Life Renovations
Chapter Twenty-Six
You Are Watched
The manor was a dark smudge in the dimming moonlight that night. The forest surrounding Malfoy Manor was eerily quiet; it was as if the forest had been put to sleep. Put to sleep just as the moon's natural light was being dimmed. However, if one were to look closely, they would see shadows. Shadows with gleaming eyes shining brightly from an unknown light, flitting from one area to another to watch the large manor. One shadow hovered near a tree at the edge of the forest closest to the manor, watching it intently. It did not move for a long time and then only shifted slightly when other shadows converged and joined it.
"Our search is over," one of the newly arrived shadows spoke quietly, a soft feminine tinkling sound brushing through the air, the earth around them feeling caressed by a language not heard in centuries.
"We are positive?" the first shadow whispered.
"There is no doubt," said another shadow speaking in a harsh tone. "The house is bleeding from the power of two very strong Ukatae auras from within."
"This is exciting! Shall we go and see them?" the last shadow spoke excitedly and none too quietly either.
"Shut your mouth, Ozemir!" The harsh speaking shadow hissed then shifted to the first shadow "Falde? Why did we bring this idiot?" he demanded to know.
"Calm yourself, Brumek. I believe he will be very beneficial to our quest."
"Talyn is a scholar as well, we didn't need to bring him!" Brumek persisted.
"This mission entails I use my warrior and healing skills. I'm not here as a scholar as that is not my profession. Ozemir is a Scholar. I am a scholar hobbyist," Talyn replied, the only female of the group.
"And how dare you describe me as an idiot!" Ozemir sounded scandalized.
"Quiet, all of you." Falde dissolved his Shadow, becoming visible to even the human eye, and stepped past the edge of the trees, his tall broad form standing out in the darkness. "We are not to meet them yet. Simply to observe, protect, and gather information. Is this understood?"
"Yes sir," Ozemir and Talyn answered, while Brumek studied his Commander. There was something about this particular mission that had Falde on edge. On edge and slightly more excited than Brumek had seen the commanding warrior be in a very long while.
"Very well. You three stay here. I'm going closer. I'll return in a few minutes." Falde sped off into dark, leaving three impatient Ukatae behind.
"Why does he get all the fun?" Ozemir whined.
"Draco, I'm feeling something strange," Harry called from the bathroom where he was lounging on his stomach in a bath filled with hot water and fragrant bubbles.
"Your back?" Draco called from their bedroom.
"No it's not that. I'm not sure what it is. You don't feel anything weird?"
Draco rolled out of bed where he'd been working on his summer homework and joined Harry in the bathroom, conjuring a plush body length cushion and set it down before sitting next to the tub. "Not really. Just the wards around the manor, Hermione and Severus' emotions…" Draco grimaced. "There must be some way we can block that out. Some emotions I don't want to feel from other people."
Harry nodded in agreement and wrapped his arms around the bath pillow stuck to the edge of the tub where his head lay. "Hermione is going to go on a war path once she leaves that room, regardless of how happy she is that Severus has come to his senses," he said after a time.
"Most likely. We'll just have to disappear for a bit." Draco flashed him a grin, his long canines sparkling in the light of all the candles within the room and his eyes spoke volumes about what he wanted to do while they were in hiding.
"You're impossible." Harry began to smile, but his lips instead twisted into a grimace and he buried his face against the bath pillow. Instead of saying anything, Draco knelt beside the tub and dipped his fingers under the bubbles; lightly caressing Harry's back, even though he knew it would not help Harry. It was mainly to soothe himself. He hated to see Harry in pain.
Draco stopped when the smell of blood reached his nose. Sweeping away the bubbles over Harry's back, he clenched his teeth. The skin was open in some places and blood was oozing out of the wounds. He could also see the bone or whatever of the wings poking through just below Harry's shoulder blades, and more disturbing were the large round shapes that seemed to be protruding up just under Harry's skin. They looked like large elliptical bubbles.
Neither of them saw a shadow moving within the bedroom or a pair of teal eyes peering into the bathroom at them, nor could they feel the stranger's presence as he studied the young lovers closely.
"Draco, help me up please? I'm dizzy and I don't want to pass out in the bath."
Draco slid an arm under him, ignoring the fact his clothes were getting wet and bloody, and helped Harry sit up and then stand. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the wavering brunet's waist after helping him out of the bath. Falde took one look at the smaller Ukatae's back and knew the little one would need to be seen to immediately.
"Draco…" the pain in his back tripled, like a thousand stabbing knives impaling his flesh and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he pitched forward into a painless blackness.
"Harry!"
Draco caught Harry before he could kiss the marble floor and rushed him to the bed, gently placing him down on his stomach. "Trife!" A second later, a house elf popped in. "Summon Severus and my father. Quickly!"
"Yes, Master Draco!"
"Talyn." The female looked up from studying her perfectly sharpened nails and raised a dark blue eyebrow at their leader. "Your assistance is required."
"Yes, sir." Talyn's shadow disappeared and she stood at attention to wait for instruction.
"The wings of the submissive are ready for release. You will use your knowledge as a Ukatae healer to help in any way you can. You will not speak of us, you will not allow them any knowledge of our kind in any way, and you will stay only for as long as needed. If they ask you anything, you will not answer unless it has to do with the wings. Is this understood Talyn?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Go."
While Draco waited for his father and Severus to arrive, he removed the towel around Harry's waist and dressed him in boxers. He knelt on the bed beside Harry and began dabbing away the blood from the Gryffindor's back. A few moments later Severus and his father rushed in, closely followed by Hermione and Sirius. They rushed to the bed and gasped collectively upon seeing the condition Harry was in.
"He passed out." Draco's voice wavered and he looked at the four with wide worried eyes. "Nothing I do helps. I don't know what to do for him."
Hermione moved around the bed and sat next to Draco and put a comforting arm around his back. "He'll be fine, Draco. His body probably put him in an unconscious state so that he wouldn't have to feel the pain."
"That is correct," came a heavily accented voice. Everyone turned towards the far corner where the voice had come from, four wands pointed at the being standing there. She quirked an eyebrow, looking at the wands curiously, but did not move.
"She's a Ukatae!" Hermione said in awe.
Just like Harry and Draco, the lady was unusually beautiful, pale, and very tall. Her hair was a midnight blue pulled back into a long braid that reached the back of her thighs. Her face was exquisite, with eyes that were wide and a deep dark blue. Her nose was small and pixie like and her lips were dark red, plump, and in a permanent pout. Her clothing was rather scandalous, in Hermione's opinion. She was hardly wearing anything at all! But then Hermione remembered she was still dressed in her tank top and boxers, and blushed at her hypocritical thoughts. And when she looked closer, Hermione realized the Ukatae was dressed like a warrior or hunter, and the witch supposed the small dark animal skinned shorts and bikini type top were helpful and did not hinder her movement if the Ukatae needed to move quickly, or got in a fight.
