Disclaimer: I-own-nothing! Except Caitlin and everyone of the like.ü
A/N: I am soo sorry for the über late update! I got kind of stuck trying to think of a fight scene (I suck at them so sorry!) and got around to reading Lamentations Of A Starry-Eyed Twit. (Did I get the title right? Arrgh, sorry!) It's so pretty, I recommend reading it! Ü Anyways, down to the fic! Hope you guys like it and please review! Sorry for the lame fight scene..
Does anyone know how to do indentations, bold and italicized fonts? It doesn't show up on FF.net. Darn it. I'm grateful to those who tell me.(
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I hate it when he does that. Caitlin thought sourly, trudging back up the beach to the club. She glanced back at Harry Potter, who was now lying down on his back, chain smoking. She wrinkled her nose in distaste but inwardly she felt guilty. If she hadn't exposed him to her friends, he'd still be sweet and blissfully innocent of the taboos of Muggle society.
She sighed and continued on her way, carefully dusting sand off her clothes. She didn't shop at Mango just to get them ruined on their first night out. Aargh, what's wrong with me!? she asked herself, pressing her knuckles into the sides of her forehead. She sat down on the side of the walk and rethought everything that had happened so far.
She knew that she felt something for Harry, but maybe it was just a fluke. After all, she was supposed to watch over him so that would mean she cared, right? Her small hands once again dug into the sand around her as flashbacks of the last few days played themselves in her mind's eye. She hated herself for going against the Order's instructions. She should have just gone with the plan and for once thought about the consequences.
The music from the club was making the air around her heavy and it smelled like too much perfume and sweat and made her dizzy. She was about to stand up and go home but then a sudden vibration from her pocket made her pause in midstep.
Caitlin fished her phone out from her pocket. "Hey, Malfoy."
*
"Kace," Draco Malfoy greeted with a smirk, shifting the small Samsung phone he'd nicked to his other ear. Normally you wouldn't catch him anywhere near anything Muggle-made, but he had to admit that some of their contraptions were more convenient than sticking his head into the fire and having his hair messed up. Besides, he knew she wouldn't be home. She never was. And having her as his girlfriend for a while had its perks. At least he wasn't incompetent when it came to Muggle things like other wizards were: Embarrassing himself was one thing a Malfoy did NOT do.
He paced around his room, glancing at his reflection in the mirror every time he passed it. His hair was rumpled and he was dressed in a Muggle sweater KC had given him and baggy jeans. He didn't know why he called her but he was glad that he did. It made him feel curiously light whenever he heard her voice.
"Why'd you call, Draco?"
He could just see her prop her phone up on her shoulder and smile slightly, looking amused.
"I was thinking about what you said the other day," he said slowly, deliberately, running his fingers across the handcrafted desk.
"Yeah, so what have you come up with?"
"Well, you know it's gonna be hella weird. I'm not reveling in the possibility that I might have to be friends with Weasel and Potty."
"And they don't want to be friends with a ferret either but you all have to at least try to get long."
Draco, clearly surprised that she had gotten wind of that incident two years ago, made his way downstairs to get himself some food since he couldn't find a house elf anywhere. Inwardly he was annoyed but a little exercise never hurt anyone right? Once he got out into the hall he glanced at the torches, wondering why they had gone out.
"Don't call me ferret. I'm still queasy towards rodents because of that nut- job Moody. I still have no idea why your grandfather keeps hiring those- OW!"
On the other line, Caitlin heard a loud 'thump' and clothes rustling. "Why? What happened?" Her voice sounded worried and he could hear music in the background. He felt bad that he might be disturbing her.
"Hold on," Draco pushed the small phone into the pocket of his pants and twisted around on the floor to see what he had tripped on. His eyes went wide with fear and shock as lifeless eyes so like his own stared back at him. "Mom?" he whispered, hardly daring to believe the sight in front of him.
His feet were resting a few inches from her wrist and it made his body grow cold realizing that he'd tripped over her dead body. Blood was tinged into her pale blonde hair and Draco was sure that if she'd had anything to say about it, she'd clearly disapprove. Red was not her color. A shiver ran up his spine again as he realized he still saw her getting up the next day, taking her usual assortment of painkillers but a small part of him knew she'd never do that again.
It felt like an eternity as he gazed at his mother's lifeless form, sprawled across the hallway floor ungraciously. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he stood back up and, hesitating, bent down across her and took the necklace hanging from her long, slender neck. Wincing, he closed her eyelids. He knew she hadn't expected being killed like that. But what he wondered about was why she had blood in her hair.
The Cruciatus Curse? Avada Kedavra left no traces so it couldn't be that.
Taking out his wand, he made his way downstairs avoiding the main hallways. "Lumos," he whispered, taking a detour behind a portrait of his great great grand something. The Malfoy Manor had tons of secret passageways but he couldn't risk using them now. There was no telling who was lurking around their house right now. Once he got to the entrance hall, he dodged a few more dead bodies he didn't recognize. How hadn't he heard the noise of a massacre? How hadn't he heard his mother's screams a few meters outside his door?
Blue eyes scanning the darkness for anything threatening, he walked towards the fireplace. Normally, they didn't travel Floo but what other choice did he have? He couldn't risk going all the way to the broom shed.
Something flickered in front of him and he stopped abruptly. "Who's there?" he called, trying to keep his voice steady. He was suddenly grateful for learning how to duel back in second year, even if it was from a twit like Lockhart.
