Chapter 17
Darien stirred as there was a soft sound nearby. It came again and he realized it was someone clearing their throat. He blinked his eyes open, then quickly shut them again as bright light dazzled them. He rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Why is it so bright in here?" He grumbled groggily.
"Because it is morning." A gentle voice replied, "I trust you will get used to it again."
Darien's eyes flew open, blinking back the brightness as he sat up, waking Ginny who had been curled up at his side.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Ginny squeaked in alarm, sitting bolt upright.
Dumbledore smiled at her genially from where he stood beside the bed. "Good morning Ginevra. I trust you both slept well?"
They both blushed brightly. "I'm sorry sir..." Darien said, looking over at Ginny worriedly and quickly trying to think up a good explanation as to she was in his bed with him instead of one of the many open beds available. He was grateful they had at least gotten their clothes back on. There would be NO explaining THAT away!
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Don't call me sir, Darien. You'll make me feel old."
Darien's eyes went wide and slowly shifted back over to Dumbledore. He stared at him in silence for a moment, then pulled aside the covers and got up, walking over to stand before him. He stared intently into Dumbledore's face. "Alby?" Darien asked in awe.
Dumbledore broke into a wide smile. "It's been ages since I've been called that!" He chuckled, "It's wonderful to see you again."
Darien let out a laugh, and much to Ginny's shock, wrapped his arms around Dumbledore and hugged him. Dumbledore even hugged him back without hesitation! When he stepped back again he surveyed Dumbledore at arm's length. "Alby... you're..."
"Old." Dumbledore smirked, "I'm well aware of that fact, thank you."
Darien let out a laugh. "I never expected to see anyone I knew again... I had heard the headmaster's name was Dumbledore, but I thought at most he might be related... a son perhaps... I never dreamed..." He let out another laugh. "I can't believe they let you pass with those crazy stunts you used to pull, let alone take over the place!
"I was quite surprised myself to tell the truth." He said with a conspiratous smile.
Ginny smirked, suddenly realizing why Dumbledore insisted so quickly that Darien's spirit be left alone.
"I knew the moment that I set eyes on Draco that it was more than mere heredity... he looked like your twin! I was a bit dismayed at how different his demeanor was though... He had all of your vitality... your wildness and your determination... but none of your heart... I see now that perhaps there was a reason for that..." He mused.
Darien blushed and dropped his eyes. "He's had a hard life... and it can't have been easy living it incomplete as he was..."
Dumbledore rested his hand reassuringly on Darien's shoulder. "I'm well aware of that. Admittedly, there have been times when I was more lenient on him than perhaps I should have been. It was just so hard to pass judgment on him while looking at the spitting image of my dearest childhood friend..."
Darien blushed, staring studiously at the floor. "I... I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you... I just..." His throat tightened painfully, cutting him off.
Dumbledore sighed sadly. "Don't Darien. I've long since made my peace with your passing. Believe it or not, I've known love a time or two in my day... when my first wife passed from this world I understood your actions completely. If I hadn't students that depended on me for guidance at the time, I shudder to think what would have become of me. Love is a strange and powerful thing. It can do more damage than the darkest magic... yet it can also bring you to the greatest heights of bliss that this world has to offer... and can bring about seeming miracles as well..." He said, smiling at Darien significantly.
Darien looked up at him, his eyes troubled. Dumbledore saw the hesitant glance he gave towards Ginny and cleared his throat. "Ginevra... I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of having one of the house elves gather you some fresh clothing from your dormitory. I left it by the door. There is a lavatory you may use near Poppy's office."
Ginny took the hint and nodded, quickly heading over. Dumbledore and Darien watched until she disappeared into the bathroom, then looked at eachother again.
"I believe there is something you wanted to ask me?" Dumbledore prompted gently.
Darien dropped his eyes. "I... I guess... I've always wondered... did she ever... find anyone else? I mean she never came back to my grave after she left Hogwarts... so I thought maybe..."
Dumbledore's eyes filled with sorrow. "Dear boy... did you never even know?"
Darien looked up at him searchingly, "Know what?"
Dumbledore sighed. "She died, Darien. Three days after leaving. She never had the opportunity to visit you again."
Darien looked at him, eyes wide with shock, "But... but how? What happened?"
"No one is quite sure... they simply found her floating in the pond behind her home one morning. She appeared to have drown." Dumbledore said as gently as he could.
Darien backed up, his eyes full of turmoil, then sat abruptly on the bed as his legs came up against it. After a moment, he found his voice. "Did... did she...?"
Dumbledore sighed deeply. "That was the most popular belief... it is what the authorities of the time believed... but no, I don't believe she took her own life. I could never believe that."
