Chapter 42
Hermione refused to let Harry activate his portkey until Draco was close enough that she got one last look at him and she was certain that he'd be getting himself away from Hogwarts post haste.
In the minutes it had taken them to move beyond the wards she had decided to accompany Harry back to Potter House rather that take her own portkey home or to Malfoy Manor. From what she could tell Theo Nott seemed intent on following Draco and she couldn't risk giving them up, and she figured Sirius had a much better chance of helping them figure out what had just happened than her parents did anyway.
She finally caught a glance of Draco who gave her a small nod. "Okay let's go," she told Harry, holding one of his hands tightly, her other gripped Crookshanks' basket. Holly was hissing desperately from beneath Harry's collar. So desperately that Hermione began to panic, as she didn't have to be a parselmouth to understand that the snake was terrified. She had never felt so relieved in her life as she was when she landed in the floo room of Potter House.
She immediately turned and pulled Harry into a tight hug. "Oh what's happened now!" She lamented.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I scared you."
She pulled out of his arms and dug one finger into his chest. "None of that, this isn't your fault."
"Harry!" Sirius called, running into the room. "What's the matter?"
Harry looked over, and then away from his godfather, like he was ashamed.
"Stop it! You didn't do anything wrong," Hermione hissed at him and then she turned to Sirius. "There's something dangerous at Hogwarts. Harry and Holly both sensed that something was wrong."
Holly emerged from Harry's collar at that moment and began hissing her agreement, it didn't matter that neither she nor Sirius understood what she was actually saying, her meaning was clear.
"What's going on?" Sirius entreated Harry.
Her friend appeared to fall into something of a trance as he contemplated Sirius' question: "Danger at Hogwarts," then his eyes snapped to hers. "We have to stay away." His eyes fell shut and when they opened again they were full of tears. "I"m serious, Hermione, call Draco, tell him to stay away from Scotland. There's something really, really bad happening."
She just nodded as Sirius stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for a better explanation. She decided to wait and see what he would say before she called Draco. Harry shook his head like he was trying to clear his thoughts.
"As soon as we crossed the wards Holly warned me that something was off. She wanted to turn around right away but I couldn't exactly jump out of the carriage, but I was on my guard when we got to the castle. I'd only been in the Entrance Hall for a few moments when I heard a voice, speaking parseltongue. Nobody else seemed to hear anything at all."
"Was this voice speaking directly to you?" Sirius asked uneasily.
"No, it wasn't like that. Though it was looking for somebody, searching for somebody who could instruct it, but I didn't get the feeling that it was me it was looking for, or that it even sensed I was a speaker, it was just like overhearing a one-sided conversation. I've just become very attuned to parseltongue. To everybody else it probably just sounded like background noise. You know how loud it gets in all the excitement of being back at school."
"And what did the voice say?"
"That it wants to rip and tear and kill. But the words weren't the worst part, I swear I could feel sinister magic. It- whatever it is- longs to do damage. We have to get those kids out of that castle!"
Harry was staring at Sirius with a plea in his eyes, but the older wizard just stared back at his godson, shifting his weight uncomfortably. It was obvious that he didn't know how to respond. Hermione fought the urge to scowl at the man. She liked Sirius, a lot, but as much as he tried to hide it, it was clear to her that Harry's parselmouth abilities made him uncomfortable. But couldn't he see how much Harry needed his reassurance right now? Her friend was already blaming himself for the nights events, ridiculous though that was.
"I'll call Draco now," she interrupted their staring contest, "maybe Lucius and Narcissa will have some ideas about what to do next." What she didn't say was that she was fairly certain that they would be a little bit more open minded about Harry's claims.
Sirius cleared his throat and looked at her, nodding. "Yes," he cleared his throat again and she realized that he was becoming emotional, that he was afraid for Harry, and she felt badly for judging his reaction so quickly. "Yes that's a good idea."
