Chapter 73: The Heart of a Malfoy
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England
June 7, 1991 - Sunset
Draco shivered slightly in the cold crypt that now held the hallowed remains of his grandsire. He fought hard against the urge to cry. His stubbornness kept his tears at bay, whether this stubbornness was an inheritance from his Malfoy blood or his Black blood he didn't know. It was ever an ongoing argument between his parents when they were displeased with his behavior. Draco rather thought he came by the stubbornness honestly since both of his parents were incredibly stubborn people. His Godfather was likewise stubborn, and he shared blood with Severus as well.
"Is it wise to have Draco present for this, Lucius?" Severus asked his father softly, and Draco was sure he wasn't meant to hear the question, but the vault caused his softened tones to carry.
Draco glanced at his father and noted how his face was pinched, stress evident in the way he held himself. Stress and grief. He wanted to reach out and take his father's hand like he would have done just a few weeks ago when he was still a child and not the Heir Malfoy. But now he was the Heir and that changed things whether any of them liked it or not.
"Yes, he must be here," Lucius informed Severus, informed them both. "He is the Heir."
That was that then. He was the Heir, and this was duty. Draco came to stand between his father and his Godfather, the two men he trusted the most in the world and watched as they removed the sheet covering the mangled body of Lord Malfoy. Draco had to once more fight against the tears that wanted to spill. His Grandfather had fought hard, he had been told. His mother had told him that his fierce Grandfather had fought like a Dragon against those who wished to harm him and the Black family members who were with him. Eyewitnesses had revealed that Lord Malfoy died shielding the already felled body of Lord Black, his friend.
"Let that be a lesson to you my darling," Narcissa had said as she had smoothed a hand through his hair. "If you are in a situation where your survival seems slim, fight! Fight like a Dragon!"
"I wish he had taken them with him," Draco said quietly even as his hand moved forward to touch the cold, lifeless hand of his grandfather. "Since he did not, I hope that the law makes them pay for what they took from us," he whispered the last feeling a tear slip down his cheek as he slowly pulled his hand back from that ice-cold hand that he remembered being so warm when last it touched him.
He felt his father's hand on his shoulder, pulling him close to him, holding him against him. "Do it, Severus," his father ordered.
Draco looked up at his father in confusion and then to his Godfather. He watched Severus' face as the man seemed to steal himself and then he brought up his wand and called out a spell that Draco did not yet know, and he could not catch all of the syllables. He gasped in alarm as he watched the spell connect with his grandsire's body and cut through it, seeming to burrow down into the ribcage. He trembled against his father as he watched the proceedings, watched as Severus put his hand into the body of Lord Malfoy and took out his heart.
Lucius released Draco then and took out the bowl that he had carried into the crypt. It was a simple bowl, old jet, polished to a silver-black sheen. Draco thought it highly resembled some of the mixing bowls that he and Severus' other apprentices sometimes used.
Draco blinked then. "Oh," he gasped aloud and both men turned to look at him. He couldn't meet their eyes. Instead, he stared at the heart laying in the bowl. "It's for the wards isn't it?" Draco's voice trembled slightly but he didn't let it deter him from seeking answers, from gaining knowledge. Uncle Severus said knowledge was power. "House Malfoy is protected by the Heart of every past Malfoy," Draco quoted as he let his gaze move to meet his father's ice-blue orbs.
Lucius slowly nodded. "Yes," he agreed.
Draco nodded slowly. "And you are no potions master so you needed the assistance of Uncle Sev, and as the fostered child of Grandfather it was acceptable for him to assist you," he reasoned out aloud and felt some satisfaction swell within him when both his father and his godfather nodded their agreement. "Then I must assist Uncle Severus," he said with some conviction.
This gave his father pause. He could almost see the war within his father's mind. He wished to protect him as best he could, but he also knew that Draco would need to know how to do this. That one day it would be Lucius' heart that Draco would have to take out.