"Why not?" Darien asked, his voice aching, "After what I did to her... leaving her like that..."
"Because." Dumbledore said, moving forward and placing his hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "No matter how distraught she was over your death, she would never have taken the life of your child."
Darien jerked back as if struck, "What?"
"Before she left Hogwarts I spoke to her, trying to comfort her... That's when she told me... your family had been making barely veiled threats for several months, as you well know, trying to get her away from you... it was only when she discovered she was with child that she became truly frightened. She broke it off with you because, at the time, she thought it was the only way to protect your child."
Darien started shaking, his mind thrown into chaos.
"Darien..." Dumbledore said in concern.
Darien shook his head. He didn't want to hear any more. He got up and darted past Dumbledore, dashing out the door and running headlong down the corridor. He didn't know where he was going, and could barely see through the tears that flooded his eyes. All he knew was that he had to get away... just go somewhere where he could think... Everything was a horrible jumble in his mind. He didn't even notice when he left the castle, but the next thing he knew, he was crashing heedlessly through the forest.
He stumbled to a halt as he realized where he was. Before him was the little clearing that he knew all too well. He walked forward on shaking legs, staring down at the gravestone that he had watched Dumbledore place over a century before. He collapsed onto his grave and lay there, sobbing and wishing he could return to it... return to the mindless drifting... so far away from the pain he couldn't avoid while trapped in this body.
Even in his misery, he felt the stirring inside him. What's happened? Draco's tired voice asked, sounding worried.
Darien couldn't handle verbalizing what he had just learned... instead he shoved the memory of the conversation at Draco. Draco's voice fell silent, leaving him to his misery for a few minutes before softly intruding on his mind again. I cannot tell you how sorry I am... but it is past... you have to let it go... this won't solve anything.
"They did it! My family! They killed her! I know they did!" Darien said, pounding his fists against the hard ground.
Probably. Draco admitted. I know something like that wouldn't be surprising from my own father.
"They poison everything they touch! If I had been born into any family other than that accursed lot Ginevra and I would have had a happy life! We would have gotten married and had children! Maybe grandchildren or even GREAT grandchildren by now... they stole that from me! They stole it from her!"
Draco's voice sighed in his head. Yes, but there is nothing that can be done about it now, Darien. Dwelling on what might have been will do no one any good. You have to get over this...
"How can I get over this? They killed my child!" Darien said, his voice throbbing with pain.
Ya, well they're DEAD now! Draco said, his voice losing its patient tone, Ginevra's BACK Darien. She returned to us. So quit this bitching and moaning and get back in the castle before we freeze to death! You may not be too fond of living at the moment, and a week ago I would have gladly followed you off the nearest tower, but I find I don't much like the idea of dying at the moment. Besides, even if you could leave, all that would accomplish would be hurting her yet again. We've been given a second chance... are you going to throw it away so easily?
Darien let out a shuddering sob. He knew Draco was right, but he wanted nothing more than to flee the pain that churned inside him. "She'd still have you." he said softly.
And to think, Draco sneered sarcastically, I thought you were supposed to be the sensitive, caring half. Don't you think she deserves all of me? Stop being such a selfish prat and think about her first this time!
Darien recoiled, stung by his words. How often had he relived those days following his death? Seeing her sobbing on his grave? He couldn't bear seeing that pain in her again... especially knowing it was his fault.
Darien looked up as something brushed him. He stared in surprise. Tiger was standing beside him, looking down at him with unmistakable concern. He just watched as the little colt settled down beside him, nudging him with its snout tentatively.
Darien reached over, running his hand down Tiger's silky mane. Tiger took this as an invitation, shifting over against him and rubbing its head against him enthusiastically. Darien felt a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite his pain. He slipped his arms around the colt, holding it and burying his face in the side of it's neck. It just let him hold it, as if sensing his need for comfort, it's mere presence strangely consoling.
Why do they like us so much? Draco asked, curious despite the situation.
Darien smiled against Tiger as he heard a soft, purr-like rumbling start up deep in its chest. "Thestrals are kind, gentle, loving creatures... and yet they are judged by how others perceive them. People shun them and fear them for what they believe them to be... not who they really are..." He said softly, "They know a kindred spirit when they see it..."
"That explains a lot..."
Darien looked up, seeing Blaise approaching. He walked over, and without another word, pulled off his robe and lay it over Darien. Darien hadn't even noticed how very cold he had gotten until the warm material was draped over him. He snuggled into the comforting warmth as Blaise settled beside him, eyeing Tiger warily. Tiger huddled closer to Darien, watching Blaise just as warily with its blank white eyes.