She nodded at him in return, then closed the distance between herself and Harry and gave him a tight hug. "It'll be okay," she muttered, holding him for a moment before stepping back and activating her mirror.
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Narcissa and Lucius were partially finished with the first course of their dinner that evening when Lucius suddenly startled in his chair. Narcissa immediately determined from his reaction that there had been a disturbance in the wards and she sighed, wondering what it could be now. She'd just wanted a quiet night with her husband.
She had been trying not to feel melancholy, but the Manor seemed empty. True, the children had been absent for almost the entirety of the summer, but in the days she'd had them back she'd gotten used to having them around again, if only for a few days, and to lose them again felt especially jarring.
"Draco has just arrived via his emergency portkey- he's brought somebody along with him," Lucius announced, there was a slight pause. "It's definitely not Hermione."
At that news she immediately drew her wand and ran from the room. Lucius disappeared with a pop behind her. It was bad enough that Draco had needed to use his portkey, that alone was a bad sign. But she couldn't imagine why he would willingly allowing anybody but Hermione to tag along with him. It was utterly out of character and seemed ominous.
When she reached the floo room Lucius had- of course- already arrived and was standing in the doorway with his wand drawn. She peaked around his body to see her son standing beside Theo Nott, they both looked unharmed. If she didn't know any better she would have thought this had been a planned journey.
"Little Dragon, what are you doing back here?" Narcissa asked automatically
Draco's face went bright red at the childish moniker, but he shifted his gaze from Lucius to her. "As I was telling Father, Potter said he heard a voice in the castle speaking parseltongue. Telling him that it was going to rip and tear and kill. Potter might be a complete pain in my arse," Theo snorted but Draco just shrugged. "But we all know he's a genuine parselmouth. We've seen proof of it," her son continued, "and he was waiting at the doors of the castle to drag Granger home. It's no secret how close they are. I figured if he was that concerned I didn't want to stick around either. Dumbledore's useless, and if it's a trick we'll find out soon enough, but it seemed safer to come home."
"You're right Draco," Lucius responded, "that was sound reasoning."
Narcissa said nothing but she did admire her son's acting and his ability to think on his feet.
But at the same time she felt terrible for him, could practically sense his devastation at how he'd just spoken of Hermione with anything less than the highest respect. However, even as she was busy concentrating on Draco, she didn't miss the way Theo looked at Draco, like he didn't quite believe the story he was telling them.
But Theo didn't contradict it. "Well, Potter has always been very protective of his pet mudblood," he shrugged, "I shared a carriage with her and Draco so we arrived at the castle together and I heard what Potter told her. I too thought it was better to be safe and get out of there than sorry. Draco was kind enough to let me tag along with him."
Narcissa noticed that he glanced at each of them while he spoke, as if evaluating their responses. And then she saw Draco clutch at the breast pocket of his robes and knew that somebody- most likely Hermione- was attempting to contact him on his mirror.
"We should get you home, Theo, dear," she gestured towards the floo. She felt badly about it, it seemed cold to just send him away, so she added: "Though, you should feel free to come to us anytime, if you need anything. However, be cautious about who you use that kind of language around in the future. Times are...changing, you don't want to offend the wrong people."
Theo didn't hesitate. "Of course. Thank you Lady Malfoy, Lord Malfoy," he bowed slightly in Lucius' direction, "for not begrudging me the use of your heir's portkey."
"Of course, our Houses are allied," Lucius answered easily, "please let your father know that I will contact him as soon as I have news of the situation at Hogwarts, whatever it may be."
Theo hesitated briefly, shooting Draco a peculiar glance before stepping into the floo. Draco's shoulders sagged even as he scrambled to remove his communication mirror from his pocket.
"Hi."
"Hey," Narcissa heard Hermione respond. "You arrived home safely?"
"Yeah, Mother just sent Nott home so we're alone now, obviously."
Hermione let out a long breath. "Good, we're at Potter House. I thought that was better than going straight home, as I have no idea what to tell my parents considering that I don't even know what to think for myself. We thought it would be best if we could meet to talk it over."
