Part XVI
The holidays soon came to an abrupt end. News of Death Eater activity sent the wizarding world into a frenzy. Parents requested of Dumbledore to call back the term earlier than previously planned.
Kings Cross was bustling with students. Trying to look over everyone's heads for a certain platinum blue one was bound to be impossible. Lyra and Cassie quickly gave up and clambered onto the train finding the Slytherin carriage, hoping that their cousin would be there already. They were wrong. The comforting arms and words of te boys couldn't even ease their anxiety.
The train ride was quiet and tense.
Cassie and Lyra pushed through the crowd of students cluttering the dungeon hallways. Both Snape and Draco had not been at dinner. When they reached the Professor's quarters they found a bushy haired Gryffindor girl pulling a note from the door.
''Granger?'' Cassie said as they approached the girl just at the same moment that her shoulders shook in silent sobs.
''I told him it was too dangerous.'' she choked out. ''He's in the Hospital Wing.''
The girls nodded dully as they soberly walked up to their destination. Lyra shot her sister a worrying glance. If Granger was this affected by Draco's disappearance it must be rather serious.
''No.'' Hermione said as she opened the large doors that lead them into the Hospital Wing. Her eyes landed on the crumpled form of the blonde boy. She felt numb, as if her heart had stopped beating. She walked toward the bed in question, robotic and clinical- eyes hard and filled with fear. ''Why?'' she asked him once she reached his bedside.
At the foot of the bed, Lyra was staring in shock at Draco's prone form whilst comforting a crying Cassie. Their cousin looked so vulnerable, open to any attack. The girls were speechless. Lyra stood visibly shaking in unbridled anger at the Dark Lord.
The doors slammed open once again. This time revealing two very concerned and flustered looking Slytherins. Blaise Zabini and Adrian Pucey. Their eyes widened in realisation. Their glances moved from the two sisters finding comfort in each other to the prone form of their friend on the bed, a head of bushy hair could be found where Draco's right hand lay- stiff and lifeless, for now.
A moment later the elderly medi-witch bustled into the room holding several potions, Severus followed short after. The potions master looked paler than usual, visibly worried for his Godson. The room was still for but a moment.
Slowly opening the blond boy's mouth, Madam Pomfrey administered the potions after performing a spell to allow him to swallow. The mood was sombre; no one wished to break the somewhat comforting silence. The sun betrayed the mood of the room, shining its positive and happy ray into the room.
Meanwhile, in Lestrange Manor, the Lestranges and Malfoys sat in the drawing room. The atmosphere was tense. They had began to discuss the idea of Cassie and Lyra being recruited by the Dark Lord. It was clear, to the Stephania, Rodolphus and Bella, that the girls were next in line by blood and through influence to be the next of the teens to be welcomed into the ranks. Rabastan and Narcissa stayed quiet. One would only expect the mother of the seventeen year old boy to speak the least, for her only had faced the wrath of the Dark Lord mere hours ago. It was only natural for her to be worried. Rabastan Lestrange, however, stayed quiet as he didn't wish his girls – to him, they were still his little girls- to have the ball and chain relationship that came with service to the Dark Lord.
''They should be honoured, brother.'' Rodolphus said slapping his brother across his shoulder. ''I'm sure Bella here would love to present Cassie to the Dark Lord.'' at the mention of her favoured neice, Bellatrix sneered- the closest thing to a smile she'd ever get.
This time it was Stephania who spoke up, ''Lucius, would you mind doing the honour of bringing forth Lyra?'' she asked, it a straight forward no-nonsense tone. To which the blonde nodded once in ascension. With that finalized, it was then that Rabastan skulked off to his study to write each of his daughters a letter explaining what was to happen. A house elf was then told explicitly to deliver them to the Lestrange girls promptly, not allowing anyone else to see the content of the letters. A pop was heard and Rabastan leaned back in his chair with a pensive expression painted on his features.
