Chapter 54
Draco and Ginny spent the day snuggled up in bed together. Without all the people around barging in all the time, they were finally able to get in some quality alone time. They just lay there... talking... touching... kissing... occasionally shagging, but mostly it was just reveling in eachothers presence.
Overall, it was about the best day Draco could ever remember experiencing. It was a real wrench when they finally had to drag themselves out of bed. They took a shower to keep from lingering too long, as they knew from experience they would if they used the bathtub. It still took a while since the shower had handrails placed along the sides at a very convenient height. By the time they got out and dried off it was getting on to late afternoon.
"I guess I should go get Potter." Draco sighed as he pulled on his shirt.
"Ok..." She said, running a brush through her hair, still wrapped in a towel. "I'll just be a couple of minutes. I have to do up my hair."
He leaned over, stealing a kiss, "Be right back." He said, making his way out of his room. When he got out into the corridor, he started to turn towards the door to the Siege Tunnel, but then paused. He could have sworn he heard someone talking softly from the direction of the Common Room. He figured Snape and Hermione would be spending their time in Snape's room now that the others were gone. Hermione had kept her room in the Siege tunnel after being restored so the ones who didn't yet know about them wouldn't have as much chance of figuring it out. Most of them assumed she had stuck around because of Harry.
Draco was about to decide it had been his imagination when he heard a distinct chuckle. Curious, he made his way quietly to the Common Room. As soon as he came into view of it he spotted a pair of sneakers propped up on the arm of one of the couches. He approached slowly, listening to the soft male voice muttering as if to himself from the couch.
"No... I think the first one was better. What? Oh come on! The look on his face alone... well, ok, that was pretty ace, but I still think... hmm? Oh, so you think you can top that one? Let's see it then!" he said with amused skepticism.
Draco was close enough now to look down over the back of the couch. Harry was laying there, hands folded over his stomach, eyes closed, with a little grin on his face. Draco looked around, puzzled. Harry was completely alone.
Harry's grin suddenly widened, then he burst out into a fit of laughter. He started laughing so hard tears were forming in the sides of his eyes. "Oh bloody hell!" He crowed, "That was bloody brilliant! Show me again! Show me again!" After a slight pause, he started laughing again, his shoes slipping off the arm of the couch as he rolled onto his side, curling up slightly he was laughing so hard.
"Bloody hell." Draco said, looking at Harry in wonder, "Do I look that barking when I talk to Darien?"
Harry almost fell off the couch when he heard Draco's voice so close by. His sat up abruptly, eyes shooting open as his laughter died out, his cheeks coloring. "I... um... I mean... uh... is it time to go yet?" Harry said, thoroughly mortified at getting caught acting as if he was off his rocker.
Draco gave him a rueful little smirk, "Ya... I was just going to get you..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing. "Speaking of which... what are you doing out of your room?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Well you left me there all bloody day! Had to go to the loo sooner or later. You know, if you're gonna lock me up like a prisoner, you need to at least equip the place properly! I don't fancy the idea of watering the trees thank you very much! Anyway, after I was out, I didn't feel like going back to my room. I mean it may look spacious, but it gets very cramped and dull in there when there's nothing to do..."
"But how did you get out? There was no one around to let you out!" Draco said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Oh, that." Harry said, grinning. "Delia's little bauble can do more than block disarming spells apparently." He said, brushing his fingers over it fondly.
"Well just make sure to give it back to her next time you see her!" Draco said, folding his arms over his chest. The demon had been playing nice, but he still didn't like the idea of it roaming about at will.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I plan to." He said with a note of exasperation.
Draco eyed him for a minute, "What were you doing anyway? Playing with your demon?" He asked with an amused smirk.
Harry's blush returned and he gave a noncommittal shrug. "Just chatting... I mean it's not like I had anyone else to talk to... and he's pretty interesting to talk to when he's not trying to kill me or use me to do unspeakable things."
Draco smirked, "Really? And a he, is it now?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "I know they don't have gender... it just strikes me as being more male. Besides, it's just easier to think of it as a 'he'. He doesn't mind."
"I see. Sounds like you two are getting right chummy."
Harry sighed, "We're probably going to be together for the rest of my life, so I think it's best in the long run to just try to get used to him. It'd be hell living the rest of my life with a presence in my mind if we despised eachother. I figured it was best to at least get along." He paused, smirking, looking as if he was listening to something, "Ok, that I despise then. I know, I know. My 'tortured loaf is like a playground'. I'm glad you're happy with the situation at least."
Draco chuckled. "What was it showing you, anyway?" Draco asked curiously.
"Loads of stuff." Harry said with a smirk. "It can show you hours worth of memories in seconds... it's amazing. Most of those memories have to do with your relatives of course... Darien's great grandmother was a real looker in her day." He said mischievously.
Draco let out a little snort of laughter, remembering the demon's comments about Angus Malfoy and his wife. "Just what did he show you of her?"
Harry grinned widely, "What didn't he show me of her?" he replied mirthfully.
"Why you little perve!" Draco laughed.
Harry, surprisingly, just chuckled, not denying it in the slightest. "You should see his memories... it's like they're happening right now!" His eyes shifted slightly as he listened to the demon again, then he brightened. "He can show you! Wait until you see it..." He said, getting up and hurrying around the couch.
