Chapter 65
The world was a dizzying swirl of color and rushing wind whipping madly about him, punctuated by sudden jerks and gut wrenching lurches. Finally the swirling settled and the stark white of the apparition room solidified around them, Draco released the belt and turned his head.
"That was a bit rough, wasn't it?" Ginny asked with a smirk.
"Damn it, Ginny!" Draco growled, "Why didn't you listen to me?"
Her grin widened. "I did listen to you. You said no Weasleys were to leave the grounds." She slipped around in front of him and kissed him, then smirked at him again, "I'm a Malfoy." She whispered mischievously.
"She's got you there." Snape said mirthfully.
Draco let out an exasperated sound and looked over at Blaise. "Is there any way we can send her back?"
Blaise shook his head. "Not unless you want to add two more of those trips to your day running her back and then returning the port key for the rest of us. I wouldn't advise it, trust me. I took two round trips in one day once... I kept getting a very irritating tickling sensation in my stomach for days afterwards. Barring that, she'll have to wait until we're all ready to go or the rest of us won't have a way back this side of apparating to the gates or finding a carriage. We're a fairly good jaunt from my land..." He handed the belt to Snape, "Here, you hold onto this. Only I can set it off, and I don't want do that accidentally."
Snape nodded, taking the belt and slipping it around his waist. He tightened it, then slipped his black vest over it and it disappeared from sight entirely.
"I'm not going to let you go through this alone." Ginny said softly, brushing her fingers down Draco's cheek, her voice going completely serious. "I know how much this means to you..."
Draco sighed in resignation. "Fine. Don't see as I have a choice in the matter now. Besides, we should probably get the pregnancy verified." Blaise looked up at him sharply, making Draco smirk. "I'm not questioning you and your 'amazing abilities'. I just... get the feeling it would be best to get it officially on record now. For... legal reasons."
Blaise nodded, then led the group towards the door. Lupin quickly took off his cloak and put it around Ginny's shoulders.
"You might want to cover up that hair..." He said with a gentle smile.
She grinned gratefully and carefully arranged it so not a single coppery strand showed.
The Aurors at the door eyed their group suspiciously, but didn't stop them. Blaise went up to reception where a very harassed looking witch sat, filling out paperwork. She looked to be at least fifty with slightly bluish gray hair and the weary air of someone who had probably worked there most of her life. Her name tag read simply "Gladys". Blaise cleared his throat to gain her attention.
"Nature of your medical emergency?" She asked in clipped tones, not even bothering to look up.
Blaise leaned against the counter, resting his elbow on it and propping his head up causally. "I was just passing by and you were just too bloody cute to ignore." He said in a silky voice.
She looked up in surprise, a brilliant smile breaking over her face. "Zabini! You little scamp! Where've you been keeping yourself?"
"In one piece." He replied with a smirk.
"I see that! Walking in on your own two feet and all. That's a novelty." She said, putting on her glasses and looking him over with a little sigh, "What's the bastard done to you this time?"
Blaise's smile wavered, then firmed back up. "Nothing. He's dead." he replied in a flippant voice.
"Well about bloody time! I guess that explains why we haven't seen more of you. When we didn't see you the whole second half of summer holiday some of the girls were convinced he'd finally done you in! Can't tell you how glad I am they were wrong! Good to see you again. Puts my mind at ease. Besides, it just didn't seem like Christmas here without you!"
Blaise blushed a bit, glancing back at the others. They didn't seem to know if they should be amused by the playful banter, or aghast by the fact that he had obviously been there enough to become so familiar with the staff.
He cleared his throat again, getting back on subject, "There was a healer sent out to Hogwarts about a week ago..."
Gladys rolled her eyes, "Grimsby." She said, nodding. "We caught a great deal of grief over that, I'll tell you! Cornelius Fudge himself came down here ranting and raving like a bloody loon... When we showed him signed official Ministry orders he hit the bloody roof! Someone got the boot over that one, mark my words." She looked at him, her eyes and voice going suddenly soft with worry, "Was it true what they said in the paper? About you being cursed by that beast?"
Blaise dropped his eyes, having a hard time keeping them from straying over to Harry. "I was cursed." He conceded. "But I'm ok now. Well, relatively anyway... but right now I need to see Grimsby. I have a friend who is in urgent need of his assistance." He said, indicating Harry, who was half slumped against Draco.
"Oh dear..." She said, flipping through an old dog-eared book, "He's away at the moment..." She found the entry she was looking for and nodded. "He's in Sydney."
"Australia?" Blaise asked, shocked.
She nodded. "There aren't many people trained in his area of expertise, so he sometimes gets requests from pretty far away. He should be done by now, but with the current regulations on the Floo network it'll probably be an hour or so before he gets back. He isn't a young man anymore and he just can't handle long distance Apparition like he used to. Is there anyone else who could help him?"
"Do you have anyone else who works with souls or spirits?"
She shook her head sadly, "Sorry dear, no. The only other one we had up and moved to China a couple of years back. Studying the ancient spirits or some such thing. You think he'll be able to wait an hour?"
Blaise looked back at Harry worriedly. Harry's shrouded head gave a nod. "You sure?" He asked with trepidation, shifting his eyes. The demon looked bad, but it didn't seem to have gotten any worse at least. Harry just nodded again.
Blaise sighed. "Ok." He said as his eyes shifted again, turning back to the receptionist. "Please bring Grimsby to us as soon as he returns."
"You got it deary. I'll have one of the girls bring a chair for him." She said, snapping her fingers at a young woman sitting at a desk nearby. The woman looked up from her own paperwork, her eyes following Gladys' finger to Harry. She quickly got the message and hurried off to fetch a chair. "Anything else I can do for you until then?"
Snape stepped up to the desk, "Well, might as well see if we can get some of our other business here out of the way then. I made an appointment with Healer Sanders... it wasn't supposed to be until later though. Might he be available any earlier?"
Blaise stifled a snort of amusement. "She..." He whispered to Snape. When Snape just looked over at him blankly Blaise leaned closer again. "Sanders. She's a woman. Trust me." He said with a smirk.
Gladys had been watching the exchange with a highly amused expression on her face. "I'll check for you." She said, leafing through the book again.
Draco sighed in relief as the chair finally arrived. It looked a lot like a muggle wheel chair actually... except for its lack of wheels. Instead, it hovered a few inches above the ground on a thin cushion of some kind of mist-like substance. Draco helped maneuver Harry into the chair. It sank slightly under his weight, which didn't pass the notice of the young woman who had brought it. She was looking at it, puzzled, but then had to hurry back to her desk as she spotted one of the healers waiting there. Draco was relieved she hadn't asked any questions. He was almost certain that Harry now weighted quite a bit more than he should. It had certainly been much harder than it should have been keeping him upright. He wondered if the demon's normal body density had anything to do with it.