Along with the small tight outfit, she wore a dark blue cape pinned around her neck by a beautiful broach of a strange design. The lady was also wearing a large belt that held a dagger on one side and a sword on the other. In her hand she gripped a spear with the blade pointed up to the ceiling with the simple wooden staff planted on the ground. Hermione eyed the spear for a moment. The weapon looked like it was an extension of the Ukatae's body. Hermione would bet all her money that the female Ukatae was deadly with it.
Draco lowered his wand the moment he realized she was of his kind. "Can you help him?" he pleaded.
"You are the mate?"
Draco nodded. The lady moved forward, her spear along with her. "Please step away," she told everyone.
"No," Draco growled.
"You may be one of his kind," Sirius said, his wand still pointed at her, "but we'll be damned if we're going to leave him alone with you."
The Ukatae frowned at them, her eyes flashing dangerously. Hermione stood up and held her hand out in a friendly manner. "No offense but we don't know you and Harry is very precious to us."
"So if you're going to do anything to him, you had better be prepared to have us all looking over your shoulder," Severus put in rather rudely. Hermione turned and pinned him with a glare.
After a moment, the Ukatae seemed to understand and nodded. She set her spear against the wall, withdrew her sword and also set that aside. She climbed onto the bed and surprised everyone when she straddled Harry. First thing she did was unhook a glass vial from her belt, opened it and poured a clear liquid over Harry's back and then poured some into her palm. She absently handed the vial out to someone, and Hermione was the one to grab it and hold it for the lady. They watched as she rubbed the clear liquid over both hands and Hermione assumed it was a disinfectant of some sort. Once the Ukatae was done with that she pulled out the dagger from her belt and brought it towards Harry's back, only to be stopped by a clawed hand gripping her wrist rather painfully.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Draco snarled in her face. Everyone watched with bated breath. They seriously thought Draco was going to kill her. But the Ukatae simply raised an eyebrow at him and sighed.
"I'd forgotten what mates are like." She turned to Hermione, Severus, Lucius, and Sirius. "I have no mate, you see. I'm always forgetting how protective and dangerous they are." She turned back to Draco and began to speak to him as if he was a baby, speaking softly, soothingly. "You want me to help, yes? I need to cut the skin where the actual wings are so that they can be pulled out." She gestured with her free hand to the area where the skin was pushed up and rounded. "The wings are not like the bone; they will not be able to push through the skin. Do you understand?"
"What makes you qualified to do this?" Lucius spoke up. "If that is what needs to be done, then we will call our personal Healer."
"I am here for this specific reason and I am ready to do it now." Back to Draco. "I promise no harm will come to your mate."
"And where exactly did you come from?" Lucius drawled. The Ukatae ignored him.
"Draco, let her do what she needs to do," Hermione coaxed. "She's obviously one of you, and… Hey, do you have wings?" No one could see if she had wings due to the cape hiding her back.
"Yes. Ukatae females, regardless of sexual orientation, always grow wings when they've reached the age of puberty. Male Ukatae only get their wings when they've found dominating male mates." She paused a moment as she tenderly explored Harry's back with her fingers. "And somebody had to do to me what I'm about to do to this young one."
"So she's been through this before, Draco."
Draco released the lady elf's wrist and moved back just a little. The Ukatae returned to what she was doing, well aware that the mate was watching her every move closely; he may be young, but he was still very dangerous. In her right hand she held the dagger, and with her left hand she felt around Harry's back searching for the outside boundary of the wing sacks. As the Ukatae put the tip of the dagger against Harry's skin, Hermione rushed to the bathroom to grab a few towels and set them down beside the healer.
"Darvu taemie," The healer said absently, and Hermione guessed that was thank you in the Ukatae language. Hermione frowned when she realized she didn't have her journal so she could write that down.
The healer paused just before she made the cut. "You are called Draco, correct?"
"Yes."
"I need you to put your hand on your mate's head, Draco. Block out his consciousness. We do not want him to wake before I've finished cutting."
"How am I supposed to keep him from waking up?" Draco asked even as he followed the healer's directions.
"If he starts to regain consciousness, you will feel it. You'll push his wakeful mind back just like you'd push a physical being back. It does sound confusing, but if he starts to wake your instinct will kick in, and you'll know exactly what to do."
"All right."
Draco trusted this Ukatae knew what she was doing, so he listened without malice to her words, but he swore if she messed Harry up in anyway, he was going to rip her throat out; quite literally. She glanced at him sideways and he knew she understood this too.
But he had nothing to worry about because she really did know what she was doing, and it only took five minutes for the healer to do her work. First she took her dagger to the bumps just under Harry's shoulder blades, cutting only a small line horizontally on each side to allow the cartilage to be completely free as they would need to be before the wings could come out. She nodded in approval when the joints tried to move on their own as if wanting to spread out. Then she made two long vertical incisions, one cut three inches to the left and right of Harry's spine just under each joint.
"I've cut through muscles, but it will all heal perfectly once I'm done." She spoke quietly as if sensing everyone's worry. She put the dagger down and slid two fingers into the cuts, whispered a few words to stop the blood flow and to protect the wounds from the open air and prodded around until her fingers were beneath the large sacks. Then she pulled them out.
"That… is really disgusting," Sirius said. "Those don't look like wings to me."
"Siri, please don't be rude. Remember your manners," Lucius murmured, but he was thinking the same thing. The wings she'd just pulled out looked like large gray slimy…
"What you are looking at are the wing sacks," the healer explained as she and Hermione wiped the remaining blood away. "The wings are inside these membranes and will remain there for another week."
"Sort of like a caterpillar, right? It has to make that cocoon and stay there before it can turn into a butterfly?" Hermione asked, and smiled when the Ukatae nodded.
"Yes, exactly like that."
"It looks like someone threw up large hairballs honestly," Sirius said, unable to restrain himself any further.
"Black, just stop talking! Lucius, put his muzzle on already," Severus hissed.
Lucius looked at his husband and an eyebrow rose dramatically. Sirius scowled, but otherwise remained silent. Sirius shouldn't have said it, but that's exactly what it looked like, especially after the healer wiped all the blood off the sacks.
Lucius watched the nameless Ukatae as she poured more of the clear liquid into the open wounds and Harry twitched, scaring the daylights out of Draco.
"He's fine. Natural reaction. It happens every time, I assure you."
"Whatever you say."
The Ukatae nodded before placing her hands over the wounds and whispering more words, and everyone watched as the wounds healed over perfectly, all except the cuts at the joints under Harry's shoulder blades. Hermione asked about those.
"The body will need to heal that on its own. The skin will need to stretch over the joints, as they are now extra appendages. Just like fingers I suppose. He will have to keep bandages on those until it is finished growing over the new cartilage." She turned back to Draco. "But at least now you'll be able to keep him from being in pain." She smiled when Draco sighed with relief. The healer inspected her work to make sure everything was as it should be, gave a nod, and then crawled off Harry.
"How is Harry supposed to go around dressed with those on his back?" Lucius inquired. "Will they not be irritated if he puts clothes on?"
