Chapter Twenty-Three: I Need a Second to Breathe
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As the Auror's burst into headquarters a loud cheer rang out. Those sitting up to await their return quickly fled to the hallway to see what the commotion was. Draco and Severus along with the Golden Trio, who had all retired to their separate rooms at some point or another instead of sitting with the adults and sipping tea, stood on the platform of the second story staircase, staring at the front door.
Draco would later swear that in that moment, his heart truly stopped beating.
Tied and held aloft was the unconscious figure of his father. He barely noticed the young female also held high, his attention focused intently on the limp blond. He was tied in a variety of binding spells, forming a cocoon around him rather then a simple bind. Overkill, but it showed how powerful the aurors thought him, if they were that afraid of him getting loose. Draco almost felt proud, but then the bile rose in his throat.
"Draco," a voice said softly, sympathetically, and he tore his gaze from his father. The bespectacled teenage hero watched him sadly - sadly, as if he was actually sorry the blond was captured. Draco kept quiet, half expecting a 'it's going to be okay' comment, but none came.
Even Harry wasn't sure how this was going to turn out okay.
"Boys!" Molly Weasley hissed at the Aurors, as if they were merely misbehaving children. "Put them down! Show some respect!" She motioned to Draco, standing frozen beside an equally bland-faced Severus.
Draco couldn't stand this.
That man before him was nothing. Absolutely nothing! So why did he feel like someone had tore his heart out?
Had he been a Griffendor, perhaps he would have stayed. As a Hufflepuff, he would have cried. A Ravenclaw wouldn't have cared, but no. Draco was a Slytherin, and what did Slytherin's do best?
Run.
He was up the third story steps before anyone could reach a hand out to stop him, and had he watched, he would have noticed it was Harry's hand, and not Severus', which reached for him.
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"Take him into the lounge," Molly snapped at the Aurors, waving them passed her and stomping over to the stairs. Even Hermione was looking sympathetically up the stairs. "Will he be okay?" Molly asked Severus, who stared blankly at the entrance to the lounge.
"He is a Slytherin," Severus said bluntly, turning on his heel, and following the path the teenager had taken. "He's used to betrayal."
Harry winced.
"Who was the girl?" Ron asked and Molly shrugged.
"They must have found her with him," she said uncertainly. "Poor dear. Not only is his father captured, but with a woman so soon after his mother died. Poor dear." She sighed and turned. "I suppose you will want to come through. No use keeping you out, as you'll likely sneak in anyway." She send a fondly exasperated look at the trio.
"Without a doubt," Harry said seriously, though he shot the woman a smile as they followed her to the lounge.
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"He said he loved you. Do you...?"
A hesitation. "No. Not any more."
"I...think I do. It's stupid!" The lamp shattered, only to be mended a moment later by household charms. "I want him dead!"
"You don't." It was a snarl. "Because you can look passed the surface, unlike those pathetic griffendors. You see the betrayal, and the deception."
"He killed her!"
"No! He let her die."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
A swift shake. "Is it? Is it?"
Silence.
A scoff. "I thought you were raised better than that."
"I was! But I was also raised to never forget."
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to see first, and then get angry."
A heavy sigh. The squeak of bed springs as the weight of a person was added. "I..."
"Rest. I will go and listen."
"I should come, shouldn't I?"
"No. Not yet."
Severus touched the blond hair which hung around his face like a shield, only the merest touch before he left the room.
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Arthur was standing by the door, and saw the shadow pass by. He pushed it open and motioned Severus inside, allowing the dark man to stand beside him in the corner. The shadows would keep him hidden.
"Nothing's happened yet," Arthur told him quietly, though no one would have heard even if he'd yelled. The room was a cacophony of noise as the fight grew more heated. "Some want to kill him, and question the girl. Others want him alive." He looked worriedly at Severus.
He simply nodded. His eyes darkened as he caught sight of a familiar blond locks through the gaps of the crowd. The Aurors made up the majority of people calling for death. Ironically, Potter was once again playing the champion for the underdogs and demanding that they interrogate him first.
Severus spotted a flicker of movement in the face of the 'unconscious' man and snarled. "He's awake," he snapped to Arthur.
"What?" The Weasley gasped, shifting to try and see the man. "How can yo-?"
"Just inform the order," Severus changed the subject sharply. "He will use any information he can glean for his own use."
Arthur nodded, and slipped through to warn Harry and the Head Auror. Severus changed his gaze towards the female who was similarly unconscious. She was young. It was disgusting. What had she been doing with Lucius?
Lucius would not have taken another lover. Of that, Severus was certain. He was a bastard, but he had never been that keen on human relationships. There were only a few exceptions to that, and one was dead and the other was certainly not a female.
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"-n't just kill him!" Harry bellowed furiously. "If we kill him, we are no better than they are! We will never find out what he was doing, or where Voldemort -" the majority of the room shuddered "- is or any of the other Death Eaters!"
"If we let him live, he could signal the Dark Lord," an Auror bellowed back. "He could kill us all!"
"He's bound and unconscious! We won't release his bindings for any reason and he will be in a room with plenty of armed witches and wizards," Hermione spoke up. "We're not defenseless, he is!"
"- And," Arthur said, coming to stand beside Harry and resting a hand on his shoulder. "He is awake."
The room froze.
Lucius gave a throaty, dry chuckle. "Severus." He did not expect his lover to answer back.
Severus flinched in the back of the room, and shifted further into the shadows.
"How long have you been awake?" Ron demanded.
"Long enough," Lucius said as his eyes opened and he glared at the surrounding people. "I thought the Light Side was supposed to work 'together' or is that just an image you like to portray?"
"Shut up," Moody growled. "We ask the questions here." His glass eye roved Lucius' bound figure, searching for objects which might allow him to escape.
"Oh, relax," Lucius drawled, straightening his figure and tilting his jaw up. "I have no interest in escaping and returning to the mad man."