The girls, who sat on their beds, had ashen faces. Madam Pomfrey had dismissed their presence, telling them that her patient needed rest. That is how the house elf found them, quiet and morose caught up in their own thoughts. ''I is sorry, young mistresses Lestrange.'' the elf squeaked in fear of being kicked out. ''Master Lestrange told Flopsy to deliver these to youse.''
The sisters shared a worried glance; their father never sent an elf to deliver his letters. If possible, as they read their letters, their faces blanched further. The, usually loving, missive gave a time and place.
''Cass, this better not be what I think it is.'' Lyra said still remembering Draco's prone form. In response, Cassie dragged her sister down to the lake where they sat and mulled over third fate. They knew it would happen soon enough, but they refused to bow down to a madman hell bent on blood supremacy. Not that they had a choice, in two days time they would hold his mark.
The night had finally come, Cassie and Lyra had holed themselves up in their dorm with the excuse of needing time to process Draco's current situation. Flopsy had popped in and been instructed to take the girls to the designated place.
It was then their fate was truly sealed.
The next day, found the girls in the library studying. That was until they were accosted by Blaise, Adrian and a severely frantic Hermione. The girls looked up from their parchments as they heard furious whispering and heavy breathing.
Lyra cocked her eyebrow and let out a long suffering sigh, ''If you want to say something, come out and say it.'' she said clearly, whilst her sister merely rolled her eyes.
''Where were you last night?'' Blaise asked refusing to beat around the bush. ''Daphne and Pansy told us you were nowhere in sight when they got to the dorms but mysteriously came back into existence early this morning.''
The girls refused to answer and just pitched their left arm unconsciously. Shock registered on Hermione's face as the boys passed it off as a skin irritation of some sort.
''Not you too?'' Hermione whispered beneath her breath. ''No! NO! Why would you?'' she screamed, losing what was left of the legendary self control. Blaise realising this would turn into a full calendar fight, casted a 'Silencio' around the group.
''Not here.'' Cassie said tired, alerting her sister to a change of venue. ''Room of requirement. Fifteen minutes.'' The boys, being totally oblivious to the happenings shrugged and turned to leave before they were stopped by the girls. ''One of you summon the Penseive from the dorms.'' Lyra ordered, without letting them choose. ''Blaise. Go. Adrian can stay and calm Granger down.'' she threw an apologetic glance of the Gryffindor for using the surname missive.
Ten minutes and three paces along the blank wall of the seventh floor found the quintet staring in awe at the room which took form of the shore of the Black Lake. Blaise, who held the shrunken Penseive in his pocket, led them to one of his favourite places by the lake.
Both boys lent forward as if they wished to speak as soon as the group was seated. Cassie raised a commanding hand, silencing the boys swiftly.
Lyra tapped her wand against the enlarged Penseive, gesturing to the group to gather around the floating bowl. ''Hermione, what you're going to see.. You must know-'' the girl nodded swiftly as she understood the pleading tone in which the youngest Lestrange sister talked.
The five students were launched into the darkness of what seemed to be a ill lit dungeon. A dungeon that would be a familiar place soon enough. The two girls entered with Flopsy the house elf trailing after them. They were met by a mad cackle that belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange, their aunt. Out of the darkness she emerged with a regal platinum haired man dressed in the finest robes leading the way.
''Auntie Bella?''
''Uncle Lucius?'' the girls asked simultaneously, they hadn't been told of this plan.
Without a word, Lucius offered Lyra his arm, which she latched out for dear life. On the other hand, Bella smirked at Cassie who cleared her mind of all thoughts.
''Stand tall, Princess.'' Lucius murmured to Lyra as he squeezed her hand in comfort. ''Don't show him your fear.''
The images blurred in front of the five before it stilled to what looked like a large field in the middle of Country Britain. The snake like man with hands raised above his head as if gesturing to do a curse. The darkness around them suddenly filled with dark magic as he whispered the darkest curse next to AvadaKedavra. 'Mosmordre' he hissed as the unsightly black mark landed on his new servants' left forearms.