"Good question, human," she replied and Lucius sneered at her. "In about an hour the sacks will deflate and become hard flat shells, after which wearing clothes is possible. Once the shell is hardened, nothing can hurt the wings and he will not feel the sacks at all. Over the course of the week the sacks will dry out, as will the wings inside until the wings are ready for the open air, then the sacks will molt. Nothing else has to be done. Nature will take its course once again." The Ukatae bowed her head to them and turned away to pick up her sword and stow it back in its sheath upon her hip belt.
"Thank you for your help." Draco slid off the bed and held out his hand to her. The Ukatae cocked her head and studied his hand as if she didn't know what it was and then her eyes brightened with humor.
"Ah, it is how you mortals greet each other, yes? We Ukatae do this for formal greetings and dismissals." She held her hand out with her fingers pointed to the ceiling. Draco quickly caught on and imitated her, but when he made to touch their palms together, she shook her head and he stopped a hair's breath away.
"We do not touch hands, but bow over them." Again he did as she did.
"Thank you," he said again. The female of his kind studied him for a minute, before she broke out with a childlike smile.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Draco. We will meet again," she promised before turning. She grabbed her spear and headed for the shadowed corner she'd appeared in.
"But wait!" Hermione called out. "You're going to leave? Harry and Draco have been waiting to meet more Ukatae. You can't just leave!"
But the Ukatae continued on and faded away into the shadows.
"And you said I was rude," Sirius said to Lucius.
"Report," Falde asked immediately upon Talyn's return.
"There were four humans in the room with the two of our kind; three wizards and a witch. They all seem to be family. One of the humans is certainly the father of the dominating mate. They bore a very strong resemblance. Both Ukatae are male and they are mates, obviously. Thank you very much for keeping that a secret, by the way." She paused, seeing Falde's frown and sighed. "Yes, I forgot about mates and their reactions. Moving on… These Ukatae are very young, but very, very powerful. I only spoke to the humans about the wings and explained what I was doing and why." Talyn frowned as she thought about the dark haired Ukatae's wings.
"Something wrong?"
"The one with the wings, his name is Harry… His wing sacks were the largest I've ever seen. And I don't mean marginally bigger… his wings are going to be massive. No one has wings the size of what his will be like."
She let that set in to her comrades. Wing size, among other things, depicted strength and power among the hierarchy in the Ukatae world.
"Wonderful," Brumek muttered sarcastically. "Just something else for the Council to bicker about."
"Were you able to determine what the colors will be?" Ozemir asked, his crystallized violet orbs blinking rapidly in excitement.
Talyn shook her head. "No. Another odd point. Usually you can get some indication, but his wing sacks were a solid gray color. Though since his hair is black, I'd say black and… I was unable to see what color his eyes are."
"Green," Falde murmured, staring at the ground and apparently very lost in thought. Finally he looked back to her. "You are sure he has wings in the sacks? Could it be his wing growth is defective since you could not see through the membrane?"
"I felt the wings through the sacks. He has the wings."
"We'll have to wait and see then. Good job, Talyn."
Talyn flashed as grin. "As always, sir."
Ozemir approached the commanding warrior. His long white hair swinging as he walked. "There's something about these two, hmm? Something you're not telling us."
"Yes," Talyn piped in. "What's so different about these two? Aside from the fact they are the first humans to change into Ukatae on their own in centuries?"
Falde glanced at them and then back at the manor. "We'll take shifts watching. Two at a time."
Clearly Falde wasn't going to answer any questions at this point.
Harry remained unconscious throughout the night but surprisingly was awake before even Draco in the early morning. He sighed with relief when noticing his back didn't hurt so much; only a slight twinge of discomfort remained just under his shoulder blades. Harry lay there awake for over an hour in contented silence; most of the time spent staring at Draco's sleeping face. He was happy enough to lie on his stomach and think about all the twists and turns of his life and how he had come to where he was now. Harry was very happy with the way his life was turning out and even happier that Draco was with him.
When Harry began to get restless from lying awake in bed, he stretched in feline fashion as he pushed himself up off his stomach, and twisted around to sit. Having remembered what happened last night, the fainting incident, he realized Draco had probably been up for most of the night worrying about him so he left his mate alone to sleep and went to the bathroom for a shower. As he passed the mirror on his way to the shower stall, Harry caught sight of something strange and he slowly turned so that he was looking over his shoulder to stare at his back's reflection. His eyes widened in horror.
"What the bloody fuck is this?" he yelled, appalled by the sight of the things on his back. He didn't know what they were, but he knew for certain they weren't the damn wings he'd been expecting. "I'm not going to walk around with these disgusting looking things. Hell no, fuck that!"
Pipe down, Harry. You're so loud that you can be heard in Hades, Draco grumbled.
Sorry, love. Go back to sleep.
That was my intention. And for your information, in case you're thinking of doing something incredibly idiotic like cutting those things off…they aren't your wings. Those are wing sacks.
Oh. Harry peered at his back again and studied the wing sacks more. Which means… He didn't want to sound stupid, but he really didn't get it. No natural instinct was helping him on this one.
Meaning your wings are inside, you lovely idiot. Wings will be out in a week. Now I'm going back to sleep.
"A week," he muttered, shaking his head. Harry stripped off his boxers and was about to step into the shower when Draco called out.
"Harry! Your bloody owl is creating more noise then you were! Come and open the window for her already."
Harry hurried out of the bathroom, unconcerned that he was completely naked, and grinned to himself when he heard Draco inhale loudly upon his appearance. He threw open the French doors, and cooed to Hedwig as she landed on his outstretched arm. "Hello, girl. Have a nice hunt last night?"
Hedwig hooted softly at him. Harry moved to Draco's vanity and plucked his emerald green robe up from the chair; fully aware of his mate's silver eyes following his every move. "Thought you were going back to sleep," he said as he tied the robe closed around him.
"You're a bastard, Harry."
"No I'm not. I'll have you know my parents were married." Harry turned back to Hedwig and she stuck out her foot. "What do you have for me? Ah, I've been expecting this. Wonder what took them so long."
"What is it?"
"A summons to Gringotts to go over my inheritance. I'm wanted there this morning." Harry sat beside Draco where the blond continued to lay and passed him the rolled up parchment. Draco received the letter and scanned the contents before frowning.
"You should have received this the day after your birthday."
"I know. Dumbledore probably had something to do with it. We'll see when we get there."
Draco sat up and suddenly his entire attention was on the parchment. "You want me to go with you?" he asked and then immediately cringed at the nervousness in his voice.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Draco shrugged and tried to hide his embarrassment over the fact that he'd suddenly been unsure whether Harry wanted him tagging along around him so much. He lay back down and stared at the ceiling and refused to meet Harry's eyes.
"Unless… unless you don't want to come with me," Harry replied after a moment. "If that's the case I won't pressure you or anything."
Draco felt the bed shift as Harry stood, heard him murmur a bye to his owl, and then went back to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. Suddenly, Draco had the urge to laugh. What was up with today? Was it Insecurity Day or something? Draco threw back the covers, prepared to go in the bathroom and reassure his mate by acting like a Hufflepuff for a fraction of a moment, but just as he stood another owl was demanding to be received.