"Yes... it appears she has an opening right now in fact. You can go on up to her office. I'm sure she won't mind." Gladys said, setting down the book.
"And where is her office?" Snape asked.
Gladys just smirked at him, then went back to her paperwork.
Blaise rolled his eyes, "Come on, I'll show you."
> > > > > > > > > > >
"Blaise!" The tall, thin blonde squealed the moment she turned, setting down the flask she had been drying and hurrying over to give him a hug. She wasn't exactly what one might expect in a respectable healer the likes of which they normally employed at St. Mungo's. Most of them were rather stiff and dower looking... she looked more like a debutante in healer's robes. She looked to be in her mid twenties with sparkling blue-gray eyes and long hair that fell nearly half way down her back in perfect banana curls (and was almost the color of a banana as well!).
"Hey Becka." Blaise said with a chuckled, hugging her back and lifting her off her feet for a moment, making her giggle before releasing her.
She stepped back, looking at him shrewdly, "You're my four o'clock, aren't you?"
Blaise looked over at Snape, who nodded.
"I knew it! Re'em blood overdosing isn't a very common problem, so I figured it must be you if that article was right. Glad you came early. I was simply dying of curiosity!" She said brightly. Then her eyes flicked over, falling on Draco. "What's with the cloak? You look like a moldy Dementor in that, Drakie." She said with a giggle.
Draco chuckled and pushed back his hood, but kept his glasses on. Narcissa and Ginny lowered their hoods as well, Lupin closing the door to her office just in case. "Keeping a low profile, what with that bloody article..."
"Article?" She asked, obviously having absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
"In the Daily Prophet this morning...?" He prompted.
She waved it off at the words 'Daily Prophet', "Oh I don't read that wretched rag. Gladys just shoves articles under my nose sometimes and insists I read them. No way she was going to let anyone here get away without reading the one about Blaise..."
"Well, probably best you didn't read it. Just be sure to read the article about me suing Rita Skeeter's bloody arse off!"
She smiled brilliantly, "I'll have Gladys watch for it." She said, hurrying over to him and giving him a hug and sighing happily, "My two favorite patients all in one day! It's been what? Two and a half years since that last happened?" She released him and stepped back, folding her arms across her chest, suddenly all business, "Ok, open up."
Draco blushed slightly, glancing at the others. Becka started tapping the toe of her shoe on the floor impatiently and Draco sighed, opening his robes, then unbuttoning his shirt halfway. She quickly shifted forward, grabbing the edges of the shirt and pulling them open, then reached up, putting her fingertips on his forehead and pushing his head back as it cast a shadow. She probed his chest for a moment, then looked up at him, grinning, stroking her fingers over the pristine skin. "Will you look at that! No scar. Hmm... what a surprise!" She said with mirthful sarcasm. "I believe a certain doubting Thomas owes me ten galleons!"
"I'll have to owe you. Don't worry, I'm good for it." Draco said with a smirk. He glanced up, noting the slight blush to Ginny's cheeks as she watched Becka.
Becka followed his gaze. She straightened slowly, a grin slipping over her lips. "And who is this, Drakie?" She asked, trailing her eyes over Ginny, noting the slight tension that entered her stance as Becka rested her elbow on Draco's shoulder casually.
"That would be my wife." Draco said, grinning proudly.
Becka's eyes went wide, darting back to him, her jaw dropping as her face got a slightly pouty, obviously disappointed look on it. "You sure? I mean is it all official? Vows and all that?" she asked, sounding as if she were grasping at straws.
Draco grinned and nodded, "She's all mine." he said, undoing a couple more buttons and showing her the unicorn horn symbol.
She blinked, then reached out and touched it tentatively. "Dang... that's pretty official..." She let out a deep piteous sigh, letting her head fall against his shoulder. "How can you play with my emotions like this, Drakie?" She asked petulantly, "Parading her around right in front of me like this... it's just cruel!"
Ginny was getting more than a little irritated with the way Becka was acting so very familiar with Draco. Her cheeks were burning as she tried hard to hold her tongue. She knew they would need this woman's help to find out what was wrong with Blaise, but she wasn't sure she was going to be able to keep her cool if the woman kept groping her husband!
"Sorry, Becka. Didn't mean to be sadistic. We're just all here together and it's best that we keep in a group. Safety reasons. You understand."
She let out another sigh, then pulled back a bit, looking at him with big, imploring puppy dog eyes. "Does she at least have sisters?"
Draco grinned and shook his head, "One of a kind."
Becka pouted, "Cousins? A young Aunt?" she went on pleadingly.
Draco was chuckling by now, watching Ginny as she went beet red all the way to her ears as she realized it wasn't Draco the woman was interested in...
Ginny shifted uneasily. "I have six brothers..."
Becka gave a derisive snort. "Pass!" She said, rolling her eyes and pushing off from Draco, going back over to Blaise. "Oh well..." She said with a sigh, grabbing Blaise's sleeve and pulling it up. In just a few deft moves she had cleaned a spot with a little swab, stuck him with a needle and drawn some blood. She then went over and started busying herself starting her tests as Blaise pulled his sleeve back down.
"I get a few drops and you whine like a baby, but she can take a tumbler full without so much as a whimper?" Snape asked, amused.
"Well, she's nice enough to charm her needles to be painless and heal automatically." Blaise replied.
Snape gave a little snort. "Where's the fun in that?"
> > > > >
Becka worked away in silence for about fifteen minutes, running at least a dozen tests on the blood while making little distracted sounds of interest and fascination and taking meticulous notes in her ledger. Snape watched her with interest as she worked. Her equipment looked to be made up of many things he was used to... and quite a number of items that looked unlike anything he'd ever seen before. A couple even appeared to be of Muggle origin. He wasn't sure how Muggle things would help figure out a magical problem, but he kept his silence.
Finally she appeared to have finished her tests, going to just writing in her ledger extensively. Snape slowly approached, looking over her equipment and waiting for her to finish her notes. After a few minutes her writing trailed off and she just stared down, rereading the notes.
"Well?" Snape prodded softly.
She glanced over at him, looking a bit irritated at being pressed. "Well what?"
"Why isn't the Re'em blood going away?"
She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't have a problem with Re'em blood. He barely has a trace of it left in his body. It'll probably be no more than a memory by tomorrow evening latest."
"Impossible! My tests showed his levels still hovering around forty five hundred just this morning."
She folded her arms across her chest. "Are you questioning me?" She asked in a calm, cool voice, her eyes narrowing.
Snape didn't miss the way Blaise and Draco both subtly eased back away from her a bit at this. "Well he can still bench-press a bloody house, so how do you explain that if it has all suddenly disappeared?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous! He could hardly do that unless the structure was an extremely small one and reinforced with a dizzying number of structural integrity charms. I'm telling you he doesn't have Re'em blood in him. If you want someone to do a half-arsed job and agree with you, you can go down the hall and to the left. There's a nice big mirror in the little wizard's room that would be more than happy to oblige. If you would like to hear genius instead, you can shut your screaming howler and listen." She said, her tone remaining studiously pleasant the entire time.