"Lucius," Severus said softly. "He is my Apprentice. It would do well for him to learn this."
His godfather's words seemed to spur his father into a decision and the man nodded his agreement. "Very well, but if it becomes too much," Lucius said in a voice full of command.
"It will not," Draco was the one who reassured his father. "This is my Grandfather's heart," he said softly. "I am the Heir Malfoy, committing his heart to the protection of future Malfoy's is no burden to bear, it is my honor."
Lucius chuckled then. "He has been spending too much time with you, Sev. He's beginning to sound like you," Lucius teased them, lightening the mood and it caused Draco to smile. Even Uncle Sev smiled, albeit slightly.
"Come Draco, we have work to do," Severus said as he turned away from them.
"Yes Master," Draco said obediently as he followed where Severus led.
The Malfoy potions lab was where his Master led him. Tools used for crushing ingredients were already laid out upon a waiting table and a clean but empty cauldron awaited them.
Draco watched carefully as Severus placed the jet bowl upon the worktop table. "Begin crushing the heart," was Severus' command. Draco nodded his agreement. "Yes, Master," he said falling into the pattern that had settled between himself and his godfather ever since he became one of the man's apprentices.
He took up the tools that he would need to use to begin crushing his grandfather's heart and he carefully inspected them to make sure of their cleanliness. Satisfied, he then turned his attention to the heart, and he paused briefly staring at the organ, such a vital organ of the human body. He had done this before. Ground and pulverized hearts of animals was necessary for their potions, but this wasn't an Adder's heart. This was his grandfather's heart.
Draco closed his eyes and slowly began to steady his breathing. This was his grandsire's heart, yes. It was Abraxas Malfoy's heart, and the man had known that one day Lucius or Draco would do this with his heart. He had known. It somehow made something settle inside of Draco, this knowledge that Abraxas had known what would happen.
"It should be Lucius here," Severus spoke softly.
Draco didn't know how to respond to that. Sometimes it was best to say nothing. Sometimes it was best to let his Godfather vent his frustrations, his hurts, with words. Draco chose to let him as he took the tool and began to grind the heart of his grandfather.
"Lucius is an adult, he should not leave this responsibility to you," Severus groused even as he inspected the other items that had been laid out for their use.
"Was it father that laid out the tools?" Draco found himself asking Severus.
This paused Severus in his muttering and those dark soulful eyes fixed upon him. "Yes," he admitted. "Since he knows what is needed, you would think that he would be here."
Draco hummed at that as he returned to focusing on his task. "Father is notoriously rotten at potions though. It's one of the few things that even families like the Weasley's and the Abbott's have been forced to acknowledge about him."
Severus chuckled darkly at that. "True enough. Warring Abbott and Arthur Weasley don't dare to spout off that Lucius could be using nefarious potions he brewed in the Malfoy family potions lab. Not when it is so well known that Lucius is so terrible at the subject."
Draco nodded at that, getting lost in the routine of his work. "Why is that? I've never understood how I could be so good at potions, yet father is so dismal at them," he frowned at that. Had his grandsire been a deft hand at potions? Was that why the family lab existed?
"Your grandmother was very skilled in herbology and potions," Severus said referring to Abraxas long-deceased wife Lysandra Malfoy nee Challant. "Abraxas had the lab renovated to please Lysandra."
"I should speak with her portrait more," he said thoughtfully. He often liked speaking with Lysandra. She showed special attention to both Draco and his cousin Luna, so he was pretty sure that they were her favorites. "I guess that Aleksei and I must get our skill in potions from grandmother then," he reasoned.
Severus smirked. "That is a fair assumption," he agreed. "The other possibility is that you got it from me," he pointed out.
