Yay! FLN's next chapter! Hope you like it!
Btw i use a few Irish Gaelic curse words with Irial, and probably more languages too.
Disclaimer: No own anything. So sad.
Chapter 18: The Arena Battle
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Irial was pissed, to say the least. If Draco wasn't, well Draco, he would not have had to abandon his mate in the middel of some of the most amazing- "Iri?" His thought process was cut off as he looked up at Death, literally, Blaise lived up to his name at that moment.
"Cac, Blaise are you mad ouva!" Rushing over to help the other man stand Blaise leaned heavily into him, "You look like your namesake, feck, what did they do to you?" He ran a pale hand through dark black hair, watching as bright blue eyes closed relaxing as he did. First Draco's having problems and he finds Blaise like this, Twilight would kill him, the girl hadn't been around a decade but she was certainly something that could cause a stir when she wanted to. Luna could take care for this bloke though, "Come on, Luna will want to see you and take care of you, wouldn't take it if I just dropped you off in your room and left you for dead."
Blaise chuckled a bit, "It wasn't them so much as the mission I was on trying to keep all those muggles alive, but there were so many I couldn't save. Then I had a run in with Lucius when The Dark Lord called me away summoning me to him." Irial stiffened then and Blasie felt it, he was sure, "Cool it, Iri, can't be fighting all my battles now can you? Lucius will get his in his own time, trust me. I just had a nice talk with the bastard, and gave him a nice little love pat with the back of my heel."
"You and Draco have far too many enemies for me to fight every battle, but I like to handle the ones I know I can. You two attract bastards and bitches like flies to shit, you do realize that right?" Blaise was really laughing then at Irial's crudeness, "Many years I have walked this earth, I'll let you know young one, tis much you still have to learn. I am strongest of my kind, but not the best, you, Draco, his queen, Twi, you all shall do great things for my kind that I never could." His eyes concentrated on the figure approaching them from down the hall, he hated the sent of mangy wolves. "Feis ort, Greyback!" Gaelic was native to him, not the first language he'd known but it was the one he liked best, it had stuck with his homeland so he honored it.
The werewolf stared at him, eyes shining in the dark, "Have his highness protecting you now, Zabini?"
Irial growled, he was feral, none threatened his claim, "Iri.." It was a warning from the half-dead man hanging from his shoulder, "Greyback, fuck off, no need to catch flees when I'm already bad enough off."
The werewolf growled but backed away, keeping his eyes on the Shadow King, "Another I shall have to add to my list of needing talked to, and my fists like talking with those types much more than my mouth." Irial flashed his usual dark grin, "You and Draco do provide me interesting conquests for my darker desires... a little bloodshed and fear is never too bad.'
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Testing out her new theory she looked at Snape, she wasn't talking to Draco, who was frustrated because she'd silenced him. They were going off to war soon and he didn't want her to come, so she wasn't speaking to him, it made sense to her. He looked like was going to blow a blood vessel though, he also hadn't explained why he had been accepting kisses from that strange and inappropriately dressed dark man. "When you want to confess and tell me what's really going on in that head of yours, then you can speak Draco Malfoy." It was charm she'd learned in her book, the book of her life, there was a whole chapter on spells she'd known and she'd searched through it to find that specific one when he'd come charging up the stairs after her spewing excuses.
Snape rolled his eyes at them, "Did Irial agree to help?" Draco nodded, Hermione smiled softly at him, "Good, he may be able to find something we're over looking."
Hermione stared at Draco as she felt the charm lift, "Hermione! Irial is- well- He was the one who turned me, he's probably one of the oldest Immortals in existence. He and I were close when I spent time in America, not like romantically close, it's not something that can be explained, he pledged his fealty to me not long ago. We now have a bond, we are very amicable with each other, we had problems when he fell into the charge of Voldemort some time ago. The Dark Lord has black mail on him that he can't risk coming out, besides Iri has a mate, Luna, you know her!" He looked like a whining little kid, "And I don't want you at the battle tonight, because you're mortal. I cna't afford to be distracted, you would be one hell of a distraction, love. You're life comes before mine, always." He brushed her cheek with his thumb sadly, "Just stay here, please."
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Twilight opened her eyes to see Madam Pompfrey, the old lady didn't seem to be too happy with her that was for sure from the look on her face, "Now would you like to tell me why these are scarring?" Looking down at her body, uncovered but they were in a private room, no reason to be modest now. "Well, your kind doesn't scar unless it's strong magic, and only ancient magic from old times could cause this kind of damage. You were gone for almost two days, Twilight."