Snape bristled but bit back his retort as he saw Blaise quickly shaking his head vehemently in warning behind Becka's back. He took a deep, calming breath and let it out. "Well then, I would be very interested on your views of why he is still a virtual juggernaut." He said in as cooperative and civil a voice as he could muster.
She smiled at him and batted her eyelashes. "That's more like it. Well," She said, reaching over and picking up a vial full of a brilliantly violet fluid, "This is probably the test you've been running, isn't it?"
He looked the vial over. "It appears to be." He agreed.
She nodded, "Probably about the best you're going to get out of a mobile kit. It's just not very exact, is it? Nearest I can figure, we're looking at an entirely new substance."
"You mean it somehow turned into something different? How can that be?" Snape asked, looking over her notes.
"Not just different... I'm talking about a substance previously unknown to wizarding kind." She said triumphantly, angling her notebook towards him.
Lupin eased up beside Draco. "I'm just curious..." He said softly, "Did you ever ask the demon what the problem might be?"
Draco looked at him in surprise, then over at Harry. "I... never really thought about it actually."
"If he's up to it, I would highly suggest it. I get the idea that he knows a great deal more than anyone gives him credit for..."
Draco looked at Lupin thoughtfully, wondering once again what he and Harry had been chatting about when they stayed behind earlier. He moved over to where Harry sat in his hovering chair. He still had his hood up, his head bowed forward a bit as if he hadn't the strength to keep it upright (which might well have been the case).
"Hey Potter..." He said, crouching down before him to try to see under the hood, keeping his voice low so it didn't carry over to where Becka and Snape were discussing the tests she had used. The hooded head stirred slightly. Seeing he had his attention, Draco went on, "Potter, do you think the demon could answer a question?" Harry lifted his head a bit, looking at him. All Draco could make out of his face was a slight reflection of torchlight off his eyes. Harry didn't answer, but he didn't say no either, so Draco pressed on. "Could you ask him if he knows what's happening with Blaise?"
Harry stared at him for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"He does?" Draco asked, surprised.
Harry gave another little nod.
Draco furrowed his brow. "Why the bloody Hell didn't he say anything then?"
Harry gave a soft chuckle. His eye gain an ever so slight glow, so dim he wouldn't have been able to see it if it weren't for the very deep shadow the hood cast. "No one ever bothered to ask." he said in a whisper soft voice.
Draco tensed, shifting closer. "Demon!" He said softly, quickly darting a look to make sure Becka was distracted, then looked back at him. "Well? What is it then?"
"Wraiths don't give up power of any kind..." Pax said, obviously having to work hard even to get out the whispered words. "They get it and make it their own. It's part of him now. He just has to learn how to control it." He finished softly. The pale glow faded away and his head slumped forward again.
"Blaise!" Draco called over, quickly rising.
Blaise looked over, pulling off his glasses, his eyes automatically shifting as he saw Draco looking at Harry. He let out a little breath of relief. "It's ok. I think he's just passed out. Still looks about the same as when we got here."
"Oh my giddy aunt!" Becka said, staring at Blaise.
He turned his opalescent eyes on her and smirked. "The curse may have left a little reminder behind..." he said, letting his eyes shift back, though they still held a hint of the wraith color.
Draco moved over closer. "That's what he said was causing this."
Snape and Blaise looked at him curiously. Becka was staring at Harry, "Does he need help?" She asked worriedly.
"Only Grimsby can help him and he won't be back for a while. He said he could hold up until then." Draco said distractedly, trying to steer her back to the former conversation, "It's a long story, but before he passed out, he said this... this whatever it is that's happening to Blaise is because of the curse, he said it's because wraiths don't let go of power, they make it their own."
Becka eyed Blaise intently, her mind obviously working on something. She grabbed up her wand and his arm, casting a couple of spells on it. They produced colors and little symbols in the air above his arm, but none of it made sense to anyone except Becka and Snape.
"Would you look at that..." Becka said in a slightly awed voice.
"What?" Blaise asked, getting a bit nervous with how fascinated she seemed to be getting. She usually only showed this much interest in particularly grievous injuries or life threatening spells and creatures.
She finally released his arm. "He's right. I don't know how your friend there knew that, but you do indeed seem to have made this your own. I knew the substance was compositionally similar to the original Re'em blood, so much so that it can fool simple tests into believing that is what it is, but I didn't realize that the differences were the real clue... I thought something just caused a reaction and changed the Re'em blood somehow making a new substance... but it didn't. It's yours, Blaise. Your body acclimated to the Re'em blood, took its favorable magical properties and kept them."
"Kept them?" Blaise asked, staring down at the arm she had been testing.
"In your bones. Your body is actually producing this substance now, like blood, perpetually replacing what you lose."
His eyes became a bit watery, his throat tightening. "You mean it's not going away?"
She shook her head. "Certainly doesn't look like it."
He let out a sob of anguish, hugging himself as tears streamed from his eyes.
"Oh now!" She said, hurrying over and wrapping her arms around him, holding him comfortingly, "It's not as bad as all that! So you're stronger than other people... what's the fuss?" she asked in a soft, soothing voice.
"I... I can't be with Pansy like this..." He said, his words muffled against her shoulder, his shoulders shaking.
"Your little girlfriend? Well it might be dangerous at first, but after she has some in her blood as well you should be fine. In fact I might be able to extract some of the essence so she could take it directly so she wouldn't be in danger even at first. It seems to build up the resilience and integrity of the flesh just as much as the strength, otherwise you'd be constantly hurting yourself."
He looked up at her, tears still slipping down his cheeks. "But what about the babies?"
She blinked. "She's pregnant?" She asked, shocked.
He nodded. "Twins." He said softly.
"Congratulations!" She said, beaming, then she sobered a bit, "Well, I'll have to do more tests of course, but I think that might be ok actually... what you are producing doesn't appear to have many of the Re'em attributes that are known to cause problems in young children. I mean you just have to realize that it will probably make your children stronger than normal children, even after they've left their mother's womb. They're unlikely to be nearly as strong as you, but they'll be able to hold their own with little effort I'll wager."
"I don't know... I mean that would make this a pretty big decision. It'll effect the whole rest of their lives..." Blaise said softly. He'd stopped crying, but he still looked anguished.
"Are you planning on having more children after this?" Becka asked seriously.
Blaise looked up at her, "Well... ya... I mean I was seriously thinking about it... I... I wanted to..."