"He called you a Mudblood," Draco blurted looking wretched, and Narcissa felt her heart clench.
"Who did?" Hermione asked.
"Theo, he called you Potter's 'Pet Mudblood.' And I didn't say anything against it."
Narcissa immediately grasped Lucius' arm and there was a long period of silence. But when Hermione responded she sounded strong and sure.
"That's okay." She said calmly.
Draco's face crumpled. "Okay?! How is that okay?" He demanded, and Lucius had to restrain Narcissa from going to him.
"We both knew that you were going to have to maintain a certain personae," Hermione answered. "We've talked about it many times. Actually, I think Neville's death should have alerted us to the idea that this was probably coming, things are escalating." She lowered her voice. "Your father is Inner Circle, Draco, you cannot risk his safety or yours by not toeing the party line, so to speak."
Draco's breath hitched. "I feel dirty, I don't like it."
Another long pause and then an uncharacteristic giggle. "I don't mind if you want to get dirty with me."
Narcissa gasped. Lucius laughed. And Draco went so red Narcissa was worried he was actually going to rupture something.
"Draco!" Hermione shrieked, "I can't believe you didn't tell me that your parents were listening!"
At that declaration Draco cast a hasty glance in their direction and quickly fled the room. Lucius held himself very rigid for about twenty seconds before he erupted into laughter again, bending over at the waist and clutching at his stomach. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him lose control like that.
"What in Merlin's name Lucius?!" She finally demanded.
"Did. You. See. His. Face?! We might as well have caught him with his trousers down! I'm not sure I've ever been so amused in my life"
"With everything going on, that's what you're concentrating on?" She huffed. "And I did not care for Hermione's reference. Does she believe that we still think of her like that?"
"She didn't mean it like that," he smirked at her. "She was trying to lighten the mood and make Draco feel better."
"But Lucius-"
"I, for one, take great comfort in the fact that there is still a part of them that can behave as typical teenagers; flirt and embarrass themselves in front of their parents. Don't you?"
"It's not that," Narcissa sighed. "I'm afraid of losing them," she confessed after a moment of mulling over the true source of her discomfort. "This is going to be so difficult for them both. What if Hermione decides this family isn't worth it and distances herself? Draco will follow her anywhere."
"If she feels insecure in her place in our family...I don't know what more we can do," he cupped the base of her neck and brought their lips together. "And give her more credit, she loves us Cissa, you know she does."
She buried her face in his shoulder. "Of course, you're right," she admitted quietly.
She felt his arms wrap around her. "Still struggling to see Draco grow up? Is that, perhaps, what this is about? I heard what you called him just now, you haven't used that nickname in years." She didn't have to look at him to know he was smirking at her.
"Partially, perhaps," she admitted. "Sometimes it still just comes as a shock, how quickly he's becoming a man. I just want to protect him. It would be difficult enough under normal circumstances and these are far from normal."
"Hermione is a boon to our House, you made me see that," he reminded her.
"Of course, I know that, that's not my concern!" She defended herself. "Some other terrible thing is always happening," she reminded him. "If they were younger, perhaps I could just… take them away."
"We considered it when they were younger," he reminded her, "we could still get away with it, technically. Neither of them are of age and I'm sure the Grangers would give us permission, but again, that would be the end of Hermione's life in Britain, which means it would also be the end of Draco's. Not to mention that I don't think that either of them would leave willingly, and they've grown powerful enough that I'm not certain we could force them into anything they truly didn't want. And can you see our Mignonette willingly leaving the Potter boy? And Draco will certainly not leave her."
"Yes," she chuckled humorously. "Which is why, if I had to do it again, I might have gone through with it years ago, damn the consequences. You know them as well as I do, they're preparing to fight. Not just preparing for it, but expecting it."
He took a deep breath, running his hands up and down her back. "I suppose we should have expected that, bringing a Gryffindor into the family. And then there's Potter and Black's influence to consider."
