I have to say, I want to dedicate this chapter to the readers who waited paitently (or impatiently... none the less, they waited). But especially to L. El./Marvolo (on harrypotterfanfiction) who not only reviewed more times than I can count, but wrote inspiring, long ones. : You finally bugged me enough to finish the damn chapter.
I hate all those breaks in the story, but it's the only way to show a transition to the next scene.
Okay, I won't keep you waiting any longer. :
•
Weasley Named Malfoy
The Meeting
Serena meet Killian in front of the Slytherin common room at 10:45 that night. She had asked the Slytherin Children for help with her apparel, and as she came down the hall she knew they had truly made her Draco Malfoy's daughter. He came off from his leaning position on the wall, his eyes fixed almost possessively on her. They clothes might not have been overly elaborate, but the way she carried herself-- so sure, so confidently-- no doubt helped.
She dressed in the black silk halter top from the Children along with most of the adorning marks and a green skirt and flat heeled ballet shoes that tied up her ankle. Clearly visible on her right arm was the Children's mark, the snake entangled around the word "Liber." Around her neck, her locket glinted silver. Her hair was swept back into an elegant ponytail and her face was lightly swept with make up, thanks to Ann and Belle, that accentuated her gray eyes.
Killian clasped her elbows as he looked over her. "A Slytherin if I ever saw."
"Well, that was the goal."
He gave a deep chuckle and nestled her arm in his and began to lead her down the hall, away from the common room and deeper into the dungeons.
Serena had never ventured father than necessary in the dungeons and she was unfamiliar with the section he had taken her to. It was silent except for their footsteps and occasionally there would be a loud crash. Perhaps it was Peeves.
"Where are we going?" She ventured to ask.
"Oh, not that far."
Serena noted how he eluded the answer. A few, silent minutes later, Killian stopped in front of a plain stone wall.
"Are we here?" She looked up the wall and around, expecting something.
He smirked, letting go of her and moving towards the wall. With both hands, he pushed the wall so it revolved slowly to reveal a dark, rectangular opening. There was just enough space to slide into the passageway. Killian took her hand and slid in first, leading her into the darkness.
•••
Alael pressed the Children's Mark on her arm. Under the invisibility cloak, she pulled out a book and ink-less quill. In the book she wrote:
10:57pm: Sera enters passageway. Plain stone wall between Harriet the Headless and the Watterbertle statue on the second level of the dungeons. Push on the wall reveals a narrow passage way.
Below that, words appeared.
Roger. Request back up?
Alael wrote back:
No. Keep all others at their post. I don't want anything happening behind our backs.
•••
The Slytherin common room opened and Ashe and Charcoal stepped out, dressed regally in Slytherin green. They began making their way impetuously down the corridor and deeper into the heart of the dungeons.
Behind them, a pair of eyes behind an invisible veil watched them. The eyes turned to a book sitting in a lap. On the top of the page read:
10:59pm: Vanessa Callisto enters the painting Dinner with Death
11:00pm: Blythe Edwin-Goodrich, Madison Blaire, and Allan Bloodrath enter painting Dinner with Death.
Beneath this, the invisible person wrote:
11:02pm: Ashe and Charcoal Black exit the Slytherin common room.
As the twins turned down the hall, the invisible person followed them.
•••
At the end of the passage way, Serena and Killian entered a small opening barely bigger than the passageway, lit by a single torch. Through the thin light Serena could make out a door. Here, Killian stopped and turned to face her.
"Sera, you were probably expecting something else entirely. I apologize for leading you on. Behind this door lies a life altering choice, for you, a life altering choice. And this is the only chance you will have to take it. You can choose to take it, or walk away. But before that, I'm going to have you choose between temptation, or restraint."
It was a long time before she responded. First, Serena had to process that she had been lead on. Second, a life altering choice? Serena hoped she wasn't jumping to conclusions, but was he asking what she thought he was asking? She weighed the first choice. Restraint: she would never find out what it was, but know for certain that what ever new thing it would bring she would have eluded and wouldn't bring more difficulty for her. Temptation: she could take the chance and have her life be impossible complicated further, or she could know the choice and walk away, and have it hanging over her head.
"Temptation."
•••
12:14pm: Ashe and Charcoal enter the painting Dinner with Death.
There were several other invisible Children huddled in front of the painting when the Child following Ashe and Charcoal arrived.