The monster turned to the female on the left and ordered her, '' One tells me you are a seer.'' the girl merely nodded in the affirmative. ''I expect to be told of any new developments.''
''Yes, my lord.'' she said bowing low.
This time he addressed both girls. ''You are to spy on the Golden Trio and report back all that you find.'' No questions. It was an order, that if they disobeyed, that could end in their demise.
Again the scenery changed dramatically to a deserted alleyway on the outskirts of muggle London. A family lay prone on the floor. The mother and father sustained more injuries compared to the teenage son and young girl. A nod was issued, and the sisters knew what they were to do.
The moment the children came into a state of consciousness, Lyrabegan throwing insults at the muggle whilst casting the lightest of curses. ''Worthless piece of human flesh born to this planet.'' she jeered as she threw a particularly harsh hex at the boy who yelped in pain. ''Useless muggle dirt of the universe.'' by this time she had inflicted enough pain that she wouldn't get away without killing them. A bright flash of green lit up the alleyway, another one soon followed. It left the muggle children lying helplessly on the dusty pathway. She refused to wince or show any emotion.
Cassie glanced at her Aunt Bellatrix who smirked in encouragement. The parents, who had watched their children hurt and eventually die, were huddled together in shock. The man struggled to get up, but started to plead with their assassins. ''Torture me.'' Just let my wife go.''
''I don't think so.'' Cassie said affecting the famous Bella cackle. ''I think I'll make you watch as I torture her mercilessly.''
''Crucio!'' she hissed as the woman crumpled to the ground letting out a scream of immense pain which the husband was unable to stop. Cassie held her wand steadily, just long enough to render the woman conscious. Then she turned to the man who was begging for mercy. ''You see, I think what would be great is if I made you do this. Imperio!'' she watched in well veiled horror as the man began to murder his own wife. She cackle again as she realised he was trying to fight a losing battle. ''Don'fight it,s you know you want to.'' Blood, thick and red flowed from her body, as the curse was lifted from the man.
He looked horrified with his actions, trying to wipe his hands of the act. Cassie had no plans to watch this drama, insteadhad she threw a swift killing curse.
The girls turned to their master who smiled in a positively snake-like manner.
It was then the five students found themselves sitting by the makeshift lakeside once again. Hermione had tears in her eyes, the girls stood slumped over in regret for their shameful actions.
Both Blaise and Adrian stood stock still. They knew all of it was an act. Draco had told them in confidence that the girls wouldn't hurt a fly unless under duress.
The girls looked to them in question. The boys shared a glance before Adrian spoke up. ''We need time. Just- We'll find you when we have come to understand why you did this.'' he paused allowing Blaise to continue. ''I still can't believe you didn't tell us the first time around. Clearly you don't trust us implicitly.'' they turned and walked off.
Unbeknownst to the blonde in the hospital wing, the fight that took place cemented a feeling in the brunette Gryffindor that would soon be known to him.
Sitting up in his hospital bed, knees propped up and a textbook lying open next to him, he realised something. Whenever Hermione had omens to check up on him or when he heard she had spoken up for him, he felt a decidedly un-Slytherin feeling of warmth flow through his blood. He also felt the need to protect her at all times, no matter what the cost.
She, Hermione Granger, is his, Draco Malfoy's mate. This didn't seem to bother him. That knowledge made him squirm and question his feelings towards the smartest witch of their age. The fact that any thought that passed his mind that contained her made his heart beat that much faster, was not helping. Lettheinnerbattlebegin, he mused to himself. Therewillbenobattle;youjustneedtoopenyoureyes. He popped an eye open, the deep thinking had sent his already dropping eyelids closed, when he realised someone was talking to him. No one was there. Justyourconscience.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I was tied up with loads of work from uni. There might be a few chapter updates within the next months, I have finals so forgive me. In light of this, I have restructured by story and have come to the conclusion it will be 26 chapters, instead of 21.
-Vyncie