The Last Valkier
"Through that door is the courtyard, but I'll show you the outside another time. I'm afraid it's rather cold today and you haven't completely recovered from the loss of blood just yet." Old Pansy said as she and Harry walked down a long corridor.
"Alright then." Harry replied.
She had been showing him the fortress since they left his room. Harry found that it was even larger than it appeared. They walked along, Old Pansy explaining what each hall was and where each door led. Harry knew that it would take a long time for him to memorize the entire fortress.
"And that," Old Pansy said as they reached a large door at the end of the corridor, "is the library."
Harry suddenly perked up, "A library?"
"Yes dear . . .a library with . . .well, just about every book ever." Old Pansy replied with a smile. "You like to read?"
"Yes, ma'am, very much." Harry said politely.
"Oh aren't your so sweet. Just Old Pansy, dear."
"Oh . . .OK. Um . . .may I please see the library?" Harry asked.
"Of course, dear." Old Pansy said.
As she began to push the door open, Neville came over to them, "I'm here to announce that dinner is served."
"Alright then. You'll have to see the library another time." Old Pansy said.
Harry looked disappointed, "Oh . . .OK."
"Come along." Old Pansy said, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him down the corridor.
They walked until they stood outside a pair of large wooden doors. Old Pansy pushed them open, revealing a beautiful dining room. The wooden floor was polished so that Harry could almost see himself in it. The stone walls were well kept with candles hooked into them. They were the only light, as dark blue curtains completely covered every window. In the center of the room was a long table that could easily fit twenty people. Draco stood by the head of the table, talking to a man with brown hair, blue eyes, and tan skin.
"Come on, dear." Old Pansy said, pulling Harry over to them. Harry kept his head down as they walked, not wanting to look at Draco again.
"Thank-you, Neville. That'll be all." Draco said. The man nodded and left.
"Well, I think I should leave you two alone." Old Pansy said, sitting Harry down next to the head of the table.
Draco sat down as she left. Harry looked at the plate in front of him; a roasted chicken leg, mashed potatoes, peas, and carrots. Next to his plate was a glass filled with red wine, and there were plates of extra food around them. Glancing at Draco's plate, Harry found their meals were identical. Draco paid no attention to Harry and picked up his chicken leg, biting into the chicken mercilessly. He ate without having any consideration as to what he looked like, and he looked savage.
Harry picked up his fork and knife, cutting a small piece off of his chicken and eating it slowly. Draco stopped eating, and watched as Harry forced himself to suppress his hunger and eat politely.
"There's no one here to impress." Draco said suddenly. "I know you must be hungry."
Harry didn't need anything else; he dropped the fork and knife and picked up the chicken leg. Unintentionally imitating Draco, he bit into it savagely, just trying to get as much food into his stomach as he could. Once he finished devouring the chicken, he picked up the glass of wine and drank half of it. He paused for a moment, then picked up his fork again. He ate his potatoes, peas, and carrots calmly. He felt that having good manners was the only thing keeping him sane.
"Feel better?" Draco asked suddenly.
"Well I'm not hungry anymore, if that's what you mean." Harry replied.
"That's good." Draco stated. He just couldn't think of anything better to say.
"Why? What do you care?" Harry questioned boldly.
"If I want you to die, I'll do it myself." Draco stated.
"Why don't you want me to die?"
"I just don't."
Harry knew he wouldn't get a better answer, so he remained silent as he slowly finished his meal. When he was done several of Draco's servants returned to clear the table. They him out of the room and down another hall. He was taken into another bathroom and given the chance to clean himself up a little bit. Harry couldn't help but notice how they all seemed to be smiling at him excitedly.
They brought him through another large wooden door, into a luxurious sitting room. The room was dark; the only light came from the grand fireplace built into the far wall. The carpet was dark blue, and so were the curtains covering the windows. In front of the fireplace was a dark green armchair with red roses patterned over it. Against the left and right walls were two long couches, both matching the chair. There was a big black dog sitting by the chair, wagging his tail happily as his ears were scratched by the person sitting in the chair.