People exchanged suspicious glances. Harry stepped forward. "I thought he was your Master," he snapped.
"Please," the blond growled, his ice-filled eyes snapping to the chosen one. "No Malfoy has a Master. We are Slytherins, not house pets."
"Could have fooled me," Harry scoffed, remembering the times he had seen the elder Malfoy in visions, snivelling like a rat.
"Tell me, Potter, are you this sympathetic to my son? Or have you done away with him like you threatened to do me?"
"Don't talk about him," Harry snapped protectively. He did not know Draco's full story but he knew Lucius had something to do with it.
"Protective are we?" Lucius smirked. "Perhaps my son has found a Master."
A burning hex was flung from the crowd, surprisingly not from Severus' hand nor Harry's, and Lucius bit back a scream as it burnt his cheek.
"Stop it!" Arthur yelled, ending the hex. "We need him alive!"
"I wasn't going to kill him," a bitter voice spoke up from near the back. "Just hurt him a bit."
"Then we're no better than they are," Harry reminded them. "We don't torture."
Lucius' laugh was husky and bitter. "You keep telling yourself that, Potter."
"What?" Harry narrowed his gaze at Lucius, hands clenched though he was not holding his want. He didn't want to hex the man, but punching him sounded delightful.
The look in Lucius' eyes was the same as Draco's and Severus', the one that told Harry that he was missing a big part of the puzzle and he would be lost without it.
"Enough messing around," Remus spoke up from nearby, placing a calming hand on Tonk's arm who was stubbornly not looking at her Uncle. "Where are they, Malfoy?"
"Who?" Lucius asked, innocently.
"The Death Eaters! Voldemort! Pick one," Harry tossed out.
"Oh them." Lucius looked surprisingly calm for someone tied up in a room full of enemies. "I have no idea."
A whimper came from somewhere, and everyone turned to the formerly still figure of the woman. The robes she wore were luxurious and rippled over her figure, though she looked barely twenty. Her eyes were opened and pained. Her body had curved protectively around her stomach, though she was still bound tightly.
"Ah," she gasped, her eyes beginning to water. "L-Lucius."
Lucius' eyes scanned the woman, coming to rest on her stomach. "She's pregnant," he spat at Molly, who was closest to the girl. "Binding her that tightly may have significantly damaged the feutus." He scoffed. "And you believe yourselves pure of murder."
"Untie her," Molly commanded the Aurors, who hesitated.
"It could be a trap," Remus warned.
"Or we could be endangering an unborn child! Let her free!"
One by one the binds unwound from the woman and she crumbled to the ground, the magic all that was holding her up. She wrapped her arms around her waist and gasped, tears spilling down her cheek. "Lucius. I-I need-" she gasped, and sought his gaze with hers. "I need..."
"You need nothing from that man," Molly soothed her, casting a diagnostic spell over the woman's stomach. "There, there, love. Ah, just a little bruising and some unneeded pressure. We'll fix you up. Ronald! Help me with her!"
Her son reluctantly came over, and was closely followed by Harry and Arthur. "We'll help too, dear," Arthur explained and helped Ronald heft the woman gently, taking her to the cleared couch.
"What colour are the potions?" Harry asked, but felt potions being pressed into his hand. He turned to thank the person, but caught sight of Severus slinking back to his corner without a word.
Lucius watched his lover supply potions to the woman baring his child and had to laugh - low and guttural. His chest felt tight, but still he kept his head held high.
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The girl reluctantly ingested the potions, and was bound again through softer charms, though it would keep her still anyway. She stayed on the couch.
"What's your name?" Molly asked quietly.
"Anna." She glanced at Lucius. "Anna Malfoy." The last name was said bitterly, almost as a curse.
"Malfoy?" Molly shrieked, covering her mouth with a hand.
"You can't be," Tonks protested. "I know all of my relatives and we have no one by the name of Anna on our family tree."
Lucius snorted, a wry smirk on his face as he met the gaze of the woman. "She is my wife, not your relative."
The room froze.
Severus clenched his fist.
"You're a real bastard," Harry said sharply.
"Did you ever have a doubt?" Lucius asked drolly.
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The interrogation went on, but Harry left. He had to, at least for a little while, or else he'd punch the man.
He was surprised to see Draco sitting on the stairs.
"Hey," he greeted him lamely.
Draco glanced up from his hands. "Hey."
They lapsed into silence, and Harry slumped on the stair beside Draco.
"I had to leave," Harry volunteered as the silence stretched on. "Else I'd have punched him."
"Why restrain yourself?" Draco snorted, sounding so similar to his father that Harry winced. "He deserves it."
"He does," Harry agreed vehemently, drawing a confused look from Draco before realisation dawned.
"He did something else, didn't he? Something new?" Something not to me, Draco thought, knowing his reasons for hating the man, but not Harry's - except the obvious.
"She's his wife," Harry blurted out, knowing no way to break it to him softly.
"Who?" He already knew.
"The girl."
"Oh."
They lapsed into silence and Draco wanted to scream. How could he? How could he do that to Severus, to his mother? To him?
He wasn't aware his hands had clenched to fists until he felt Harry's cover his. Glancing sharply to the side, Draco could see only Harry's profile as he continued to stare forward. His gaze flickered to their hands, and slowly relaxed his, though Harry's did not move.
It didn't help the rage bubbling up inside of him, but it was a nice restraint from charging into the room and beating the hell out of someone.
And Harry hadn't even told him about the pregnancy.
Harry actually feared what would happen when Draco learnt of that. "He won't get away with it," Harry assured.
"Yes he will," Draco laughed bitterly. "He always does."
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Through the crowd of furious people, above the noise of all the accusations and insults, silver eyes met black. Severus' breath caught in his throat as the walls tumbled down in those familiar pale eyes. Desperation was the most prominent emotion. It was then that the pieces fell into place.
Severus wanted to laugh.
This was his escape plan.
To be captured.
Stupid, egotistical idiot!
He had assumed that Severus would step up, would vouch for him.