Draco immediately shifted back as Harry reached towards him, "Whoa! Back off Potter!" He said warningly.
Harry rolled his eyes. "It won't hurt. He says you'll feel a little tickle at most. Come on, it's not like it could hurt you even if it wanted to!"
Draco eyed him warily, "I don't think I'm exactly comfortable with the thought of it..."
"Look at you. The 'Big Bad Slytherin' is afraid of a little thing like memories... pathetic!" Harry said with amused scorn.
Draco's jaw tightened. "I'm not afraid! I just don't think it's a good idea!"
Harry smirked, "Mmhmm. Sure. Wussy." he said mirthfully.
Draco glared at him. "Fine. But just for a minute! And if you hurt me, I'll drop your arse in Azkaban myself!"
Harry rolled his eyes again, "Fine. Whatever. Just... be very, very still..." He said, smirking as he reached up, taking Draco's head between his hands.
Draco felt nervous, though he refused to show it. His eyes widened as he felt the tips of Harry's index fingers pressing against his temples, a cool tingling sensation continuing from the tips of his fingers and sliding into his mind. His eyes rolled back as his vision blinked out.
... He was standing before Fudge, the hilts of the swords in his hands barely having had time to warm properly against his palms. He could feel the liquid warmth of blood on his skin, the heat of it quickly leaching away in the cold air. He felt a glorious high as he drove the blades into the pompous man's belly. He could feel the razor sharp blades cleave the flesh with satisfying sureness. He taunted the man playfully, still buzzing from the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins. He glanced back and saw... himself running towards him! There was a brief moment of disorientation, then he turned back. A rush of pure ecstasy course through him as he twisted the blades in the man, making him shriek in agony. He kicked him off the blades, wishing he had time to finish him properly... a couple hours to torture him as this man had to Harry. He felt a stir of possessive fury at the thought, but he had no time...
... He was a tall Ravenclaw boy, walking towards the front gates of Hogwarts. There were other students around for the afternoon outing. An Auror came over and headed him off, telling him he couldn't go near the gates. Then he was the Auror, walking back to the gates. Then he was a different Auror, leaving as his shift ended. He traveled a short distance out into the woods away from Hogsmeade. There was a small shack up ahead. He passed the Aurors guarding it and entered. There was nothing inside but the fireplace they had set up as a temporary Floo link. He took a snatch of floo powder and got in. He tossed the floo powder at his feet, but instead of uttering a destination, he cast a spell. Flames flared around him and he felt the familiar rush of floo travel. When he came to a stop, he could see a dark, solemn room before him.
Lucius walked up to him. "About bloody time..." He paused, looking closer, then smirked, "So, you've finally shown up as well... you had best have a good report this time!"
He felt an odd tingling, tugging sensation and he found himself looking down at Lucius. He was much taller, and yet at the same time felt small and extremely vulnerable. He felt a rising fear of what Lucius might do to him.
"Ruddy nora! Tell that bloody thing to find it's own way here!" The auror growled, looking at him in disgust.
"Oh please. Not like it could bring anyone else here without raising suspicion." Lucius said with a sneer. Then he turned his attention back to the demon. "Well? I haven't heard about any radical changes in those precious little Gryffindors yet. No more than odd complaints about a bit of teasing. Is that really the best you can do? And why is Harry Potter still alive?"
He ducked his head down a bit more, feeling like crawling into a corner and hiding. "The Gryffindors are coming along... I can't exactly rush it without raising suspicion..." He growled, his voice sounding rough and disgusting even to his own ears. He always hated talking in his real form, "As for Potter... he's coming along too. If you want a convincing suicide, I can't exactly rush that either. He's on the brink at the very least... I can feel it when I'm in him, see it in his eyes when I'm in others. He left Gryffindor tower last night... snuck out... I thought he would do it then, but I heard he's still alive... he's in Slytherin Dungeon." He said, carefully hiding his pleasure about that. He had no doubt that if Lucius knew why it was really taking so long he would make his past tortures look like playtime.
Lucius smirked, "Harry Potter is in Slytherin? Hmm... if he stays, that might be even better. I'll discuss the possibilities with the Dark Lord. Keep me apprised. This may just prove interesting." He eyed the demon with undisguised disdain, "Get into Slytherin and keep an eye on him."
He shifted uneasily. "I've tried. Snape is far too careful."
Lucius chuckled. "Leave it to Severus. I should have know that man would be far to paranoid to let you past." He sighed. "Well, he seems fond of Draco, so use him to get in. Severus might not even check him."
The demon shifted a bit lower again, "I can't..." He said in a low voice, bracing for the blows he knew would start to fall on him soon.
Lucius turned back to him sharply. "I already told you! He may be my only heir, but that can be easily rectified. If using him is the only way, so be it. He's been getting far too arrogant anyway. Maybe it would take him down a notch or two. But remember! Either leave him alive and well, or dead. If you leave him alive but unable to carry on the bloodline, I'll show you what I'm like when I'm displeased... And trust me, you have yet to see me in such a state!" He hissed warningly.
He was hunched down so much by this point that he was looking up at Lucius. "It's not that, master..." He said, trying to make his voice as placating as possible (not an easy task). "I can't get in him. I've tried..."
