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Chapter 14: Clash of the Clans

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Running through the castle, her footsteps were light, she had to reach the dungeons and awake the High King. Danger was looming before them and they had no choice but to stand against it. She could only hope that they had gathered enough allies to do so. Sidestepping suddenly to avoid being skewered by a golden arrow she turned her head up to see the unholy eyes of one from the Immunda Clan. It had already started, she had to hurry.

"Oh, little regent, little heir of Sight... stop your running, it is far too late for any of you..." Ahead of her was the Head of the Fides Clan, she had long black hair with her blood red eyes, and an evil little smirk upon her face, "As the true religion I have found you all condemned!" Then she felt pain in her side to find a dagger dug in there and she jerked it out watching as a dark liquid dripped on to her hand. Knowing she wasn't going to be able to get past this battle alive she threw her body with all her might through a stained glass window.

The screech of Fides was frightening, those windows were of their creation for the true religion. She almost wanted to scoff at the idea of their true religion, it was nothing but corruption from within, using their power of weak minded fools to get what they wanted. She continued running jumping up on to the ledge of a second story balcony then using it to swing herself through another stained glass window below it. Fuck the Fides, never had liked them to begin with. She felt she was going to be a great leader of her Clan, even better short-lived regent for High. Draco was definitely going to approve of the stained glass window breaking, he always hated Fides and the true religion the first time he'd found out about it all.

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Turning the corner she saw a stranger, he was tall, regal looking in the face and cussing about something. She'd not heard words like those since the last time she'd been around the War room. Cruentus was always using foul language to express their every thought. She had to wonder if they were ever happy at all, probably not, they were always in fights and bad moods. The stranger walked over and kicked a sizable hole in one of the sacred stained glass windows, she gasped and he turned toward her, "The Fides clan will not be happy with you."

"Who gives a fuck what the Fides clan thinks about me?" He growled then calmed down, "Don't tell me you're a puny priestess of the true religion."

Crinkling up her face at the thought she laughed, "You, sir, would be absolutely wrong with that accusation, I'm a child of Sight. The heiress to the Clan Head, unfortunately. The true religion is a false fantasy for those looking for something to blame all their problems on and those who can't do for themselves or won't try to." The stranger was staring at her blankly, she hated not being able to read people, and who the hell was he anyways.

"Draco Malfoy." she cocked an eyebrow, that didn't tell her much unless he was any relation to the one they'd named Malfoy Tower for, "Fine, I'm the Head of the High Clan. It seems I've stumbled into a legacy of sorts, I'm told I have a long line of predecessors before me. All Malfoys, of course, only regents for the throne when there was not a Malfoy to hold it. I'm not in anyway interested in my role." Then his eyes widened as if he hadn't meant to say so much to her, "Enough on me, child of Sight, tell me you want to help me finish off this set of so called sacred windows?"

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The first day she'd met him he had been certainly charming but distraught. It wouldn't be until later that she discovered he'd just recovered from the change and had left his mate across the ocean. That explained his constant distant look, then when she discovered he was telepathic she wanted to kick him in the shin for all the times she'd wondered how he always knew what was on her mind or her questions before she asked him.

Turning a corner she came to the grand entrance hall and saw off to the far left a darkened stairway down into the deep dungeons below this monstrosity of a castle. Taking off a dead run now, she knew she had to get to Draco, to get him before it could all go wrong. Hermione, dear Merlin, Hermione, and Charis had disappeared right before her eyes, much like all her wizard friends could that was a curiosity as well that would need explaining. Draco was an good friend, one who had rescued her from this hell hole and a desolate future, and he'd done so without ever knowing he had influenced her at all. So she was devoted to him, that nothing would tragically befall him if she could help it.

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"So you're leaving then." She looked up at her new friend, he'd come for knowledge about what and who he now was, and as a favor for some group he was loyal to back home, but now he was leaving her behind with no one. Charis was hardly around anymore, Irial had disappeared years ago, and now this one who had brought her the light of friendship again was leaving her too.