He wouldn't.
He couldn't.
"Give him a truth serum," Severus suggested above the noise, and voices joined in agreement.
He did.
Silver eyes turned thankful, and Severus glanced away, sickened by his weakness.
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They gave him the potion, and both Harry and Draco slipped into the room to witness it. Draco immediately sought out Severus, and Harry hesitated, before taking position on the other side of Draco.
He told himself it was so as to prevent Draco from flying into a rage if things went bad, but his hand hovered nervously near Draco's, and he knew that wasn't why.
Draco wasn't looking at him, but Severus was.
Harry felt his cheeks heat and he shot the man a glare, before refocusing his gaze on the elder Malfoy in the center of the room.
They'd given him a chair. They were civilised after all.
"What is your name?" Remus asked. Both he and Arthur would ask the questions, as they were the most level headed at the time.
"Lucius Abraxan Malfoy."
"What is your Son's name?" Arthur joined in, unaware of Draco's presence.
"Draco Lucian Black Malfoy."
"He was named after you," Arthur noted, surprised.
Lucius shot him an annoyed look. "Yes, as I was for my father."
"And his mother," Remus remarked, as if he hadn't heard Lucius. "What happened to her?"
"Narcissa was killed by the Dark Lord."
"By him? Not you?"
"He dealt the final blow," Lucius conceded.
"But you hurt her."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I was ordered to do so."
"You let her die."
Draco's fists tightened, and Harry's hand sought the one closest to him, giving him something to squeeze in anger. He winced and regretted it when he experienced the strength of Draco's grip.
"That's not a question," Lucius spat.
"So you let her die?" Remus rephrased.
"Yes."
"And remarried?"
"Yes. You really aren't that good at this, you are supposed to ask open-ended questions, or do you not know how to interrogate someone?" Lucius sneered.
Remus shot him a glare, but expanded his questions.
"Why did you remarry?"
"The dark lord wished for me to procure a new heir after my last was such a...disappointment to him."
"To him?" Arthur picked up on the words. "Not a disappointment to you?"
Lucius' glare grew darker. "My opinion on the matter was not taken into account."
Arthur let it go, and moved back towards the actual questions.
"Where is the Dark Lord?"
"I do not know his present location."
"Where are the Death Eaters?"
"Again, I don't know their present location."
"Idiots," Severus growled. "They are asking the wrong questions."
Draco nodded in agreement, and Harry cast them a confused look. "Why aren't you up there interrogating him then?" Harry snapped, defending the Order.
"Because I would hex him rather than ask him questions," Severus snapped back.
Draco smirked, noting the similarities between Harry and Severus. He doubted they noticed.
"What should they ask him?" Harry asked through gritted teeth.
"The location of his likely hiding places," Draco told Harry when Severus stayed silent. "He might not know where they are now but he'd know where they probably are."
"I'll be back," Harry said, squeezing Draco's hand before slipping through the crowd.
Lucius sneered at him when he approached.
"What are the locations of the Dark Lord's preferred hide-outs?" Harry asked coolly.
Lucius' gaze narrowed.
"Severus," he sneered. "Too much of a coward to interrogate me yourself?" The serum would not allow him to avoid the questions, and he snarled out, "He favours the homes of the inner circle when he is on the move."
"And when he's not?" Arthur jumped in. Remus rested a hand on Harry's shoulder, smiling at him in approval.
"He has many hiding places. They are scattered all over England."
"What one is he likely to go to next?"
Lucius smirked, having prepared for this question. "Godric's Hollow."
Harry felt he breath leave his chest.
"Why there?" Remus demanded, tightening his hold on Harry.
"He likes to reminisce," Lucius said silkily.
This time, no one protested as Harry sent a curse Lucius' way, making him flinch.
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"He's an idiot," Draco said dully, watching his father hexed.
Severus nodded, and drew the younger male closer. "As are you," he commented, drawing an indignant look. "You should not be in here."
"I should," Draco protested. "I have to be."
"Your obligations to your father ended the day he tried to kill you," Severus snapped.
"As did yours!"
"No," Severus protested, and Draco flinched. Severus' would never end.
Love sucks, Draco decided.
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Lucius had been knocked unconscious shortly after, and people were hustled from the room. Charms were erected to warm them of movement, and they left for the Kitchen to plan. Or attempt to.
Most were of the opinion that Lucius' uses were finished and that he should die, or be sent to Azkaban.
Draco almost - almost - agreed with them, and then Harry spoke up.
"Listen," Harry said, unknowingly commanding the attention of the whole room. For a scrawny, bespectacled kid, he had a real power being the Chosen-One. "He's a bastard, and yes, he shouldn't get away with what he's done, but if we kill him then we'll never find out if he's hiding anything. The Dementors have left Azkaban, it's no longer safe to house prisoners there - he'd likely just escape back to his master. Either way, we lose."
"You're suggesting we actually keep him?" Remus asked, sounding slightly sickened at the idea of a murderer in the same house as him.
"Yes," Harry insisted. "We have the magic to keep him bound or locked in a room. He would be a prisoner."
"Can we at least starve him of food until he talks?" An unnamed order member in the back spoke up, gaining some agreements.
"Barbaric!" Arthur snapped. "Harry is trying to stop us from losing out souls in this war by becoming like the Death Eaters and you want to starve someone for information? No. We will treat him civilly and, although we do not need to act kindly, we will not be cruel. I agree with Harry."
Harry really would be lost without the Weasleys, Draco thought, watching the 'touching' scene of all the Weasleys speaking up and agreeing with Harry, even the Weasel. That was, until the Girl Weasel.
"Harry!" She implored. "He tried to kill me." She sounded afraid. Lucius would have been pleased. "How can you - "
A flash of guilt struck across Harry's face and he stepped forward to comfort the redhead. "He won't go near you again, Ginny. You're safe here."