"Bloody owls…" A brown barn owl flew in when opened the door and after the letters were delivered, Draco shooed the owl away. "Hmm, Hogwarts letters..."
That reminded him that they needed to get the ball rolling with making Tom a Durmstrang transfer so that they would have everything ready by September 1st, which was only a few weeks away. Draco promised to talk to Hermione about that later in the day. He was just about to enter the bathroom when someone knocked on the door.
Draco clutched the door frame in his hands and squeezed it in frustration until the wood beneath his fingers groaned under the pressure. "Bloody hell! Is this also keep Draco away from the boy-who-lived-to-be-shagged day? Fuck!" With one last wistful look towards the already running shower, he turned away from it, peeved that he was being disturbed from sharing what would have been a very lovely interlude with Harry, and crossed the bedroom to the door. He yanked the door opened and glared at his godfather.
"I was about to be busy."
"As long as you aren't now…" Severus swept past Draco into their room.
"What are you doing here so early anyway?" Draco moved across the room and shut the bathroom door before turning back to his godfather.
"I've come to check on Harry and to tell you to get dressed. You will be taking a trip to Durmstrang this morning for an appointment with Karkaroff. I assume you've gotten your Hogwarts letters." Draco nodded and pointed to the letters on the bed.
"You should open yours." Severus sounded unusually pleased.
"Why?" Draco asked even as he picked his letter up. "I already know what's in it. Same thing as last year, just updated text books." He opened the letter and looked through the contents before smirking. "I'm Head Boy. The idiots made me Head Boy… I wonder who's been made-"
"I'm Head Girl!" They heard a shout from down the hall and footsteps rapidly approaching the open door. "I'm Head Girl!" Hermione squealed as she ran in, then upon seeing Severus was there, she jumped into his arms and began to plant kisses all over his face. Severus allowed her dramatics for more time than Draco would have thought his godfather capable of handling.
"What? Did you spend the night again, Hermione?" he asked, though she didn't answer him. She probably had. Hermione had been given a permanent room at the manor, and she had a full wardrobe as well, which would explain why she was already dressed in beautiful silk blue robes for the day.
"I thought after everything that happened this summer I wouldn't have gotten it. I was sure Dumbledore wouldn't allow me being Head Girl." She slid out of Severus' arms and smiled brightly at the room in general. Clearly lost in blissful thoughts of being Head Girl.
"Because of your grades, you were already chosen to be your year's Head at the end of sixth year. Dumbledore is now on probation due to his being questioned by the Ministry. He has no say over these things. It is the School Board of Governors who have the last say."
"But I really received this honor because of my grades, right?" Hermione asked, chewing on her lower lip. "I don't want it to be just because we have plans this coming year, and my being Head Girl would make things easier… I know we control most of the Board now."
"Merlin, of course it was because of your grades, Hermione! You are, unfortunately for me, the top student. You always beat me!" Draco said, and then he turned back to Severus. "I can't go to Durmstrang. I'm going to Gringotts with Harry this morning."
"I'll go with him. You need to get this done so that Tom is able to attend Hogwarts. If you wait it will be too late to enroll him."
"Why do I have to go?"
"Because it was your idea to have the Dark Lord go to Hogwarts with you and I'll not have Hermione going with Tom by herself. Stop whining like a petulant child," Severus returned with a sneer.
"All right, fine." Draco turned around and slammed into the bathroom.
"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked. Severus shook his head and took her hand in his before pulling her out of the room.
"Who knows… you all thrive on dramatics. It'll drive me into the grave one day."
"Now whose being dramatic, Severus?" she asked before laughing at his astonished look. "Let's go have some breakfast."
Tom joined the two for breakfast out on one of the verandas outside the second story dining room. Hermione has insisted they eat there as it was a very lovely day.
"Your cheerfulness is a bit much, Hermione. You're going to end up giving me a headache," Tom declared after Hermione had taken a breath in between her words as she'd been talking non-stop to him and Severus throughout breakfast.
"Then put earplugs in your ears. I won't have you turning my mood sour."
Tom raised an eyebrow and looked at Severus inquiringly. "She's been made Head Girl."
"Severus, who is Head Boy this year?" Hermione asked.
"Who do you think it is? Which male has had the top marks since year one?"
They watched as Hermione's brows furrowed in thought. Severus and Tom obtained a chill when her face went dark with feral glee and she began to laugh almost hysterically, more like cackling, but the men weren't paying attention to that. It was the look of pure malicious delight in her eyes.
"Oh, this is good. So good." Hermione began to rub her hands together. "Draco and I will have free reign of the school! We could get away with anything!" She sat back and giggled. "This is simply wonderful. I can't wait for school to start."
"Please don't make my job as a teacher worse than it already will be," Severus implored. Tom grinned when she waved his plead away.
"Really Severus, you need more excitement in your life." Severus scowled and she answered with a cheeky grin. Hermione looked down at the floor when something brushed her ankle and she smiled upon seeing Harry's snake. Immediately Hermione lowered her arm and allowed Lovely to slither on and up to her shoulder. "Hello, Lovely." The snake answered with a soft hiss.
"She returns your greeting," Tom said, surprised to see Hermione so at ease with a dangerous snake circling her neck. "She can understand some human words." He looked over at Severus to find the wizard nearly drooling from the picture Hermione made with a snake. Tom couldn't resist the snort that escaped him.
Harry and Draco arrived soon after, both surprised to see the snake resting peacefully around Hermione's neck. Harry looked impressed while Draco looked a bit green. They both sat down, their chairs closer than needed and Draco rested his arm over the back of Harry's chair.
"Is there a reason why you're sitting so close to each other?" Severus inquired.
"Do we ever need a reason?" Harry asked. His mood lightened since he and Draco had a little talk about their insecurities. He'd been astonished that Draco had been upset that he couldn't accompany him to Gringotts, and was happy to know that his own feelings of wanting Draco with him at all times was reciprocated. Then Draco had sneered and told him these Hufflepuff moments would be few and far between. Harry had merely smiled dazedly, as at that time Draco had had him bent over the bathroom counter.
"Look, at least my hands are above the table," Draco drawled.
Harry started laughing, remembering the previous night with Sirius and Lucius at the table. He didn't think Draco had heard about that incident, which made his comment seem more hilarious. And then Lucius and Sirius made their entrance and Harry started to laugh harder, and only Severus knew why he was laughing like an idiot. The table was enlarged to allow room for the two latecomers and everyone was quiet until breakfast was finished and the house elves had cleared the table.
"What is on the agenda for today?" Lucius asked.
"Harry and I will be traveling to Gringotts, while Tom, Hermione, and Draco have an appointment with that idiot Karkaroff this morning."
Tom frowned at hearing the name. "Have I not killed him yet?" he looked at Lucius and Severus, both who shook their heads. "I'm sure I had planned to kill him."
"He snitched on other Death Eaters to keep from getting thrown in Azkaban, didn't he?" Hermione asked. Tom, Lucius, and Severus nodded. "Well he's better off where he is for now," she said. "We can control Durmstrang through him now. Yes, you'll allow him to continue to live, won't you, Tom?"