His grey eyes stared at her forlornly, "I have to, the school year is about to start, she's going to be away from the protection she's had at Grimmauld, I cant allow her to walk the halls there without me there to at least protect her from afar. If anything, anything, ever happened to her... I wouldn't be able to go on. Twi, she's dug her place into my heart without ever trying or being present. But I feel as she aches, I feel her tears she cries at night for those she can't save, and I feel her fear every time she watches those she cares for go off on missions and into battle. I want my chance now that I understand everything, to just maybe be the one to ease her aches, dry her tears, and smooth away those fears, or at least be one she fears for. You must understand, you know you're mate, you've said so before."

"Of course, I see him always even from across the sea."

"But how can you stand to be away from him, to know that while you know that you are meant for him, he doesn't know about you. That he could be wooed by another and you'd lose your chance forever. How can you just remain here so far away when he could be in danger or be scared, sad, or hurt?" Draco was in a frenzy now, "I have to go, Twi."

It was only a day after she envisioned her mate standing with her on Draco's Grimmauld's doorstep and her running through it knowing all that would be, it was not an hour after she found him standing next to a bus stop sign. "Blaise, I've been watching over you and dreaming about you for so long. I thought it was about time I saved you."

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Stepping out into the long black hallway she saw the purple flames in the torches along the way. This place was a maze, everything looked the same, it was created to torture unwatned visitors with their fears and sorrows, to drive them crazy. She'd been about five when Irial had first approached her when she'd gotten lost here, after that the Shadow king had been a constant companion, and she'd met Charis, and learned all the secrets of Rosencrantz.

Coming to a stop in front of a door that barely contained the anguished cries to the High King, she could smell smoke.

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Harry Potter had never been one who liked surprises, of any kind. So when his best mate and his girlfriend showed up on Grimmauld's doorstep with an unknown girl he wasn't too excited. The girl had long waves of obsidian, her eyes a precious cobalt, and skin as pale as porcelain with the look as though she was as fragile as if she were made of the stuff. She was a doll that was for sure, but she bleeding and a bit broken, tear stains down her cheeks and rips and blood marring a beautiful pearl gown. A hard look at Ron had the man sputtering with nonsense try to come up with a practical explanation. Yet it was neither of the known persons before him that could come up with what he wanted to hear. Instead this little dark beauty stared up at him with those compassionate eyes and new tears had formed once again, "Tis you, oh tis truly you. Oh, my darling hero, I have finally found thee."

Catching her as she collapsed in his arms he watched as his two friends finally seemed to snap back into reality, "Harry, she just appeared right there in front of Hogwarts, she was crying and could hardly move, but refused to be treated until she could find Harry Potter and his friends. She knew our names when we were brought to her out on the front steps, she smiled and cried more saying finally be able to find you."

Moving back into Headquarters, he cradled the gentle maid in his arms, feeling how light she was but how she fit perfectly against his chest. Small pouty lips were touching gently against the base of his neck as he sat down, settling her more comfortably in his lap. It was strange how he was suddenly compelled to hold onto her. "So the only logical choice you two could make was bring her straight to me? Any thought pass your minds that she may be a trap sent by the Dark Lord. No, of course not. Bloody hell Ron."

That's when the red head glared at him, "You weren't around to tell, but Twilight disappeared right before our eyes after a terrifying vision, her last message was to be on the look out for a girl who'd know our names and for us to bring her straight to you. Twilight obviously sent her, you don't trust Twi?"

Harry glowered down at the small bundle in his arms, the girl was possibly younger than Ginny, by maybe a year. "What am I supposed to do with her?"