"I was supposed to be safe at Hogwarts too!" She snapped, tugging her hands away from Harry. "He'll kill me this time, Harry. How can you let him stay here with that possibility hanging over your head?"
"You have the order to protect you," Harry protested. "At school, you just...were underneath their radar." The muggle termonology was lost on Ginny, but she seemed to get the gist of it.
"There are charms at Hogwarts to show when people bring Dark Objects into the School, Harry!" Ginny said, eyes filling and her face burning in embarrassment that everyone was watching. "Why do you think the Defense Against The Dark Arts classes are so restricted?"
Harry glanced at Hermione for confirmation. Her eyes were wide. "She's right, Harry. Something should have gone off when she..." She glanced at the other people in the room and shook her head. She reached forward to wrap an arm around Ginny. "Let's go and talk somewhere private," she encouraged the younger girl, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him along too.
The room was silent as Ron trailed after them, and they left the room.
Arthur cleared his throat, though he cast worried glances after his children. "What is our next move?" He encouraged the room to discuss and the noise boomed as plans were hammered out.
Draco stayed at the back of the room, listening to them talk, but his mind was elsewhere.
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Finding a quiet room, Harry sat opposite the girls and Ron stay next to him. Hermione's arm was still tucked around Ginny's shoulder, comforting her as the redhead brushed away tears angrily.
"So the charms malfunctioned," Harry tried to excuse the mistake.
"The charms are replenished every year, Harry, by the teachers," Hermione corrected. "They'd barely be a few days old when Ginny arrived with Riddle's Diary."
"So what does that mean?" Ron asked, gazing at his sister worriedly. "Someone messed up the charms?"
Harry hung his head, cupping his forehead in the palms of his hand. "No," he disagreed, and felt their eyes go to him. "It means Draco and Snape were right."
"What?" Ginny snapped. "What do they have to do with this?"
"They told me Dumbledore was not an innocent, and they were right," he forced through a dry throat. "He knew about the Diary, but he let you have it."
"He hoped Harry would go after you," Hermione said, horror in her voice. "So he would destroy it."
"Dumbledore put my life in danger, for a diary?" Ginny shrieked. "You're all crazy!"
"He would have known, Ginny!" Harry bellowed, head snapping up. "You said it yourself, Hogwarts has charms. The Professors may have enacted them, but Dumbledore is Hogwarts. He would have felt it! You had to suspect it too, else you never would have brought up the charms."
"I-I," Ginny stammered, eyes filling with frustrated tears. "I don't know, okay!" Her shoulders slumped. "Why would he...?"
"Because we're pawns to him," Harry muttered, rising to his feet. "All these years and I thought it was Voldemort controlling my life, but it was Dumbledore."
"You don't mean..." Hermione was horrified.
"No," Harry groaned, realising her train of thought. "Dumbledore wasn't evil, but he wasn't as pure as I thought he was. He always told me we had to stop them before they did damage, but he was doing damage himself. Why did no one notice?"
"No one wanted to notice, Mate," Ron spoke up, looking pale. "We didn't notice either, because we wanted Dumbledore to be the sign of Good, like the Dark Lord was the sign of Evil."
"Turns out life isn't black and white," Harry muttered, slumping back on the couch, exhausted. "I'm sorry, Ginny."
"It's not your fault," she said, voice choked with emotion though her head was held high. She crossed the gap of the couches and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his wrap around her waist. Ron and Hermione slipped out unnoticed.
"I should have protected you better!"
"You did!" Ginny protested. "You saved me." She gave him a warm, loving smile and pressed her lips against his.
Her lips were really different from Draco's.
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He sought Draco out in the end, after Ginny had retired to her room. He was sitting with Snape in the kitchen, both of them clutching Tea that Molly had supplied. She was organising a feast, it seemed, and had recruited a few people to help. No one trusted Snape and Draco with food yet, so they were not allowed to help.
"Hey," Harry greeted Draco, feeling stupid as those grey eyes snapped up to meet his.
"What do you want, Potter?" Draco asked, sounding tired.
"Can I talk to you in private?" Harry prompted, ignoring the suspicious look he got from Snape.
Draco hesitated a faint pink dusting his cheeks, then nodded, climbing to his feet.
"Draco," there was a strong warning in Snape's voice, and Draco seemed to pale. He didn't look at Snape and hurried from the room, Harry following at his heels, confused.
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"What do you want, Potter?" Draco repeated, once they were tucked away in one of the spare dusty rooms.
"You were right," Harry said, although that's not what he'd come to discuss. "Dumbledore wasn't as pure as I'd...thought."
"Hoped, more like it," Draco grumbled, before wiping off some dust from a chair. Harry aimed a quick cleaning spell at it, and Draco nodded in thanks, sitting down. Harry did the same to another chair and pulled it closer to Draco's, sitting as well. "What did he do? Was this about the Weaselette?"
"Don't call her that," Harry made a token protest. "Yeah, it's about Ginny. Dumbledore...let her keep a dangerous artifact, despite the wards at Hogwarts warning him. It could have killed her."
"If you you hadn't been such a hero."
"Yeah." Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair. "How did you...know that Dumbledore wasn't...as good as we all thought he was?" What an awkward question, but Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Because he could have saved a lot of people," Draco said calmly, "but he didn't. Because that didn't fit into his plan."
"Did he ever...torture?" Lucius' words had struck a chord with him, and it made him doubt them all the more.
"No," Draco denied. "Not that I ever heard." He hesitated. "Potter, just because Dumbledore wasn't pure, doesn't mean he wasn't good too."
"So you're saying he was a moral grey area?" Harry scoffed, feeling as if the world was tilted and off-kilter more than ever.
"No," Draco groaned. He grabbed Harry's chin, making him face him head on. "I'm saying there is not black, white and gray areas of morals. There's humans, and Dumbledore was no divine figure, he was human."
Harry stared, distracted by the warmth of Draco's hand on his chin. "Can we really win this, fighting as humans?" Harry asked desolately.
"Yes," Draco said firmly. "Because we're fighting against humans too."
