Hello Again,
I wrote this chapter right after the first one, but I felt it was better to use it now.
I got a review about the time this is set in , and the reviewer made a good point, but it is 1962 for a reason. I know Lucius was born in 1954, so instead he'll be born in 1963.
I do make it a point to check Harry Potter Wiki and Google things I am unsure of. I promise it will all work out in the end.
Then I will give the same reviewer one thing to consider on the other half of the review they wrote. In chapter four at the top, I wrote about hair color and why I gave Abraxas black hair in one of the notes above the chapter. I would re-read it again if I were you. ;)
Now, onto the story!
I own nothing.
* song playing on the stereo is in my mind Bullet With Butterfly Wings by The Smashing Pumpkins.
Chapter Seven
Draco Malfoy was pacing the large office he shared with Hermione at the Ministry. It had been hours since she disappeared into thin air, and Draco was in hell. After she disappeared, Draco cast a spell to stun and tie up both of the two men. He cast a patronus to Kingsley that help was needed immediately, and began to search the room for Hermione. The only thing he did find was the bag of time-turners shoved under a shelf.
When Kinglsey arrived he had eight other Aurors in tow. The nine people listened to Draco's story and each one became visibly worried. Draco also gave him his memories of the incident for later use. Kingsley then ordered four of the Aurors to escort the two men to Azkaban, where they would be questioned thoroughly, but told them to keep what had happened within the group. The last thing anyone wanted was for more Voldemort followers to get any ideas about going back in time or any news reporters catching wind of the story. The other four Aurors, along with Draco were ordered to search the Ministry of Magic high and low for Hermione. Kingsley was going to assist in taking the men to Azkaban so that there wouldn't be any trouble with the guards. He told Draco he would send a patronus when he was ready for him to come question them.
Draco and his fellow Aurors searched every nook and cranny of the Ministry, but turned up nothing. Draco floo'd her home at Grimmauld Place and still turned up empty. Thankfully Potter was out on a mission and Draco didn't have to deal with him when he searched the house. The only other place he could think of was her parents' house, but Draco knew that he would not only worry them by showing up to look for her, but piss them off with waking them up so early. Plus if she had ended up there, she would have let him know.
So here Draco was, pacing his office like a caged animal, waiting for someone to open the door and give him any news of Hermione's disappearance. With each step Draco became angrier and a new course of panic flowed through him. He stopped pacing to glance down at his ring that he wore on the right hand on his middle finger. The ruby in the middle wasn't black and his finger wasn't burning, it was the only thing that kept him from losing his mind with worry.
He glanced from the ring to the desk across the room that belonged to Hermione. He walked toward it and took stock of all the things littered across it. She had a couple of books, along with several pieces of parchment with a few muggle fountain pens across the desk and fingered the large black stain on the hardwood desk.
Hermione stopped using quills the day that she accidentally spilled two inkpots in a row over some very important Ministry documents she was supposed to fill out. Draco watched as an enraged Hermione stood up and threw the inkpots at a wall across the room and began her ranting. She yelled about how archaic the Wizarding community was, still using inkpots, owls, and the like. She stormed the room yelling all kinds of obsinities and Draco couldn't stop himself from laughing. He had seen her angry before, but not over something so trivial as an inkpot. She was utterly adorable when she was angry at inanimate objects, but when it was directed at him he found her terrifying.
He smiled fondly at the memory and glanced up to see the pictures in the frames that also adorned her desk. There were four frames in total, to the far right was one of a younger Hermione with her smiling in the middle of her parents, and it was obviously muggle because it was the only one that didn't move. The next was of Hermione, Potter, and the weasel. In this picture a very young Golden Trio were at Platform 9 ¾ standing arm and arm smiling like lunatics. The next one was just of Potter and Hermione, snuggling on a couch at Grimmauld Place and waving at the camera. It must have been taken recently because it looked more like the Hermione he knew now. The last picture was by far his favorite.
