Author's Note: Dear readers, grad school has started for me so in all likelihood updates will likely slow down from here on out. In other words, please be patient! I have mapped out the remainder of this story and have every intention to see it through to completion. I hope you enjoy this chapter I have been eager to get to this point and introduce Theodore to the story.
Chapter 12
Present Day
Nott Manor
Theodore Nott had only returned to the UK three weeks ago and found the cool gray skies to be a welcome reprieve from the merciless sunshine of Africa. It was too hot, too dry for his taste but living abroad in such a unique place had offered him what the UK could not: anonymity. The years after the war had not been kind to his family. If Theodore was honest with himself, he would say that the decline in the public's eye had started much earlier when his father was suspected of being a Death Eater. The suspicions were both valid and very much true but that only meant that his time at Hogwarts was further dogged by the angry whispers of his peers too afraid to confront him directly about the accusations but brave enough to talk behind his back.
Theodore was all too eager to leave the gossip behind, taking his family's fortune and planting roots elsewhere. They say travelling can expand one's mind and Theodore found that to be quite true. There was a lot he learned about the world in his time apart. But he had also learned important details about himself too.
Save but a handful of his closest colleagues few knew of his sudden arrival back to his homeland and Theodore was perfectly fine with that. In the aftermath of the war that tore the land apart five years ago the former Slytherin had distanced himself from all that had once been so familiar so much so that it felt strange to finally be standing in his father's private library. A stasis charm had been cast before he left, keeping the entirety of the home in pristine condition. Not even a speck of dust marred the interior of the ancient abode.
"Hello father," Theodore greeted although his gaze was fixated out the window and there was no one in the room with him. After several long moments a weathered old man appeared in the portrait closest to where the young man stood. Theodore Nott Sr. had a commanding presence even in the form of paint on canvas, his steely blue eyes matching the same shade of his son's. His face contorted in a glare.
"So after abandoning your heritage home you have finally come back, boy?"
"It would appear so," he answered stiffly. In life, Nott Sr. had terrified Theodore but these days he did not have any power over his only living son. He was nothing but ink and anger after all.
"And what have you been doing all this time?"
"Charity, mostly. I have been restoring our family name's honor," Theodore replied, turning to look upon the unimpressed portrait.
The older Nott scoffed. "You know little of honor. Your mother coddled you as a boy and made you a weak spineless creature. A disgrace to the name."
"Such venom, father," Theodore said in a bored drawl. The wizard drew his wand and without a word drew circles in the air with small flames. The painting of his father eyed the trick suspiciously even as his son continued to speak. "If only you knew the truth of what sort of man I am I daresay you would be proud."
"Hardly possible," Nott said with a sneer. "You did not follow the Dark Lord and you turned your back on your destiny. There is nothing you could do to make me proud after the shame you brought upon us."
"If I had done as you had wished we likely both would have been nothing more than paintings on some dusty forgotten wall. What sort of powerful wizard is defeated by a teenager? And his followers no more than caricatures in cloaks. I would like to say I made the wiser choice staying out of your affairs."
" Besides father, some are born to follow," Theodore stepped forward quickly and with horror Nott Sr.'s painting realized what was happening as the flames on his son's wand suddenly consumed the frame of where he resided. "But I was born to lead."
The painting let out an anguished yell as it disintegrated into ashes. Once there was nothing more but a dark sooty stain where his father's painting once resided, Theodore gave a satisfied nodd.
He donned a slow cambering smile as he summoned a House Elf. The frail creature flinched instinctively as it popped into appearance at his master's feet.
"Yes, Master Theodore?"
"I did some redecorating, see to the rubbish will you? We cannot have guests thinking we live like animals here."
"Guests, sire?"
"Another matter I need you to attend to I suppose. See to it that a proper invitation is sent out to Mr. Draco Malfoy; it's time my old friend and I catch up."
Present Day
Artemis Home
"Tea?" Lupin offered as he poured himself a cup. Malfoy shook his head, waving off the offer. He wore an impatient scowl on his face as he sat in Lupin's office. Elements of the current occupant's taste in interior dotted the room: different books, a handful of strange magical artifacts, and two pictures on his desk of what appeared to be his wife and child. Malfoy only vaguely recognized his wife's appearance, although he knew her by her name. Nymphadora Tonks Lupin was in fact his cousin but they had never had so much as a passing conversation. Her family history was blighted by her mother's exilement from the Black Family and in turn she too had been estranged from her relatives. As a very young child he had seen the hex marks of Andromeda Black and had imagined she had done something terrible; in hindsight as an adult he cared less of whom she had married if only because he was too weary with his own cursed life to be concerned about a woman he had never met.
"Perhaps one day you could meet her," Lupin said as he traced Malfoy's gaze to the picture of Tonks and Teddy. He knew it was unlikely the young man would accept such an offer but Lupin still held out that stubborn man would.
They had been having these meetings for nearly three years since the fateful day he received an unexpected owl from Narcissa Malfoy asking him to see her son. While the former Slytherin was fairing far better than the day Lupin had found him in his family manor nearly out of his mind, Lupin still saw the cracks in the young man's haughty facade years later. Malfoy was functioning far better than some with lycanthropy but the clues to his struggle were still there if one knew what to look for-and Lupin did.
"I don't believe that would be proper," Malfoy said quickly. "And anyways that is not what I came here to speak with you about."
Lupin sat down in the armchair across from his guest and took a sip from his tea. He quirked a brow in curiosity, waiting for Malfoy to elaborate.