Harry laughed, and closed his eyes. "No we're not," he disagreed. "We're fighting against an immortal."
"There's no such thing," Draco snapped, getting to his feet. He didn't know what Harry was talking about, and he wasn't really good at peptalks but he could offer suggestions. He was a Slytherin. Plotting was in his blood. "Unless the Dark Lord has recruited the undead."
"The undead?" Harry repeated.
"Vampires." Draco rolled his eyes. "Useful little bludgers. Very good for night fighting."
Harry's eyes went wide. "Do you think they'd listen?" They'd be immune to most curses, and would give them an edge, a surprise that Voldemort wouldn't see coming.
"Probably not," Draco admitted, with a shrug and a smirk. "But you lot wouldn't be Griffendor's if you didn't try."
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A week passed slowly, and plans were made. The messages to the Vampires were returned unopened, and their interest level was plain to see.
"I thought they would be interested in a battle!" Harry bemoaned one dinner, when many of the Order were out on missions.
"The Dark Lord is not affecting them yet," Hermione pointed out. "They have no reason to fight."
"Other than blood," Ron perked up.
"Common misconception," Remus corrected. "Vampires are not obsessed with blood. They need it to live, yes, but they merely waste away without it. They don't go into blood lusts. Highly misunderstood creatures." He gave a lopsided smile. "Still, they got one thing right in the books they wrote."
"Oh?" Hermione was fascinated.
"Werewolves and Vampires do not get along at all."
The conversation was drawn into a discussion of Magical creatures, rather than the plan, and Draco - sitting across from Harry - raised an eyebrow at his dejected expression.
He finally caved. "Send the part Veela," he told Harry across the table.
Harry glanced up, confused. "What?"
"Send the part-Veela to meet with the Vampires to discuss the plan," Draco explained, jerking a finger towards Fleur who was sitting near Ginny. She peered curiously at them.
"Why ez that, Draco?" Fleur asked.
"Don't you know the old stories of Vampires and Veelas?" Draco seemed surprised.
"Oui, but 'ey were merely myth, yes?"
"Non," Draco responded. "There were some truth to the myths, though the practice is long since fallen out of favour with both groups."
"What is this about?" Hermione latched onto the new facts.
"Zhere was a myth that ze Veela and the ze Vampire used to betroth zheir offspring togethzer," Fleur explained. "But it 'as not happened for years."
"Why was that?" Harry asked, curious.
"It's dates back to the supposed birth of Veela," Draco remarked, waving a hand. "Originally, Veela and Vampires were thought to be similar and the joined union of them was supposed to be all powerful. Utter nonsense, of course, but it was a superstition. Veela and Vampires could not produce offspring together, as like any Vampire and non Vampire union. However, many of the older Vampires today still believe Veela to be a close 'cousin', if you will, of the Vampires."
"I've never heard of that," Hermione said sceptically.
"It was a myth told to ze Veela children," Fleur admitted, regarding Draco with undisguised curiousity. " 'ow did you know of eet, Draco?"
"My father had interesting houseguests when I was a child." He shrugged it off, returning to eating the roasted vegetables before him.
"Would you be willing to go, Fleur?" Arthur asked, having been listening quietly. "It is worth a try. Obviously, you would not go alone."
"Of course I will," Fleur announced. "Vampires do not wish to hurt Veela, merely join with zhem, and as I am joined already, I am safe from zheir interest. 'Owever my blood may sway their decisions."
"Are you sure, my love?" Bill asked, anxiously, taking her hand.
"Oui," she assured, running her fingers gently across his face to cup his cheek.
"I will go with you then. To prove that you are taken." He tightened his hold on his wife, causing her to giggle.
"I love it when you get possessive," she purred.
Draco blinked. "Ew," he muttered underneath his breath, as the couple kissed. Severus shot him an amused look, heavily veiled behind annoyance.
.
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The Vampires did not join. It was a heavy blow, and Harry took it hardest. He locked himself in his room - pleased now that Ron had insisted on one of his own - and did not come out to eat that night after hearing the news.
He was the hero, but nothing he was doing was working.
Draco ate with the rest of the family and Severus, ignoring the occasional order member who would duck in to steal food and retreat to plotting.
"I'm worried about Harry, Mum," Ginny insisted. "Someone has to do something about him."
"He just needs some time on his own, Gin," Ron protested, around a mouthful of food. He swallowed the stew after being chastised by both Hermione and his mother. "Leave him be."
Ginny looked like she would protest, but she fell silent and continued to eat her food.
She was obedient, Draco mused, with an inward snicker. "I'm finished," he told the table and rose to his feet. "I'm going to fetch a book and then retire for the night."
"Oh, alright then." Molly smiled at him. "Goodnight dear."
Severus watched him with a suspicious look, but did not protest. Draco felt his cheeks flush and he left the room quickly. When Harry had come to fetch him the week earlier, Severus must have seen something in the way they interacted - which was barely at all - that had given him away. Severus was suspicious of Harry and Draco, which was ridiculous to most, but Severus had seen more of their interactions whilst 'unconscious' than anyone else.
And Draco was not one to blush over nothing.
.
.
Draco contemplated knocking for a moment, before raising his hand to rap three times on the wooden door.
"Leave me alone, Hermione," he heard Harry's voice call out.
"I resent being compared to a mu-...to Granger," Draco called back, lightly in case anyone was in the hall downstairs and heard him.
There was a thud, and some scrambling, before Draco felt the charm on the door lift and it was tugged open. Potter looked a mess, with his hair even worse than normal and the room was dark with no lights lit.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, looking confused.
"Standing. Breathing. Talking, at the moment," Draco listed, and Harry rolled his eyes.
"Smart-ass. C'm'in," he mumbled and Draco could only assume it was an invitation inside the room.
"Mind turning on some lights? I have forgotten the see-in-the-dark charm," he drawled sarcastically, walking cautiously into the room in hopes of not tripping on anything.