Darien looked over at Blaise, unsure what to say. "Um... how did you find me?" he asked at length.
Blaise let out a little snort. "Like that was hard! You ran right past the Great Hall. A good several dozen people saw you. I followed you as best I could, but even barefoot you're a lot faster than I'd ever have given you credit for. Its a good thing I had an idea where you were going."
Darien sighed, stroking Tiger's fur. "I don't really want to talk about it..." He said before Blaise could ask.
Blaise nodded. "Ok, but can we not talk about it inside?" He said, shivering.
Darien blushed, feeling guilty for having taken his robe. He nodded, starting to struggle up while trying to keep covered. He was still nearly numb with cold.
"Hold on... let me take care of your feet first..." Blaise said, pulling out his wand.
Darien looked down, seeing the drying blood on his feet. Well, at least he knew how Tiger had found him now. He glanced around as Blaise set to work. Tiger, having been dislodged from his place at Darien's side, was trotting back to the shadows of the surrounding trees. When Darien squinted, he could see the slight shifting of several other Thestrals watching.
Blaise caught his glance and looked over as well, then quickly turned his attention back to his task. "Misunderstood or not, they still make me a mite nervous..." He muttered.
As Darien looked over at him, the brown flowed away from his eyes. "Since when can YOU see them?"
Blaise looked up sharply, then his whole posture seemed to relax a bit, "Draco!" He sighed in relief. "About time you wandered back to the land of the living!" He said, smiling, then the smile slipped away. He looked back down studiously at what he was doing. "Since this summer."
"Who did you see die?" Draco asked softly.
Blaise didn't answer for a long moment, then said softly, "My father."
Draco's eyes went wide, "Your father died? You never even said anything!"
Blaise finished up the foot he was working on and took ahold of the other one, examining it, "No reason to. My father wasn't worth mentioning." He replied in a very businesslike tone.
Draco had never heard Blaise's voice so hard and cold before. "How..?" he asked hesitantly.
"Aurors." Blaise replied in a clipped, emotionless voice.
"You mean he was a..."
"Since the beginning." Blaise replied before Draco could complete his question, not wanting to hear the hated title.
Draco eyed him in silence for a moment. No wonder Blaise had never had a problem with Draco's father being a Death Eater, even after it had become public knowledge. "I... didn't see it in the paper..." Draco said questioningly. The Daily Prophet had been publishing a running commentary on all the war related subjects, including a list of all major incidents between Aurors and Death Eaters. They even had a list of other miscellaneous names of Death Eaters who had been killed or imprisoned without much of a struggle... he knew, because he had been scouring it on a daily basis, hoping to see his own father's name. Preferably among the dead. Surely he would have noticed a Zabini on the list?
"They agreed not to list him." Blaise said softly.
"Why would they do that?" Draco asked, surprised.
"The way they got him wasn't very... chivalrous... from behind while he was wandless..."
Draco's jaw dropped slightly. "They disarmed him, then killed him when he tried to run?"
"No." Blaise said, releasing Draco's foot and putting away his wand, then hugging himself. Draco remained silent. "He was using my mother as a shield!" Blaise said after a long pause, his voice aching.
"You disarmed him..." Draco said softly.
Blaise sighed and nodded. "The aurors got him while he was running me through with the sword he always kept mounted to the wall behind his desk."
"He...?" Draco began, looking shocked.
Blaise waved it off, quickly standing. "It was nothing. They had me patched up within five minutes."
"Still..." Draco said as Blaise helped him to his feet.
"Just drop it." Blaise said firmly, staring at the ground.
Draco grabbed ahold of Blaise's arm as he tried to turn away, turning him back to face him. He stared him in the eyes for a moment before speaking. "Heredity only creates our bodies, not our souls." He said softly, "We'll never be our fathers."
Blaise just nodded, his downcast eyes getting slightly glassy. He started in surprise as Draco stepped forward, wrapping his arms around him. When the surprise wore off, he gave a shuddering sigh and hugged him back. They just held eachother in companionable silence for a moment.
"This doesn't mean we're dating!" Draco said in a mischievous voice, breaking the silence.
Blaise let out a bark of laughter, shoving him away. "Like I'd WANT to date you! Please. You're far too high maintenance!"
Draco laughed and clapped him on the shoulder as they started out of the clearing.
A pair of glowing red eyes watched them from the shadows as they left.
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AN - In case any of you are about to say "There's no way Dumbledore is THAT old!" I just want to point out that J.K. Rowlings says he is 150. Once again, my source is Mugglenet dot com. That would make him a year younger than Darien.