"You aren't trying to run away from home now, are you...son?"
Draco's eyes went wide as the figure stepped into the moonlight. "Father?"
Lucius Malfoy stood before his son, hands and robes stained with blood. His eyes had the look of someone who had gone quite mad. The hand that was gripping his wand was shaking, as if he was nervous but Draco knew that wasn't the case. His father had lost his mind and killed everyone in the house except him. But why?
"Give it back to me, Draco." Lucius whispered in a croaky voice. He glanced nervously around the room as if he were doing something he shouldn't be.
"Give what back?" Draco responded, clueless. Nervously he raised his wand higher to defend himself as his father exploded, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? DO NOT WANT TO FUCK WITH ME TONIGHT, DRACO!!"
His father started panting, eyes popping out of his head. Despite himself, Draco took a few steps towards him, wearing a concerned expression. "Are you all-"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!! Avada Kedavra!!"
Draco quickly sidestepped the spell and dove towards the safety of his mother's antique sofa set. He gripped his wand to his chest, panting hard. He winced, feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. Damn, his reflexes were rusty. He knew he didn't stand a chance against his father, despite all his study on the Dark Arts.
"Come out, son. Malfoys don't hide behind their mother's ugly furniture!"
Draco tore a piece of cloth from his shirt to try to stop his bleeding. His eyes were burning as he remembered his mother's lifeless body a few floors above him. "Yeah, and what IS a Malfoy supposed to do?" he yelled back, felling a new surge of hatred towards his father. All those years he had bragged about him, trying to act proud of what he was; it was all a lie. He was ashamed of what his father was: Nothing but a pawn in a psycho's game of chess. He hated the fact that the life his parents had planned for him was exactly like theirs. Well, tonight that was going to have to change.
"Malfoys face everything in front of them. I thought I had raised you better than to be a spineless coward, Draco."
"You!? RAISE ME!?" Draco roared, now extremely pissed. "You have done nothing but criticize me my whole life! Nothing I've done has ever been good enough for you, FATHER!" He spat the words out like they were poison.
He heard Lucius open his mouth, about to say something, and he took his chance. Standing up from where he had been seeking shelter, he yelled "Borgio!" and ropes erupted from the end of his wand, speeding towards his father to bind him.
But Lucius was too fast. He sent flames towards the ropes, reducing them to ashes. "Crucio!" he screeched.
Draco doubled over, screaming in pain like he'd never screamed before. He felt like red-hot pokers were digging into every inch of his body, skewering him into the ground. His head felt like it was in a vice with spikes and it was about to explode.
As quickly as the pain had come, it vanished, leaving aches where the pain had been intense. Draco struggled to stand up and face his father. He almost cried out again as he tried to support himself on his left arm and failed terribly. His bones were worse than broken. He strained his legs, which were both wobbling badly, to support his weight as he stood up. He gripped his shoulder, trying to help stop the bleeding.
Lucius smirked, eyes lighting up with some evil idea. "I'm proud of you, Draco. You can stand even after that?" His laugh echoed through the empty house.
"Why did you kill her?" Draco hissed through gritted teeth.
His father stopped laughing abruptly and stared at him. "What? Speak up, boy!"
"WHY DID YOU KILL HER?" Draco yelled, fixing his most intense glare at this man.
Lucius lowered his wand and stumbled back, looking shocked. Silence fell between the two. Draco kept glaring at him, now oblivious to the pain in what remained of his shoulder.
Finally Lucius spoke. "I... I didn't mean to kill her.... It just...happened."
"Bullshit," Draco spat. He finally let go of his shoulder and pointed his wand. "We duel." He said simply, positioning his hand in front of his face.
"Surely you don't expect me to duel with what's left of you, son." Lucius laughed as if the mere thought was ludicrous.
Draco aimed his wand at the wall behind his father and shot at it. The wall exploded, leaving a hole bigger than their front door, which was saying something. "I'm serious. Brace yourself, father."
Lucius' eyes widened even more, enhancing his look of madness. Then he smiled. "Bow, Draco. Bow to death."
"We'll see about that." Draco whispered, running all the jinxes he had ever learned in his head and trying to think of the best one.
"One.... Two..." Lucius counted, his voice echoing ten-fold in the vast entrance hall.
"Stupefy!" Both parties yelled, simultaneously trying to dodge the other's jinx.
Lucius dove to the side, landing hard on his bad elbow. Draco knew this and, forgetting about the Stunning Spell, pointed his wand to him. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Something whizzed past his ear the second he uttered those words, but thankfully only his shoulder was hit. Again.
Wincing as he felt wave after wave of pain wrack his body, he stumbled forward, trying to blink his own blood out of his eyes. Dimly, his mind was aware of something appearing in the fireplace but his cheek was pressed against the cold marble floor and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and find out the whole thing was a nightmare. His mind wavered in and out of reality and finally gave in to sleep.
*
Caitlin stumbled out of the Malfoy's main fireplace, looking around wildly for any sign of something alive. The silence was ringing in her ears after the deafening sounds of the club. She'd heard everything that happened. Stupid Draco, leaving his phone open.
Tears pressed against her eyes but she held them back, telling herself that she had to find him first. With a flick of her wand, she set the torches blazing again. The heels of her boots clicked noisily as she crossed the room.
Lumps were scattered all around the room but the one she was looking for was sprawled at the far end, his blonde hair tousled and tinged with blood.
