Chapter 15: WMDs- Words of Mass Destruction

Despite the appearance she gave everyone, Julia knew more than she let on. Boarding school had been boring, an endless tedium of classes with no real meaning to her. She knew that its real purposed was for young women 'of promise' to establish connections with other young ladies who would go on to have futures of wealth or fame. But she had the best connection of all. Who needed to rub shoulder with some rich airhead when he or she had an aunt well established with the most powerful man of all time?

So, instead, she chose to spend her days practicing illegal spells, given to her 'mysteriously' on her seventh birthday. The first spell she ever performed with it, using her mother's wand, of course, was one of seeking nature. The package came straight from Azkaban. Julia was prideful; she knew Draco would never have been given such an amazing gift. The pride would only increase as her aunt became her not-so-mysterious benefactor for many years. With her help, Julia would never study a day in her life for anything because she knew everything already. For once, the dumb blonde was smarter than Draco.

Draco made Julia laugh these days. A year ago, she would have told anyone that her brother was the toughest person she knew. He was. But now, he'd been doing some pretty dishonorable things. Hanging out with servants and mudbloods, thinking before cursing (the one thing she would never beat him at), and, maybe worst of all, putting others before himself; all of these new developments sickened her. And as her January meeting with Aunt Bellatrix drew close, she couldn't wait to rat out Draco for everything he'd been doing. Never mind that she might have been imagining most of it.

Julia had been hoping for awhile that something miserable would happen to their servant girl, since she couldn't do anything herself. So, she was more than delighted when she ran into her brother in the common room early Saturday morning. "Oh, good morning dearest brother. How are we doing today?"

Draco, bleary-eyed, consented to glare at her from a couch. He'd been doing homework.

"Well, aren't we pleasant? Hope you haven't been out tarnishing our family's good name lately."

Draco set down his quill. His sister always was the morning person. Back when she still envied him, he only had to put to being woken by a squealing alarm clock next to his ear. Now, she took the early morning as a chance to taunt him before he was awake enough to blast off an ear or two. Leaning back in his chair, he finally spoke. "Of course not, my little Jule-Wool; I wouldn't dream of it. That's your job."

Julia felt her face burn. Before going to Hogwarts, back in July, Draco had informed her that everyone would know about her 'little nicknames' unless she behaved. Deciding that a change of subject was prudent, she asked, "Where's Kera? I need the little servant girl to iron a shirt or two, and maybe darn something or other."

Draco had gone back to work. Without looking up, so she wouldn't see the look his face, he replied, "She got sick yesterday."

"Oh good, then she has plenty of free time. Is she in her room, then?"

"Try the infirmary. And no, she probably doesn't."

"How could she not?"

"She fainted."

"Really? Well Draco, you are very informative. Tell me, how did you find out?"

"I found her, moron."

"Oh, so you were looking for her." Julia refused to give up the belief that Draco wasn't cheating on Pansy. She neglected the fact that in order to cheat on Pansy, Draco would have to date her first.

He sighed. "Yeah sure, I was definitely looking for her. I ran into two of Potter's friends trying to get her down to the infirmary and decided they were too slow and she was too heavy for them."

He was helping Gryfindors? "So Pansy helped you?"

"Of course she did." He longed to give Julia a hug from which there would be no escape. Cursing her was an option, but his wand upstairs and he was really just too lazy.

"Now, did you say two of Potter's friends?"

"Yeah, where have you been? Or rather, where have your eyeballs been? Out with your brains, I suppose?"

"Oh, ouch." She smiled. "Such witty banter. Dear god, with all that imagination you have, how could all those girls ever be dissatisfied upstairs?"

"Yeah, including Pansy," he blearily sighed, ignoring the implications.

"Oh, most definitely Pansy. Kera too." Draco laughed outright. "What, so you're telling me you haven't ever touched her?"

Draco hid his eyes. He coughed slightly. "Julia, to tell you the truth… I can't stand Kera. I'm only following orders from mother to stick to her at all costs. But now that little bitch… I'm going to kill her!" he roared.

Julia looked ever-so-slightly aghast. She had taken acting lessons." What did Pansy do, Draco?" she asked as she prepared for nothing but lies.

