Chapter 77

Draco eyed his mother reading peacefully in the library. Flexing his fingers nervously, he peered down the foyer to where his father sat engrossed over some parchments in his study. The Dark Lord was away and the offer of a prisoner exchange had been answered through an announcement in the Daily Prophet.

Events were coalescing.

Draco wouldn't get a better chance than right now. The sooner he killed Nagini, the sooner the war would end. He had no idea what fresh hell would be unleashed once he finished off the snake and knew he needed to get his parents out before doing anything irreversible.

Inhaling a steadying breath, he walked over to his mother.

"Mother," he called, and she glanced up from her book. "Will you join me outside?"

Pursing her lips, she studied him, to which he returned his most winning smile. That made her narrow her eyes, a sure sign he was up to something. He'd been giving her that smile to cover up mischief for as long as he could remember.

It worked maybe… once.

Walking outside was an unusual request with how busy he'd been of late, but she placed her book on the side table and approached him, inserting her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"I've wanted to check the rose bushes," she suggested, raising a conspiratorial eyebrow.

Draco smirked down at her in appreciation. The density of the growth and presence of thorns would make it nigh impossible for Nagini to follow. "An excellent idea, mother."

They exited the Manor into the balmy fall weather and strolled down one of the garden paths together. He watched his mother's pale blond hair pick up slightly in the breeze as they meandered down the stone path. A flock of geese flew overhead, their honking was loud and then faded into the distance. Finally, they reached the rose garden.

The path was wide enough for two people, but too convoluted for Nagini to enter. Bright reds and pinks interspersed throughout the dark green bushes. Draco flared his nostrils, nervous, and yet enjoying the fragrance. His mother turned to him expectantly, blue eyes bright and wary. He didn't have time for games and hidden meanings, and decided to lay all the cards on the table. Casting a Muffliato for good measure, he peered around them and then fixed his gaze on his mother's face.

"If the Order could kill the Dark Lord, would you switch sides?"

Whatever she expected him to say, this was not it. She opened her mouth to reply, swallowed and then cleared her throat.

"Can they?" Her tone was hopeful and Draco released the tension in his shoulders. His mother would come with him; Yasmine was right again.

"Yes. They've known how to for a while now, but it'll happen when the prisoners are exchanged."

Her eyes widened in amazement and she grabbed his wrist. "You're the spy," she whispered incredulously. "Not Travers."

"I'm not the only one."

"Who else?" her voice rose in surprise.

"Severus."

Her lips parted. "No."

"Yasmine."

"Merlin."

"Kingsley."

"I can't believe it," she gasped. "How long have you been helping them?"

"Since last summer."

She studied his face in shock, mulling over the implications. "I'm so sorry, Draco." Her eyes watered and she tightened her grip on his wrist. "I should have known. I'm your mother."

He smiled sadly down at her. "It's better that you didn't."

Nodding silently, she was still processing everything he said. "So they're going to kill him? But how? They're outnumbered and the Dark Lord lured them into a trap."

"They're positioned to win. The Order knows the prisoner exchange is a ruse and planned an offensive at Hogwarts. That's why I'm telling you everything now."

He waited for her reply while she studied him, considering their next move.

"Lucius," she said, furrowing her brows in worry.

He craned his neck to gaze at the rear entrance of their home. Draco didn't know what to do about his father, but he had to get him out of the Manor. It seemed his mother agreed with Yasmine, his father wouldn't switch sides.

But with Narcissa backing Draco, they could get him away to safety. Willingly or not.

He turned to his mother. "I have to kill Nagini." She raised her eyebrows curiously. "Today. Once I do, the Dark Lord can be killed. But none of us can be here once it's done, so I want to take you both into hiding now."

Her lips quirked upward. "And you'll fight him while we're in hiding?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

His heart skipped a beat. Did he miscalculate? He thought she'd switch sides. Blaise's mum thought she would as well. His mother hated the war and hated serving the Dark Lord.

"But–"

She stared down her nose at him. "I'll fight with you. Let's go talk to your father."

He exhaled in relief. Draco was prepared to incapacitate his father and confine him to Hermione's house if necessary. But he didn't want his mother at Hogwarts. He wanted his parents safe and far away from what would surely be a bloody battle, despite the Order's tactical advantage.

"I don't want you to fi–"

She shot him her 'Do-not-defy-me' glance and he closed his mouth.