Lucius scowled at him, "That's ridiculous. There's no safeguard against demonic possession unless he's been getting into unicorn blood or some such thing, and he's not a fool enough to do that!"
"No... nothing like that... he's..." He broke off as they heard shouting and a loud percussive blast that actually made the floor beneath them tremble slightly.
Lucius spun around, looking towards the door. He strode towards it. "I'll be right back." He grumbled irritably to the auror as he jerked the door open and stormed out in search of the source of the disturbance.
With the door open, shouts and screams were audible. The demon crept closer to the door curiously.
"Go nosing where you shouldn't be and we might just have to teach you another little lesson." The auror said with a malicious smirk, leaning up against the mantle and inspecting the fingernails of one hand. "We still have plenty of women left from that last batch you wrangled up for us. They aren't exactly in good shape, but they should hang in there long enough to teach you your place."
He glared at the auror hatefully, desperately hoping he would eventually do something that could justify a well deserved shredding. He'd dearly love to rend him open like a ripe melon and use his entrails for playthings. Still... the auror wasn't his master... the most he could do was tell on him, and he could just say he was concerned for his master. He almost snorted in amusement at that thought. Like he'd do anything but cheer if Lucius got himself killed!
He crept out of the room, following the continuing noise. He peeked through a hole that had been charred through the three inch thick hand-carved mahogany door to the Study. There was intense fighting in the large room, the very air around him reeking of magic. He chuckled gleefully as a Death Eater burst into flame with a shriek of pure agony. He watched with relish as the spell that had hit him consumed his flesh, making him crumble into a pile of ash in seconds. He pressed his face closer to the hole, eagerly watching the fray.
When he caught sight of the interloper he let out a low chuckle. He drew a breath in, tasting the air to verify it. A snow elf... a female one at that... it had been literally ages since he'd seen one. A species of beautiful beings... at their most exquisite when in the heat of battle. He watched raptly. The spells she hurled were magic in it's rawest form... inflicting death and destruction with unnatural ease. It was like poetry in motion.
The battle took on the aspect of a dance to him... a fine ballet... the sweet snow elf enthralling him with her fire and her fury. He took a deep breath and sighed it out in adoration as she cast a spell that literally shredded a Death Eater into tiny pieces, not even leaving him time, nor breath to scream before his horrible demise.
He straightened a bit, letting out a soft growl of anger as the disgusting snake Lord entered from the other side of the room. He felt like bursting into the room and ripping out the bastard's shriveled black heart as he caught hold of the Snow elf from behind. He watched angrily as those slitted snake eyes glared at the Elf, knowing full well he was burrowing his way into her mind.
He dug his talons into the door as the Elf began to crumple, letting out inarticulate sounds of pain as the snake Lord forced himself deeper into her mind. Suddenly, her eyes widened, almost seeming to glow. The demon's nostrils flared, smelling a change in the Elf's aura. Something seemed to have flared into being inside her. With a feral growl, her eyes locked on the man towering over her. There was a sudden pulse of blinding light and the snake Lord let out an inhuman shriek of pain, dropping her and clutching his head with both hands.
She staggered to her feet unsteadily, running straight towards the door the demon hid behind. He quickly backed away from the door as she shoved through it, then pushed it closed behind her. She spun and staggered to a halt, her eyes widening in terror as she saw him standing there, just a few feet from her. The shock was too much for her already battered mind to handle. Her eyes rolled back and she dropped.
He reached out, easily catching her before she could hit the floor. He looked at her as she lay there, draped across his oversized arm like a rag doll. He looked up sharply as he heard shouts from the other room.
"Oh just go get her!" The snake Lord's voice yelled angrily, laced heavily with pain and anger.
Without another thought, the demon lifted the elf up, cradling her like a small child. He scurried over into a nearby alcove, wrapping the shadows around himself like a blanket.
Footsteps approached rapidly. A bloodied face peered into the alcove, holding a lit wand aloft. Luckily it wasn't bright enough to banish the shadows. The man turned and left, not having been able to see a thing, he and his companions working their way quickly down the corridor.
The demon chuckled, looking down at the elf. He couldn't help but feel an odd sort of kinship with the creature. They were both remnants of long forgotten races that were all but extinct. It seemed a shame to let a fellow 'mythical creature' perish... especially when her continued life would almost certainly cause Lucius much anger. Lucius never actually asked for his help with the intruder... and he certainly didn't recall being forbidden to help Snow Elves...
He leaned out of the alcove, glancing around. When he was sure the coast was clear, he hurried out, slipping down the corridor through the dark shadows that shrouded it. In just a few minutes he reached his destination. He reached over, shifting the ancient wooden cabinet out of the way. It was a bit of an effort, even for him. When it was away from the wall, it revealed a small wooden hatch. He lifted the latch, producing a small shower of rust flakes, then opened the door, looking around warily as the ancient hinges creaked, not having been used for well over a century.
He smelled the air inside, noting the relative freshness and slight draft. Excellent. He reached down, making one talon immaterial and passing it into her temple. She gave a little gasp and stirred as he quickly removed it.
"Good luck little elf..." He said with a chuckle, shoving her feet-first into the shaft. He listened, and chuckled softly to himself as he heard her gasp and move around as she slid swiftly down. He closed up the hatch and carefully replaced the heavy cabinet.