Narcissa rolled her eyes to herself and sighed, trying to regain her composure. "At least whatever happened tonight, they didn't hesitate to flee Hogwarts. At least they're that sensible." She offered, hoping for some form of reassurance.
"I know love, which is another thought to cling to, as well as every bit of joy we can find for as long as we can."
Narcissa didn't know if she found that to be a lovely sentiment or simply terribly fatalistic, she leaned into her husband and let him comfort her as best he was able. They stood there until their son came rushing back into the room, his cheeks still alight.
"Mia, Sirius, and Harry want to pop over," he announced.
It was a testament to his emotional distress that he referred to Hermione by her nickname and Harry by his given name.
"Tell them the floo is open," Lucius answered.
Less than five minutes later Hermione stepped out of the flames and she virtually fell into Draco's arms. He held her tightly and made soothing noises.
"I'm absolutely fine," Narcissa heard the younger witch say. "But I hate that I have to stay away from you, especially when stuff like this happens." Hermione pulled away. "What was that with Nott?"
Sirius emerged from the fireplace just in time to hear her question. "What was what with Nott?" He asked.
"He spoke to me and Hermione in the carriages earlier," Draco provided, "and then he hitched a ride on my portkey."
"And you think we should be discussing that now? Aren't there much more urgent things going on?" Sirius demanded.
But Hermione was not at all cowed by his demeanor.
"I think that if our-" she motioned between herself and Draco, "cover is blown, then yes, we need to discuss what to do immediately." She looked at Lucius. "Theo's father is marked, is he not?"
She was gazing steadily at Lucius, but there was no judgement in her expression, and he nodded.
"What did happen?" Narcissa heard herself asking.
Hermione looked up at Draco. "What do you think? My instincts told me he was testing you… though I'm not sure to what end. And I got the impression you'd been talking before I entered the carriage, so perhaps what I heard was out of context and I got the wrong idea."
"No," Draco shook his head. "I agree, he was testing me, though I don't know what the test was."
"He was downright polite to me."
"Yes, and then he turned right around and called you a...that word almost as soon as he got here."
"He seemed to be gauging our reactions when he said that," Narcissa interjected.
"I noticed that too," added Lucius.
"Nott is a Slytherin through and through," said Draco. "He is capable of being far more subtle than that, so I'm thinking that even though he's not ready to reveal what it is yet, that he has an agenda and he wanted to let me know. I think he was...feeling me out."
Lucius eyed their son. "Keep an eye on him."
Draco simply nodded at his father.
"Yes, that's all well and good, but in order for him to do that we're going to have to figure out what's lurking around Hogwarts hissing threats at my godson!" Sirius practically yelled, with his usual dramatic gesticulations.
"Come in all of you," Narcissa sighed, "I'll have the elves bring us a light supper. I know the children didn't get an opportunity to eat and Lucius and I had just begun." Sirius glared and stalked passed her, Harry gave her an apologetic look but she shook her head; he was not responsible for her cousin's theatrics.
Ten minutes later they were seated in the family sitting room with a spread of cold cuts, bread, cheese and fruit on the coffee table, which nobody was touching. At least most of them were seated, Sirius was stalking the room.
"Tell me again!" He demanded of Harry.
"Stop!" Hermione cried. "He's told you everything he knows." She sat on a sofa sandwiched between the two boys. Her hand in Draco's, as was normal for them, but Harry was leaning into her side as if he was seeking her protection, his face buried in his hands.
"Sirius-" Narcissa hissed, "calm yourself!" She watched him take in the sight of the three teenagers huddled together and visibly slump.
"I freaked out a bit," he admitted.
"Really?" Draco answered sarcastically as he clumsily tried to comfort his betrothed and his new friend at the same time, wrapping his arms around Hermione while Harry continued to lean into her.