"Well, I hate to tell you this, but even if you refrain from relations during pregnancy, it's entirely possible that you will pass this on to any future children you have anyway. Magic is just as persistent and uncompromising as genetics. So... think of it as helping your first born survive their younger siblings! Do you think they'll have much of a chance in a tussle if their sisters and brothers are twice as strong as them?" she asked with amusement.
He blinked, scratching the side of his neck distractedly as he pondered that. It was definitely something to take into consideration.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, until you make your decision just have her on top and practice safe sex, silly boy!"
He blinked up at her, "Safe sex? I don't know any spells that would block passing this on...?"
She gave a snort of amusement, rolling her eyes again and going over to a cabinet. She rummaged around for a minute, then straightened up, tossing a small box at him. He caught it and looked at it curiously. "What the bloody Hell are these?" He asked, baffled.
She giggled. "You've spent time around Muggles and you've never seen a condom?"
"A what?" He asked, looking at the instructions printed on the back. His eyes went wide as he read. "You're shitting me!" his eyes darted up, "Will these things actually work?"
"Well, considering your strength I would definitely cast an Impervious charm on them before trying to use them, and those are unlubricated since I doubt spermacide would be exactly healthy for the babies, so you may have to use some kind of lubricant, but yes, I believe it will work. They've been effective in a couple of cases I've had to deal with involving curses that could be sexually transmitted. Just use one any time you feel the need..." She said with a smirk.
He furrowed his brow, "But this box only has twelve in it... what am I supposed to do tomorrow?"
> > > > > > > > > > >
"Think he'll be alright now?" Draco asked, pushing Harry's chair down the hallway.
"I think now that we know what's going on, he'll be able to deal with it better. That woman is a real pill, but she appears to know what she's doing at least. I'm sure when she's done she'll either have some kind of solution for him or have talked him in to just dealing with the repercussions of continuing relations with Pansy the way he is. Somehow I doubt Pansy will mind added strength. I'll wager he doesn't bother with those silly little Muggle devices for long, if at all..." He said mirthfully. "Just a bit worrisome knowing my grandchildren will have even a bit of that strength..." He fell silent, a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Never really thought I'd be saying those words. 'My grandchildren'. Still sounds so very odd."
"You'll get used to it, grandpa!" Draco said with a chuckle.
Snape flashed him a little smile, then his expression sobered. "Mr. Rayne shouldn't be done with his procedure yet, but I think perhaps we should try now. I doubt his wife will want to be bothered right after he comes out of it, and according to the healer I spoke with, she has her procedure scheduled for about an hour after."
Draco sighed and nodded, glancing back at his mother. She was looking very solemn. Ginny rested her hand comfortingly on his shoulder.
Harry stirred slightly.
"How are you feeling, Potter?" Snape asked, looking over at him.
"Completely fubared." Harry muttered, shifting his head up with obvious effort.
"Grimsby should be back soon, so just hold in there. We're heading to speak with someone on a different matter, but I told them where we'd be, so he'll find us as soon as he arrives."
"We going to see the woman from that article? The one from Hogsmeade?" Harry asked curiously.
Draco's stride faltered slightly as he looked over at Snape. He still hadn't been told about the article.
Snape sighed, "Yes."
Harry nodded slightly, "The demon said Draco wouldn't be able to stay away."
Draco stopped dead. "And just what was he saying about me then?"
Harry didn't bother trying to turn to look at him. "Just said you wouldn't leave a sibling die without a fight. Can't see as I blame you, really. I'd give anything for siblings..." He said, trailing off softly.
Draco eyed the impassive back of his head for a minute, then started moving again, making no reply. He hadn't expected many people to understand his desire... let alone Harry. After a few minutes, he looked over at Snape. "Tell me about them."
"The woman we are to see is Gray Feather Rayne..." Snape began.
"Gray Feather?" Draco asked, looking over at Snape curiously.
"I believe she's American Indian if you're wondering about the origins of her name. Her husband, Thomas, is British. I'm afraid her son will probably also be there. His name is Tobias."
Draco felt his throat tighten. He hadn't been expecting to have to see the boy. He took a deep, calming breath, girding himself. "We probably shouldn't all rush in there. Don't want it to seem like we're invading."
"Just chuck me in a corner, I'll be fine." Harry said softly.
"I'll take him. Unless you'd rather I come in with you?" Snape asked.
Draco shook his head, then steered the chair over a bit, letting Snape take over.
He walked on in a bit of a daze. Snape and Harry broke away from the little group, going into a waiting room but he walked on, his mind so numb it barely registered. Then suddenly he found himself facing a door. The door. He stood there staring at it for a few minutes, just taking deep breaths and trying valiantly to think of what he could possibly say to this woman. He felt Ginny's comforting hand on one shoulder, his mother's on the other. They waited in silence.
He looked up, his heart skipping a beat as the door opened. A woman in a hospital staff uniform came out carrying some linens, looking just as surprised to see them there. "Where do you think you're going? No visitors allowed!" She said primly. "How'd you even get into this wing in the first place?"
"Please..." Draco said softly, "I just... I need to talk to her..."
She furrowed her brow, shifting the linens to one arm and reaching out, brushing back his hood. Draco looked at her imploringly, his sadness apparent despite his dark glasses. The woman gave a deep sigh. "Lands! How can I say no to that face?" She said with a little grin, patting his cheek. "Don't you be upsetting her, boy! I'll be most put out if I get the boot over this!"
"Thanks Hanna. I won't." Draco said, giving her a little smile.
The woman just shook her head and started down the hallway.
Draco forced his eyes back to the doorway. His insides churned as he saw the thin woman sitting on the far bed. She was dressed in a hospital robe, the crisp whiteness of it setting off her olive skin. Though she wasn't standing he could tell she was quite tall, and her hair was back in a single thick braid of pure black so long that the end trailed across the bed almost to the edge. She was sitting up, but stooping over a bit, rocking back and forth slightly and singing so softly he could hear no more than the melody. With a wrench he saw a bit of black hair trailing over her leg and realized her son was laying beside her, his head resting in her lap as she cradled him to her.
She looked over to see why the door hadn't closed yet. The song died in her throat as her eyes went wide. The recognition and instant fear in those beautiful, almond shaped eyes was like a dagger in Draco's heart. He just stood there, unable to move as their eyes remained locked. After a moment, he felt hands gently take ahold of him, pushing him relentlessly into the room. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the woman to see who was pushing him, but from the the feel of the hands, he assumed it was Lupin. He was angry at him for it... and grateful at the same time.
When he was allowed to come to a stop a couple of meters from the bed he felt inexplicably frightened. How would this woman react to him? He wouldn't blame her if she attacked him. He wasn't even sure he'd stop her if she did. The grief and guilt welled up inside him, choking him up.
Narcissa came up beside him, lowering her hood. "We're sorry to intrude on you... Albus Dumbledore has been to see us with your request. I am Narcissa Black, and this is..."