"S'rry," Harry mumbled again and flicked his wand to turn on the lights. He winced as his eyes adjusted to the brightness and quickly dimmed them, unknowingly creating a somewhat intimate atmosphere.
Draco noticed, but was grateful for the semi-darkness to hide the flush of warmth across his cheeks. They lapsed into silence as Draco sat elegantly on the edge of Harry's bed, with Harry hovering awkwardly nearby.
"Didja need something?" Harry asked, getting sick of the silence.
"Oh, no," Draco denied. "Just making sure you weren't dead yet."
"Yet? That's reassuring. Rest easy knowing I don't intend to die." Yet.
Draco cast him a suspicious look, as if he had heard the last word. "Good. The house smells horrible enough as it is."
Harry laughed, and ran a hand through his hair. Sure, that probably wasn't intended as a joke, and was actually true, but at least Draco wasn't spitting insults at him.
"Are you really that upset about the Vampires?" Draco asked, raising one eyebrow, when Harry did not talk again.
"What? No," Harry admitted. "I'm just getting frustrated at all the dead ends. With the ho...with the war effort and yeah," he finished lamely.
Draco picked up on the slip, but didn't push. "What? Did you really expect there to be a straight path to the Dark Lord's demise that said "follow here, Potter" and that'd be it?" He snorted. "It's a war, Potter."
"I know that!" Harry snapped. "I understand that! But it doesn't mean that it makes it any easier!"
"No, I suppose it doesn't." Draco eyed him. "Have you ever thought of, I don't know, letting other people do the work."
"What?"
Draco got to his feet. "You're not the only person in the 'Light Side', Potter. When did you start thinking you had to take all of the war efforts onto your shoulders?"
"I'm the ch-"
"If you say Chosen One, I will punch you," Draco snapped. "That's bullshit, and you know it. Try delegating. Other people have ideas. You're not meant to figure it all out yourself."
"They do offer ideas, but - "
"The final say is always your call? Why is that?" Draco stepped closer. "You're not Dumbledore, Potter - and thank Merlin for that. You're not the leader of the light side. You're a kid."
"I'm not," Harry snapped. "I have to do this!"
"No you don't!" Draco yelled, frustrated. "Merlin, what do they teach you in that house of yours?" Harry's back hit the door, trying to get away from Draco, but he kept coming. "It is not your responsibility. It was not Dumbledore's responsibility. They don't need a leader, they need a plan and that plan does not need to come only from you!"
Harry stared at him.
Draco stared back.
"I'm not doing it for them," Harry admitted tensely. "I'm doing it for me too. I need to kill him."
"Can you?" Draco demanded. "Put your wand at my throat." He didn't. "What if I were the Dark Lord, or secretly trying to kill you. You could be dead right now, and no one would know, thinking you so caught up in your self-pitying bullshit. " Draco put his hands up to Harry's neck, and felt him swallow beneath his touch, but still he didn't fight back. "You can't kill someone. You couldn't even kill me."
"I didn't want to kill you," Harry protested, his hands coming up to rest on Draco's over his throat - perhaps in an attempt to push him away but that didn't happen. Instead, they rested there, covering his like some twisted hand-holding. "I still don't want to kill you."
"Really?" Draco sounded disbelieving."Even after I sent you on a wild goose chase with Vampires?"
"You tried to help. It just didn't work out. It's not your fault."
"What if I knew they would not help, but sent you after them anyway?" Draco taunted.
"Did you?"
Draco hesitated, causing Harry to smile.
"You tried to help, Draco, and we all appreciate that."
"Then why are you hiding?" Draco spat.
"Because I'm tired," Harry admitted, slumping back on the door.
"Then get people to help, Potter." Draco went to move his hands away from Harry's throat, but his hands were still held in place by Harry's. "Don't hide yourself away and pretend that you're alone in all of this."
"Why did no one else come to tell me this?" Harry asked.
"Because people are stupid and don't realise sulking gets you no-where," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
Harry's hands squeezed his. "Thanks."
Draco eyed him, waiting for a joke to follow, but none did. "You're welcome, Potter."
"Harry."
"What?"
"You were calling me Harry, but now you're calling me Potter. Better than Scarface, but I prefer Harry."
Draco smirked. "Don't get too used to it, Scarface." He pulled his hands away from Harry's, but rested them against the door on either side of Harry's head, rather than moving away. Harry's slid down, resting uselessly at his side as they watched each other.
"That's not fair," Harry protested, sounding a little hoarse.
"What isn't?"
"You have me trapped," he said, eyes widening as Draco moved closer.
"No, it's not. " Draco continued to smirk.
"Are you going to let me go?" Harry prompted.
"Nope." The 'p' came out as a pop.
"Why not?" His breath came out in little bursts, as he tried to press himself further against the door.
"Because then I can't take advantage of you, like you took advantage of me," Draco joked - and it was intended to be a joke. Harry was freaking out, and needed to be brought back to the real world, and somehow Draco thought this might snap him out of it. Maybe cause him to cuss Draco a bit, but that didn't happen.
Instead, Harry moved forward, and his lips pressed against Draco's.
Well, Draco thought, as he felt Harry's hands grasp at his waist, and his own slip to Harry's shoulders, that was not the most well thought-out joke.
.
.
Draco left Harry's room almost a half an hour later, hair messy and lips red, only to meet Severus in the hallway. The black eyes narrowed at his appearance, and then snapped to the door behind Draco.
"Don't," Draco said, voice cracking from tension, his hands clenched into fists. "Just don't."
Severus inclined his head, and stepped forward, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Come, we have things to discuss."
Draco allowed himself to be led away, glancing back over his shoulder to see the door of Harry's room open a crack, and horrified green eyes watching their assent up the stairs.
Wonderful, Draco thought, just wonderful.
.
.
Severus didn't yell.
It wasn't his style.
But the disapproving look on his face was worse than yelling and cussing. It made Draco feel like he had disappointed the elder man - which he knew he had. He hated that feeling.