"Draco..." She nudged him softly. Her eyes narrowed when he saw his wounds. Dammit. She felt his pulse. Still alive. Caitlin made him float towards the couch, being careful to support his shoulder, lest his arm fall off. Looking around, she was greatly reminded of World War 2. Caitlin walked carefully back to the fireplace but stopped abruptly when she saw Lucius Malfoy's lifeless form.
Her hand immediately went over her mouth. She walked over to his body, tears now forming around her eyes. "Uncle Lucius...." She bent down over his body, now unable to resist the urge to cry. Deep down, she had no idea why she was crying over someone whom she knew was a total asshole, but she knew this man had meant something to someone. When she was a child he used to give her treats and candies. Now looking into his slightly open but lifeless eyes, she wondered what had happened to that man.
Pulling herself together, she made her way back to the fireplace and knelt down. Sticking her head into the fire, she yelled "Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Her grandfather's office swam in front of her eyes but his chair was empty. "Dumbledore!" she called, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, was there.
One of the chairs in front of the desk swiveled around and a girl with bushy hair stared back at her, giving out a strangled cry. Caitlin had no time for this.
"Where's Dumbledore?" she asked, mildly irritated now. Who was this girl and what was she doing in her grandfather's office?
"He's down in Hagrid's hut," the girl explained. "I can tell him you popped in-."
"Do I look like someone who has time for that?" Caitlin snapped. Her knees were starting to hurt. "Go call him and Madame Pomfry." The bushy haired girl kept staring at her. "Oh honestly!" She pulled her head out of the fire with a small 'pop' and reappeared in her entirety.
"Who are you?" Caitlin asked, perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.
The other girl seemed to puff up indignantly. "My name's Hermione Granger. And who, may I ask, are you?"
Caitlin almost laughed at her attitude. It was actually quite cute. So this was the girl Draco was in love with, huh? "I'm Caitlin Moore. I need to get to Dumbledore. Mind fetching him for me?"
Now Hermione seemed to puff up even more. "Excuse me! I'm not your little servant girl! Who do you think you are, exactly?"
"'Exactly'?" Caitlin repeated, trying not to laugh. "I just told you who I am. Or don't you understand the words coming out of my mouth?"
"Look, just get out of here before I hex you-"
Someone cleared their throat from behind them. Both girls turned around, looking annoyed. Dumbledore stood in the doorway, smiling amusedly. "Why, hello, Caitlin dear. Glad to see you've come to visit. I see you've met Miss Granger," He nodded towards Hermione, blue eyes twinkling.
"Dumbledore, we don't have time for this. Lucius Malfoy escaped from Azkaban and went mad. He killed the whole household except for Draco and I think he's dying too."
Hermione's hands went to her face as she gave a whimper at this news. Caitlin ignored her and went on.
"We need a MediWizard and a clean-up crew."
Dumbledore, ever the calm one, simply nodded and turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, would you mind calling Madame Pomfry and tell her to come to the Malfoy Manor immediately. Caitlin, lead the way."
*
No sleep
No sleep until I'm done with finding the answer
Won't stop
Won't stop before I find the cure for this cancer
Sometimes I feel like going down, I'm so disconnected
Somehow I know that I am haunted to be wanted
I've been watching, I've been waiting
In the shadows for my time
I've been searching, I've been living
For tomorrows all my life
In the shadows...
In the shadows...
They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe
But I, I'd rather kill myself than turn into their slave
Sometimes I feel that I should go and play with the thunder
Somehow I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder
I've been watching, I've been waiting
In the shadows for my time
I've been searching, I've been living
For tomorrows all my life
Lately, I've been walking, walking in circles
Watching, waiting for something
Feel me, touch me, heal me
Come take me higher
I've been watching, I've been waiting
In the shadows for my time
I've been searching, I've been living
For tomorrows all my life
I've been watching,
I've been waiting,
I've been searching,
I've been living,
For tomorrows...
In the shadows...
In the shadows...
I've been waiting...
*
Draco stirred. His head felt woozy and his whole body felt weighed down by something. He tried to sit up but couldn't. He opened his eyes to find a pure white ceiling. Wherever he was, it was as sure as hell quiet. Summoning all the strength he had at the moment, he sat up and immediately regretted it. The sudden rush of blood to his head made it pound even worse.
He looked around, wondering where he was. The last thing he remembered was being in the entrance hall of their house with- Stop it! he told himself angrily, holding his head in his hands, trying to squeeze away the pain.
After a few more moments of self-torture, he looked around. Granger? he mused, seeing her sleeping in a leather armchair across his bed. I must be dreaming, he told himself, climbing out of the soft haven he'd been in for God knows how long. He flexed his shoulder, marveling at how much better it felt. He took a step and almost fell forward, were it not for his firm grip on a bedpost. God, his legs felt like jelly.
Jelly. He thought: Food.
Draco managed his way quietly downstairs, realizing that he knew whose house this was. He recognized the girl smiling down from the photos hanging in the hall.
"Oh, give me that! You don't know how to fix a bed!"
"I do so!"
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
Draco leaned across the doorframe, watching amusedly as Caitlin played tug of war with the Boy Who Unfortunately Lived.
Harry gave the sheet an almighty wrench and Caitlin fell on top of him and they collapsed into fits of laughter onto the carpeted floor.
Caitlin punched Harry's chest lightly. "I told you I should fix the bed!"
"Yeah, can you be part of the bed then?" Harry grinned, grabbing a sheet and covering her in it. Caitlin squealed and they rolled around, laughing.