"No Pansy, you dolt, that sick bastard Kera." Julia drew back in surprise. He went on. "Ever since I had to pretend to change and become Kera's 'friend', Pansy's been suspicious of something deeper. Apparently Kera felt the same way, because she tells me everything these days, and she decided to kiss me right in front of Pansy. Now the filth wants me to break up with Pansy, so we can date."

Julia sucked in a breath. "Draco, you can't possibly… your image…"

He gave her a hollow laugh. "Julia, you may have been taking Aunt Bellatrix's lessons very seriously, but you're so naïve."

Julia drew in a small rasp. How had he found out? Draco smiled, his bluff successful, and continued as if he had known all along. "Don't you see? One mistake our ignorant father always made was, with the Dark Lord, you must put him before everything else. Dignity, wealth, reputation, life, all of it. What is a little dignity lost at this dump of a school in comparison to all the honors I will receive if all goes well?"

Julia laughed. All this time her brother wasn't really a moron; he was just acting like a goody two-shoes for the stupid servant, so she would confide in him. How brilliant her brother was! "Well then, Draco, what can I do but help you? Clearly, if dating Kera will make her trust you, then we have to do it. I'll have to tell Pansy to back off, while you start dating Kera. Besides, maybe dating Kera will clear up that nasty gay issue. I know you and Pansy enjoyed keeping your relationship private, but this is different. I mean, it's not like you actually like Kera."

Draco nodded. At least Pansy would be out of the picture. He began to close up his books and rise, not wanting to go any farther with the whole issue. "Well, it was nice having this little talk. Glad I managed to clear things up for you." He had almost exited when Julia called out.

"Draco?"

"What?"

"Would you like to come see Aunt Bellatrix tonight with me? She's going to visit."

When his head turned around, it was cloaked in anger. "No, I wouldn't. And I wouldn't like to ever hear you mention her name in such an exposed place again. Who knows who might be listening?"

She gulped and quickly nodded so he would leave. Julia was ecstatic; her brother was back in business.

It was just after breakfast, and Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione surrounded a drowsy and slightly delirious Kera. She was pale, and Hermione and Ginny fluttered over her like mother ducks. Harry and Ron backed up slightly. It may have been one of those strange sexist mysteries, but girls always seemed to know more about sick people than most boys did. They decided, since Ginny and Hermione were so close, that the best thing would be to give the girl some air and go take some seats a few feet away.

"Kera, do you need some water, or something?" Hermione picked up the jug, hoping the response would be yes.

"Hermione?" Kera whispered. Her voice was sharp with something else that they couldn't make out. "No, I think I'm okay. My throat is a little… sore."

"Then take some."

"I don't think it will help."

"Do you want me to get Madame Pomphrey?" Ginny was disturbed by the listless look in her friend's eyes.

"No need." Madame Pomphrey showed herself into the room and next to the bed. "Ladies, I appreciate the help, but Dumbledore would like to talk to all four of you for a minute or two. Besides, I highly doubt this young lady is in any condition to talk."

"But, Madame Pomphrey…"

"No buts, Mr. Potter. All of you, go!"

They shuffled out, Hermione and Ginny sneaking looks back so often that they both looked as if they had acquired some strange palsy. Finally, Harry had to brush up against them and put hands on both shoulders. It worked for Ginny.

Dumbledore was leaning against an ornately carved pillar in a very un Dumbledore fashion. But, it so became clear why; his leg was bound up in bandages. The twinkle in his aging periwinkle eyes, however, was still there, and he continued to stroke his long, tuck up silver waterfall of hair. His glass, however, were off. "Ah, Harry, Ms. Granger, Mr. and Ms. Weasley," his usual powerful whisper dragged them in from a few feet away. "I am so glad your are prompt. Ms. Granger, is something wrong with your neck?"

Hermione stopped suddenly; she had been looking back again. "Oh… no sir, I'm fine."

"Right. Well, I am sorry to call you away from your friend's bedside so early in the morning, but I just got back from visiting a very old friend of mine who is in St. Mungo's. She too seems to not be in the best condition. However, it is Ms. Carutasu that I needed to talk to you about. How much do you know about her background?"