That done, he slipped back to the study. He got there just in time. He could hear the Dark Lord's hissing voice snapping out angrily, "How did she even know where to find it?"
"This house has been in the family for centuries... perhaps one of my past relatives once brought her here. I had no idea she knew of it's location, I assure you. She's never been anything other than loyal and exceedingly gifted at providing me with whatever I need for my work. Besides, I made copies. We've lost nothing." Lucius' voice said with a note of fear.
He peered through the hole in the door again, watching gleefully as Lucius groveled at the snake Lord's feet. It made his spirit soar to see his master with the tables turned on him. He may despise the loathsome 'Dark Lord', but he had his uses. This was definitely at the top of that list.
"If she gets away, we may well have lost everything! We may still have the spells, but so will she! And if she gives them to that old fool Dumbledore, he may find a way to stop us! Even if I managed to scramble her mind enough to make her useless to them to translate it, I might remind you that your misbegotten issue knows the language as well! And he hasn't struck me as nearly as enamored of the idea of entering my service as you purport him to be." He growled angrily, rubbing his head. "You should know Snow Elves can't be trusted! Their race used to be the aristocracy and moral quintessence of all of the sentient beings! No matter how few remain, and how diluted their morals may become, deep down they will always be cursedly noble! I thought surely one of my most trusted Death Eaters would know this."
"Yes... of course My Lord... but... she has never given the slightest hint of moral qualms in her business dealings before, and I've known her since she was doing business with my grandfather! She was getting the ingredients for the potion you devised. She was our best hope for many of those ingredients. Forgive me, My Lord, but they are exceedingly rare..."
"If it wasn't such a complicated process Dumbledore would have cottoned on to what we were trying to accomplish by now and taken steps to prevent it!" The Dark Lord hissed. "Now we have to find a new location for our base of operations, and a new supplier as well. It's not as if we can put it off much longer. They will be too far along for it to work before too much longer! You have disappointed me, Lucius." He said darkly, still rubbing his head with obvious pain on his snakelike features.
Lucius ducked down, his forehead actually touching the floor at his Lord's feet. "Oh Please, My Lord! I have been nothing but loyal!"
The Dark Lord gave a derisive snort. "Loyal he says. I'm not sure you know the meaning of the word, Lucius. But you will learn." he said with soft, terrifying assurance. He then looked over to the other two remaining Death Eaters. "He obviously needs a good example. Show him your loyalty." He said with an evil grin.
The first stepped up, his bulk alone revealing him to be Crabbe. "Crucio." He said without hesitation, pointing his wand at Lucius.
The demon listened to Lucius' shrieks of pain and watched him thrashing around wildly on the floor in obvious agony. It was the most exquisite experience he had had in a good long time. It was better than shagging! He didn't even blink, not wanting to miss a single second of this, making sure it was burned into his memory with extra clarity. He felt a little let down as Crabbe lowered his wand, letting Lucius sag down, a sobbing wreck on the floor. Then the other Death Eater stepped forward. The Demon cackled softly, basking in the delight of watching Lucius' pain as the second man's spell ravaged him.
He let out a soft sigh as the second 'lesson' ended. He knew he had best go... even without an inkling that the demon had helped the elf escape, he would surely be taking out his frustration on him just as soon as he could peel himself up off the floor. The demon hurried back towards the room he had arrived in...
... Draco blinked, feeling warmth at his temples. He reached up and rubbed them, feeling a bit dazed. They were fine... the warmth was just the absence of the cooling penetration at his temples. As the disorientation wore off, he glared up at Harry, "You stuck your bloody claws in me!" He said angrily.
Harry rolled his eyes, then they took on a red glow, "Oh it didn't hurt and you know it!" he said mirthfully. "I let you stab that bastard Fudge, then give you a front row seat to your father getting tortured with the same spell he probably used on you more than once, and this is the thanks I get?"
Draco shook his head, trying to gather himself. It had been very disorienting. It was like he had actually been the demon when those things happened. In fact, it was almost more vivid than actually experiencing things himself! Everything was there... sight, sound, smell, feel, taste, touch, even what was going on in his mind! And some of his senses had even seemed amazingly enhanced. His mind was slowly trying to work through and fully assimilate what he'd just experienced. He had to give a little smirk, remembering his father's pain, "That was rather..." He blinked, his mind still juggling the images, making associations, "That was... Kulia... what did you put her in?"
He chuckled. "That was an old, unused refuse chute. Led out back. Hadn't been used since they invented banishing bins to take care of that kind of thing. I doubt Lucius ever even knew it was there."
"You saved her?" Draco asked, staring at the demon in shock. He couldn't imagine even a demon could have made up anything that real.
The demon scowled at the implication he had done something 'good'. "No. I shoved her out like a bag of trash to make sure your father got good and pissed off... not to mention in deep shite with snake boy!" He said with a grin.
"That wasn't all that was on your mind when you did it. You admire her. You were all but drooling over her! Admit it, you like her!" Draco said, a smirk working onto his lips.
Harry's red eyes narrowed. "I respect her. There's a big difference. You don't get to live as long as I have without learning which creatures demand respect. Remind me not to share with my master. Most don't get my thoughts and feelings."