"His son. Kind of hard to miss." The woman said, breaking in with a mix of fear and anger in her voice. "Did you bring the papers?"
Draco didn't miss the way she was studiously not turning her body towards him, trying to shield her son from seeing him.
"We were hoping to talk to you about that actually..." Narcissa said gently.
The woman glanced over at her, but then her eyes went back to him, watching him warily as if expecting him to turn into Lucius and come after her at any moment. "What is there to talk about?" She asked guardedly.
Narcissa looked at Draco for a moment. Even she appeared to be at a loss for how to word the request. "We were hoping... maybe you would consider..."
"Don't you dare!" She hissed before Narcissa could even finish the request. "Don't you dare suggest what that old man did! If you even insinuate I should carry this little abomination in my womb for nine months I swear I'll kill you where you stand!" She said, tears of anger blurring her eyes. "I'm purging it from my body before the sun sets, whether you sign the papers or not. That bastard has already torn our lives apart. I'll not give birth to another one just like him!"
"It won't be just like him!" Draco said suddenly, the words feeling like they were tearing their way out of him. "I'm not like him. I'll never be like him! That baby can't change who fathered it any more than I can!"
"Do you think this is easy for me?" She yelled back, her olive cheeks darkening with anger, "What do you expect me to do? 'Come to my senses' and carry the little bastard? Carry a child that is not my husband's for nine months, my swollen belly a constant reminder of what happened? Having to feel it moving inside me and have my children believing that they will have a new little sister or brother? Then when it's born what? I'm certainly not going to raise it! So I suppose you'd have me hand it over to you and then wipe the memories of my pregnancy from my children's minds? Nine months gone from their lives! Nine months of a child's life at this age? They are just starting to develop into the people they will become! I will NOT do that to my children! He's already destroyed my son's future. I won't let him do the same to my daughters!"
Draco could feel warm, wet trails making their way down his cheeks. He hadn't considered what it would mean to her other children. His eyes dropped, and then his heart wrenched in his chest. The boy was peering at him with wide brown eyes full of naked fear. There were tears in his eyes and he was clinging to his mother and trembling, obviously terrified. Draco couldn't quite seem to force air into his lungs. He fumbled in his vest pocket, pulling out the slightly crumpled papers. Without another word he tossed them on the bed, then turned and fled from the room.
Ginny slipped around Lupin and hurried after him, but by the time she got to the hallway he was nowhere in sight. They were at the very end of the hallway, so there was really only one direction he could have gone. She doubted he had gotten far. Snape and Harry were in the waiting room half way down the corridor and she knew Snape wouldn't have let him pass by without stopping him. She started working her way meticulously down the corridor, opening each door in turn.
> > > > >
Draco whipped a wooden chair against the wall, grabbing up the bedside table before the chair even hit, shattering into a dozen pieces. He threw the table after it to similar effect. He ripped the sheets off the bed, then heaved it over on its side. He looked around, but the room was a single and had nothing left for him to throw or break. He let out a growl of fury and hammered him fist against the cold stone wall. Pain lanced through his hand and shot up his forearm. The pain drown out the agony in his heart for a moment, so he did it again, hitting the wall harder. He knew he was doing damage as he pounded against the cold, unyielding stone, but he didn't care. He slammed himself against the wall as hard as he could, then sank slowly down it, crumpling to the floor and sobbing as the physical and mental pain overwhelmed him.
Why are you doing this?
It had been so long since Darien had actually spoken to him that the soft voice in his mind almost startled him. They had been so close, their thoughts so apparent to eachother that there just hadn't been any need for words. Draco found he couldn't answer.
Hurting yourself isn't going to help the baby... or that little boy.
Draco's eyes stung fiercely. "Did you see the look in his eyes? It was as if I was the one who did those awful things to him. He was afraid of me, Darien. I terrified him."
Like it or not, you do look a lot like your father. Simple physical attributes you were born with are beyond your control, Draco. I looked like him and I was born a century before him. That boy would probably fear anyone who bore even a passing resemblance at this point, whether they were related to Lucius or not.
"But I don't just bear a resemblance. I'm his son! That boy has every right to hate me!"
Ok then, what about our child? The one growing in Ginny's belly?
Draco blinked back the tears. "What about it?"
What if it turns out to be a boy? What if it ends up looking just like us? Should he be forced to bear the burden of guilt left by his grandfather as well?
The thought was more painful than Draco could bear.
You can't possibly make up for what your father has done to these people and so many more just like them... all you can do is try to make things better any way you can... to do your best to redeem our name, for the sake of our children. Stop spending all your time hating yourself and punishing yourself for what is beyond your control, and start doing something about it. You must be determined, yet realistic. You must show everyone that being a Malfoy doesn't necessarily mean you were born evil. It's not going to be easy, but changing minds never is.
He let that sink in for a moment, then went on softly, You know why you feel strangely connected to the demon? It's not the binding spell. You can identify with it. You know what it's like to be automatically looked upon with fear and hatred through no fault of your own. Attitudes don't change on their own, Draco. They need to be given reason to change.
Draco lay there, panting for breath, his mind reeling. How could he possibly prove to anyone that 'Malfoy' didn't automatically mean evil? Especially while his father was still out there trying to prove him wrong? Well, if he could get rid of his father he might have a chance... If only he could get ahold of him and rip the bastard's throat out! He imagined his father sneering at him, then imagined plunging a dagger into his father's chest repeatedly, wiping the arrogant look off of his face. The thought was very appealing...
That would be a big step in the right direction... Darien said, a bit of amusement creeping into his mental voice, But until that happy day, you will have to work on it in smaller ways. Like try cutting out the tantrums. You really must find a nicer, more constructive way of venting your frustrations. And if you think you're going to talk me into taking over while we regrow more bones just because you had a fit, you're mental.
Draco actually let out a little laugh, then sighed, laying there as the pain of his body came into sharper focus, trying to tally up the damage. After a moment he realized he just didn't care. He felt tears sliding down the sides of his face, but for once didn't stop them. He felt like something had been coiled deep inside him, all the shame and self loathing he'd felt winding tighter and tighter for years. He closed his eyes and released it.
> > > > >
Ginny was starting to get worried. She'd made it almost down to the little waiting room where Snape and Harry were and still no Draco. She opened another door. Empty. All the rooms had been empty. She had thought it a bit odd until she realized they were probably trying to keep the family isolated to avoid traumatizing them further. She was sure Rita Skeeter and her bloody photographer would have loved to worm their way in to snap some heart rending photos and plaster the Malfoy name all over the paper once again.
She looked over, hearing footsteps. Blaise was coming down the corridor towards her, looking at her curiously. "What's up?" He asked as he approached.
"It's Draco... he ran off. He's really upset." Ginny said worriedly.