"I've failed protect to you from them, Draco."

"You did your best."

"Perhaps." She gazed up at him, and a tear threatened to make its way down her face. "But I still failed to protect my child. I won't fail again, let's go inside."

"He won't agree," Draco warned.

His mother stopped and turned to face him, jaw set and her eyes blue steel. "Watch."

Blaise's mum had told him that his father wouldn't defect, and she had been right about everyone else he contacted. Of course, reading minds wasn't the same as predicting the interaction between two people.

Mother and son strolled leisurely up the path, back towards the Manor. She was still holding onto his arm as if they were enjoying a sunny fall afternoon walk, and not planning to overthrow the deadliest wizard in history.

The two of them entered his father's study and his mother approached Lucius while Draco closed the doors, silenced and warded them. Immediately wary, his father leaned back in his chair and placed his quill down.

Draco started to speak but his mother silenced him with a look. She was good at that.

"Lucius, we need to leave. Our family will not survive the year."

His father crossed his arms over his chest and flicked his eyes back and forth between the two of them.

"And how to do you propose to do that, Cissy?" Draco noticed that his father didn't argue with her assessment. She knew exactly which buttons she needed to push. He felt like he was watching a verbal chess match, and they were tentatively advancing their pawns in the opening moves.

"We'll go into hiding."

"Karkaroff attempted the same. They killed him," his father replied without pause.

"Karkaroff was an idiot," his mother retorted calmly. "Furthermore, we only need to hide for a month. It took five months to track him down."

"One month is awfully specific." His father was eyeing Draco, as if contemplating how to take his mother's rook.

"The Order will win by then," his mother continued.

"And just how do you know that?" His question was directed at Draco now, despite his mother's attempts to keep the focus on her. "Regardless of the explosions, the Order only just now suffered irreparable losses. They've fallen for the prisoner exchange ruse and will be finished off."

He glanced at his mother to see if he should answer. She held up her index finger, putting her game pieces into place.

"Draco has been playing both sides, as you should have been, Lucius."

If Draco wasn't such a good Occlumens, his jaw would have dropped to the floor. He had never heard his mother speak to his father in such a manner. He pictured his mother calmly removing his father's knight from the chess board with a smile.

"I'm not an Occlumens, Cissy. As you well know."

"Fortunately, we have that skill set in the family and should have been leveraging the benefits this entire time."

Draco watched his father mull this new information over. Never a good sign. He turned towards Draco and narrowed his eyes at him, cold and calculating, and then shifted his gaze back to his mother.

Lucius leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "He's not playing the Order, Cissy; he's being used by them. They've led him around with a trollop for some time now." Draco's stomach lurched. His father had certainly connected the dots quickly enough. "The results of which have led to all three of us being tortured within an inch of our lives."

Draco winced at the memory of his mother shrieking on the floor while the Dark Lord Crucio'd her the day following the Malfoy summer gala. He knew she was blindsided by this information, a sneak attack on her knight. His father must not have told her about Draco's affair.

He held his breath. Would she change her mind?

"If not for that than for something else," his mother countered. "There's always a reason."

Draco released a small sigh in relief. Good. She was still on his side, and took a pawn.

His father laced his fingers together to rest his chin upon them and shifted his icy gaze to Draco. "I suppose it was you who stole our Portkey to rescue the Mudblood. So she's the trollop. Poor move, Draco. I taught you better than that."

"I destroyed it," he replied defensively, despite his mother's warning look to remain silent. "I didn't leave any evidence. I'm not daft."

His father raised his eyebrows. "Your actions this year tell me otherwise."

Lucius was goading him into answering, but he stayed silent, afraid he would lose this game his mother was playing.

"And just what, pray tell, has the Order done for you?" His father's voice lilted dangerously. "You've been tortured for helping them at least once that I know of. Were you the cause of your own failed raids? Of the near death of your childhood friends? Is the trollop worth that much to you?"

Draco clenched his jaw as his father continued to insult Hermione. He should have let his mother answer, but Lucius kept trying to draw him in to the conversation. Before he could help himself he answered, "They removed MacNair."