"Old ritual that I learned very young, only saw it used once. It can bring clarity to my visions, if I survive, it's dangerous." she sighed as the old mediwitch glared at her as Twi tried to sile about it all. "Do lighten up Madam Pompfrey, I'm through the worst of it now." Sitting up she stripped the bandages from her body, watching the nurse's frown deepen, "I have other obligations, there are those I must protect, that come above my own well being at the moment." Standing up she asked softly, "Wouldn't happen to have something for me to wear would you?" The nurse sighed, rolling her eyes, obviously giving up, she pulled out a beautiful silk dress, small but it would fit, it was the color of her eyes.
Taking and beginning to get dressed, "It was left here after one of the last dances."
Nodding she felt the mediwitch zip her up, "Thanks Poppy!" smiling she quickly tiptoed and kissed the old witch on the cheek, "Must be going now! Do come to Grimmauld soon though, have a feeling we'll be in need of your services."
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Ron Weasley stared down at the glaring girl before him, "Pan, really, trust me, you'd be much better of here." He brushed another kiss across her pouting lips, to come away once again with no reciprocation on her part. "Stop being stubborn, Pan. I'm not going to change my mind, I put you in danger once, I swore never to do it again. i couldn't stand the thought of you being out there surrounded by Death Eaters that want to kill you." His eyes were sincere, and he saw she was breaking down on the inside. "I promise not to do anything rash or stupid."
It was his last offering, she finally lifted up kissing him fully, "I don't want to lose you either, you idiot, I'm not some southern belle American, you can't put me on a pedestal and keep me like china doll." He sighed pressing his lips firmly to her forehead, she was a little more than a foot shorter than him, but he liked it like that. He could see over her ehad as Draco came down looking thoroughly frustrated. Hermione was acting more and more like herself lately and he wondered to himself what they'd had a row about this time. "Ronald, just came back in one piece and still breathing."
Kissing her forehead on last time he turned towards the door, he was about halfway out when Draco clasped a hand on his shoulder and Harry did the same on the other side, both looked about as rough as he did. Just as they were gathering to apparate, he realized she'd made no promise to stay. Pop. Dammit.
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Harry felt the sucking feeling in his stomach fade as screams filled his ears, looking up the dark mark was already high in the sky. It was a knee-jerk reaction that he and Ron managed to find each other immediately. Draco was already running across the field at a speed the blind eye couldn't see, but when Death Eaters around them dropped to the ground, they could guess it was Draco. Greyback was there and he and Remus were circling each other, Bellatrix was zeroing in on her nephew, "Drake, watch behind you!" Ron called out and the blonde immortal stopped dead then launched himself at his demented aunt.
Slipping around the perimeter he began dueling a Death Eater at one of the exits blocking muggles from escaping, "Incendio!" The cloaked figure dodged and rolled to the ground as the end of his robes caught fire.
"Bloody hell, Harry!" Harry watched as the mask was lifted to reveal Blaise, "I was trying to keep this exit open!" He looked tired, and pale, Harry wondered what he'd been through being at the right hand of the Dark Lord, "Don't worry, what's here is here, but look out for Dolohov, Bellatrix, and Lucius. They're all here, maybe even McNair and the Crabbe's and Goyle's." Harry nodded his thanks to the man who was a brother to him and turned to see Ron battling Dolohov again.
Running towards him to help out, he was cut off by an animagus wolf that lunged at his face. Tumbling into a roll to dodge him, he Kicked up and heard the yelp of pain. The wolf slowly turned into McNair who was glaring at him. "Bombarda!" Harry yelled and watched the man throw up a wandless shield and jump to his feet, "Diffindo!" He cried as the shield dropped and watched as it barely nicked his opponent's sleeve. Another nonverbal as fire leapt out at him and Harry dove to miss being singed by it. "Deprimo!" But the wind barely caused McNair to blow back but a couple steps.
"Incarcerous." Harry felt the bindings go around him and he struggled, he'd dropped his wand, damn what a time to not remember nonverbals or wandless magic, he couldn't concentrate for some reason. "How's the great Harry Potter feel now?" He raised his wand to be level with his face, "Old Half-Blood Prince helped me with this one, sectumsempra."
"Noooo!" A body flung itself in front of him and Harry felt as blood was flung against his cheek.