The Children communicated quietly through the book so as not to be heard.
Kids have been entering this painting all night, and not just Slytherins; Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well. No Gryffindors though.
You think this was the meeting Sera was talking about?
It can't be, she never entered the painting. And she was invited to the meeting.
I heard from Alael she and Killian entered a secret passage on the second dungeons level.
Perhaps this is another meeting.
And just like that, they all realized it at the same time.
It was a decoy. Serena was never going to the meeting.
Alael's writing came:
I'm going to follow them into the passageway, Serena could be in danger. I'm going to erase my book and hide it. If I get into trouble, I shall warn you. If I do, run.
Wait!
But Alael didn't respond.
Should we follow her?
No, we have undercover for that. We must follow orders lest we complicate things.
•••
Having stashed the book, Alael now turned to the passage. The tricky thing about the passage was that it was narrow, dark, and very long. Sound carried and there was no where to hide. She couldn't light the way for she would be seen.
Alael peered cautiously into the passage, straining in vain to see something, anything. She slipped, invisibility cloak and all, into the passage and began following them, praying to Merlin that whoever was coming up the passage would make noise should they be heading her way.
•••
The door opened on it's own and Killian motioned for Serena to pass through. Inside was another room, slightly larger than what she had just stepped from. The room was barren except for a small table placed in the center that she could barely make out through the dark. Killian came through, holding up the torch, and with the light, an object on the table glinted.
Serena bent to examine closer the object.
It was a glass dragon. A tiny, intricate, smoky glass dragon.
Killian stood beside her they both watched the Dragon. It seemed to come to life in the dancing flame.
"This is the second choice. You can walk away right now, and resist the temptation… or-" he walked around the table opposite her, "you can take it and know for certain if Draco Malfoy really is alive."
•••
This is taking to long. Call on the Slytherin Children. Where is Serena?
For a couple of minutes nobody wrote anything. They were all waiting for information. For the Slytherin Children in the meeting, means of communication was difficult. Pulling out one of the communication books amidst possible Death Eaters would be extremely risky. The only way to seek information was to call upon them using the Children's Mark. From there, that usually meant finding a safe place to communicate.
Finally, someone responded.
I speak for several Children: We have not seen Serena nor heard that she would make an appearance tonight. If she were to come tonight, it would have to be soon, for the meeting seems to be drawing to a close. If not me, someone will update you all in 10 minutes.
10 minutes later, the Slytherin Children still had not seen or heard word of Serena.
•••
Alael could see a light now. The way it bobbed and swayed, the only source of light in the dark, was hypnotizing. Staring at it was like staring at the sun. She strained her ears, but it was silent. As she got closer, she began to make out two people: the one holding the torch, and the other in shadow. It seemed Serena was not holding the torch; she could make out her bright Weasley hair in the mesmerizing light. In between them she could make out the glint of something.
Serena's hand was out stretched towards the object as it to touch it, but she couldn't seem to make up her mind for she kept retracting her hand and then bringing it back closer.
Alael had a bad feeling that Serena touching what ever it was would be fatal. Alael, still hurrying as silently as she could, touched the mark on her arm, hoping to remind Serena and bring her to her senses,
And in the light, Alael saw Serena move her left hand over the place where her mark would have been.
At this Serena's hand moved closer the object and she looked down the passageway right at Alael, but in the gloom she could not see her. Serena made up her choice and clasped her hand around the object.
Serena disappeared.
It sent Alael into a state of panic. Serena was no longer on Hogwart's grounds, she was sure of that. And when Killian let out a triumphant laugh, waving torch so Alael's vision swayed with the light, she pulled out her wand.
"Stupify!"
Alael reached the door about when Killian crumpled to the floor, the torch falling to the ground as well. She stood over him. She could not alert the others with the mark, for they would all run for their common rooms. First, she picked up the torch and placed it back in it's holder. Then, she began dragging Killian back the way she came.
•••
MM, the meetings a fake. Yes, there seems to be an actual HA meeting, but Serena is no where in sight. She was last seen going down a secret passage with Killian Powers. Alael has gone after them alone.
Malikye who had been watching the communication notebook back at the Riddle House now picked up a green pen and wrote:
The fool. Ann, Belle… go aide Alael. The rest-
And then before Malikye could finish writing, Alael responded.
No need. Serena's gone. Portkeyed. But I've got the hot available lad unconscious.
