Part XIV
In between the thick blankets, a tanned hand could be seen. The slender fingers twitched once before slipping under the covers again.
A single bright sunray passed through the delicate silver curtains, hitting the half buried face straight in the eyes. A growl ensued as a sixteen year old teen rose from the depths of a blissful sleep.
Her bearings soon came back to her once again, the ignorance her rest had brought now seemingly light-years away. Half-heartedly, she glared at her lap, "Why did you have to leave me this way? I never really felt as lonely as I feel right now..." two long tanned legs went over the side of the bed, their owner standing up, "Ten is off, playing the poor innocent victim and blah, blah, blah, woe is me... Bah, at least she's still with Potter." A single tear rolled down her golden brown cheek, "But as far as I know... You're as good as dead. Even if you are alive. Even if I love you." Her nightgown fell delicately off her shoulders, pooling at her feet as she stood naked in front of the full length mirror. One of her hands rested over her left breast, just over her heart. "And when I receive such news, love... I don't know what will happen to me."
Her eyes narrowed, pupils dilating and becoming mere slits. The hand resting by her side fisted tightly. She pulled her right hand back and, as hard as she could, she hit the mirror, which had been shouting at her not to do it at the last second.
The shards of glass fell all around her frame, cutting here and there, not that she felt any of it. On the contrary, she welcomed the stinging feeling. Something... Something that made her feel alive.
Pain.
Slowly, she made her way to the bathroom en-suite, profusely ignoring the drops of blood steadily falling to the floor from the now scarred, still fisted hand. Muttering some incantation under her breath, all the taps from the pool in miniature size of a bathtub turned on, cold water and mint scent mixing together. His scent. One of the few things that remembered her of him.
One leg entered the already half filled tub, goose bumps immediately appearing from the cold temperature, followed by the other, then a pair of shapely hips, a narrow waist, developed chest and delicate shoulders. With what seemed to be pure fascination, the young woman watched as the blood still flowing from her knuckles turned from vivid red, to a lighter tinge, then slightly pink and then completely mixing with the water.
"Please come back to me, dragon. Please do." Lifting the bleeding hand off the water and following the trail of blood rolling down her wrist and arm and falling to the water when reaching the elbow, she made a movement with her other hand over the wound. In seconds, the gashes closed themselves, the only memory of them being the slightly pink colour of the water at some places, "I'll kill myself if you don't, mark my words."
Tilting her head back, Iris let her nape touch the cool edge of the large tub, her haunted, now light grey hues glancing listlessly to the ceiling. She sighed, the movement of her chest causing small waves to ripple the calm surface of the water, her whole body shivering from the cold water, "Everyone's only worried about the poor heiress... Along with Dumbledore's death." Angry tears prickled her eyes, "Why doesn't that happen to everyone else? Why does it always revolves around Dumbledore's, around the fucking Boy-Who-Made-Me-Miserable-Without-Even-Trying...? What about everyone else's deaths?" as the flowing of her tears increased, so did her voice, echoing off the walls of the silenced room and screaming in her mind, "Some Death Eaters are innocent and they're doing nothing to stop their suffering!!! Why... Why does it have to be this way?! Why is it always me?!?! My father doesn't care about me, I have bloody powers which I asked no one to give me, I'm the one miserable now while Harry fucking Potter is getting laid with my so called best friend!" a heart-breaking sob escaped her now sore throat. She let her face get under the water to try to stop the pitiful, weak-minded sounds, but with all the crying, the best she could do was a fit of coughs as the water entered through the wrong channel.
As she slowly calmed herself down, her knees were pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapping around them tightly, her whole frame shaking uncontrollably for both the emotional break down and the cold. "My best friend... Feh, my bloody best friend hasn't even come down here to ask me how I'm feeling... Oh no. It's only her grandfather that matters, only her poor orphan lover, only her problems! I worried enough to try and know if she was alright after the Final War. I went to the funeral even though Madam Pomfrey told me I should stay in bed because of my injuries. And what does she do to help me? See if I'm ok? No. Try to save my lover from a more than certain death, with all her bloody connections to the Ministry? No. What a best friend I've got, really... With such friends, I certainly don't need enemies."
-00-
In the warm, golden room, with soft carpets and mahogany furniture, Tenebrae Dumbledore was found sitting at the edge of the bed on the floor. Half empty trunks and loose papers were all around her in various places. One paper in particular was lying on the floor beside her, the Dumbledore seal hanging at the top of the page. Near the seal, in bold writing was 'WILL'; this sheet is the will, for which it says that Ten claimed all the family fortunes. Which explains all the stuff in the room around her; she's going through all of her grandfather's stuff. There were also old Daily Prophets, muggle snacks and some Christmas and Birthday presents she had personally bought for the old man. The happy thoughts made tears swell her eyes but she blinked to keep them back.
