Seven Years Later
Chapter 8 Part 1
"Arrangements"
Author's Note: I love this part Deep Shadows
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"She's sleeping. I just left her lying there for a moment." Draco spoke to the crowded kitchen. It was very early, almost too early for some of the residents of Manor Dela Loyality, but this was important, all wanted to know how bad Artimis was injured. Even Severus had regained his sanity overnight and was there, glaring at the back of Alexis's head.
"How bad is it?" Remus spoke, a concerned tone in his voice and a deep anger brooding in his amber eyes.
"She's lucky she's not as badly hurt as she is. She told me exactly who her torturer was, I happened to be someone we all know. My father-" Draco stopped, swallowing a lump in his throat as he continued.
"She has lashing marks on her back, she must have been beaten for hours. They go so deep we could see a small glimmer of her backbone. She has a burn mark on her right hip, Alexis made the comment that it resembles 'Texas', what ever that is..." He paused for a moment grimacing as Aaron asked his question.
"Is that all, are there other kinds of wounds on her?" He spoke delicately, trying to ask without asking.
"No, luckily she said something about how he told her a father never takes what a son has marked..." Draco cringed, him being the only one in the room to get the true meaning of that statement.
"But... there are two other wounds Draco. Tell everyone about them... They have the right to know..." Alexis spoke, anger filling her voice. Draco looked at her and for once there was not hate for him in her eyes.
"She has a very deep bite mark on her neck, we checked it and it's not vampiric, and she has a branding ma-"Draco stooped unable to sat the words.
"She has a branding mark. Like the one you see on cattle, hippogriffs, house elves... you know a mark to claim something. Lucius Malfoy branded his mark in to her arm. We can't make it go away. In other words, he totally tried to break her, to own her, to capture her. He tried to break all the pride in her by lowering her with a mark. She doesn't yet know what it means, we haven't told her, but she will recognize it soon, it's the same mark that rests on Dobby's hip." Alexis spoke in anger and that anger spread to everyone in the room.
"How dare he?" Hermione spoke, her voice full of venom.
"He's a heartless Deatheater, what can you expect? They don't feel." Aaron spoke and Severus glared. Aaron frowned and looked at him, "You don't count, your a good bad guy." Hailey rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"I think we all should just pamper her a little. She went through a lot. Alexis, do you think you can tell us exactly what Artimis said about Voldemort's 'show.'"
Draco cringed, upset that his girl had to see that as Alexis explained how each and everyone of them were killed. Severus shook his head in disbelief.
"How did she escape? From what you are saying, they were holding her in the old Radcliffe Manor. That's one of the highest security holding areas the Deatheaters have!"
"You know, she doesn't know. She know she screamed, and that she opened her eyes to rubble around her. That's all she remembers." Alexis said.
"Well, I dunno about you all but I think me and Hermione should start on breakfast and you guys should get out of the kitchen." Haliey spoke and everyone filed out of the kitchen. Draco went to his room, curling up with a sleeping Artimis, holding her gently and vowing to never leave her again. He began to see how much she meant to him, and had a glimpse of his life without her. He never wanted to feel like that again.
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Alexis exited the kitchen, lost in thought. Everyone went their separate ways, and Alexis stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She glanced up them in contemplation, then took a deep breath and started up them. At the second floor she halted, glancing at Artimis's and Draco's slightly opened door. She took one step towards it, then felt arms wrap around her shoulders. She barely had time to let out a yelp before she was dragged backwards into a darkened room, the door being slammed in front of her. She was pushed away roughly and she crouched into a fighting stance, on the verge of panicking at her inability to see.
A bright light washed over the room, and she squinted. She gazed around and recognized Severus's room. She looked towards the door in confusion, and he stood there, arms folded and watching her.
She looked around once more, then cocked her head. "What the hell? Did you bloody stalk me up here? Gosh, a little warning next time..."
"We need to talk." Severus mumbled, making sure once again that his door was closed. Alexis looked at him in shock. 'Don't you mean, berate, yell, slap, or anything that has to do with anger or annoyance?"