Narcissa watched with interest as Holly slithered out of Harry's collar and onto Draco's arm. It was not the first time she'd gone to him, but it was still an unusual behavior. She continued up his arm and then butted her head against his neck, hissing all the time. Narcissa was not a parselmouth, but it was clear even to her that the snake was repeating the same phrase over and over.
"What is she saying Harry?" She asked quietly.
"She says there's danger."
"No shite," Sirius barked.
Harry huffed. "At Hogwarts. A big ancient danger." With narrowed eyes he looked in his godfather's direction. "She's very insistent, she doesn't think she's being taken seriously." Suddenly he let out a startled laugh. "She's ready to bite us with just enough enough venom to make us sick and keep us from going back." He raised his eyebrows at his familiar, "I think I'll pass on that Hols."
The floo alarm sounded and Lucius hurried out of the room to go answer it in his study. He returned in a matter of minutes. Narcissa could tell that while he was more exasperated, he was at least not more alarmed by the call.
"It was Dumbledore, he wants to come through."
"He has no right to be here," Narcissa hissed defensively, she straightened her spine when she took in the surprised looks of nearly everybody in the room at her unfettered response. She made a concerted effort to moderate her turn. "I just think that we need to get a better picture of what's going on before he's allowed anywhere near Harry."
"Narcissa," Lucius said softly, "I don't like this more than you do. But he won't let this be. It's better to appear cooperative and not give him time to rally his forces."
"Merlins saggy bollocks," Sirius swore quietly, "your stupid husband has a point," he pouted, "we definitely can't appear to be hiding out."
Narcissa looked between the children, wanting to send them away, but she also agreed with her husband and cousin. Dumbledore wouldn't be satisfied until he'd spoken with Harry. And anything said between Harry and the headmaster would quickly be passed to Hermione and Draco, so there was really no use. She sighed and nodded her assent to Lucius.
Dumbledore strode into the room mere minutes later, glanced between the adults, and his eyes narrowed on his students huddled on one couch.
"I admit I must speak to Harry. But do you really believe it's wise to allow other children in on this discussion?" He asked as he made himself comfortable in an empty armchair without waiting to be asked.
"I think that's none of your concern," Sirius barked, "how did you even know Harry and I were here?"
"A reasonable deduction," the elder wizard shrugged, as if it was nothing. "After neither Harry, Miss Granger, nor Mr. Malfoy appeared at the Opening Feast, and knowing their true home relationships, I assumed they were together. I also assumed they had been equipped with means to leave Hogwarts, if they felt threatened. After overhearing some talk between other students, I surmised they had- in fact- felt a threat to their safety and gone home. When I failed to locate them at Potter House, I tried Malfoy Manor."
"Well you've found us, Albus, what do you want?" Sirius asked in a manner that might have appeared open, even magnanimous, if it wasn't so obviously sarcastic.
"I need to speak to Harry, he is the sole witness to this so-called event."
Sirius looked at his godson. "Are you willing to speak to the headmaster about what happened earlier?"
"I want to help." The boy said, his eyes wide and guileless. How he'd remained so innocent, and had turned into such a great friend to her children remained a mystery to Narcissa. He had every reason to be angry and disenchanted.
Dumbledore nodded. "Excellent. If you will leave us…" he looked around the room expectantly.
"Albus," Sirius interrupted. "Harry is a minor under my protection. What kind of guardian would I be if I left him alone to be questioned, and especially about such a sensitive topic? I know how people think about parselmouths."
Narcissa watched the boy's eyes dart about frantically between all the people in the room. She caught them and tried to send him a reassuring look, but he quickly looked away. So she sought out Hermione's gaze, and thankfully her girl seemed to understand immediately. Hermione shot her a small smile and leaned in to whisper something to her friend.
He sat up straight at whatever she'd said to him, confidence restored. "Like I said, I want to help, but it's been a long and stressful night. For my own peace of mind I'd like Sirius and Hermione to stay with me."