"Well, she's lived with the Malfoys for at least five years," Ginny helpfully told him.

"Don't you and Mr. Weasley live very close to the Malfoys?"

"Oh, well yeah, but Kera was Julia Malfoy's handmaid until this year. Julia hasn't been home for a good six years."

"Do you know anything else?" Dumbledore looked down his long crooked nose at them each for several seconds.

"Both her parents are dead, sir," Hermione whispered. "They have been for a long time. The Malfoys are all she has left."

"And they treat her like dirt," muttered Ron.

"Not true, Ron. Draco Malfoy seems really nice to her. He was actually the one who brought her here last night, instead of us."

"Malfoy?" Harry snorted.

"Yes, Malfoy. You two should really back off him." Hermione glared in particular at Ron.

"Anything else?" Dumbledore cut through the argument. "Have any of you noticed her magical ability?"

"Sir, why are you asking us this. Wouldn't you know what she could do better than anyone?" Harry questioned him.

"Well, Harry, I thought I did, but I've been some very strange complaints about Ms. Carutasu using her wand to cause mischief in class."

"Sir," Ginny informed him, "Kera can barely use a wand. Believe me, if someone is using magic in class, it isn't her."

"Ah, well, maybe I haven't been quite so specific. Actually, the teacher who raised the complaints may not have been referring to wand magic. I must confess, as my age raises so does the number of new students, and Ms. Carutasu is a very unremarkable one."

"Oh, well sir, Kera is a sorceress. But, I don't think she uses it very often," Ginny attempted to make the comment sound off-hand, but at Dumbledore's thoughtful look, she wondered what she had said.

"Ah, yes, the sorcery. Well, I know that Hagrid finds her help very useful, but many of the other teachers have encouraged her not to use it. You see, Ms. Carutasu's caregivers, the Malfoys, made it clear that their young ward often has bad illnesses when she uses her sorcery for most practical applications. It was a shame when we discovered that also applied to wand use."

"Hey Hermione, maybe that's why Kera always looks so ill," Ron commented. "She's probably not cursed after all."

"Ron," Hermione sighed angrily. She didn't know why, but the idea of Dumbledore hearing all their little theories about the plans of the Death Eaters. She always had the suspicion that Dumbledore didn't take them quite so seriously as he did Harry. "We don't actually think that sir," she explained, wanting nothing more than to slaughter Ron. "We just always wondered what made her so ill, that's all."

"Yes, well, friendship does tend to make people do that," he smiled benignly at them, and Hermione felt her face burn. Why hadn't she noticed this before? All those years, in those short conversations, he'd had admiration for her ability as a student and Ron's courage, but how had she not realized it was only Harry who he treated like an adult. Like facing Voldemort before the legal age made someone a more of an adult than his peers, even those who had been through almost as much. For the first time in her life, Hermione was actually envious of Harry Potter. "Now," Dumbledore continued, when Hermione made no reply, "I would like to talk Harry for a moment, if you three have no objection. Besides, I wouldn't want to keep you from the bedside of a sick friend."

Hermione refused to say a word; she felt walking a way was the best thing. At least Ron and Ginny were following her, not like one of those weird teen movies where everyone stares after the person. She always hated teen movies. Madame Pomphrey discreetly exited as they returned, muttering something about needing to go to the Slytherin Common Room. Kera was sitting up, looking extremely tired but, aside from her usual pathetic state, much better than before. "Well, Dumbledore's gone," Hermione commented to Kera.

"Gone? You mean Dumbledore's dead?" Kera's voice sounded hopeful, surprised, and rasping in such a strange combination that they all looked at her.

There were several moments of an awkward silence the likes of which was until then unknown.

"John Ritter is dead."

Ginny screwed up her face in Ron's direction. "Ron, what are you talking about?"

"John Ritter, from Three's Company. He's dead," Ron was at his most innocent, a childlike state of utter randomness, clearly brought on by the noxious plastic and hospital smell that permeated the place. Hermione gave him a small kiss on the cheek. She clearly had been inhaling too much as well.