Draco's smirk grew, "Oh I felt everything." His smirk faltered as he looked thoughtful. "That was an Auror that went to see my father... and it was obvious he was expected..." He shook his head angrily. He should have know his father would have gotten at least a couple in his pocket, but it was disturbing to have it confirmed none the less, especially since he knew he'd seen that particular Auror around Hogwarts quite a bit. In fact, he was pretty sure he was a member of Fudge's elite personal guard. "How many Aurors are on the other side?"
Harry sighed. "Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you. Sorry. Not allowed to tell you anything about what my old master did or said or anything like that. He was sure to forbid that right away, and as he pointed out, the bond hasn't, unfortunately, been completely broken yet. I'm still bound to silence."
Draco furrowed his brow. "But, you just told me about that whole incident..."
"No." Harry said with a smirk. "I never told you anything."
Draco smirked. He was beginning to see the advantage to demonic loopholes...
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Harry shivered, hugging himself for warmth despite his heavy winter cloak as they walked out of Hogwarts into the evening air. "They should be getting there in an hour or so. How are we supposed to get there about the same time when we haven't even left yet?"
Draco grinned over at him. "We'll just have to travel quickly, now won't we?"
Harry opened his mouth to ask him how, but then something caught his eye. "Oh, you have to be joking..." He said incredulously.
Draco looked over and smirked as a three adult Thestrals trotted towards them, little Tiger racing ahead of them. He knelt down, holding his arms out as the diminutive Thestral scampered up.
Ginny let out a laugh as Tiger bowled Draco over, licking his face enthusiastically as it perched on his chest. Draco was chuckling and trying to dodge the wet greeting. "Calm down, calm down..." He said mirthfully, "I'm glad to see you again too."
The Stallion walked up, gently catching ahold of Tiger by the scruff of the neck and lifting him off of Draco's chest, depositing him on the snow beside him. Tiger flattened down his ears, looking abashed as the Stallion snorted at him, obviously reprimanding him. Draco patted the colt's head as he picked himself up off the ground.
Harry looked over at Ginny. Now he knew why she had her hair so intricately plaited and tucked up. He couldn't believe she wasn't even objecting to this. "You can't be serious! It's freezing out here! We'd be frozen solid in minutes if we rode them!" Harry said, remembering all too well how very frigid it had been when they had ridden the Thestrals to the Ministry of Magic the year before... and it hadn't been half as cold out then!
Tiger spun at his words, realizing he was there for the first time. His little ears pressed back again, a low growling sound emerging from his throat as his main bristled up some. Harry just eyed it, puzzled why it seemed so hostile towards him.
"Whoa there, Tiger." Draco chuckled, reaching down and stroking Tiger's mane soothingly. "Don't worry, he'll be nice this time. He learned his lesson and he won't be bad again." He said, smirking over at Harry, who was rolling his eyes and grumbling irritably under his breath, having caught on to how the creature probably knew him.
Tiger watched Harry warily for a moment, then gave him an adorable imitation of the Stallion's reprimanding snort. Even Harry had to smirk at that.
"Well," Draco said, pulling out his wand. "The cold shouldn't be a problem. I believe I've been able to separate out the insulating part of a spell that I... um... have used before... on occasion..." He said, his pale cheeks actually tingeing pink a bit as he glanced over at Ginny with a smirk. "It will make you cool to the touch until dawn, but your body temperature won't drop below that temperature while the spell is in place, no matter how cold it gets."
Ginny was grinning. "Is Blaise going to do his nut when he finds out you've been using that spell again?"
Draco grinned at her, "I've removed the more... questionable parts of the spell. It's the other bits that tended to drive people mad."
"You expect me to let you experiment on me?" Harry said incredulously. "You've never even tried this before? That's a mite dangerous, don't you think?"
"Well, no I haven't tried it, but it should be fine." To prove his point, Draco took a deep breath and cast the spell on himself first.
Ginny watched carefully, but he remained firmly visible. She reached out and touched him, then smirked, leaning forward and kissing his cool lips. She sighed happily. "Just like old times..." She murmured softly to him with a mischievous smile. "Now me!" She said aloud, taking a step back and watching him expectantly.
He grinned, casting the spell on her. When he turned to Harry, he could tell he still didn't like the idea. Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "Listen, I can cast the spell on you or not, I really don't care. However, you are going, and riding a Thestral to get there either way, so shall I give it a go, or do you want to show up there frozen solid? Come on. Who's the wussy now?" He asked with a smirk.
Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine."
Draco gave a nod and cast the spell on him. "It's a bit of a trip, so we should all ride separately... sorry love." He said, pulling Ginny close and kissing her. He grinned at the odd sensation. It was almost as if there was a kind of fuzzy warmth where their lips pressed together. He smirked as he pulled back a bit. "Hmm... that's interesting... we're definitely going to have to go to bed early tonight..." He said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Ginny giggled.
Draco released her, knowing they had to get going so they wouldn't be late and make everyone worry. He helped her up onto the back of her Thestral. He looked over to see how Harry was getting along. The largest mare had gone over, grudgingly offering Harry a ride. Draco watched him. Harry was a bit awkward, but had obviously ridden before. Satisfied that he wouldn't fall off the minute they took off, he turned back towards the Stallion. He looked down as Tiger gave a petulant squawk. He sighed, remembering that Tiger was still too young to fly properly.