Draco cleared his throat, making them aware of his presence. He knew he didn't really have any feelings for her anymore, but seeing her having fun with another guy still kind of stung. But it didn't mean he still liked her, did it?
Caitlin emerged from the mess of blankets and screamed, "Draco!" She shot up and ran the length of the room, ending in a tight hug. Draco winced as she hit his shoulder but didn't say anything. "You're better! You're better, you're better, you're better!"
Draco hugged her back, more tightly than he'd intended to, but thankfully Caitlin hadn't noticed. "Yeah. Mind telling me what happened?"
Harry stood silently, musing about what the odds were that he'd ever see Draco Malfoy standing in a Muggle living room, actually talking like a civilized human being. Nil to a billion, probably. If there were anything higher than a billion, it would probably be that.
Caitlin glanced at Harry then back to Draco. "First you two have to promise to be, if not friends, at least decent to each other."
"Me, friends with Scarhead?!" Draco sneered the same time Harry cried, "Friends with the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!?"
They glared at each other.
Draco smirked. "Glad to see that you're aware of the impossibility of someone like me being friends with you, Potty."
"Someone like you? You mean a dirty, snuck-up little ferret?" Harry shot back.
The argument continued.
Caitlin sighed, pressing her fingers on her forehead. "Both of you, come on. Or else I'll sic Aaron, Spyke AND Hermione on you."
That shut them up.
She sat down on the couch. "I know I owe both of you answers, but you two have to shut up while I'm giving them to you." Her blue eyes looked up at them pleadingly.
Harry sighed and gave in. He sat down on the couch beside her, not saying a word. Caitlin mouthed him 'thanks' and turned back to Draco. The boy shrugged and sat down on the floor in front of her, flashing Harry one last sneer.
She rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok. I swear, you two act like children."
"You should see them at school." Hermione said suddenly from the doorway. She walked in and sat down beside Draco, who suddenly turned pink. "You can't talk about the whole situation without me. No one's said a word to me since we got here a few days ago."
"Days?" Draco repeated. "I've been unconscious for DAYS?"
Caitlin nodded. "The situation is that Voldemort-" Harry gaped at her for saying his name out loud. "knows about the prophecy now. And he's not afraid of Harry anymore. I was actually surprised at first that he was."
Draco snorted but the three other people glared at him. He raised his hands up in defeat. "What!?" he said indignantly.
Hermione brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Over the years, her hair had thankfully been tamed a bit but it still looked a little frizzy. But now that she'd gotten older, she'd filled out in all the right places. "I still have no idea who you are," she said in her snotty way.
Caitlin grunted in frustration and leaned back into the sofa, looking pissed. Her long blonde hair fell in front of her face, making her look like a 5-year-old who'd been asked to eat all her vegetables.
Harry put a comforting arm on her thigh, thus receiving one of Draco's dirtiest looks ever. "You don't have to talk about it. I can explain to you later, Hermione," He turned to his best friend with an apologetic look.
"I'll just answer your questions, then. I'm sick of telling the whole freakin' story." Caitlin said sourly.
Hermione jumped at the chance. "What are you doing with Harry?"
"I was sent by Dumbledore to guard and train him. Probably you and Weasley as well."
"Why you?"
"Because I was the best qualified for the job." Caitlin answered with a slight smirk.
Hermione ignored it. "Train him to what?"
"To face the Dark Lord. Duh."
"How?"
Caitlin sighed. "You're going to find yourselves wand less at one point or another. What do you propose to do then?" She took their silence as being clueless. "I learned one thing from Mad-Eye Moody, and that's constant vigilance. You guys have to learn how to defend yourselves without your wands. To use magic without your wands."
"That's impossible," Hermione said incredulously. "I'm a Muggle-born. I can't use magic without a wa-"
"Dear," Caitlin interrupted. "How do you think you got into Hogwarts if you didn't have a little magic in your blood? You should worry about physical combat instead of doing magic. You look a bit too fragile for what I'm going to be teaching you guys."
Now, Hermione isn't the type of girl who would accept that remark from anyone, much less from another girl who was more petite than she was. She flushed red that would have rivaled Ron. "Excuse me!" she cried, looking scandalized.
Harry looked at her. "Well, you have to admit, Hermione. You're not sporty or anything." He said, looking a bit sheepish.
"Harry!" Hermione punched him hard in the shin, but inwardly she agreed with him.
"Ow!" Harry yelped, gripping his leg. This made Draco laugh hysterically. Harry glared at him. "Think that's funny, do you? You good-for-nothing little git!"
Draco immediately stopped laughing and drew his wand. "Watch your mouth, Scarhead," he hissed.
"GOD! Would both of you stop it!?" Caitlin cried. She grabbed Draco's wand and threw all of them a dirty look. "Harry, I know you'll hate me but you need Draco's help with magic. He knows more about the Dark Arts than you do, and he's the only 16 year old to ever successfully do Avada Kedavra. You need his help. Emphasis on 'need'."
She turned to Draco. "I know what happened that night at the mansion. You're on our side now whether you like it or not. Either that or take your father's place; your choice."
Now Caitlin turned to Hermione. "I'm in charge." She said simply. She stood up gracefully and swept out of the room.
"Damn, is she always this bitchy?" Harry asked no one in particular.
"You don't know the half of it." Draco replied with a sigh.
"Guess she isn't little miss perfect after all." Hermione said with a smirk that made Draco proud.
"Nope, but she as sure as hell comes close to it," Harry said, more to himself.
