Author's Note:

'This is a contest entry for the Dracolov challenge! If you would like to enter you must e-mail Dracolov, her e-mail is in her profile. The last day to enter is 12/1/04. Please R R (read and review) and thank you for reading my story.

Disclaimer:

I don't own any of the orginial Harry Potter character because I am not that creative...but I wish i was...I only own the plot and my characters.

chapter 17: Promises in the Dark

Pouring over document after document, Jacq was trying to find anything that would indicate to the Priory whether or not the ritual was successful. Most of the information that he found centered around the ideology of the true heir to kingdom of God for the relegious purists but to the magical community, the heir would possess all the power to rule over the planet. Now the catch to all this was the small print instructing that the heir would unite the pure decendents from Jesus and from his antithesis, the devil. Many years ago, the Priory had traced the Sauniere bloodline back to the Merovech lineage which they believed was the true ancestery for the son of Jesus and Mary Magadelene and left only to find the blood of Satan himself. Strangely enough that knowledge had eluded them until the uprising of Lord Voldemort and his most loyal servant's identity became public.

Jacq could still remember the meeting in which Francois, Parisa's father, announced the discovery of his daughter's mate. Over the din of gasps and whispers of disbelief, he held up an acticle in the Daily Prophet which displayed Lucius Malfoy's picture accompanied by a picture of Narcissa and Draco. The irony was clear immediately. The Malfoy's were internationally known for their storied history and hushed ties to the dark arts but no one had ever connected the names until now. Lucius, a derivitive of Lucifer, and now his son Draco, latin for the Dragon, was like a beacon in the dark leading them to promise land.

Tedious months of research confirmed the claim and the Priory set off on a plan to unite the two but in the time it took to complete the research, the Malfoy named had been destroyed along with the young man who carried the seed of their future within him. That's where Jacq came in. He stalked Draco day after day, month after month until he could finally make his move. And so began the friendship and ultimately, the device that would allow the Priory access not only to him but to his every thought and romance.

After three long years of grooming and brainwashing, Parisa was brought in as his secretary since Draco's sexual escapes were widely rumored to include any attractive women he came across, they foolishly believed that he would jump at the chance with her. But they were wrong. Despite her captivating beauty and immaculate appearance, he never glanced twice at her, a point that baffled everyone around until Jacq discovered the reason. Yes, the young Malfoy had needs but he was much more focused on his revenge plot than finding a wife or even a girlfriend, however, this information did little to appease Parisa. She was hell bent on having him and was growing steadily more impatient with each passing day, giving rise to her ill timed plan that she hatched unknowingly to anyone else.

After the visit from his informant, a very simple but gifted wizard, lured into the plot unbeknownst to him, had set Jacq on a new path. A path that would give him all the power and respect that the Priory had promised him but failed to deliver in spite of his tireless service to them. He was going to just as Flint had suggested, perform the ritual and offer an ordinary child to the Priory as soul heir to unite the two houses but it will he who controls the child not them. All he would need is a few parlor magic tricks to fool the masses and the parents blessing to train him. And in the end, the servant will become the master without so much as a hint to the truth.

-

Ginny approached the sleezy motel dejectedly having lost all hope of ever wrangling Harry to her cause or to her bed. She reluctantly owled Marcus at Parisa's urging for a reunion of sorts, in order to make sure that he was still aware of his role to come. When she opened the door, she had expected to be bombarded by his kisses and embraces but soon found that she was not in a position to barter. What she found was herself bound and gagged to a filthy chair while he chastized her for her deception of him.

"Do you take me for a fool"

Wide eyed like a doe caught in headlights just before being struck she wimpered"Of course not. Why would you think such a thing"

"Don't lie to me, I know what you all have been up to and it's all very...Slytherin, I must say." Marcus came up behind her placing his large hands on her waist while leaning down to kiss her neck.

"It's for the best."

"Really, tell me why you came here." He whispered even so lightly in her ear. The words were harmless but the delivery was bordering on deadly.

"To see you, silly. It's been a long time" she tried to sound confident and seductive but instead it came off as timid and full of fear.

"I don't think Potter would approve, do you"

"Harry? What's he got to do with this" Not good, she thought, he knows more than he should.

"How were you planning on telling me, if you'd succeeded in your little game"

"I...wasn't really planning on him accepting...you see, I just always thought that you would take his place and then..." she started to explain but, like Judas to Jesus in the muggle religious tradition, her voice was betraying her every word.

