Rose Coloured Glasses
Disclaimer: Ain't mine, don't sue.
Draco dropped his bags and crossed the Entrance Hall to Ruth. She smiled at him and moved to meet him. He took her head in his hands and kissed her fully and deeply on the lips.
"Draco, the students," she whispered breathily against his lips, remembering where they were.
"Fuck the students," he replied, moving his arms to her waist, feeling her arms go around his neck. She chuckled softly and kissed him, knowing that the students were all in bed by now. She felt him smile against her lips.
"I missed you," he whispered, pulling her tight against him.
"I can tell," she chuckled, "I missed you too. Ruth paused and sighed, looking up searchingly into his eyes, "I hate this Draco,"
"I know, I do too. I don't know how long it has to carry on but I know I don't want it to," he told her, leaning his forehead against hers, mentally noting that her was only able to do so because she was wearing high heels and he was slouching, dropping his height a few inches.
Ruth felt tears fill her eyes and looked down before Draco could see them. They'd been together for over a year now but, due to work and commitments to what was left of the Order and Dumbledore's new movement, they couldn't be together like a normal couple. This had been their longest space apart yet and it had hurt the most. She always cried when he left but she didn't want him to see her doing so when he'd just got there. However, she was too slow.
"Please don't cry," he whispered, stroking her face, "It's horrible, I know, but please don't cry about it. We're together now for a few days. I love you Ruth, you know I do, please don't cry." He hated seeing her cry.
"Oh, ignore me!" she sniffed, "I'm just being a damn hormonal woman, that's all." He laughed and kissed her forehead. "I love you Draco. And you're right, it is horrible being apart this long but we aren't now, are we? So we're going to spend some time together and do all sorts of Christmassy, couply, things when we aren't working on you-know-what, yeah?"
"Yeah. That sounds wonderful. I'm going to take you to Hogsmeade tomorrow and we're going to do the whole movie by a roaring fire thing because I've brought Weasley's enchanted DVD thing with me," he watched her smile and felt his heart swell, "but tonight, however," he lowered his voice a little, "I intend us to get little sleep."
"Really? Whatever does that mean, dear Draco?" Ruth grinned cheekily, twirling the hair at the base of his head around her fingers.
"That means," He dropped his voice, "that I intend to spend tonight making love to you in your bed and that when we do sleep, which I assure you won't be for a while, my dear, I intend to wake up with you in my arms and to then wake you up with a kiss and have some help in the shower, dear Ruth," he murmured to her, his cocky-but-sexy smirk he knew she loved in place. Ruth's cheeks tinged pink but she still smiled seductively at him.
"Is that a promise?" she purred quietly into his ear.
"It's a premonition," he replied, his voice deep. She laughed and kissed him on the lips, taking his hand.
"Come on. We'd better get to Albus' office. I hope my Christmas present wasn't in the bags you dropped," Draco's face dropped and Ruth couldn't help but laugh again, kissing him briefly.
***
Anton and Albus watched them, smiling at both of them and their 'couply' plans. Anton could hazard a guess at the nature of what Draco was saying when he dropped his voice, although he couldn't hear what he was saying, but still he smiled. He was happy for them. Lord knows they both deserved it.
He marvelled at how much his cousin had changed. As a child he was always mean, cold and even twisted but as a man, after the death of his father when he was 18, he had become likeable, funny and a good person. As a man in love he showed a different side again. He was more caring, affectionate and loving than Anton could ever think the nasty little boy who spent his 9th birthday holding contests with his friends on how fast they could pull the legs off a spider could ever be.
"They're so happy," he remarked quietly to Albus as they observed the couple picking up Draco's bags from the balcony above the entrance hall, just out of sight.
"They deserve it," the old man replied.
Anton paused, smiling again before he spoke.
"Bagsy best man."
***
Draco surveyed the six wizards sat around the table with him, each with an expectant and anxious look upon their faces, including the usually incredulously expressioned Snape. He let out a sigh before beginning.
"Things aren't good."
He observed their reactions. It seemed as though this was nothing new to them.
"Although Damien is staying quiet, I fear he is gathering strength again," the young blonde paused, glancing at the six pairs of eyes upon him, "We have been foolish to think he is biding his time. You have know idea how much I've been kicking myself since I made these connections today."
Dumbledore frowned, urging Draco to continue.