"You can go and lie down if you'd like." A pale woman with blonde hair and blue eyes said, pushing Harry towards the couch on the left.
Harry slowly walked over to the couch and sat down, unsure what else to do as the woman left. He glanced over to the chair, and as he expected, saw Draco sitting there. In one hand he held a red covered book, and the other was busy petting his dog. Harry was tempted to ask what Draco's book was about, but he was far to afraid to disturb him. He sighed, lying down on his back. He stared up at the ceiling, watching as the flames made the shadows dance, and began to lose himself in thought.
He thought about everything that had happened. He had been given to Draco as a supply of healthy blood. Draco had taken the blood, but hadn't killed him. Instead, he had given him a comfortable room, nice clothes, and good food. Harry couldn't understand any of it.
He thought about Ron. He knew that his lover would have adored seeing him in such a fine and beautiful shirt . Ron would've loved to sleep in such a soft bed and not have to worry about hunting for food. Harry missed the other man desperately. He wanted nothing more than to go home and lie in his arms. He wanted his fiancé to be there to tell him that everything would be alright. He closed his eyes, letting silent tears make their way down his face.
For a long time both of them remained as they were, the only sound being the occasional crack of the fire. After a long while, Harry let out a frightened shout as something heavy dropped on top of him and something warm and wet attacked his face. Before he could figure out what was happening, the thing was pulled off of him. Harry looked up and saw Draco standing beside the couch. The dog was sitting in front of him, his head bowed miserably.
"Bad dog!" Draco scolded, shaking his finger at the animal. "You know you're not supposed to jump on people! You're going straight outside!"
As the dog whimpered softly, Harry sat up. "No, it's alright! He just startled me is all."
Draco stared at him for a moment, then rolled his eyes. "Humans." He muttered, walking back to his chair. "Suit yourself."
Harry watched as Draco sat down continued reading his book. Harry looked down at the dog, who had licking his hand apologetically. Harry smiled softly and laid himself down, curling up on his side. He began to gently scratch the dog's ears, letting out a soft giggle as the dog leaned into his touch and wagged his tail happily.
Draco watched them both intently. He'd never seen his dog so excited about anyone. He wondered what it was about Harry that had the dog so affectionate. He decided then that if his precious dog liked Harry so much, he could certainly give him a try.
Harry sighed softly as he stared out off of his balcony. So far, his two week stay in the fortress had been more than confusing. While Draco remained quiet and distant, all of the servants had become rather friendly with him. Harry just couldn't figure out why they welcomed him so kindly. Wasn't he a prisoner? Unfortunately, none gave any answers other than "we've been waiting for someone like you."
He turned around as he heard his bedroom door opening, and smiled softly as Old Pansy and Hermione entered the room. It was the same routine every morning; Hermione picked a shirt out for him and Old Pansy would bathe him. He kept telling them that he could handle it himself, but they insisted that the loved to serve. He walked over to them, closing the glass doors behind him.
"Sleep well, dear?" Old Pansy asked.
"Better." Harry replied.
"Good. Now come on, it's a nice day out so I'll finally be able to take you out to see the gardens." Old Pansy said.
"OK."
"You're going to love them, Harry! It's so beautiful out there! More flowers than you'll ever see in your whole life!" Hermione exclaimed.
Harry smiled, "I guess I'll have to see for myself."
He allowed Old Pansy to bring him into the bathroom, and slipped out of his white night shirt . When the tub had filled, Harry gently lowered himself in and relaxed as Old Pansy washed him. When she had finished, she wrapped him up in another fluffy white towel. Harry was slowly beginning to grow used to being taken care of.
"Oh how lovely! This shirt belonged to the master's father! I was only a little girl when he died, but he was such a sweet man." Old Pansy said, picking up the shirt and showing it to Harry.