That's when she stirred, a moan, then a cough, with it came a small spurt of blood, his eyes widened, "My h-hero, oh my p-precious h-hero..." Her eyes were fogged over when she opened them, her lips were now showing a dark red that was almost back. He'd seen that blood once before, on Draco, when he'd come to the door of Headquarters in a similar fashion. It seemed they had another resident vampire on their hands, yet still she seemed different from the others, her skin still had warmth to it. Slowly he dragged her more tightly against him, if she'd lost blood then she'd need to feed if she really was a vampire, he remembered something about Draco saying only blood substitution had worked for him except for the blood of his mate. Odd considering that other vampires took to unnecessary violence and killed at will to get blood, but Twi had explained they only did so because the blood they were taking in wasn't a strong enough sustenance thus the multiple killings of drained victims and all that went with the usual thoughts regarding vampire lore. She purred it seemed as she nuzzled his neck, and he gulped, her lips were resting over his vein. "I-I can't..."

Ron stood, "I'll get mother... she'll tend to her wounds." Another curiosity, very few things could harm the immortal, yet this one was damaged beyond belief for her kind with no evidence of the use of an open flame.

"Who are you?" Harry whispered as he looked down at her small form curled against his own.

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He could smell the beginnings of what he knew were flames, his mind caught wisps of the thoughts around him, they were crazed and hard to hang onto but he go the gist. It was Cruentus, they were setting fire to the castle under the orders of Natura, Immunda, and Fides. The thought alone that Immunda and Fides were working together was appalling the two head couldn't even sit in the same room together during the annual council, the first one he'd experienced had been nothing but argument between the clans that fall after he'd been turned. Still the ache in his chest had dull, but he was at a loss for his mate. 'Hermione...' he called out to her to get no answer except a curious wash of confused emotions across what little was left of their link, hardly anything at that.

Then the door to the room he was lying in opened and he saw the frantic chartreuse eyes that made him forget the pain and jump out of the bed he was lying in suffering in self-pity. "What's wrong, Twi?"

"It's madness, utter madness, it's the Clan War, it's finally come. We have to get out of here, we have to hurry..." Then she looked up at him sadly, "She's alive, Draco... but it's bad, real bad... Charis healed her of all that she could... but there was something about she couldn't remove the potion she'd been given... Draco, it's not good..." Tears were spilling from her eyes as she watched the man crumbled from the inside while standing firm before her.

His voice was gruff as he spoke, "Let's get going... you can tell me the rest on the way..."

"She left almost immediately after she regained consciousness, I went for Irial but he was preoccupied and told me to go to you... Draco, she disappeared into the mist... She's using the Ether." He didn't find much wrong with that, it was her gift, but still he felt a nagging worry. "She's no longer immortal, she's as mortal as she was when she was born." His steps halted then, being mortal and still controlling her gift was dangerous, she was immune to the Ether because of her immortality, or at least he'd been assured of that. "Dammit, I can feel her, barely but I can feel her, Twi. I can't rein in a Clan War and worry for her too... It's just too much... I need her, she's know what to do... Merlin, how I depend on her."

A hiss to his left had him turning towards a battle ground forming, with a loud growl all in the room looked at him. He was asserting his alpha control, he wasn't just King in title, and he was making it known. His aura filled the room, "Stop fighting immediately!" If only it could be that easy, he watched as they all continued to fight, yet it wasn't Shadow or Sight or Calm against those who were calling for destruction, they were Rogues. The gardens were up ahead, he could feel an immense power radiating from there, he had bets that Irial was there, it was just the feeling of darkness he got and then he felt it, the bond that Irial had created between them when he'd offered his fealty. Damn him, it was against one of the bylaws for another Head to pledge such undying loyalty to another even if it was to the High King, it left a place unbalanced. Yet still he understood, it had been ancient ways that led Irial, ways that he;d been raised by. Irial was older than most, but still young enough for an immortal. It was under his guidance that Draco had become what he was now.

"Twi, to the gardens, I shall handle this. Find Irial, clear his head a bit an get him to find my mate. She's still on the grounds, that much I can be sure of." His eyes turned back to the growing battlefield, as more Rogues joined the battle and the new united front continued their head on attack. Looked like he was going to have to physically involve himself, he reached down feeling the wand in his pocket and quickly pulled it out, casting aline of fire that separated the two sides as each retreated from it with angry hissing.