It was taken after their graduation; they stood in their cap and graduation robes with their arms wrapped around each other's waists in the Great Hall. Draco leaned over and whispered something in Hermione's ear that made them both roar with laughter as his mother took the picture. He smiled at the picture and remembered telling her that they looked like a bloody Christmas tree with their coloring. That she couldn't have just been a Ravenclaw so that they could at least have one decent picture that didn't look like they were sending seasons greetings to someone. He didn't think his remark was that funny, but when she roared out with laughter it was contagious. He even saw his father fighting the urge to chuckle.
His trip down memory lane was ended when a silver lynx flew through the room and gave Draco a message in Kingsley's voice.
"Come to the interrogation room at Azkaban. Everything will be explained when you get here." And with that the lynx was gone, and so was Draco's smile.
Draco sat in an old chair waiting for Kingsley Shaklebolt to come fill him in on what was going on. Where the hell is he? Draco thought as he checked his watch again for the millionth time, Kingsley had him waiting there for thirty minutes. What could be taking him so long? He hoped that even though it was highly unlikely, that Kingsley had found Hermione and was making him wait because he was getting her side of the story. Anxiety and anger coursed through him with a renewed vigor, as Draco put his elbows on his knees and ran his hands through his hair. He silently willed himself not to break everything in the room.
His headshot up at the sound of the door opening to reveal a very tired looking Kingsley Shaklebolt. Kingsley was dressed in fine dress robes topped off with a blue hat on his baldhead and carried with him a small portable pensieve. He also didn't have Hermione in tow, and what little hopes Draco had died. Kingsley pulled a chair and sat himself in front of Draco, his face looking grim. Draco had been on edge before, but now seeing Kingsley's face made him feel worse.
"You wanted to speak to me Kingsley." Draco said with a weary voice.
"Yes Draco I did. I just got done interrogating both men. It wasn't easy, I had to use veritaserum to get them to say anything. So in order to keep you in the loop, would you like me to tell you or rather me show you what went on?" Kingsley asked while waving his hand to the small portable pensieve in his lap.
"Please just tell me what happened. I don't think I have the energy to watch a memory right now. Who were they? What are you going to do with them? Do you know where Hermione is?" Draco asked with a look his father would be proud of.
"The men you apprehended were former Death Eaters. They were in Azkaban when the Final Battle took place, and were released two years ago. They were upset that Voldemort didn't win the war and decided that they were going to fix it." Kingsley said while taking off his blue hat and wiping his brow before continuing on.
"Voldemort spoke of time-turners during the first war, but dropped the idea since he was told that time-turners couldn't take him back as far as he wanted to go. However, these two remembered and once they got out of Azkaban began to plan to steal the time turners and find a way to go back in time to warn Voldemort of what was to come. Luckily you and Hermione got there in time to stop them." Kingsley paused to take a breath. Then started talking again.
"We are going to have an obliviator come in and take their memories of all things time-turner away. Then put in memories of them attacking two Aurors, so that they won't think that they're in Azkaban for nothing. They will not get a trial, I've spoken to a judge and she has granted my request and has taken a wand oath to speak nothing of the incident. I want as few people to know about this as possible. So whoever I do not trust implacably will be obliviated immediately. I will tell you who when I decide." Kingsley sighed.
"I will have the two Unspeakables in charge of the time-turners come in and see if there is anything amiss. I have called Harry from his mission in Egypt to come down to talk to me about the incident today. I feel it would be better coming from me to tell him what happened. Now about Hermione, I'm afraid my boy we are going to have to play that by ear. The two men did nothing to her, so maybe the Unspeakables will be able to shed some light. Until then, I will keep you updated on Hermione's status. We will find her Draco we just have to be patient." He said while reaching over to place a hand over on Draco's shoulder.
Draco took in a deep breath as anger and rage took him over. That's it? That's all he says to me? 'be patient' and 'play that by ear'! Is he fucking stupid! Hermione is missing and I am supposed to just do what? Go on like everything is okay? Is this a joke? Draco tried as gently as he could manage to shake off the Kingsley's hand on his shoulder and rose to his feet. Kingsley rose to his feet as well and the two made eye contact. Draco offered his hand that Kingsley took and gave it a good shake. Draco's face was a mask of indifference and spoke in a detached tone.