"Look at this: Firstly Damien Gerrard is sighted in Diagon Alley almost a whole month before Christmas. He says he is here to visit family over the holiday. He is here for around six weeks. Then," Draco counted things off on his fingers, "an Albert Morrington from the Department of Mysteries quits his job unexpectedly. Gregory Goyle is reported to have met with Damien on the 2nd of this month followed by Hamish Pennyweight on the third. On December 14th Fara Rowley arrives in London for the first time in ten years. What do these people have in common?" Draco asked the room, not waiting for an answer. "Albert Boyd was a school friend of Ivan Kouglehopf, Damien Gerrard's supposed second in command during the Norway Incident, who killed himself waiting to be interrogated by the DB66 team. Albert is an expert in potions, the nephew of Dominic Jones, the son of his elder sister, Maria Jones, now Maria Boyd. Dominic Jones was-"
"Right in Voldemort's inner circles." Snape cut in.
"Yes. Gregory Goyle, we all know is the son of a Death Eater. After Voldemort's death the Goyles fled Europe and haven't been seen until now. Hamish Pennyweight, an American wizard with a lot of military contacts in Europe, is the son of Claudia Pennyweight, also known as Moira Finney, an ex Death Eater who fled for America after changing her appearance and name. And, lastly we have the crown jewel, Fara Rowley."
"Rowley was adopted by a nice wizarding family aged 4. Fara was the illegitimate child of none other than Bella Cater and Julius Malfoy."
"WHAT!" exclaimed Anton.
"You heard me Anton."
"Are you sure? I mean, I know they were both right in the inner circle but- "
"It doesn't matter now. Bella and Julius are both dead anyway, we needn't worry about them."
Draco cleared his throat before continuing; knowing the impact his words had had on his cousidn was quite large. Julius had always been close with Anton, right up until Anton was disowned for refusing the dark side. He was the oldest grandchild, heir to the Malfoy fortune had Julius' children died before him and so had always been favoured over his younger cousin.
"Fara Rowley learned of her heritage when she was 14, killed her adoptive parents and tracked down her mother who, incidentally, brought her into the Death Eater's clutches. When Voldemort first fell, when Rowley was 19, she fled England for Africa in search of ancient ways of reviving her master. Fifteen years later she returned to be accepted again into Voldemort's fold. It was Rowley who organised the attack on Beabaxtons twelve years ago."
Ruth gasped. She had lost a cousin in that attack, although the others didn't know it yet. The Beaubaxtons attack had been more of a slaughter than anything else. Death Eaters had invaded the school, murdering almost ¾ of its pupils and inhabitants. The attack had even made Muggle news because of the devastation caused to the surrounding countryside.
"Rowley played key parts in Voldemort's regime, having a position of high authority over other Death Eaters, remarkably managing to remain almost anonymous to the public. She was there the night Voldemort fell a second time and once again, fled. She hadn't been heard of until now."
Draco scanned the room. Lupin seemed to be staring unseeing at his feet, Snape was watching Dumbledore, who sat pinching the bridge of his nose, worry evident on his face. McGonagall was flicking a worried gaze around the room. Anton still looked shell-shocked at the news that his grandfather had an illegitimate child. He had always been naïve when it came to the workings of the rich and powerful Malfoy men because he was sheltered, the favourite, something Draco had once envied.
He looked at Ruth. She was his world. At present she looked more than worried or shocked, she looked angry. She looked furious, livid, yet hurt at the same time. At or because of what he didn't know. He wanted to ask but thought better of it in a room full of people.
"I think we all know what this suggests," Dumbledore broke the silence, raising his head, his age suddenly showing and taking Draco by surprise.
"It seems as though Damien is imitating the steps of another. It seems as though he is gathering the Dark Lord's most loyal followers or their kin to be followers to his own."
A/N: Please don't hurt me. I'm a horrible, horrible person who should be shouted at for a long time. Sorry. Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! I really should have updated but I didn't get chance and then school started again and, as it's my last year, everything went, as is still, MAD. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed, especially sinta1 for reminding me that this story has been recommended at portkey.org and that I really should update soon.
A big big big big thankyou to: sinta1, Cara, Your Worshipfullness, PsychoticNetJunkie, Space Efficient Girl, lisa paige, usha88, SoMeONe hehe, and g for reviewing the last two chapters.
Anyone who's waited a while for this chapter is really going to hate me now. I can't promise a definite date that the next chapter will be up because my final exams are reeeaaaly close and so I'm not going to have much spare time but I can promise you all, you wonderful, wonderful reviewers, that it definitely will not be another 8 months before I get the next chapter to you!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think. xxx
Disclaimer: Ain't mine, don't sue.