Dumbledore let out a long and badly disguised sigh of disappointment but conceded. As if he had a choice.
When he finally departed two hours later Sirius was roiling with anger. And she couldn't even fault the way that Lucius plied him with firewhiskey given the look he'd had on his face in the aftermath. She allowed his to chug two full glasses before she glanced at him and dared ask: "What happened?"
"He wants to use my kid to draw out whatever monster this is." His voice was a monotone that frightened her much more than his temper ever had.
She just stared at him, anger building in her chest. "I have a Black family athame I was planning to gift to Hermione, but I'd be willing to use it to kill him and use the blood sacrifice in a protection ritual." She was only partially in jest.
He barked out a laugh. "I appreciate that Cissy. But, as much as I hate to admit it, I think we're better off with him alive."
"Probably," she admitted reluctantly. "What did he want exactly?"
"For me to bring Harry back to the castle to tell him what he heard and where, then try and draw it out- I assume with parseltongue, and track it."
Narissa gasped at that horrible, dangerous suggestion.
"Spoken like a man who is not a parent," Lucius interrupted her thoughts. "Though it's becoming almost expected. However, his willingness to play Russian roulette with our children's lives is utterly disturbing in somebody who is in charge of them 10 months out of the year. Imagine if we had children who were more reluctant to tell us what was going on?"
"Godric, it's actually painful to agree with you Malfoy. But I think we can also agree that our children go nowhere near that castle until they've resolved...whatever this is?"
"I can easily agree to that," Lucius lifted his glass in a salute.
"But what of the rest of the children? Is he going to evacuate the school?" Narcissa felt like she had plenty on her plate as it was, but she couldn't help but worry.
"No. He claims that he can't do it on such little evidence as the word of a fifteen year old wizard who can't even explain what he experienced," Sirius bit out, his eyes dark, his expression dangerous.
"Don't forget yourself, Cousin," she said softly, "Harry needs you."
His head snapped up and at first it seemed like he was going to unleash his fury on her, but then he just nodded. "You're right," he conceded. "He says the Ministry would never let him get away with it and would just suspend him, given that he's already on thin ice with them. That they might even use this to attempt to force him out of his other positions in the Wizengamot and ICW. They've done a good job making him look rather unstable lately, this might be enough to push public opinion over the edge."
"Which is his own fault," Lucius growled.
"Yes," Sirius tossed back the rest of his drink. "The thing is that he makes a good point, he scares the hell out of Fudge he would do anything to get rid of him. And while there are many ways in which I don't trust Dumbledore, he's a mighty wizard, and the students are probably at least marginally safer with him in the castle."
"Should we sound the alarm ourselves?" She asked.
"We can't," Lucius answered, his voice flat.
"Why not?" She objected.
Sirius let out a long sardonic laugh. "We've now reached the quota for how many times in one evening I can bear to agree with you, Malfoy," he said, then turned to look at her. "But he's right, Narcissa. All it would do is paint a target on Harry's back. Because who would believe us? People don't trust parselmouths. On top of which, they don't ever want to believe that there's something wrong, and the worse it is, the more they want to bury their heads in the sand. Until recently, Dumbledore was probably the most respected wizard in the country, yet how many people have taken him at his word that Voldemort is back? We could spread the word quietly that something is amiss at Hogwarts and see if that makes a difference, but I doubt it will."
They were silent for a long time as they all digested this sentiment, nobody able to refute it. Sirius got up and poured himself another drink.
"You should eat something," she told him.
He sighed but nodded and she called Jema and asked the elf to bring some of Sirius' favorite foods. That probably wouldn't make a difference, but it was worth a try.
"So, any ideas what we're dealing with here? Other than a homicidal reptile?" Sirius asked as he choked down a yorkshire pudding.
Narcissa rolled her eyes but just shook her head and looked at her husband. He appeared to be lost in thought. "Lucius?"
His head snapped up and he met her eyes. "The Chamber of Secrets."
"Pardon?"