There was a knock on the door and said door opened; a boy entered.
"You alright?" he asked. There was a nod just as Ten was going through her grandfather's old photo albums, featuring her parents when they were students at Hogwarts and herself when she was at a young age and now.
"There are a lot of things that reminds him of our time together. Some reminds me of his personality, others reminds me of other things," she whispered. The girl looked up at him. Harry walked over to her and sat down beside her, holding her in his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you so much for staying by my side. I don't know what I would do without you,"
"Hush, now. It's ok. I would do anything to help you."
The girl looked up just as Harry looked down, their nose touching. And in a trance, their faces reach closer and closer; they were so close, they could kiss each other, had not there been a knock and the door opening.
"Sorry to disturb the two of you, but the Order requires your presence, Ten," Lupin smiled softly.
"Thank you," she spoke softly, getting up. Leaving Harry on his own, she followed the werewolf.
-00-
Back into the classroom, where Ten had used in her first meeting after the death of her grandfather, the Aurors were all gathered including the teachers of Hogwarts and waited with patience as Ten made her way to the front of the crowd.
"I assume, from this meeting on short noticed, that you have chosen your new leader, that you will follow," Ten spoke softly.
Mad Eye Moody, ex-auror, and former Hogwarts DADA professor, stood up, and spoke, "on the behalf of the order, we have chosen, as a group, you as our new leader."
This caught Ten off-guard. She had expected Professor McGonagoll to take over, Mad-Eye Moody himself to take over. But never thought of herself to take over.
"Surpising, huh?" Lupin spoke, smiling softly. "After all, you are a Dumbledore. You're the closest person Albus ever had. You act and think like a Dumbledore and moreover, you have Albus's blood running through your veins. With you as guidance, we can continue where we left off."
"But, Remus. What if I fail?" Ten cried, looking away.
"You won't, lassie," Mad-Eye growled. "You're the best we have."
Looking at the electric-blue-eye owner, then to the werewolf, Ten nodded and sighed. "Alright. I'll do my best."
Grinning, Remus stepped forward with his wand and chanted a spell towards Ten. Bright golden light surrounded the young witch as she whispered the Order's headquarters under her breath. Then everything became normal.
"Congratulations, Princess. You are now the head of the Order and the Keeper of the Headquarters."
Determined, Ten nodded.
"Lets get to business, then," she said. Turning back to the aurors, she took a deep breath. "Alright. First thing is first! I want a list of all the names of the Death Eaters we have captured and are in Azkaban at this moment. There is a certain someone we need to save. I'll appoint Tonks and Remus to do so, accompanied by Alastor."
Said ex-auror, gave a weak cough. He was used to be call as Mad-Eye Moody from the girl.
"Next thing, I need a group of you to teach some students more Defence Against Dark Arts. At least something they should use against the death eaters, make them more prepared. And check if any of them wants to go home."
Nodding, some aurors wrote down their name on a piece of parchment that came floating round.
"I guess that's it, for now," she spoke and dismissed the group.
-00-
In the dark and damp place, bathed in a single moonbeam through the only window of the room, sitting in the corner quietly was Draco, his bare back leaning against the damp wall behind him, making him shiver once in a while.
They had taken away his wand, and his freedom. But most of all they had taken his dear Iris away from him. The only thing that kept him going, that inspired him, the only thing that kept his sanity is now far away from his reach.
The insults of him being a traitor had long gone been promptly ignored as he waited patiently. Each day, a couple of Death Eaters were taken away. They were probably being judged. And each passing day he grabed his head with his hand and let out a small scream of frustration. The lack of warmth and love from Iris was getting to him. And it won't be long till his turn. Unless someone proved his so called innocence, that he had helped the Light Side. In that case, he would return.
Return... return to Hogwarts; where he truly belongs. Returning to the arms of his lover, and regrow the new born friendship he had with Ten. Malfoy Manor should be flowing with Aurors, since his dear father was in the inner circle of Vo... Volde... the Dark Lord. Unconsciously, he shivered again, his right hand covering the Dark Mark in his left wrist. The wizard could be gone, but what he did coule never be truly forgotten. Dumbledore was gone and that was that.
Not that he was blaming anyone from being here. After recovering from having Dementors all around him, he had said nothing since then and done no motion to try and escape. Simply followed, in between the two Aurors that had caught him.
He was alone, could and in a weakened state from the abttle, yet everyone looked at him weirdly, wondering why he just did what people told him to. He promptly refused eating and only twice had he drunk anything. Escape... escape where exactly? Malfoy Manor was guarded and Hogwarts was too far away. But he wondered where he truly belonged now.