Draco dropped his bags and crossed the Entrance Hall to Ruth. She smiled at him and moved to meet him. He took her head in his hands and kissed her fully and deeply on the lips.
"Draco, the students," she whispered breathily against his lips, remembering where they were.
"Fuck the students," he replied, moving his arms to her waist, feeling her arms go around his neck. She chuckled softly and kissed him, knowing that the students were all in bed by now. She felt him smile against her lips.
"I missed you," he whispered, pulling her tight against him.
"I can tell," she chuckled, "I missed you too. Ruth paused and sighed, looking up searchingly into his eyes, "I hate this Draco,"
"I know, I do too. I don't know how long it has to carry on but I know I don't want it to," he told her, leaning his forehead against hers, mentally noting that her was only able to do so because she was wearing high heels and he was slouching, dropping his height a few inches.
Ruth felt tears fill her eyes and looked down before Draco could see them. They'd been together for over a year now but, due to work and commitments to what was left of the Order and Dumbledore's new movement, they couldn't be together like a normal couple. This had been their longest space apart yet and it had hurt the most. She always cried when he left but she didn't want him to see her doing so when he'd just got there. However, she was too slow.
"Please don't cry," he whispered, stroking her face, "It's horrible, I know, but please don't cry about it. We're together now for a few days. I love you Ruth, you know I do, please don't cry." He hated seeing her cry.
"Oh, ignore me!" she sniffed, "I'm just being a damn hormonal woman, that's all." He laughed and kissed her forehead. "I love you Draco. And you're right, it is horrible being apart this long but we aren't now, are we? So we're going to spend some time together and do all sorts of Christmassy, couply, things when we aren't working on you-know-what, yeah?"
"Yeah. That sounds wonderful. I'm going to take you to Hogsmeade tomorrow and we're going to do the whole movie by a roaring fire thing because I've brought Weasley's enchanted DVD thing with me," he watched her smile and felt his heart swell, "but tonight, however," he lowered his voice a little, "I intend us to get little sleep."
"Really? Whatever does that mean, dear Draco?" Ruth grinned cheekily, twirling the hair at the base of his head around her fingers.
"That means," He dropped his voice, "that I intend to spend tonight making love to you in your bed and that when we do sleep, which I assure you won't be for a while, my dear, I intend to wake up with you in my arms and to then wake you up with a kiss and have some help in the shower, dear Ruth," he murmured to her, his cocky-but-sexy smirk he knew she loved in place. Ruth's cheeks tinged pink but she still smiled seductively at him.
"Is that a promise?" she purred quietly into his ear.
"It's a premonition," he replied, his voice deep. She laughed and kissed him on the lips, taking his hand.
"Come on. We'd better get to Albus' office. I hope my Christmas present wasn't in the bags you dropped," Draco's face dropped and Ruth couldn't help but laugh again, kissing him briefly.
***
Anton and Albus watched them, smiling at both of them and their 'couply' plans. Anton could hazard a guess at the nature of what Draco was saying when he dropped his voice, although he couldn't hear what he was saying, but still he smiled. He was happy for them. Lord knows they both deserved it.
He marvelled at how much his cousin had changed. As a child he was always mean, cold and even twisted but as a man, after the death of his father when he was 18, he had become likeable, funny and a good person. As a man in love he showed a different side again. He was more caring, affectionate and loving than Anton could ever think the nasty little boy who spent his 9th birthday holding contests with his friends on how fast they could pull the legs off a spider could ever be.
"They're so happy," he remarked quietly to Albus as they observed the couple picking up Draco's bags from the balcony above the entrance hall, just out of sight.
"They deserve it," the old man replied.
Anton paused, smiling again before he spoke.
"Bagsy best man."
***
Draco surveyed the six wizards sat around the table with him, each with an expectant and anxious look upon their faces, including the usually incredulously expressioned Snape. He let out a sigh before beginning.
"Things aren't good."
He observed their reactions. It seemed as though this was nothing new to them.
"Although Damien is staying quiet, I fear he is gathering strength again," the young blonde paused, glancing at the six pairs of eyes upon him, "We have been foolish to think he is biding his time. You have know idea how much I've been kicking myself since I made these connections today."
Dumbledore frowned, urging Draco to continue.