"Thank you for keeping me updated. Please let me know when Potter and the Unspeakables get here. I think I'll go home now if you don't mind. Good day Kingsley." Draco said. He strode past Kingsley, opened the door and apparated home to the manor.
He landed at the front door of the Manor with his blood still boiling. He yanked open the front door and let it slam as he walked on through not giving a flying fuck who heard it. Draco began to climb the stairs and headed toward the small gym in the Manor. He needed to let this anger out before it consumed him. He couldn't break anything in the Manor without a lecture from his mother so the gym would have to do.
When he reached the gym he closed the door and did a number of things. He silenced the room, flicked on the stereo that Hermione had bought him for his last birthday, and summoned with his hand various things to hit and break. He rolled up his sleeves and began to break everything in sight.
It was with the music blaring as loud as the stereo could go and Draco smashing everything in sight that he finally felt some relief. He screamed, cursed, and let it all out. When his hands began to throb and bleed, is when Draco sank down to his knees on the floor in an exhausted mess. He felt comfortably numb. Hermione was gone, and he was powerless. He hated feeling this helpless, it reminded him too much of his past. He put his face in his hands and willed himself not to sob.
Draco didn't know how long he sat there on his knees with his face buried in his hands. He was too lost in his own emotional turmoil to notice the stereo grow quiet or the footsteps that grew louder until they came to a stop behind him. When a hand was placed on his shoulder Draco realize he was no longer alone. He dropped his hands to his lap, and turned to see his father standing behind him. Through blurry eyes Draco could see his father with a very concerned look on his face, his long platinum blonde hair was disarray, and he was wearing his dark green sleep robe. If Draco wasn't so broken, he might of laughed at the sight of his father's hair sticking up in every direction. He rose off of the floor to face his father, and noticed his mother by the door in the same state as his father. He must have woken them up when he came in.
"I'm sorry if I woke you both. I've had a very rough night, but before you both start questioning me. I'd like to mend my hands and shower. I'll meet you down for breakfast, in lets say an hour?" Draco said looking from one concerned parent to the other. He began to walk towards the door where his mother was, and stopped before her. He bent and gave her a kiss on the forehead and continued to walk to his rooms.
After Draco showered and changed into some comfortable clothing, he went downstairs to find his parents sitting in the living room rather than in the dining room. They were both still wearing their matching sleep robes and were cuddled on the couch. His brow furrowed, didn't we agree on breakfast? I've never seen them stay in their sleep robes for this long. They must think I've gone mad. Well you have haven't you? Oh shut up! Great he was fighting with himself this is just perfect. He had lost the woman he considered a sister, and now he was going mad. Just fucking peachy.
"I thought we were going to have breakfast?" Draco asked as he slid in the chair opposite of his parents.
"We're too worried to eat son. Plus it's six in the morning, I don't think it's healthy to eat this early." Lucius said with a ghost of a smirk on his still concerned face.
"Draco what is going on? Are you in trouble? Did something happen at the Ministry? Wait did you just get home? Where have you been? Is…." Narcissa was silenced by her husband's hand closing over her mouth resulting in her giving him a glare. If looks could kill Lucius would have been a dead man.
"Don't give me that look Cissa, I had to shut you up somehow. If you want you're questions answered shouldn't you let our boy speak?" He let his hand off of her mouth and placed a light kiss to where his hand used to be. Lucius gave her a small smile then turned to his son and began to speak.
"Now Draco why are you in such a state? Are you in any trouble at all?" Lucius asked.
"No father I am not in any trouble. I am in such a state as you put it because Hermione is gone." Draco said. The pain of her absence came back, but this time it was sorrow and not anger. He was happy the anger was gone, but didn't like the sadness any better.