"Look, I know it's stupid," Draco blurted out. "It was just some dumb impulse. It's not like we're having a love affair -" the idea made his cheeks redden noticeably, and the black eyes narrowed further "- it was a mistake. That's all."
Severus stayed silent, and Draco rambled to fill in the silence. "It's completely over now. It's stupid. It'll never happen again." He waved a hand, as if dismissing the whole thing. "All over!"
The elder man pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and moved over to stand closer to Draco. He cupped the boy's chin and drew his face up, so his eyes were forced to meet Severus'.
"They are putting your father to death," he said simply - and to anyone else, coldly.
Oh.
The world fell apart beneath Draco's feet and he slumped, only the arm which came around his waist preventing him from falling.
No.
It hadn't been Draco's presence in Harry's room that Severus had wanted to discuss at all. He probably didn't even care. He had simply come to tell Draco the facts before someone else could sugarcoat it and lie.
His father was going to die.
"They can't," Draco said, weakly. "Harry..."
"Cannot go against the whole order," Severus said stiffly. "Your father has yielded no more information, and, while the girl will stay alive, he has exceeded his usefulness."
"We have to get him to talk, to say something. To keep him alive!"
"Why do you care, Draco?" Severus snapped. "You hated him not days ago."
"I can hate him all I want but he's still my father!" Draco yelled. "I can't just let him die! I'm not - "
" - like him?" Severus finished, voice almost a taunt.
Draco pulled away from him, snarling. "You don't understand." He threw himself out of the room, stumbling down the hallway towards the room where his father was kept. He met Remus coming out of there. "I need to talk to him," he demanded, and slipped passed before the werewolf could protest.
If he hadn't slammed the door behind him, he might have seen the look pass between Remus and Severus, who had followed him down the hall.
"You got him to do it."
"Draco is predictable and easy to manipulate," Severus retorted, and stepped into the room beside where Lucius was kept, nodding to the Order members. The wall between the rooms had been turned to glass, invisible to Lucius and Draco, but the order could see everything that happened in the room.
Severus, perhaps, should have felt guilt over betraying Draco, but it was for the greater good.
Wasn't it always?
.
.
Lucius' head jerked up as the door slammed, his grey eyes narrowing on his son's figure against the door. He cast a suspicious glance at the door behind Draco, as if waiting for an escort to follow him in, but none came.
He straightened his posture, resting his hands on his lap and waiting for Draco to make the first move.
"Why did you let her die?" Draco finally snapped, his voice coming out hoarse as he glared at his father.
"It was the obvious choice," Lucius responded coldly and Draco snarled. The elder Malfoy continued, as if Draco had not reacted, "I let her die, so you would not."
His eyes widened. "What?"
"Oh grow up, Draco," Lucius sneered, rising to his feet. Draco slunk back against the door, although he knew there were charms preventing magic done all around the room. It was the only reason why Lucius was not bound, not to mention he had been eating his dinner when Draco arrived. "The Dark Lord was going to kill us all."
"So you saved yourself!"
"No!" Lucius growled. "If I had not let her die, the Dark Lord would have killed her anyway, to hurt both of us and then killed us. By letting her die, I showed him I was loyal. He wanted to hurt me still, so he tortured you and Severus."
"And how did this save me?" Draco jerked his chin up, sneering at his father. "Sounds like Slytherin self-preservation methods to me."
"It wasn't." Lucius glared. "He would have killed you outright if I had not proven loyalty. In the torture, you were given a chance to escape, and you did. Both of you did."
"You didn't save us," Draco protested. "You just..."
"Let you escape. Just as I didn't kill Narcissa, I let her die." Lucius stared at his son, motionless.
"Perhaps you should have just let me die," Draco forced out. "And saved her." They could always have replaced him.
"No," Lucius denied instantly. "Narcissa knew she came second to you, and to -" he paused, as if unwilling to voice how he had favoured his lover instead of his wife. He did not complete his sentence, but Draco knew who he spoke of.
Draco slumped against the door, sliding down with his back against and coming to rest on the floor.
"You're going to get your clothes all dirty," Lucius was unable to hold back his chatise, eyes narrowed.
Draco laughed, bitterly. "If you haven't noticed, my clothes are hardly worth protecting from dirt." He was still in Weasley Hand-Me-Downs, though these fit better, and had less garish colours. He rested his head in his hands, and Lucius hovered coolly nearby, waiting for him to collect himself.
.
.
Harry walked the hallway, cheeks still flushed in embaressement. Did Snape know? Was he going to tell anyone? It was just a mistake. Some stupid error in judgement.
He'd have to deny it.
But how?
Could he really deny it? He'd have to talk to Draco. Formulate a plan.
" 'arry?" A lyrical voice called to him, and he turned to face Fleur. A frown marred her beautiful face. "You are needed in ze room." She motioned to the room next to Lucius' 'cell'.
"Why? What's going on?" Harry asked, feeling tired already.
"Draco needs you," Fleur said simply, and motioned against the the room.
"Draco?" Harry repeated, worriedly and stepped over to the door. "Uh, thanks." She smiled at him, and watched him enter the room without a word.
Harry looked confused at the Order, who stared back just as confused. Movement caught his eye, and he turned, staring at the invisible wall in disbelief.
"What are you doing?" He demanded.
Remus winced, and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him further into the room and closing the door behind him. "Getting answers."
.
.
"Why did you escape?" Draco asked, after silence had passed.
"Because there was no reason to stay. The Dark Lord has become enraged, and frenzied. His movements are unpredictable and his paranoia is growing. He has begun to fear the Inner Circle and he is pitting them against each other. It would not have been long until one of the few were ordered to kill me to prove their loyalty."
"Did you have to prove your loyalty?"
Lucius' eyes were cold. "Rossier knew the risks when he joined."
Draco felt almost nauseous. He knew people died, but his father had never outright admitted to murder. Rossier had been his father's friend in school, but of course, he came second to Lucius' needs. "And the girl?"