Blaise let his eyes go opalescent as he looked around. His breath caught in his throat. He spotted Draco a couple of rooms down... but that wasn't all he saw. Everywhere around him there were souls... they were just here and there, drifting around aimlessly. He didn't know how he knew, but he somehow 'felt' that most of them were older... had probably been drifting around the hospital for years... decades even. Now that he thought about it, he should have realized that hospitals would be full of old souls and spirits. How many people had died here? The souls should have either become ghosts or passed on to the next plane... but apparently not all souls went one way or the other. One that had been drifting past him shifted course as he watched, its direction now obviously directly towards him. With a rush he realized that this was probably not a wise place for him to be right now...
He shuddered as something cool hit his back and sank in. The fierce, burning sensation inside him sprang into being again, though he at least didn't lose consciousness this time. The soul that had been drifting towards him suddenly sped up, disappearing into his chest. He tried to calm himself as he saw several more of the souls starting to drift towards him. He changed his eyes back to normal, though it took a bit more effort than usual this time. He was hoping it was the wraith sight that was drawing them to him and now they would stop. The burning within him was still there, but it at least seemed slightly subdued now. He hoped it would go away like it had the last time.
"Blaise?" Ginny asked worriedly.
He tried to shake off his discomfort, realizing he'd been just standing there in silence for a moment. "He looked to be in that room." He said, pointing to a door on the left side of the corridor and trying to sound as normal as possible.
She hurried to the door. He followed her, trying not to gasp as he felt flashes of coolness hit him and sink in several times. So much for the sight theory.
When Ginny opened the door she sighed in dismay. The room was a shambles. She picked her way through the smashed and upturned furniture, following the sound of soft sobs over to the corner. She came to a stop as she caught sight of him. Draco was laying sprawled out on the floor. He was just laying there crying. She was one of the few people who had seen him cry before, but she didn't recall ever seeing him like this. He just lay there limply, though he was still obviously conscious, his body holding none of its usual tension. His glasses were laying a couple of feet away, bent and broken.
"Draco...?" She said tentatively.
He opened his eyes and looked up at her, but didn't say a word. He didn't even try to stop his tears.
She hurried over, kneeling beside him and taking him into her arms. He shifted his head to rest against her shoulder and closed his eyes, tears still falling from them.
"Draco..." Blaise sighed sadly, crouching down beside him. "What've you done to yourself now?"
"It's nothing... doesn't matter." Draco muttered against Ginny.
"Nothing? Right." Blaise said disbelievingly. Ginny followed his gaze up to the wall. There were definitely smudges of blood on it. She looked down at Draco in alarm.
"I'm fine. Just leave me be." Draco said softly.
Blaise took a deep breath and sighed it out, then looked over at Ginny. "See that rope pull over where the bed used to be?" He asked, indicating the bright blue rope dangling from the ceiling. She nodded, spotting it. "That's to call the healers. Pull it repeatedly if it's an emergency."
Draco sighed. "It's not bad. I'll be fine."
"I wasn't telling her for your sake." Blaise said, settling down next to him.
Draco pulled his head away from Ginny, looking over at Blaise searchingly.
Blaise took another deep breath, obviously steeling himself. "Listen... what happened last night... with me and your mum... it... it's going to have pretty lasting repercussions..."
Draco's eyes widened. "What's wrong with her?" he asked in alarm.
Blaise held up his hand. "No... no... it's not something bad... well... at least I'm hoping you'll agree with that assessment in the end..."
"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, baffled.
Blaise shifted uneasily. "No matter what happens in there with that woman... no matter what she decides..." He looked like he was searching for a way to word it, finally he gave up in frustration, "Well you're going to have a sibling in about nine months either way." He said quickly, then looked like he was bracing himself for an attack.
Draco stared at him wide eyed as what he was saying started clicking in his mind. "You knocked up my mum?" He asked incredulously.
Blaise dropped his eyes, "I'm sorry... I was wicked drunk..."
Draco just stared at him in stunned silence for a moment.
"You were too smashed to even cast a contraceptive spell?" Ginny asked, just as shocked as Draco.
Blaise shifted even more uneasily. "I... I did think about it actually... I could have... I just... didn't." He said softly, studiously avoiding Draco's gaze.
"Why not?" Draco asked softly.
Blaise let out a pained sigh. "I was really really blitzed... and... I can't stand seeing you in pain..." He finished so softly they could barely make out the words.
Draco blinked, shocked. "You... you got her pregnant on purpose? Just because I wanted a sibling?"
"It made sense at the time..." Blaise said softly, staring at his hands. "I didn't even remember until I looked at her this morning and saw it... I had just told her about the baby when you came up to us..."
"Why didn't you tell me then?" Draco asked, his mind still boggling.
"Thought it might be best to wait until medical personnel were nearby..." Blaise said with a little flash of a grin that quickly faded. "You can go ahead and hurt me now. I know I deserve it. I won't fight back." He said with soft resignation.
Draco shifted himself up. Blaise closed his eyes, bracing himself, then let out a little gasp as Draco wrapped his arms around him, settling against him. The pulling sensation he felt at Draco's touch was even stronger than it had been before. He found his arms slipping around him as he struggled to understand it.
"You silly prat..." Draco breathed, holding onto him, though it made the pain in his arms scream fiercely, "How could I be mad at you? Whether you were in your right mind or not... you thought you were doing it for me... of course if my mum wants to kick your arse, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let her..." He said, smirking against Blaise's shoulder.
Blaise breathed a sigh of relief. He stroked his hand down Draco's back, then felt a curious sensation. It felt like the whatever it was nestled within his was trying to reach out towards Draco. He could feel it trickling down his arms, encircling Draco.
"Whoa..." Draco said, pulling away, his eyes slightly unfocused.
"Draco? What's the matter?" Ginny asked in concern, taking ahold of him.
"Just... feeling a bit dizzy..." He said faintly.
Blaise quickly pulled his arms away from Draco and backed off, though it took an immense amount of willpower. Ginny quickly helped Draco lay back down on the floor. She let out a little sound of dismay as she spotted a trickle of blood down the back of his neck. She checked and found the source. It was obvious his head had hit the wall, leaving a small gash and a bump that was already starting to swell angrily on the back of his head.
"Um... I guess maybe you should pull that cord after all..." Draco said with a little smirk.
Ginny nodded, quickly getting up.
Draco shifted his eyes back over to Blaise. "Is it going to be ok? I mean what with... whatever that is in your blood?"
Blaise nodded. "Becka says it should be fine... but since it was actually conceived while saturated with the substance, she thinks your mum is going to need to be re-dosed with it on a regular basis until it's born... so she'll be strong enough to carry it."
"Now you're expecting permission to shag her on a regular basis?" Draco asked with amusement.
Blaise smiled, but shook his head, "No. As fun as that might be, it shouldn't be necessary. It can be taken orally."