"The tone in your voice tells me I have no other choice." The smile on Hermione's face confirmed to everyone that he had hit the mark. "Some Dark Lord I am…" he muttered darkly.
"What are you two going to do?" Harry asked his godfather and soon to be father-in-law.
"A visit to Remus for me. Moony's been cooped up deep within the Order headquarters for the past week. He may have information on what Dumbledore is planning. The old bastard has been too quiet. It's like he just gave up on you two. But I don't believe that for a minute."
"Dumbledore still has some time before school starts," Harry agreed. "Say hello to Moony for me. I miss him."
"Will do, pup."
"And I still have businesses to run," Lucius replied.
"And Ministry workers to Imperio," Tom added under his breath. Lucius' nod was imperceptible.
"Harry, has anyone told you what happened last night?" Hermione asked, and then before anyone could answer, she went on at full speed. "It was so exciting! Well not the part about you being in pain and passing out, but the part where the Ukatae healer arrived to help you and-"
"She looked like a soldier too," Sirius spoke up. He frowned when Lucius and Severus looked at him in surprise. "What? I can be observant too when I want. I'm not a complete moron!"
Severus snorted while Lucius rubbed his arm soothingly.
"She calmed Draco down and then she cut your wings out…" Hermione then went on to describe everything in detail.
"Where did she come from?" Harry asked.
"She wouldn't say, and she disappeared as suddenly as she appeared," Lucius replied.
"I think they've been watching us. How else would she have known Harry needed help?"
"That seems reasonable. They're probably not that far away, even now." Tom was disappointed he hadn't been there. "Next time something happens to either of you, I would like to be notified," he said softly, but when Hermione looked at him, his anger was evident in his dark eyes. Harry and Draco looked surprised, the other wizards looked indifferent, but Hermione was watching him with understanding.
"We're sorry, Tom. Everything happened so fast..."
"Tom… you love us now, don't you?" Harry said in a singsong voice and batted his lashes at the Dark wizard. Tom scowled which only made the two Ukatae smile widely.
"After we leave Durmstrang, I'll be going to the Ministry for my Apparition license, then I'll probably go home. My parents must be worried since they saw me come home, but not leave again." Here she glared at Harry and Draco. Harry coughed into his hand, and one finger discreetly pointed to Draco.
"After you've spoken to your parents you will come back here," Severus stated.
"An order, Severus?" she asked lowly.
Harry and Draco quickly pushed their chairs back from the table and looked back and forth between Severus and Hermione. There was a moment of silence where everyone was afraid to move.
"I have made lunch reservations."
"A date?" she asked hopefully, and when Severus nodded, Hermione smiled brightly. Everyone released the breath they had all been holding.
"Really, you never know what's going to happen with those two," Sirius said to Lucius when everyone stood to get on with their day.
Harry and Severus arrived outside of Gringotts at the Apparition point and made their way inside, past the large bronze doors and through the main hall where a hundred or so goblins sat behind counters, all keeping to themselves and working diligently on something or other. The two ignored everything and everyone and strode up the main counter and Harry cleared his throat to get the goblin's attention. The short creature stood on his stool and leaned over the counter. He looked surprised when looking upon Harry. The goblins, just like wizards, hadn't seen a Ukatae in many generations which would explain why the creature looked surprised to see him.
"Yes?" the goblin looked at Harry with more than a little suspicion and much wariness… which was a first that Harry had ever seen.
"Harry Potter. Here about my inheritance. I have an appointment."
The suspicious look vanished to be replaced with open curiosity. "Ah, yes. Mr. Potter. We've been expecting you." The small goblin snapped his fingers and another goblin quickly came running. "Ragnok will show you the way to Bogrod who will be reading the will if you wish and passing over to you the contents of the inheritance."
Harry nodded. "Thank you."
He and Severus were led through one of the many doors lining the walls of the main hall, then through a number of corridors within the bank, which explained to Harry why they needed an escort. The hallways were just as intricate as the passageways to the vaults. Nothing but a maze.
"Here you are. Bogrod is expecting you, Mr. Potter."
"Thank you, Ragnok." The goblin nodded then hurried away to whatever business he was attending before being called.
Severus and Harry entered a medium sized and unimpressive room. The room was square and carved from stone, and very chilly. There weren't even any windows. Bogrod the goblin sat behind the desk at one end of the room, and in front of the desk were two rows of chairs with three chairs making up each row. Harry took the seat at the front of one row, Severus did the same in the other and they looked at the goblin that had yet to look up at them from where he was hunched over scribbling furiously upon a long parchment.
"Excuse me," Severus finally spoke, a sneer in his voice. "But we do have other places to be." Since Harry wasn't happy with being ignored either, he didn't say anything about his uncle's rude tone and watched the old goblin with a blank cold mask.
"Mr. Potter?" the goblin spoke without looking up.
"Yes," Harry answered flatly. Bogrod looked up then and raised a very bushy brow.
"And a Ukatae too. How extraordinary."
"Can we get on with it?" Severus snapped.
The goblin set his quill aside and started to fan the parchment. "And you are?"
"Severus Snape. Guardian of Harry Potter and brother to Lily Potter."
"Then you have a right to be here."
Severus gritted his teeth against the annoyance. Finally the goblin began to roll up the parchment and didn't speak until he'd finished and put it away in the desk. This only further irritated Severus and Harry as the parchment was very long and took a couple of minutes to roll up, especially since Bogrod was old and his every movement seemed to take decades. Harry hissed with impatience.
Would Master like me to bite the goblin? Lovely asked eagerly from her regular position around his neck after feeling her Master's displeasure. Harry took a moment to consider it as he slowly stroked her scales. When Bogrod looked up again he was startled to be faced with an irate looking Ukatae who was baring his fangs at him and whose face was clouded in dark shadows. Bogrod was no idiot and knew all too well about the power and dangers of the dark being before him.
"Yes…" he cleared his throat and hurriedly rummaged for the correct parchments stored in one of the drawers of his desk. "Your inheritance." He pulled the sealed parchments out and placed them on the edge of the desk closest to the two visitors.
"Hold out your hand please." Bogrod stood from his chair and shuffled around to stand before Harry. When Harry held out a hand the goblin grasped it firmly and quickly pressed a pin into his index finger until a drop of blood appeared.
"Please allow a couple drops of your blood on the sealed documents."
"A warning would have been nice," Harry muttered as he moved forward to the desk. He did as the goblin said and let the droplets of blood fall onto the yellowish parchment and then watched as the blood was absorbed. As soon as the last bit of it disappeared the parchment unsealed itself with a white glow. Harry spent a moment sucking on his pricked finger before pinning the goblin with a sharp look. "You need blood of the family in order to see the will?"
"Yes."
"Then explain how Albus Dumbledore was able to see the will directly after my parents' deaths."
"Mr. Potter, you are the first person this will has unsealed itself for," Bogrod said as he made himself comfortable in his chair once again. He stared steadily back at the irate Ukatae. "Apparently your parents did not trust anyone with it and therefore made sure only you would be able to open it upon the correct time, which would be when you reached your majority."