HAHA!
Alael, I thought you would know better than to go by yourself. I'm making the necessary precautions for a port key. You are to bring Killian to me and see to it that he stays unconscious. That said, there is nothing to do for Serena. All we can do is call her and wait.
•••
Serena landed with a thump on the frozen ground of a graveyard. Her skin prickled as she looked around. It was past midnight, the devil's hour. Her skin seemed to crawl with phantom hands reaching for her in the gloom. She didn't know why, but she had the oddest sense of déjà vu.
In her hand she clutched the glass dragon and now she tucked it in her pocket. With all else in blackness, her eyes immediately found light. Serena could make out a figure with a lantern on the hill she had landed at the bottom of. She was afraid to move at first, like something would reach out and take her if she did. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and just looking behind her was terrifying. It didn't help that the Children's Mark on her arm prickled unexpectedly, sending the prickle up her arm and down her spine. Then she sprang up and sprinted up the hills, in blind terror.
Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do, running through the graveyard to the person with the light source. She couldn't tell who it was. For all she could know, it could have been a Death Eater. The ground crunching under her and her petrified breath pierced in the dead silence.
As she reached the top, she slowed down. The figure certainly didn't look threatening. It was as she drew closer that she realized who it was; she had forgotten in the blind panic that over took her at the thought of being alone in a grave yard at such an hour. He was a powerful figure; Serena had only seen such a figure 7 years before. And she was right; he was, or had been, a Death Eater.
She did not drop her guard but relaxed considerably. She still did not trust him. She began walking toward him, yet again aware of the ground crunching underneath her feet. If the man heard the noise, he made no sign he did.
She realized what he was staring at then. The man was looking at three grave stones and as she stopped next to him, she read the names on them: Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy.
Neither of them said anything for a while. To be with him in the light was much more comforting than being at the bottom of the hill in darkness. She ignored the cold. But when he did finally speak, it was so quiet, Serena thought she had just imagined it.
"I am dead to the world."
"What?"
He turned, gray eyes to gray eyes. There was a mutual understanding of resistance and forbearance.
"Everybody thinks me dead." He sighed. "But it's for the best. For both of us… and for you mum."
"Yes." Serena had realized this long ago.
"I mean, it's already dangerous setting up this meeting. You know… you meeting a dead man." The words seemed to trip over his tongue. Very much out of character.
"Why did you do it?" She asked. "I mean… it was a very dangerous- through the way you reached me." Like him, she tripped over her words, and like him, it was also out of character. The gaps of silence between spoken words were long and brutally awkward.
"I'm still not quiet sure."
Serena didn't respond.
"You don't really want to be a Death Eater do you?"
"No." Her fingers reached for the Children's Mark. No, she did not want to become a Death Eater.
But now she realized, she didn't want to kill her supposedly dead father either. She didn't want to become him. He let out an audible breath- a sigh of relief?
"How is school?" His voice was strained.
"Fine. I'm uh- I do considerably well in potions."
The very corner of his mouth curved upwards. This made him look very different. Serena didn't think it was possible for him to look like that.
"How is you mother?"
"She's- she's great."
At this too he sighed, "Good."
"She-" Serena still hadn't told her cousins about her mom's pregnancy. And she was hesitant to tell him of all people. But it was he, of all people, had the right to know. No. No, actually he didn't.
He had raped her mother. He, who had probably done so to many other women, as had many other Death Eaters. It was from this that had lead to the organization of the Death Eater's Children. And then the bastard had the audacity to try kidnap Serena several years later.
Almost every one of those Death Eaters who had participated in the rapes of the War hadn't acknowledged the children of the women they raped. Malikye had told her that Draco alone had 9 children such as these that he knew of. Not to mention all the other Children. Raphael's father had been a man named Rabastan Lestrange; he had had 5 children Malikye knew of. His brother, Rodolphus, had 2 known. His wife, who had also participated in the antics, had gotten pregnant once but had immediately killed the baby. Instead she had taken to torturing them in… other ways before killing them. Alael's father had been a man named Avery, he had 5 as well. Neither did any of the Death Eaters acknowledge the women afterward. They had no right. They should be dead. Draco Malfoy should be dead.
She came to the conclusion that she didn't care if her father lived or died anymore. Either way, her life wouldn't change.
Killian had lied. This was not a life changing event.
"She married Harry."