"No. Not this time." He spoke softly, rubbing the bridge of his noise as he tried to stay calm. She stood and gaped at him slightly.
"Oh, bloody hell, come off it." He growled, walking towards his fireplace. She looked after him, then shrugged and pulled up one of his chairs, plopping down comfortably and staring at him expectedly. He shook his head. "Make yourself comfortable..." he mumbled.
"Oh, already did." She commented casually.
He closed his eyes and turned towards her. "Alright. About the other night..."
"Oh! The one where you were cringing and sniveling in the corner, mumbling about us girls and the shit you went through, oh and when you cried for your m..."
"Yes, that night." He cut her off quickly. She smirked at him, but quieted. He paused, trying to piece together the right words so that they would sink into her stubborn mind. "Let me put this simply. My actions those nights are to never, ever leave this room. Ever. Do you understand?"
Alexis just stared at him dumbly, knowing full well it was bugging the hell out of him. She wanted to see just how far she could annoy him until he started yelling. He turned away in aggravation, holding his head. He turned back, his weak position fueling her amusement.
"You have to understand, I was under a lot of stress. I was almost killed not once, not twice, but three times in the past two days. That does a lot to a person..."
Alexis just smiled, sitting back in the cushioned chair and gazing up at him. He stared back for as long as he could, swallowed once and sighed dramatically. "Say something. I can't believe I'm saying it, but say something."
Alexis crossed her legs and folded her arms, rubbing her chin thoughtfully as she watched him.
"What your saying is that you don't want me to run around downstairs, singing about how Severus rocked in a corner, sucking his thumb, and crying for his Mum? Me, Alexis, not doing that and spreading it through the Wizarding world?''
Severus nodded slowly, looking dead serious. "Exactly."
"Ooooohhh, that's gonna be a tough one..." She taunted, sitting forward and shaking her head.
"I mean, you want me to do something nice for you. Yet, I don't really recall you ever doing the same for me... I mean, yeah, you did save my life once or twice, maybe more, but that's not the point. You did that because it's expected of you, and you were doing it also cause Artimis was involved as well."
"Alexis, we're getting off subject..."
"Hold on a bloody moment, I'm not done. The fact is, you were never actually nice to me. But here you are, actually asking me to do something nice for you. God, I wish Artimis could hear you..."
I can. Shut up. I'm trying to sleep. I'm tired, I'm sore, and the person next to me doesn't realize he's sweaty... shut up. Artimis's voice echoed in her head. Alexis snickered as she blocked her out.
"So, we've come to a speed bump of sorts. I require something in exchange for my silence..." Alexis spoke business-like, folding her hands.
Severus glared at her angrily, trying his hardest to contain his temper. But he couldn't go off on her. This was delicate matter. But yet, he could only go so far.
"Alright, you want something? How about your life?" He scowled angrily, glaring.
If he kills you, I will personally write out an in-depth cover story, with great detail, of his actions, and it will be on Rita Skeeter's desk tomorrow morning.
Severus, having made eye-contact with Alexis, heard Artimis's dead serious comment, knowing full well that she didn't joke when it came to Alexis's existence. She leaned back and smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Something wrong, Sev?"
He went to start yelling, and Alexis just smiled evilly, waiting. He took a deep breath and quieted, but still glared.
"That's good. That's very good... I think I can manage keeping quiet. That is, if there's any change in your attitude."
Alexis sauntered out the door of Severus's room, green eyes twinkling with mischief. Severus trudged out behind her, softly closing the door behind him. He proceeded straight past her, avoiding eye contact as he started to descend the stairs.
"See you later Severus!" she chimed after him cheerfully. He grumbled back as he disappeared. She sighed, looking after him. "You know, life's not all that bad..."
She turned and walked to Artimis's room, pushing the door open slightly. Draco was curled around Artimis, both asleep on their large bed. She fidgeted for a moment, then crept over and slowly crawled onto the bed, curling up at Artimis's side. Draco shifted, peeking at her momentarily, then dozing back off, unnoticed.
Artimis awoke and looked over, Alexis smiling at her.