Harry looked at Severus and the Potions Master looked thoughtful. "We have been led by Dumbledore under many and various lies. When he told us about reading the will that must have been another of his fabrications."
Harry's fists clenched. "Another fucking lie…" He closed his eyes and pushed the anger away. "Why did it take you this long to contact me about the will and my inheritance? Shouldn't I have been sent a notice the day after my birthday?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid the paperwork was in disarray."
"So you say." Harry snatched the folder of parchment off the desk and sat back down before he pulled out the documents.
"We do apologize for the delay in-" Bogrod's words were cut off when Harry lifted a hand, his eyes never leaving the parchment as he read over it.
Harry didn't spend a great deal of time looking over everything. He wanted to do that in the privacy of his own home. If he had any questions, he could always return, and the more time he passed within that room, the more his nerves were being plucked the wrong way. "Is there anything specific you need to tell me about the inheritance?"
"It's all there within the documents."
"Good. I will look over this at home. But right now I want to see the…" Harry looked back at the parchment and his eyes widened. "Um…Er…" Severus looked over and Harry pointed.
"The Potter's four vaults."
"Is this right? Four?" Harry coughed, clutching the parchment with shaking hands.
"The Potter family has always been wealthy, Harry. You were told this," Severus said. "James Potter- spoiled rich arrogant bastard… did you think I only said that just to say it?"
"I've never really thought about it…"
"Actually you have five vaults now," Bogrod announced, scanning the sheet in front of him. He rummaged through another drawer and presented four new shiny vault keys for Harry to take. Only four because Harry already had one key. The one he received when he was introduced to the Wizarding world.
"How do I have five now? I haven't been saving money."
"This says it's from interest over the years, but most of the fifth vault is from a Sirius Black, who has passed on a substantial amount of money over to you. This was done just recently. According to these documents he has listed you as family and as such Mr. Black is allowed to deposit money into your vaults, but only deposit, he can't withdraw."
"Send it back! I don't need more money!"
"There is a note here from Mr. Black." The goblin lifted a small piece of parchment and Harry snatched it up, and then he started to growl. The parchment read as follows: No give backs, Harry! Ha ha!
"That bastard! And he made it to where I can't even give it back. I'll fix him when I get home."
Harry seethed as they left Gringotts after a long visit to each and every vault. Each vault had nearly been full to the brim which seemed to displease Harry, leaving much confusion on Severus' part. One vault held only the Potter portraits and treasures, and that was the vault Harry spent most of the time looking through.
"I don't understand how having so much money can make you so angry, Harry."
Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair, making several witches who had been watching him sigh and nearly drool on themselves. Severus rolled his eyes at them. Apparently young witches liked the gorgeous, brooding looks of dark beings. "I'm just not used to all that money, Uncle Sev. I really don't need it. I'd rather just give it… away." Harry brightened and bolted back to the bank. Severus sighed and followed, but he remained just outside and rested against one of the white pillars. After a time Harry returned with a huge grin across his face.
"What did you do?" Severus was sure he wasn't going to like what he heard.
"Do you think Hermione would get mad if she suddenly found herself a wealthy witch?" Harry asked impishly.
"She'll be furious," Severus groaned. "And I'll be the recipient when she decides to rant about it. Thanks very much."
"You're welcome. I also gave some to Ginny, Fred, and George. I was going to give it to the entire Weasley family, but they would never take it. But I know Ginny will keep it, enjoy it, and find some way to share it with her family. Same with the twins."
"Yes. A good move on your part. Arthur and Molly would probably never forgive you if you gave it to them out right."
Harry nodded in agreement. "How do you think Draco and the others are doing at Durmstrang?"
Severus snorted before answering. "Karkaroff is no idiot and he'll recognize Tom. No doubt certain people have already told him about the changes the Dark Lord has made to himself. Karkaroff will probably piss his pants the moment Tom enters the office and he'll do anything they tell him to because he knows he should have been dead by now."
Igor Karkaroff didn't urinate on himself when he saw whom he was meeting in his office, but it was a close call. As it was he nearly fainted and the blood drained from his face when the Dark Lord entered closely followed by Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Igor had been made aware of the Dark Lord's return and about the way he dealt with those who wanted to leave his organization the night he'd come back with the new, younger body. And now, looking upon the sneering face of the young Dark Lord, Igor was sure he was about to die. Still, he managed to stand from his chair, stumble around his desk and kneel at the Dark Lord's feet.
"You are not groveling enough!" Voldemort spat. "Crucio!"
Tom watched the man writhe and scream in pain with a twisted smile on his face. Draco smirked and Hermione was watching both Karkaroff and Tom with nothing short of fascination. But after three minutes and Tom looking like he could go on with it forever, she felt it was her duty to put a stop to it. Karkaroff would be no good to them if he were so affected that he couldn't hear. Hermione shifted and discreetly touched Tom's elbow. He started and looked at her and she nodded towards the Durmstrang headmaster. Tom received her unspoken message and reluctantly released the curse. Draco huffed his displeasure and Hermione shot him a look that clearly told him to behave. She had noticed how much more sadistic the blond had become since his and Harry's transformations.
"Karkaroff," Tom began and then his eyes went wide with unyielding anger when the wizard interrupted him.
"My lord, please… I meant to come to you, I swear it! Please let me live… I'll do any-"
Hermione surprised herself and her companions when she reacted before the Dark Lord could. "Crucio!" she yelled, her eyes bright with righteous anger. Her friends turned to look at her with awe, but she ignored them. "How dare you interrupt Lord Voldemort!" She had to raise her voice over the noises Karkaroff was making under her curse. "When he speaks you will listen. You will listen and keep your treacherous mouth shut! Is this understood? Speak!"
"I… I understand!"
Hermione lifted the curse and watched, unaffected, as Karkaroff continued to twitch in pain. "I'm glad we have that understood," she said cheerfully and pocketed her wand.
"Severus is so going to see this through the Pensieve," Draco promised in a quiet voice. She sniffed and raised her nose in the air. Though she looked calm, she had to work very hard from trembling. That had been extremely thrilling. Too thrilling, actually. She'd enjoyed it way too much. Tom looked at her and flashed a smile. His eyes told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"As my associate was so kind to point out, you will listen Karkaroff and do as you are told. The only reason why I did not kill you the moment we stepped into this office is because my dear Hermione said you could still be useful to us. Do you understand that?"
"Y-yes, m-my lord," Karkaroff stuttered, his eyes shifting to Hermione for a split second before returning to the ground at Voldemort's feet.
"Wonderful." Tom moved, leaving Karkaroff lying on the floor. He rounded the desk and took up the Headmaster's chair. Hermione followed after and stood beside him. Draco, with a sneer still plastered on his face, bent down and grabbed Karkaroff by the throat with one hand and lifted the wizard up until they were eye to eye. He drew back his lips and bared his fangs.
"You aren't nearly as terrified as you should be," he growled lowly and was pleased with the whimpering response he received. Draco raised the wizard a bit higher before throwing him across the office to slam into one of the chairs facing the desk.