A woman with long blood red hair and gleaming black eyes approached from the center of the chaos on the traitorous side of the flames, "If it isn't the high and mighty himself, coming to bring peace?" Her laugh was blood curdling, she wore practically nothing, a bare strip of a skirt and halter top that seem to barely cover her large chest, "Of course, he has, he who has so little bloodlust. What sort are you? Bringing a little do-good into our own sacred circle, making her Queen. It known well that the Dark One would give our kind the freedom from secrecy and persecution we seek yet you side with those who'd have us all destroyed, have us placed into society if only we can control what makes us who we are." A passionate speech from the Clan Cruentus, a clan known only for blood and battle.

"Peace between the Clans is all that can save our kind. If we cannot stand together in unity then we shall tear each other apart." Draco snarled as they began to circle one another, crouched low to the ground he was careful to keep eyes on those around them. He wouldn't put it past her followers to pull some underhanded trick as to attack him from behind to give the upper hand in the fight.

Her smile was crazed as he saw dark blood of immortals already covered her hands and arms, "Such powerful words that mean nothing to me."

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That voice belonged to none other than one he thought never to see on these grounds again, "Death has made his appearance, I see." Natura allowed his eyes to move away from Irial to view the newest threat to his person. "You have come for Life, have you not? Did you not hear? I have ended her little reign here among the immortals, she is no more, the Ether may still be with her but not as her gift to control." His smirk showed his pride in being the one to commit the act and he could see as anger filled the eyes of Death, Shadow was getting antsy as he watched his precious pet suffer. "Can't stand the ones you care for to suffer in any way can you Irial? So you have bonded yourself with both this male and the High King, the ancient code was always strong with you. What of your Faerie Queen? That little one who I had thought to be Death's mate was yours, isn't it ironic that I brought her to you thinking I was killing that little Sighted one."

Death lunged forward, he wasn't going to take Natura's words sitting down and was going to show him just what he thought about him, "You never could be loyal to anyone but yourself could you. Irial saved me, helped me when I would have rather died. He is better than you shall ever be. Not that I'm going to allow you live much longer to be anything but dead."

Irial reached out quickly drawing the male close to him, within his little circle of shadows around him and the young one. "He wants you to attack, he's been goading me since I arrived. I will not allow this young one to see violence such as you had to when your family was slaughtered before you and your little sister.." The blue eyes looked deep into violet ones and slowly began to calm.

Now turning emerald eyes to them, Natura smirked, "Protecting, you are always protecting someone. It's not truly fair when you control so much that all within your realm are untouchable without your permission. But you let that little Sighted one get away once, thinking your precious pet here could keep her safe. I never believed he could, neither did my master, but my master was so obsessed with this one and the High King, as well as that one-who-will-not-die, he sees not those that should mean most to him. I could be better than any of them, I have the power of the land with me, shouldn't that be so much more than what they can offer." His glare showed how much Natura resented this and watched as vines began growing around him , slithering like snakes around his ankles and up his arms.

Calpurnia was now dancing between the two men within the ring of shadows, "What does she see?"

Irial smiled gently down at her, "She sees butterflies and myself in a kinder form, she now sees you as well, she believes she's just on a picnic in the meadows chasing butterflies and picking daises with us. I'm not sure how this will effect her in the long run, but isn't it much better than the reality around her at the moment?" His smile was sad, his powers weren't meant to be used to show happy delusions as he was doing, that was the danger in it. Death knew this, his powers were meant to destroy the mind then body, this could irreversibly delude the child for life.

"Charis can heal her, always believe that." Death told him, but what would it cost the empath, he wasn't sure. "What shall we do with Natura?"

Both were involved with this so called master, Irial was allowed to walk the ranks of the Dark Lord as long as he promised the use of his shadows and Blaise was the prize of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. "Time to bring him the attention he wants, don't you think?" Irial's eyes were glinting with evil mischief and Blaise understood, but summoning the Dark Lord here would be dangerous. Draco was here and so was Hermione and Twilight, if any of them were to come to his attention then all could be ruined for the Light. "Don't worry, the High King is held up, he's in battle, can't you smell the flames? The other two, well your sister is here but only in body, she's preoccupied in her own mist of the Ether at the moment, and your mate, is well trained, by me in fact, she can handle herself, your worries aren't completely founded."