"Nice nap, sleeping beauty?"
"Oh yeah, hearing Severus is a nice lullaby, let me tell you."
Alexis smirked and sighed, laying her head on Artimis's shoulder. They were quiet for a moment, both thinking about what to say. Alexis swallowed and spoke quietly. "Um.. I, I wanted to ap... apologize. F, for the other n... night..."
"Please don't, Alexis."
"I have to, so shut up. Y, you know I didn't mean what I said, right? I w, was just stressed... and, t... the whole situation..." She trailed off, gulping down the rising lump of sorrow in her throat. Artimis remained silent.
"I never meant those words. You've been there for me so many times, I had no right to start up... it was your father..."
"Alexis, you were right in some aspect. I was thinking more about my sorrow at the time, yes. I didn't stop to consider how it affected anyone else..."
"Oh shut the hell up. You're an ass."
"What? Me?"
"Yeah! You were apologizing through the whole bloody ordeal! Talk about a guilt trip!"
"Well, I was..."
"I'm the one who was, and is, sorry. I just needed to make sure you knew that... I couldn't live with you being truly angry with me..."
"I never really am, you know that. And I do know, thank you." Artimis spoke softly, gazing down at her friend. Alexis looked up at her with tear filled sparkling green eyes, smiling with relief and gratefulness. She hugged her gently and Artimis hugged her back gingerly. Beside her, Draco moved a bit. She turned to him. He faked a yawn and sat to the edge of the bed.
"Um, I think I'll go see how the girls are doing with breakfast..." And he quickly left, grabbing his cloak as he walked.
Alexis smiled, and Artimis watched Draco leave wonderingly, looking between him and Alexis. She shook her head.
"Oh, and thanks for helping me with Sev."
Artimis sat up slowly, scooting to the edge of the bed. Alexis scrambled back off it to her feet.
"Oh, no prob. He needed a little threatening. He has no right to be that rude to you... oh gosh, hold on a minute..." She spoke with difficulty, turning slightly green. She jumped to her feet and raced into her bathroom. Alexis heard the sounds of retching, assuming it was the aftermath of the ordeal. Artimis sauntered out of the bathroom wiping her mouth.
"Ok, I think I'm... Hold on..." She spoke as she covered her mouth and headed back to the bathroom.
"You Ok?" Alexis asked, walking in and grabbing her hair. Artimis nodded her head as she emptied her stomach into the porcelain bowl. Artimis stopped and got up, grabbing her toothbrush, and beginning to brush her teeth.
"Go on." Artimis spoke through foamy toothpaste.
"I'm done. Want breakfast?" Alexis asked and Artimis rolled her eyes.
"Sure, I'm craving a large plate of bacon." Artimis spoke as she headed out of the door with Alexis in tow.
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Draco looked to Aaron, who was the only one to accompany him. They nodded to each other and walked up the walkway in the rain. Villa Malfoy looked gloomy and foreboding, rain pouring on the cloak clad men. Draco walked up to the door and slammed on it.
"Mother, open the door!" He yelled. There were petite footsteps coming from behind the door and the door squeaked open.
"Son, is that you?" Narcissa asked, a smile on her tan face.
"Yes, mum, let us in!" He spoke as he and Aaron pushed in.
"Is father here?"
"No, he's o-." She spoke, being cut off.
"Good, get your things, your leaving this place. NOW!" Draco spoke with demanding as he pulled out a bag and handed it to her.
'Why, what happened? Draco talk to me." She spoke as he ushered her to the parlor.
"You coming to live with me. It's safer for you. Don't argue. Pack your things." Draco told her and he drew his wand summoning her things to her bag.
"But what about your father."
"I can't protect him mum. You are leaving with me, now. If I have to stun you, you are still coming."
"Fine, but who is this?" She asked, pointing to Aaron.
"The name's Aaron ma'am, I'm a roommate of Draco's."
"Ah, I see. Draco, I don't understand." She spoke and he looked at her, closing her bag.
"Understand this. I love you, and you will be protected at all cost. You are coming to live with me. Now let's go." He said, handing Aaron the bag and taking her hand, Apparating out of the house and into the secret room in the Lounge of Manor Dela Loyality.