"Oh, wonderful Draco! He's unconscious now!" Hermione chided.
"He's not unconscious." Draco strode forward and kicked Karkaroff over onto his back. "He's only pretending. Aren't you, you piece of trash?" he bent down and picked Karkaroff up and then planted him in the unbroken chair.
"I'll kill you if you don't open your eyes in the next second," Tom said calmly. Karkaroff's eyes immediately opened and Draco snorted.
"See? I told you Hermione." Draco hit the back of Karkaroff's head before moving to stand on the other side of Tom.
"Are you quite finished with your violence, Draco?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, thanks. And don't be hypocritical."
"Igor," Tom began, "I need to be a transfer from Durmstrang so that I may enter Hogwarts in September." Karkaroff's eyes widened but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut this time. "I need the paperwork done and sent off to Hogwarts today. Right now. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Master."
"The name of the transfer student is Luther Bailey and he has been staying over with the Malfoy's for the summer since finding out he would have to transfer for his seventh year. The paperwork will be done properly, leaving no room for suspicion when the Hogwarts staff read it." Tom leaned forward and brought his fingers together in a steeple. When he smiled coldly, Karkaroff cringed. "If I do not receive my Hogwarts letter within two days, I will have no choice but to believe you are useless and your life will be forfeited."
Tom nodded to himself and stood. He began to leave and Karkaroff rushed to grovel at the hem of Tom's robes again. Tom stared at the back of his head for a moment. "Hermione, would you mind terribly reminding Karkaroff of why he shouldn't divulge any information about our visit or anything to do with us?"
"Not at all, Tom. Leave it to me." Hermione turned and pointed her wand at the cowering wizard. "You should be happy to feel the pain, Karkaroff. It means you are still alive… Crucio."
"Hermione," started Draco, "not that I didn't enjoy watching you curse Karkaroff, but just promise me you aren't going to turn into another Bellatrix."
"Of course not!" Hermione sounded scandalized as they walked away from the cold castle of Durmstrang back to where they could Apparate outside of the wards. "Bellatrix is a crazy bitch, and I will certainly not go around cursing innocent people! Karkaroff deserved it. We can't have him thinking he's his own master and we can't have him going around talking as he has done before."
"This is true," Tom said with a firm nod.
"Would one of you mind dropping me off at the Ministry please?"
Both Tom and Draco ended up going with her and insisted on waiting. But she denied them, saying, "honestly, you two, I'll be fine. We're in the middle of London… muggles everywhere. Nothing will happen to me and I'll be going straight home afterwards. Draco, why don't you take Tom shopping at the muggle shops you brought Harry to? He's in need of a fashion overhaul," she ended as they stopped just outside of the phone booth.
"Excuse me?" Tom looked appalled. "Did you forget I am Lord Voldemort?" he whispered furiously. "You want to dress me in what?"
"Excellent idea, Hermione!" The blond grinned excitedly, ignoring Tom's horrified expression.
"It certainly is not!"
Hermione simply smiled at Tom, pat his stiff shoulder, and then entered the phone booth.
"I need to go and exchange money at Gringotts. C'mon. You can wait for me at the Weasley's shop."
Tom could only sputter as Draco grabbed his arm and Apparated them straight into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
"Blimey, Draco! You nearly crushed a customer!" Fred yelled from the counter after seeing the two of them Apparate near the door, though luckily they were far enough in that they wouldn't be hit by the door prank. If they had arrived a second before they would have landed on a man just leaving the store.
"Don't you know it's rude to Apparate straight into a place?" George said upon coming out from the back room. His tone was chiding, but he was grinning.
"Is it alright if Tom stays here for a few minutes while I run to Gringotts?"
"Absolutely!"
"Our pleasure, mate!"
Draco nodded and hightailed it out of there before Tom could say or do anything leaving the Dark Lord standing there in a joke shop, looking furious. It was understandable why Fred and George kept their distance.
"Show me around your store," Tom finally demanded and the twins jumped to obey.
Tom was shown products such as the Wildfire Whiz Bangs, Ton-Tongue Toffees, and their bestsellers the Skiving Snackboxes. Understandably again, Fred and George didn't take Tom anywhere near the Canary Creams. Halfway through the store, Ron finally came out from the back, followed closely by Seamus Finnigan. When Fred saw this he turned livid.
"We've already told you not to bring your friends into the back, Ron! What the hell?"
"What're you getting worked up about? It's only Seamus-"
"Listen Ron," George placed a heavy on his brother's shoulder. "You and your boyfriend can hang around out here. But keep out of the back. Got it?"
Ron turned a violent shade of red. "What are you on about? We're only-"
"Yeah, whatever." George turned back to Tom, who had been watching everything with interest. He found watching the brothers amusing until Ron spoke again.
"You let that thing back there all the time. Why can Harry go back there and my friends can't?"
"What did you call him?" Tom asked in false civility as he stepped forward, finally bringing the notice of the two younger Gryffindors. "A thing? Is that what you called Harry?"
Fred and George shared a look of concern for their brother, as they knew how the Dark Lord felt about Harry. Ron was oblivious to all this but Seamus was smarter and he noticed the gleam in the newcomer's eye.
"Who are you?"
"He's Luther," Fred said warily
"A friend," George put in
"Of Potter?" Ron sneered. "You should steer clear of him. Bad news all around. Him, Malfoy, and that bitch!"
"And who would you be calling a bitch?" behind him, Tom heard the twins groan.
"Hermione Granger," Seamus answered with malice. "She's nothing but a power hungry slut."
Tom raised his wand before the two idiots could blink and sent them flying across the store. He stalked after them and bent down and watched them try to regain their breath and senses.
"If you ever say anything like that again about Harry, Draco, or Hermione… I will kill you." Tom's hand tightened on his wand and Ron and Seamus trembled against each other when they realized this was a dangerous wizard. For his part, Tom was trying to restrain himself from casting an Unforgivable on them. As if sensing his thoughts the twins ran forward and grabbed the two younger wizards off the floor and hauled them to the door.
"What the hell? You're my brothers! Are you going to let him get away with that?"
"It's because we're your brothers and we love you that we're doing this!" Fred and George threw Seamus and Ron out of the store and then locked the door. Tom took out a bag of Galleons and threw it on the counter before crossing his arms and leaning against it.
"For your trouble," he said simply. And then he sneered. "You're brother is a problem I might have to deal with at Hogwarts."
"Just don't maim or kill him. That's all we ask."
"Fine. I will refrain from taking his life… What about the other one?" he asked hopefully.
"Finnigan? Don't much care about him."
Tom would have responded but Draco popped in just then and grinned at all of them. "I saw Weasel and the leprechaun outside. What did you do to them?" he asked Tom eagerly.
"Not as much as I wanted. Due to my recent growing relationship with the Weasleys, I feel doing as I please with Ronald Weasley would not be in my best interests. Finnigan however is another matter. He should be told to watch his back or someone might look up to find the Dark Mark looming over his cold body."
Draco's eyebrows rose past his hairline and he looked at the twins, who looked like they wanted to keep silent, which they did. They were no fools.