"They removed MacNair for you? Or did you give them information selectively?" his father shot back icily. "I suppose they took out Dolohov, Nott and Rowle at your instigation. Why not have them take Alecto out as well?" Bollocks. He sensed he was losing his mother's pieces one by one. His father stood up and walked around his desk, closing in on his prey. "Alright, Draco. You played the Order. Bravo. But Dolohov was taken almost a year and a half ago and the others soon after. What about now? What are they doing for you?"

"They took out my implant."

His father scoffed, unimpressed. "Is that all?"

More pawns gone, he really needed to shut up.

"They hid Theo."

Her bishop.

Lucius shot him a cold stare, uncaring.

Draco sighed. His father wouldn't be happy with the arrangement, but it was all he had. "I secured an Unbreakable Vow."

"For what?" His father hissed.

"A pardon for mother."

His father stood eye to eye with him. "Is that all?"

Draco stared his father down and lied. "My circumstances will clear me of all charges." He couldn't get away with lying about a vow, but his parents would never agree if they thought there was a chance he'd end up in Azkaban. "And he'll do his best to reduce your sentence for my sake."

Another bishop and knight.

The look of disdain on his father's face told him all he needed to know about where this conversation was headed. He should have let his mother handle it, he was ruining everything. She was blindsided now for the second time. How would she respond?

"We've murdered people," Draco replied in resignation. He stared at his feet, and then met his father's cold grey stare, recalling Luna's defiant blue eyes. "Children even," his struggled to control the tone of his voice at the memory of carrying tiny bodies to early graves. "She hasn't."

Exhausted, he glanced at his mother. She was horrified at the thought Lucius would go to Azkaban, but what was the alternative? "It has to end," he continued. "This is our chance to get out, even if it's less than ideal."

"Less than ideal," his father spat. "I'd sooner take my chances with the Dark Lord."

"Azkaban for you for several years or eventual torture and death for all of us," his mother countered, rallying to Draco's side after seeing his father push for the alternative. "It's inevitable with that madman. What would you have for yourself, Lucius? What would you have for Draco? Or me? Do you want your son to murder children in order to survive? And that's assuming the Dark Lord won't kill us on a whim. I can't even trust my sister anymore. Less than ideal, yes. But better than what we have now."

Draco exhaled in relief as his mother regained ground on the chessboard. His father's nostrils flared as he studied Narcissa, clearly torn by her words. Draco needed to keep his mouth shut. His mother knew how to handle his father.

"Thirty-four times, Lucius."

"What?"

"Your son was tortured by the Dark Lord, Dolohov, MacNair and now my sister thirty-four times since he took the Dark Mark. And he's only eighteen."

Draco's stared at her in amazement. His mother was far better at verbal chess than anyone he'd ever seen.

His father's eyes widened slightly. "You… counted."

She calmly took his knight.

"I did," she tilted her chin up defiantly. "I wasn't always there to see it but I knew when it was happening. And then there's Alecto."

His father looked taken aback. "I… took care of that."

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"

She swiped his rook.

Draco was floored by how perceptive his mother was.

"I see no reason why we should put our faith in a deal which was made between the thighs of some filthy bint," his father swiveled to face him. Draco clenched his fists, struggling not to respond to his father's baiting. "She's fed our son a fairytale." Sending a mocking glance to Draco, he continued, "The Dark Lord cannot be defeated. Our numbers far exceed the Order's and we control every aspect of government and society. It's only a matter of time before the Order is quashed at the prisoner exchange and everything will calm down." He squared his shoulders, staring down his wife. "Pure-bloods will resume their rightful place in society. We will wait the war out and we will survive. Things will get better, Cissy."

"You don't believe that any more than I do," his mother countered.

"He can be defeated," Draco added.

"I assume your trollop told you this," his father sneered.

Clearly his father put little stock in any information Draco received from the Order, knowing Hermione was the source. Draco clenched his fists, pushing down the desire to defend her and stay on topic. He set his jaw and stared his father directly in the eyes. Best to let it all out. Lucius would get the details from him anyway.

"The Dark Lord made Horcruxes to achieve his supposed immortality. The Order has destroyed all but two. Nagini is one, and I'll kill it today. Harry Potter is the last Horcrux, and the Dark Lord will kill him at the exchange. After that, the Order will kill the Dark Lord. I could do it. Mother could do it. You could do it. Anyone could." His father's eye twitched and Draco pressed on. Finally, he didn't feel like a liability to his mother anymore. "The Order will exploit Hogwarts' defensive benefits once they take the castle. That's how they'll overcome their numerical disadvantage. The signal for the other Death Eaters that have switched sides–" His father's eyebrows rose slightly at the information. Draco smirked, that was at least worth a bishop. "–will be an explosion. You can either go into hiding before I set things in motion or help me fight. But it's happening."