Draco's eyes shot wide, making Blaise laugh hard. When he calmed down a bit, he grinned at Draco. "I mean like a extract. Your mind... honestly..." He said in mock reproach, shaking his head. He pulled up his sleeve, showing Draco a little spot of light bruising in the crook of his elbow. "Becka took about a pint of blood. She's extracting the essence as we speak. She figures that much alone should be enough for about a year's worth of weekly doses. She shouldn't need to take it that long, but Becka figured it would be best to make extra in case she needs to increase the dosage later. Hard to believe there's that much of that stuff floating around in my veins... Apparently it's very concentrated..."
Blaise lifted his eyes from his arm, looking at Draco once again. The burning inside him was filling him with an insistent urge to touch Draco. He quickly decided it was time to get some distance between them. "I'd best go check on Harry again." He mumbled, quickly getting up and leaving.
> > > > >
Narcissa stood there, watching the woman as she comforted her son. It took a good ten minutes or so before his trembling subsided. She watched him as he lay curled up in his mother's lap, sucking his thumb and staring at nothing. It tore her up inside to see the obvious mental damage Lucius had done to this child, and she knew it would probably be best if she just left... but she couldn't seem to make herself.
After a time, the woman looked up at her again, looking her over appraisingly.
"Draco... he's a good boy..." Narcissa found herself saying softly. She knew there was no way the baby this woman held was going to live, but she felt the need to explain to her... to make her understand Draco's desire. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving here with this woman hating Draco and believing him to be just like his father.
"Any mother would say as much." The woman said dismissingly, stroking her son's hair.
"I wouldn't. Not if he were anything like his father." Narcissa replied firmly.
"Well it's a bit hard for me to take your word on that. You obviously didn't think his father was all that bad either. You married him, didn't you?" she asked pointedly.
Narcissa dropped her eyes in shame. "That wasn't my choice. I was bought and paid for by his father when we were still children. I never loved that man. I don't think anyone really could. He is a loathsome, vile creature who taught me the meaning of evil. Ever since Draco was born I've lived with the fear that he would turn out like his father... but he's proven to me that he isn't. Despite what his father has put him through all his life, Draco has managed to resist his influence and rise above it. He has even openly defied his father, though he knows full well it could get him killed. I couldn't imagine anyone ever being prouder of their son than I am..."
"And just how did he 'openly defy' him?" The woman asked dubiously.
"His father arranged his marriage just as my father arranged my own... Draco defied his father's wishes and chose instead to marry the woman he loves. The young woman who came in with us in fact. They were married just yesterday."
"Wasn't she that Weasley girl from the paper?"
Narcissa sighed. So she had seen the article. It certainly helped explain some of the hostility. "That wretched Skeeter woman spouts nothing but lies. He has never cast the Imperious curse on anyone in his entire life. He and Ginevra love eachother. The ceremony they used was a unicorn horn life bonding ritual. You can't make one of those work using the Imperious curse! Besides, his father despises the Weasleys above any other bloodline. There's no way Draco would blatantly risk his life by marrying her if he wasn't completely in love with her. He knows full well what his father is capable of when angered. Growing up, he spent a fair bit of his childhood right here in this very hospital. He's lived with so much pain and torment for so long... I'm just glad he has finally found something that brings such joy into his life. He deserves it after what he's been through."
Narcissa felt Lupin's gentle hands take ahold of her, guiding her into a chair. She hadn't even realized he had remained. She sat, but couldn't bring herself to look at him. She tried to calm the trembling in her hands she hadn't even noticed before.
The woman looked away sadly. "I can't bear this child..." She said softly, "Even if it weren't for the children... my husband... when he is recovered enough I'm going to have them wipe his memory as well... he's a good man with a gentle heart... he wouldn't be able to bear the memory of what happened to us. How could I possibly explain the fact that I was carrying another man's child? What would he do when he found out it wasn't his? You've been married, you must understand... What would your husband have done?"
Narcissa stared studiously at her trembling hands. "He would beat me until I miscarried, then toss me down some stairs so when someone eventually found me they would assume I fell." She said softly.
The woman looked over at her, her eyes going wide. There was just something in Narcissa's voice... something in the way she was sospecific that told her this was more than mere speculation.
"How many times have you been pregnant?" Gray Feather asked softly.
It took Narcissa a few minutes before she could make herself answer. "Five." She finally managed to whisper. She wiped angrily at a tear that escaped her, taking a deep breath and going on in a louder voice that held an edge of anger. "The second and third were his... but they were girls. He wanted a boy to carry on the family name. He had no use for girls, so he slipped me a potion to get rid of them. I started using contraceptive charms so I wouldn't have to go through that again, but he found out. He locked me in my room, wandless, and had his way with me a couple of times a day until Draco was conceived. It took several weeks, but he got his heir. After I had Draco, he informed me he wanted more children. More boys. I couldn't bear the thought of losing any more daughters to him, so I refused. I threaten to kill myself in a very public and socially embarrassing way if he tried to get me pregnant again. He didn't take me seriously until I very nearly succeeded at following through with the threat the next time he had his way with me. After that he compromised, starting to wear the contraceptive ring his father had given to him when he went off to school. I still had to put up with his... 'affections', but at least I didn't have to face another lost child. Eventually I learned to just lay there when he came to me. He can't even maintain his 'interest' if I didn't struggle and scream. He gave up on me and largely left me alone after that."
Silence reigned in the room for a few minutes before Gray Feather spoke. "That was only four..." She said softly, watching her face intently.
Narcissa bit her lip, her hand straying unconsciously to her belly. "The fifth..." She said softly, "Is... not his... if he finds out, my death will be as painful and drawn out as possible. He promised me as much after the first time."
Gray Feather's eyes glanced between her and Lupin, who had been standing there silently. "Is it his?" She asked curiously.
Narcissa quickly shook her head. "Not this time." She said softly.
There was a knock on the door and then it opened. Blaise walked in, then held the door open as a couple of men floated a gurney in through the door. As they moved it over to the free bed Blaise walked over. "Healer Tirova said it went well. He'll be in in a moment to talk to you." He said gently to Gray Feather.
She nodded quickly, trying to crane around to see how her husband looked, but they were still shifting him over onto the bed.
"Why don't I take the boy out to the waiting room?" Blaise offered gently, his eyes on the boy. He crouched down to get in his line of sight. "Hello, little man." He said softly. The boy's eyes shifted slightly, focusing on him. "Why don't we go see if they have any chocolate around here?" He asked softly, holding out his hand.
"Oh... he won't..." She started, but then trailed off, stunned as her son reached out, tentatively touching Blaise's hand.
Blaise smiled and rose. He reached over and gently picked Tobias up. The boy wrapped himself around Blaise, leaning his head against his shoulder and staring at his face fixedly. "We'll be right down the hall." Blaise said softly.