Unwillingly Blaise had to agree and then forcedhe words from his mouth that would signal the Morsmorde that would bring the Dark Lord here. When Natura saw this his smile darkened, "Now, my Lord shall see just whom he should trust in!" He was crazed and demented, and they weren't completely in belief that he was the one behind all of this.

When the dark shadow lifted from the ground, Voldemort stood sneering at them, "Problems between my own, I see. You immortals never could be fully trusted together, but you my dear Blaise, or should I call you Nico, you are still favored to me." Natura snarled drawing attention to him, "So you've drawn together followers as I asked, and harmed the little mate of the Malfoy heir?" When he recieved an affirmative, the Dark Lord smirked, "Good, good... What of Malfoy?"

"He's in battle, fighting against this one's army," Voldemort watched as Irial held tightly to the young girl's hand in distaste but said nothing, "It would be a shame if the army destroyed him because he was insolent enough to think of ordering his band of followers to do so, wouldn't it?" Voldemort then turned red eyes upon the lone immortal standing beside him, "It's a shame too, that Draco will be of no use since this one didn't do the job correctly with his mate, I believe said now mortal isn't going to be among us much longer" He watched as Voldemort grew even more angry at the Clan Head.

Then all of it was ruined, "Hermione!" a voice cried and the girl was standing there, shadowed wings adorned, and another small blonde immortal following her, Death was stock still as he met eyes with his mate-to-be and sister.

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"Nico?" she asked softly, "Oh, Nico it's really you!" she cried then saw the Dark Lord and found herself staring at the most evil man ever to exist and before she could stop them the memories of her family's slaughter sprung forward into her mind, it had been so long, as Blaise had locked them away long ago when he'd left her with Dumbledore all those years ago to be given to the muggle couple, the Grangers.

"Hermione, there you are... I was looking for you before your brother so graciously presented himself in your place. At first we thought he was protecting her, Twilight, but who would've thought he'd have left your name the same and hidden you among muggles. He was always very smart, both of you are, and quite an asset to have together. It's odd that you both being of the Ether would also have immortals as mates." Voldemort slowly began walking towards and she couldn't move, not even an inch and he was confusing, she wasn't sure what he was talking about. "What exactly do you remember, Giver of Life?"

Her head cocked to the side, "Mate? What are you talking about? I was left with the Grangers by my brother, I have been living a peaceful life in the muggle world. You, though, you were the one who killed my parents."

The laugh brought frightful chills to her body, he was terrifying, "Oh, this is too precious, she has been given an alternate reality to believe in. So she doesn't even know the ones whom suffer because of her, only you Blaise... only you." Death was in shock, she'd forgotten everything that had happened in the last six years, her friends, her adventures, her love, and everything.

Suddenly pain wracked her body, something was wrong with someone and she didn't know who, "What's happening to me?"

Twilight was looking at her stunned, "It's Draco... oh, Blaise, Irial, it's Draco!"

Voldemort looked up angrily at the Sighted one, "So the army will destroy my favored after all, you immortal, you wanted my attention, did you not? Well you have it." He turned and in seconds Natura was on the ground writhing, then became still as he burst into flames and was gone. The Dark Lord's sneer was evil, "Blaise, I expect you to be following after me soon. Irial." Then the shadows covered him and he was gone once again, without touching Hermione or Twilight or checking on Draco. He was up to something, of that they could all be sure.

The shadows fell from around Irial and Blaise, "The flames are getting stronger, see the how the smoke billows over head, and the glow of orange in the darkening sky, we must evacuate our allies before they are destroyed with this place." The three nodded in agreement as they turned to Hermione, she watched them, pain still causing her to shake and the young one still pranced around them. "Come, Hermione, my sister." Blaise reached out and brought her into his arms, her wings still hung from her back, and the gardens around them slowly began dying. Her eyes were still golden but her skin was warm again, and her cheeks rosy with human blood. What did this mean?