"I think this may be about the Chamber of Secrets. We've both heard the stories, Cissa."
She had, of course, they were more like legends in Slytherin, but she wasn't at all certain why Lucius had decided they were related to what Harry had told them tonight.
"That's a myth," Sirius snorted, interrupting her thoughts.
Lucius didn't even bother to look at him. "Yes, and almost all myths have some basis in fact, Black. Consider this: Salazar Slytherin is one of the most famous parselmouths of all time and I've been thinking of what Holly told Mr. Potter: that this creature, whatever it is, is ancient."
"Yeah, I guess it makes sense that old Sal would leave a monster hidden just waiting to be awoken in a school full of children."
"Actually, the way we Slytherins tell it, there is a monster in his chamber, but it was never meant to attack the student. In fact, he put it there to be called upon if Hogwarts needed protection."
Sirius scoffed. "Protection from what?"
"Muggles of course," Lucius answered, crossing and then re-crossing his long legs. "If you recall, Slytherin lived more than half a millenium before the Statute of Secrecy was enacted. In his day it was a real fear that if enough muggles simply discovered the location of Hogwarts that they could have attacked it and eradicated an entire generation of magicals in one fell swoop."
"That's rubbish. What could a bunch of muggles do against a castle full of witches and wizards?"
"Funny, Black, I thought you had more respect for muggles than that. Haven't you spent enough time with the Grangers to understand? They may not have magic, but they are clever and resourceful. And we're talking about a castle full of untrained witches and wizards- of children- and they're teachers. If enough muggles banded together they could do it, and you know it."
Sirius seemed to consider that but all he did was shrug. "It doesn't sound like whatever this thing is has any interest in protecting anything though."
"No, but remember, Holly also sensed that its magic had been corrupted. Which almost certainly means its original purpose has also been corrupted."
Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is all very fascinating on an intellectual level, but how does it help?"
"I don't think the timing of this is a coincidence."
"What do you mean?" Narcissa prompted, she could see Sirius was beginning to get frustrated, but she knew Lucius was still working out his thoughts and needed patience.
"What are the chances that Mr. Potter attended Hogwarts for 4 years, and for one of those he had a snake familiar, and he never encountered this creature? Then, the Dark Lord returns and almost the moment Mr. Potter enters the castle again, he does?"
Sirius shot up in his chair. "You think this is connected to Voldemort? That he's, what, controlling this thing?"
Lucius shrugged, it appeared to be a casual gesture but Narcissa knew it to be anything but. "I think it is a sound theory, it is also the only one that I have."
"But how would he be controlling it? Wait. Do you think it could be a horcrux?"
"It's a possibility, but not necessarily."
"Are you going to explain what you mean by that?" Sirius snapped.
"Give him a moment, Cousin," she said quietly. Sirius had a need, almost a compulsion to talk a problem out, whereas Lucius had a similar need to get his thoughts straight before he shared them. So she was relegated to referee.
"When the Dark Lord returned to bodily form," Lucius eventually began to speak slowly, "it- I don't know how to explain it properly other than to say it reenergized his latent magic. Those of us connected to him felt it," he rubbed at his left forearm. "I think it's possible this creature is similarly connected to him- perhaps as a horcrux, perhaps not- and was also re-awoken by his resurrection."
Sirius let out a long breath. "Are you telling me you think that, on top of everything else, Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin?"
"He likes to boast that he is descended from Slytherin. So, strictly speaking, yes. But if this theory is correct, he's grossly abused the privilege of his bloodline and his parselmouth abilities. In the end I don't think that magic will be kind to him for it."
"Well isn't that just peachy," Sirius snarked, letting his head fall heavily against the back of his chair.
Narcissa held her husband's gaze. It was a brilliant and terrifying theory.
"I still don't see how this helps," Sirius griped.
"It is a place to start researching," she defended immediately, "and it's much better than the nothing you and I had."