It too was silk, Harry had come to find that almost all of them were, but it was deepest black and matched his hair. He couldn't help but smile as he allowed Old Pansy to dress him. When he was dressed she pulled him over to the vanity and sat him down.
"You are just too lovely to let your hair be such a mess." She said.
She picked up a brush of the table and began to straighten out Harry's hair, which was short and spiky and stuck out at odd angles. She brushed his hair carefully. Evening it out
"There now . . .that's better. Now come along, dear, let's get out there." Old Pansy said.
Harry nodded, "OK then."
He followed her out of his room and down the hall. It was becoming increasingly easier for him to remember which hall led where. He couldn't help but gasp as they stepped out into the gardens.
"Oh wow . . ." He whispered.
The ground was covered in bloomed flowers of every color, only separated by cobblestone walking paths. There were countless weeping willow trees surrounding the out edges of the garden, and several waterways that all led to a gorgeous stone fountain in the very center. It truly was a magnificent site.
"Isn't it simply marvelous, dear?" Old Pansy asked.
"Breathtaking . . ." Harry replied, looking around.
As Old Pansy showed him around the garden, they were greeted by Cilla and Marcus, the fortress's gardeners. They both had darkly tanned skin from working in the sun all day, but while Cilla was blonde with green eyes, Marcus had brown hair and blue eyes.
"Well, what do you think of our little garden, Harry?" Marcus questioned.
"It's beautiful . . .I can't even describe it!" Harry exclaimed.
Cilla laughed gently, "We do our best."
They showed him around, pointing out the different flower types and how they were properly taken care of. They demonstrated how much water each plant got and explained the differences between each. Harry had never known that keeping so many flowers could be so challenging. After a long while he began to grow hot and tired, and chose to rest in the shade beneath one of the willow trees.
He rested his head against the trunk of the tree as he sat, lazily watching clouds float by. Harry found that, although it appeared to be surrounded by darkness, the fortress could be very bright during the day. Inside, of course, the light was always kept out by the curtains, or else it would spell disaster for Draco. He laughed softly as he felt a sudden weight in his lap, and the dog's warm, wet tongue attacked his face again.
"Hello there, Padfoot." He said, petting the dog.
Padfoot wagged his tail excitedly and barked with enthusiasm. He couldn't fully understand why there was someone else suddenly living in his home, but he certainly enjoyed it. Not that his master ever neglected or hurt him, but Padfoot welcomed the extra attention.
Harry laid there quietly with Padfoot resting in his lap. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again the sun had begun to set. He looked around, finding that Marcus and Old Pansy were almost out of his view, while Cilla was still nearby him. Upon seeing that he was awake, she smiled cheerfully and waved. Harry stood, unintentionally knocking Padfoot out of his lap.
"Sorry, Padfoot." He said, patting him lightly on the head.
The dog seemed to snort, then curled up in the shade. Harry laughed quietly, then walked over to where Cilla was plucking weeds out of the flower beds.
"How long have I been asleep?" He asked.
"Oh . . .a few hours. Don't worry about it. Dinner's almost ready, so you can go back in if you'd like." Cilla replied.
"If it's alright, I'd like to stay out here for a little while longer." Harry said.
"OK then . . .I'll call you when dinner's ready. Just don't go trying to run away." Cilla replied.
"I won't, I promise." Harry stated.
He walked back over to the tree and sat down. He gently stroked Padfoot's soft fur, laughing when the dog shifted his position so Harry could rub his stomach.
"Harry. . ."
Harry looked up at the sound of his name, but found that Cilla was still busy pulling weeds. He shrugged it off and went back to petting Padfoot.
"Harry . . ."
Again Harry could not locate whom ever was calling his name. He stood and walked around the trees, still finding no one.
"Is someone there?" He questioned.
"Come here, Harry."
"Where are you? Who are you?" Harry asked.