"Nico... what's wrong with me? What was Voldemort talking about?" she was confused but she had this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that there was something she was forgetting.

"Don't worry, you'll be taken care of..." He whispered as tears welled in his eyes for his best friend and brother who would find his heart broken when he saw her again. She didn't understand the pain he was going through, why he was crying. All she knew was that she wanted him to be happy so she hugged him around the neck and looked up at him with those innocent eyes. The dark-haired and violet-eyed man was staring back at the small child who ran around the charred body, something was wrong with the little girl she just didn't know what it was, something kept bugging her that she did know but just couldn't say.

"Daddy? Daddy? Don't you see the butterflies? Aren't they beautiful? Look I picked flowers for you! Smell them! Smell them!" the little girl cried.

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Running through the halls , Draco was trying to find his way through flames and fighters, as he would run he called out to allies, "GET OUT! The fire is too strong, we'll all die in here! The castle is going to collapse!" The smoke didn't choke him as he stopped breathe but he'd cough when he had to speak because even immortals needed air to talk. "The High King demands an end to this battle, Cruentus is dead!" He'd defeated the female with her own tactics, she'd never seen it coming, perhaps she hadn't known he could read her mind the whole time. He watched as his subjects drew blood from each other, as some pushed their enemy into the flames that grew around them. His gal was the gardens, the last place he felt Irial had been in the gardens, the last place he's been able to connect with his mate had been there too. Cruentus hadn't gone down easy and she'd injured him as she'd fallen, during that moment he'd grabbed onto their bond, not intentionally but somehow he'd used her strength to get up and keep going.

Turning a corner he just about ran over those he was looking for, sans the Shadow King but adding Blaise, who had his mate in his arms. Tears burst into Draco's eyes at the sight of her, sorrow and joy mixed as he saw her state. She clung to Blaise but didn't even spare him a second glance, she was alive, but she had her wings and she smeeled as she had when he'd craved her mortal blood, not scent mixed with his that signaled his immortal mate. "Draco... " Twilight gripped his arm and pulled him along, "We have to get out of here, you can worry for her later."

They ran out of the castle just as the roof began caving in, they sprinted out into the forest, just in time to turn and watch the castle crumble to the ground. The cries of the dying inside were painful but they watched as others leapt to safety form the mayhem.

"It was Guildenstern behind some of it, but there's someone else, someone linked to the Dark Lord." Draco spoke, "I pulled it from Cruentus's mind as she was dying, it seems she and Natura had been very close as of late. I can see that it went just as well on your end of the battle. It's ok, Irial got out fine... I'd know if he was dead." The other two nodded and he watched as Hermione stared at him curiously, her brow wrinkled in pain as she looked at him. "Oh, my Hermione, I'll get you home. I'll find a way to help you." he whispered and she just looked more confused, and he let the tears he'd been holding back fall.

She reached out to him and wiped his tears away, "If you tell me what is that is wrong with me, then perhaps I can help?"

Nothing had changed about her personality, she was still partially his Hermione, but the one who loved him and her friends was gone, she no longer remembered him, no longer remembered the Golden Trio, he searched her mind and couldn't find any of it. There was a block there, that he couldn't get past though, and it gave him hope, a small one but at least it was something. He'd kill the bastard that was behind this potion that made her mortal and stole all that was precious from her.

He pulled away from her, then watched Blaise shake his head, he was then handed his mate, and watched his best friend and brother kiss Twilight then disappear into the night without so much as a word of good bye, but he understood. It wasn't his time to return to them yet. The blonde immortal fell to the ground in despair as she watched him go, and Hermione timidly moved out of his arms and sat next to her and hugged her until the dawn light showed the end of the fires around them. All was quiet and nothing could be done for his kind now, not until he could end this war with the Dark Lord.

"It's time... time to go home."

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