Draco suddenly looked over at Harry and smirked. He picked up Tiger, who didn't weight much more than a medium sized dog, and carried him over.
"What!?!" Harry said, leaning back a bit as Draco placed Tiger in front of him.
"Let him fall and you'll have me to deal with." Draco said, his eyes narrowed warningly.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Great. Now I'm baby-sitting. Maybe I should have just taken the train." He grumbled darkly.
Draco smirked, "Should have, but didn't, so deal with it." He said, turning and going over to the Stallion, mounting with fluid grace born of years of horseback riding in his childhood.
Tiger glared back at Harry suspiciously, but stayed put, not wanting to miss the trip. Harry could feel the demon's irritation at being made to remain so close to the creature. In it's distraction, he caught a glimpse of the memory of Tiger attacking him. Harry let out a laugh, making the others turn and look at him curiously as he continued to snicker, unable to stop himself. Harry looked over, noting the stares. "Sorry..." He said, still having fits of snickers, "It's just... the big bad demon... got his arse kicked... by a baby Thestral! That's fucking hilarious!" He said, laughing so hard tears were welling in his eyes as he felt the demon prod him angrily.
The Stallion gave a snort, almost seeming amused, then sprang into the air. They blurred up into the night sky, going so fast they felt the tingle of passing through the Hogwarts outer barrier bare seconds later. Unlike Harry and Ginny's first ride on Thestrals, they didn't just fly dead straight this time.
With Draco at the head of the small formation, they began racing along, swooping and sporting about. Draco let out a laugh of pure joy, the Stallion beneath him letting him guide them, responding to Draco's every movement. It was like riding the most responsive, most intuitive broom ever devised. The Stallion kept their course heading roughly towards their destination, and away from muggle populated areas, but other than that, the path was Draco's to forge.
Draco glanced back, hearing Ginny's laughter after a particularly daring barrel roll. He smirked at the way the moonlight lit her up, making the delight on her face visible even from where he was. He glanced over at Harry and chuckled. Harry actually appeared to be enjoying it as well, though he was having to keep a firm grip on Tiger. Tiger, for his part, looked absolutely enraptured! He was trilling ecstatically, his little wings out in imitation of the Thestral they were riding. Draco suddenly realized that this was probably Tiger's very first flight. He decided to make it memorable.
For the next forty minutes or so the sky was their playground. Never had Draco felt so absolutely free. The wind whipped around him, the ground passing below impossibly fast, and everything seemed just as it should be. It made him feel strangely at home.
The flight pattern calmed a bit as they entered the last leg of the journey, the Thestrals starting to tire a bit. They settled into a more placid configuration, the Thestrals dipping and swooping around eachother, weaving their path towards their destination.
The flight had become so tranquil that Draco was almost thrown when the Stallion beneath him suddenly stalled out, rearing in midair, beating his wings hard back as a flare of brilliant green light flashed past, right where they should have been. His head jerked around, searching for the source of the spell. There were four dark shrouded Death Eaters streaking towards them on brooms.
Harry returned fire before the first volley had even faded away, taking down the head Death Eater immediately.
Draco watched in horror as another blast from the Death Eaters narrowly missed Ginny's Thestral, making it jerk back to avoid it as well... but Ginny didn't have quite as good a grip on her Thestral...
"Ginny!" Draco cried as she slid off, plummeting towards the ground with a shriek.
Ginny watched the ground race towards her, too terrified to draw her wand, even if she would have had time. She was nearly to the trees below when her arms were grabbed roughly and her whole body jerked as strong wings beat hard, barely managing to cancel out her downward momentum.
She stared at the trees racing by below her, still terrified. The Thestral wasn't pulling up, but losing elevation rapidly. Was it injured? She just watched apprehensively as they flew towards a clearing. She almost didn't make it, having to pull up her legs as the tops of the last couple of trees tore at the bottom of her cloak. The clearing was small. Too small in fact. The Thestral dropped down quickly, obviously trying hard to slow, releasing her once she was within about a foot of the ground. She staggered a few steps, but the forward momentum was still too fast and she stumbled, tumbling a couple of yards before skidding to a stop on her back. She flinched as she heard a loud crash and a birdlike screech of pain as the Thestral hit the tree line.
Ginny stared up, dazed and thoroughly winded. She could see flares of light zipping back and forth above, Harry was obviously fighting off the Death Eaters. She felt a twinge of righteous glee as one of the Death Eaters burst into flame, plummeting to the ground. Nothing came to his rescue.
Ginny blinked, trying to regain her breath and shake off her shock. The Thestral couldn't have hit that hard and remained uninjured. She rolled onto her side and managed to get to her knees. She glanced up as another Death Eater met his demise. She was just about to look away when something flashed brightly. She watched as the last remaining Death Eater held up what looked like a container of some sort. A strange, glowing mist like substance was flowing out of it, flowing over towards Harry. Harry let out a cry, making his Thestral wheel around and dart away.