Draco heard him.
A/N: I am soo sorry for the über late update! I got kind of stuck trying to think of a fight scene (I suck at them so sorry!) and got around to reading Lamentations Of A Starry-Eyed Twit. (Did I get the title right? Arrgh, sorry!) It's so pretty, I recommend reading it! Ü Anyways, down to the fic! Hope you guys like it and please review! Sorry for the lame fight scene..
Does anyone know how to do indentations, bold and italicized fonts? It doesn't show up on FF.net. Darn it. I'm grateful to those who tell me.(
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I hate it when he does that. Caitlin thought sourly, trudging back up the beach to the club. She glanced back at Harry Potter, who was now lying down on his back, chain smoking. She wrinkled her nose in distaste but inwardly she felt guilty. If she hadn't exposed him to her friends, he'd still be sweet and blissfully innocent of the taboos of Muggle society.
She sighed and continued on her way, carefully dusting sand off her clothes. She didn't shop at Mango just to get them ruined on their first night out. Aargh, what's wrong with me!? she asked herself, pressing her knuckles into the sides of her forehead. She sat down on the side of the walk and rethought everything that had happened so far.
She knew that she felt something for Harry, but maybe it was just a fluke. After all, she was supposed to watch over him so that would mean she cared, right? Her small hands once again dug into the sand around her as flashbacks of the last few days played themselves in her mind's eye. She hated herself for going against the Order's instructions. She should have just gone with the plan and for once thought about the consequences.
The music from the club was making the air around her heavy and it smelled like too much perfume and sweat and made her dizzy. She was about to stand up and go home but then a sudden vibration from her pocket made her pause in midstep.
Caitlin fished her phone out from her pocket. "Hey, Malfoy."
*
"Kace," Draco Malfoy greeted with a smirk, shifting the small Samsung phone he'd nicked to his other ear. Normally you wouldn't catch him anywhere near anything Muggle-made, but he had to admit that some of their contraptions were more convenient than sticking his head into the fire and having his hair messed up. Besides, he knew she wouldn't be home. She never was. And having her as his girlfriend for a while had its perks. At least he wasn't incompetent when it came to Muggle things like other wizards were: Embarrassing himself was one thing a Malfoy did NOT do.
He paced around his room, glancing at his reflection in the mirror every time he passed it. His hair was rumpled and he was dressed in a Muggle sweater KC had given him and baggy jeans. He didn't know why he called her but he was glad that he did. It made him feel curiously light whenever he heard her voice.
"Why'd you call, Draco?"
He could just see her prop her phone up on her shoulder and smile slightly, looking amused.
"I was thinking about what you said the other day," he said slowly, deliberately, running his fingers across the handcrafted desk.
"Yeah, so what have you come up with?"
"Well, you know it's gonna be hella weird. I'm not reveling in the possibility that I might have to be friends with Weasel and Potty."
"And they don't want to be friends with a ferret either but you all have to at least try to get long."
Draco, clearly surprised that she had gotten wind of that incident two years ago, made his way downstairs to get himself some food since he couldn't find a house elf anywhere. Inwardly he was annoyed but a little exercise never hurt anyone right? Once he got out into the hall he glanced at the torches, wondering why they had gone out.
"Don't call me ferret. I'm still queasy towards rodents because of that nut- job Moody. I still have no idea why your grandfather keeps hiring those- OW!"
On the other line, Caitlin heard a loud 'thump' and clothes rustling. "Why? What happened?" Her voice sounded worried and he could hear music in the background. He felt bad that he might be disturbing her.
"Hold on," Draco pushed the small phone into the pocket of his pants and twisted around on the floor to see what he had tripped on. His eyes went wide with fear and shock as lifeless eyes so like his own stared back at him. "Mom?" he whispered, hardly daring to believe the sight in front of him.
His feet were resting a few inches from her wrist and it made his body grow cold realizing that he'd tripped over her dead body. Blood was tinged into her pale blonde hair and Draco was sure that if she'd had anything to say about it, she'd clearly disapprove. Red was not her color. A shiver ran up his spine again as he realized he still saw her getting up the next day, taking her usual assortment of painkillers but a small part of him knew she'd never do that again.
It felt like an eternity as he gazed at his mother's lifeless form, sprawled across the hallway floor ungraciously. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he stood back up and, hesitating, bent down across her and took the necklace hanging from her long, slender neck. Wincing, he closed her eyelids. He knew she hadn't expected being killed like that. But what he wondered about was why she had blood in her hair.
The Cruciatus Curse? Avada Kedavra left no traces so it couldn't be that.
Taking out his wand, he made his way downstairs avoiding the main hallways. "Lumos," he whispered, taking a detour behind a portrait of his great great grand something. The Malfoy Manor had tons of secret passageways but he couldn't risk using them now. There was no telling who was lurking around their house right now. Once he got to the entrance hall, he dodged a few more dead bodies he didn't recognize. How hadn't he heard the noise of a massacre? How hadn't he heard his mother's screams a few meters outside his door?
Blue eyes scanning the darkness for anything threatening, he walked towards the fireplace. Normally, they didn't travel Floo but what other choice did he have? He couldn't risk going all the way to the broom shed.
Something flickered in front of him and he stopped abruptly. "Who's there?" he called, trying to keep his voice steady. He was suddenly grateful for learning how to duel back in second year, even if it was from a twit like Lockhart.
"You aren't trying to run away from home now, are you...son?"