Draco glanced up then and looked at Severus with wide eyes. They rarely spoke of it, of how Lucius had insisted on using an ancient blood ritual when making Severus the Godfather to Draco. He studied his godfather for a few moments, taking in Severus' pride. He was proud that Draco's skill might just come from him. The idea had merit. Draco often picked up on things in a way very similar to his godfather. Aleksei, for all of his brilliance with potions, was not quite so skilled as Draco was. Draco idly wondered if it was the fact that his cousin was, in fact, a genius. Aleksei's brain flitted too much for him to truly immerse himself completely in the joy of making potions. Aleksei enjoyed the parts about handling the ingredients. He did that very well, but the long periods of watching over the potion, doing the slow turns, drove Aleksei crazy with boredom and his mind always turned away from the potion and to other things. Draco had the patience for potions and Aleksei didn't. He supposed it was just as simple as that.
Draco paused for a moment and looked with a clinical eye at the heart. It was mostly crushed, the magically enhanced tool assisting him with his task. Blood had gushed from the heart, proof if ever Draco needed it, that the preservation charms that had been cast on Lord Malfoy had been done by a strong Witch or Wizard. He continued on for a little longer until Severus placed a hand upon his wrist. He looked up and met Severus' eyes. "Is it enough now, Master?" he asked softly.
Severus nodded and gestured for him to bring the heart to the cauldron. Draco as always obeyed his Master. He carefully poured the crushed heart and the blood that had been crushed out of it into the cauldron. He watched as Severus used his wand to pour water into the cauldron, carefully noting how much water Severus was using for the task at hand.
"Go and grind up some lavender. Then I'll need you to crush the holly berries," Severus ordered.
Draco nodded and immediately got to work on the dried lavender that his Master had already laid out. "We'll only need the juice of the holly berries, right?" Draco inquired.
Severus smirked. "I'll make a potions master out of you yet," he said with approval in his voice.
It made Draco feel warm to have Severus' approval. He made swift work of the lavender placing a bowl filled with the finely ground lavender within easy reach of his Master. Then he gathered a bowl to crush the holly berries in. He paused then and glanced to his Master. Severus had not said how many holly berries he needed to crush. The berries sat in a large bowl in the center of the table. Did his Master need all of those berries crushed?
"How many does the potion need?" Draco asked as respectfully as he could considering he felt a little annoyed with Severus for not telling him.
"All of them," Severus returned simply as he looked over Draco's work of ground-up lavender.
Oh. Well, that did make sense then. Still, it wasn't like Severus hadn't left his apprentices guessing in the past. He often chose to test their developing skills in such a manner. Draco should have realized that this wouldn't be the case now. Testing Draco like this could spoil the potion. Severus would not sabotage a special potion like this just to test his Apprentice's skills.
He swiftly plucked up some of the holly berries from the bowl and got to work crushing them. He drained their juice into a separate bowl and then plucked up four more berries to begin the process again. He hummed softly to himself, a long-ago lullaby that he remembered his grandfather singing to him and Theo when they were little kids.
"I haven't heard that song since you and Theo wouldn't calm down after that encounter with the Boggart," Severus murmured as he slowly stirred the cauldron counterclockwise for a turn and then resumed stirring clockwise.
Draco blushed at the reminder. "Well, who keeps a Boggart in a wardrobe?" he groused.
"Your Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Ysoria apparently," Severus replied in a droll tone of voice. "And if you and Theo had not been snooping around in her old rooms then you would never have encountered the Boggart."
Draco made a face at that. "Granted," he agreed. "But then, we had never been told that we couldn't go into Great-Grandmother Ysoria's old rooms either. And in any case, it caused mother to have the rooms finally cleaned out, so some good came out of it."
Severus hummed in acknowledgment.
"You know, I never thought of it when I was little because I didn't know much about Boggart's then, but now," Draco paused in his speech as he carefully drained the berry juice into the bowl. When he was finished and plucked up more berries for crushing, he finished verbalizing his thoughts. "Now, I wonder how that Boggart managed to live for so long in the wardrobe. Had it only recently taken up residence in that abandoned wardrobe in that abandoned room? How did it get there? Grandsire said the Manor wards keep creatures like that from wandering onto the grounds and into the house."