"What do you mean Hermione is gone? Did you two have a fight? Draco you know Hermione is pigheaded she'll come back. If she doesn't just buy her a book and apologize profusely." Narcissa said as her husband intertwined their fingers on his thigh.
"No Mother, it's not that simple. She's gone as in I might never see her again." Draco said as he hung his head as bile built in his mouth at saying the words out loud. Lucius's eyes widened and he tightened his grip on his wife's hand and shoulder.
Over the years Hermione Jean Granger had been a breath of fresh air to the Malfoy family. After the trials, Lucius had the Manor gutted and the drawing room torn down. In its place was a wall of portraits where the room used to be. It was one rainy day when Draco came home after helping with the rebuilding of Hogwarts that he began to see the life back in his son's eyes. It was only a few weeks later that Lucius and Narcissa met Draco's newfound happiness.
After what she had been through the last time she was at the Manor, Lucius was astounded to see Hermione Granger walk into the Dining room for dinner with the Malfoy family. It was that moment he realized just how much courage she had to of had to come into the house that held such vicious memories and probably nightmares for her. The amount of respect he had for the girl from that moment on was immense. He and his wife stood up from the table to greet her with a handshake and a remorseful apology. To say the girl looked stunned would be an understatement, but Lucius thought nothing of it. If the girl made his son happy and forget his demons, then he would have to accept her for his family's sake.
Lucius never had to ask if Draco and Hermione were more than just friends because he already knew the answer from the way behaved with each other. They looked at each other with sibling affection in their eyes and behaved in a sibling like manner. Lucius had even caught them in a 'stop touching me' fight that ended up with Draco on the floor being tickled by Hermione. It was good to hear his son laugh so freely after all the years spent fearing for their lives. Hermione was good for Draco, even if they were just brother and sister to each other; Lucius knew he needed Hermione Granger in his sons' life. Now that Draco was telling him and Narcissa that the person who kept Draco's darkness at bay might not ever come back made Lucius begin to worry.
"Son what do you mean you might not see her again? Where the hell did she go? Did she leave the Wizarding World?" Lucius asked in a confused tone, trying to mask his increasing concern.
"That's just it father, I don't know where she went." Draco said causing both his parent's frowns to deepen. Draco began to tell what had happened when they were on patrol and what had happened after she disappeared. While he told his story, Lucius became paler and paler by the minute while Narcissa's eyes began to tear up for her son's turmoil. When Draco finished his story, his mother rose from the sofa, walked over and engulfed her son in a hug. Lucius was still in thought on the couch as he watched his wife and son embraced in a hug.
Draco's eyes were closed and buried in the crook of his mother's neck so he missed when his parents met each other's gaze and the small nod Lucius gave Narcissa as he left the room in a hurry. Draco heard the movement, but didn't move. His mothers' comfort easing some of the pain away.
"Where is father going? "He asked. Draco's voice muffled by Narcissa's long blonde hair.
"He's probably floo calling to see if there is anything he can do to help. Even if he can't go to the Ministry." Narcissa lied. She knew exactly what her husband was doing, and she had to fight the small smile threatening to surface on her lips.
What is Lucius up to? Hope this chapter was a good one. I am posting the lyrics to the song Bullet With Butterfly Wings down below, if anyone is interested at all.
Please Review.
Bullet With Butterfly Wings - The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)
The world is a vampire, sent to drain
Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames
And what do I get, for my pain?
Betrayed desires, and a piece of the game
Even though I know - I suppose I'll show
All my cool and cold - like old job
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Now I'm naked, nothing but an animal
But can you fake it, for just one more show?
And what do you want?
I want to change
And what have you got, when you feel the same?
Even though I know - I suppose I'll show
All my cool and cold - like old job
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Tell me I'm the only one
Tell me there's no other one
Jesus was the only son, yeah.
Tell me I'm the chosen one
Jesus was the only son for you
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
And someone will say what is lost can never be saved
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a-
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a-
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
Tell me I'm the only one
Tell me there's no other one
Jesus was the only son for you
[4x]
And I still believe that I cannot be saved