Draco's eyes went wide as the figure stepped into the moonlight. "Father?"
Lucius Malfoy stood before his son, hands and robes stained with blood. His eyes had the look of someone who had gone quite mad. The hand that was gripping his wand was shaking, as if he was nervous but Draco knew that wasn't the case. His father had lost his mind and killed everyone in the house except him. But why?
"Give it back to me, Draco." Lucius whispered in a croaky voice. He glanced nervously around the room as if he were doing something he shouldn't be.
"Give what back?" Draco responded, clueless. Nervously he raised his wand higher to defend himself as his father exploded, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? DO NOT WANT TO FUCK WITH ME TONIGHT, DRACO!!"
His father started panting, eyes popping out of his head. Despite himself, Draco took a few steps towards him, wearing a concerned expression. "Are you all-"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!! Avada Kedavra!!"
Draco quickly sidestepped the spell and dove towards the safety of his mother's antique sofa set. He gripped his wand to his chest, panting hard. He winced, feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. Damn, his reflexes were rusty. He knew he didn't stand a chance against his father, despite all his study on the Dark Arts.
"Come out, son. Malfoys don't hide behind their mother's ugly furniture!"
Draco tore a piece of cloth from his shirt to try to stop his bleeding. His eyes were burning as he remembered his mother's lifeless body a few floors above him. "Yeah, and what IS a Malfoy supposed to do?" he yelled back, felling a new surge of hatred towards his father. All those years he had bragged about him, trying to act proud of what he was; it was all a lie. He was ashamed of what his father was: Nothing but a pawn in a psycho's game of chess. He hated the fact that the life his parents had planned for him was exactly like theirs. Well, tonight that was going to have to change.
"Malfoys face everything in front of them. I thought I had raised you better than to be a spineless coward, Draco."
"You!? RAISE ME!?" Draco roared, now extremely pissed. "You have done nothing but criticize me my whole life! Nothing I've done has ever been good enough for you, FATHER!" He spat the words out like they were poison.
He heard Lucius open his mouth, about to say something, and he took his chance. Standing up from where he had been seeking shelter, he yelled "Borgio!" and ropes erupted from the end of his wand, speeding towards his father to bind him.
But Lucius was too fast. He sent flames towards the ropes, reducing them to ashes. "Crucio!" he screeched.
Draco doubled over, screaming in pain like he'd never screamed before. He felt like red-hot pokers were digging into every inch of his body, skewering him into the ground. His head felt like it was in a vice with spikes and it was about to explode.
As quickly as the pain had come, it vanished, leaving aches where the pain had been intense. Draco struggled to stand up and face his father. He almost cried out again as he tried to support himself on his left arm and failed terribly. His bones were worse than broken. He strained his legs, which were both wobbling badly, to support his weight as he stood up. He gripped his shoulder, trying to help stop the bleeding.
Lucius smirked, eyes lighting up with some evil idea. "I'm proud of you, Draco. You can stand even after that?" His laugh echoed through the empty house.
"Why did you kill her?" Draco hissed through gritted teeth.
His father stopped laughing abruptly and stared at him. "What? Speak up, boy!"
"WHY DID YOU KILL HER?" Draco yelled, fixing his most intense glare at this man.
Lucius lowered his wand and stumbled back, looking shocked. Silence fell between the two. Draco kept glaring at him, now oblivious to the pain in what remained of his shoulder.
Finally Lucius spoke. "I... I didn't mean to kill her.... It just...happened."
"Bullshit," Draco spat. He finally let go of his shoulder and pointed his wand. "We duel." He said simply, positioning his hand in front of his face.
"Surely you don't expect me to duel with what's left of you, son." Lucius laughed as if the mere thought was ludicrous.
Draco aimed his wand at the wall behind his father and shot at it. The wall exploded, leaving a hole bigger than their front door, which was saying something. "I'm serious. Brace yourself, father."
Lucius' eyes widened even more, enhancing his look of madness. Then he smiled. "Bow, Draco. Bow to death."
"We'll see about that." Draco whispered, running all the jinxes he had ever learned in his head and trying to think of the best one.
"One.... Two..." Lucius counted, his voice echoing ten-fold in the vast entrance hall.
"Stupefy!" Both parties yelled, simultaneously trying to dodge the other's jinx.
Lucius dove to the side, landing hard on his bad elbow. Draco knew this and, forgetting about the Stunning Spell, pointed his wand to him. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Something whizzed past his ear the second he uttered those words, but thankfully only his shoulder was hit. Again.
Wincing as he felt wave after wave of pain wrack his body, he stumbled forward, trying to blink his own blood out of his eyes. Dimly, his mind was aware of something appearing in the fireplace but his cheek was pressed against the cold marble floor and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and find out the whole thing was a nightmare. His mind wavered in and out of reality and finally gave in to sleep.
*
Caitlin stumbled out of the Malfoy's main fireplace, looking around wildly for any sign of something alive. The silence was ringing in her ears after the deafening sounds of the club. She'd heard everything that happened. Stupid Draco, leaving his phone open.
Tears pressed against her eyes but she held them back, telling herself that she had to find him first. With a flick of her wand, she set the torches blazing again. The heels of her boots clicked noisily as she crossed the room.
Lumps were scattered all around the room but the one she was looking for was sprawled at the far end, his blonde hair tousled and tinged with blood.