He walked towards the source of the sound as he heard his name being called over and over again. He walked for a moment, until he reached a metal gate that led into the dark wood. Harry was not allowed in the wood, nor did he want to walk through it. Like the people in the Hamlet, he too was afraid of what it held. But the strange voice seemed to be calling him to it. As much as he wanted to turn around, he couldn't stop himself from walking toward the gate.
"Come, Harry, come here. Come on, Harry . . ."
"W-what do you want?" Harry questioned.
"Come here, Harry. Come closer."
As much as he tried to resist, Harry had to walk forward. He wanted to run back into the fortress, but his feet just wouldn't listen. He opened the gate and walked into the wood, following the voice as it called him. He turned his head when he head Padfoot barking frantically, but was terrified to find he could no longer even see the gate. Helpless to do anything else, he continued to walk in the direction in which he was being called.
Harry walked, his heart pounding, until he reached a small clearing in which three men rested. Sitting on the left there was a short but muscular man with brown hair and blue eyes. The man sitting on the right was the same size and had the same build, but was blonde with brown eyes. The man in the middle was standing, and was very tall and thin with red hair and green eyes. They were all dressed in all black.
"Hello, Harry." The man in the middle said.
"H-how do you know my n-name?" Harry questioned.
As his companions laughed darkly, the red haired man walked over to Harry and draped his arm around him. "Why, I was calling you. Didn't you hear?" The man grinned, revealing two sharp fangs.
Harry gasped in fear and realization, but was unable to move.
"Y-yes, but . . ."
"Hush." The man said, pulling Harry into a tight hug. "There's no need to be frightened."
Harry tried to pull away, but found the man's grasp to be far too strong. His knees started trembling as he suddenly found himself staring into the man's eyes; they almost seemed to glowing. He felt strange . . .peaceful almost. He laughed and suddenly relaxed, falling into the man's embrace.
"Boys," he said, turning to his companions, "dinner is served."
Cilla pounded desperately on Draco's bedroom door, hoping he was already awake. She couldn't have been angrier with herself for not paying attention to Harry.
"Master! Master, please, open the door!" She cried.
After what seemed like an eternity, Draco opened the door, "What is it, Cilla?"
"I-it's Harry. . .he . . .he's gone." Cilla said.
"What?"
"I'm so sorry, master! I only had my back to him for a few minutes! I thought he would be fine just sitting there with Padfoot, but he's gone!" Cilla explained.
"Where is he?" Draco demanded angrily.
"I'm so sorry . . .he went into the wood . . .I'm pretty sure he was lured out there." Cilla replied.
"How long ago?" Draco asked.
"J-just a few minutes ago." Cilla answered.
Draco walked passed her and down the hall, "I'll get him myself."
He rushed down the hall and out into the gardens. Quickly, he made his way around the fortress to the barn, where Marcus was getting a big brown stallion ready.
"I promise you, master, there's no stallion alive faster than Remus. I-"
"I know my own stallions, Marcus." Draco interrupted. "Now get out of the way so I can go and bring Harry back here."
"Y-yes, of course." Marcus said, stepping aside.
Draco mounted the stallion, then headed out into the wood to search for Harry. It wasn't too long before he could hear a soft laugh, and he immediately took off toward it.
It was only a few minutes before he reached the clearing. Draco climbed off his stallion, and looked into the clearing.
There were four people sitting in the clearing; Harry, and his captors. Harry was curled up in the red haired man's lap, laughing madly as he whispered into his ear. Draco could see at once that Harry had been hypnotized, and he couldn't stand it. He never liked having such a power; it was a low and dirty trick that not even he would stoop to.
"You're such a pretty boy, Harry." The blonde man said.
Harry laughed again, "You're too sweet to me, Douglas. Ron won't like it."
"Ron's not here." Douglas said, stroking Harry's thigh.
"Now, now." The red haired man said, pushing Douglas's hand away. "You heard what Harry said. Ron won't like it."