Ginny couldn't believe he was running! It was just mist! Her eyes widened at the Death Eater tossed aside the spent container, looking around and spotting her. His hood had fallen back, though she didn't recognize him. She felt fear clutch her as he darted towards her, a malicious smirk on his face. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed for her wand...
... but it wasn't there.
She let out a cry of fear, patting her robes desperately. It had to be there somewhere! The Death Eater was closing in, lifting his wand to cast the spell that would undoubtedly end her life... But suddenly a small shadow descended on him. The Death Eater let out a surprised shriek of pain as claws slashed at his head, scoring on his cheek, neck and very nearly clawing out his right eye. He flailed at his unseen attacker, but it evaded him.
"Tiger!" Ginny cried as the little Thestral tried to follow the Death Eater as the Death Eater careened towards the ground. He had obviously abandoned Harry when Harry had turned and made a run for it. He might not be able to fly yet, but gliding was another matter entirely. His directional control was jerky, but he was managing. It came naturally to them after all.
The Death Eater half landed, half crashed to the ground between Ginny and the forest's edge. Getting quickly to his feet, he cast towards Tiger. Luckily for Tiger, the man was half blinded by the blood now pouring from his brow, and Tiger blended into the night very neatly, just as Thestrals were meant to do. Tiger saw it coming and was able to dodge the spell by folding his wings and dropping the last several meters to the ground, landing a bit unsteadily, but safely.
Ginny's eyes darted around, but there was simply nowhere to hide. The man was blocking her quickest route of escape. He grinned at her, noting this as well.
He didn't have long to gloat however. Ginny's eyes went wide as something large and pale reared up in the trees just behind him, letting out a shriek of rage. Before the man could even turn, it was on him, tossing him to the ground like a rag doll and pouncing on him, sharp talons putting a quick, messy end to the man's life.
Ginny stared at the creature in shock as it looked up at her, panting. It was a Thestral... but unlike any other Thestral she'd ever seen before. Its pelt was ghostly pale, almost seeming to glow as it stepped out into the moonlight, it's eyes dark. From the many scratches that marred it's pelt, and the way it was favoring one of it's legs, she knew this was probably the one who had snatched her from the air before as well.
She tried not to pull back as it moved closer. She almost jumped as there was a sudden trill behind her. She watched in amazement as Tiger raced past her, scampering right up to the pale Thestral and rubbing against it's leg and nuzzling up to it as if he had just found a long lost brother. She looked over as the mare she had been riding landed nearby, walking cautiously forward, nostrils flared as it sniffed the newcomer.
Then the Stallion landed. The Stallion and the pale Thestral contemplated eachother for a moment, then the Stallion slowly lowered his head. The pale Thestral lowered his head in return. It was just like when...
Ginny's eyes suddenly widened. Her eyes darted over to the Stallion. Where was... Her eyes darted back to the pale Thestral. As she watched, it shimmered, seeming to melt and draw in on itself.
And then Draco stood where it had been.
His legs folded and he sat abruptly on the frozen ground, clutching his side, a grimace of pain on his face. "And when the Hell were you planning on telling me about that?" He grumbled irritably to himself as Tiger started cleaning a wound on his neck affectionately.
You never asked. Darien's voice whispered mirthfully in his head.
"Didn't ask, my arse! This isn't the kind of shite you just spring on a bloke, Darien!"
Oh come on. How could you not have guessed already? Even in human form you are faster than you have any right to be... not to mention that brooms were slow and archaic back in my day... how do you think I flew with the Thestrals back then if not under my own power? It's the whole reason I learned to transform myself. You turn into whatever creature most closely mirrors your inner self. I told you they were kindred spirits.
Ginny was staring at him, wide-eyed. "You're an Animagi?" She asked in an awed hush.
Draco looked up at her and gave her a rueful smirk. "Apparently."
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A/N - Yes, that is one thing I have had planned since the very beginning. Frankly, I was quite amazed no one guessed it. Happily so, don't get me wrong, but there were times I was afraid I'd given you too many hints. Maybe you did guess, but didn't put it in reviews. If that's the case, then thanks ;) References to Voldemort as the 'snake Lord' and 'snake boy' are due to the fact that it is how the demon thinks of Voldemort. I'm not trying to change his title ;) In case you are wondering, in the first memory the Demon showed Draco, the moment of disorientation when he looked and saw himself running towards him was Draco's disorientation. The demon didn't feel that when it wasactually happening. The second memory happened the day before his capture. He had tried to get into Draco during the night after Harry's suicide attempt, then he went to report that next afternoon, leaving and returning during the daily after-lunch outing. Later that afternoon was when Kulia showed up, obviously having gone straight to Hogwarts after her escape. And now you know how she escaped and where the mental trauma came from. And no, the demon didn't hurt her with his talon. He was just waking her up.
Nixin - Clothes given from master to house elf free the elf. Dobby isn't Draco's anymore. He's already free. He works for Dumbledore on his own for pay like a regular person. Draco could give him a whole bloody wardrobe if he want to, and it wouldn't change his 'status' in the slightest (other than the fact that he'd have more clothes!). He knew Dobby was there in the shadows, wanting to go to the wedding, but not having enough guts to come out and ask. He dropped the letter because he was only grudgingly giving it to him. It was his way of letting Dobby come without having to admit he was allowing it. A passive-aggressive invitation if you will. The "I'm not going to give you an invitation, but if you happen to pick up this one I dropped so be it" kind of thing.