"Give it up, admit that you're caught. I know you wanted him all along and that he if he didn't agree, then and only then, would you exchange my mind for him but you forgot something."

"Yes"

"You forgot to ask if I would agree. Always one step ahead of yourself, so, that's why were here today." He replied coolly like the calm before the storm.

"To negotiate" she was defeated no matter how hard it was to accept, she knew it and she was about to learn the price for such ignorance.

-

Everyone was standing around just outside Madam Maxine's office wondering the fate of the two inside and remarking that the quiet beyond the door was almost unnerving. Hermione's outburst had confirmed every fear that Harry had, her heart had been compromised and for the first time in all the years that he'd known her, she couldn't control her emotions. That was terrifying considering she was the glue, the calculating mind, that held them all together but if she was beyond control then who would be able to?

"While we're waiting, would you like to hear the rest" Maxine offered.

"Rest" Harry inquired pulling himself from the doubts in his mind.

"Yes, what the Priory gets out of all this."

"World domination isn't enough"

"They could have done that any time. Hasn't anyone wondered why now is so important" Ah yes, why is now so important?

"Ok, why" Harry took the bait.

"They must have found the heirs. That would be the only reason to right exposure so, now we need to know who they are."

"Heirs to what"

"Heaven and hell, of course."

"I thought the Priory didn't believe in such things" Tara questioned.

"Actually, the membership is torn. Flamel believed in it and that's why he left but he wasn't alone in that belief."

"So we're looking for the heir of Jesus and what, the heir of the devil" Harry laughed until some pieces of puzzle clicked into place. "Wait, Ginny kept talking about a Father but it wasn't Arthur."

"But Parisa's father is a head of the Priory..." Tara went on.

"She's the heir to Mary and she wants Draco at all costs so that would mean..." Sapphire continued until everyone in the room gasped before Harry leapt up and started to pound on the office door.

"Open this damn door now..." he shouted sternly to the occupants inside.

-

Lost in tenderness of the moment, it was several seconds of heavy groping before caught a glimpse of Harry breaking through the door to witness her disshoveled state. She broke apart from Draco aburptly and scurried across the room like a child busted breaking curfew.

"Get away from her...spawn of Satan." Harry ranted like a madman.

"What the bloody hell are you going on about Potter" Draco replied in the midst of composing himself.

"You heard me and don't play dumb."

"I wouldn't think of it, that's your role."

"Harry, it's not what you think...I.." Hermione wanted to explain but was cut off by more of his ramblings.

"No Hermione, it's not what you think. He is the decendent of the devil, he's the final key to downfall of us all."

"What" The coupleexclaimed in disbelief.

"Tell them.." Harry directed the others.

"It's the ritual that the Priory is preparing." Madam Maxine began"They need to unite the heirs of Heaven and Hell to overtake the world or rather that the child will overtake."

"Child" Draco repeated.

"The product of good and evil that will unite and rule as one." she concluded.

"But me, the heir to Satan? My father was evil, yes, but only as a follower not the leader."

"I doubt he made the connection, Dragon." Harry shot back with avengance.

"Parisa is the decendant of Mary and united with you, decendant to the devil, you're seed will destroy the world as we know it." Tara explained gently knowing that this was the first that he'd heard of it.

"But couldn't he or she be good just as easily as evil" Draco asked but received his answer in the form of laughter from everyone in the room except Hermione and Dumbledore.

"Yeah like that's a possiblity with your history." Harry speculated. "No, we have only one option."

"No Harry, you couldn't possibly be thinking..." Hermione mused.

"That's right...if he's dead then he can't father anything..." he responded as he turned to Draco with his wand raised...

Author's Notes:

Welcome to the new readers mysticalpurple and wounded angel...hope you enjoy the rest.

Thanks to the returning readers: darktwistedpoet, sugar n spice 522, dracolov/Mr. Big Bad, Lillian is fickle, slyswn28, harrypotterlover242, Harrena Potter and Lady Malfoy and anyone else reading.

Hope you all enjoy and don't forget to check out Dangerous Liaisons sight if you love the draco/hermione pairing because there are some incredible stories on there to read.

And of course, thanks to Dracolov for sponsoring this contest. Remember to review, review, review ( but you already know that, right?)