"Duke, you're such a nice guy! You're so nice!" Harry exclaimed.
"He is? That's weird." The brown haired man stated.
"Shut up, Blake!" Duke snapped. "Excuse him, Harry. He doesn't know how to contain himself."
Again Harry laughed, "He's funny. You're all funny!"
"That's nice. But you'll have to go now." Duke said.
"Aw, but this is fun Why do I have to go?" Harry asked.
"Because we're hungry." Duke replied. "Unless you'd like us to eat you."
Harry burst into another fit of laughter, "OK!"
"Unless you wish to die, you'll release him this instant." Draco said, stepping into the clearing.
"Well, lookey here! It's the fortress master. Out to join us common folk?" Douglas laughed.
"That boy belongs to me." Draco stated.
"So what? He seems quite happy with us. Aren't you, Harry?" Duke kissed Harry's neck, licking the soft flesh.
"I'm warning you; get away from him." Draco said.
"Uh . . no. His blood smells so good." Duke replied. "I think we'll keep him . . .forever and ever. Got such a nice soft body . . .could be a great fuck if you ask me."
Draco glared, "Give. Him. Back."
"Come get him." Duke said, standing up with Harry in his arms.
Douglas and Blake stood as well, both ready to jump at Duke's order. Draco glared at them, trying to figure out a way to beat all three of them without Harry getting hurt.
"What's wrong? Scared?" Duke taunted.
"I'm just wondering why you need to use Harry as a shield. Can't fight on your own?" Draco questioned.
"Fuck you!" Duke snarled. He threw Harry back roughly, and Blake rushed forward to grab him.
The violent shove seemed to break the trance Harry was in, "Huh . . .w-what in the world . . .?"
"Shut up!" Blake snapped, keeping a tight grip on him.
"Hey! L-let go!" Harry cried, remembering what had happened.
Harry tried to break away from Blake's grip, but found it was far too strong. As a last resort, he bit down hard on Blake hand. Blake cried out in pain and released him. Choosing Draco as the lesser of two evils, Harry immediately ran towards him, stopping only when he was safely positioned behind him.
"Well . . .that's enough for me. I won't kill you three if you'll simply go; I have what I came for." Draco said.
"Fuck you!" Duke shouted again.
He ran towards them, attempting to hit Draco. Before he could land a single blow, Draco grabbed his head and twisted it around. Duke fell to the ground, dead.
"Duke . . .oh God, oh God, oh God! Let's get the fuck out of here!" Douglas shouted, turning and running away.
"Wait for me!" Blake yelled, running after him.
"Idiots." Draco muttered.
He turned back to Harry, who was staring wide eyed at Duke's dead body. Draco bit down on his lip for a moment, holding back all the anger that had formed. He had to remind himself that Harry hadn't intended to wander out into the wood; it wasn't his fault.
He sighed heavily, "Are you alright?"
Harry looked up at him, shocked that he hadn't been yelled at or hit,
"Y-yes."
"Good. Let's go then." Draco said, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him back to where Remus was waiting for them.
He mounted the stallion himself, then pulled Harry into his lap. They trotted calmly back to the fortress. Harry rested against Draco's chest, tired and confused. He didn't understand why Draco hadn't hurt him or yelled at him for going into the wood. He didn't even understand why Draco had gone to save him at all. He could have just as easily allowed him to be used repeatedly by his captors until death. What value did he hold? Harry just didn't understand.
But, he couldn't deny that Draco had gone through the trouble of saving him. As much as he couldn't understand it, it had to have meant something. And if Draco cared enough to save him, the least Harry could do was give him a chance. He sighed softly, finally deciding it was time to let the past be the past. This was his life now, and he needed to accept him. He knew he could never forget Ron or stop loving him, but he still had live his new life.
"Thank-you." He whispered. "For saving me."
There was a long silence before Draco replied, "You're welcome."
Hope you liked it
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