Gray Feather just nodded silently. Her son hadn't voluntarily left her side since they got there, let alone let anyone else touch him without screaming. She was distracted from her thoughts as Cullis Tirova walked in. She hurried over to talk to him.
Narcissa rose and started for the door, but Lupin moved in front of her, stopping her. She looked up into his eyes fearfully.
"'This time'?" He asked gently.
She dropped her eyes as tears started trickling from them.
"It was mine then... the first one..." He said achingly. Her lack of reply was answer enough. He sighed, "Is that why you hit me?"
"I was saving your bloody life!" She said, looking up at him angrily, "Didn't you even have the sense to try to talk to me in private, or at least look around before approaching me? There were at least six Slytherins in that courtyard that would have just loved to tell Lucius who was manhandling me!" Her eyes dropped again, "I didn't find out about... that until a couple of weeks later. The night you found me, he had decided it was time to 'lay claim' to me... I only escaped because a teacher heard me screaming and came to investigate. Couple weeks later he slipped into my room and cast a silencing spell so he wouldn't be disturbed. He was... a bit upset to find he wasn't my first, as you can imagine. He cast a spell on me and found I was pregnant. He called me a whore and had his way with me a couple times, then went and got some of his friends and let them have a turn before 'taking care of the problem'. He didn't realize until it was too late that he could have discovered who had been with me using a Lineage spell, otherwise you would probably have had a little 'accident'. When I finally got out of the Hospital wing he told me he trusted I'd had enough fun shagging other men, and that if he ever found out about me so much as kissing another man again he'd kill us both."
Lupin slipped his arms around her, pulling her close. She drew a shuddering breath, leaning her head against him as tears kept flowing down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered.
He let out a little breath. "Stop... there's nothing for you to be sorry about. It wasn't your fault."
"Why didn't you just bite me?" She sobbed, pressing her face to him. "I prayed you would bite me... then he wouldn't have wanted me... I would have made a good werewolf... a good mate..."
He was struck speechless by her words. He just held her tighter, tears trickling from his own eyes. What he would have given to have her as his wife... his mate. And they would have had a child that would have been almost full grown by now... maybe even more... a whole family... He wouldn't wish his curse on anyone else, but the thought of having someone like him was wretchedly enticing. Still... to inflict it on their children would have been unconscionable... but then they could always...
He blinked his eyes open, his mind reeling. He shifted back a bit and she looked up at him, her tearstained eyes searching his facequestioningly. Lupin gave her a little smile, then leaned closer, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. She melted against him, eagerly deepening the kiss. When he finally broke away, he gave her a soft smile. "Lucius can go straight to Hell for all I care." He said gently, then gave her another kiss that left her a bit weak in the knees. As he looked into her eyes again, his expression had sobered a bit, though a faint smile remained. "Just how badly do you want that woman's baby to live...?" He asked softly.
> > > > >
Blaise sat on a small couch in the waiting room, stroking the Tobias' hair. The boy was just laying there against him, holding onto him as if afraid to let go. His chocolate bar lay untouched on the table beside them. Blaise sighed. He could feel that strange, unexplainable pulling in him at the boy's touch, but couldn't bring himself to pull away. Snape had gone to check on Draco, so it was just the two of them and Harry. It was wretchedly silent.
"You feel it, don't you?"
Blaise jumped slightly at the unexpected question, looking over at Harry. He had been sitting quietly in his chair, his head slumped to the side and giving no indication of consciousness. "Um... what?" Blaise asked, startled.
Harry lifted his head slightly and peered at him from the depths of the hood, his eyes glowing softly. "He calls to you, doesn't he? The boy..."
Blaise's eyes darted down to the child at his side. The boy was giving no indication of hearing their conversation, or even that he knew there was anyone there other than the two of them. "What do you mean?" Blaise asked carefully.
Pax moved his arm over weakly and touched him. Blaise felt that lurching pull and jerked his arm out of his reach. Pax chuckled softly. "Still going to deny it?" He asked weakly.
"What is it?" Blaise asked, starting to feel frightened by the way the light touch had made the sensation inside him flare to full life once again. He felt cool tingles periodically, and he knew it was still more souls being drawn into him, but he was getting used to it. In a strange way, he could feel them settling neatly away inside him as if they had found their place... as if he were merely storing them away.
"Would you like to understand? I could show you, but once shown I can't take it back..."
"What are you talking about?" Blaise asked warily.
Pax shifted closer gingerly. "I believe we can work a trade, you and I..." He said softly, a slow smile spreading across his face.
> > > > > > > > > > >
>NOTE > they are still looking for judges for the Draco Ginny awards! They extended the deadline for more submissions and judges. You people obviously read Draco Ginny stuff, so do some of you have the time to try your hand at judging? I'm not trying to get an edge, because I hope you will be impartial and judge all the works equally if you do sign up, but I'd really like to see the judge's panel filled up properly. Besides, you get to read stuff that other people have felt was good enough to be nominated at the very least, so you may well find some really cool stories there. The website is awards at magicaltheory dot com
> > > > > > > > > > >
A/N - Oh come on... you didn't really think I hadn't thought of condoms, did you? I had intended to get the whole trip to the hospital in one chapter, but it's running a bit long, so I'll have to finish up in the next chapter. In case you're wondering why Ginny didn't hear Draco wrecking the place, I imagine they have silencing spells on the rooms so the patients aren't disturbed. Just couldn't find a way to work that explanation into the chapter that sounded right. Perhaps later (shrugs).
I can't believe some of you actually thought I would end it like that (The massacre in the last chapter). I may be a bit sadistic, but to just slaughter all of the characters like that? Ok, well I may have suggested that might happened if y'all kept pissing me off, but come on... I mean for one thing I'd probably have people hunting me down and forcing me to 'put it right' at gunpoint or something... I mean I'm not stupid. I DID watch "Misery" (shudders). No trips to remote, God forsaken cabins with psychotic fans for me, thanks.
Fiby - apparently unlike some, I look at previous reviews given by a reviewer and take them into consideration when responding. If you look at your previous reviews for my story (mainly for chapters 55&56) you would know exactly what I was talking about. When you give me a review with a definite "this chapter sucked, get it right the next time" vibe, it's going to irritate me. If you want to get all insulted when I politely ask you to cut it out, then feel free to, I certainly am. I ask for reviews yes, but ones that actually help me better my story, not ones that belittle one of my chapters without even giving any solid reason why it wasn't any good in their opinion. Oh, and I'm really lucky you're still reading this? By all means feel free to stop. I'm not forcing you, or even ASKING you to. I am providing free entertainment and owe no one a damn thing just because they partook in that entertainment. I mean even in your 'good' reviews I still got lines like "So make it snappy ok?" and "you might want to put more action in it cause it's getting kindda slow". It just gets to me after a while. If all you're going to do is slight my work or tell me I'm doing it wrong then I can really live without hearing it.