"What's so funny?" Harry had returned from his oh-so grown up conversation with the headmaster.

Hermione decided to put her newfound jealousy behind her, and enlighten Harry. "Oh, it was nothing," she told him. Or not.

"So Harry, what did Dumbledore want to talk to you about?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, he seems to think I may have been the one who started Pansy Parkinson's toenails growing in the hall yesterday. Apparently she won't even come out of her room to get help." He turned to invalid girl. "I'm sure Kera wouldn't know a thing about it."

"Ummmmmm… atchoo?" was Kera's response.

Sometime after lunch, Draco slipped past the infirmary duty and came to Kera's bedside. Placing a chair near her head, he sat, and tapped the sleeping girl awake. An amused chuckle bitter with sadness escaped his lips when she turned away before she'd even looked. "How did you know?" he asked.

"Draco, why won't you just go away?"

"I'm touched. You called me Draco. I thought it was just Malfoy these days."

"Of course it is, Malfoy."

He sighed. "Umm, so, are you… feeling… any better?" The words came out with the tone of an awkward child.

Nothing but silence. Then, Kera's head turned. Curious eyes met his cold ones. "Why should you care? I mean, shouldn't you be off with all your pureblood friends or something?"

He of course heard the poison that welled up when she spoke of his 'friends'. Draco allowed the slightest flinch, half to make himself feel better, half to make her feel worse. She was of course doing this to spite him; her ignorance of his true feelings was the ultimate display of the lacking relationship between peers, or some nonsense like that. His greatest fear, at the moment, was that she actually meant what she said, and that what had once been there between them no longer existed. But, no, she couldn't literally forget, could she? "Why should I care? My dear Kera, when one of my real friends is injured, I'll naturally want to visit them and inquire as to their present state of health," he informed her, with his usual slight mockery.

"Oh yes, of course, how positively silly of me. Tell me, did you get that line out of a fortune cookie? Oh but, what about when Crabbe was hospitalized for three days for a snake bite? I don't recall you going down to see him."

"When did I ever tell you Crabbe was my friend? Did you know I found out that my parents paid him to spy on me last year?"

"Oh."

He gave her a pat on the shoulder. "So, how are you?" He was confident that she would respond this time. After all, he basically confirmed that he was her friend. There shouldn't have been any reason for her to suspect the other real reason for his visit.

Clearly, Draco Malfoy didn't know girls as well as he thought. "Draco, you can guess how I'm doing pretty easily. Cut to the chase; why are you here?"

He sighed. Time to give up the ghost. With an air of absolute calm, he told Kera about his small conversation with his 'rat faced pig of a little whelp' sister, neglecting of course to mention Aunt Bellatrix or any plans he may have been carrying out for the Dark Lord. Kera heaved a sigh of her own after he finished. "Well, it's great that you aren't dating Pansy anymore, but did you really have to be so mean to me?"

"Kera, when will you realize that Pansy and I haven't dated in three years? Besides, you know my sister wouldn't accept anything else from me but her sick version of the truth. If she had it her way, Pansy and I would be happily married, with ten or twenty little puggy Slytherinlits running around."

She laughed. It was weak and raspy, but it made Draco laugh too. Until the laugh became a cough. She smiled a little. "Yeah, I know that, but you don't honestly expect us to start dating now, do you?"

"Well…" he paused. Her face fell. "I mean, Kera, you know all about my image since that rumor got started. I was thinking maybe, just for awhile… Come on! No one will take me seriously these days!"

Kera paled in anger, a feat that was next to impossible, considering her pallid condition. "Draco, doesn't my opinion even matter to you? I thought I was your friend, but you won't even consider my feelings!"

"Kera, I know it'll be awkward but-" Draco attempted to articulate what he wanted her to do. But, how could you explain to a girl that she was the only girl you could date, with the understanding that the whole relationship was a lie, and the moment she wasn't needed anymore that would be the end of it?

"Draco, would you just spit it out? You know, I can't wait to hear your brilliant reason for this great plan." She acted just plain prissy. After all, she was his 'friend'; it was her right.

"Well, you're the best one for the job. You'd be the most convincing, and there'd be no romantic attachment from you." It was a lame-footed explanation. Draco figured it was the best he had.