Lucius continued to hold her gaze, his eyes softened gratefully. "Fuck," she heard Sirius mutter, "just fuck."
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Draco grasped Hermione's hand tightly in his own as they walked, side by side, down to the lake the next morning. She didn't need to be led, but he relished in the comfort of her presence and the sensation of her fingers intertwined with his. He hadn't thought he'd be home today. He had fully expected to be back at Hogwarts, ensconced in the dungeons, pretending to hate the woman at his side.
"You're tense," she said quietly, squeezing his fingers.
"And you're not?" He challenged.
She sighed and dropped his hand as they reached their favorite spot. She peeled off her dress leaving her in her tiniest bikini (and he knew that for certain, he had them all memorized) and walked towards the lake bed. "Of course I am, but I was also hoping we could take advantage of this time alone."
"I'd like that," he murmured, watching her, mesmerized by the look on her face while she glanced over her shoulder at him while she waded into the lake. He knew that look: she wanted him to come after her, to touch her. He followed at a measured pace, untying his muggle trainers, kicking them off, and pulling his tee-shirt over his head.
He met her about ten feet from the shore, treading water, her back to him and she seemed to be ignoring him, but she'd intentionally stopped in a place where he could still stand. She had surely heard him approach but she didn't turn until she felt his fingertips dance along her side. When she did, she grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Hi."
She kissed him long and slow, brushing her fingers over his lips after she pulled away. "This seems silly. We were together all summer, but I feel like I never see you anymore."
"I know what you mean. We're hardly ever alone anymore," he conceded. "I've missed you too," he whispered against her cheek.
Sirius and Harry were not bad company. In fact, he'd thoroughly enjoyed sharing a house with them for the summer. But it had sometimes felt- to him- like they were in the way of his relationship with his betrothed. He had been spoiled by summers with whole afternoons alone with just her; back when their lessons had been less structured, and she hadn't had a friend on hand demanding her attention. In the past, if Claire had been around, she had sensed when to make herself scarce.
Sirius tried to be thoughtful of their privacy but his enthusiasm sometimes got the best of him. Potter was largely oblivious. And Hermione- lovely, giving witch that she was- had never wanted to make him feel like the third wheel.
So, he took the opportunity now that he had it to savor the feeling of his skin against hers and smiled as he skimmed his fingertips up and down and curves of her hips and waist. He especially relished the way her skin erupted into goosebumps in the wake of his touch.
"What are we going to do?"
He didn't need to ask what she meant. "Ride it out, Mia. For now we just ride it out." He pulled back to look at her face. "Unless you have a better plan which involves running to New Zealand and living under assumed names?"
She buried her face in his neck. "I know you were joking, but I wish we could do it without the guilt killing us. Why can't we take everybody we love and just run?"
"For the same reason our parents haven't already done it. It's not feasible, not without completely compromising our safety and our futures."
"Yeah," she breathed and let him just hold her in the water, it was such a delicious sensation, having their bodies pressed together like this while completely submerged, their hot skin surrounded by the cool water. "I'm a terrible person," she confessed.
He snorted. "Of course you're not."
"Yes I am. Something really bad is happening at Hogwarts, but a big part of me doesn't want them to figure it out so that our parents and Sirius have an excuse to take us away. Does that make me a coward? I really think that it makes me terrible."
He sighed and placed kisses all over her face. "If you're terrible, then so am I."
"It's going to be okay," she nuzzled his neck. "If we say it enough, it'll come true."
Author's Note: AUM is back! Thank y'all for your patience! To those of you who contacted me, concerned about my well being, I was so touched. I hope I responded to you all but all your thoughts were noted. Can we just say that life can be brutal, stories don't write themselves and leave it at that? I hope to have more out much sooner next time, as always thanks for reading!
This has not been beta read as my usual editor and BFF has something way more important going on, so be gentle. Weestarmeggie, I'm resenting that ocean between us even more than usual tonight. I know you probably aren't reading this right now, but I'm sending you my love babe!