent under the cloak. "This is mad. We should get a teacher—"

               "There he is." Gemini said anxiously, ignoring Ron and pointing to a wriggling dot on the map. "And th-there's the Dark Lord."

               "Voldemort." Harry said firmly. Gemini flinched, and Hermione blinked. "Don't give him any more power than he already has." Gemini nodded as they edged around a puddle on the floor, the three of them drew closer under Harry's invisibility cloak. Together they crept down the hall, slipping around corners and avoiding teachers. They moved through the final door, momentarily shocked to a stop.

               Ron clamped a hand over Gemini's mouth just as she let out a muffled gasp.

               It was a torture chamber of sorts, with chains from the ceiling, and a large table on the one side of the room. A tall, thin, scraggily man stood in front of a half-naked Draco, splotches of blood splashed on the floor. Draco hung limply from the ceiling by his wrists, ankles chained to the floor. Voldemort examined him carefully, as if Draco were a side of meat he was to cut for a customer.

               "Another thing, though, dear Draco." He said slicing into both of Draco's shoulders at the same time. All the cuts weren't deep, but there were enough to hurt and ooze and make him weak. Gemini, Hermione, Ron and Harry looked on with horror. "Your interesting friendship with Harry Potter…"

"There's…" Draco was breathing heavily. "Nothing interesting about it."

"Oh, but there is." Voldemort said condescendingly. Harry's gaze narrowed as he watched the withered man smile grotesquely at Draco. "It's so…convenient."

"What?" Draco forced out.

"Being what you mean to that mudblood trash, she would come down here to save you."

Realization dawned on Draco at the same time it did for the invisible teens in the corner. "I'm…bait."

"Indeed." Voldemort looked pleased with himself. "The Boy Who Lived has never missed a chance to save the day!" He turned to where the four teens were crouched, invisible. "Accio! Cloak!" Hermione gasped as the shimmering fabric was ripped out of their grasp and into that of the Dark Lord's. Voldemort grinned at them. "Hello, Harry."

"No." Draco cursed lightly, locking gazes with a certain lavender-eyed Gryffindor.

"Shut up, Draco." Voldemort was suddenly all business and he waved his wand at Draco. The blonde was thrown back, spine smashing into the wall hard. Draco sputtered and gagged on his own blood. It spilled out the sides of his mouth as his head fell abruptly forward.

"Draco!" Gemini cried. Ron grabbed her by the arms to hold her from dashing across the room.

"Let him go, Voldemort." Harry said lowly. "This has nothing to do with him."

"How noble." The dark wizard sneered. "But it does. You were my main goal – you always were – but on some level I wanted to give the son of Lucius Malfoy what was unpaid by his father."

"Draco…" Gemini whispered, eyes riveted on the limp-bodied boy. "Get up…please look up."

Voldemort glanced sideward at her, yellow eyes glimmering. "Don't worry, dear mudblood. He's still alive…barely."

"Damn you." She hissed, eyes tearing up. "God damn you."

"Believe me, girl," Voldemort said. "He has."

There was a loud intake of air as Draco threw his head back, gaze wide as he coughed and struggled against his bonds. He coughed again and again before looking at Voldemort murderously.

"Still alive yet." The Dark Lord mused. "I'll take care of that."

"Stop!" Hermione moved forward with Harry and they both said a word of power. It popped in the air, shining around Voldemort like a blue shield. He touched it lightly, eyebrow rising as his managed to deflect his hand with a sharp burst of energy.

"Not bad."

"It ends here, Voldemort." Harry said.

"Not likely." Was the response.

Gemini was, meanwhile gazing at Draco worriedly. He was muttering under his breath. She called to him, softly, but he didn't respond. Instead, his fingers stretched out and pointed at Voldemort. Croakily, he said;

"Blood in me, meet blood in you

Boil and bubble in giver's veins"

Voldemort's face twisted in disgust. "An incantation? You have no wand!" Draco drew a shaky breath and continued on.

"Take my pain, now your pain

I give to you all you gave

Take is and relive it."

The last thing that Draco saw before he blacked out was Voldemort's look of pain and Gemini's expression of worry.

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Cliffhanger??! Oh my!

Okay, so not so oh my. Apologies for the delay, all.

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