"It was an older creature. I assume that Ysoria had kept it for some purpose or other," Severus said thoughtfully even as he slowly began to add some of the ground up lavender to the potion. Draco swiftly noticed that the addition of the lavender along with three counterclockwise stirs had transformed the color of the potion from a ruby red to a deeper shade of violet.
"So, it must have been in the wardrobe starving before Theo and I found it?" Draco asked. At Severus' answering nod, Draco frowned. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he hated the idea of a creature starving. On the other hand, it was a Boggart and they were basically designed to feed on the fears of others. Much like Dementor's tried to suck all of the happy thoughts from people, Boggarts sucked up the fears of others. Yet the Boggart forced you to live that fear, brought it to the forefront and transformed themselves into some trigger, some representation of your fear.
Draco idly wondered if he was still afraid of bats. Theo's fear had been of Draco dead on the floor. His best friend and kinsman had been rather inconsolable when he had dragged him away from the Boggart and gotten him out of his many Great-Grandmother's old suite of rooms. Lord Malfoy had not been happy that a Boggart had been in the house and he had spent many hours soothing Theo and Draco in the aftermath of their great scare.
That was the great thing about his grandfather. No matter how formidable the man was, and Lord Malfoy had been very formidable, Draco had always known that he could run to the man if he were truly afraid. He felt the sting of tears as he focused on his task of crushing holly berries. He fought against the urge to cry again at the reminder of just what he and his family had lost even as he presented the bowl of berry juice to his Master.
"Pour it into the cauldron, nice and slow," he was instructed. Draco obeyed, choosing to pour as slowly as he dared without losing his grip on the bowl. He watched as the liquid slowly turned a deep dark purple as Severus stirred the contents.
"It needs one last ingredient," Severus said gently.
Draco set the bowl down and looked over the table, confused when he found no other ingredients. He looked to Severus with teary eyes in confusion. "What ingredient, Master?"
"Your grief," Severus murmured softly even as he guided Draco to the cauldron and forced him to take the stirring rod in hand. "You will stir the potion now and think of your grandsire. No more than three tears must enter the cauldron, Dragon."
Draco took a shuddering breath and nodded as he slowly began to stir. Severus stood at his back, his gentle voice guiding him, "Now counterclockwise two stirs then back to clockwise."
"When my mother died, your father refused to leave me with my father," Severus said softly from his position behind him. "I was assured of Lucius' affection. I knew he loved me. I was his Arden. I also knew that your mother felt great affection for me as well. But it was your grandfather that I worried about. Lucius brought me home to Lord Malfoy and I was never so nervous as when I met Abraxas Malfoy."
Draco didn't dare to speak. It wasn't like his godfather to share vulnerabilities with him. He often wondered if he shared them willingly with his father or did Lucius have to pull them from Severus?
"I expected for him to refuse me shelter," he said softly. "I thought he would disapprove of the ugly little urchin that his son had brought home and declared his family. I thought that Lord Malfoy would deny my connection, my bond to Lucius."
Draco shuddered at the very thought. He couldn't imagine his life without his Godfather in it. He just didn't want to contemplate what could have happened if his Grandsire had done all the things that his Godfather had feared he would do.
"He welcomed me. He embraced me and called me his son," Severus said softly. "And then he waged a campaign to make me believe that I was his. He told me once that as I was Lucius's so to was I his. For your grandfather, it was just that simple. He had another son. It took me longer to understand that he meant it. That he had opened his heart and his home to me."
Draco stared down into the cauldron and stopped fighting the tears. His Grandfather had been a cunning and intelligent man. He had been kind to those who he felt deserved it. Merciful to those that he felt deserved mercy. Ruthless toward his enemies. He had been as fierce as a dragon and Draco was going to miss him very much.