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Stepping onto the battlefield, Twilight smiled at the others around her, Draco's mate, the High Queen, but not quite so stood next to her. Pansy Parkinson was already running straight for Ron who was having trouble against Dolohov. Then a gasp made her turn, "No, Charis! Go back, you can't be here!" Twilight cried out, no, she'd seen it, it couldn't happen, the girl ignored her as she practically flashed across the arena and Twi turned her eyes just in time to see the spatter of dark blood leaving the girl's body, "'Mione... do what I said. Find Blaise, you two- together you two can be what we need to tip the scales in our favor." The girl looked confused but she nodded, turning and casting a quick invisibility charm before moving across the ground looking for the brother she didn't know was alive.
Now she needed to get Harry and Charis out of here, neither could stay, if her visions were anywhere close to predicting the destruction that would come, she couldn't allow them to be here once Blaise and Hermione combined strength. Draco cut across her vision, "Get her out of here!" Twilight decided to play dumb with the scary High King in her face.
"Who, Charis, I was on my way-" she was cut off by his growl, she hissed back at him, "She needs to find out, you still have your vow, still have your bond, your safe... I'm safe, Ron and Pansy will be gone before it happens! I can't let Harry- He won't leave the field if she dies! I have to convince him to take her home, you don't-" she watched as his eyes widened and his face if possible went even more ashen, "You know now. It is going to turn into a bloodbath for them anyways, and anyone Hermione doesn't have the strength to resurrect."
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Falling foward to the ground, all she knew was pain, but looking out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry laying there still alive, "Finite incantatem." The binds loosened, Harry rushed to her side, it had been a pure burst of spontaneous magic, McNair lay unconscious on the ground, but his spell had still hit her.
"Oh Merlin, Charis... You shouldn't be here, you're hurt... This is too much blood... You're losing too much blood..." He was in shock, she reached out placing a hand on his cheek pullong all the negative energy and feelings from him. He hadn't been harmed, that's all she cared about, the world needed him, she needed him. "Charis, don't waste your energy on me, please, just keep your eyes open, stay awake. I'm going to get you help." Dark clouds were gathering in the sky above them, looking around he saw most of the muggles were gone by that time, it would be time to pull out soon if things started falling apart.
Suddenly a blonde, green-eyed immortal was staring down at him, "Leave, get her back to Grimmauld, Poppy should be there, Snape's there."
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Blaise surreptitiously fumbled another Death Eater's attempt to kill a mugle, it was hard to do this without drawing any suspicion on himself, but he decided the best way was to act like a bastard supervisor. "What hell are you doing?" He yelled at the man he'd just messed up to see him fumble his wand even more while looking up at him, "There's Order members all around, get to work , can't have them running around now, can we?"
Turning back to survey the exits he saw most were clear and ones that weren't were damaged by all the fighting. The skies were looking stormy, he was hoping it was natural and not some new power Voldemort had found he could create with dark magic.
Rubbing his hands together, he breathed into them, moving over to an unconscious Death Eater he blew the icy air into his face, that would ensure the man stayed down. It was good being Death on a battlefield. His wand flicked towards another Death Eater sending him flying into the wall closest to him and moving him out of the way for the one person he was not wanting to see in the middle of all this violence. His deep blue eyes caught with honeyed ones. "Hermione get out of here!" she shook her head, the woman was too much like her mate, stubborn enough to get herself killed one day. Charging over to her, he blocked her with his body as a hole exploded in the ground right where she'd been standing.
"Twilight, she told me to find you, she said we could stop this." He was ready to strangle his mate-to-be, what had she seen now.
The area around the grew impeccably dark, "She's right you know, you two have quite the power between you." Irial. The damned Shadow King couldn't ever be any help when he really needed, like getting his sister off a dangerous battlefield where she could get killed and get her mate killed, or him killed, Merlin.
"You're that weird, creepy guy that kissed MY Draco." Blaise lifted an eyebrow at Irial as his little sister glared at one of the most powerful immortals to ever exist.
He laughed, the whole world was going to shit, Shadow was laughing at something his sister, Life, said. "You were kissing Draco, Iri, really, I thought for sure you only had eyes for me."
"Don't pout, Blaise, it doesn't suit you."