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Artimis had been trying to sleep, that was, if Alexis and Severus would bloody shut up. Then they finally did and she sunk of to sleep. She awoke to not one, but two warm bodies next to her. She opened her eyes to Alexis's comments and felt Draco behind her. She wondered if she had died, but assumed that they were getting along on her behalf, as scary as that was. She had a bout of sickness and went downstairs with Alexis, craving deeply a plate of juicy steaming sausage.
She walked into the dining room and was horrified. The plates were not where they were supposed to be, the bacon was burnt, and there was NO sausage. Artimis went from hungry to clean rage in an instant, drawing her wand and fixing everything on the table.
After worrying Alexis, she sat down. She felt weird. Something was different. Her body felt, weird. She concluded it could be her healing wounds, and waited for everyone else to enter the room. Severus looked at Alexis and then Artimis. Alexis smirked and Artimis smiled. Then Artimis's stomach lurched. She quickly covered her mouth, shoving back her chair, everyone looking at her with concern, as she looked for a place to throw up, the bathroom being on the other side of the house. She rushed into the kitchen, holding back vomit as she shoved her head in the garbage can and vomited. Next thing she knew she had Hermione and Hailey holding her hair back and patting her back.
She lifted her head up and silently thanked them. She decided to skip breakfast and went to tell Alexis. Artimis walked into the dining hall and was surprised into shock. Draco stood there, with Aaron and none other than Narcissa Malfoy, his mother. Artimis felt thoroughly embarrassed, seeing as she was there, vomit on her pajamas and hair, blood shot eyes and choppy hair. That's when the tears came. She just started bawling. She walked out of the Dining room, crying her eyes out and storming up the stairs. She had no idea why she was crying, she just felt like crying. Draco rushed up behind her and hugged her.
"It's Ok honey. What's the matter." He spoke to her.
"I'm such a mess. Your mother is here and I look like a rag doll." She wailed.
"It's Ok, she doesn't care how you look. it's Ok." He whispered.
"NO IT'S NOT OK! Why are you being so inconsiderate! You are just saying she doesn't care because you don't care. You are such an asshole. Leave me alone!" Artimis yelled at him, getting angry all of a sudden for no real reason. Draco backed away and turned around to walk away and she felt rejected.
"No wait, I'm so sorry baby... I'm so sorry. Don't leave." She cried again. Tears fell down her face and he held her.
"Hush..." He spoke as he picked her up and carried her up to their bed, where he laid her down.
"Hush baby... get some sleep." He spoke to her and she closed her eyes, feeling really tired. She didn't even hear him leave the room.
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Alexis gaped in shock as she watched Artimis burst into tears from the Dining room. Draco asked Aaron to help the woman, obviously his mother, put her things in the lounge for the moment. After doing that, Draco rushed upstairs after Artimis's dash up there, Alexis deciding to follow and find out some things on her own. She crept up the stairs silently, peeking under the railing on the second floor, listening to the pair talk. She shook her head in confusion, seeing Artimis go from breaking down to pissed in three seconds flat. This was something new... Artimis was the most level-headed person she had ever known, she doubted even her torture could've affected her like this.
Draco carried Artimis into their room, and Alexis walked up into view, head cocked in confusion as she watched. Draco exited a few moments later, closing the door softly behind him. He stopped and gazed at her.
"Okay, can someone please explain to me what's going on with her or I'm likely to go up and lock myself in my tower until this is all over..."
"Hell if I know. Alexis, come here, I need to talk to you." Draco spoke opening Severus's door and walking in. Alexis followed, confused on this new camaraderie between her and the snake.
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Draco wondered how he was going to approach this subject without Alexis killing him.
"What do you want Draco." Alexis asked impatiently as she closed the door.
"I need to talk to someone. No not someone, you, about something. But I don't want you to kill me." Draco spoke, sitting down on the couch. Confused, intrigued and realizing he was about to tell her something she may kill him for, she sat down eagerly.