He barely noticed when the three tears fell into the cauldron, but he was grateful that Severus noticed, that he pulled him back before a fourth tear could fall in and ruin the potion. He glanced up at his Godfather, meaning to thank him but found his face cupped by Severus. The potions master's fingers gently brushed the tears from his cheeks. "You do not mourn alone, Dragon," Severus murmured as he gently pulled Draco into a hug.
It was all the permission that Draco needed to burrow into Severus' warm robes. He took in the scent of potions ingredients, sage, lavender, holly berries, as he began to cry. He felt Severus's long fingers combing through his hair as he crooned softly to him. It was the lullaby that his grandfather had sung to him so long ago, the one Draco hummed when he felt unsettled.
He let himself relax into Severus's care, giving himself over to grief for the moment. Soon, he'd have to be responsible again. There was the potion that would settle and then he'd take it to his father for the ritual to strengthen the wards. He didn't have to do that now though. For now, he could let himself enjoy the care and protection that his godfather provided.
It was just a few minutes before midnight when Draco came to Lucius carrying the bowl that held what was once the heart of Abraxas Malfoy. He was careful in his steps to not allow the dark violet liquid to slosh out of the bowl.
Lucius studied Draco for a moment, but he didn't look to the contents of the bowl. Instead, he took a pendant from within his robes and he dangled it in front of Draco so that he might look at it. "This is no simple quartz," he said as Draco studied the simple-looking quartz that hung from an indistinct silver chain. "This is a witchlight," he informed Draco.
Draco's eyes widened in surprise at that. He had read old stories in the Malfoy family library about these ancient artifacts, but they were not made anymore. In the past young children who were too young for wands were given these so that they could find their way in the darkness.
"It is yours now. You will need it to find your way tonight," the new Lord Malfoy said as he then placed the chain around Draco's neck. He watched Draco closely and Draco felt the quartz warm against his chest. He fought the urge to touch the object. That would mean releasing the bowl and he couldn't do that. Severus had warned him that he couldn't let go of the bowl until it was time.
"Thank you, father," Draco said solemnly.
His father smiled at him in reassurance and then he turned away. "It is almost time," Lucius said after a moment of silence. "Come, Draco. Follow me and spill nothing."
Draco didn't bother with an answer. He knew that it was important that he spill nothing. Not a drop could be spilled, or it was possible that the wards would not be strengthened by this sacrifice.
He found himself following his father into his father's study. Lucius pricked his finger with a knife and then pressed a bloody digit to the edge of a painting of Armand Malfoy I, the first Malfoy to live in Britain since their family line was forced to flee from Arthur's Knights in the wake of the Battle of Camlann. To Draco's surprise, the portrait slid aside revealing a secret passageway. Draco, Theo, Blaise, and Luna had often explored the hidden passages as kids and Draco thought he knew each and every one of them. It seemed that he was very much mistaken because he had never seen this one before.
He followed his father within, and darkness soon befell them as the portrait slid back into place behind them. He heard his father murmur "Goleuo" and then the quartz flared to life, illuminating the darkness. Draco had to blink a few times to get used to the light.
"Be careful, Draco," Lucius told him. "The steps are very old. Carved by Armand the first," he said even as he led them carefully down the stairs.
"Where does this lead?" Draco wondered. He had been so sure that they would perform this duty outside on the grounds, yet it seemed like they were going down deep beneath the manor instead.
"No questions now, Draco," his father commanded.
Draco obeyed. It wasn't just a command from his father. This was a command from Lord Malfoy. He slowly took in the stone walls around him. Everything looked so crudely done, nowhere near the magnificent stone craftsmanship of the Manor. It was hard to believe that such a secret could exist in the manor. His ancestors had been a pretentious lot who craved creature comforts. Draco was proud of this since he too liked his creature comforts. This crude and simple passageway leading deep into the earth beneath the manor seemed very strange by comparison.