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Draco watched from afar as his mate talked to her brother and the crazy bastard Shadow King, Irial was fucking laughing, only he could find amusement in the middle of all this bloodshed. Then again, Irial thrived on this type of conflict, he reigned supreme, and he was always starving himself of such indulgence. He felt her presence before she tackled him to the ground, she'd been chasing him around the while time they'd been engaged in fighting. "Oh, here's the little nephew, run so far away from his auntie." Her smile was twisted and sick, she was twisted and sick. "Are you not having fun young Malfoy, little Lucius?" A growl left him at that, he refused to ever be compared to being like his father, in anyway possible.
"I'm nothing like my father." He read what she was going to do as she thought of it, slamming a fist into her rib cage as he dodged a bit to the right of her own attack. Then flinging out a dark curse, a nonverbal he'd created himself to fight his own kind. Dark magic had already flowed in his veins before becoming immortal, but had strengthened when he became one as it was part of their nature. It was easy to use at will, even without his wand. Black flames licked at her hair as she screamed throwing herself to the ground trying to douse them.
Something knocked him to his knees, "Oh, but you are everything like him, my son."
Looking up he bared his fangs and hissed, snapping at Lucius's neck as he leaned close holding the cane he'd used to knock him to his feet, it was pure titanium. Werewolves weren't the only ones with metal weaknesses, not that titanium was to immortals like silver to those mangy mutts, but it was effective at causing a stunning effect short lived though. Draco pulled himself back to his feet, risking the stunning of his arm to knock the cane from his father's hand.
"Wrong again, I could never sacrifice those I loved for my own gains. You gave up my mother, just gave her up, so you could get rid of any weakness the Dark Lord could use against you. Let me be taken prisoner, hoping I'd die just so you could be the Dark Lord's favored follower." Draco spit at his father's feet, "You make me sick."
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Throwing out the first thing to come to her ming, "Protego!" Ron smiled at her, but still looked mad that she was there in the first place.
She couldn't help it, Twilight had showed up and said that Ron was in danger and she wasn't going to let the idiot get himself killed. Dolohov was wearing down, between the two of them he wasn't able to keep up. Then he turned towards Ron, lunging at him, when she went to intercept an attack, Dolohov spun when Ron's silence spell hit him, the slashing motion was complete though, purple flames leapt all over her and she was sure pain had erupted through her whole body there must be blood everywhere.
Looking down though she saw not a scratch on her, but she couldn't help writhing in pain, the flash of green caught her eye but Dolohov was gone by the time Ron's curse reached where he had been standing. The ginger rushed over to her, "Where are you hurt, Pan?" His eyes looked worried and she shook her head.
"I can't find anything... but it hurts so much.. Ronald..." Tears were gathering in her eyes but she refused to cry on a battlefield.
Ron scooped her up looking at Draco, who looked up away from his father almost as if he;d sensed her boyfriend's thoughts, but then he probably had. "I'm getting you home safe, Pan."
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Harry landed on their bed, still cradling her, Poppy had looked shocked at the sight of them. The whole house was full of wounded, Snape was making up potions left and right for the old mediwitch who looked like she was being run ragged. Molly was trying to help as much as possible but there was only so much she could do, Fluer was helping with healing spells but she wasn't as good as Poppy was with them. She'd sent them up the stairs, there wasn't much more anywhere else, Snape had assured them that Charis's immortality would allow her to heal but she was losing blood, a lot of it and fast.
Charis curled tighter against him, his shirt was soaked through with her blood and her hands were barely holding onto him anymore, "Harry, Harry... hold me closer... I can't feel you..." His eyes widened when she said that, he was clutching her tightly to him, how could she not feel him?
"She needs to feed." The woman was eerily still, her hair soft brown, short around her face, and her eyes a piercing blue that calmed the heart. "Halflings cannot heal when they starve themselves so or are injured as she is. Fresh blood would fix it." Just as he was going to thanks her, the woman had left, soft barely audible steps could be heard going down the stairs. Who had she been? Obviously immortal if she knew that much about Charis and her kind.
A cough came from Charis as she forced herself away from him, "The was the Lady Clam herself. It cannot be good for us if she has come then. I can't feed, she must know that... tis only your blood that would satisfy me Harry, too son for you to be feeding me again though." Harry didn't rightly care if she thought it was too soon or not, he wasn't aout to watch her die in front of him, because she looked worse than death at the moment, even Moaning Myrtle looked more alive than she did at the moment. Soon he felt himself relaxing, but he pushed against it, she was using up her energy on him.
Pulling her close to him, though she sat up still as a statue above him, he laid back. "Please, Charis..." Slowly running his hand through her hair he forced her head down against his neck, "Let me keep you alive."