"I know."
Good, she thought.
"How is he?"
She stressed each word remorselessly, "Thoroughly infatuated."
At this he raised an eyebrow, "As I expected of the bloody fool."
"As is she," she added, her chin tilted up slightly, arrogantly.
"Then I expect you have a right life then." He retorted, his eyes narrowing giving her a cold stare. "You have relieved me a great anxiety." He went on, his eyes still cold and speech slightly mocking.
The conversation had taken a hostile turn.
"Look," he pushed back his militance, "One of the few people I was in contact with was in contact with certain persons at Hogwarts and that was how I found out you were involving yourself with… certain persons. I forbid you to keep in contact with these people, though they are the ones who delivered you to me. It only goes to show the danger you could have put yourself in."
"Oh, now you start caring. What's it been? Seven years? All you did was fork over the money and play dead."
"I told you, it is dangerous enough that you and I are having this little rendezvous. The only means of contact was through them and now I'm forbidding you contact with them"
"Basically, you are ensure our cutoff."
"No, I am ensuring our line of communication without them."
They were both trying to withhold the information, trying not to give away to each other how much one knew or didn't know.
Serena scoffed, "You could have easily contacted me without means of them."
"Yeah? How?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
"Head of the Order? Are you mad? He is definitely someone to avoid in my case."
"Then Wolf and Liza."
He raised his eyebrows, a sign that he didn't know who she was talking about.
"Wolfgang and Elizabeth. I'm sure they said they you approached them in Wizard London."
"Wrong. One random person off the street having taken polyjuice potion while under the Imperius Curse."
Serena opened her mouth to retort but after thinking it through, closed her mouth. Evil, but actually pretty smart. Wolf and Liza had been convinced.
"Well, you still could communicated through them."
"At that time, I was unaware you were associating with certain people. I told them that I thought Malikye was after you."
"Malikye?"
"Yes, those same certain contacts told me he had visited his old pal Snape." He sneered. "But he obviously didn't tell your mother, did he?"
"He might have."
"Did Malikye ever approached you?"
"I only saw him in Snape's class and nothing more." She lied beautifully, without batting an eye. Whether or not he believed her was another question altogether. His eyes narrowed.
"You never saw him again after that?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Are you lying to me?"
"No."
His eyes remained narrow and Serena stared back at him ferociously. He finally looked away, and at his watch.
She noted it was a muggle invention.
"Alright then," he submitted. "It is late and I must go."
"What time is it?" He had bent down and was now searching along the ground for something.
"It is nearly one." He stood up again, clutching a twig in his hand. He pulled out his wand and muttered, "Portus." He then pulled out of his pocket a crinkled and faded photo of… herself. "Keep this photograph close to you at all times. When it indicates to you, I want you to use the glass dragon again to portkey back to me. And don't worry," he added, handing the photo to her, "it shan't take you back here."
There was an awkward pause. Draco stuck out his other hand and Serena stared at it. Merlin, he was clueless. But she took it anyways to save them both more awkward situations. Then he suddenly bent closer.
She pulled her hand away quickly, holding it to herself protectively.
"What's that?"
"What?"
"On your arm? That tattoo?"
"Nothing." She had left it visible hoping to impress kids in the HA, but not for her father.
Serena roughly took the photograph and stuck that in her pocket.
"Serena." Her breath caught at the sound of his voice saying her name. She held her arm out, the Children's Mark exposed.
He took her hand, bringing her arm closer to his face to examine it. Then he dropped it as if he had been burned. He looked at her, half horrified half joyous. It seemed he didn't know himself which he should be.
"Snake child…"
"Yes," she said ruefully.
"Snake mouth more like." But he said this proudly. It made her wonder where his true loyalties lie.
He held out the twig and she took the other half.
"Nice locket. Dressed for the occasion didn't you?" Before she could respond, he let go of the twig and he and his egotistical smirk disappeared in a swirling of color.
The jerk.
•
A/N: Wow... FINALLY!!! This chapter had been bugging the CRAP out of me so much that I could not begin the homework due tomorrow... : / I really am the biggest procrastinator.
I hope it lived up to your expectations... I live to please people.
patronus
Wow... FINALLY!!! This chapter had been bugging the out of me so much that I could not begin the homework due tomorrow... : / I really am the biggest procrastinator. I hope it lived up to your expectations... I live to please people.patronus