Absently, his tongue traced his lips, wetting them. It was in sleepless nights like this one he always thought about the large stash of firewhisky and fine wine back at the manor. Like the previous night, sleep would not grace him with its presence, no matter how much he wanted it. He was tired and the lack of sleep was starting to get to him. A heavy sigh escaped him.
His wounds still needed to be treated, not that they were too serious. Yet, they needed to be loked at obviously. It wasn't like thye were all that light either.
The sound of heavy footsteps made him look over to the door of the room he was currently in. Listess grey eyes blinked.
The lock was unlocked almost noiselessly, two tall figures entering, one of them holding a tray. Almost tiredly, his eyesbrows furrowed. Bringin him food in the middle of the night? Or, a gloomier part of his mind chirped in, his last meal. He turned away from them uninterested. "You can take that away." His voice sounded raspy even to his own ears. Ever since he got here he hadn't spoken; he supposed it was normal.
"Draco Malfoy?" a woman's voice spoke up quietly, the shortest figure of the two taking a couple of steps closer. This gave Draco another insight to a third figure, the shortest of all three, standing next to the tallest one.
A light sneer curved his pale lips, "The rightful heir to the fortine, son of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black, supposed supporter of the perished Dark Lord and a Death Eater. Subtletly is my trademark, cleverness comes naturally and cunning is second nature. And let's not forget about the sneakiness."
"Draco, you're hardly a Death Eater after what you said and did to help me," a soft voice spoke.
"Huh?" he turned sharply to the door at a new voice.
In the darkness of the place, the top of a wand was lit, making him look away briefly. The woman knelt beside him, "Draco, we're here to take you back."
"What?" his tone was actually surprised, his grey orbs slowly looking more of a lighter silver tingue with a flicker of hope in them, the usual mix of his father's deep grey eyes and his mother's baby blue eyes. The flash of bright blueshort hair made him took in the witch's features.
Fair skinned, high cheekbones, thin pale lips. Why did that seem so awfully familiar? Then it dawned on him. The similarity between this woman and his mother. What was her name again? Tonks. Yes, Tonks, that was it. There were techincally cousins, not that he cared much about the fact. His family had always thought she was blood traitor; never in his life had he held a talk with her.
"We'll take you back to Hogwarts. I've been worried about, and Iris is quite literally explosive with everyone," the other voice spoke. Soft clipping noise were heard as the shortest figure walked towards the pale boy, her features entering the shone of the light from the tip of Tonks wand.
Draoc gasped. Brown-aurburn hair, with twinkling sapphire eyes instantly gave him strength. Man was he glad to see the heiress once again. A small grin played across her pink lips. "You were lucky we found you," she smiled lightly.
"Tomorrow would be your turn, boy." A deep male voice made him look up again. Where had he heard that-? Oh. The werewolf, Lupin. His eyes fell to the ground as he slowly nodded.
"Are you hurt?" Ten's concerned voice spoke. That small flicker of hope shined more surelu in his lightening eyes at those words. Their usual spark was returning.
"A bit. It's nothing much." He made an effort to get up, just as a shapr pain surged through his side. Oh right... that last curse sent his way. With a soft groan, he sat back down, slowly opening his eyes, heavy with pain.
"Riiight," Ten rolled her eyes. Rolling up her sleeves, she placed her hand over his heart, the other over his abdomen and blue and white sparkles erupted from beneath her skin, glowing around the young boy's body, healing him.
"Thanks," he breathed. He got up again with the help of his sister, draping an arm around her shoulders with no complaint and lean some of his weight against hers.
"Thats it," she whispered, eyes brimming with small tears. He smiled, giving her warmth of reassurance.
"The boy sure is stubborn," smiled Lupin softly.
"I know, I know... I swear, Narcissa is stubborn, but he inherited both hers and Lucius' stubbornnes... Yet, we need to calm down a certain hurricane that goes by the name of Iris B. Koltchak."
Draco and Ten chuckled.
"Not to mention, the future Mrs Malfoy," Ten whispered, only Draco hearing it.
"Oh, shut up you!" he grinned.
-00-
Ten walked up to the black haired girl's room, the Malfoy heir a few steps behind her, moving at a slower pace. She stopped in front of the door, lifting her hand and knocking lightly, "Iris-"
"Go away! I want to be left alone. Psh, you've finally decided to show up after leaving me to my misery all this time? You can leave me alone for some more time as well." Came the loud reply from inside, its owner sounding quite pissed off.
The heiress blinked, "I suppose she's in a bad mood due to your disappearance. Ever since I know her, we've barely been in disagreement with each other, let alone actually angry."
Despite his tiredness about the whole ordeal, Draco smiled softly, "Meh, she's cranky in the sunny mornings, since it's the 'damn sunrays' that wake her up, as she puts it."