"Your son has helped engineer a coup right under our noses," his mother stated, not even bothering to conceal the pride in her voice. "I will be there fighting by his side."

Lucius eyed the two of them, considering his options, trying to determine how best to use his remaining pieces on the chessboard. He abhorred being cornered with new information sprung on him, and having to make choices without fully understanding their ramifications.

"If I agree to go to Azkaban on the off chance that I can save my son and my wife from the Dark Lord, then what guarantee do you have? What if you've been lied to?" His voice was soft and menacing. "Or the Order loses because this silly wisp of a plan doesn't work? How about I incapacitate the two of you right now to prevent you from doing something irreversibly idiotic to the chances of survival of this family?"

Draco gripped his wand but his mother intervened, moving her queen into position.

"Lucius, I love you dearly," she said, laying a gentle hand on his father's face. "I would do anything for you and Draco, as you would for us. But the Dark Lord will kill you once he's found out you've had this conversation. As you stated yourself, Occlumency is not something you were able to master. Unless you plan on turning in your wife and son for treachery to save your own skin, you must fight with the Order or hide. Which will it be?"

Checkmate.

ooooooooooooooooo

I'm ready.

"Is that Galleon how you've been communicating with your little Mudblood slut?"

"Lucius!" his mother scolded him.

His father was absolutely irate, and Draco was fuming as well.

"She's not the one who's been whoring herself out–" Draco countered.

"Draco!" his mother's voice was low and threatening. He should really keep his mouth shut. He got what he wanted.

"Sorry, mother," he replied without breaking eye contact with his father's angry stare.

"Enough. Both of you."

It's on my bed.

"I'll be back shortly; I need the weapon."

His father started pacing his study, muttering about half-baked plans, Azkaban and the consequences of thinking with certain parts of the male anatomy. The elves were busy packing clothing and other necessities so they could leave.

Draco Apparated to Hermione's bedroom, she was sitting on her bed with the Sword of Gryffindor. Her hazel eyes lit up when she saw him and his chest expanded in warmth.

"How did it go?" she asked, her tone lilting with apprehension.

"They'll both fight," he replied, smiling.

With a whoop, Hermione jumped up, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. She knew how much his parents siding with the Order meant to him. Holding her close, he inhaled the scent of her hair and skin, rubbing his nose against the top of her head.

Draco was so relieved. She wasn't showing residual effects of torture anymore. On the other hand, that meant she was cleared to fight. He knew there was no force in nature that would prevent her from doing so.

But at least they'd be fighting side by side this time. He embraced her, crushing her into his body.

"You're incredible," she whispered in his ear, and pressed another kiss to his cheek. His heart sung from her praise.

"Thank my mother," he replied, positively beaming, and then reluctantly released her.

Draco stood back and picked up the Sword of Gryffindor, testing its weight and the feel of it in his hand. He readied himself to Apparate home when Hermione suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him down into a searing kiss. He grinned against her mouth and closed his eyes, pressing her against him again. She moved her lips over his, parting his mouth with her tongue, and made tiny sounds of satisfaction that had his whole body wanting more. Fisting his hair, she deepened the kiss and ground herself against his thigh. He was about to drop the sword in lieu of her pliant body, but she slowly pulled away and raised an eyebrow saucily.

"Now you can go back."

Grinning like an idiot, Draco Apparated back into his father's study, completely forgetting to school his expression. His mother took one look at his appearance and her eyebrows rose clear to the top of her forehead. His father glanced at the sword, his tousled hair, his happy grin and rolled his eyes.

"Please tell me you're not going decapitate that vile reptile in our ancestral home with the Sword of Gryffindor," he drawled.

Draco hefted the sword in his hand and took a practice swing. He could see the appeal Muggles had for such weaponry. Fucking snake.

"Where's Nagini?" he asked, more than ready to whack its head off.

His father snapped his fingers and one of their house elves appeared, bowing until its head hit the floor. Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Is everything packed?"

"Yes, Master."

"Where is the snake?"