"Draco..." She nudged him softly. Her eyes narrowed when he saw his wounds. Dammit. She felt his pulse. Still alive. Caitlin made him float towards the couch, being careful to support his shoulder, lest his arm fall off. Looking around, she was greatly reminded of World War 2. Caitlin walked carefully back to the fireplace but stopped abruptly when she saw Lucius Malfoy's lifeless form.
Her hand immediately went over her mouth. She walked over to his body, tears now forming around her eyes. "Uncle Lucius...." She bent down over his body, now unable to resist the urge to cry. Deep down, she had no idea why she was crying over someone whom she knew was a total asshole, but she knew this man had meant something to someone. When she was a child he used to give her treats and candies. Now looking into his slightly open but lifeless eyes, she wondered what had happened to that man.
Pulling herself together, she made her way back to the fireplace and knelt down. Sticking her head into the fire, she yelled "Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Her grandfather's office swam in front of her eyes but his chair was empty. "Dumbledore!" she called, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, was there.
One of the chairs in front of the desk swiveled around and a girl with bushy hair stared back at her, giving out a strangled cry. Caitlin had no time for this.
"Where's Dumbledore?" she asked, mildly irritated now. Who was this girl and what was she doing in her grandfather's office?
"He's down in Hagrid's hut," the girl explained. "I can tell him you popped in-."
"Do I look like someone who has time for that?" Caitlin snapped. Her knees were starting to hurt. "Go call him and Madame Pomfry." The bushy haired girl kept staring at her. "Oh honestly!" She pulled her head out of the fire with a small 'pop' and reappeared in her entirety.
"Who are you?" Caitlin asked, perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.
The other girl seemed to puff up indignantly. "My name's Hermione Granger. And who, may I ask, are you?"
Caitlin almost laughed at her attitude. It was actually quite cute. So this was the girl Draco was in love with, huh? "I'm Caitlin Moore. I need to get to Dumbledore. Mind fetching him for me?"
Now Hermione seemed to puff up even more. "Excuse me! I'm not your little servant girl! Who do you think you are, exactly?"
"'Exactly'?" Caitlin repeated, trying not to laugh. "I just told you who I am. Or don't you understand the words coming out of my mouth?"
"Look, just get out of here before I hex you-"
Someone cleared their throat from behind them. Both girls turned around, looking annoyed. Dumbledore stood in the doorway, smiling amusedly. "Why, hello, Caitlin dear. Glad to see you've come to visit. I see you've met Miss Granger," He nodded towards Hermione, blue eyes twinkling.
"Dumbledore, we don't have time for this. Lucius Malfoy escaped from Azkaban and went mad. He killed the whole household except for Draco and I think he's dying too."
Hermione's hands went to her face as she gave a whimper at this news. Caitlin ignored her and went on.
"We need a MediWizard and a clean-up crew."
Dumbledore, ever the calm one, simply nodded and turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, would you mind calling Madame Pomfry and tell her to come to the Malfoy Manor immediately. Caitlin, lead the way."
*
No sleep
No sleep until I'm done with finding the answer
Won't stop
Won't stop before I find the cure for this cancer
Sometimes I feel like going down, I'm so disconnected
Somehow I know that I am haunted to be wanted
I've been watching, I've been waiting
In the shadows for my time
I've been searching, I've been living
For tomorrows all my life
In the shadows...
In the shadows...
They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe
But I, I'd rather kill myself than turn into their slave
Sometimes I feel that I should go and play with the thunder
Somehow I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder
I've been watching, I've been waiting
In the shadows for my time
I've been searching, I've been living
For tomorrows all my life
Lately, I've been walking, walking in circles
Watching, waiting for something
Feel me, touch me, heal me
Come take me higher
I've been watching, I've been waiting
In the shadows for my time
I've been searching, I've been living
For tomorrows all my life
I've been watching,
I've been waiting,
I've been searching,
I've been living,
For tomorrows...
In the shadows...
In the shadows...
I've been waiting...
*
Draco stirred. His head felt woozy and his whole body felt weighed down by something. He tried to sit up but couldn't. He opened his eyes to find a pure white ceiling. Wherever he was, it was as sure as hell quiet. Summoning all the strength he had at the moment, he sat up and immediately regretted it. The sudden rush of blood to his head made it pound even worse.
He looked around, wondering where he was. The last thing he remembered was being in the entrance hall of their house with- Stop it! he told himself angrily, holding his head in his hands, trying to squeeze away the pain.
After a few more moments of self-torture, he looked around. Granger? he mused, seeing her sleeping in a leather armchair across his bed. I must be dreaming, he told himself, climbing out of the soft haven he'd been in for God knows how long. He flexed his shoulder, marveling at how much better it felt. He took a step and almost fell forward, were it not for his firm grip on a bedpost. God, his legs felt like jelly.
Jelly. He thought: Food.
Draco managed his way quietly downstairs, realizing that he knew whose house this was. He recognized the girl smiling down from the photos hanging in the hall.
"Oh, give me that! You don't know how to fix a bed!"
"I do so!"
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
Draco leaned across the doorframe, watching amusedly as Caitlin played tug of war with the Boy Who Unfortunately Lived.
Harry gave the sheet an almighty wrench and Caitlin fell on top of him and they collapsed into fits of laughter onto the carpeted floor.
Caitlin punched Harry's chest lightly. "I told you I should fix the bed!"
"Yeah, can you be part of the bed then?" Harry grinned, grabbing a sheet and covering her in it. Caitlin squealed and they rolled around, laughing.