"Yeah, I know." the brunette managed a little smile, "I'm used to her swing moods. But the last time I remember seeing her out of her room was at Grandfather's funeral." The sparkle that had returned to her hues flickered, the sadness coming back to her.
A hand over her shoulder made her look up, sapphire locking with piercing silvery grey. "I'm sorry. For what happened, for not telling you sooner, I..." he trailed off, sighing, his free hand threading through his hair, "I should've never doubted if I should tell you about it or not. And.. whether I like it or not, every death, every injury, could be spared if I had just spoken up."
"This is not the time to mourn over something you did or didn't do, Draco. It's part of the past now. All we can do is learn from or mistakes and try to create a better future for the survivors." A wise look overcame the girl's features as she spoke. Lifting her hand, she muttered a few charms under her breath, until a quiet 'click' was heard coming from the previously locked door before them.
Her hand rested over the door knob, turning it slowly, but as soon as the door opened, a bright blue beam of light came from it, hitting her lower abdomen and making her lose her balance, falling to the ground.
Hasty footsteps were heard from the inside and Iris yanked the door completely open, making it crash against the wall beside her. Her hair was loose, framing her face and shoulders, making her look wild, eyes greyish blue, twinkling gently to the feeble light with unshed tears, "I thought I had told you-" the furious loud tirade died on her throat at the sight that greeted the black haired young witch.
Ten, as she had first thought, had fallen to the floor and was now gingerly getting up, looking at her with a mixture of hurt and surprise, eyes not as dull as they were on the funeral, but their usual twinkle was still missing. And beside her was none other than Draco Lucius Malfoy.
Despite the seemingly tired looking aspect, he still gave off the usual arrogant and quick-witted attitude in waves. His white blond hair was falling ever so slightly over his eyes, obscuring their lightness, making them take various tinges since silver to baby blue. His complexion seemed even paler than what she remembered and, if she wasn't mistaken, he was thinner as well and he still towered over her about seven inches or so.
Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, no sound coming from her, eyes wide, emotions flashing through them far too fast for anyone to identify. Her eyelids, which were already supporting a reasonable amount of tears, filled once more and, one by one, the crystal clear tears fell soundlessly.
Her pupils seemed to flicker once and, just like that, the girl threw herself into his arms, her own wrapping tightly around his waist, her face buried in his chest. Draco smiled softly. His arm wrapped around her shaking frame, holding her tight against him as his eyes softened at the vulnerable sight his lover was in. His free arm stroked her back reassuringly, following the line of her spine, "Shh, little one. You're back in my arms, as it should be." He sighed softly, tilting his head back and glancing to the ceiling, "Omnia est recte, cum finere recte."
Lifting one eyebrow, she looked up, wondering what he had said, when Ten spoke up.
"All's well," the smile was obvious even while she was merely speaking, "When it ends well."
"Just something my mother used to say to me when Father came back home unharmed." His lips brushed over her temple gently, making her shiver lightly. "Missed you..." a barely heard whisper against her skin, leaving unsaid promises lingering in the air.
Pulling her face away from his chest finally, the back of her hand brushed the rest of her tears away hurriedly. Sighing, she looked deep into his eyes, and behind the mask of arrogance and haughtiness he hid himself behind of, she saw the love shining just below the surface. As if in a trance, her arms wrapped around his neck, her head tilting back as he pulled her closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, she changed the angle and let her lips brush against his ear. "I love you," she whispered.
His hand fisted her hair rather harshly, pulling her head backwards as his lips claimed hers, bodies pressing against each other's, the need for oxygen momentarily forgotten.
Smiling to herself at the passionate scene, Ten turned around, climbing down the stairs. There was still something she needed to figure out, that, being the reason why the other witch had attacked her like that. 'We've duelled before, sure she cursed me and I, her. And due to her powers, she tends on losing control easily. But it was never like this. I felt her intentions; it was meant to hit me. But judging by the stage those two were in...' a quiet giggle escaped her, 'Our talk will have to wait.'
The couple still upstairs was, as the heiress presumed, unaware of her presence, or lack of it in this case. Somehow, they had both stumbled into the room and with the help of a spell or two, managed to close the door, silence and lock the room and find themselves sprawled on the bed miraculously, Iris straddling the wizard's waist, who frowned at finding himself in the submissive position. "Hey, I-"
A finger resting over his lips cut his sentence short, "For a male, you talk too much."
"Do I?" he grinned up at her. Waiting for a few more minutes, he suddenly switched their positions so that he was on top, "I can make up for that, if you wish."
"I'm always up for a challenge, Mr. Malfoy..." her lips curved into a smirk as she felt his lips kiss along the side of her neck, "Always..."
And with that, their clothing was taken off, thrown somewhere on the floor, the room filled with soft moaning and harsh breathing, as their sweat mingled, the two of them moving as one.