"The Dark Lord's idea." Lucius scoffed. "Do you really think I would take another lover, especially a wife?" Especially a female, was what he intended to say. "The potions that Narcissa took are still potent in producing pregnancy."
That made sense. "She was impregnant magically."
"Were you not listening, boy?" Lucius sneered. "I have no interest in a new wife, nor bedding a girl who is barely older than you."
"I wouldn't put it passed you," Draco spat, glaring from his vulnerable position on the floor. "Murderer."
Lucius' eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, boy. Disowned or not, I am still able to take a cane to you."
"There are no canes here, Father," Draco retorted. "You are weaponless."
They glared at each other, a hatred boiling beneath the surface.
"Severus," Lucius said, changing the subject, his voice cold. "He is with you." It wasn't a question.
"Yes. Did you think he would abandon me too?" It came out a sneer.
"No. However his wounds were far more severe, I had rather thought he'd die." Lucius had been worried, Draco realised, and that surprised him.
Sometimes Draco forgot how devoted the pair were, despite a rather horrific relationship.
"There were complications, but he is well now."
Lucius nodded, and did not ask of those complications. That would be showing too much emotion. He had already shown too much.
"You have left the Dark Lord," Draco said stiffly. "Does that mean you would betray him, if given the chance? Or would you betray us, and return to him."
"No. I would not return to him and you know that, so why must you ask?" Lucius growled.
Draco pushed himself up, using the door as a support. "I don't know anything about you anymore, Murderer."
Lucius struck out, grasping Draco by the front of his shirt and slamming him against the door. "Don't call me that," Lucius snapped, before dropping his voice. "They are listening."
Draco didn't need to ask who, and while his head throbbed at being slammed against the door, he pushed his father back. Lucius allowed it, or else he never would have budged. "You are a murderer," Draco said stiffly.
"Yes, but if I had not, then I would not have been free of him, and Anna would have died - along with her child."
"It's your child too!"
"Yes, it is," Lucius sneered. "We must simply consider ourselves lucky that the Dark Lord did not have his way with her, else he would have spawned a new generation."
Draco blanched. "He was..."
"It was his plan, however my loyalty convinced him not to partake, and he has used infertile concubines since then."
"Infertile? Does he know?" Draco demanded.
Lucius smirked. "Severus was not the only person with potion skills, Draco."
Oh.
"What will happen now that you are gone?" Draco demanded.
"The potions will last a month, but that is only for the woman already there. If he gains new women, then they will be fertile and he may yet impregnate a woman."
Draco shuddered.
"Indeed," Lucius said, as if Draco's shudder had been a remark.
"How long had you been giving them the potions?"
"Since he told you to kill Dumbledore," Lucius responded swiftly. "It was an impossible task. It was then that it became apparent of his insanity."
"The day he sentenced me to die," Draco clarified.
"That was his intent, yes, but as usual, Severus saved the day." Lucius began to pace.
"Someone had to."
Lucius sneered. "I thought the hero was supposed to be Potter."
"Potter is not the only hero in the war," Draco snapped. "He is not the only who should help."
"Oh yes. You have formed a bond with Potter. He was quite protective of you earlier. Tell me, are you following in my fo-"
Draco spun on his heel and grabbed the door handle. "I am not discussing this with you." and definately not while people are listening.
Lucius hand snapped out, pinning the door closed. "Do not act foolishly," Lucius hissed quietly to his son. "I did not save you only for you to kill yourself over the first male to show you affection."
Draco elbowed back, hitting his father in the chest and dislodging him. He yanked open the door and slipped out, slamming it close on his father's face.
He rested his forehead against the wooden door and slumped.
Dammit.
.
.
Harry felt his heart lodge in his throat as Draco fled the room. "Did you get your answers?" He demanded, and saw similar looks of pity on the Order member's faces.
"Some, yes," Remus conceded.
Not enough. They never seemed to have enough.
Harry nodded tensely, and cast Severus a severe look, before stalking to the door and renching it open.
He was surprised to see Draco still by the door, head resting against it. Those somber gray eyes snapped up to meet his. Harry moved over, ignoring the people who exited the room after him.
"C'mon," Harry encouraged, grasping Draco's upper arm and pulling him to his feet. Draco didn't protest. Harry continued to ignore the people who called out to him, focusing instead on getting Draco away from the crowd. He didn't need people watching him more.
"Where are we going?" Draco asked, as they moved through the hallways, voices quietening behind them.
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Somewhere far away."
"We have to stay in the house, remember." Draco's voice was dry, and some his usual snark was returning.
"So? Doesn't mean we have to stay nearby."
Draco stayed silent, and let Harry lead him away. Getting away sounded heavenly, but for now, it was little more than a pipe-dream.
He was trapped there, for as long as they wanted to hold him hostage.
.
.
Author's Note:
Long chapter, huh? Sorry if this seems rushed but, well, it is. This story will end next chapter. To be perfectly honest, it would have ended this chapter if I wanted to post a 20,000word chapter, but I figured a 10,000word one was enough.
I'm in a rush to end this. Why? Because I started this story three years ago. What I wanted then, and what I want now for this story are completely different, and I'm a little tired of this Genre. I thought of just deleting it, but my reviewers stopped me from that. I really want to end this, but not through a 'discontinued' notice.
As a note, this means there will not be a sequel. I'm adjusting how this ends, to hopefully give some closure without the sequel, though I admit there will be lose ends, sorry.
It's been one long ride, this story, and I don't regret it, but I really wish I had finished it when I had the inspiration, and not let it drag out for three years like I did.
(Also, Just to clear this up and I know I shouldn't acknowledge these things, but my ending this story so abruptly has nothing to do with the flame I got, although I will admit being told to die due to a story did make me rethink where I was going with my writing.)
Many thanks to all of my reviwers on the last chapter, especially to those who've been with me for so long!
Much love,
-Liaa