"It's about the other day... When she attacked me," he said. Lupin was perhaps about to protest but the young man raised his hand to halt him. "It is something that I need an answer to because I can't stop thinking about it. She put me under some sort of imperius curse. Can they do that?"
"Hmm," Lupin ignored Malfoy's use of they knowing the other werewolf often had to detach himself from his condition to cope with what he had become. "She was wandless but still...can you describe what it felt like?"
"Like I had no control of my arms; it wasn't that did not want to defend myself only that I couldn't not even as she was choking me."
"I do apologize again for what happened," Lupin said. "But this is quite interesting. I have been working on research of pack hierarchy magic and this may be helpful in understanding it further."
"Pack hierarchy magic? What are you insinuating? I am not any part of those transient groups, thank you very much."
"I was not suggesting that," Lupin said. "But among werewolves I theorize there is a set of magic that can be harnessed by the alphas. The unique and rare class of werewolves that are capable of leading large numbers of werewolves."
"I still don't know what this has to do with me, old man. I came here to find out if bloody Granger cursed me."
"No, I don't think she cursed you. I think you wolf side was merely responding to her."
"I don't like that," Malfoy said and his face became red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "How do I turn it off? I don't want any part of this."
I don't want any part of this.
The words struck Lupin in their echoing sadness. He was familiar with the feeling as he himself battled it throughout his life. "I know you don't, Draco. I do not have all the answers but I would like to help if you will let me."
He put a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder and for once Malfoy didn't recoil from the gesture of kindness. And to Lupin's surprise Malfoy nodded and simply said, "What do I need to do?"
5 Years Prior
By Hermione's estimation they had been held captive by the centaurs for a week. The days and nights blurred together as neither of them were privy to what the world outside their prison looked like. Hermione only had her instinctual circadian rhythm to lead her guess as to what part of the day it was. One detail she was absolutely certain of was that every night they approached a new phase in the moon she could feel the shift of the magic in her bones as much as in the air around them.
The only part of her captivity that Hermione found relief in was that Greyback was recovering from his injuries. Thanks in part to the salve given by their centaur liaison as well as his heightened healing properties of his werewolf nature Greyback recovered a little more of his health each day. The bruising on his chest still looked like a map of North America but the sick black and blue was beginning to fade.
To pass time they spoke of various topics, skirting past the heavier issues for more neutral areas of conversation. Greyback, to Hermione's surprise, didn't much mind listening to her discuss House Elves rights for instance and although he offered an amused smile when she told him about her attempts to free the Hogwarts elves in her earlier years, he wasn't the least bit condescending.
"I think your Wizarding Ministry could use a woman with your compassion," he said.
Hermione hid the faint blush across her cheeks in response to Greyback's smile and warm voice.
"I want to make a difference," she said. "Not just for elves, you know. But for werewolves and all the other magical persons."
"I am sure you will," he replied. Greyback looked to his feet, scuffing the ground beneath him as he continued to speak. "I have always thought that brutal might was the only useful tool for diplomacy but it hasn't served me well in these long years. It hasn't much served my people either I suppose."
"Greyback?"
He shook off the thoughtful expression he had worn for the moment, the wolfish grin returning to his face once more as he raised his gaze to Hermione. "Perhaps your way will be better. But first things first we need to get out of here."
"Do you have a plan?"
"Not yet," Greyback replied. In his experience of escaping and evading, he knew complicated plans were nearly impossible to put together when one was limited on supplies, information and man power. They lacked all three. So their only option would be to wait. Wait for the opportunity to present itself and then pounce on it. Each slow phase of the moon meant they were one step closer to the manifestation of a full moon. He had a feeling the centaurs were equally aware of this detail and had something planned for the werewolves.
But what? Greyback wondered to himself. He worried less for himself and more for his companion. He still held to his silent pledge that he would do whatever it took to ensure she escaped but time would tell whether he could keep that promise.
The door of their prison swung open and the quick opening allowed them to see that the sky was a dusty pink. It was dusk then, Greyback made the mental note. The centaur that had first given Greyback the healing salve entered the space once more. She brought food each time she visited, careful not to get too close to either of the werewolves as she peered curiously at Greyback's wounds. Each meal time she would remind them to eat and get strong and ignore any questions.
Today in the doorway she was accompanied by five or six squirming centaur children. They giggled amongst themselves as they gawked at Hermione and Greyback. Hermione rose to her feet and although with more effort, Greyback did the same. The children at once stopped giggling.
"They wanted to see the werewolves," the familiar female centaur said as she placed the basket of food on the floor, sliding it carefully close enough to the pair of prisoners without putting herself any closer.
Hermione raised her arms with an unpleasant look, "Tah-dah! Are we not just prisoners but part of a petting zoo now?"
By now some of the children centaurs were nervously hoofing at the dirt floor. The older centaur said nothing, tilting her head to the side as she studied Hermione. It wasn't but a moment later that the centaur girl repeated the same words she always said to them: "Eat and get strong." And at that she disappeared, taking with her the small centaur children.
Greyback was smirking now but said nothing as he dug through the basket's contents.
"What is it?" Hermione said.
"You put the fear of Artemis in those children," Greyback said.
Hermione felt bad at once but only for a moment as the fact still remained that they were imprisoned by the centaurs. Somehow it felt better to be feared by them then treated like pets. Even if the visitors had only been children.
"Apple?" Greyback offered, tossing the fruit to her. He clearly did not think much of the exchange and therefore Hermione would not either. Besides, they had more pressing matters to attend to like planning an escape.