"Look at this: Firstly Damien Gerrard is sighted in Diagon Alley almost a whole month before Christmas. He says he is here to visit family over the holiday. He is here for around six weeks. Then," Draco counted things off on his fingers, "an Albert Morrington from the Department of Mysteries quits his job unexpectedly. Gregory Goyle is reported to have met with Damien on the 2nd of this month followed by Hamish Pennyweight on the third. On December 14th Fara Rowley arrives in London for the first time in ten years. What do these people have in common?" Draco asked the room, not waiting for an answer. "Albert Boyd was a school friend of Ivan Kouglehopf, Damien Gerrard's supposed second in command during the Norway Incident, who killed himself waiting to be interrogated by the DB66 team. Albert is an expert in potions, the nephew of Dominic Jones, the son of his elder sister, Maria Jones, now Maria Boyd. Dominic Jones was-"
"Right in Voldemort's inner circles." Snape cut in.
"Yes. Gregory Goyle, we all know is the son of a Death Eater. After Voldemort's death the Goyles fled Europe and haven't been seen until now. Hamish Pennyweight, an American wizard with a lot of military contacts in Europe, is the son of Claudia Pennyweight, also known as Moira Finney, an ex Death Eater who fled for America after changing her appearance and name. And, lastly we have the crown jewel, Fara Rowley."
"Rowley was adopted by a nice wizarding family aged 4. Fara was the illegitimate child of none other than Bella Cater and Julius Malfoy."
"WHAT!" exclaimed Anton.
"You heard me Anton."
"Are you sure? I mean, I know they were both right in the inner circle but- "
"It doesn't matter now. Bella and Julius are both dead anyway, we needn't worry about them."
Draco cleared his throat before continuing; knowing the impact his words had had on his cousidn was quite large. Julius had always been close with Anton, right up until Anton was disowned for refusing the dark side. He was the oldest grandchild, heir to the Malfoy fortune had Julius' children died before him and so had always been favoured over his younger cousin.
"Fara Rowley learned of her heritage when she was 14, killed her adoptive parents and tracked down her mother who, incidentally, brought her into the Death Eater's clutches. When Voldemort first fell, when Rowley was 19, she fled England for Africa in search of ancient ways of reviving her master. Fifteen years later she returned to be accepted again into Voldemort's fold. It was Rowley who organised the attack on Beabaxtons twelve years ago."
Ruth gasped. She had lost a cousin in that attack, although the others didn't know it yet. The Beaubaxtons attack had been more of a slaughter than anything else. Death Eaters had invaded the school, murdering almost ¾ of its pupils and inhabitants. The attack had even made Muggle news because of the devastation caused to the surrounding countryside.
"Rowley played key parts in Voldemort's regime, having a position of high authority over other Death Eaters, remarkably managing to remain almost anonymous to the public. She was there the night Voldemort fell a second time and once again, fled. She hadn't been heard of until now."
Draco scanned the room. Lupin seemed to be staring unseeing at his feet, Snape was watching Dumbledore, who sat pinching the bridge of his nose, worry evident on his face. McGonagall was flicking a worried gaze around the room. Anton still looked shell-shocked at the news that his grandfather had an illegitimate child. He had always been naïve when it came to the workings of the rich and powerful Malfoy men because he was sheltered, the favourite, something Draco had once envied.
He looked at Ruth. She was his world. At present she looked more than worried or shocked, she looked angry. She looked furious, livid, yet hurt at the same time. At or because of what he didn't know. He wanted to ask but thought better of it in a room full of people.
"I think we all know what this suggests," Dumbledore broke the silence, raising his head, his age suddenly showing and taking Draco by surprise.
"It seems as though Damien is imitating the steps of another. It seems as though he is gathering the Dark Lord's most loyal followers or their kin to be followers to his own."
A/N: Please don't hurt me. I'm a horrible, horrible person who should be shouted at for a long time. Sorry. Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! I really should have updated but I didn't get chance and then school started again and, as it's my last year, everything went, as is still, MAD. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed, especially sinta1 for reminding me that this story has been recommended at portkey.org and that I really should update soon.
A big big big big thankyou to: sinta1, Cara, Your Worshipfullness, PsychoticNetJunkie, Space Efficient Girl, lisa paige, usha88, SoMeONe hehe, and g for reviewing the last two chapters.
Anyone who's waited a while for this chapter is really going to hate me now. I can't promise a definite date that the next chapter will be up because my final exams are reeeaaaly close and so I'm not going to have much spare time but I can promise you all, you wonderful, wonderful reviewers, that it definitely will not be another 8 months before I get the next chapter to you!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think. xxx