Draco cleared his throat, making them aware of his presence. He knew he didn't really have any feelings for her anymore, but seeing her having fun with another guy still kind of stung. But it didn't mean he still liked her, did it?
Caitlin emerged from the mess of blankets and screamed, "Draco!" She shot up and ran the length of the room, ending in a tight hug. Draco winced as she hit his shoulder but didn't say anything. "You're better! You're better, you're better, you're better!"
Draco hugged her back, more tightly than he'd intended to, but thankfully Caitlin hadn't noticed. "Yeah. Mind telling me what happened?"
Harry stood silently, musing about what the odds were that he'd ever see Draco Malfoy standing in a Muggle living room, actually talking like a civilized human being. Nil to a billion, probably. If there were anything higher than a billion, it would probably be that.
Caitlin glanced at Harry then back to Draco. "First you two have to promise to be, if not friends, at least decent to each other."
"Me, friends with Scarhead?!" Draco sneered the same time Harry cried, "Friends with the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!?"
They glared at each other.
Draco smirked. "Glad to see that you're aware of the impossibility of someone like me being friends with you, Potty."
"Someone like you? You mean a dirty, snuck-up little ferret?" Harry shot back.
The argument continued.
Caitlin sighed, pressing her fingers on her forehead. "Both of you, come on. Or else I'll sic Aaron, Spyke AND Hermione on you."
That shut them up.
She sat down on the couch. "I know I owe both of you answers, but you two have to shut up while I'm giving them to you." Her blue eyes looked up at them pleadingly.
Harry sighed and gave in. He sat down on the couch beside her, not saying a word. Caitlin mouthed him 'thanks' and turned back to Draco. The boy shrugged and sat down on the floor in front of her, flashing Harry one last sneer.
She rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok. I swear, you two act like children."
"You should see them at school." Hermione said suddenly from the doorway. She walked in and sat down beside Draco, who suddenly turned pink. "You can't talk about the whole situation without me. No one's said a word to me since we got here a few days ago."
"Days?" Draco repeated. "I've been unconscious for DAYS?"
Caitlin nodded. "The situation is that Voldemort-" Harry gaped at her for saying his name out loud. "knows about the prophecy now. And he's not afraid of Harry anymore. I was actually surprised at first that he was."
Draco snorted but the three other people glared at him. He raised his hands up in defeat. "What!?" he said indignantly.
Hermione brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Over the years, her hair had thankfully been tamed a bit but it still looked a little frizzy. But now that she'd gotten older, she'd filled out in all the right places. "I still have no idea who you are," she said in her snotty way.
Caitlin grunted in frustration and leaned back into the sofa, looking pissed. Her long blonde hair fell in front of her face, making her look like a 5-year-old who'd been asked to eat all her vegetables.
Harry put a comforting arm on her thigh, thus receiving one of Draco's dirtiest looks ever. "You don't have to talk about it. I can explain to you later, Hermione," He turned to his best friend with an apologetic look.
"I'll just answer your questions, then. I'm sick of telling the whole freakin' story." Caitlin said sourly.
Hermione jumped at the chance. "What are you doing with Harry?"
"I was sent by Dumbledore to guard and train him. Probably you and Weasley as well."
"Why you?"
"Because I was the best qualified for the job." Caitlin answered with a slight smirk.
Hermione ignored it. "Train him to what?"
"To face the Dark Lord. Duh."
"How?"
Caitlin sighed. "You're going to find yourselves wand less at one point or another. What do you propose to do then?" She took their silence as being clueless. "I learned one thing from Mad-Eye Moody, and that's constant vigilance. You guys have to learn how to defend yourselves without your wands. To use magic without your wands."
"That's impossible," Hermione said incredulously. "I'm a Muggle-born. I can't use magic without a wa-"
"Dear," Caitlin interrupted. "How do you think you got into Hogwarts if you didn't have a little magic in your blood? You should worry about physical combat instead of doing magic. You look a bit too fragile for what I'm going to be teaching you guys."
Now, Hermione isn't the type of girl who would accept that remark from anyone, much less from another girl who was more petite than she was. She flushed red that would have rivaled Ron. "Excuse me!" she cried, looking scandalized.
Harry looked at her. "Well, you have to admit, Hermione. You're not sporty or anything." He said, looking a bit sheepish.
"Harry!" Hermione punched him hard in the shin, but inwardly she agreed with him.
"Ow!" Harry yelped, gripping his leg. This made Draco laugh hysterically. Harry glared at him. "Think that's funny, do you? You good-for-nothing little git!"
Draco immediately stopped laughing and drew his wand. "Watch your mouth, Scarhead," he hissed.
"GOD! Would both of you stop it!?" Caitlin cried. She grabbed Draco's wand and threw all of them a dirty look. "Harry, I know you'll hate me but you need Draco's help with magic. He knows more about the Dark Arts than you do, and he's the only 16 year old to ever successfully do Avada Kedavra. You need his help. Emphasis on 'need'."
She turned to Draco. "I know what happened that night at the mansion. You're on our side now whether you like it or not. Either that or take your father's place; your choice."
Now Caitlin turned to Hermione. "I'm in charge." She said simply. She stood up gracefully and swept out of the room.
"Damn, is she always this bitchy?" Harry asked no one in particular.
"You don't know the half of it." Draco replied with a sigh.
"Guess she isn't little miss perfect after all." Hermione said with a smirk that made Draco proud.
"Nope, but she as sure as hell comes close to it," Harry said, more to himself.
Draco heard him.