"Weasley called Harry a thing. And he called Hermione a bitch and Finnigan referred to her as a power hungry slut," Tom supplied helpfully or unhelpfully in the twins' opinion. Tom knew well the consequences of telling Draco what had been said.
Draco's amusement abruptly disappeared. "Excuse me," he growled and popped away again.
"Oh shit!" Fred cried and ran for the door.
"Holy buggering hell! They're dead!" George grabbed Tom's arm and started pulling him after his brother. "Can't believe you told him!"
"You should just be happy Severus is not here."
"But Draco is going to kill Ron so it doesn't really matter if Severus is here or not. Draco would love to see Ron six feet under!" George said frantically.
"He won't do that. He likes your mum. But I can't promise that he won't maim him. He is a Ukatae after all. Vicious creatures when they get the urge." Tom said all this in a light unconcerned tone as they ran through Diagon Alley searching for a blood thirsty Ukatae on the warpath.
"Found them!" Fred yelled after several minutes of frantic looking; only on the twins' part of course. Tom was just going along for the fun of it and was looking forward to seeing the damage Draco would inflict.
They found Draco doing exactly what they thought he would be doing. Beating the life out of Ron and Seamus. Seamus was already unconscious and bleeding and Ron was lying beside him trying to get the furious blond off him. He was screaming like a little girl, but honestly anyone would be when they had what seemed like a monster over them beating them to death with fists of steel. Tom thought it was fortunate for Finnigan and Weasley that Draco had decided to use the hands on approach instead of his magic; otherwise the boys would have been dead after the first blast of magic used.
"I suggest stunning him before he realizes we're here," Tom said when they entered the alleyway. "Otherwise he'll probably turn on you in this state."
"Stupefy!" Two resounding voices echoed through the alley, and Draco half turned to stare menacingly at Fred and George. They lifted their shaking wands to repeat the curse, completely flummoxed that two stupefies had not worked.
"Wait," Tom said. Draco staggered towards them, making Fred and George scurry to shield themselves behind the Dark Lord. But the next moment Draco pitched forward unconscious. Fred and George sighed in relief.
"You should check on your brother and his friend. Perhaps a trip to St. Mungo's will be in order. I'll take care of Draco."
"Thanks," Fred and George murmured dryly and they Apparated away with the bruised and bloody bodies of Seamus and Ron.
"My my my, this one is unusually violent, don't you think?"
"Don't talk to me, Ozemir."
Brumek and Ozemir were paired together to follow the one called Draco wherever he went, and were now standing across the road from the alleyway, watching the wizard walk towards the unconscious Ukatae. Brumek swore upon all the stars in the sky that he would get back at Falde for pairing him up with the much too delicate Ukatae Scholar. What could the Scholar do if real trouble were to suddenly appear? Stand there and recite a passage from one of his boring scriptures? In other words, not a whole lot!
Ozemir went on, ignoring the annoyed waves coming from his partner. "He did this because of malicious words. Imagine the kind of destruction this Draco will do if his mate is dishonored physically in any way!"
"Will you shut up!" Brumek snapped, his patience and training nearly failing him.
As it was, his raised voice carried and was heard by the wizard who immediately looked over to where Brumek and Ozemir were lounging near the door of a store. Ozemir jerked away from the wizard's gaze and started whistling while Brumek stared steadily back.
"You are not being inconspicuous," Brumek hissed to the idiot beside him. "The wizard already suspects, and stop that whistling. It's only drawing more attention to us."
"I guess it doesn't matter." Ozemir chuckled, more than used to Brumek's constant surly mood. "We've changed our appearance and dampened our auras. He couldn't possibly know what we are."
"Still." Brumek turned away from the wizard's gaze in a lazy manner and grabbed Ozemir's arm to drag him down the street. "Why in the name of Hirsha did you make yourself look like this?" he asked suddenly. "You look disgusting!"
Ozemir's long pearly white hair was now a short rusty color with strands of gray brushed throughout, and his thin graceful frame with the flawless beautiful features most of their kind had was gone to be replaced by pounds of human fat. Brumek would never admit it, not even under pain of death, but Ozemir's real form was much more attractive than the fat wizard Ozemir turned himself into for this annoying duty of theirs. At least Brumek had kept his basic body form. He had only shortened his height and made his hair red instead of his natural color of black with reddish brown streaks through it. Also disguising the elf ears and sharp fangs. But at least he knew he was still pleasing to look at.
Ozemir looked startled for a moment after his statement, but then he smiled the goofy smile he always seemed to have on his face. The very smile that always made Brumek want to strangle him. But Brumek restrained that impulse and only rolled his eyes. They stopped at an outside vendor and pretended to look at the wares, keeping an eye and their senses on the Ukatae and wizard down the road. It seemed the wizard was more worried about his friend than he was the suspicious looking wizards down the road, and they watched as he revived the young Ukatae. Draco looked back to where he'd last seen the two wizards he'd been beating and pouted when they weren't there. But in a drastic change of attitude, the blond grinned and announced it was time for shopping, which led the wizard with him to groan.
Ozemir bounced on his toes. "I like this Draco!"
"Let's go, and stay quiet," Brumek hissed and they began to follow once again.
Hermione was practically skipping out of the Ministry in a happy stupor, having passed the Apparition test without a problem. It hadn't taken much time at all. She was in such a state that she let her guard down and did not notice the approach of the two men as they followed her from the Ministry and into the alleyway where most witches and wizards went to Apparate to and from the Ministry. Just as she was preparing to Apparate to a secluded spot near her home, someone came up behind her and pressed a dagger against her throat, making it impossible for her to Apparate anywhere. The knife was pressed firmly against her neck so that if she tried Apparating, there was a good chance she'd be badly cut while doing so.
"Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into by attacking me?" she asked coldly, masking the terror she felt rising up in her like a tidal wave. Another man came to stand in front of her and relieved her of the wand she'd been reaching for. Hermione couldn't see his face due to the hood he was hiding under, but she could tell it was a man.
"Petrificus Totalus," the man in front muttered and Hermione was cast immobile. She was somewhat relieved because the man behind her removed the knife from her throat. Hermione could have lifted the spell nonverbally- "thank you, Tom!"- but she had a feeling this had to do with Dumbledore, and she wanted to find out more about what was going on. Besides, she figured if she were going to be killed, they would have done it already.
"C'mon. We need to get out of here. The old wizard is expecting us," the man with the knife said.
Though I want to know, I also need to get a message to Severus or anyone at Malfoy Manor. But how do I do that? Now she wished they hadn't cast her immobile. With an inward sigh of regret she realized she would just have to wait until she was made more aware of the situation she was now in. She squeezed her eyes shut against the helplessness she was beginning to feel. Even if she could do spells nonverbally, it wouldn't make much of a difference if she were being taken to Dumbledore. She suddenly felt dizzy with fear when she realized if it were Dumbledore, he would simply ask her questions, force out the answers, and then kill her. He wouldn't want her back with Harry or Voldemort to add to their power. There was simply no way Dumbledore would allow her to return to them alive.
A/N:Edited 10/19/2011