Kera expected better from him. "Oh, so in other words, anyone else would actually fall for you? Don't be so full of yourself, Draco, there's a whole class of women who affect passion for men, when they get money for it. They're called prostitutes. But, while we're on the subject, may I remind you about the last little assignment of yours that didn't require any romantic attraction? Ginny was about ready to shoot me, as I recall, and she still hasn't gone out with you. How is this supposed to work any better?"

Draco ignored her jibe. His anger was starting to rise up, and he didn't want to hear it. "Kera, I didn't even have to ask you, if I didn't want to." No no no. Not like that Draco. Don't do what your father would do. You're better than that. From somewhere deep inside an unknown region called Draco's heart, Draco2 started fighting back the rage.

"Yeah, I know, just like you didn't ask me for the last one." Obstinately, she turned her back on him. At this point, however, she knew she was pretty much trapped.

"No, Kera, I don't what I was just saying. Please," he gave his head a little shake, like he was trying to clear the smoke around, "I don't want to make you." He ventured the tiniest brush of her arm. She turned like it had been an electric shock. He continued, "But, you don't know how much it would mean to me if you did this. Believe me, it's not going to harm you in any way. Not from Pansy, not from my sister, not from anybody, alright? What do you have to lose?"

She waited until he finished, and then some. Several minutes trickled by in embarrassment, not wanting to intrude. Finally, she decided. "You swear that this won't backlash at me in anyway?"

"Well, I can't make any guarantees, but I'll sure as hell try my best."

She heaved a great sigh, a sigh of defeat, almost. "Alright, I'll go out with you. But, I have two conditions." He nodded. She held up a finger. "One: no ordering me to do anything nasty with you. No sex, no insulting, no actual fist fighting, no nothing. I may be spending a lot of time with you, but darn it, I'd like to make those sorts of decisions on my own."

"Sounds reasonable to me. I didn't think there'd be any reason for that sort of thing anyway."

"Good." The second finger came up. "Two: I'm still going to want to have my own free time with my own friends. If you come along and you start a fight, we're through, okay?"

"What if they start it?"

"That's their problem. Now, if you agree to both of these conditions, I'll agree to be your weird imaginary girlfriend... thing. However, if either one is broken, I'll leave, and if you try to make me do anything, I will find a way to make you regret it. Got it?"

Draco gave a final nod to seal the deal. "That's simple enough. Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you in even closer quarters from now on."

She gave a small little chuckle. Their shaky, reinstated friendship had just become more awkward. Draco looked away and Kera absent traced the thick weave of her creamy sheets, and longed to see the snow. Then, the idea hit her. "Draco, could you be a darling little beau and go ask Madame Pomphrey if you can take me for a walk outside. I think I'm going to go mad in here."

Draco was a bit startled, but enough to question her. "Oh yeah, sure. Here, why don't I just take you along with me. Do you need to get dressed?" It was a little easier, in an awkward way. Dating meant that the two now had an excuse to be nice to each other, something they had recently ceased to do, even in private. Draco was afraid he may have forgotten how to be that way.

"No, I never got out of them," she informed him.

Inside, Draco2 reveled in his small victory over the bastard that had usurped his body for the past 8 or so years. The revolution had begun.

"Well, I guess we should go then." He held out his hand to her, to help her up, and was mildly surprised when took it not as a friend would, but the 'other way', fingers linked.

"We all have parts to play," she smiled.

Maybe Kera was still a little dizzy. Maybe they were just doing their jobs. But, they walked away just like that.

Julia was tense. Visit with Aunt Bellatrix were always like a trip to a foreign land. There was always the constant excitement that lead up to it, the heated anticipation. But, at the same time, there was the weakest stages of something akin to dread. Aunt Bellatrix had always been slightly foreign to the youngest Malfoy. With all the adult treatment came the adult expectation of responsibility whenever Bellatrix was around. Draco had shaken Julia badly when he'd admonished her for speaking about their Aunt in the open. Who knew? Maybe there would be nothing but a harsh rebuttal from her aunt for her foolishness. So, for the entire day, Julia flew from one thing to another, never concentrating on one activity for more than a half an hour.