"It depends on what you tell me. Artimis's protection only goes so far." She said as she looked at him calculatingly, and he gulped.
"Get comfortable, I have a story to tell you. There is a custom among the Malfoy men, one that up until I met Artimis, I was intending to follow. You see, in my up bringing, women were a step above servants and house elves. You did not respect them and you expect everything from them. In my family, there is a 'ritual' of sorts, that all men in the family are taught to observe..." He spoke pausing for breath.
Alexis, intrigued and worried, was silent.
Draco continued he pulled out a metal ring. "This is a part of the ritual. It is my mark in which it mark that which I own. Including my wome-"
"WHAT! You did not just say that." Alexis yelled, standing up.
"Hold on, let me explain. Then you can kill me." He spoke holding his hands up.
"This better be good or you're toast; and not french toast, dry, crunchy, wheat toast."
"Ok, like I said, until I met Artimis, I was going to do this to my WIFE. The ritual is that on the wedding night, after the marriage has be consummated, the Malfoy takes his ring and makes it red hot on the emblem, burning it into his wife's flesh to show that she is now fully his. Artimis made me realize women can't be owned. But... My father... He marked her with his ring... He made her his. He saw that I had not marked her... so he marked her. He is the only one who can remove it, the only one that can make it go away. His death is the only way it can removed. And she doesn't know any of this about my past. I'm trusting you with it. But I wanted you to know the true meaning behind that mark. According to Malfoy rule, she belongs to him..." Draco spoke preparing for the blow.
Alexis stared at him quietly, deathly calm and Draco knew she was going to kill him. He prayed it to be swift and painless.
Alexis was shocked, not only about the information he had just given her, but the fact that Draco Malfoy was giving it to her, without a fight. She actually took time to think first.
"No, I won't kill you Draco. For Artimis's sake more than yours. But, I will ask you one thing. I want your ring. Plain and simple."
"If I could give it away, I would. But even if I gave it to you, right now, and you put it in a trunk and sunk it to the bottom of the Atlantic, it would be on my dresser tomorrow morning. It has my blood in it. It was forged with my blood on my tenth birthday. I can never lose it, or make it go away." He spoke holding it out, wishing the words he were speaking weren't true, wishing he could make sure that there was no way any other women in this world could be marked in such a fashion.
Alexis was silent, staring down at the ring he so willingly held out to her. She contemplated his words thoroughly, checking her rising temper and replacing it with cold reserve. She looked up, studying his eyes for what she was looking for. Then she looked back down at the ring.
"I... I believe you. But, I swear on my mother's grave that if you ever bring that ring near her flesh in such a way, I WILL kill you. Regardless of Artimis's wrath. Got it?"
"Yes, I've got it. Besides, if I bring it near her flesh in such a fashion you'll have to get through me to kill me first, cause I'm first in line." He spoke, laughing slightly and putting it away.
In a deadly, scary calm, she spoke. "That's fair. Good answer. Ready for burnt pancakes?" She asked, heading out of Severus's room. She opened the door and Ron, Lupin, and Severus tumbled in, having been leaning on the door.
"What the bloody Hell!" Draco spoke in surprise.
Alexis, still in a deadly calm, looked at them in their odd position and asked, "Who was on top first?" and stepped over them without cracking a smile. They watched her leave in amazement.
Draco stood up in anger and tried to walk out when Lupin jumped to his feet and grabbed him by the shirt collar and slammed him against the wall.
"You mark her. I kill you. I tear you apart piece by piece and bury you in separate parts of the country, right along where the pieces of your father are soon to lay. If I find any, I mean any signs of you trying to mark her, you won't have a chance to kill yourself or let Alexis get to you. Don't piss off a Werewolf." Lupin spoke, letting him slide down the wall as Ron and Lupin walked out the door, glaring at him.
Draco looked up at Severus, waiting for his warning as well, but all he did was give him that look of 'you I know that I don't need to warn you'. Draco picked himself up and with a slight limp, walked out of the room to the dining room, really wanting those burnt pancakes. At least those won't beat the tar out of him. And he still needed to set his mother up in a room.