He shivered from the cold. He opened his mouth to breathe, the air tasted stale.
Before him an archway made of white marble marked the entrance of the catacombs. In the center of the archway the Malfoy crest, peacock tails proudly spread, was inlaid with gold. He glanced behind him; Porridge had gotten him to the bottom of the stairway.
Draco could hear sobbing and he followed the sound, walking through the threshold and following the corridor until it came to an opening. Jiffy stood before the Malfoy ancestry line, carved into the marble, etched with gold and family magic. Most old lines had them. His mother had told him that the Black's had been sewn into a tapestry. When the Malfoy family had left France, they'd taken the large slab with them. It had almost sunk the sailing ship they'd arrived in.
His gaze tracked the noise to the right of Jiffy, his mother sat on the floor beside the wall. His eyes widened as they tracked her movement.
There was drying blood on the wall beside her, within her reach. Her fingertips were bleeding. Her hands gripped her white hair, her hair too had blood in it. She gave a yank, ripping some of the white out. She covered her face with her knees, her hands gripping at the roots of her hair.
His heart hammered in his chest. He moved towards her. "Mother," he said about to reach out, but stopped as she cowered against the wall away from him.
"No," she said, sunken lifeless eyes looking up. "No, no. I did this. This was my fault." She let out a hoarse cry. "All my fault." An open palm struck the wall, again, again and again. She cried out in anger and then sobbed, covering her face.
Fault? His gaze drifted up the wall. The Malfoy line, tracing all the way to him. And there a branch off his name. His mother's blood was drying, coating his and that of his only offspring. He stepped closer until he could read the words in gold writing and brown blood. `Aquarius Malfoy.' His hand trembled. ` Murdered at the hands of Nagini at 8 months. Loved and dearly missed . `
Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes and stung like fire as they came down his cheeks. He turned to Jiffy. "This is what you wanted the name for?" he bit out.
Jiffy dipped his head in submission. "Master had to say it aloud for the magic to work."
Draco raised his shaking hand towards the marble. Though his stomach sickened at the thought, he touched the blood to trace the words. Magic had filled it in. The dates of death. The lasting thoughts. None of it was done by the hands of a living. "I didn't remember how she died…" Guilt filled him; how could he have removed the memory? Why had he just assumed Bellatrix had killed her in those attempts she made him watch?
"Jiffy helped master remove memories, there was no memory of this."
Draco's hand paused and he turned to the elf.
"Jiffy failed the little master. If Jiffy had kept a better eye…" The elf trailed off. "Jiffy saved little master whenever Bellatrix tested little master for magic. Jiffy thought only then to watch."
Draco saw water marks upon the floor below the elf.
"Jiffy failed to keep track of the snake. Bellatrix failed to keep track of the snake, not until it had squeezed too tight. Jiffy took the little master away, so she not end up like Salt." Jiffy then turned to the wall. "Bad Jiffy. Bad Jiffy." He slammed his head upon it. "Nothing Jiffy does is good."
Draco could barely process the information, but the action of the elf forced him to move. He grabbed the elf and pulled him into an embrace. The elf screamed as if burned, but Draco did not loosen his grip. "Jiffy has done enough."
"Master should not touch filth."
Draco released Jiffy, just so he could grab the elf's head and look him in the eyes. "Enough, Jiffy. Enough."
"Jiffy killed the little master."
His mother sobbed behind them.
"No," he grabbed the elf and forced its head to look at the wall. "Who killed her, Jiffy?"
"Jiffy did!"
"Read the wall, Jiffy, who killed her?" Draco demanded.
"Nagini," the elf gasped.
"Who killed her?" Draco asked again, his heart breaking. It had been an accident. Just an accident. It didn't make up for it, no, it didn't make it more bearable - but now he knew.
"Nagini," the elf whimpered.
"We all made mistakes. I shouldn't have waited. I was too scared to get her out." He spoke quietly but his voice seemed to echo in the chamber.
Behind him, his mother let out another wail.
The elf gave a cry. "Jiffy should have told master, bad Ji-"
Draco kneeled and held the elf tightly by the shoulders. "Enough Jiffy, this is your punishment, enough."
The tears dripped large and heavy down the old creature's face. The wrinkles becoming rivers. Its lips quivered and ears shook.
The sound of tiny padding feet made Draco look up.
Porridge had followed him. She walked to the wall, eyes looking at the last branch. She untied the pink ribbon upon her waist and removed her pink terry cloth towel. Underneath a simple cotton smock clung to her frame. She spelled water to the terry cloth and wiped the marble stone. Her eyes glistened but she shed no tears. Her ears trembled but she stiffened her back and continued the work, until finally the blood was removed. Only then did she let her fingers touch the stone and the name beneath.
She then looked to Draco. There was purpose in her eyes, and disdain for the elf in his grasp.
Draco turned back to Jiffy. "I need you to release her and Granger."
Jiffy shook his head, "Little master belongs here."
"She deserves the freedom to choose," Draco countered. "It is not your place to chain her here."
Jiffy blinked. Eyes watered. "Command it."
"No, you do not order me," Draco said in anger, the elf still wanted Lucius. "I ask you of your own free will to remove it."
Jiffy trembled.
"I asked your son to save Potter. I gave no order. I ask you of this now. Free them. Please."
Jiffy's eyes widened and understanding dawned in his eyes. He gave a slow nod. He raised his fingers and snapped them. He formed his fingers to snap again.
"No!" A roar echoed in the cold marble walls. Draco turned.
Antares snarled, a growl low in his throat and then it lunged but hung in midair.
"You do not harm the master." Porridge hissed, her hands open and full of magic.
She threw the tiger back, across the threshold of the tomb and struck a line in the air.
The tiger scrambled to its feet. He went back and forth at the threshold to the room, the barrier the elf drawn, not allowing it back in. "They must stay, Jiffy. Just as I've told you. If they leave, it will all be for naught."
Draco's eyes narrowed. The gold amber eyes of the tiger were no more, instead they were black and endless. The manor.
Jiffy stilled. The tips of his fingers twitched and then spread apart.
"You," Draco spat, "You told him what to do." Draco rose and made his way over to the cat.
"Jiffy didn't want the little master locked far away," Jiffy began.
"It took advantage of you," Draco turned back to the Jiffy, "It is ok now to release the preservation. It will be ok Jiffy, I promise you."
The elf's eyes dripped more tears.
"Trust me, Jiffy. Please."
The elf gave a slight nod.
The manor hissed in Antares voice, "You will ruin what peace we have."
"No," the elf said, "Now we has peace." Jiffy snapped his fingers.