By eight o'clock, with an hour left to go, even Julia's thick-brained boyfriend, Clarence, had noticed something amiss. He was used to Julia only half being around whenever they just sat, but now she was gone. "Julia, is something wrong? Did someone say something to you today? Was it another comment about your brother?"

Clarence really liked Draco Malfoy, and was thoroughly convinced he couldn't be a homo. After all, Draco had told him the perfect way to get his sister, Julia. It had been so simple, so manly. "Just beat up the next guy who even looks at her funny," had been his advice. Who could Dear Abby like that and not be straight as an arrow?

"Hmm?" she replied, opening her eyes in the sleepy way yet cute way only a young girl could.

"You were gone," was his answer. That, and pulling her closer to him.

Julia allowed it. Puppy love was so sweet to her, a very necessary candy in her life. After, with boys like Clarence, no one even thought to give her a wary glance. Her boyfriend took down men twice his size and, being in third year, was expected to become, if possible, more devastating. "Oh, no, I was just thinking." Clarence would delve deeper. Thinking was just not something the boy did.

"I hope it wasn't about another boy," he chuckled, exhibiting that wonderful jock humor that made him so popular with the ladies.

"What other boys are there for many," she murmured, knowing he'd be happy with that one.

Clarence let out a throaty laugh. Julia allowed herself to smirk. Knowing how to work a man was three-fourths of the job. But, she really just couldn't stand just sitting any longer. Stretching in her usual cat way, she gave him a small peck on the cheek. "I've got to get up super early tomorrow and-"

He finished for her. "You girls and your beauty sleep. Goodnight, then."

Good boy, thought Julia, and gave him a proper kiss as a reward before leaving.

Julia had just fallen onto her warm green bed when her head began to buzz. The mirror! it screamed inside her brain, and she quickly brought out a small pocket mirror, kept for just such an occasion. An image of Bellatrix Lestrange appeared, tapping her foot impatiently. "Ah, my dear, how's Slytherin? I hope you children still uphold the tradition of our house." This was her traditional greeting to Julia.

"Oh, yes, Aunt Bellatrix. My boyfriend Clarence Grainer nearly knocked a boy out with a spell the other day. The boy seemed to believe that my dear brother was a homosexual."

Aunt Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "Really? How strange. Still, I'm glad to see you chose Grainer. Strong, loyal, easy to control. Right up your alley."

Julia beamed. Seems her aunt had no idea about her niece's slip up that morning. Bellatrix cleared her throat. "My dear, I'm sorry I couldn't come to visit in person, but the Dark Lord needed me, and so I just couldn't make the journey. But, if you don't mind, I still like to ask you a few questions. You see, the Dark Lord needs an idea of how Kera is doing at Hogwarts."

Julia remembered her brother's words earlier that day. "Aunt Bellatrix, is the area secure first?" she questioned. Her end was already masked by a simple muffle spell. No one would hear a word.

"Yes of course," answered Bellatrix. "But you're using your head, that's good. Now, how well does Kera take orders?"

"Well enough. She tends to respond quickly and does what she's told."

"Good. Have you ever given her a hard order?"

"What do you mean?"

"A hard order to follow. Something that many people find morally wrong, that they try to struggle more against. Has she received any of those?"

"Not really. I told her to eat a worm once, but that was a close as it got. She did that, no trouble."

"Ahh. Well, this may be a bit of a problem."

"What? Oh, wait a minute." The terse discussion had been interrupted by the creak of a door opening. Luckily, it was upstairs. "Never mind, Aunt Bellatrix, what were you saying?"

"Well, you know what is required for the Dark Lord's plan to work, yes?" Julia nodded. "Well, Kera will very likely find this morally wrong, and she may rebel."

"But, Aunt Bellatrix, how will I control her if she manages to break free?"

"With four easy words and a spell."

"Will Draco know about this?"

"No. The Dark Lord wants you, Julia." Bellatrix's face was proud. She was Julia's real mother, not Narcissa.

Julia grinned.

A/N: Well, after torturing my three or so readers, I've decided to cut you all a break.! PLEASE R&R!