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Hermione ignored the dark man next to her, soon mist was floating around her, and she was getting upset with them both. They were just standing there staring at one another, it was like some male barbaric ritual of showing one who was better. Then something flashed through her mind, "Nico!" The black-haired boy with the wide blue eyes snapped his head in her direction. His hand lifting to look at her, light burst from her, or at least if felt like it came from her.
The mist grew thicker as the shadows seemed to be choking in around him, coming from him and being drawn from the man at his side. She felt light being drawn to her as well from across the arena, a quick look behind her she saw Draco glowing too, staring almost dead on in her eyes. Was he scared of what was happening? Or was that awe? She couldn't tell, slowly turning back to look at the one in front of her, she saw her hair floating around her like she was underwater. Reaching out quickly she connected their hands out of instinct, and the light and shadow seemed to merge press against a invisible barrier between them.
Suddenly she felt the pressure of so many lives against her, pain sprouted from her back again, she was where she brought Harry back from the dead.
"Wh-what's happening?" she whispered as she looked at the people slowly crossing over into the Ether, into what she knew was death. She felt sleepy but somehow knew she was ready to sleep yet, couldn't fall into it.
Someone stepped up to her side, "Welcome home, little giver of life." The man wasn't old, but he seemed old, if that could make any sense, he had large grand wings that were every color but no color all at once. "I am Merricini, the Merricini. I am an ancestor, the only one that truly matters, the eldest of elders, none came before me, and only the ones I wish to come after me." He was speaking in riddles it seemed but it wasn't a puzzle, "Oh, young one, so young. These lives, some you are meant to save, others not. Reach deep into yourself, you know the pull of those golden lives, of the strings not ready to be cut, of the ones who like you can't fall into the dreamless sleep that awaits them." A ghostly cool kiss brushed her temple, "You and your brother, you both have given me great pride, a gift I give to both of you, truly you both are my own." Then he was gone and she stood looking at all the ones standing around her, and slowly the golden lines appeared they connected to her.
"Go on, my child, my angelic creature of life, resurrect the living, your brother has already doomed the dead."
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The arena was a mess, bodies laid everywhere, few remained standing, Irial had watched, in fascination as the two siblings had caused havoc and given peace in one burst. Even now others were sitting up holding their heads as if they were waking from a long sleep. Blaise was still a shadowy figure of a dark avenging angel, high in the sky. He cradled the lighter cherubic angel closer to his chest, Hermione hadn't awakened when the mist had eased away from her and the light had been sucked into the darkness around her brother.
Draco had passed out, his father had escaped and Bellatrix was nowhere to be found. Blaise was still on the war path, it was a bloodbath.
It was time to go, running with the High Queen in his arms, he blended into the shadows and darkness around him traveling across it for strength and speed, the advantage. He was predator in every part of his nature. "Tell me little Life, how you keep them all together so well, how you keep me tied to them as well?" He was stopped, setting Hermione down slowly behind him, he turned to ace the Malfoy elder. "I see even evil bastards like you can get lucky and escape certain death then, gives me hope for myself ."
The smirk on Lucius's face was suspicious,"So, you survived, had hoped to find your body mangled and broken." Lucius didn't' do small talk banter, he cut deep, this was not like him, it made him nervous. "I see one of your little treasures, Blaise or is it Nico, was quite the secret weapon tonight. So much he could be used for too bad he seems to have no control, but perhaps that could change, I shall talk to our Lord. Oh and I need a little collateral against Zabini too." His smile was utterly wicked then and he turned a second too late Bellatrix had somehow managed to appear behind him.
"Crucio." Hermione's tiny body writhed in pain even though she was unconscious, feral growl was ripped from Irial's throat as he used all that was in him to shove her away, it was almost as if the nightmares themselves had come alive. Tearing at the woman they jerked her away from Draco's mate. Being quick and keeping his eyes on the elder Malfoy, he cradled Hermione in his arms once again.
Narrowing his eyes, "This one has been hurt enough, I won't allow anymore damage come to her. You need collateral, you may use me."
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Amata Mercy
So Twilight's visions are coming true. What of Luna's prophecies? Will Charis compromise Harry's mortal life? Where is Irial taking Hermione, and what will happen to him at Lucius's hand? Draco is split off from his mate. What has become of Blaise? What of Ron and Pansy? Will she make it? All coming up in FLN!