He wondered if it was Armand the first who had created this place? Armand was a great and powerful Wizard. He was descended from Morgana through her youngest grandson, the only one of her bloodline that had managed to escape the remnant of Arthur's ruthless Knights after King Arthur had been killed with Mordred at Camlann. His Grandsire had once told him that Armand was every bit as powerful as Morgana had been. He had been amazed by that as a child, but now he was a bit more skeptical. How could his grandfather have known just how powerful Morgana had been? No portrait along with her essence existed. There was no Portrait-Morgana to converse with. Armand the first had been born several centuries after Morgana's passing so Draco rather thought a true comparison would be impossible to prove.
At last, they came to stop inside of a simple round chamber. There was a tall hearth carved within the western wall of the room and Draco idly wondered if it was actually set up to the floo network. Perhaps one day his father would entertain his questions, but it was clear that he wouldn't now, so Draco didn't bother to ask. His eyes were captured by the small glowing crystal that held pride of place in the center of the room.
"Come here, Draco," Lucius ordered, and Draco obeyed, careful not to spill a drop of the potion. He looked to his father for instruction, willing himself to be patient.
"You shall pour the potion over the crystal as I speak the spell," Lucius informed him.
Draco gave a curt nod to show he understood his father's order and he slowly lowered himself to the floor, kneeling beside the crystal. He didn't bother to look up at Lucius, just poised to control the flow of the pouring as he waited for his sire to speak.
"O gallon," Lucius began to chant, and Draco dutifully began to pour the potion, the liquified remains of his grandfather's heart mixed with water, lavender, and holly berries over the crystal.
"Cryfhau, ac amddiffyn ein cartref," Lucius finished his chant just as the last drop of liquid slipped from the bowl and splashed upon the crystal.
For a moment all was peaceful and then dark purple light sprang from the crystal and seemed to wrap around first Draco and then Lucius. It seemed to caress them, and Draco had to fight the urge to scramble back from the glowing crystal with it's thick and heady magic. Just as swiftly as Draco mastered himself, the caress ceased and the magic flowed beyond him, seeming to seep into the very walls behind him.
Draco felt the blood thundering in his veins, could feel it like a thundering in his ears. It was as though he had done several rounds of battle drills in Master Rosai's combat class. He reached a tentative hand up and slowly gripped his witchlight, using the touch and texture of the crystal resting against his chest to calm and soothe this frazzled nerves.
Lucius chuckled as he stared down at Draco. "It takes some getting used to," he said, looking a little frazzled as well. His father's ice-blue eyes seemed to hold vast power for a few moments but then Lucius blinked, and that power was hidden. It wasn't gone, Draco somehow knew that.
Draco slowly rose to his feet. "That felt," he paused trying to come up with the correct words.
"The magic judged and accepted you," Lucius said as he studied him. "In fact, I would say that it eagerly accepted you."
Draco frowned in confusion at his father's tone of voice. Lucius sounded like he was puzzling over something. "Isn't that a good thing?" he asked.
Lucius seemed to come out of his contemplation then. A soft smile curved his father's lips. "Yes Draco," he agreed. "It is a good thing. Come. We should tell the family that all was done correctly, and that Lord Abraxas Malfoy can now rest with our ancestors."
Draco watched as his father turned away to lead the way back up the stairs. He slowly began to follow his father but as he reached the stairs, he paused and glanced back at the glowing violet crystal in the floor. It seemed to pulse, like a heartbeat.
"Draco," Lucius's voice called to him and Draco startled, snapping his head back to look up the stairs.
"Coming father," Draco called, and he swiftly fled up the stairs as fast as he dared, grateful for the witchlight that lit the way for him.
The spell: Oh heart, strengthen, and protect our home.
I used Google Translate to translate the sentence into Welsh as I do not speak the language myself.
Next Chapter: The Black family entombs their fallen.
