Chapter 14 - A Long Time Coming

Avery fired a curse at Draco's back as Muriel screamed, "USE THE PORTKEY!" She watched the young man stumble, then abruptly disappear, and turned her attention back to Lucius, almost too late.

His curse bounced off the shield charm she'd hastily erected and they looked at each other warily. "You aren't here for Draco, and you want me alive," she demanded finally. "Why?"

Lucius let a grin cross his face again as he held his wand tensely. But something in his eyes told her that he wasn't amused. It was Avery who answered. "The Dark Lord said I could keep you if I could bring you back alive."

Avery looked extremely put out when Muriel began to laugh. "After all this time, you haven't learned? You're a foul pig, Avery. I'll die before I let you touch me." His annoyed expression hardened instantly into anger.

"That can be arranged," Lucius whispered behind her. She heard him begin the killing curse and threw herself into Avery. Not expecting such a physical attack, he fell and she spun away. There was no longer anyone between her and the door. Lucius' curse slammed into the wall behind where she'd been, leaving an impressive crater.

She backed away from them. The men exchanged a glance as Avery got to his feet. If she got away, they were in for one hell of a night. They lifted their wands together as they'd planned, each aiming a little off center, and cast their spells.

Mur spun and ran toward the door. She managed to dodge Lucius' killing curse, but in so doing, she ran right into the path of the stunning spell Avery had cast. She fell on her face only a foot from the door, not able to hear Avery's grating laughter or feel his groping hands as he threw her over his shoulder.

Draco managed not to cry out until he felt the tug of the portkey. His back was covered in cuts as though he'd been whipped. He fell to his knees as he landed and looked around. She'd linked the portkey to one of the Gryffindor boy's dormitories. He blinked. That was an odd choice.

He didn't have any time to think about it, however. He grimaced through his pain and staggered down the stairway. The Gryffindor common room went silent as Harry and Ron jumped up to help him. They pulled him toward the hospital wing. He was losing a lot of blood.

"Ron," he gasped, as soon as he was sure the portrait was closed. "Go get Snape and have him meet us in the hospital ward!" Ron exchanged a glance with Harry, making sure his friend would be able to get Draco there by himself. When Harry nodded, he took off for the teacher's corridor at a run.

Madam Pomfrey had only just started healing Draco's cuts when the door burst open and Professor Snape swept in, looking furious.

Muriel awoke to find her hands bound behind her and attached to the chair on which she was uncomfortably perched. She felt the burning pain in her groin and groaned audibly. Across the dark room, someone stirred. She squinted and reached out with her mind. She encountered no thoughts, but a great deal of conflicting emotion. "Lucius?" she asked quietly. She knew it was him.

The dark figure stood abruptly and came over to her, lighting the tip of his wand so she could clearly see his sneering face. "Well, Deesia, it looks like you're finally coming back to the fold."

Muriel stared up into his eyes for a moment before she answered. "I remember everything, Lucius." There was a tense silence then before Lucius Malfoy lowered his wand. Then she spoke again. "Help me," she said pleadingly. "Cast a contraceptive charm for me."

He put his wand away and looked at the ground. "I already did, Mur," he whispered, his face expressionless. He had hoped that she would never remember the day they'd spent together at the Leaky Cauldron. She was the only person besides Snape who had ever learned to expect better of him, and it was going to be hard living up to his father's standard now that she remembered. A part of him would far rather disappoint his decrepit father than disappoint Mur. It was a part of him he had tried desperately to silence over the years.

They both looked up suddenly as a door somewhere behind them thudded open. Their eyes met for the briefest instant before Muriel shrieked, "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME, MALFOY!"

In answer he backhanded her hard across the face, making her head snap forcefully to the side. She bit her cheek and tasted blood as Avery approached them.

"Trying to get in on the action after all?" Avery asked his friend. When Lucius didn't answer, Muriel took the opportunity to spit blood all over the men's robes. Her face was fiercely defiant. Lucius reacted immediately, stunning her again. He told himself that it was to keep her quiet, but he knew why he really did it. Avery would have her again, and he didn't want her to have to endure it awake.

The next time Muriel awoke someone was carrying her hastily through an ornate hallway. Malfoy Manor. As soon as the words registered in her mind she grunted. "Sev, wait." He stood her on her feet without a word and started pulling her by her hand. "Wait!" she said again.

Finally Severus stopped. He had been lucky to get in undetected. If she insisted on delaying, there was a good chance that they'd both be caught. He looked at her impatiently. Her next words convinced him that she was absolutely insane.

"I'm not leaving without Lucius."