TwilightHaven33 (and everyone else who said it) - You're right of course. I went back and peeked at POA, and Dean is, in fact, played by a black boy. I couldn't remember there being a black boy in the scene in the dorm where all the third year boys were eating wizarding candies... when I looked again, they just did some very neat angle work. The boy was there, but the most you could see of him was his back (for a couple of seconds), and only his hands when he raised them proved it was Dean. I think I was thinking of Justin Finch-Fletchley. In the books, I thought Dean was the one who acted like a jerk, but I guess I got confused because they all but removed Dean Thomas' vocal cords in the movies ;) (well, I shouldn't say that, cause he got more lines than poor Ginny!!!) whereas the other boy was more of a jerk in COS, thus my confusion. I could never confuse him for Seamus though. Not with the accent Seamus has! Of course Seamus wasn't nearly the little running gag in the books. I could have sworn the announcer in HP1 looked like a girl, but I could well be wrong. I give up on guessing who's who in these bloody things. Least in the middle of the night while sleep deprived ;) I think they should have a thing at the end where they show the actors in a scene with their character name and real name in the credits so we could know for sure, or at least make such credits available on the dvd! Just too tired lately to look into stuff on mere whims. Oh, and bloody hell! I DO have a different version! I have the Philosopher's stone!!! I got it off ebay and they said only the cover was foreign and the inside was identical to american versions. They lied!!! Never bought anything from them again! It looks good, but it has to be a rip-off! The DVD has no special features or anything like that, just the straight movie, and the case had the correct cover art, but the dvd had the artwork from HP2!!! how hard is it to match the DVD art with the case? Still, I didn't think there would be any difference in the movie itself, but when skipping through it, I heard them actually call it the Philosopher's stone in the movie, so at least a couple of little spots must be different. Not different actors, mind you, just different takes of the same scene I think. I heard they changed it to 'Sorcerer's stone' for American audiences... do they honestly think we don't know what a Philosopher is??? Anyway. Whatever. Tired.
About Hermione being a Grandmother... ok, I thought the previous chapter would clear that up, so I didn't put it in the authors notes, but since it apparently didn't... Snape is Pansy's father. If Hermione married Snape she would be Pansy's step-mother. When Pansy has the babies, that would make Snape a grandfather, and thus Hermione would be the step-grandmother if married to him. She would only be a grandmother by marriage. Actually, I had a friend this happened to... she was a grandmother at like 25 because she married a guy in his early to mid thirties who started REAL young, and he became a grandfather cause one of his kids started REAL young as well. We used to call her granny sometimes just to bug her ;)
In the response to the one who said they didn't think the rich would entrust their child into the care of a house elf when they could hire a human to do it... several points why I don't think Lucius would ever leave the raising of his son to another human: 1) he wouldn't want any other human having a position of authority in his house so Draco would have no doubt who was boss. 2) Lucius is far too paranoid to let another human live in his 'inner sanctum' as it were. They could be a spy or undermining his authority. 3) A human probably wouldn't have stood by wordlessly while he beat his child almost to death. 4) A human wouldn't have qualms over disobeying him if they felt his decision was wrong (but house elves have no choice but to obey) 5) House elves are slaves, and therefore require no pay or proper living conditions. He can beat them or even kill them if he feels so inclined without a word being said by the authorities. 6) House elves are bound to silence, and that would be an absolute necessity in anyone allowed in the Manor. 7) Lucius despises the working class (look at the way he openly ridicules Mr. Weasley). 8) He would have no doubt with a house elf that his instructions were carried out to the letter, and his son would be raised exactly as he wished. No one else's opinions or views on people and life and such would get into his son's head. 9) The abject terror, respect and obedience the house elves show towards Lucius would demonstrate to Draco his 'superiority'. 10) Draco would be more likely to receive open affection from a human and would probably come to respect and love that person more than his own parents. Lucius doesn't strike me as the type to take kindly to competition. There are many other reasons I can think of as well, but the list is getting long, and this A/N even longer ;) Overall, I think a House elf is the only thing Lucius would ever allow to raise his son (other than perhaps Narcissa, but she was in no shape most of the time to care for her child. Not to mention that the other rich folk would probably laugh at her changing diapers and such herself!).
Oh, and to the one who suggested I just change the names in this story and publish it... that would be a bloody nightmare! Do you have any idea the kind of groundwork that goes into establishing the framework of a world, characters, their relationships, the rules of how magic works in this world, etc., etc.??? My story is shite without the framework J.K. So meticulously built. Not to mention I would never do that, because even if I changed all the names, the relationships and such would be the same unless I started completely from scratch, in which case I would also be writing like four or five times this much just to get to the depth J.K. has already established... not to mention that, though I may have written this story entirely by myself of my own ideas, it is based on a world and people created by J.K. and is therefor still partially her intellectual property. If I did that I would fully expect to get sued by her, and I would have no right to be upset when she won (and she would!). If, on the other hand, J.K. would like a little help from a ghost writer on any forthcoming books, she just has to drop the word (and a ticket of course!) and I'd be on a plane tonight! Well, ok maybe it'd take a bit longer than that... my passport has expired... ;)