The house elf rose partway and replied in a shaky voice. "Down by the swan pond, Master." The elves were all terrified of Nagini as well.

His mother sneered, knowing she'd lost a couple more swans. His father waved his hand, and the elf disappeared.

"And where are we going once you've beheaded it?" his father asked scornfully. "I'm assuming you've thought this through?"

"Hogwarts. We'll wait for the Order to regroup there for the prisoner exchange." He thought of Hermione's obsession with house elf liberation. "And we should bring the elves."

"Brilliant," his father replied, throwing his son a withering glare. "The Dark Lord controls Hogwarts."

"No he doesn't," Draco retorted with a smirk. "Severus does. And he's waiting for us."

oooooooooooooooooooo

The Malfoys strode through the entrance of Hogwarts and down the hallway with their tailored wizarding robes billowing behind them. Draco was positively euphoric to finally be acting in a way which aligned with his beliefs. And to do so openly. He didn't have to choose anymore. Laid bare, with nothing to hide, he was helping to end this war.

Feeling liberated after convincing his parents to leave, Draco twirled the Sword of Gryffindor and occasionally swung it through the air with a smile, remembering how cleanly it sliced through Nagini's neck. The snake had known something was wrong when the three Malfoys cornered it by the water. It had reared back and hissed. Draco had tightened his grip on the hilt and bared his teeth, but just before Nagini was about to strike, his mother Petrified it.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why make it difficult?"

Why indeed? It was an easy kill. When she released the charm, the body and head fell separately to the ground with sickening splats, leaking blood into the dirt.

The three Malfoys stared down at the corpse in disgust.

"It'll attract flies," his mother observed with a curl of her lip.

His father cast an Incendio, quickly burning it to a crisp. "Better, Cissy?" he asked as the flames died down.

"Much."

Draco swung the sword again and twirled it around in his hand. As they passed a knight in one of the Hogwarts' corridors, Draco made a mock swing against the sword it held aloft.

"Stop playing with that infernal piece of metal," his father scoffed. "It's positively barbaric."

"I like it," Draco retorted, unabashed. He swung once more and extended the sword to his father, hilt first. "Want to try?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

His father's jaw clicked in irritation.

They rounded a corner on the way to Severus' office and saw Alecto Carrow exit one of the classrooms. Draco's heart stopped and he nearly choked on the bile rising in his throat.

She smiled widely and flipped her long red hair behind her shoulders. "Lucius! Narcissa! It is so good to see the three of you here! If only you would have–"

Alecto flew back, hit the floor of the corridor and slid twenty feet until she crashed into the far wall with a thud. Draco glanced over to see his mother lower her wand without breaking stride. He quickly caught up with her until all three Malfoys stood over Alecto's body at the end of the hallway.

She lay paralyzed on the ground, limbs splayed and robes spread out around her, body twitching. Draco watched, fascinated, as a dark blue color spread throughout the veins under her skin while her body quivered with the occasional spasm. Alecto gazed up at them in fear, and her eyes were wide and glassy with agony. Draco smiled down at her, his lips twisted in sinister satisfaction while he watched her convulse in pain.

His mother glanced up at Lucius with a smug smile. "I've had some time to consider what I'd do to her once given the opportunity. She won't be able to move or speak for at least two weeks," she said, looking extremely pleased with herself. "The pain is excruciating and she can't even cry for help. There's no known treatment, and numbing potions aren't effective like they are with the Cruciatus. The pain won't stop until the curse leaves her body on its own. She'll just have to wait it out. Pity." She raised an eyebrow at Draco. "Do tell Kingsley his pardon is appreciated. How long until the Order comes?"

Draco gazed down at Alecto with a sneer and cracked his knuckles. He wanted to stomp on her face and crush it. If his mother weren't standing next to him he would. "Today. As soon as Severus leaves to tell the Dark Lord that Hogwarts was overthrown. I have to visit their camp site now to–"

"Avada Kedavra."

Draco and his mother's conversation was cut off by a flash of green light thudding into Alecto's chest. His father's voice was cold as he stood over Alecto's body, wand pointed down at her.

"Much as I'd love to see her tortured, I don't want her alive when this is done." Lucius glanced up to meet Draco's eyes, and then shifted his gaze to his mother. "I'm already going to Azkaban for murder, what's the harm in one more?"

Next chapter:

Hannah has a few things to say to Draco.

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